#do you think Glenn was team sugar or team no-sugar

[unxpctedlygreat]

Picturing Rodrigue grimacing as he eats something sweet and bby Felix next to him making that same grimace but exaggerated as kids do, and Mama Fraldarius is just fondly thinking Like father, like son!

[topazy]

Tomorrow's promise

Pairing: Daryl Dixon × OC, Rick Grimes × sister OC

Warnings: Swearing, violence, blood

Chapter: 3.07

“Aunt Lily! Aunt Lily!” Carl runs towards you holding a green balloon in the shape of a dog; he shows you it proudly. “Look what my dad made me; it’s so cool.”

Smiling, you ruffle his hair. Being surrounded by screaming kids with sticky hands and zero concept of personal space was your idea of hell, but it was worth it to see Carl enjoying his sixth birthday party. His friends from school and a few from his soccer team had attended the party being held in your brother's backyard, and now that the sugar rush and excitement of new toys were catching up with your nephew, his eyes were becoming a lot heavier as his friends started to be picked up by their parents.

You smile, feeling Shane’s lips brush against the curve of your ear. “You want to bail out soon? The little man looks as if he’s about to crash soon, and Lori will rope us into cleaning up.”

“Hmm, what are you thinking?”

Chucking, he kisses the side of your head and then your cheek. “I’m thinking of taking my pretty girl out for dinner and a late-night movie.”

You motion to the cooler full of ice cubes and bottles of beer sitting on the opposite end of the wooden table you were standing beside. “Do you think we could sneak a few of those with us for the movie?”

“That would be stealing, ma’am.”

“Well, I know a few ways to keep out of trouble, deputy.”

Standing up, you smooth out your yellow sundress just as your brothers walk by with a couple of on-duty cops who had dropped by to suck up to Rick by giving Carl a gift. You smile politely at them before leaning back into Shane’s embrace and quietly asking, “You still don’t like them, huh?”

“Rivers and Young?” He finished the dregs in his cup. “The kids have a lot to learn; I wouldn’t want them answering a call for my mom or my girl.”

You knew Shane wasn’t saying this lightly; he often gave rookies the benefit of the doubt.

Groggily, you stare up at the ceiling, feeling devoid of any real emotion as you think back on old memories. Once you had fought to push to the back of your mind because you found thinking of the chain of events that came from that party so upsetting. Jace’s babbling pulls you from your trail of thought. He crawls up onto you, his saliva drooling onto your top. “Thanks, kid.”

He babbles some more, as if he were communicating in his own way.

“Yeah, yeah.” You tickle Jace’s cheek with his finger. His smile lightens your mood slightly. “You’re the best thing I’ve ever done, you know that?”

You slide your fingers over Jace’s dark hair as he leans his head on your chest. Sighing, you close your eyes again, but the peacefulness only lasts for a few moments. The second you hear the noise of crutches tapping against the prison flooring, you open your eyes and sit upright.

“Is everything okay, Hershel?”

“How’s your leg feeling today?”

When you returned to the prison, Hershel stitched up your leg to stop the bleeding, but there wasn’t anything he gave you to help ease the pain. “It feels as if it’s getting better, thanks.”

The older man leans against the cell doorway, his eyes crinkled with exhaustion. “I just thought you would want to know Glenn took Carl looking for the breach. They’ve just come back.”

—

You stormed to the other side of the cellblock, where most of your group was gathered. Beth was humming to your niece, Judith, while Glenn explained that they didn’t find the breach. Maggie looks up, surprised when she sees you looking so irritated. She forces a smile. “How’s the little stinker doing?”

“Happy to see you,” you hand her Jace before turning to glare at Glenn. “I told you not to take Carl with you.”

Glenn lets out a frustrated sigh. “Lily, we need to find this breach fast. For all we know, our home could be filled up with walkers or the governor's men at any moment.”

“Exactly, which is exactly why you shouldn’t have taken a thirteen-year-old with you. Carl’s just a kid!” You wave your arm between the two of them and say, "Look at how much blood you are covered in. How many walkers did you need to kill just to get out?”

Glenn shakes his head. Instead of bonding over the trauma you had gone through together, the experience was causing friction between you. Your friendship with Glenn meant a great deal to you, but keeping Jace, Carl, and Judith safe was the most important thing.

Hershel tries to intervene and calmly says, “I still think we should go; we still have time.“

“For the last time, we aren’t running!” Glenn snaps, frustrated.

“We should have grabbed things and left last night; this place isn’t worth dying over.” In your mind, the only reason you had to stay was waiting on Daryl coming back, but you had no idea when he would return, and by then you might have all been slaughtered like cattle by the governor. “We survived living on the road before without any transport. This time, we have multiple cars to use.”

“Last time Hershel had two legs, we didn’t have a screaming baby.”

“What are you even talking about? Jace was with us the entire time, and we survived.”

“Yeah, but we got lucky with Jace not being able to hear loud noises.”

“What did you just say?”

Glenn stares at you with his mouth agape. You glance at Carol and Maggie, who both lower their heads. You are in a constant state of denial, refusing to accept the reality of your situation. Jace’s hearing wasn’t what it should be, but hearing Glenn say it so harshly, it feels like a physical blow to the gut, as if he'd punched you.

“Lil-”

You lick at your dry lips, then turn to face Carl and say, “From now on, you only listen to me or your dad.”

Carl looks like he wants to protest, but he nods without saying anything. You take Jace from Maggie, and in a softer tone, you say, “Right, munchkin, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Lily,” Glenn calls out, “I just meant—”

“Seriously, just leave it.”

—

Standing outside, you lean against one of the cars, watching your brother mumble to himself while wandering outside the prison gates. You had tried to get him to come back inside, but he wasn’t listening. You had left Jace inside to play with the toys Daryl had found under the watchful eyes of Beth. You were well beyond being hacked off; Rick was so damn busy chasing ghosts to even notice how much you needed him; and Daryl was gone. You knew why he was gone, but you were growing tired of feeling so alone.

