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slapshot-to-the-heart · 4 years

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Flatbush & Atlantic: part iii

Part iii is here! Read it, reblog it, text your friends about it, talk to ME about it, everything.

part i part ii

part iii

November 13

From: Mat

The tickets should be at will call! Let me know if you have any trouble, we’re headed out for warmups in a few

Cass shoved her phone back into the back pocket of her pants, turning to Samaira. “He put them at will call, which is,” she scanned the front of Barclay’s, “right there.” Samaira followed her to the counter. “Hi,” she said as the ticketing agent called for the next in line, sliding her license under the glass. “There should be two for Cassidy Shaw.” The agent nodded, reaching over to leaf through a filing box and pulling out the envelope. “Enjoy the game!”

Samaira looked over as Cass handed her her ticket, eyeing the long line to get through the metal detectors. “What kind of seats did he get you?”

Cass shrugged. “I’m not sure. He said they were good ones? Somewhere lower bowl, mid-ice I think.” Just got them, be in in a few! See you soon, she sent back to Mat.

She tugged on the collar of her Rangers jersey, ignoring the occasional dirty look thrown her way. It was only one borough over, so she was far from the only fan in blue and red, and she couldn’t deny that there was a part of her that was looking forward to seeing Mat’s reaction when he saw her in their rival’s colors. It was too early into her and Mat’s relationship for her to be wearing his jersey to games; she wouldn’t want to curse anything prematurely, but jerseys could run upwards of two hundred dollars, and she didn’t exactly have that kind of money to go spending on just anybody. Not that Mat was “just anybody,” but Cass was someone who thrived on stability and she wanted to be sure.

The usher at the doors scanned their tickets, and it was only then that Cass bothered to look down at hers to see where they were headed. She was familiar enough with the layout, it wasn’t her first Rangers-Islanders game and had been to a Lorde concert her first year in law school. Walking down the stairs, they kept going, and kept going, and kept going. Until they were right at the glass behind the home bench. Samaira whistled. “Boy came through.”

Cass nodded, smiling apologetically as the pair squeezed past the others in their row. “I’m not sure how he got them, these ones are usually sold out months in advance. Or some rich guy has them for season tickets.”

Samaira raised an eyebrow. “As much as you hate to admit it, he’s kinda a big deal around here, Cass,” she said, leaning over to her. “I don’t think it’s that hard for him to get seats on a week’s notice.” Not only was Samaira one of her best friends at school and the only one who had the night free, but she was also a born-and-raised New Yorker — and a huge Islanders fan. Mat told her that he’d set aside two tickets, and it didn’t take Samaira more than a minute to respond in all caps when Cass asked if she’d be interested. The guys were nearly done with warmups, and it only took a minute or so for Mat to notice her, raising his eyebrows and looking pointedly at her jersey.

“Sorry,” Cass mouthed, shrugging her shoulders. Smiling, he shook his head, skating back to the blue line to take another shot. Cass excused herself to go to the bathroom after warmups had finished, her phone lighting up with yet another text right as she finished drying her hands. Traitor. She laughed. You knew what you were getting yourself into, Barzal 🤷🏽‍♀️

She got back to her seat just as the players were skating back out, handing Samaira one of the two beers she had picked up on the way. “Don’t spill,” she said ruefully. “These were like ten bucks each.”

After lineups and the national anthem, they sat back down, and the puck dropped.

---

Much to her chagrin, the Islanders had won 3-2, but Mat had netted two points, one of which was an absolute beauty over Lundqvist’s left shoulder. So she really couldn’t be that mad. As much as Cass would have loved to stay and congratulate Mat on the win, it was ten o’clock and she really needed to head home if she wanted to get back anytime before midnight. Walking back to the train, she figured Mat would be done with postgame interviews and risked a call. He picked up on the first ring.

“What’s up?”

Cass smiled. “Hey, Mat. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay and see you after,”

“Don’t worry about it, babe, I know you’ve got a long ride home.” The pet name slipped easily from his lips, and Cass felt her heart skip a beat. “It means a lot that you wanted to come.”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I? You had a great game, that goal was incredible. I’m fine with you winning against my team if you’ll do it like that every time.”

“I’ll convert you if it’s the last thing I ever do.” He deadpanned. They talked for as long as they could, until Cass had to swipe her metrocard and was about to lose reception. “Talk to you later?” Mat asked hopefully.

Cass giggled. “If I’m not passed out, sure. Promise me you’ll get some sleep too?”

“Promise.”

Samaira lived on the same line as her, getting off with a hug and a promise to meet up for lunch on Monday. Cass had taken the route at night a hundred times, but it was just as much second nature for her to keep a hand on her pepper spray as it was to keep refreshing her Instagram feed.

As soon as she made her way up the stairs into the cool Bronx air and back to the land of cell reception, a text from her dad popped up. It had entirely escaped her mind that sitting right behind the bench meant that she and Samaira would have had plenty of airtime on the networks broadcasting the game, or that there was a 100% chance her dad was watching. He had taken a picture of the TV when she just so happened to be smack-dab in the middle of the screen, grimacing at what she guessed must have been another Islanders goal. And how did you get those tickets? Were they from the internship?

Cass let herself into the apartment, waving goodnight to Ryanne, who was watching Netflix in the living room, and tried to formulate an answer. No, not from work. They were a gift.

From?

The person I’m seeing. Cass hadn’t told her family about Mat yet. It’s not that she thought they would disapprove, but she wanted to make sure that it was real, really real, before she let her family in on it.

She could imagine her dad scratching his head. What kind of law student would have that kind of money? For that matter, what kind of person? Are you and Samaira together? Cass let out a laugh. Her parents knew Samaira and loved her to pieces, and she doubted they would have had any issue if she was dating her. But she wasn’t.

“Rip the bandaid off,” Cass whispered to herself as she shucked her coat off, leaving her in the jersey and leggings. Hahaha no, not her. They were from Mat. She added as an afterthought, Barzal.

You’re dating Mat Barzal?

I am.

Huh.

Guess the cat’s out of the bag?

Nov. 17 (tues)

Cass’s seminar leader for Native Law, Professor Davidson, had just emailed the class, cancelling that afternoon’s meeting. My daughter came down with the flu, she had said. It wasn’t the cancellation that bothered her; obviously, if you have a sick kid, take care of your sick kid. It was the fact that now she had four hours to kill and no idea how to spend them. If she went home, that was an hour’s trip either way, so what was the point? And as much as she genuinely did love the library (and she really loved libraries), she knew those chairs and knew that her ass would start hurting somewhere midway through hour 3. As if on cue, Mat called. He had left for a West Coast roadie a few days earlier, and wouldn’t be back for almost a week.

“Hey!” She said brightly. “Congrats on the win last night, I would have called but I definitely fell asleep somewhere during the second intermission.” The Islanders had beaten the Ducks 4-2 the night before, but the time difference meant that it finished well past midnight, and Cass had been up early.

She heard him laugh on the other end. “Nah, no problem. I’m glad you caught it though. How has your day been?” One of the things Cass had grown to appreciate the most about Mat, even in their short time together, was how deliberate he was. He didn’t just ask her how she was or how her day was going because that was the standard “boyfriend” question of the day, he asked because he genuinely wanted to know. Because he cared.

So she was honest with him. “So-so. Yoga was great, they had my favorite instructor which was pretty nice. Good meeting after. Got a croissant. But then one of my classes got cancelled, so I’ve got to either find some coffee shop to work at or park myself at the library, neither of which is sounding too appealing at the moment.”

“Why don’t you just crash at my place?” Mat asked, like it was the most obvious question in the world. “It’s closer, I’ve got coffee and stuff if you want.”

Cass was taken aback for a moment. It wasn’t like the thought hadn’t crossed her mind, momentarily, but she didn’t think that they were there yet. She had been to his apartment before, once, under very different circumstances. Mat had tried, valiantly, to cook pasta and roasted veggies for dinner. Tried being the key word. The vegetables had all been burnt to a crisp, and he had thought the pasta was supposed to be cooked for 18 minutes, not 8, causing it to more closely resemble pudding than pasta. They ended up ordering Italian from the place down the street. But having a stay-in date at someone’s apartment and letting them crash there alone were two very different things, and Cass was touched not only by the offer, but by the fact that he trusted her enough to extend it. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, of course, Cass. I want you to be comfortable. My spare key’s left with the front office, I’ll call them and let them know you’ll be picking it up. Shouldn’t be a problem. You remember how to get up there, yeah?”

“Mhm. Thanks, Mat, for real. You totally didn’t have to do this.”

“But I wanted to. Listen, morning skate’s about to start so I’ve got to go, but text me if you have an issue getting up. Or, like, if you forget where the bathroom is or something,” Mat added as an afterthought.

Cass laughed. “I think I can manage to find it, but thank you for the offer? Talk to you later.”

“Later.”

Half an hour later, Cass was curled up on his living room couch, a pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen and her books sprawled haphazardly on the coffee table. She spotted one of his hoodies slung over the armchair on the other side of the room. I don’t think he’ll mind if I steal it.

---

Nov 23 (mon)

The team had gotten back from the roadie around noon, and Mat had insisted on taking Cass out for dinner after she got off from work. “It’s been almost a week since I’ve seen you,” he had bemoaned on the phone earlier. Shaking her head and laughing internally at how needy her boyfriend was, she agreed to meet him at a Mexican restaurant a few blocks away.

She arrived just a few minutes before him, kissing him as they sat down. Grabbing a basket of chips, she headed over to the salsa bar. “How good are you with spice?” She asked Mat.

“I can hold my own, as long as it’s not like a Carolina Reaper or something crazy like that,” he answered, cracking a smile.

She laughed in response, setting the cups down on the table. Her enchiladas and his pozole came later, and Cass blushed at the knowing glance their waitress gave her as she slid the dishes onto the table. “How does it stack up?” Mat asked after she had taken a few bites.

Cass nodded happily. “It’s good. Really good. Obviously, I’d be disowned if I didn’t say that my grandma’s is better, but this is a close second.” Mat sipped his horchata. Cass had balked when he said he’d never tried the drink before, and his glass was now near-empty.

“Yeah, glad to hear it. This is super good too,” he said, eating another spoonful. She could tell something else was on his mind.

“What is it, chou?” Cass asked.

Mat bit his lip. “You’re still good to come to the game against the Canes tomorrow, yeah?” She nodded. “How would you feel about sitting up in the box?” Her brow furrowed. The box? Sensing her confusion, Mat continued. “Up with the other girls.” Cass knew that there was a box for the WAGs, obviously, but it hadn’t quite hit her that she was one now. She had met Paige, Beau’s girlfriend of six months, a few weeks prior, but that had really been more of an accident than anything. They had been walking around the Central Park Zoo one weekend, one of their first official dates, and happened to run into the other couple somewhere around the lemurs. It being lunch and the boys being boys, the group stopped for some sandwiches. Cass and Paige got to talking, chirping the boys for their sub-par “disguises” — “Since when has sunglasses and a baseball cap fooled anyone?” Paige had asked. Cass had laughed, they had exchanged numbers, and been talking ever since.

So, there was going to be at least one person she knew there. Why not, then? “Yeah, sure, sounds fun!” Cass said, nodding and tapping her fingers on the table, trying to get her nerves out.

Mat ran a hand through his hair, smiling nervously as if he hadn’t been too sure of what her answer would be. “Good,” he said, leaning down to pick up a bag. “Would have made this pretty awkward if you said no.” He handed it to her; she hefted it, trying to tell what was inside.

“Ooooh,” she said, “I didn’t know we were at the ‘presents’ stage of our relationship yet.” Mat blushed.

“Didn’t really cost me anything,” he mumbled.

“It’s got some weight to it. Soft. I’m going to go with...a mink stole.”

Mat looked baffled. “I’m not even going to pretend to know what that is.”

Cass laughed, untying the piece of ribbon that held the handles together. She pulled out a navy and orange jersey. “It’s one of the ones from my rookie season, figured I couldn’t have you going up there wearing another Rangers jersey. Didn’t want to throw you out to the wolves.” It was only then that she shook it out and turned it over. Barzal - 13.

Cass beamed, leaning over the table and kissing him on the cheek. “I love it, chou.”

---

Nov. 24 (tues)

Cass glanced at her watch. 6:38. The train was running on schedule, so she still had a little bit of time before she was supposed to meet Paige up in the box. She had offered to wait for her outside of the arena and walk her up, but she had driven Tito earlier and Cass didn’t want her to be stuck outside waiting for her. The car was packed with orange, blue, and white-clad fans, so nobody paid her any mind as she pulled out Mat’s jersey from her bag, switching out from the fleece she had been in all day. Are you sure it won’t be weird if I wear a jersey? Don’t most of the others show up to these things in dresses and shit? Cass had frantically texted Paige late last night.

Don’t worry! She had responded. Some do, yeah, but it’s def not uncommon to be in a jersey. I’ll be wearing Beau’s :)

It didn’t take long to get through security, showing her pass to the employee at the elevator and shooting Mat a good luck text, she let Paige know she was on her way up. Mat had given her the box number, so she made her way up to the suite, nervously smiling at the usher. “Hi,” she said.

The usher gave her a quick once-over and a curt smile. “Hi. Name?”

“Cassidy Cabrera Shaw, um, Mat Barzal should have added me.” She scanned the clipboard, making a tiny checkmark next to her name.

“Enjoy the game.” Cass tentatively made her way in, searching for Paige but still a little thrown off. It hadn’t escaped Cass the way the usher had looked at her, like there was something just a little off about her, like she didn’t quite belong.

It was a good thing that she didn’t have enough time to get too into her head, because Paige came barreling at her, wrapping her in a massive bear hug. “You came!!” She said, squeezing Cass’s hand once she finally released her.

Cass laughed. “Did you think I’d skip out on you?”

Paige shook her head. “No, I knew you’d come through.” She pointed to the hooks on the wall, where a mixed bunch of purses, scarves, and coats were hanging. “You can leave your bag there, let me get you a drink and introduce you to the other girls.” Cass followed Paige into the main room, where a dozen or so women milled about, sitting on couches and keeping an eye on the warmups below. Paige nodded at the bar. “What are you feeling? White? Red? Sparkling? I can make a mojito if you want. It won't be good, but if you’re desperate,” she shrugged her shoulders.

Cass threw her head back, laughing. “If they’re picking up the tab?” She replied, tilting her head towards the ice, “Give me the best champagne you’ve got.”

Paige grabbed a flute. “Yes, ma’am.”Pouring the champagne, she handed it to Cass, leading her over to where a group was hanging by the window. “Hey guys!” She said brightly, one hand touching the back of Cass’s shoulder reassuringly. “Girls, this is Cass. Cass, this is Lauren, Kerry, and Karley,” she said, pointing to each woman in turn. Lauren pulled her into a tight hug.

“Lauren Rodych Eberle,” she said, “Paige told us you’d be coming along. It’s great to have you.” The other girls introduced themselves, leading her over to a corner of the room. “These are the comfiest couches,” Kerry noted. “You always want to grab them as soon as you get up, they’re a hot commodity.”

Cass laughed. “Good to know.”

“So you’re Mat’s girl, yeah?” Kerry asked.

“Yep,” Cass replied, trying and failing to roll up the sleeves on Mat’s — her? — jersey.

She smiled. “I’m happy. He’s a great guy, don’t get me wrong, but could use a girl to balance him out. Bit of a himbo, but,” she lowered her voice conspiratorially, “almost every hockey guy is.”

Cass nearly snorted out her champagne. “Fair statement.”

Kerry took a sip of her own wine. “So, Paige said you’re in law school, yeah?” Cass nodded. “What’s that like?” If Mat could talk about hockey for hours on end and still not get through half of what he wanted to say, that was Cass with the law. It was refreshing to talk with a person who wouldn’t constantly try to interject with their own theory of jurisprudence or Constitutional interpretation, just someone who was genuinely interested in what she had to say.

---

The team had managed to extend their win streak to 3, a wraparound from Nelson that just squeaked past Reimer clinching the 2-1 win in the third minute of overtime. Everyone let out a collective cheer, some gathering their things and others hanging back to mingle. Cass meandered back over towards where Paige was waiting by the door; they didn’t have to rush since the guys probably hadn’t even finished showering yet, but the plan was to meet them down by the locker room.

“How’d you like it?” Paige enquired.

“It was really nice,” Cass answered genuinely. “I love going to these things with friends, but it’s nice to be around people who know the game and know the guys.”

“That’s the whole point,” Paige said easily. “We’re all in the same boat, even if some peoples’ home or work lives look different, nobody quite ‘gets’ this whole thing like each other.” Paige led her down elevators and corridors until they were nearly at the home team locker room. “Oh!” She exclaimed, causing Cass’s to snap around and look at her, startled. “No, nothing bad,” she added hastily. “Usually once or twice a roadie, the wives of a veteran or captain will host a family watch party. A lot of the partners and kids will come over, it’s really cute. Obviously don’t blow off work or something to come, but I’ll let you know.”