Hearing voices, you look over your shoulder and see Hershel chasing after Glenn on his crutches. “You’re not going back to Woodbury, are you?”

“No. I’m just going out there.”

“I’ll go with you,” Hershel offers.

“I got it.”

“By yourself? How can you possibly think that’s a good idea?”

“I can’t just sit on my hands,” he resorts defensively. “I’ve got to do something to keep Maggie and everyone else here safe. I’ve already failed once.”

“Glenn, nobody blames you for what happened to you and Lily. There was no way you could have known what would happen; there was no way to prevent it.”

“With Daryl gone and Rick wandering crazy towns, I’m the next in charge.”

“Like hell you are,” you frown, making your presence known. “You want to keep Maggie safe, then be here to do it. I get that you’re mad and frustrated because I’m the exact same, but we can’t be making rash decisions.”

Glenn brushes by you and opens the car door without saying a word.

“We’ve already lost Shane, Lori, T-dog... I don’t want you to be the next person we lose.”

Without even glancing back at you and Hershel, he drives off.

—

You and Rick exchange a look as Hershel tries to talk some sense into him, but you knew from the look in his eyes that he was too far gone to register the advice on grief the older man was giving him. Sighing, you go to the wired-up hole in the fence and start to untie it. You’d be damned if you were leaving him as walker bait any longer; he might not have listened to you before, but now you weren’t giving him a choice.

“Lily, stay behind the fence. It’s dangerous out here.”

“No shit-”

A bullet whizzes past your ear, narrowly missing as it skims the top of your shoulder. The sound of gunfire fills the air as you frantically scan the area for the source. Adrenaline pumping, you grab hold of Hershel and pull him with you as you drop to the ground, heart racing in your chest.

Your brother's pained voice echoes loudly, “Lily!”

You feel the heat from where the bullet grazed your skin, leaving a burning sensation. Your vision blurs momentarily as you struggle to focus amidst the chaos.

“Rick, you need to get back inside the fence!”

Using the long grass of the field in the prison yard as cover, you roll onto your stomach and peak up to see the direction of the shooter and see three different men. The governor is one of them.

Son of a bitch.

Rick was pinned down, and you could hear bullets coming from the opposite side of the courtyard, which meant they had someone right outside the prison. The governor was firing bullets into the air; the way he was wasting bullets meant he had a vast supply. You watch in horror as a van crashes through the fence, and you duck down lower to avoid being seen by hun.

The stench of decay hits your nose, and at the same time, the sound of snarling hits your ears, and you realize the drivers realized walkers into the field.

“Lily, Hershel, get the hell out of there!”

Hershel fires at the undead, trying his best to keep them at bay. Knowing you don’t have many bullets left, you grip the cold, rusted pole that’s lying on the ground and use it to stab Walker in the head. With so many undead people surrounding him, the governor and his men retreat.

“Fuck, there are too many of them!”

More walkers enter the field, attracted by all the noise, their eyes filled with hunger and malice. You can see their twisted limbs and rotting skin as they approach. Another wave of dread courses through you when you hear another vehicle course through, but thankfully it was Glenn returning and not another van full of walkers.

He pulls the truck over, and Michonne, who you didn’t even realize was in the field, jumps inside, then Glenn drives it over to where you are. Hearing a cry for help, watch as Rick backs up against the fence, trying to fight off multiple walkers at once.

“No, no, no!” You try to run to him, but Glenn and Michonne drag you back and force you into the truck. “We need to go back; we can’t leave him!”

“He’s not alone!”

When the vehicle approaches the prison yard, Maggie and Carl open the gate to let the truck through. Soon as it stops, you jump and hug Carl. “Are you okay? You hurt?”

“No, but you are.”

“I’m okay, we’re okay.” You look around and notice Axel’s body laying on the ground, he had been shot in the head. “Carl, go back instead and stay with Jace and Judith, okay?”

“I’ll go with him,” Beth says, and the two of them go back inside.

You walk as close as you can to the fence without a walker being able to reach you through the holes, and you watch as Daryl and Merle fight off walkers alongside your brother.

Glenn taps your good shoulder and says, “You should get inside so Hershel can check you over.”

“I’ll wait… Thanks for saving our asses.”

“Always,” he says, giving you a knowing look. “What the hell happened?”

“Whatever this was, it’s only the beginning.”

[charmac]

Re-read sugar daddy while procrastinating on my own fic (all while I'm supposed to be working). Goddamn you've got the goods. Will there be angst? Thank you on behalf of all of us for subtly manipulating Glenn and Rob into Macdennis.

Lol, I hope it's able to inspire you! There will be angst, surely. (I think I've already tagged that, though I do tend to add tags as they apply to each new chapter.) What's published so far is, maybe unbelievably, just the beginning of the story, lots to come!

I'm assuming (hoping?) the second part of this ask is not about my fic but about the action news team, lmfao. I think Macdennis has been on the board for years, if not over a decade, and I imagine Meg has been a 'manipulating' influence for them, but I do think it's important Glenn and Rob (and Charlie) understand that fans like it, and do want it. So we will continue to push..!

[imjeralee]

Wallflower: Chapter 10 - #raihansprincess, Part II

Raihan x F!Reader

Disclaimer: Do not own Pokemon

Note: This is my first Pokemon fanfic. I hope you enjoy it :) Originally posted on Archive of Our Own.

Summary: You’re an unassuming Pokemon breeder who works at the nursery in the Wild Area and he’s Raihan, the fearsome gym leader of Hammerlocke who has more than a million followers. You don’t want anything to do with him but he’s…persistent.

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Warnings: Lemon, smut, violence, language

#raihansprincess, PART II

...

...

It takes a while to leave the Glimwood Tangle because the Shiinotic had taken your brother deep within the depths of the forest, but once you find the exit, you see Opal seated down on a toadstool with a Drifloon and a Galarian Ponyta which you believe is Sugarplum, Glenn's remaining missing pokemon. Once she spots your group emerging, you head over to her side at once and Glenn happily reunites with Sugar. Drifloon floats over to you and you're surprised to see he has left the house but it looks like he wanted to make sure you were okay. Opal informs you that they didn't get very far because her hip was acting up and later they came across a lost Leon who had separated from Allister. Sonia then went with Leon and Opal returned to the entrance, and now the duo are somewhere inside the forest.

However, Sonia's phone is faring better than the rest of you lot because she's been able to send messages and photos to Opal, detailing the progress of their investigation. They've discovered the source of the mysterious white light - it's coming from mushrooms that had been dug up. Previously, and they were supposed to be glowing a bright, neon-red hue and now they've lost their colour and the Pokemon who lived in these mushrooms now have nowhere to go. These dying mushrooms have been found in large quantities all over the forest.

"It must be that douchebag." Glenn says, frowning somewhat. You have an inkling that Glenn is talking about the guy you and Raihan met earlier. Glenn adds, "I think his name started with an 'E'."

"Eli, perhaps?" Raihan utters, and Glenn nods wildly. "You mentioned he was digging up wishing stars?"

"Yeah."

You and Raihan exchange glances whilst Opal sighs under her breath. "I can speak to Chairman Rose about this. Don't you worry about a thing, my dears." She assures you. "I'll wait here for Leon and Sonia, too."

"...Me too." Allister mutters. "....I guess this is goodbye."

"Thanks for your help, Allister." Raihan says, grinning.

"....Thanks for allowing me to go with you." The gym leader replies shyly, throwing his glance to the ground.

"No problem."

Turning to Phantump, you see him staring intently at the gym leader so you smile and Phantump trills loudly. "Would you like to stay with Allister?" And Phantump nods and floats towards the boy who gazes at it intently, before he looks up at you. "Allister, do you mind looking after Phantump for me?"

He blinks. "....Huh?"

"I think Phantump would be happier if he stayed with you, so....please look after him."

Allister nods. "Okay."

"Thank you."

"......You're welcome."

Phantump returns to you and gently pecks you on the cheek; you can feel the roughness of the wood rubbing against your skin and you hug him tightly whilst he clings to you. In fact, tears begin forming in your eyes when Phantump floats over to Allister and settles on top of his head. "Take care, Phantump. Don't worry, we'll find your family, and we'll find out what happened to you."

Allister nods in agreement. "....I'll do everything I can."

"Thanks, Allister."

”Wait....Your Drifloon has something to say to you.”

”What?”

”It wants to say... ‘I’m sorry’.”

”Huh?” Turning to the balloon Pokemon, you say, “Aww, it’s okay, Driffie.”

With that, you leave Phantump under the care of the Stow-on-Side gym leader; it's great that Allister understands ghost pokemon and no doubt, he will look after Phantump with utmost care. After saying further farewells, Allister takes a seat beside Opal and Drifloon and Phantump exchange a few trills and wheezes and you believe they’re having a conversation.

Once that’s done, you leave with Raihan, Glenn and Drifloon. You throw a few concerned glances over your shoulder now and then. The entire time, Phantump waves. He is watching you, a little sadly, and you wonder if you'd done the right thing.

"Cheer up, sis." Glenn says, "You can always visit the little guy and he can always return to you whenever he wants."

You nod. "...I know."

"I'm sorry about the pokemon battle. I can only remember parts of it and the rest of it is hazy. It was seriously the most trippy thing ever though - it was like I was kinda conscious and dreaming at the same time. So strange...but Shiinotic didn't mean to harm anyone, it was scared."

You sigh audibly under your breath. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yep, me too. Well, it's been grand, but I should really head to Johto now. Mum must be worried to death about me."

"Aren't you tired? We could tell mum you're fine and you could stay for the rest of the night."

"Nah, it's okay, I've been gone for too long and I'm not tired either; I should go asap."

"What about your pokemon?"

"We're good, don't worry about us."

"Oh, alright."

Glenn turns his attention to Raihan next. "Hey Raihan, I got a lot of questions, like how you met my sis and stuff - but I know she's in good hands. So, please look after her in my absence."

"I will." Raihan replies, grinning.

"Good man." Glenn says, patting the gym leader on the shoulder. Your brother is not as tall as Raihan; it's kind of comedic seeing him trying to reach him properly. On the other hand, you're also extremely glad that Glenn has taken a liking to Raihan so quickly.

"Perhaps we'll battle one day." Raihan suggests, and Glenn nods. "Before you go, mind if we take a selfie?"

"Sure!" Glenn exclaims, and your brother takes a quick snapshot with the dragon tamer. You're relieved to see that your brother and Raihan are getting along.

"And here's my League card." Raihan adds, digging into his pockets and brandishing a small card which Glenn accepts.

"Interesting pose." Your brother comments as he places it into his bag carefully.

"Ah, yeah."

"Well, I'm off!" Glenn yells; you watch somewhat despondently as Rotom, with what little strength he has left, calls the Corviknight taxi for your brother and when it arrives, you say your goodbyes again and he's gone.

It's just you and Raihan. What now?

Much to your embarrassment, your stomach grumbles ferociously and you're pretty sure Raihan heard. Ah yeah, you never had your lunch... Clutching your tummy, Raihan chuckles and says, "Wanna grab something to eat?"

You nod. "Can we order takeout?"

"Sure. What do you wanna eat?"

"Hmm..."