Cass smiled. “That would be nice.” The locker room door opened, players starting to filter out.

Anthony came out before Mat, giving Paige a kiss on the top of her head and smiling at Cass. “Mat should be out in a minute,” he added. She thanked him, congratulating him on his first-period goal.

True to Tito’s word, Mat appeared soon after, embracing Cass. “What’s that dumb look on your face?” She asked, seeing Mat’s satisfied grin.

“You’re wearing my jersey.”

“Well, yeah,” Cass said slowly. “You gave it to me.”

Saying their goodbyes to Tito and Paige, Mat tangled his hand with hers. “Nothing. You look good in it.”

---

Nov. 25 (wed)

The coffee tasted bitter in her mouth, but the much-needed caffeine jolt it gave her was enough for Cass to choke it down, shoving her cup — the white-and-blue one Mat had given her — into its spot on the center console of her white Escape. Cheryl had been with her since just before her freshman year of high school, the culmination of summer jobs, graduation gifts, and a used car lot. It wasn’t practical nor economical for her to drive most places in New York, so she usually sat in the parking lot of their apartment building unless one of the girls needed to run out at night or Cass was driving back home, as was the current case. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and she had a two hour drive (if she was lucky) and hours of cooking ahead of her before the clock ever struck Thursday.

Digging into the CD holder, she handed over the toll to the attendant at the station, giving as grateful a smile as she could muster when the toll arm lifted. Mat was going to call after practice, promising to keep her company on the drive up. He had been a little pouty about her leaving for the better part of a week so soon after he had gotten home, but one reminder from her about how long his roadies could run had shut him up quickly.

Cass loved family, so Thanksgiving had always been one of her favorite holidays. Their house was hosting this year, and if Cass had any money to bet, she’d guess that as she drove, her mom was frantically running around the house, pulling out napkins and silverware and trying to figure out how to fit fifteen people in a two-thousand square foot house. While her mom’s side rarely made the trip up from Texas and Hermosillo, her dad was from a big New England Irish Catholic family that never let a single holiday pass by without celebration. Her dad’s parents meant Grandma Maggie and Grandpa Joe, which meant an inevitable barrage of questions as soon as anyone let slip that she wasn’t single anymore. Cass loved her grandma to pieces; really, she did. But she was going to want to know his name, where he worked, where he went to school, and his mother’s damn maiden name before she would give it a rest.

Her phone was hooked up to the car, so Mat’s call came straight through, interrupting her preferred driving music, a mid-2000s playlist starring copious amounts of early Lady Gaga. “How’s the drive going?” He asked.

“Uh, pretty good,” Cass replied, changing lanes to pass the sluggish Honda ahead of her. “Just crossed into Connecticut, I’m thinking it’ll be another hour or so? How was practice?”

Cass heard the door to his apartment close behind him. “Good, Coach had us run a lot of passing drills, so it’ll hopefully pay off next game.”

“Friday, right?” She asked. “Against the Caps?”

“Yeah, should be a good game. They’re doing really well this season, hopefully the boys come through, extend the streak a little bit.”

Cass smiled. “You’ll be great. I’m sorry I won’t be there to see you, but —”

She could imagine him shaking his head on the other end of the line. “Babe, you don’t need to apologize. Thanksgiving’s a big thing here, and I know it’s been awhile since you’ve really spent much time with your family.”

“Yeah,” Cass said, chewing her lip, “that’s true. Pretty much my dad’s whole side is going to be there though, so I’m prepared to spend a solid hour fielding questions about you and my whole ‘new relationship’ I’ve got going on. I think they’ll be disappointed you’re not there.”

Mat chuckled. “It’s fine, Cass,” he said, reassuring her. “Just promise them you’ll bring me next year.” Cass couldn’t stop a big, dumb grin from spreading on her face. Next year.

“I promise.”

#hockey imagine #nhl imagine #mat barzal imagine #mat barzal #hockey writing #nhl writing #hockey imagines #hockey smut #nhl imagines #nhl smut #islanders #new york islanders #islanders imagines #islanders writing

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bramblepaws · 4 years

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sorry in advance for how long this post is but i am going to talk about animal crossing villagers for an hour because i am bored

fuchsia was one of my bffs in acnl and i still love her. i do not like hair on furries usually but fuchsia is GAY and has GARISHLY BRIGHT COLORS so i am in love with her. she has... blue tummy also which is extremely cute. she was one of my first 2 villagers on my island and she is Still There

i REALLY like this personality type but im not a fan of most of the designs that come with it... cherry, agnes, and reneigh are the exceptions IMO. katt i like less because i think she’s cute and more because of the gay vibes.

i dont like.. most of the smug villagers, or really the dialogue options that come with them in this game. marshall lives in my acnl town (this is a pattern that will pop up with my preferences across this whole list lmfao) and i think he’s cute. i was caught off guard by how popular a villager he is though lmfao

raymond is cute and i like “office worker cat” because it is silly

everyone else is mediocre IMO

hrhrhghhgh i LOVE the lazy villagers. mostly, honestly, because of how they acted in acnl. stitches and pudge both live in my acnl town and they are EXTREMELY cute and talk about food and napping all the time and are Very friendly. i could give or take all the talk about bugs in the new one, BUT i think their dialogue options generally give off the vibe of “silly little animal that is being translated into humanspeak” and i really like that

i love the absurd memes that Bob is in and i want him on my island. i currently have stitches (acnl nostalgia and cute design, bones (looks good in every outfit and is Just Baby), papi (same as bones), hornsby (one of my early villagers that i will probs Eventually get rid of but im attached to him so maybe not, he’s also Baby), and Moe (originally had him in the F tier but then he showed up at my campsite and now i love him and his little buck teeth). i used to have zucker but he made me hungry every time i interacted with him so i booted him.

yes half of my villagers are lazy. yes i love living like this. i am constantly bombarded by dumb little animals who want to tell me their houses are full of bugs and then sprint off in a different direction to smell a flower

i do not like the jocks, which perhaps makes sense considering how much i stan the lazies. kid cat is cute and i have his amibo card by chance, so i am not prioritizing finding these guys. i think antonio is also cute and has good colors and patterns, but is kind of boring looking. everyone else i could NOT care less about. i got the emoji sheep in my campsite once and didnt even bother talking to him.

flora is my BEST friend in acnl and YES im saying that without a shred of irony. her house is right next to mine and she constantly jokes about moving in with me. one of my rooms is decorated for her. she’s! my! friend!!!!!!!!! she’s nice to me and i love her.

i have not yet gotten my grubby little paws on her in this game but i will not rest until she is on my island. i love her little house interior that is modeled after wild flamingos vs the pink explosion that was her house in acnh. I Want Her. Give Her To Me.

ruby and rosie are also good but they are leagues below flora. ruby i like because of that one edgy comic that starred her back in the day (u know, the one with like, Experiments Gone Wrong that was all animal crossing characters). rosie i like cuz she was my favorite in my gamecube world.

i just kicked out twiggy, whom i will MISS because she made an adorable stupid face with her beak when she was crafting. she was really cute but i wanted to get stitches. sorry twiggy u were nice to me u_u

i currently have ketchup who is also cute but i would boot her in an instant for basically anyone else on her row and above. i just saw piper on an island when i was finding stitches and she was really cute so she got bumped up from the meh tier even though i passed her up. everyone else is fine

normal personality is Also rife with good designs.... i want kitties on my island.

i have gladys and coco right now, both of whom arrived pretty early on. unfortunately the dialogue for normals in this game is so unbelievably bland that i do not feel any sort of connection with either of them, despite liking their designs a lot. gladys is in my acnl town and shares the “top fav” spot with flora in that game, but here she is Just Boring. so i would probably let her leave if i could find.. a kitty cat. and then coco i just like cuz i want to be edgy. look at her spooky little O_O face next to all the cutesy villagers lmfao. she’s good

snooty personality is not one of my faves, but the designs here ARE pretty good. i like pink wolf. i currently have 0 of these guys on my island just by happenstance. had portia at one point but i dont think she’s that great so she left.

mathilda DID show up in my campsite recently, but i decided against including her bcuz my memories of how she acted in the gamecube version were SO disjointed with her current personality. she was so mean in gamecube and i wanted even a shadow of that -- but instead she was..... polite. it was weird. maybe if she shows up again i’d change my mind, but the character design not matching up with the personality bothers me enough that i probs wouldnt

i like the cranky dialogue in this game. i had lobo on the gamecube and i was obsessed with him because i was a wolf girl at that age, so i would be delighted to slap him onto my island, BUT.. i have fang currently and he’s a good boy. very distinguished, has a lovely classy house, and i like his design. butch is also cute.

now here is this monstrosity. the past games are just gamecube and new leaf. each row (aside from the last 2) are arranged in most to least liked also. the “passed up on” and “let move out” lists are incomplete cuz i forget things immediately in this game

and now. to summarize:

thanks for coming with me on this journey

#text #ramblings #long post #acnh #doing this got me out of a depressive spiral so actually? time well spent #im like very carefully arranging it to get the max amt of personalities but i REALLY dont care about snooty or jock so i might. MIGHT #axe kid cat and pink wolf in order to keep 2 more lazies lmfao #WE SHALL SEE.... this is assuming i have the patience to to villager hunting for more than 1 hr #also can you guys tell i like cats and wolves. can u.#i really REALLY want to play my DS animal crossing game but i packed it up for my move to colorado which is taking 10000 years unfortch #can i get an f in the chat :/#im sposed to be sleeping rn but i had caffeine at 5 pm because someone brought me a soda as a gift to show she was listening to me earlier #it was very sweet and then i drank it and NOW! i will be awake until 2 #i have no regrets tho it was important to show my appreciation for the gift #do you guys like how i put bob above stitches in the lazies box and then put him below stitches in the final 2 rounds #insert that walt whitman quote about contradicting myself here #coco is so fucking funny to me because it's a bunch of sweet-faced cute villagers and then just O_O #hey if you read through this entire post AND the full paragraph of tags: i am impressed with u

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angrylizardjacket · 5 years

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sabotage {Machine Gun Kelly}

Summary: MGK has a Lot of tattoos, and Tommy Lee does not, at least not for most of when The Dirt is set. It’s no small task covering them all, but being assistant to the man who does cover them means you’re spending a good deal of time with the actor himself, and he’s not what you’re expecting... that is, if you actually knew what to expect.

A/N: 6477 words. alright so i went to im-fucking-db for Accuracy; shout out to: Christine Wada (costume designer), Corey Castellano (makeup department head), and Jorie Malan (key makeup artist). i reference these people in the fic, and i’ll be sure to explain who they are in the fic, but just in case you need a reminder, they’re also here. requested by my dear @luciana-galvez. under a read more because it’s a Monster of a fic. Please give me feedback, and also let me know if you want a part 2??

“You want me to order how much foundation?” It’s nine in the morning and you’ve barely stepped foot into the production meeting when Corey, the head of the makeup department, is tasking you with buying far more foundation than any one production should reasonably need. There’s overestimating and then there’s... this. “What shade?” It’s with an air of defeat that you accept the company credit card and open your laptop.

“Not now; the cast have a fitting at midday, we’ll get shade match them then.” Corey assures, but you keep your laptop open anyways to make notes during the meeting. It passes by fairly uneventfully, at least for you, and by the time you break, it’s already eleven and you’re starving. The corner store a few blocks away serves as a good a place to get lunch as any, and when you turn up to the fitting, half an hour early, you sit yourself in a corner to wait, and start on your sandwich of questionable quality.

You’re pricing bulk order foundation on your phone, still marvelling at the estimate you’d been given for how much you’d need, when the cast starts to filter in, well, the leads. Aside from being one of the makeup artists, you were also Corey’s assistant, which essentially just made you a glorified errand girl for the rest of the makeup team.

Half the costume department was already here, buzzing and agitated like wasps whose nest had been disturbed, and you’re careful to stay out of their way lest you get stung, or smacked for touching the wrong thing. So you’re grateful when the key makeup artist, Jorie, bursts in with ten minutes to spare, and gives a sigh of relief when she sees you. She’s holding a makeup kit in her hands, and when she begins to set up by a mirror out of the way of the costume department, you can see it’s mostly different shades of foundation, a few tubes of lipstick, more smokey eyeshadow-quad pallets than you can shake a stick at, some eyeliner, and a few face paint sticks.

She’s sticking photos to the mirror of the original band in full makeup, and that’s when you start to accept the fact that it’s going to be a very long day.

“You’re late.” The costume department is not about to fuck around, and despite the fact that there’s still five minutes to midday, the costume designer is already reprimanding the newcomer. “And you can’t smoke in here.”

“It’s not midday-” whoever’s walked in is already arguing back, though as you look up, you see him - god he’s so tall, all limbs - backtracking to stub his cigarette out on the screen door frame outside, you think you recognise him. Well, recognise him beyond the fact that you know he’s playing Tommy; you’d seen his bleach blonde head shot with the drummer’s name beneath it on the document Corey had sent out a few months ago, not that you’d given it a detailed look over. You just did what you were told, you could get to know the actors in the process. But as you’re looking at him, something about him does seem... familiar.

“On time is late; five minutes early is cutting it too close,” Christine, the costume designer was fierce, fiercer than any of the actors had expected, though the rest were already trying to hold back their snickers as he got reprimanded before they’d even started, “ten minutes early is on time; gives us all time to get ready.” She finishes, and disappears into another room to start collecting costumes.

“Fucking hell,” he breathes, rolling his eyes and running a hand through his hair, as the tension dropped the moment she had left. The others were grinning, poking fun at him for getting in trouble before they’d even gotten on set.

“’Stina,” Jorie shouts to the costume designer, “who can we start with?” There’s a long pause, and much shuffling and clicking of coat hangers from the costume department.

“The tall one,” Christine shouts back, and reemerges with an arm full of outfits, “Mister Booth, you first.” And the guy playing Nikki Sixx is lead to a dressing room. After a moment, an assistant carrying another set of outfits makes her way towards you and Jorie, but stops short, gesturing for the guy who had just been getting yelled at to step towards you.

“She meant you, Mister - uh, Kelly?” The nervous assistant doesn’t stay long, and scurries off to collect the two remaining actors, leading them through to the costume room as ‘the tall one’ gives a thin smile as he makes his way towards you.

“Not a fan of being called Mister Kelly?” Jorie asks with a knowing smile, and the tension breaks as he sits in the chair in front of the mirror, half smiling, “what about the tall one?” And he actually laughs at that.

“Fuck no, just Colson’s fine,” he relaxes into the chair, gaze meeting yours where you’re scrutinising him in the mirror, partially because, damn, he really is familiar and you can’t put your finger on why, and partially because you’re trying to figure out what foundation he’d use.

“Where do I know you from?”

“Y/N tell me you’re kidding,” Jorie mutters to you, looking up from where she’s leafing through a stack of photos of Tommy, “did you not read the brief-”

“Dude,” you hissed at her, ducking your head and bobbing down to rifle through the makeup box, “I read it months ago, sorry I don’t remember every actor whose name and headshot I see once.”

“You’re so clueless sometimes; you’re meant to be the young one. Hip to the jive, etcetera?” Jorie’s laughing at her own phrasing, not that you can blame her. When you resurface, holding a makeup sponge and five little bottles of foundation all roughly the same shade with slight variations, she’s looking expectantly at you, one eyebrow raised, hand out and gesturing to the blonde in the makeup chair. “It’s- what is it? - Machine Gun Kelly?” She says it like it’s meant to mean something.

“Gesundheit.”

“It’s his name,” she sighed deeply, pulling out a black stick of facepaint.

“Oh. Your parents hippies?” You ask, kneeling beside his chair and gently taking his arm so you could begin swatching the foundations on the back of his hand. After a beat you reconsider before he can get a word in edgewise, “I guess not if machine gun is in there.”

“Stage name,” he explains, but there’s a smile you can hear in his words, amused, and it doesn’t leave his face as he watches you work in the mirror as Jorie is applying the face paint in two stripes on both his cheeks.

“Hence, Colson?” You ask, not looking up, feeling a little foolish, though the stage name is starting to sound familiar to you.

“Yeah, hence, Colson.”

“Stage name for what?” You ask, but the thought is quickly taken over by the next and words spill from you before he can response, “were you all over Twitter a few months ago? I know I know you from somewhere.”

He’s quick to clarify; he’s a rapper, sort of an actor, yes he was ‘all over twitter’ a few months ago because of a ‘thing with Eminem’, his words not yours.

“So you’re kind of famous, huh,” you muse, which makes him chuckle, “well sorry for my terrible introduction; I’m Y/N, by the way.” And you hold out your hand to shake his free one.

“Flirt on your own time, Y/N, did you get a colour match?” Jorie snaps, advancing on him with an eyeshadow brush held threateningly before her. He closes his eyes, but not before seeing you fluster at the accusation. “You’re the one with all the tattoos, aren’t you?” Jorie’s voice is quieter as she focuses on her work, and Colson tells her he is. The makeup artist steps back for a moment, her gaze appraising as she looks him over. “Could we get you to take your shirt off so Y/N can make sure she’s got the right colour foundation for your chest?”

“I wasn’t flirting, I was shaking his damn hand, this isn’t the forties.” You fire back playfully, sitting back on your heels as Colson pulls off his sweater.

“The forties? How old do you think I am?” Jorie squawks, raising her eyebrows at you.

“For your sake, I’m not going to answer,” you say sweetly, accepting it as the makeup artist cuffs you gently on the back of the head, though both she and Colson are laughing at the exchange.

As you look to him, it all starts to finally make sense, recognition dawning on your face as you take in the tattoos painting their way across his skin. All of it would need to be covered for certain scenes in the movie, which would require a lot of foundation.

“You mind if I-” you awkwardly gesture to his chest with the sponge in your hand, and he sits back in the chair.

“Go for it,” and he closes his eyes again as Jorie comes in with the eyeshadow once more. As you apply the foundation near his collar, where there was a patch of uninked skin large enough to get a good comparison from, from the corner of your eye you see his lips twitch into a grimace for the barest moment.

“Sorry it’s cold,” you murmur, and he gives a smile, shrugging it off easily. You find a colour match easily, and it doesn’t take long, so you hand him a makeup wipe as Jorie starts talking at you, about how Corey himself would be handling the tattoo covering but that he wanted you there to help out. Of course you knew you’d need to be there, you’re his assistant after all, and after you note the shade required, you stand back and watch Jorie do her work.

“I wish we had one of the wigs,” she muses, finally stepping away after she’d finished touching up his eyebrows, and you join her where she moves to stand behind his chair, all three of you looking at him in the mirror.

“You did good though,” you nod approvingly, leaning in a little to compare Colson’s reflection to the picture of Tommy taped to the mirror.

“‘Stina,” Jorie calls, “do we have hair coming in later today?”

“At three,” Christine calls back, and finally you look to where she’s standing by the changing room, putting pins into a leather harness that Douglas was wearing; it looked equal parts uncomfortable and sexy, though you know the second part was on purpose the first part would probably be helped by being surrounded by everyone in their own eighties, bordering-on-fetish costumes. You give him a thumbs up, expression pensive as you look him over, and look back to the photo of Nikki by the mirror. It does not seem to ease his discomfort.

“Alright, sounds good, are you ready to send the next one over to us?” Jorie calls back, and after Christine tells Douglas to get changed out of his costume, you send Colson over to her.

“Don’t wipe that off, we can touch it up but we wanna see it with the wig,” you instruct, and he gives a mock salute and a grin, and you feel yourself smiling back. He was a lot... less than his stage name lead you to believe; he had a lot of energy just under the surface, that much you could tell, which meant he had great potential for his role as the over the top drummer, but he had an easy confidence, a level of professionalism that you’re grateful for, and a tattoo of a spider over his nipple, which you’re not sure of the significance of but it amuses you.

And, not to be shallow, though in this industry sometimes you can let yourself be, he’s hot. Though maybe you just had a thing for guys in eyeliner.

Stop.

You were going to be getting up close and personal with him for the next few months as you would probably be helping Corey cover all his tattoos; thirsting over him in eyeliner is the last thing you’re allowed to think about doing. Above all else, you had to stay professional.

And, as the weeks went on, you were successful in that.

Mostly.

“What’s that one about?” You ask, poking at the tattoo of a London bus on his side. He jumped a little at the prod, giving you an amused but rather tired grin as Corey said your name like a warning. It was almost eight in the morning and he was trying to airbrush an even base coat of darker makeup across Colson’s back that you could apply foundation on top of. It was one of the days where he’d be filming shirtless, and ‘even’ was hard to achieve if he kept moving.

“I got hit by a bus.”

“No you didn’t; shut up!” Your eyes shine bright with amusement as you give him a disbelieving grin. He smiles back, sharp, eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Did you think I got it immortalised on my fuckin’ body for fun? It hit me full force; I cracked the windshield,” and he sounds almost proud of it, and maybe he is, but you don’t seem to notice how his smile gets a little wider when he hears you laugh.

“And what about this one?” You poke at the spider over his nipple and he squirms a little. Corey says your name, more insistent this time, and you mutter out a half-assed apology, moreso waiting for Colson’s reply.

“That one’s just cool.”

Maybe it’s the fact that you spend three hours with him a day at least, being weirdly close, which is par for the course when you’re applying foundation to his whole chest and sometimes his legs, but you’re becoming fast friends. Corey’s adamant that you don’t need to come in for the full three hours every day, but you’re there with a smile; rain, hail, or shine, just proclaiming that you enjoy your job when Colson asks about it. He calls you dedicated, and he’s mostly right; though if you’re being honest, part of you just enjoys spending time with him.

“Do you listen to any rap?” He asks, curious one day; Corey’s finished the airbrushing stage and has stepped out to grab a coffee from craft services, leaving you to start on the foundation.

“You mean, do I listen to you?” You smirked, not looking away from where you’re dabbing the foundation down his arm.

“I know you don’t listen to me; you didn’t even know who I was ‘first time we met,” he snickered, and you considered for a moment, humming as you turn his arm over gently and start working on his forearm.

“Well, okay, you’ve got me there, it’s just not my style, you know?”

“That wasn’t really the question,” he’s smiling a little, and you huff out a laugh, conceding.

“I mean, I don’t hate it; if you’re really twisting my arm I’d say I sometimes listen to some of The Beastie Boys earlier stuff; Slow Ride, Posse in Effect, Paul Revere? That I can jam out to.” And you look at him, guaging his reaction, biting back a laugh at his exaggerated wince.

“Not even Sabotage; so you really don’t listen to anything from this century?” He’s teasing you now, and you have to chuckle at that.

“Sabotage is okay.” You roll your eyes, looking back at your work. “When you guys stopped using a brass section as accompaniment, that’s when you lost me; it just adds a certain...” you hum thoughtfully for a moment, taping your chin as if in deep thought. He actually laughs at that, and when you look up, you think your heart might skip a beat at the sight of his smile, “gravitas? Je ne sais quoi?”

“So what do you listen to? What modern music has that,” and he puts on a terrible french accent to gently mock your earlier words, “je ne sais quoi?” You shove him lightly, though there’s no malice in the move, or in your grin as you’re moving to stand in front of him. You start dabbing makeup across his chest and collar. It’s getting harder and harder to keep your thoughts professional when you’re so damn close to him, and he won’t stop smiling at you like that.

Listing off a few bands from this decade seems to placate his curiosity enough, even if he rolls his eyes at some of your choices. Pausing for a moment, you tip your head side to side, considering.

“And classic rock, of course; not just the music, like the people behind it are fascinating, you know?”

Surprisingly, he’s quiet for a long moment.

“You must be enjoying this then,” he muses, though you can hear the suggestiveness in his tone and you swallow hard, refusing to take your eyes off your work.

“This production?” You deliberately refuse to read into his tone, though he was making it difficult when you could hear his smirk in his words, “yeah it’s been pretty great. Get to listen to a bunch of Crue all day? There’s definitely worse jobs in the world.” Snickering, you chance a look at him, though he’s not meeting your gaze, he’s still smiling as watches you work in the reflection of the mirror.

“What about you? Enjoying yourself?”

“Yeah, I mean it’s a challenge at times, but it’s a good one, you know? And I’m getting up at six every morning which is kind of a drag,” he grins though as you mutter out a quiet apology, “nah, don’t worry about it, ‘just part of the job. It’s good, it’s one-hundred.” And he’s looking at you, gaze a little unreadable where you’ve gone quiet as you work, focusing.

It becomes a routine that you fall easily into; wake up at some ungodly hour, smash a coffee or an energy drink before spending three hours covering Colson’s tattoos with Corey, spend an extra hour and a half helping paint on Tommy’s tattoos if the scenes calls for it. Once he’s done, you tell Corey you’re going to get breakfast but you actually take a nap before you’re woken up by one of the production assistants telling you that you have twenty minutes before you need to be on set, so you race to the corner store and grab something cheap and eat it in a distracted haze as you head back to Corey’s trailer to pick up your makeup bag, before heading to set to be on standby for if any of the boys need touch-ups as filming starts. You’re there longer than most of the cast, staying back after filming’s wrapped for the day to help Colson take off his makeup and get the workspace prepped for the following day, crashing into bed almost immediately after getting home to rinse and repeat all over again. It was fun to begin with, but it was wearing you down quickly.

“Dude, you look dead on your feet.” Colson frowns as you yawn loudly, haphazardly blotting foundation onto his back.

“Y/N, it’s looking patchy, I need you to focus,” Corey’s frowning, but for a different reason as he looks over from where he’s made a start on the actor’s shoulder. You wave Corey off with a mumbled apology, rubbing at your eyes before recentering yourself and getting back to work. You meet Colson’s gaze in the mirror for a beat; he actually looks concerned, but you’re too tired to really care.

And okay, maybe, just maybe, seeing pretty girls drape themselves over the cast, over Colson, over all your hard work, it got irritating. Not that you begrudged those beautiful girls their job, it’s just that sometimes the oil or body glitter they’re covered in to play strippers would end up exposing some of Colson’s tattoos as they were all over him in certain scenes. Next to them, you were the one wearing jeans and a sweater, carrying a tote bag and looking like a child when you had to touch up his makeup. Everyone was always kind to you, of course, and you to them, but you think it’s more pity on their part; it’s common knowledge within the first week of filming how early you had to arrive, and how late you stayed back.

Some of the girls were incredibly talented actors. Probably. They were wasted in this film, reduced to eye candy and sex dolls, pretty beyond belief but not with any real substance. More than a few of them were dismissive of you, mean and sharp, because you weren’t the one responsible for their makeup, so you didn’t matter, and yeah, they were in intense, physically demanding scenes at times, but some of them seemed to just be catty for the sake of being catty. You tried not to let it get to you.

You really fucking tried.

Some of the extras had formed a sort of clique against you, which you found absolutely ridiculous, but they seemed to resent the fact that you and Colson got along. It had been a few weeks, starting with just snide comments in your general vicinity, but by now it had moved on to straight-up bullying. It was never around anyone important, least of all Colson, and when you’d told Corey about it, he’d just advised you to ignore it, as if it would help.

So you were tired, both physically and mentally, and this actor had the gall to come up to you and call you desperate. For doing your job.

“Hey, can you kindly fuck off?” You snapped, fury blazing in your eyes as you fought to keep your tone level, “I’m trying to do my fucking job, it’s not my damn fault the director won’t give you any screentime-”

“Wow, harsh.” Colson’s voice comes from somewhere to the left of you, and he doesn’t sound impressed. Of course he has to come in at the worst possible moment, just when you sound like a villain. It feels like you’re on the verge of tears, exhausted and stunned, and the extra’s expression flickers to something smug for the barest moment before looking almost painfully innocent.

“I’m really sorry,” she sighs softly, hanging her head; it’s an act, and not a very good one, but she’s pretty, “I just know you work in makeup and I thought you could help me find someone in costume to talk to; it’s okay, I’m sure I could find someone else.” It’s painfully scripted, and she plucks at the string of the bikini she was wearing nervously for effect, turning and heading away.

“Take a break or something, you’re acting like a tool,” Colson says, and doesn’t let you get a word in edgewise, going after the girl, whose ruse had manipulated him just as she’d wanted. He’s introducing himself and you feel like death standing; you hear a snicker from behind you, and when you turn there’s one of the extra’s friends, another from the clique, smiling triumphant.

When you get back to Corey’s trailer, he pauses where he’s eating a sandwich from Craft Services, and raises an eyebrow at you. You bite back your bitterness and pull your sweater from your bag, balling it up and using it as a pillow as you resigned yourself to napping beneath the row of makeup mirrors. Corey goes back to his lunch.

“You wanna talk about whatever this is?” Corey asks. You’re struggling to untangle your earphones after pulling them from your pockets.

“Unless you can do something about the asshole actors on set, no, I don’t want to talk about it.” You sigh, resigned and resolute. Corey nods, taking another bite of his sandwich.

“Fuckin’ actors.” He muses.

“Fuckin’ actors.” You agree. It’s not an honest statement regarding your feelings towards actors as a whole, but sometimes a few bad apples really did spoil the bunch, even if it was only for a moment.

You get to nap, heart aching where you’re pretty sure Colson thinks you’re some work-obsessed asshole who thinks you’re better than the actors you work with. Which you obviously don’t, but daily bullying can wear down the nerves. It only takes a moment, one careless comment that came out too harsh for the likes of onlookers, and any good will you’d been building up seems to evaporate. Not to mention the lies you know the extra had probably been feeding him since the moment you left.

When Colson comes in to get his makeup removed for the day, the tension is so thick that to you it felt solid. You’re sitting in one of the makeup chairs, spinning idly, scrolling through your phone when the door opens; his gaze finds yours the moment he steps in, but he gives you a look, scrutinising, almost disbelieving, and he looks away.

“Do you need my help?” You asked Corey pointedly, your gaze shallow and tired. Colson was tying his wig into a bun already, a look you quietly adored, though he was refusing to look at you. God, the clique really had managed to slander you in only a few hours.

“No dear, go home and rest, you need it,” Corey smiles at you, and you’re already moving around, pulling on your sweater and collecting your things. You want to say something, say anything to the man who’s now regarding you icily, but soon enough some of the other members of the makeup team are here, like always to help speed up the removal process, and your voice gets caught in your throat.

“Hey,” by the door, you finally stop, “I don’t-” but your breath catches on a sigh, “I don’t have the energy for this; I’m not the asshole.” And you sound so defeated, but he doesn’t answer, just rolls his eyes and keeps scrubbing at the foundation on his skin.

The moment you step into the trailer the next morning, same time as always, at the crack of dawn, you can already feel exhaustion settling into your bones.

“Take the day off,” Corey frowns at you, “Colson told me what those assholes told him; I’m gonna have a word with him about it this morning.”

“No, dude, I’ve gotta explain myself, if I take the day off it looks like I’m running away; I’m an adult, I don’t need you stepping in for me.” It takes you a moment, and you sigh, defeated, “listen, Corey, I actually really like Colson, okay? And I don’t want him to think less of me, so if that means I have to be up at too-fucking-early-o’clock convincing him I’m not a complete bitch, then so be it.” Corey can’t help the pitying look he gives you, but doesn’t say anything more on the subject.

You’ve worked in this industry for years, it’s not the first time something like this has happened; while working in close proximity to talented, famous individuals, outsiders sometimes get jealous. It’s easy to be told to try and ignore it, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt when someone you thought you were getting along well with completely ices you out because someone who’s jealous twists their opinion of you.

It takes a full hour, the silence thick and heavily as Colson stood patiently as the makeup was applied, before you can work up the courage to say something.

“What did she say to you?” It takes him a few moments to register what you’d said, but he frowns a little in confusion. “What did she say to you about me?” You reiterate, voice calm and level, focusing on your work as you speak, and his mouth opens as he goes to tentatively respond, but you don’t give him the chance, “because I can promise you she’s lying.” His mouth closes again, frown deepening. Corey is silent too.

“Well, I was told that you treat her like shit and don’t take her seriously just because she’s an actor, which is pretty fucked,” he admits with surprising candor. You have to take a moment to stop yourself from rolling your eyes.

“It would be fucked if it was true.”

“But you don’t take her seriously. Apparently you ignore her when she comes to you for help.” And it hurts to hear him spout the slanderous rhetoric the extra had poisoned him with.

“It’s not Y/N’s job to help her,” Corey cuts in, much to both Colson’s and your own surprise, “and I’m sure if she had a real question, she would point her in the direction of someone who could help her. ” His tone doesn’t leave room for arguments, though Colson doesn’t exactly seem convinced; perhaps he assumed that you really were some heinous bitch who had turned the makeup department head to your side.

“I do take actors seriously, obviously,” you gesture to him, and he makes an expression that’s a little unreadable, “but if you have to know, she and a group of other extras have been harassing me for weeks now, so yeah, I tend to ignore her.”

Your hands are shaking. When did that start? God, when did you start caring so much about what he thought of you? When did the idea of him thinking badly of you start making your chest hurt. When did schoolyard bullying start getting to you so much? Things are moving in a blur, and you think you mumble something about getting a coffee before you leave the trailer.

Corey finds you half an hour later at the corner store, staring blankly at the coffee machine, cup of undrunk, now cold coffee in hand.

“Go home. Please.”

You look at him, but his words aren’t really registering; he realises he may have interrupted a micronap. It appears you need rest far more badly than he realised. He sends you home for the rest of the week, and it’s a Wednesday. You want to protest, but you cut yourself off with a yawn and he calls an Uber for you without letting you get a word in edgewise.