In the end, you decide to order takeout from Bob's Your Uncle; you've not had a Bob's Burger for a while so upon accessing their website, you check out the menu and you both agree to buy something to share considering their portion sizes can be pretty big. With the order placed, you go to the pokemon centre to heal your pokemon team first.

Inside, Drifloon clings to you as Nurse Joy heals up your pokemon whilst Raihan attracts some unnecessary attention - you watch as he's quickly surrounded by a bunch of young women and you can't help but feel slightly out of place as he smiles and waves at them all and then looks at your direction and your gazes meet. You can only give him an awkward smile in return and a thumbs up; as he dishes out autographs and takes pictures with the fans, you head over to the PC and deposit Whimsicott, Starmie and Togekiss into a box, then look at the icons of your Haxorus and Salamence. To reduce the number of dragon Pokemon in your team, you were reluctant to use them in battle but you believe it's time to take them out now. Adding them to your party, you wonder if Raihan has an Axew or Bagon yet. It would be a nice surprise...

When you're finished, Raihan also departs from his fans. They all stare when Raihan makes his way towards you and you know they're wondering who you are and who you might be to the dragon tamer - you're too afraid to hold Raihan's hand or do anything else with him in public so you quickly leave with him by your side. What is this feeling? It's so strange...

Once you're home, your house pokemon greet you and Raihan spots Goomy and Dreepy; he greets them happily and you can't help but smile. Meanwhile, Drifloon floats off to the window, obviously upset with Phantump’s departure. You hope he will cheer up soon.

According to the app, your takeout will arrive in half an hour and this is Raihan's second time in your house albeit he has more time to look around your home; however, you and Raihan also have some time to finally be alone together. You get the idea he's thinking the same because you're in the kitchen fixing some drinks for the both of you when you hear him approaching from behind. Before you can turn round, he slips his arms around your shoulders and pulls you into his chest.

"Hey..." He murmurs, leaning down to nuzzle the side of your head before he begins nipping on the shell of your ear affectionately.

You smile, closing your eyes and placing your hands over his as he kisses your temple. "What's up?"

"How’re you feeling?"

"I'm okay." You mutter; when he stops kissing you, you manage to turn to face him and your eyes meet. "It's been a crazy day."

"It's never a dull moment with you." He utters; you briefly recall yourself thinking the same a while ago.

"Yeah, gotta admit...we've had quite a lot of adventures recently." You add, and Raihan chuckles. "Thanks for being there for me."

He grins. "Anything for you, princess." Leaning forwards, he pecks you on the lips briefly and when you break apart, your gazes linger before he closes the gap between you once more and your lips meet. You let out a soft moan from the back of your throat as he steals your breath away and he releases you so you can face him properly; Raihan scoops you in his arms and lifts you up to sit on one of your kitchen counters.

With your adjusted height, you cup his jaw as he leans forwards again, your lips pressing together gently. Your eyelids flutter to a close as you relish the feel of his mouth over yours, kissing you heatedly. He ensures every inch of your lips are pressed and nibbled on, which makes you giggle when you both break apart for some air; your eyes meet for a split second before he swoops on you again - you slip your arms around his neck and moan helplessly against him, melting thoroughly into his embrace as he ravishes you with his mouth.

He holds you tight with his arms wrapped around you securely, your chest firmly pressed against his. “Bedroom?” He suggests.

”Bedroom.” You reply, nodding.

...

A week later.

It's been a while since Raihan has been summoned to see the Chairman at Rose Tower; it's normally not for a good reason, that's for sure. Raihan exits the elevator and he passes a few Macro Cosmos employees who greet him politely. He greets them back with a smile as he jovially makes his way over, passing some Magnezone and Durants with their trainers. Once he's at Rose's penthouse, the door whooshes open for him and he sees Rose standing at the floor-to-ceiling window, looking outside whilst Oleana bows her head.

"Good afternoon, Mr Raihan. Thank you for coming, would you like a drink?" Oleana enquires, holding up a bottle of red wine in her arms.

"No thanks, Oleana."

"Very well." The secretary mutters as she returns the wine bottle over the table, her expression blank yet stoic, "Please, have a seat."

She gestures to the large, black leather sofa beside Rose's desk and he plops himself down; Rose's penthouse is beautiful with modern furnishings and top-notch interior design. Before he can marvel his surroundings any longer however, the Chairman turns round abruptly and begins strolling towards them. "Hello, Raihan."

"Hey, Chairman Rose."

"Do you know why I've asked to see you today?"

"Nope."

"Here, take a look at this." Chairman Rose mutters, taking the seat opposite him and reaching for the wine bottle and empty glass on the coffee table in front of them; he promptly pours himself a glass. "Oleana, show him."

"Yes, sir." Oleana wordlessly strides over to the gym leader and hands Raihan her tablet before returning to Rose's side, hands clasped together as she stands. Raihan looks at the screen where a website called 'THE GROOKEY TRUTH' shows several articles ranging from 'Watch now: Hiker's Escape Rope Epic Fail' and 'Is the World Coming to an End?' to an article that says:

"Dating rumours of Hammerlocke's beloved gym leader has been circulating online once more. The rumours began when a photo uploaded by the Chatot Daily Times that showed the dragon tamer with an unidentified female was quickly and quietly taken down. Fans have quickly come to address this mysterious girl as ‘Raihan’s princess’. Just recently, another photo of Raihan with the same girl has been uploaded on Froakit, the front page of the internet.

While some fans have shown willingness to be supportive if the rumours turn out to be true, other fans have been angry and are demanding an explanation. The netizen who uploaded the photo claimed that the duo looked quite close. T he dragon tamer has recently suffered a string of losses to gym challengers hence fans are concerned that he is taking his responsibilities less seriously due to the distraction."