It’s practically radio silence for almost five days.

You watch Netflix and eat junk and take baths and claim self care when really you’re wallowing, dreading going back to work. Sometimes you catch yourself just staring at your phone; you and Colson have each other’s numbers ‘in case of emergency’, though what would constitute a makeup related emergency you’re not sure, it was his suggestion. Emergencies turned out to be him asking about call times, sending selfies from on-set where his face makeup was running from how much he was sweating, he’s grinning and bright and Douglas or Iwan or Daniel are pulling a face in the background, blurry photos of you on set that you hadn’t realised he’d been taking at the time.

There’s one you stop at when you’re looking back through them, it’s another selfie, he’s squinting, having just woken up, and half cut out of the shot where he’s focused the camera on a smudge of foundation and a bit of eyeliner on his white pillowcase where he hadn’t managed to get all of the makeup off the night before. It’s surprisingly intimate, despite the fact that he’s followed it up with [💀😢].

You wanted to send something, to say something, but you weren’t sure what you had left to say. You weren’t in the wrong. You didn’t need to apologise.

Sometimes you thought you saw the typing bubble appear, but it would disappear just as quickly.

You’re refreshed by the time you step back into the trailer on Monday morning, feeling almost chirpy, that is until you see that Colson’s arrived before you, and Corey’s nowhere around.

It’s not the same as last time, there’s no anger, no hostility in the way he’s regarding you, just a surprising pensiveness. He’s lounging in his makeup chair, watching as you put down your things and start rifling through the collection of makeup on the counter.

“Where’s Corey?” You ask, carefully neutral.

“Said he’s getting coffee.”

“That’s kind of him.”

There’s a long pause that follow, and when you finally look at him, Colson seems to be considering you seriously.

“Do you have to be here?” Despite the words that are said, they don’t feel like an attack, instead they feel like a genuine question, bordering on concerned.

“It’s my job,” you start, but he smiles a little, and something in your heart eases.

“Yeah, no, I know, but you don’t always have to arrive this early, do you? I wouldn’t if I had the choice,” he snickers, and you sit back on one of the other chairs scattered about the edge of the room, waiting for Corey to get back, playing with a makeup sponge.

“Well you don’t, and neither does Corey, and...” hesitating a little, you fidget, avoiding his gaze, “it didn’t seem fair.” You shrug, laughing a little awkwardly, “leaving you here with him all that time.” Though you’re trying to clarify by means of a joke, he sees through it clearly, expression quickly morphing into a grin.

“So he was right.”

“About what?” You ask, looking at him with surprise and confusion written all over your face; this wasn’t the reaction you were expecting.

“Corey’s pretty convinced you just like spending time with me,” you can feel yourself getting flustered, looking down at your fidgeting fingers.

“He’s such a snitch.” You mutter, and Colson actually laughs, and though you feel your anxiety holding tight in your chest, you force your next words from your mouth; “yes, okay, if we’re going full middle-school about this, I enjoy your company. A lot.” You pause for a moment. “Are we good?”

“Yeah, of course; I’m sorry I was a dick last week,” he actually gets serious for a moment, tone surprisingly humble as he speaks, “I just- there’s like this long history of people shitting on me and not taking me seriously, so it touched a nerve, but I should know you better than that, right? Like we’ve spent enough time together that I should know you’re not some entitled dick.”

It’s enough to make you smile.

“Corey gave you a talking to, didn’t he?” You teased, and Colson rolled his eyes.

“Practically the moment you left; turns out those girls have had a few complaints from HR, situations like yours,” he sighs, before grinning a little, “but yeah, we’re good.”

It’s as if a sudden elation comes over you, and you have to work to not let it show on your face, else you’re pretty sure you’re going to embarrass yourself at how happy that makes you.

“And of course I take you seriously,” you hear yourself saying as you turn to rearrange the makeup on the counter, though you both know he can still see your pleased grin in the mirror, “I take all actors seriously, and you’re wonderful to work with-”

“Oh, so I’m wonderful now?” He snickers, though it’s not unkind, and you accidentally knock over a bottle in your embarrassment.

“Wonderful to work with,” you clarify, but he still takes the win, just as Corey finally walks in with three mugs of corner store coffee in hand.

“You were right, and she thinks I’m wonderful.” Colson practically preens, and Corey makes a face, before turning that face on you.

“I take it back; you’re the worst client I’ve had.” You deadpan, and Colson can’t help but laugh.

“No way, you’re not living this down,” he muses, smiling fondly at you. “I’m gonna tell everyone-”

“Christ, tell me you’ve at least asked her out,” Corey sighs, putting down the coffees, and that shuts Colson up quickly, “or do I need to go on another twenty minute coffee run to give you two some space?” He doesn’t even wait for an answer, just heads towards the door, announcing that he’s going to get a spare airbrush head from the other makeup trailer and that you have ten minutes.

“Sorry about him.” You say into the silence that follows in the wake of Corey’s departure. Colson’s surprisingly tight-lipped, avoiding looking at you. “He makes a lot of assumptions.” You add, getting to your feet and crossing to where the coffees sat in their little, cardboard carry-tray. Each cup has a name, and you take both yours and Colson’s, heading over to him with an expression that you hope is something akin to a friendly smile, and not a grimace of embarrassment.

“He’s right though,” Colson reaches out for his coffee when you offer it; his fingers brush your as he meets your gaze and it feels like a moment. “You wanna grab dinner or something after today?”

Mind whirling, part of you thinks he’s made a mistake, that he hadn’t meant to say it, another part worries about what the rest of the cast and crew will think, and part of you is worried it’s a joke. But you’re so sick of doubt.

“Yeah, actually I’d love to.”

The morning passes in a breeze, passes much more easily than it’s seemed to for the past month, and there’s butterflies in your stomach the entire time. There’s an electricity in the air during filming, though you’re pretty sure you’re the only one who can feel it. He’s wearing the wig with the undercut, sitting behind the drums up on the risers for most of the day, wearing only a pair of underwear, boots, and suspenders; it’s quiet a look. Somehow he’s still managed to sneak his phone up there because you’re zoning out at the side of the set, and he takes a photo of you, sending it to you; your eyes are glassy by you’re grinning to yourself, and once you get it, you look to him, and he’s grinning as if he’s waiting for your reaction. You roll your eyes at him, but you’re still smiling; you’ve missed this.

“You’re actually kind of sweet, aren’t you?” After filming wraps for the day, you’re crammed into a booth of the only restaurant open in town past ten. You’ve just ordered, and he’s leaning back, regarding you with amusement.

“I don’t know why that surprises people, most of my asshole act is just, you know, an act, for show or whatever,” he shrugs a little, smirking, “most of it; sometimes I am just an asshole.”

“I don’t know your asshole act,” you remind, smiling a little; there’s butterflies in your stomach but they’re excited rather than nervous, relishing in the way he’s smiling at you, “but I guess I should have know you better anyways; after all, we’ve spent enough time together, haven’t we?”

#mgk #mgk x reader #machine gun kelly #machine gun kelly x reader #machine gun kelly imagine #mgk imagine #colson baker #colson baker x reader #colson baker imagine #the dirt #the dirt cast #the dirt imagine #the dirt cast imagine

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elhoppers · 5 years

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here it is, the long awaited (because I’ve been a wreck for the past 48 hours) account of meeting millie bobby brown + our pic. Here goes, so sorry in advance that it’s long I got excited ♡

flashback to saturday 7th september 2019, me and soph are dying whilst getting ready for the convention and blasting disney channel songs and life is pretty great. We had afternoon VIP tickets to see millie’s panel which we were allowed to collect from 12pm at the Novotel West in Hammersmith (where the con was happening) but we arrived just before and there was SO many people queuing like SHIT it really hit me how big of a deal this was? We waited what felt like an eternity (which was actually a pretty long time 1hr 30) before getting our wristbands and we were so HYPED let me tell you we kept screaming and jumping up and down like 5 year olds.

We’d also bought photo op with Millie, which meant we got to get one photo each with her, but we decided spontaneously that we also wanted autographs (which were more money again) bc we had a gift for her. We asked when collecting our bands but all the staff were French so it made things tricky. He told us he thought they were sold out but we went to the desk to check anyway and ya home girls got TWO of the last THREE autograph tickets for the whole event; we call that fate in these parts ♡

We got into the con and found out we had FRONT ROW seats for millie’s panel (all thanks to soph), and we were basically in the centre too like we were living our best lives. They played us some weird ass video that felt like a bad fan edit to hype us up (me and soph were already peak hype by this point bc we knew our photo op was coming) then they called our row to go meet her (i’m crying).

We barely had any time to prepare bc we were so close to the front of the line, and soph went first to meet her and honestly i was full kris jenner proud mum like that’s my baby talking to millie and their picture together is SO CUTE:

Next up it was my turn and we said hi then she put her arm around me and I asked if we could do the eleven hand thing. She said yes and we did it with our arms around each other while ‘I like it’ by Cardi B played and honestly i was a WRECK. I said thank you and she did too then it was over just like that, cue me walking out of the room shaking like a leaf. I’m so happy with how it turned out i could not love it more.

We went to try and compose ourselves then they were calling us to go get our autographs before we knew it. Backstory on our gift for her... so a little while ago David wore a pocket square embroidered with ‘Jopper’ and we wanted to give millie something to wear that said ‘Mileven’, so on Wednesday as a last minute mental thing I contacted a local embroidery company to see if they could do us a cap embroidered with ‘Mileven’ which me and Soph had discussed getting her before. They said yes (a miracle given I needed it ready by Friday afternoon) and i collected it. It was meant to be lilac to match florence, but I collected it and it was baby pink so we were sad.

Flash-forward to autographs and she’s wearing an outfit with baby pink in it; again it was honestly too good to be true, we couldn’t have planned it better because it matched her outfit. We get up to the desk and hand her the cap and she FREAKS out. I said something like ‘It’s just a jokey present but we know you love mileven and we saw David has a jopper handkerchief so we wanted to give you something to rival him’ and she like shouts ‘WELL I SHIP IT’ then puts it straight on her head (WE DIED) i said ‘mileven rights’ to her ACTUAL FACE I HATE MYSELF and she laughed and thanked us for it then we left the room. She then kept wearing the hat for the whole of her autograph session like the ship captain she is (like legit 45 mins, photo cred below to @milliethebeauty on IG) and we were just DEAD by this point like she wore a mileven cap we gave her to meet everyone i have ascended. I also got her to sign a pic of baby el and like i’m crying its so soft and iconic.

After that it was time for her panel which was stressful bc we both really wanted to ask questions but it was so chaotic that we almost totally missed our chance. Luckily the lady giving out tickets (you had to be given one to be allowed to go and ask a question at side stage) came back near us and i screamed at her ‘please i have a really good mileven question’ and by some miracle she said ok and handed me one. Mills came out and i was standing at the side of the stage ready to ask my question, by the time it got to me I was SO nervous bc her eye contact when she’s talking directly to you is SO INTENSE but she talked about mileven with me and honestly my trash brand was thriving (even if she didn’t answer about the 3 month gap like i asked). Video being uploaded separately bc it was glitching in this.

The rest of the panel she was her usual adorkable self and honestly she is my daughter and I’m more obsessed with her now than i was before a literal angel amongst us. Also based on her answers we’re definitely getting a season 4 and hop ain’t dead, but wbk.

p.s. millie used a picture of her IN THE MILEVEN HAT we gave her in her round-up video of the event on her Instagram and we’re dead.

Mills, you will legit NEVER see this, but i love you so much. Thank you for being so kind and thank you for being our El. @elshopper thank you for being my best friend and for experiencing this with me and putting up with my fully-fledged fangirling all weekend. There’s no one I’d have rather experienced this with and meeting mills with you made it 100x more special. Y’all know how much El means to me and meeting the person who literally brings her to life was everything i could have wished for. My heart is full ♡

#millie bobby brown #soph and sarah meet mbb #stranger things #mileven #mine #i'm crying writing this #the day meant so much to me i cant even explain to you #this is very long but i wrote it more for myself and the memories than any of you #so apologies in advance for the length #and if you make it all the way through bless you #thank you for caring ♡#also please do not use any of this without credits and direct permission from me thank u

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scaredofthebasement-blog · 5 years

Text

When Love Walks In - Chpt 12

Chpt 12 -

Auston Starts His ‘Homework’ By Asking Alex For Help With His Social Media

1313 Words

The next seven days see Auston continuing to breathe through his throat with the oxygen mask positioned over his Trach. His lungs are getting stronger every day, as expected.

At the beginning of the week, Auston obediently attends to ‘Professor Quinn’s Homework’ assignment by asking his eldest sister, Alex if she will sort through his emails and social media accounts. He asks her privately, when his Mom, Dad and Bre are out of the room.

While he’s very hesitant to have anyone see his private text conversations, especially with women, he believes that Alex, who he has always had a close relationship, would be the least judgmental and shocked. He believes that she has seen him at his best but also his worst; when he was younger and immature. Over the years he’s confided in her when faced with some fallouts he’s had with women who had wanted more from a relationship than he originally bargained for; finding out that they thought they could change his mind or in a few cases he had inadvertently led them on. He also thinks he would be able to face Alex again if she found something embarrassing on him. The thought of him looking his mother or father in the eye in a similar situation makes him want to curl up in a fetal position and die.

Auston requests that Alex bring his attention to any emails and texts that she feels he would want or need to see at this time. He instructs her to use her discretion and apologizes in advance if she sees anything she doesn’t like.

He half-jokes, writing, “no sister should EVER have to read her brother’s text messages. Trust me; I get that. I’ll buy you a house and pay for your therapy, I promise. I owe you big.”

Alex laughs and agrees to his request but adds a warning, “There better not be smut Auston or your hard-fought battle for life will have been for nought!”

Auston chuckles and grins with his eyebrows raised devilishly.

“I’m serious, Auston! Now you’ve got me scared to read your stuff. It better not scar me for life!” Alex pleads, laughing.

Auston smiles as he teases, mouthing the words “sorry”, followed by hunching his shoulders as if to say ‘what can I do now?’

Alex groans, “You had better be joking bro!”

Auston writes with a smirk, finding it difficult to contain his amusement, “If there IS smut, I didn’t start it. I can’t control what other people type.”

“Yeah, well, you could ask them to cool it. Right? YOU could cool it! Auston! Gross!” She scolds.

“Now why would I want to do that, Alex?” He pleads with a smile.

Alex thinks for a moment, “Yeah, you’re right. Nevermind”, She agrees, laughing.

“I hope you don’t mind if I’m drunk when I read your stuff”, she informs him. “Not sure I can do it sober.”

Auston chuckles, “Whatever gets you through it. I truly feel for ya. If the situation was reversed...” he writes and hesitates.

Alex rolls her eyes, “Sure, I’m sure ya do.”

Just imagining it he panics. OMG! Yuck!”, he writes.

Both Auston and Alex enjoy their banter; glad to finally get back to their normal relationship as brother and sister.

Auston asks Alex, “Also, would you pretty-please work with my publicist to put up some sort of statement on my social media accounts that express my sincerest appreciation for every kind wish, expression and concern for my wellbeing? Let Leafs Nation and my fans know that I love and miss them. Tell them that I can’t wait to see everyone again, but until they hear from me, I am working on healing, and while doing so, I need them to respect my privacy.”

“Okay, sure. Do you want me to prepare something and run it by you before showing it to the publicist?” Alex asks.

“Yeah. Please. That’s a good idea. Thanks, Alex”, Auston writes and puts down his marker feeling tired.

In the same moment, Auston looks over at Alex and is overcome by the happiness he feels spending time with his sister. He feels very fortunate to have her. She’s always had his back and been his biggest fan. He knows she’s put up with a lot of ‘second-fiddle’ shit with him having monopolized his parents’ time and energy. He picks up his marker and begins to write. When he finishes, he hands the board to Alex, meekly.

Alex reads, You know I love and appreciate you, right? Thanks for being here for me through all this. I’ll never be able to thank you enough or love you more than I do right now. I hope a house and therapy will be enough, followed by one of his hand-drawn winky face emojis.

Alex laughs and tears up as she gets up and goes over to Auston to hug him.

“You had me so, so, so scared Oz. I love you so much. You are the best brother ever. I’m so glad you made it”, Alex speaks into his shoulder through their hug.

Once they separate, Alex, jokes, “And it’s about damn time with the mansion and therapy, Auston!”

Auston makes an astonished-looking face and jokes back writing, “Hey! Who said anything about a MANSION?!”

Alex laughs and assures him, “Just to be clear Oz, I’m not taking any payment for helping you, regardless of what I read on your social media. You're my brother and I’d walk through fire for you.”

He adds, with a smile, “I appreciate that Alex. But I’m looking after you, whether you like it or not.”

“Nope.” Alex shakes her head. “But thanks anyway.”