"This article was published this morning. It really isn't my business who you're dating, Raihan," Rose mutters, swirling the wine inside his glass gently using his hand, "But this isn’t the first time and you need to understand that you're endorsed by the League and through your contract with us, you've received many sponsorships. Therefore, anything negative that could harm your reputation could affect us all too. I don't know how else to put this but...I'll use Leon as a prime example here; as Champion, he cannot afford to let anyone down. He has a wonderful, altruistic personality and most importantly, a sense of responsibility. He has many fans - young, old, male, female - and he's very aware of how he should act in public and how others would perceive him so he's very careful, even if it means he has to grin and bear with the crippling pressure that he faces everyday. So we've decided - to avoid backlash, we're going to deny these rumours and mention that we'll take legal action against those who spread false misinformation."

"Wait." Raihan glances at the tablet again, then gazes at Rose, "No, I can deal with this. I want to confirm the rumours."

...

Meanwhile.

In the department store, you look at the price tags of the sets in your hands and ponder to yourself; hm, which one would Raihan prefer? In one hand, you're holding a lacy red bra and panty set and the other is a sleek, satin black. They're both the same price. You cannot decide which one to buy for the life of you so you dump both into your basket and move on, until a white bra set catches your eye and you grab that too, just in case.

Here you are, buying sexy lingerie to wear for the next time you and Raihan are in bed. You can't help but blush as you contemplate that to yourself, clutching your basket tightly in hand. Now that you're with Raihan, things have become more exciting and fulfilling than ever before: you also want to focus on yourself so you've decided to do some shopping in Wyndon. Along the way, you want to buy Raihan a nice gift so you get him a poketoy bundle that is exclusive for dragon pokemon. It's been a while since you went shopping - especially for yourself - but recently you really want to spoil yourself so you've also purchased a half-day spa package. Pricey as hell, but hopefully worth it when you come out of it as a completely refreshed woman (or so you hope).

You've asked your friend to go and she mentions to you that she can make herself free as long as you tell her what day you want to in advance, so you both spent oodles of time going over the calendar and when you agree on a date, you book the package and she requests a day off work. You're meeting her in the cafe before you hit the spa so that's when you'll break the news to her - you will tell her that you're seeing Raihan and you will also ask her if she wants to go on a date with Leon. You wonder how she'll react. After you buy your lingerie and stuff it into an eco-friendly bag, you make your way to the cafe where you see her waiting for you in the corner.

"Hey." She waves for you and you grin and head over.

"Hey! I'm so glad you're here; I feel like I haven't seen you forever!" You gush.

"I know.”

"I miss you so much!”

"Me too!" She exclaims. You both exchange a hug; you feel she's in a better mood compared to the last time you saw her as she grabs her purse, ready to leave her seat. "So, what do you wanna drink?"

"I'll treat you."

"But you treated me last time."

"It's fine, it's on me. What do you want? Black coffee, no sugar?"

"Ehh, I actually kinda want their Milcery mint mocha for a change. They have millefeuille today too."

"Right, got it." You put down your bags and head to the counter where you order the drinks and your food. The cafe is slightly busy today but fortunately the wait is not too long. Once it's ready, you grab the tray with the hot drinks - you got the mocha and fluffy layered cake, and you've ordered an affogato and Swirlix tiramisu - and because you want to spoil yourself, you buy a red velvet cupcake too - and you return to the table, balancing the full tray in your hands.

"Mm, looks yummy." She says, "Thanks."

"No problem. Thanks for being able to come out today." You help her lift the mocha off the tray and nudge it near her side on the table whilst you do the same for your drink and cake.

She sighs, grabbing the napkin and unfolding it. "I need a break, so all good."

"How's work?"

"Shite," She moans, "It's absolute shite."

You purse your lips. "Is it not getting better?"

"It's not really getting better or anything, but I just feel like my soul is slowly being sucked out of my body."

"You're doing something you don't enjoy, that's why."

"Yeah, I think so too. Even though the pay's good and so is the commission.... that's the only good thing about it, I guess."

"Have you thought about what you want to do?"

Your friend looks glumly at her cup as she holds it in her hands. "Not really. Never mind, let's not talk about work anymore. I can't wait for the spa."

"Same. Did you look at the spa menu?"

"Yeah, and I looked at the reviews. It's a pretty high-end place."

"I wanted to go for the best." You reply; you both taste your coffee and discover that it's really good. "Oh yeah, I need to tell you something. Well, more like ask."

"What?"

"....Do you wanna... go on a date with the Champion of Galar, Leon?"

Your friend looks at you blankly for a few seconds, before she goes, "Wut?"

"I was going to work one day and I saw Opal outside - she's the gym leader of Ballonlea - and she asked if I knew anyone who was single; she wants to set Leon with someone, and I thought about you."

Your friend's eyes widen at once before she splutters, "Wait, WHAT?"

"But only if you want to."

She looks visibly nervous, fidgeting in her seat. "What the...where is...where is this coming from? Why? This is so random!!!"

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but I think he's a great guy."

"Well, why didn't she ask you?"

"She did, but I - " You pause somewhat, before you utter out, "I'm seeing someone already: Raihan."

Her eyes bulge once more. "WHAT?" Leaning forwards in her chair, she grabs your hand. "Oh my Shaymin, what! You are? Wait, I knew it! You know Raihan posted up a selfie of himself with your brother the other day, right??? I was like when did Raihan meet your brother??? When did this happen?? When were you going to tell me this???" She exclaims; she sounds happy for you, which makes you feel better inwardly considering you weren't sure how she would react.

"Well...We just started going out."

She stuffs her knuckles into the mouth, and emits a squeal with glee. "That is so cute! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks..." You leave your sentence trailing, chuckling. "So...do you wanna go on a date with Leon? I know you have a thing for men with long hair - or was it men in tights?"

Your friend clams up again and you're pretty sure you see her cheeks going slightly pink. You recall that your friend attempted to become Champion a long time ago and gave up after losing several times. Leon is champion and has been since the tender age of ten...so, you suppose there's somekind of common ground there but you don't want to mention this to her, of course. Wait! What if being around Leon makes your friend think about her forgotten, destroyed childhood dreams???! Or maybe you're thinking too much now? You quickly bat those thoughts away and say with a smile, "He's a really friendly guy, I'm sure you guys will get along."

"...What if he's not interested? What if he doesn't like me?"

"He won’t." You reply; however, she drops her smile, looking visibly troubled. Maybe you shouldn't have mentioned this to her...

However, much to your surprise, she nods. "Okay, I guess there's no harm, and it's always good to meet more people."

"Exactly! I'll tell Opal the good news." You add, before you quickly type a message to the gym leader.

Once you finish messaging Opal, you continue catching up. There’s a lot to share - you tell her that Raihan had a crazed stalker, you went camping with him, he gave you a Goomy and a Dreepy, he helped catch a Galarian Ponyta which you gave to your brother. Speaking about Glenn, you tell her that he went missing in the woods near your home and you had to battle him because he got mind-controlled by a Shiinotic but you lost and Raihan paid; the prize money was a lot, almost equivalent to the price of a vitamin. Then you also found Phantump’s dead body and now he’s with Allister.

”Bloody hell.” Your friend says, in response to all this.

You even tell her that Raihan keeps calling you princess.

”Well, from what you’ve told me, he certainly treats you like one.”

She has a good point, although the pet name has stuck since that online article was released.

The coffee's really good, so you and your friend end up ordering two more each along with some more cake and then depart to the spa. With three coffees in your system and a whole lot of sugar, you're pretty jittery inside. After you finish up in the spa, it's getting late and you both leave the establishment feeling relaxed and refreshed and in an elevated mood. You had opted for a full, relaxing seaweed bath, facial and body massage and now your neck, shoulders, back and arms feels rid of many cricks and stiff joints and your skin is super smooth and shiny.

"That foot massage really hit the spot." Your friend comments, "That Mr. Mime is good with his hands - " Pause. "Fuck, that sounded so wrong! You get what I meant though, right???"

You snort with laughter as she squawks helplessly. "Yeah."

She curses loudly anyway, before she opens her phone to check any messages; her eyes widen and she turns to you. "Um, I think you should see this."

"What is it?"

"Look." She hands you her phone and you see that she's brought up Raihan's social media page. You can see the selfie he took with your brother which he ended up posting onto his account along with a new post; selecting it, you see that the post is a massive wall of text and there's more than a thousand comments on it. Your friend says, "He's confirming that he's dating. Aww, look at what he's written. It's so sweet."

You wonder what's triggered this but when you read his post, he doesn't disclose your name or any other information about you, other than his girlfriend is really important to him, he enjoys spending his free time with her and he really cares about her. You feel your heart thudding harder, your cheeks warming. He also mentions that it won't stop him from training or working harder as Hammerlocke gym leader - in fact, it's inspired him to work harder - so his fans shouldn't be worried.

You sigh under your breath as you hand her the phone. "Sorry, I think I should head back now."

"That's okay." Your friend says with a smile. "I had fun today. Let's hang out again soon."

"Sure. Maybe next time we could go on a double date or something." You reply, and she laughs. “Tell me how the date goes.”

”Yeah, yeah, okay.”

You both split up - she makes her way to the train station and you scoop out your phone. You should go see him.  You quickly call him and you wonder if he'll be able to pick up but then -

"Hey, princess." He sounds cheerful as always.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Where are you right now?"

"At the stadium."

"I'll come over."

"Okay."

After you hang up, you call the taxi to take you to Hammerlocke.

...

Raihan waits for his girlfriend.

There hasn't been any scheduled matches today which was a nice change of pace, but it doesn't mean he gets to slack off. His entire day was full of training with his pokemon; he's been devising various battle strategies and tactics so next time, a victory will be guaranteed. He's been so absorbed with work that he hasn't even looked at his phone much and it’s getting hot, so he sits cross-legged in the middle of the pitch with a pen and notebook in hand. He removes his hoodie and sweatband, leaving them folded on the soft grass by his side.

He wonders when she'll get here when suddenly someone pounces on his back and a pair of arms wrap around him; she kisses him on the cheek and nuzzles his neck and he chuckles. "Hey."

"Hey." She says, before she gives him a tight, affectionate squeeze and nibbles the shell of his ear.

"Are you okay?"

"Yep!! I had three coffees, that's all."

In that case, she should have coffee more often.

"C'mere." Raihan tries to be careful with her - he peels her off his back and into his arms, bringing her into his lap where he aggressively attacks her neck and face with kisses and playfully nips at her skin. She giggles, clinging onto him as he ravages her. Pulling away for a split second, he leans forwards again to take a whiff of her hair. "Mm. You smell good."

"I went to the spa with my friend today..." His girlfriend wriggles in his grip to sit up and he keeps her perched in his lap; cupping her face, he takes one good look at her - cute as always, yep, and this time, she is positively glowing... the spa has done her some good; throwing his glance to the side, he also notices the numerous shopping bags she's brought with her. "I got you something."

He lets go of her as she reaches over and accidentally knocks over a bag where he can see this red lacy bra inside.

"Whoa! You weren't supposed to see that! Not yet anyway..." She exclaims and he chuckles; she quickly seizes it and moves it behind another bag and away from his eyes, but he's seen it all already. She grabs another bag, fishes out a rather large bundle from inside which she hands to him. It's a poketoy set specifically for an assortment of pokemon types ranging from dragon to ground.

Grinning, he says, "Thanks," and promptly opens it, lifting out a feathery toy which he uses to tickle her nose with. She scrunches up her face in response and he laughs at her expression.

"It's also got this incense that relaxes dragon-type pokemon." She explains, rubbing at her nose.