“Yup! I am and YOU can’t stop me. Na Na Na Na Boogie!” He writes insistently with feigned stubbornness.

“Nope!” She comes back.

Not wanting to stop, and recalling arguements from their childhood, he adds, “A huh. You’re not the boss of me Alex! I can do what I want! If I want to buy you a tiny house then damn it I’ll buy you a tiny house!” Then he draws an angry-faced emoji with its tongue sticking out. He turns it toward Alex and smirks; pleased with himself.

Alex Is trying to not give him the satisfaction of a laugh. She loves teasing him by not laughing at his jokes. But when she sees that he won’t stop looking at her with the same facial expression as the emoji he drew she gives up and bursts out laughing.

“Little house...” She complains, mumbling loud enough that he can hear her. Then she sticks her tongue out at him.

“TINY house. I wrote TINY!” He adds.

He chuckles, wipes the board and then gets emotional adding, “I’m so glad to be alive, Alex. I’m gonna kick this and get back to playing in the NHL again. You know that, right?” He looks at her for confirmation.

Alex replies immediately, “Oz, Of course I know it. I’ve known it from the minute Dr Quinn told us you were in stable condition. I told her you’d beat this. I told her you excel at everything.”

“You did?” Auston writes, surprised.

“Yes, and by the way, Oz, isn’t she amazing? I mean, don’t you just love her? I am blown away by her. She has to be one of the best people I have ever met. Can you believe how lucky you were to get her? Mom and Dad think she walks on water.”

Auston is taken aback. Alex just brought up his favourite subject. But he must stay guarded. He doesn’t want to risk anyone knowing; even with the best of intentions, someone might mess it up.

“Yeah, I lucked out for sure”, is all he will say.

“Sure did Auston. Ya sure did”, Alex confirms.

#auston matthews #auston matthews fanfiction #auston matthews imagine #fanfiction #imagine #toronto maple leafs #leafs #love story #nhl

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t-underneaththeradardancing · 5 years

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fuck - idk how - well to do lots of things - and we do know tech hate t - thats not quite on point or en garde either - but tonights post performance post mortem - paint it black

the good - tree climbing leaf and dirt hair - once unconfused t can plaze guitar - lox and bagel - some made up on the spot music - some magic - lots of love - love aint always enuff - uh chili dogs and fries - vitas voice - liam showing and again doing the hard but right thing/s

the bad chili dog hair t gets confused sometimes ez tho we find workarounds - its not cheating to tell him the key and a couple chords specially if u usin a capo on a song he never herd - just sayin

the ugly uh duz blood and pain count im ok shame the people and soul less beings who cause/d the feelings of shame ketchup hair

we end up laffing way too much - thing is - today started fucked up and pretty much stayed on track - u know its been uh different since the biz - and yah there still is one - its changing gonna change more prob - maybe not better just different

we cries a lot also

we heal then

well when u wear ur heart on ur sleeve and ur food in ur hair

a step back may be in order

me i prefer to wear my food on my clothes - it stains better - hair is ez to wash

did i mention i lissened to crywolf angels ep like 3 or 4 x yesterday and some el vy - theres maybe half a dozen ppl readin who will unnastand - if i mention sad bastards duz it help - no - well just move along then it dont matter much

( translation - t is being maudlin again cuz he depressed and future trips heartache and rejection - no not a romance - tho the looks - nevermind )

so y is ketchup hair ugly - its a condiment - now we know that dirt is an excellent conditioner - ask any potato u happen to - i have gazed more than a few x at the moon - this eve tonight - i wuz gonna say that life had gotten 2 surreal then forgot when it even more happen - and not the good kind of surreal either - another luxury problem the wrong kind of surreal - did u get it a amazon or ikea and yah - that splains it manstyle - if u cant laff about ketchup hair - i mean wtf

ok t - u so fukken cryptic and in group mindfuck - can u bottom line it or readers digest condensed milk - damn it - its contagious - ( another editor quits )

it started a little fucked up - was sposed to meet for acupuncture b4 java - things ran late - acu close early on weekends earlier than i thot so no - vita been going thru lots of hard uh lifestuff - it manifests and affects - we both been uh stressed at best - self destructive on various levels at worst w a little delusional thinking inna mix moi at least - we feel deeply and connect and empath sometimes for an instant completely - its not always pleasant cuz we human - despite everything going on - we go to do wat we do - play music w transcendence aim for attained rarely for more than glimpse but sometimes - magic - we trance in and out and different levels and different reality layers conflict - and too much too soon specially w a broken heart ( no not me - my heart is good - well yah the heart attack thing but we talkin soul heart ) and some ugly inna mix but not aimed at and self directed - we at our different homes safe or mostly - hope so - its late now unless u a musician or a barfly and last call wuz a few minutes ago even at the hardcore - there is love in my heart - a bit of dread - hope a smidgen maybe an ember that i fan boy - oh yah - we played - some barely ok - some goodish - a few really good moments - hearts not completely but then in it - a baddish incident - then we play a couple more songs like something proving not a victory lap not at all sir - prolly vita and i and i last performance in a while - slight chance madrone tomorrow but not prolly and im exhausted but maybe - we get together maybe 2 x this week if we lucky - she has a last jazz concert i think sat - imma meet her mom who tuff as nails north korean born and raised - really - that will b uh - interesting t interesting and a pleasure - maybe ask vita her name and practice - nah - she might as well meet the awkward fucktard albeit a well behaved version - but i will do wat i always - apologize in advance and assure by the 3rd time i will at least b very close lol prolly not socialize much after - it would b nice if she likes me but tbh expecting disapproval - extreme wariness at least - i would if i was her - then off to college - imma wait till she settle in maybe has a friend - dont want ppls 1st impressions of her to b w a weird af and old as guitar playing friend - at some point we b recording maybe podcast of some healing writing she been doing w music cuz low key but an ep - or album - theres enough good songs and we fuck around w a few more half maybe mostly written inna works

its after 2 am exhausted not sleepy wired cuz its been that kinda day - sorry but not for the cryptic - things happen not to b ashamed of - we played music and performed as well - real as fuck if nothing else - it could b a month or more before we perform again together - there is still a biz - how much vita will b able to contribute uncertain - sometimes fucked up things happen - nobodys fawlty towers no guilty party

love

#poetry i guess #post performance post mortem #feel free to skip parts or all

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lowsodiumfreaks67 · 5 years

Text

Some questions are difficult to answer

Sorry Iv been a little m.i.a bit I got a little something for y’all.

a/n : for some unknown reason this piece does not look right on tumblr mobile so I apologize in advance if its difficult to read, I also uploaded it to my wattpad if you want to read it there instead. @obsessionunhealthy

Summary : Its your first Supernatural convention of the year in Nashville because Seattle got Con-blocked. You’re joining your husband Jensen and your costar Jared for your first panel together when a fan asks a question that brings back some memories.

Warnings : Talks of attempted suicide.

Word Count : 1806

More chapters will be posted as soon as I get time :) xx

"Ladies and gentlemen please welcome to the stage the Winchesters, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and his wife the wonderful Mrs Y/N Ackles"

Richards voice rang loudly through the speakers as you made your way up the stairs and through the curtain to the stage, you were greeted by loud cheering and whooping from the audience, Richard and Rob welcomed you all with warm hugs and wished you good luck, you waited until Louden Swain had finished playing Carry on my wayward son before you raised your mic to speak.

" What's up Nashville " you all shouted into the mics at the same time making the crown cheer even louder than before.

" Wow y'all are loud " you said with a massive smile on your face, you turned to Jensen.

" Howdy y'all, it's good to be back, I do love me some Nashville "

Jared then raised his mic " How you guys doing today? Any first timers? " a lot of people in the audience cheered loudly making all three of you look at each other surprised.

" Really y'all have never been to a supernatural convention, this is your first one ? " you asked making them cheer again.

" How long have we been doing this ?" Jensen asked still in shock

" 14 years " Jared answered quietly " 14 years " Jensen got up from his seat a little and shouted into his mic " 14 YEARS "

" Some of you guys were only 2 when the show started so that's understandable " you said as you looked out across the audience before someone shouted from the back " I was only born " you jumped from your seat in shock and walked to the edge of the stage

" You were what, how old are you ? "

" I'm 14 "

" Your 14 oh my gosh WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS YOUR WHOLE LIFE" Jensen exclaimed.

“ When were you born ? “ you asked

" I was born in January " she answered

" January what ? " Jared asked

" January 25th "

" Two thousand and ? " Jensen trailed off trying to work it out

" Five " she answered back

All three of your dropped your mics in shock, Jared and Jensen slumped into their chairs whilst you just dropped to the ground at the front of the stage and lay there, the audience erupted into laughter and cheers.

" We’re so old " you said into your mic dramatically without moving making the audience laugh even harder.

" So you're what a freshman in high school ? "

" Yeah that's right "

" Oh my god freshman in high school, that's mind boggling " you sighed from the ground

“ I can drive too “ she shouted

" You can already drive ? " Jensen asked before turning to Jared and shouted " IT DRIVES "

" Alright alright calm down " Jared chuckled placing a hand on Jensen's shoulder

" Fun fact he still can't drive " Jensen stated matter of factly whilst looking out at the girl and pointed at Jared

" And I still got 22 years on ya " Jared said mockingly but then began to fake cry as Jensen pulled him into a side hug, the audience was laughing loudly at your guys reaction at this.

" Oh my god we gotta change the subject im not liking this " you said as you got back up from the floor and walked back to your seat. Jared turned his seat to face the right side of the stage " Yeah lets get some questions going, hey there " he said to the young girl at the left of the stage waiting with a mic " Hello everyone I just wanted to ask if there has there been anything embarrassing or funny happen on set recently ? " you let out a small chuckle and spoke first " Well I kicked Jared's ass last week whilst playing with Tom and Shep last week, all i'll say is that I a woman and 2 kids managed to pin him down whilst Odette attempted to give him a wedgie, Gen videoed thing I’ll get her to post it for you guys, that must have been a pretty big kick to the ego " the audience laughed as you blew a kiss in Jared's direction.

The rest of the panel went on like this, you guys making fun of each other, telling stories, making jokes and having tremendous fun with the audience, it wasn't long before it was time for the last question, you finally stopped laughing after Jared finished his story about the train in Europe and turned to face the girl standing to the left of the stage.

Now you were in front of her you could see her face was soaked with tears and she was shaking like a leaf, you pulled her into a tight hug and whispered in her ear " Its okay honey, what's the matter? "

" I uh um I just got a little overwhelmed sorry I wasn’t expecting to be chosen for a question, I just wanted to thank you guys for everything you've done for me this past year " you pulled away slightly but still held her arms, " What's your name ? "

" Its Gabriela but everyone calls me Gabby "

" Well Gabby i'm very pleased you’re here with us and that this massive family has helped you through a tough time and as Jared would say Always Keep Fighting because it will all be some sort of okay someday "

" Thank you so much, may I ask you how it is that you keep a positive mindset even when going through tough times ? "

You pulled her in for another tight hug before heading back up onto the stage, Jared handed you your mic as you sat back down between the boys again.

" Alright sorry about that guys, the wonderful Gabby has asked how it is that I keep a positive mindset even when things are tough and if i'm being honest it's pretty damn hard to stay positive sometimes, just like everyone else I do have days where I just don't feel happy, I’m run down or i'm feeling super unmotivated but I get through those days with the help of my friends and family, both on set and here with you guys " the crowd cheered loudly as you turned to Jensen and Jared who were both smiling at you gently.

" Surround yourself with those you love and who make you happy, shutting yourself away and pushing those people away can be the worst thing you could ever do, I did that and it was quite possibly the worst decision of my life, that and the haircut I had during season 4 I mean what was I thinking " you joked making the audience chuckle a little before they quietened down again.

" About 7 years ago I went through a pretty tough time and instead of speaking up and accepting the help that was right there in front of me, I suffered in silence and that led to my mental state getting so out of control that one day when I got home I broke down completely as soon as my front door shut, it had been a good day on set, the scenes weren't too hard and everything went smoothly but inside my head I was fighting a losing battle, so I just I locked myself in my flat and turned my phone off, I shut out the outside world completely " the crowd was eerily silent as they listened to you speak, you could even see a few people in the front row with tears in their eyes, taking a deep breath to calm yourself you started back into your story.

" Uh no one but Jared, Jensen and Erik Kripke know what happened that night but that was the night I tried to take my own life " you let out a shaky breath when you heard a few people in the audience gasp, Jensen wrapped an arm around your shoulder and pulled you into his side as Jared grabbed your free hand and squeezed it then held it between his two large warm hands as you continued.

" I had forgotten that these two were coming over to run lines for the episode ' A little slice of Kevin ', I wasn’t answering the door or my phone so they decided to break down my front door Winchester style, I’m about to get a tiny bit graphic here but when they charged into my apartment they found me lying on my bathroom floor covered in and lying in a puddle of my own blood, they got me to the hospital in time for doctors to save my life, I will always thank Chuck for putting these two Idjits on this earth " a few of the audience members chuckled whilst others awed when you leaned up and kissed Jensen gently then reached over and pulled Jared into a tight hug.

" Okay so the lesson you should take from that is that you need to wake up positive, never go to sleep angry with anyone because you never know what could happen, try not to worry about what might go wrong in the day, focus on what will go right no matter how small it may be whether it be going out for lunch with a friend or grabbing a coffee with someone you haven't seen for awhile, remember you never fail at anything, you just gain experience and knowledge you can use to help in a future situation " you pulled yourself from the boys and got up and walked to the front of the stage.

" Y'all I want everyone here to know that there will always going to be someone out there who is going to listen to whatever it is you have to say and if right now you don't know who that person it then come to me, my email is on my Instagram and twitter, you guys can send me private messages, I even have a P.O box if you'd like to write me a letter, i'll always be here to support you guys no matter what and i'll always try my best to help you in anyway that I know how " the crowd cheered and clapped as you made your way off the stage back to Gabby.

" Thank you so much for coming and asking your question today, if you ever need someone to vent or talk to then drop me a message and i'll try help the best I can " you wrapped your arms around her in a tight hug before heading back on stage which was now occupied by Richard and Louden Swain.

Jensen met you at the end of the stage and extended his hand to you to guide you back up the stairs as Jared spoke to everyone, " Thank you so much everyone for coming out, sorry if we bored you too much with our stories, well see y'all later on " the audience cheered and clapped as you guys waved before exiting the stage whilst Louden Swain played Your Love by The Outfield.

#supernatural #supernatural imagines #jensen ackles #jensen ackles imagine #Jared Padalecki #jared padalecki imagine #dean winchester #dean winchester imagine #Sam Winchester #sam winchester imagine #spn #alwayskeepfighting #jared x reader #jensen x reader #dean x reader #sam x reader

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timetravelingheart · 6 years

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My Side of the Fence Part One: A.M. Imagine

So this is my first post on here, even though I’ve had this blog for years! I’ve had this idea in my head for a while and decided to finally put it out there. I already have a few parts outlined, but I’m not sure how long this one will be just yet. Savannah Lane is my own creation; Auston Matthews and friends are obviously not. Feedback is absolutely welcome!

It was a beautiful summer day in August when they met.

Savannah Lane, Olympic gold medal figure skater, was enjoying an equally relaxing and fun beach day with a group of her friends from Toronto. After living in Edmonton to train for the past eight years, Savannah’s coaches opened their own training facility in Toronto, causing Savannah to relocate. She just finished moving into her apartment with a spectacular view of the lake, but still hasn’t had enough time to really decorate or make the place her own. But, it’s summer, and she has some time off before starting the skating season, so she figured why not reunite with some of her old friends and get a tan in the process?

“Hey Sav! We’re up!” Brian called, referring to the beach volleyball game that was currently in play. Wearing her favourite purple bikini, Sav pulled her long dirty blonde hair up into a high ponytail and ran over to take her position.

Ten minutes into the game and Sav and Brian were winning easily. Sav took a water break and decided to check her phone to see if Steph had messaged her yet. Stephanie was one of Savannah’s best friends since they were little tykes attending the same summer camp. Steph was so excited to introduce her to all of the friends she’s made with the Leafs and their significant others. Sav had already met Steph’s boyfriend Mitch multiple times over the years and he was always such a good friend to her. When Savannah decided on a beach day, she invited Steph, Mitch, and whomever else they wanted to bring along. Seeing that Steph texted that they were about ten minutes out, Sav smiled to herself, excited to finally see her best friend after a few months apart.

“You ready, babe?” Brian called. Sav rolled her eyes at the term of endearment, knowing that Brian was always a harmless, but absolutely shameless, flirt. “We’ve got them right where we want them!”

“Bri, we’re winning 12-2,” Sav laughed. “I think we can dial down the competitiveness a bit.”

“Says Canada’s reigning gold medalist in figure skating!”

Sav took a little curtsy, complete with a royal wave, before standing up straight and punching Brian on the shoulder. Kaitlyn Osmond and her partner Stephen started to shout obscenities at them, eager to finish this game and be done with the embarrassment.

Ten minutes later, Brian set Sav up for the perfect spike. Sav’s sculpted legs and insane core strength allowed her to gain height with the jump and spike the ball as hard as she could. Kaitlyn and Stephen both scrambled for the ball, ending up in the sand in a heap as the ball landed in front of them.

“Yeah!” Brian screamed, pulling Savannah into a big hug and swinging her around. “We’re number one! We’re number one!”

Savannah laughed loudly, a little embarrassed by his dramatics over a friendly game, but having fun nonetheless. Behind her, she heard unfamiliar voices hollering and cheering for her as well. Confused, Savannah turned around and spotted a group of very attractive, and very fit, men shouting, but her eyes searched for the one face she was dying to see. Green eyes scanning the group quickly, she spotted the beautiful blonde. Letting out a high-pitched squeal, Savannah and Stephanie both took off in a run until they had their arms wrapped around one another in a tight embrace.

“You’re here! You’re real!” Steph cried into Savannah’s neck.

“I am here! I am real!” Savannah laughed, squeezing her person back as tightly as she could without crushing the petite blonde.

“Hey Steph! Let the girl breathe and hug the rest of us, eh?” Mitch laughed as he reached over and pulled Savannah out of his girlfriend’s arms into his open ones. “How ya doing, little one?”

“I’m good, Mitchy! Looking a little bigger, I see,” Savannah remarked as she gripped his biceps jokingly.

“Oh, you know, I’ve been lifting a lot of weights this off-season,” Mitch tried to act tough as he flexed his arms for her. Steph rolled her eyes at her two favourite people and grabbed Sav’s hand in her own to pull her over to the group of hockey players who were setting up beach blankets and chairs on the sand.

“Everyone, this is Savannah! Sav, these are the people who are going to become your Toronto family while you get acquainted!”

Mitch quickly started naming the group of very large and very attractive young men who were seated on the sand, and some of whom Savannah recognized from the photos she had seen on Steph and Mitch’s social media accounts. Morgan, Zach, William, Kasperi, and Auston all stood up and shook her hand in polite greeting. Auston’s hand, the last of the bunch, lingered a little longer than the others, and Savannah had to shake her head a little to escape the allure of his attractive gaze. Careful, she thought.

The boys tried to make room for Steph and Savannah to have a seat on their big blankets, but with their long and muscular legs, it was a tight fit and Savannah found herself consciously trying not to bump knees with Auston, who was sitting to her left. She also found herself trying not to stare at his sculpted chest as he sat shirtless in just his grey leopard print swim trunks. Distracted, it took Savannah a second to realize that someone was asking her a question. She turned away from Auston and looked across from her to find the voice, and saw William looking at her expectantly.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

“Steph said that you just moved back to Toronto for training. Are you originally from here?” William repeated.

Savannah took a second to stretch out her tanned, lean legs in front of her and rest back on the palms of her hands, not noticing that Auston was returning her once-over and trying to force himself to look at her face, not at her insane athletic body. His eyes went to her soft pink lips as she answered. “I’m from Kingston, so not too far from here. I used to come here all of the time though to visit this one,” she stated, nodding affectionately at her best friend.

“And now she lives here!” Steph squealed, moving quickly to wrap her arms around Savannah’s shoulders.

“Yeah babe, we get it, you’re excited,” Mitch laughed at his girlfriend’s antics, and swiftly ducked her swat, pulling her into his side lovingly.

“Well since you live here now, you’ll have to join Steph and the other partners at our games,” Morgan spoke up. “We might actually have a shot at winning this year with these young punks and John Tavares.”

“My dad is a huge Leafs fan, so believe me when I say that I have heard ALL about John Tavares,” Savannah laughed.

“And you’re not one?” Auston finally spoke up. He was happy his voice didn’t shake when he asked, because he could already feel himself starting to like this girl and suddenly felt a little nervous.

When Savannah hesitated, Steph laughed loudly. “Go on, tell them,” she said conspiratorially.

With all eyes trained on her, Savannah cleared her throat and looked down bashfully at her lap. “Well, I’m actually really good friends with Connor McDavid, so...” she cringed at the loud groans the men emitted and ducked at the sand that was thrown at her.

“Seriously? You’re an Oilers fan?” Kasperi half-shouted, as if she had betrayed him personally.

“Technically I’m a McDavid fan, but I also lived in Edmonton for eight years, so yes.” The men all groaned again loudly and shook their heads like parents disappointed in their child.

“I guess we’ll have to bring you to our games and change your mind,” Auston spoke with a determined air, eyes trained intensely on hers.

Sav inhaled, uncertain of what she was feeling with his eyes on her. “I guess so,” she almost whispered.

Steph, quickly taking notice of Auston’s sudden attraction to her best friend, had wheels turning and knew she had to act fast to ensure that Savannah didn’t run from his advances. Auston was a good guy, her boyfriend’s best friend, and even though he had a reputation for being a fuckboy (one he definitely earned in his first few years with the team), she could see the changes in him recently. He started to ask Mitch more questions about their relationship and how they make it work with their grueling schedule during the season, he stopped hooking up with random girls months ago, and started to really think seriously about finding someone right for him.

Savannah, usually a relationship girl, had recently sworn off long-term relationships so she could focus on this quad and gear up for the Olympics and defend her title. Her last boyfriend, who originally said he respected and admired her dedication to her sport, grew tired of the lack of attention and wanted Savannah to prioritize their relationship. When he brought this to her attention, Savannah told him that if he was asking her to put him before skating, he might as well pack up his things and go. So, he did. And ever since then, Savannah hasn’t even considered dating anyone else. Steph knows that part of that is because Savannah has been hurt and doesn’t want that to happen again, but she also sees the way her best friend is affected by Auston’s lingering gazes and subtle knee touches as they sit side by side on the blanket.

“Sav, you have to stay for the bonfire tonight!” Steph grabbed her hand, pulling Savannah’s attention away from Auston, her face flush.

“Yeah, definitely! You can hear Kappy’s awful country singing,” Morgan joined in.

“Hey! I’m not that bad!” Kasperi shouted angrily, throwing a beach ball at Morgan’s head, as everyone else laughed.

“You really can’t miss it,” Auston turned to her, his knee brushing hers slightly. Sav shifted to pull her legs to her chest, starting to feel herself being reeled in and needing to separate herself from him. Auston wasn’t sure what to make of her sudden movement, worried he might be coming on too strong, even though he hadn’t really done anything yet. He made a mental note to take it slowly with this girl, not wanting to scare her off.

Sav laughed lightly, trying to remain engaged in the conversation with everyone and not just with Auston. “You had me at country singing!”

A few hours and several beach volleyball games later, the guys started the bonfire and brought out their beach chairs to make a circle. Savannah had pulled on her denim shorts and loose striped tank, and had said goodbye to the friends she originally came to the beach with, promising several coffee meet-ups and city hang-outs. Walking back over to the group of hockey players, she sat down on a chair next to the fire and pulled her legs up to her chest again, rubbing her arms softly, hoping to warm herself up quickly. The sun had begun to set and there was a nice breeze in the air, and while Sav was enjoying the reprieve from the beating sun, she could feel goosebumps forming on her arms and legs.

Auston, who had been watching Sav from the moment she left her friends, quickly took notice of her actions and ran off to his car in the parking lot. Minutes later, he came back with two hoodies, one for himself and one for her. Wordlessly, he held both hands out to her and smiled widely. Savannah looked up at his smiling face, confused as to what was happening. When he started moving his hands with the hoodies, taunting her to pick one, she understood what he was offering, and while she loved the gesture, she still felt herself hesitating. Careful, she reminded herself.

Auston sighed. “They’re hoodies, Sav, not wedding rings,” he stated bluntly, causing the heat to rise to Savannah’s cheeks. Auston had essentially acknowledged the connection (and the tension) between them with one statement. Sav refused to acknowledge the actual statement and instead reached out for the grey hoodie and quickly pulled it on, laughing slightly as it swarmed her petite frame. It felt soft and warm; a well-loved sweater. She looked at the logo - NDTP - and cringed.

“I can’t believe you just gave a Canadian Olympian a team USA sweater!” she laughed, her eyes lighting up in a way that made Auston’s insides melt and core tighten. He was definitely a goner for this girl.

Mitch whipped his head from holding a marshmallow over the fire to look at the small commotion to his left and laughed at the sight. Auston’s face was pink with laughter as he sat in the beach chair next to a very cozy, and very conflicted, Savannah.

“You picked that one!” Auston argued, as he pulled the other blue Toronto Maple Leafs hoodie over his own head.

“So my options were a Leafs hoodie or a USA hoodie - both make me a traitor, Auston!” Savannah laughed, pretending to be angry at the 6′3 brunette who was quickly, and sneakily making his way into her heart. Auston reached over and pulled on the strings on the neck of the hoodie. Softly, he whispered so only she could hear, “You might not like this, but you look really good in my hoodie, even with that cute little crinkle in your brow as you pretend not to be grateful for the warmth.”

Savannah swatted his hand away jokingly, and pulled the hoodie over her legs as she curled up on the chair. “Yeah, yeah. Thank you for the hoodie, Auston.” Auston smiled broadly, feeling proud of himself that she finally seemed to be letting herself relax around him after her initial hesitation.

“You’re welcome, Savannah.”

Mitch stood by the fire, still watching the exchange between the two. He didn’t know Savannah as well as Steph did, but he knew Auston, and right now his best friend was showing more affection towards Savannah than he had to any other girl Mitch has seen him with in the entirety of their friendship. He looked over at Steph, catching her watching the two closely as well, with a knowing smile on her face. Mitch caught Steph’s eye and winked.

This was going to be fun.

#auston matthews imagine #auston matthews #hockey #hockey imagine #auston matthews writing #mitch marner #toronto maple leafs #auston matthews fan fiction

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bitletsanddrabbles · 6 years

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Okay, no one’s asked, but I am well aware that I owe the world in general, @downtonabbeyandausten in particular, a doctoral thesis on Thomas. Since I can never figure out where to start and suspect I would have to rewatch the series from the beginning, taking notes the entire time, to really do a proper job of it, here’s a quick, pounded out before work overview of my favorite hedgehog-in-livery.

I’m sure there are logic holes, spelling errors, etc. I apologize in advance for that. I’m on a rather tight timeline this morning and at least the start was done before I’d had a single cup of tea.

How I feel about this character:

I've said it before, I'll say it again - there are certain characters who walk on screen or stage and immediately make me go "Oh, I'm going to like you" and that is very, very rarely wrong. In Thomas's case, they were spot on. The boy needs hugs. Lots of hugs. All the hugs. Also, he is the perfect 'Downton' character. Julian Fellows has stated that he doesn't like black and white scenarios where one person is right and the other is wrong. He prefers situations where both sides have a point and who you side with depends on who's PoV you're looking at. That's Thomas. I will not pretend that he can't be a perfect ass and that a lot of what he does is flat up nasty and wrong. However, if you look at it from his PoV, particularly from this time period where psychology has advanced a bit beyond Freud and the early behavioralists, it's pretty much all justified, all logical, and all very, very human. And it's easy to sit back and judge and say 'that was wrong' without looking further into it, but really, given his base temperament, I don't think it's at all fair or realistic to expect him to do any better and that absolutely does not make him a bad person. He's the poster child for childhood neglect, always trying to get attention through negative means, because that's generally the only time people pay attention to him. He's always fighting to find ways to get ahead, because the people who tell him things like "if you want to go forward, work hard" hire majority workers who are less capable rather than rewarding his hard work. He's a perfect example of 'you reap what you sew' not just because he tends to get his comeuppance, but because everyone around him absolutely reinforces the negative behaviors they don't like.

And he needs hugs.

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Canonically? No one. The Duke of Crowborough was the first TV character I've ever spent 24 hours wanting to punch in the face and I think people who rally around him as having been used by Thomas weren't paying attention and have entirely the wrong end of the stick (seriously, look at how he treated Mary!). Pamuk was Pamuk. I did like Edward, but that one felt one sided even before I read the cut lines where Edward asked if Sybil was as pretty as she sounded. Jimmy didn't happen and he annoyed me, so I'm kinda glad about that. Sorry Thomas/Jimmy fans, but there it is. I prefer Andy as the adopted little brother/cousin/whatever the show presented him as.

Peter Pelham, of course, had potential, except that he died before they ever met. Woops. I will count him as a romantic ship I like, though, because I like AUs where this thing happened.

My personal crack relationship, although I don't think it would ever go so far as being physical, is Thomas and Dr. Clarkson. Clarkson is one of the few characters I can see being at least a bit bi and it would explain a few things about his relationship with our cranky hedgehog. Of course, in order for it to actually happen, even on a purely emotional level, Dr. Clarkson would have to admit "yeah, mostly like women, but there's been an exception or two" and for them both to get over the age difference, so not likely, but I do like the dynamic.

Also, one bit of personal psychology that I could not begin to explain if my life depended on it is my brain's insistence on trying to get him and Lady Mary in bed. Not 'straightening him out' mind. Not even doing that a little. But the idea of them sleeping together makes my muse giggle like a monkey on nitrous oxide and I Do. Not. Know. Why.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

If Thomas is the perfect "Downton" character, then Thomas and Baxter are the perfect "Downton" relationship. They both do things right, they both do things wrong, and either way, they are, from their own perspectives, completely justified in their behavior. Now, this could go terribly (I mean, worse than it did) and would have if Baxter weren't such a wonderful person, but she is a wonderful person, so it actually winds up being very rewarding to watch.

Of course, most people I've seen explore this relationship do it from Baxter's PoV, which is not surprising. It's a bit more accessible than Thomas's and involves more admirable traits. I mean, it takes a pretty good person to be persistently nice and caring to someone who is trying to strong arm you into doing something you're super uncomfortable with and threatening your job. However, she wouldn't have been there if it weren't for him, because they had a deal: he would put his job on the line by lying to his employer to get her the position if she would replace O'Brien in his life and get him the knowledge he needed to feel as powerful as everyone else in the house. Once she got there and got her side of the bargain, she suddenly started trying to back out of her side of things. I don't care who you are, feeling used like that isn't nice, and Thomas is continually - in large and small ways - feeling taken advantage of, so it got a particularly nasty response (And his PoV on the subject is black and white enough on the subject that the fact she was simply trying to find other ways to support him didn't matter, even though it is, of course, one of her admirable points). When he started threatening her job, it wasn't because he wanted to get her sacked, it was because he wanted her to go back to doing what she promised and he didn't know any other way to accomplish that. After all, the main motivators people had used on him were uneven power dynamics, bullying, and threats. That was seriously all he knew how to do. And then, when he finally reached the end of his rope on the subject and made good on those threats, he discovered she'd gone so far as to try and preserve her job by costing him his - nice payback for his getting her hired to begin with.

And while there are people who will automatically respond to that by jumping in, once again, with Baxter's PoV, for me the fact that she's the one - ultimately - who burnt that bridge is super important to her character and one of the things that made her so strong and wonderful and good, because unlike the rest of the cast who would have made excuses for why they were perfectly in the right and he was nasty and deserved it, she, being Baxter, took absolute responsibility for her actions, acknowledged that while he had been upsetting her, she had hurt him, and by gum, no matter how much he objected, she was going to rebuild that bridge or die trying. She did not insist that Thomas was doing a one man tango where his actions negatively affected those around him and needed to be altered, but the view point and actions of the rest of the world had no real affect on his happiness or behavior. She was not treating him well because she wanted to convince herself that she was a better person and more capable of goodness than he was. She was nice because she was a genuinely nice, caring person who acknowledged that she'd not handled things perfectly and wanted to make things right again.

In the end, this resulted in probably the healthiest, most supportive relationship he'd had in his entire life and damn if that's not satisfying to see.

My unpopular opinion about this character:

There are days it feels like I'm the only Thomas fan in the entire fandom who is 100% AOK with where he ended up. While it's nice to think of him with a better job and a boyfriend, I really don't think that's realistic, I think it undermines the point of the character which was to point out that locking people in closets sucks and we shouldn't do it, and I think people really undervalue the position of butler in that time period as well as Downton in general. You'll note that, after the black market fail, Thomas stopped trying to get out of service completely. That's because there really weren't many better job options. Even by the end of the series when more and more people were moving into other industries, those tended to be younger people just starting out. Thomas had the same problem a lot of people changing carriers later in life (and thinking of him as 'later in life' may seem ridiculous, but he's been in service a minimum 15 years) have. He has been in service long enough that getting a factory job or a job in a store or something similar that paid anywhere near what he was used to was minimal. While he would have developed skills that might help him starting his own business, he lacked the money to start up and didn't really have a way to get it. A medical job higher than 'orderly' is straight out. He does not have the education and in that time you weren't working your way up from the bottom in that field, which is why you had people like Lord Your-Baby's-Under-A-Cabbage-Leaf. And, of course, if he had any of those jobs he would not have paid room and board, which anyone living on their own and paying their own bills will tell you is a pretty big bonus.