"It's great, I'm sure the guys will love it." He murmurs, before he puts the toy down, slides his arms around her waist as she sits up properly, glancing around again before she spots his hoodie and puts it on. It's so huge on her tiny frame that she completely disappears inside it and the sleeves are so long, they dangle off her arms; Raihan watches her silently; she's never worn his clothes before and he has to admit, it's a bit hot. To complete the outfit, he takes his headband that he's left lying over the grass and carefully eases it over her head. It's obviously too big for her; it keeps dropping over her eyes.

She pushes the headband up over her forehead and holds it there. "I saw the post," She says next, voice laced with concern, "What happened?"

He shrugs casually as he reaches for her free hand, pulling the sleeve of his hoodie up to reveal her fingers; he carefully slides his thumb into the base of her tiny palm and rubs her thoroughly; she watches him tentatively before she closes her fingers over his hand in return and holds his hand gently in hers. He says, "There were rumours going round saying I was dating; fans were worried that I was getting distracted and not taking my responsibilities seriously enough."

"Am I?" She asks, "...Am I distracting you?"

He cracks a grin, chuckling as she opens his hand and begins using her fingertip to trace the lines in his large palm. Her hand is so small and fragile compared to his but her fingertips are quite rough. She's used to hard work. "Nope." He mutters, scooping her fingers with his and rubbing them with his thumb.

"I'm sorry that happened, you don't deserve it."

"S'okay."

"I saw the comments too, a lot of them weren't nice."

He shrugs when she mentions his haters. "I'm used to it." Using his other hand, he pats her affectionately on the head, smoothing her hair down and stroking the side of her cheek, "Don't worry about me. It'll take more than that to get me down."

She pouts, but then smiles. "Okay, that's good. I’m glad. If it ever gets too much, we could always go somewhere else - maybe to Johto or Hoenn. I heard people have their own secret bases there."

"I could ask Kabu."

"Great."

”...Rose wanted to deny the rumours. I didn’t want that. It’s not fair on you.” He replies and she brings his hand to her chest, clutching him tightly. ”It’ll be okay. You don’t need to be a part in any of this.” He knows she enjoys her privacy, so he won’t ask her to be in any videos or photos.

“It’s not like it’s a big secret anyway - your cheerleaders know we’re together. And I think it's the other way round. I mean, you distract me a lot when I'm at work - I'm always thinking about you."

Raihan hesitates, raises a brow, before he grins once more and lets go of her hand to encircle his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer. She's being very bold today - first, she took him by surprise and also took the initiative; second, she clearly bought some sexy lingerie for the next time they would be in bed together, and now she is saying this. She delivers it in such a straightforward, blunt manner, he's not quite sure if he heard her properly but he did. He feels he should reward her so he leans in close, their noses touching.

"...Is that so?" He mutters, with his lips mere millimetres from hers. He slides one hand down from her waist to her ass, caressing her, and she blushes.

"Mm-hm, I'm always thinking about the stuff you do to me when we're together."

"Such as?"

She pulls his headband away from her eyes, lets go of his shoulders to cup his face, stroking the sturdy outline of his jaw and cheek with her thumb and their gazes meet. She tilts her head to the side and he leans in further, finally getting the chance to press his lips against hers. He gently massages her mouth with his, holding her tightly in his arms and pulling her firmly against him whilst she drapes her arms around his neck.

When they pull away, she smiles and says, "I'll leave that to your imagination."

...

[go-bodysolution1]

How to hit the speed ball like a pro. Please SUBSCRIBE To Us: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT_8... Have you ever seen a pro boxer hitting the speed ball really fast? Well if you have it’s very impressive but it’s not that hard to do when you know this secret tip that I show you on the video below! Yes it will still take practice, but after watching this video I think you will be shocked at how simple it can be to look and sound like a pro on this Impressive piece of kit that is in just about every boxing gym. Here is the video https://youtu.be/yZgeSfafthA ________________________________________________________ Follow me on Social https://www.instagram.com/tony_jeffries/ https://www.facebook.com/olympian.tony https://www.twitter.com/tony_jeffries https://www.boxnburnacademy.com | Boxing certification course https://www.boxnburn.com | GYM https://www.tonyjeffries.com | Personal Site ________________________________________________________ Listen to my Podcast iTunes - https://goo.gl/tdpkBD Soundcloud - https://goo.gl/JjZcuK ________________________________________________________ Tony Jeffries from Sunderland in North East England. From the age of 10, Tony boxed at the highest level amateur and professional for 17 years, representing his country of England, around the world in 55 of my 106 fights. He is very honored and proud to have been a team captain for England on many occasions and even for Great Britain a couple of times. The highlight of Tony's career came in 2008 when he joined the very exclusive “Olympian” club. After beating the Belarusian, Dutch, Hungarian champions and the USA team captain Christopher Downs in his backyard in the World Championships, Tony qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games. I came home with a bronze medal after years of training solid. It was the happiest time of my life! Tony turned pro after the Games having ten pro fights with nine wins, 5 KO's one draw and 0 loses For the last three professional fights—from the end of 2010 and all of 2011—He trained in Los Angeles with world-renowned boxing trainer Tommy Brookes—for me, the best in the world! At the end of 2011, Tony had surgery on both of his hands because of a hole and a tear in my knuckles. He tried all sorts of treatment to fix them, but the hands never fully recovered, and he had to retire from competing. He was devastated that he couldn’t box competitively anymore, but the end of Tony's fighting career was the start of a new chapter in the then 27-year-old's life. Now living in LA since January 2012; with the wife they both fell in love with this city straight away, so we decided to apply for their green cards and move here. They loving life in Santa Monica, Tony has set up two dream gyms —Box ’N Burn in Santa Monica and Brentwood—with the top trainer and businessman Kevan Watson. They’ve trained everyone from kids and total beginners to celebrities like Skylar Grey;  also worked with the likes of UFC superstar Conor McGregor and legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. Tony is a fully qualified advanced personal trainer and being in gyms all his life like Kevan and they made sure Box ’N Burn has all the best things from all those other gyms with none of the bad things. Tony host's the Box ’N Life podcast, with Glenn “Six Figure” Holmes, trainer to the stars. They discuss anything and everything about boxing and life and have a good laugh doing it. They’ve also had great guests, including self-made billionaire Dan Pena, WBC cruiserweight champ, and “Creed” star Tony Bellew and top Hollywood film producer Jason Clark.   Tony Jeffries Co-Owner & Founder | Box 'N Burn | California's #1 Gym Some Our Most Popular Uploaded: How to Jump Rope like a BOXER step by step | Tony Jeffries https://bit.ly/2zDtBuV Mike Tyson training breakdown, How he gets power aged 53 https://bit.ly/3d7PGR5 How to Counter punch like a pro https://bit.ly/2Aap5UK 25 Body punching combos from an Olympic medallist https://bit.ly/3ccdfXj 5 of the best 6 punch combinations for boxing with Olympian boxer https://bit.ly/3dkIq4t My biggest weakness | Olympian Tony Jeffries https://bit.ly/3gsAvDQ My 8 year vision with business | Tony Jeffries https://bit.ly/2yHrE0e In Sauna talking little about Covid-19 https://bit.ly/2B87kpE Please don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT+SHARE Our video and SUBSCRIBE To Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT_8... #Tony_Jeffries #Speed_bag #The_secret_tip_to_hit_the_speed_bag_like_a_pro #How_to_Hit_a_Speed_Bag_Properly #How_to_Hit_a_Speed_Bag #Speedbag_for_beginners #speed_bag_tricks #boxing #gym #fitness #fighter #tutorial #How_To_Hit_the_SpeedBag_for_Beginners #How_To_Hit_the_SpeedBag_for_Beginners