Okay, but why Downton? Why couldn't he have gone on to a different, better big house? Because there wasn't one, that's why. The estates were crumbling, so jobs were getting scarce. We saw that in the series. The ones that stayed open wanted people who could fill a number of roles and Thomas didn't have the skill sets. We saw that too. I should hope I don't need to point out that he was flat out turned down for a job because the butler knew he was gay, where as Lord Grantham not only employed him, but kept him out of jail. That is a huge, screaming bonus. People get hung up on all of the ways the Downton crew handled him wrong and overlook the fact that pretty much anyplace else was going to do even worse. By the end of the series, the set up downstairs was about as supportive as he could hope for. Carson was still there, but he was on his way out. Being butler would put him equal with Mrs. Hughes and make them work together, which means she'd be far more able to observe how he works and come up with healthy ways to support him. Baxter and Andy are genuine friends and, well, Baxter in particular is Baxter.. The Bates's will likely be the cause of some friction (and of course, Mrs. Patmore frequently has the tact of a cricket bat to the face), but overall they don't want a fuss, so they won't raise one, especially after Mrs. Hughes makes it clear she doesn't like having to work with the hissing bundle of prickles that results from Mr. Bates's needling.

And of course, Downton has two - soon to be more - people who adore him beyond words and don't care about who he loves so long as they get their piggy back rides.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in:

I really would have liked to see more interaction between him and Mrs. Hughes/Sybbie. Mrs. Hughes, I suppose, is to be somewhat expected because they were both busy, but his first connection with the children was Sybbie, it was a pretty strong connection, then in season 6 it was basically preempted by George. I suspect this probably had a lot to do with earning him Mary's sympathies (which was important) and probably a bit to do with the availability of Sybbie's actress, but it still would have been nice to see.

#character ask #downton abbey #thomas barrow #this could be longer #but i need to leave in four minutes

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flapperfromthefuture · 6 years

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I have a lot of anxiety about going to the doctor. I was particularly anxious about my most recent check-up as I had to get my blood drawn, and I haven’t had my blood drawn since second grade. Why? It’s not important.

So Stella and I planned to hit up the Ann Arbor Art Fair right after my appointment, which was a great idea since the shuttle stop was right across the street from my doctor and nothing soothes my frantic brain like “Only a few minutes until you get to browse some artisanal ceramics!”

Of course, the very last thing I had to do at my appointment was get my blood drawn. I was so close to the door.

I could’ve just bolted. But no, I had to be an adult. I nervously babbled the whole time—”Just so you know, I’m not going to look or anything because I’m really nervous around needles and the last time I got my blood drawn was when I was seven and some lady held me on her lap and fed me those Valentine’s hearts with the words on them while I cried and I still can’t eat those without feeling sick and oh you’re done already?”

Who knew phlebotomy had advanced so much?

I floated out of there on wings of endorphins and met Stella at the shuttle—along with everyone else in the county.

The Ann Arbor Art Fair is no ordinary art fair. It’s actually four decent-sized art fairs combined into one mega-art fair that consumes over 30 city blocks. Thousands of people descend upon downtown and if you’re not prepared for the sweltering heat, wall-to-wall crowds, and the gladiator battle for parking, you’re going to get chewed up and spat out somewhere near the mixed-media installations.

Stella and I always pre-game by analyzing the official artist line-up and charting a course ahead of time. We knew we wanted to see certain artists that we’d bought from before, a few new ones that caught our interest, and I always try to see every wildlife or plant photographer because that’s just who I am as a person. Stella goes for anyone doing any kind of classic rock-inspired art or industrial chic. So we had our work cut out for us.

It started raining while we were on the shuttle bus. Most art fairs would suffer a lower turnout because of bad weather, but rain only makes the Ann Arbor Art Fair stronger.

Stella and I had umbrellas, hats, sunscreen, semi-decent shoes, and water. This was not our first rodeo. The bus driver dropped us off with a cheery farewell—”Stay dry, stay hydrated, and don’t spend more than you can carry!”

We popped our umbrellas and headed into the fray. Almost immediately I saw something I never knew I desperately needed but could not justify buying even if the world was ending—stone sculptures made of real fossilized leaves. It’s everything I love! Giant plants and rainbow color schemes! There was a little sign that said “Please touch—they like the attention.” I also like attention! I wanted all of them. But I would have had to pawn a pet to buy just one, plus I could never get this giant leaf back on the bus.

The best part of the art fair is the people/dogwatching. I saw several dogs in raincoats and at least four in strollers—one dog was sharing a stroller with a baby, and this delighted us (the baby did not look quite as delighted).

The worst part might be trying to get some food before the heatstroke takes over. Stella and I decided against sampling the food truck that claimed to sell fresh seafood (you know what Michigan is nowhere near? The ocean) and thanks to the art fair, our usual sleepy and well-stocked breakfast joint had run out of both Diet Coke and ketchup, which together make up a good thirty-five percent of what I eat.

Hmm, maybe my doctor should draw my blood more often.

So we ended up walking a good five blocks to the safety of the vegan restaurant. No crowds, no exhaustion of critical supplies, just cashews in everything. And I mean everything.

When we returned to the fray, we investigated a booth where a woman claimed to be able to tell your future by reading bones (legit) and another where all the art was made of humanely collected butterfly leaves, from necklaces and earrings to windcatchers and drawings.

“Wings are really speaking to me right now,” said Stella.

Meanwhile, I was tempted by steampunk goggles, which always speak to me, and say something like, “You don’t need us, but also maybe you do?”

There are always these gigantic sculptures of cacti and hummingbirds and flowers and fountains the size of my car and whirligigs that look like they’d take out your mailbox and the old lady next door in a storm. I don’t know who buys them, but somebody must, because they come back every year.

I also saw this character, whose motivations and background I don’t know at all, but she did flash me a peace sign, so her intentions must be pure.

While I was distracted by following the basket lady, I lost Stella in the crowd. Now, losing your assigned adult during the art fair is the recurring nightmare of every Ann Arbor child: “I’m lost forever, so I’ll have to make my way selling water bottles or handing out pamphlets at one of the non-profit booths. Should I go to the Mars Society or the Ban Infant Circumcision people first?”

I wandered around for a few minutes, dodging the Jews for Jesus with ninja-like precision, until Stella found me. “Sorry, I was talking to the leaf people,” she said, pointing to a booth selling jewelry made of succulents.

“It’s the art fair,” I shrugged. “You’re going to get stuck talking to some leaf people.”

Here’s the other thing I had to do at my doctor’s appointment—get my yearly TB test, which isn’t a big deal, except the very evening before I had a class where I learned a ton about TB, like that it’s ridiculously contagious and super difficult to treat and kills millions of people every year and best case scenario you’re on debilitating antibiotics for a couple of years but oh man, if you get a drug-resistant strain, you are effed.

And it’s endemic pretty much everywhere on Earth, even good ol’ Ann Arbor.

So picture me wandering through a giant crowd of people, many of whom are coughing and sneezing and touching everything they possibly can, clutching my umbrella like a shield and glancing at my TB test to see if it starts glowing or something, all while Stella babbles about bud vases. It was quite the banner Ann Arbor day.

I didn’t end up buying anything—Stella got a really cool print of a sea turtle whose shell is a VW bus, because that’s who she is as a person—but the whole experience was worth it because I got to see a dog being pulled in a wagon that was lined with comfy blankets, packed with a private water supply, and equipped with a personal fan. This dog had his own breeze and was clearly living his best life, smiling at everyone and grooving to the acoustic guitars that seem to play themselves when downtown hits max capacity .

I’ve never seen a happier creature at an art fair. Maybe this is the heat talking or the fact that I walked 7.3 miles in sandals with only cashews as fuel, but I either want to be reincarnated as this dog or start a religion around this dog. Haven’t decided yet.

I Bleed for the Ann Arbor Art Fair I have a lot of anxiety about going to the doctor. I was particularly anxious about my most recent check-up as I had to get my blood drawn, and I haven't had my blood drawn since second grade.

#ann arbor #art #art fair #dogs #film #painting #printmaking #shopping #vegan

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lokgifsandmusings · 6 years

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Definitive Ranking of Book 1 Episodes, #9/12

9. 1x06 And The Winner Is...

It’s the probending finals! That’s it. That’s literally it.

As I go through these metas, I’m constantly rethinking my rankings since the issues seem to crystallize. For instance, though I might have enjoyed “Skeletons in the Closet” over something like “A Leaf in the Wind” due to personal taste, my “Endgame” essay made it clear that many of the structural and thematic problems of the season were tied to the last few episodes. For that reason, I kind of expected “Turning the Tide” to be next, since it’s the episode where (by my own account) the ‘wheels came off’ the narrative.

There *is* a lot to tackle there, but “And The Winner Is...” was right next to it on my first pass-through list, and I simply couldn’t think of a way in which it’s better.

The best that can be said about 1x06 is that it’s not bad. It’s really not. It hedges on “fine” territory for most of the episode. At the same time, it’s unthinkable that this is *all* that happens in a full episode. We’ve had utterly *packed* 22 minutes before, like “Enemy At The Gates”. Here, it’s basically two things:

There’s a championship match & some team prep

Amon attacks after the match

Hell this could have easily been combined into one bullet point if I had been trying.

It’s not that focused episodes are necessarily a bad thing, either. “Operation Beifong” is easily one of my favorites, and that B-plot may as well not exist. But the main issue is that the driving tension of this episode, at least until the terrorist attack, is a rivalry match that was established the episode prior. And consisted entirely of one mean remark on the part of Tahno that was also vaguely suggestive. Like, I’m sorry to hear Bolin and Mako lost to them off-screen in the past, but Tahno literally had four lines that was just sort of, “You are losers.” Was anyone super gripped by this?

This is especially an issue given that it followed the episode of probending saturation. Again, probending is a successful tool to showcase Korra’s development in teamwork (remember her extreme isolation in the South Pole), and to also show what type of Avatar she is and what her mark is: she reconciles the old tried-and-true into the modern era with her own spin on it (airbending applied to pro sports). However, that use was kind of drained after “A Leaf in the Wind.” All we’re left with is watching yet another match, and worse still, this one is presented as if we should be really hanging on to find out the outcome.

Look, Tahno seems like an asshole. We also are primed on a cultural level to root for the underdogs by default, and of course we’d rather the team with the people we know and like at this point be the victors. It’s *fine*, but forgive me for not being invested. I do think Amon’s attack at the stadium was an effective venue, though for the life of me, I fail to see why it couldn’t have come at the end of 1x05. We didn’t need Amon’s warning, and I actually think a surprise would have been even better (and made more sense; but I’ll get to that). Plus, that would solve a lot of the issue of 1x05’s pacing. We didn’t need 3 random matches just like we didn’t need continual love triangle idiocy. “Let’s be friends” could have been easily established before the final match against Tahno, and then the episode would end with chaos erupting.

I’m dangerously close to fix-it fic, and I realize that. But I just don’t see this episode justifying itself as is. What is the value of having Tarrlok, Lin, and Tenzin debate how to handle an attack that was always going to happen? I mean, I’m usually all for this kind of granular detail, but there was no incentive or reward for the audience agreeing with anyone in it. Other than that, we had Korra and the Ferrets attacking pictures of Tahno and a match where the Wolfbats cheat (which wouldn’t have been hard to establish in half the time), before the attack itself.

For an episode that was supposed to set the tone of the rest of the season, it felt very much like spinning-wheels.

Alright, now the logical issues. Tarrlok, Lin, and Tenzin know this terrorist threat is there. The whole Council is united in closing down the arena (and are unmoved by Korra, Bolin, and Mako arguing for it to stay open because...they want it to) until Lin runs in and says they need to show city-wide strength and unity against the Equalists. This is a decent point, especially because it’s still unclear what percentage of nonbenders even support this cause. There’s no real debate that ensues, however, even though these are rather relevant topics to address.

Tarrlok agrees to this as long as Lin is the one to personally ensure responsibility for everyone’s safety. Which is just...this doesn’t make sense. It’s still the Council’s decision to go through with it, and it also seems bizarre that the only thing fueling Tarrlok’s decision was personal risk. He is legitimately committed to stopping the Equalists, and there’s no reason why the presence of police would alter his calculus about keeping the arena open very much. Plus, is he elected? What is his biggest fear, here?

The weirdest part to me, though, is why *wouldn’t* Lin’s police force already be assumed as protection? In fact, shouldn’t she have been in on this conversation from the get-go, since it’s literally about security, and even just Amon threatening to attack the place would trigger a very serious response on the part of the police department?

Maybe these are nitpicks, or maybe I’m just frustrated by the fact that Amon could have easily been stopped if they just positioned metalbenders and the entrance and searched everyone. I guess in fairness the gloves were new technology, and they were just assuming otherwise unarmed chiblockers would show up. But the Equalists Korra fought in 1x03 undercuts this assumption quite significantly since they were already using gas canisters and other sorts of weaponry. Hell, Bolin and Mako even dealt with a guy who had those shocker-sticks, which I have to assume they would have mentioned to someone. Since, you know, the people keeping Republic City safe are running around in metal suits?

I think the crux of it, at least for me, is that in our current world, if you’re going to show us the “governmental response” to a threatened terrorist attack, it deserves to be handled in a way that 1) makes sense and 2) actually tries to grapple with the balance of showing resilience/unity versus safety and the risks associated with both. I’m just not sure LoK was ever really the show that should have tried to handle this, and certainly not when our protagonist is arguing one side on the basis of her wanting to participate in a sporting event.

Which again, but a surprise attack could have resolved this issue.

There’s also a more general problem here, and that’s the Equalists and their very, very undefined support. We’re supposed to assume the majority of nonbenders are *not* Equalists, or at least, that’s what 1x08 implied with the police force inflicting harm (or almost doing so) on a vulnerable population. We see that Amon’s rallies are popular and people were generally supportive of vigilante justice being doled out against corrupt gang members (again, debending can kind of be thought of as disarmament, at least before Amon’s “cleansed of impurity” quasi-genocidal speech begins), but there’s a large difference between that and willingly hiding a glove in a bucket of popcorn and attacking the police with it.

We could think that most nonbenders do want *something* done about the inequality and the way benders are able to extort (also their taxation without representation, I guess), but is *this* really the message that’s going to get people on-board:

“Good morning, citizens of Republic City. This is Amon. I hope you all enjoyed last night's pro-bending match, because it will be the last. It's time for this city to stop worshiping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the council to shut down the bending arena and cancel the finals, or else there will be severe consequences.”

If anything, this is the kind of shit that would bring people together to say “fuck those guys.” Amon was able to spin the Wolfbat’s win into some commentary that was probably relatively resonant, but again, it’s the premeditated nature of this that seems utterly unstrategic. Had the Council shut it down...where does he make his speech about taking Gotham back from the corrupt?

Actually, speaking of Bane, remember that time he interrupted a major sporting event? And told everyone to “Take control of your city. This...this is the instrument of your liberation! ...We come here not as conquerors, but as liberators, to return control of this city to the people.” And a big part of that working was the ELEMENT OF SURPRISE? And the fact that it was well-attended because people weren’t scared shitless? And the cops were on a false trail instead of having been given a heads up about an attack?

I don’t even know what point I’m making anymore. That Amon is a failed Bane? (Who’s really more like comic!Ra’s al Ghul, according to Griffin.) That Nolan pulled off this concept better than Bryke, though 1x06 aired like two months beforehand?

Really, what it boils down to is that it bothers me when it feels like things ~just happen~ to advance the plot. Amon’s threat was seeded before this episode, and an attack makes sense and ups the stakes. But the open Equalist revolution announcement shouldn’t have to rely on the idiocy of everyone else. Also, in 1x04 it was “too early” to take Korra’s bending since she’d be a martyr. But now two episodes later, probending athletes are a suitable target? Sure they cheated, but these aren’t exactly crime bosses or even someone like Tarrlok. They’re not martyrs? They had fans. Finding out Lance Armstrong had been juicing was really upsetting, but I doubt we’d be cheering at someone breaking his legs (and his off-race behavior makes Tahno look like a cinnamon roll).

Yes, probending represents the worshipping of a privilege. But that is a full stadium, no matter how you slice it.

Really, if we had any idea of the support the Equalists enjoyed, or perhaps a deeper look at the plight of the nonbender past phonograph destruction, I think this could have landed. That’s perhaps where the creative energy needed to go in the episode immediately preceding it, rather than romance, especially since the Bolin leg of the love trapezoid was not needed in any way. (Frankly neither was Asami as a device to hook up Makorra in the first place.) But without it, it just comes across as a little bit of an ass-pull. This is especially the case when the Wolfbats’ cheating wasn’t even hinted at before their match. Wouldn’t Bolin have known this and mentioned it to Korra?

That said, there are nice things about this episode, and I think this is where this book’s definitive rankings turn a corner. Because truly, I feel bad having almost nothing nice to say about the 3 previous episodes I’ve dug into.

For one, I love anything Linzin. I’m like, “oh yeah, you wreck that home, Lin!”, but they do give me significant feels, and I think it’s fantastic how they’re scripted. There’s obvious affection there, as well as hurt, and this kind of deeply-rooted inability to communicate entirely honestly. Lin’s “Like old times?” actually makes me make disgusting noises at my computer. Especially since she immediately walks it back. Remember how they probably dated for like a decade and a half?

STAHP IT!!

I think it’s kind of funny that Lin is accidentally an abysmal chief of police in the narrative. Like I said, stopping and searching everyone would have been the way to go, unless that happened and the popcorn was somehow overlooked. Still, her confidence and old tried-and-true methods did help frame the uprising in an effective way.

That’s the other thing: even with Amon’s announcing of it, the Equalists revealing themselves was awesome. The slow-motion worked effectively, along with Korra’s hazy vision, and the way that there were Equalists hiding in plain-sight within the audience. Their ascent to the airships was a little silly as a conclusion, but otherwise Amon’s message and the reveal of the electric glove worked well. Though one odd thing was that in absence of distributing these (I guess they didn’t want them to fall into bender hands?), it felt a little salespitchy. “And you too can ensure equality for only 9 yuans!”

(x)

The rooftop fight was a wonderful conclusion, especially since the episode ended on the somber note, with a pulled out shot of the destruction. Lin is the perfect action hero, and this also showcased Korra’s prowess, without completely breaking the narrative. She threw herself into the fight without thinking much, and ended up needing rescue, though not before reminding us of her amazing physicality.

The conclusion was good, it was just the path getting there was not particularly engaging. Which interestingly is the complete opposite of Book 1 as a whole. Still, it was the halfway chapter needed, and the surprise Equalist uprising in the stadium is iconic enough to be ripped off. If only the follow-through had been there.

#12 1x12 “Endgame”

#11 1x05 “The Spirit of Competition"

#10 1x11 “Skeletons in the Closet”

1x06 photo recap found here

Book 2 ranking/essays found here

Book 4 ranking/essays found here

#book 1 ranking #lok meta #legend of korra #korra 1x06 #and the winner is

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freddieanderscn · 6 years

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What was it like meeting Jo?

This answer is going to be so long, I am truly truly sorry in advance.

SO. In December I flew down to Florida to meet one of my favourite people Meghan (@lovershour) & to go to the Bolts v Habs game. She and I are both complete Jo trash so it was good for both of us lmao. Anyways, she lives a little ways outside of Tampa so we decided to stay in a hotel in Tampa when we went to see the game. So, we stayed in the Marriott which is like right across the street from the Amalie Arena & a lot of the time visiting teams stay there. We were hoping that that’s where the Habs would be staying so it would be nice & easy to meet Jo & get pics & have him sign our jerseys & stuff.

As fate would have it, the Habs weren’t staying there, she & I hung out in the hotel lobby for a significant amount of time that morning & none of the Habs pr their staff made an appearance. So, we decided to head over to the Amalie & see if any of the fans that would be waiting around the Player’s Lot knew where the Habs were staying.

Once we got to the player’s lot there was only like 5 people milling around & they told us that none of the Habs had shown up yet but that they were expected to at any minute, so we decided to hang around and maybe figure it out. Low and behold, a few minutes later an Uber pulls up and out steps a hockey player. He’s got his back turned to the fans & a beanie on, so we had absolutely no way of knowing whether or not it was Jo but something in my heart kind of just knew it was him, I could like feel it. Apparently Meghan could too bc while he started walking away, toward the player’s entrance, she and I shared a look & stared following after him.

So there we were, following behind this hockey dude who, at that point, we weren’t even sure was Jo. & we’re like saying his name loud enough to get his attention but he’s not turning around and he was wearing socks w his suit which is just, very unlike Jo & it was throwing us off & we followed him for like 30 seconds and he!!!!! wasn’t turning around & my heart was on the verge of falling out of my asshole & finally,,, finally he turns a corner & Meghan gets a glimpse of his face and…… it’s Jo.

Meghan says his name loud enough I guess bc he turns around (finally!!) & he goes “yeah?” & I am COMPLETELY frozen in place, my mouth doesn’t work, and for a solid 5 seconds, neither does Meghan’s and we’re all just staring at each other but eventually Meghan asks him if we can get pics & he was!!!!!! SO FUCKING NICE ohmygod. He was like “yeah!! of course!!” & he & I took pics first & I am still,,, not speaking & I’m shaking like a fucking leaf & he’s so much taller than I remember him being when I met him when he was playing for the Moose?? & after I took Meghan’s pic with him she goes “Allie flew all the way from Hali to see u play!!” & he was like “wow that’s cool!!!!” & I DIED! As soon as he left I literally sat on the sidewalk & started absolutely SOBBING. I was so overwhelmed oh my GOD.

and I literally,,,,,,, have never ever felt that happy in my entire life yknow? Like Jo is my person, he’s a huge reason I am the person I am today, I owe so fucking much to Jo, I genuinely don’t believe I will ever love anybody as much as I love Jo right now, my entire heart is filled with love for Jo, he’s the best part of me, and sure I’ve met him before when he was a Moose & I saw him play literally all the time but this time felt different, it had been so long since I saw him last, I didn’t even mean to meet him that morning, all we wanted was to figure out where he was staying & it was just, one of the best moments of my life.

The second time we met him that day, it was outside of the Habs’ hotel (turns out they were staying at the Hilton). We figured out from a few guys outside the player’s lot where the Habs were staying & we still wanted our jerseys to get signed & also to just,,,,, see him again u know. So we go outside of their hotel & there’s already tons of dudes waiting around & they were all talking abt meeting like Chucky & Carey & shit,,,,, & Meghan & I were like “listen, we literally only want to see Jo, we aren’t here for literally anyone else, just let us get in front when Jo comes” which of course prompted like ten different dudes to start talking shit abt Jo & like,,, we couldn’t fight them abt it???? UGH.

But anyways, the Habs start coming out finally & putting their bags on the bus but literally none of them are stopping, like AT ALL. & I was like,,,, stressed out bc like, why would Jo stop for these Bolts fans who all hate him & he most likely knows it? Like I wouldn’t have blamed him at all. Eventually Jo comes out & puts his bag on the bus & Meghan & I were right at the front of the small mob & I started like low key waving my Moose jersey in front of myself bc like,,,,, maybe if he sees it he’ll stop to sign it u know? & like idk if he saw it on his way out of the bus or not, but I’d like to think that that’s why he stopped for the fans lmao.

So he stops & he signs for literally every. single. person. AND IT WAS SO GREAT. He was literally the only guy who stopped. & he eventually made it over to Meghan & I & Meghan goes “it’s us again!!!” AND HE LITERALLY FUCKING GIGGLED???????????? WHAT THE FUCK JONATHAN. & he remembered us!!! it was so cute oh gosh & he signed my Moose jersey!!! & Meghan’s TNA jersey & she got a cute snapchat selfie w him & the heart filter & I rly rly wanted to get one w him but I also like,,, did not want to bother him anymore than I already had? & I still wasn’t rly speaking in front of him except for like thanking him for signing my jersey. but Meghan like thrust her phone into my hand & was like “just ask him” so I rly quickly went to the puppy filter & like I din’t even rly have to ask, he looked at me & was like “Want a picture?” & I was like!!!!!! YES!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! & honestly I kind of look like an idiot in the pic we took together but u can rly rly tell just how happy I am so it’s worth it.

Also bonus, Meghan & I made Jo cheesy signs for the game & during the warmup he looked right at us & got the BIGGEST MOST GOOFIEST SMILE ON HIS FACE & I INSTANTLY STARTED CRYING & I THINK ABOUT THAT EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Prior to going to Florida, my mental health was on a downward spiral & I was in a rly rly terrible place, but I needed that trip so much, I needed Jo so SO much, Jo feels like home. I know that that is so fucking cheesy & dumb but it’s also the truth, Jo is home, he always has been. I love him with every part of myself. I have been so much better since then. He makes me want to get better and be better. I don’t even know why my heart picked him but y’know, he’s my everything. Meeting him was incredible. I’m so sorry I made u read all of this!!!!

#this is 1.3k....................................................#I am so sorry #I got.....very carried away #jonathan drouin #montreal canadiens #habs

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andrewuttaro · 5 years

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New Look Sabres: GM 28 - NJD - Birthday Wish

7-1 Win

The Buffalo Sabres are normally on the receiving end of tremendous beatings, at least for the last decade or so. Last night we got a rare taste of what it was like destroying a team by a lacrosse score line. It was something else. Less than seven minutes into the first period it was probably over. I was thinking about the future of several players careers… Devils players! The consensus on Sabres twitter seems to be this game came at just the right time. This club had the roughest of Novembers but had the points in the bank from October to make up the difference. They spent all those savings and as Thanksgiving came and went they began to find their footing again. After a promising home-and-home with the Leafs a convincing win to solidify the gains of a decent stretch of games was needed. A convincing win that was in fact a win in regulation against a team you should handle. New Jersey came knocking asking if we remembered the Home Opener. Whether it was the 50th Anniversary jerseys or 1970s figures present at the game that jogged their memory, the Buffalo Sabres remembered. That game, the second one of this season, was a rout. But this rout makes that rout look like herding cats. When I said this game was over in seven minutes earlier, I mean it was pretty well over in seven minutes. But before we pile on the Devils I thought I’d share with you some thoughts I had about some great players on their roster whom this game made me feel for. Will Butcher: you passed up Buffalo for what you thought would be better. It was for a time but here we are. PK Subban: I love you bud… but this game showed that scary trend is real. Your advanced numbers are garbage, I hope your next destination helps out. Wayne Simmons: Dude, please don’t retire after this. You deserve better than this awfulness. Taylor Hall: well… huh… we both know you’re not going back to Edmonton. When you go win a Cup with Colorado this June please don’t pass the Cup to Nazem Kadri or Nikita Zadorov. For some reason Sabres twitter loves to roast itself during that part of the Final and those two guys minus well be BBQ Chefs. Let’s get down to business.

The Buffalo Sabres came out aggressive. Yeah, I say that a lot here in the second paragraph of postgame; but this time the New Jersey Devils also came out aggressive, AGGRESSIVELY BAD! The Sabres had two goals before the Devils had a shot on goal. That’s right: let me clear my throat played twice before Linus Ullmark was even tested. To be exact the shots were 3-0 Buffalo five minutes in and that was good for a 2-0 lead. Unreal, right? The first goal was right after a Sabres powerplay ended and Jack Eichel was all alone in front of Louis Dominque and just tapped it against the guys pads. It trickled in and everyone was surprised. Hardly two minutes later New Jersey just could not make a clean zone exit and Jeff Skinner had the puck one-on-one with a now annoyed Dominque. Skinner tucked it in far side with a quick little slapper and there are your two goals against zero shots. Up next, not even two minutes later, Jeff Skinner’s third or… whatever non-numbered line we’re calling it, hauling Larsson and Sheary behind like a Christmas tree on a punch buggy mind you, pull off a goal you are more likely to see in the All Star game when all the guys are just trying trick shots they joked about in college then in a real NHL game. Jeff Skinner skates into the zone backwards with speed because the Devils did not know what they were doing in their own zone and crosses the gut of the ice like a figure skater to shoot the puck backwards at the net. That shot didn’t go in because this isn’t a video game, Jeff. However Louis Dominque blocked it with a pad and the resulting rebound was punched in by a Conor Sheary halfway onto his ass. It’s now 3-0 and I think this was the part where Dominque got pulled. No that wasn’t until the first intermission.

After goal three John Hynes and the Devils coaching staff took a time out to try and stop the bleeding. They did for a little bit. It was about ten minutes later when the Devils had finally figured out this shots on net thing but were still giving up D-Zone turnovers juicer than a holiday ham. Conor Sheary just takes a pot shot from a shite angle and Dominque gets his stick glove on it sending it up in the air. Carter Hutton must have watched this play on the bench thinking he’s not alone anymore. The puck goes straight up, and Dominque even watches a little bit of it’s hangtime. Then it just lands in the goal behind him like a letter delivered by a carrier pigeon. What a game already: its 4-0. Sheary skates the bench in celebrating with a “Idk, it just went in” look on his face. All you Monday night folks who paid for the cheapest Sabres tickets of the season so far got your money’s worth and more. But wait, there’s more! We’re in the last minute of the first period. Folks are filing up the stairs to get to the pisser before others and what happens. Casey Mittelstadt just dumps a puck off to Rasmus Asplund in the offensive zone and Asplund just goes “whatever” and one times it like he’s friggin Alex Ovechkin. It went in: 5-0 because this was Buffalo’s night evidently. That was Asplund’s first NHL goal. The kid who just got called up because of injuries and looked like an NHLer gets rewarded faster than maybe any other recent callup. And so the first period ends… *laughs in disbelief* 5-0 Buffalo.

This game was Founders Night. They had family of the Knox Brothers, the founders of the franchise, in attendance for a pregame ceremony. Apparently there was a giant birthday cake and birthday guard. Fun trivia: 50 Years ago on December 2nd the NHL formally granted Buffalo an expansion franchise. The club wouldn’t get named the Sabres for a little over five months but that’s a birthday even if there wasn’t a name. Perhaps the birthday wish was for lots of goals because 5-0 in the first period was not the end by a longshot. Three minutes into the second period PK Subban and Colin Miller have a little spat and the resulting penalties make it 4-on-4. I don’t know how to put this for children: Victor Olofsson sent a puck to heaven. Olofsson unleashed a slapshot that may soon be outlawed by the Geneva Conventions. The broadcast team didn’t know it went in until the horn went off. Ben Mathewson did a 60 frames per second (fps) replay of the goal and there isn’t really more than a couple frames between the slapshot and McKenzie Blackwood realizing the puck had gone in. It was the hardest goal any Sabre has shot this season. 6-0 Sabres and I really want to apologize to the Devils fans in attendance. This had to be embarrassing. I am so sorry. It wouldn’t be a shutout though guys. Zemgus Girgensons got called for tripping and New Jersey made the most of the powerplay when Nico Hischier sauced in a rebound past Linus Ullmark. 6-1 Sabres, the shutout is gone but the Devils are still angry evidently: Casey Mittelstadt is tripped by Kyle Palmieri, the ref blows it against him and before Mittelstadt is up Palmieri launches the puck at him in a temper tantrum. Mind you the Devils are now out-shooting the Sabres 2 to 1 but the Sabres are locking it down. This was the performance we needed. This was our birthday wish for the Sabres. The Sabres made Palmieri and the Devils pay for that trip and Henri Jokiharju fired a laser from the blue line to make it 7-1 for the home team. At this point we just crossed the halfway point of the game. Buffalo has scored a touchdown and Josh Allen didn’t even throw for it. This game was so good 71-year-old Mike Robitaille was telling 51-year-old Rob Ray that advanced stats are just splendid on the broadcast. It was a savagely beautiful disarming of the trap Ray had set. The Sabres were dunking on the Devils and Boomers were dunking on Boomers about advanced stats. This was such a wildly fun game we’re going to look back on it in two weeks and think it was some collective dream we had.

And it seemed meant to be like some kind of fairy tale! The third period had its scary moments, a couple Devils powerplays and a handful of defensive lapses for the home team but the end result never really seemed in question. Buffalo won in regulation 7-1. This game was everything. Jack Eichel’s point streak continues, he now has 38 points in 28 games on pace for a 111-point season. If he doesn’t make the all-star team we can rightfully conclude this league is rigged against Buffalo. Victor Olofsson probably deserves to go as well. Not only is he scoring at 5-on-5 now but he is leading the team in multi-point games; yes even more than Eichel. Friggin Johan Larsson had a career night: he got three points in a game, all on assists, for only the second time in his career. Think about every shocked or mother-of-god meme you got: that was this game. It was memeable! I can’t imagine they dominate like this every night but like, comment and share this blog to join the fun. Sabres After Dark returns Thursday night for a game in Calgary. I want some revenge for the Thanksgiving Eve myself but by that point my end-of-semester crunch week will be winding down, so I’ll probably settle for just some enjoyable sex puns. I got a pair of those oven mitts they gave away for the Thanksgiving Eve game, let’s hope the Sabres stay hot so I need them! Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for Reading.

P.S. I don’t think the Bills catch New England for the division but let’s just savor the fact they’re one game back and that such a scenario is a realistic possibility at all. Just enjoying being a fan, I don’t think they catch em either but I’m going to enjoy this well it lasts!

#buffalo sabres #Hockey #NHL #blog

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