[niallsstainedcoffeecup]

You Have Chemistry

Harry’s ex shows up after disappearing for eight months.  Harry’s heart battles between his new girlfriend and his ex-girlfriend.  This story is based off of the song “Is She Gonna Be There” by Violet Skies.  Hope you all enjoy. Feedback and Requests are welcomed.  Lots of love!

           The white and gray geese waddled across the dewy green grass.  The chilly winter winds created ripples across the dark water.  Harry’s crystal green eyes sparkled under the bright sun peeking from the fluffy white clouds.  His dimpled grin widened every time his fingers brushed against his girlfriend’s soft hands. Y/N intertwined her fingers between Harry’s thin fingers, embracing the butterflies knocking around her stomach. “Are you excited you woke up early?” Harry smirked. Y/N snorted because she recalled Harry’s fingers stabbing her repeatedly until her exhausted eyes cracked open.  He nuzzled his frozen nose against her warm neck while his muffled whines vibrated against her skin.  He claimed his heart might break if she didn’t join him on his usual morning walk.  Normally, Y/N would’ve shielded herself with Harry’s fluffy white duvet, but Harry’s promises about greasy breakfast sandwiches and morning sex intrigued Y/N. “Who enjoys hiking at the ass crack of dawn?” Y/N grumbled, maneuvering around the breadcrumb piles. Harry chuckled, squeezing Y/N’s hand, “I love you, think about your reward waiting back home.” Y/N hoped that crispy bacon and Harry’s body might be worth the grueling hike. *  *  *  *  *  *  *              Plump water droplets rolled down Y/N’s steaming skin.  Her damp feet pressed against the cold white tile.  Her thumb tucked the soft white towel around her body.  She padded across the small bathroom, avoiding her pile of dirty clothes.  The bathroom door swung open, unleashing the heat trapped within the bathroom.  Harry leaned against his wooden bed frame with his phone pressed against his ear.  A smile unraveled his furrowed brows and forehead wrinkles once his eyes landed on his beautiful girlfriend.  Y/N blushed, ignoring her fluttering lovesick heart.  She shimmied her black underwear up her legs.  Her ears perked up when Harry’s squeaky bed creaked from the weight shift. Harry rolled onto his grumbling stomach, reaching an arm out to wrap around his girlfriend’s waist. “Yeah, we can show up tonight,” Harry croaked out. Y/N swatted Harry’s grabby hands away from her body, “Will you stop it?” “Okay, Jeff.  We’ll see you tonight,” Harry ended the call, tossing his phone behind his head. Y/N giggled, slipping Harry’s black sweatshirt over her soaked hair, “What did Jeff want?” “He invited us for game night,” Harry mumbled, opening his arms for his girlfriend to step into. Harry’s sturdy arms wrapped around Y/N’s waist while his head pressed against Y/N’s lower stomach.  Her fingers raked through Harry’s sweaty curls while her eyes focused on the white walls.  She looked forward to tonight because she enjoyed watching Harry’s competitive nature come out.  She hoped the confidence boost might lead to more late night activities. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *            Fresh rain coated the slippery cobblestone path leading up to Jeff’s house. Harry’s Gucci slippers squeaked with each step.  Obnoxious pop music blared through the thin brick walls.  Harry rolled his eyes, twisting the unlocked golden knob. Warmth greeted the happy couple before anyone noticed Harry and Y/N’s arrival.  Glenne squealed, sliding across the slick tiles.  She crashed against Y/N’s body with a low oomph.  Harry chuckled, glancing around the room for his best friend.   “H, there you are,” Jeff cheered, clamping a hand onto Harry’s shoulders. Harry nodded, stealing the unopened beer bottle from Jeff’s hand, “I’m here.  When do the games start?” “Harry Styles, always a fan of competition,” That honey-sweet voice startled Harry’s heart. Eight months passed since Harry last heard her intoxicating voice.  Harry spun around, gasping once his eyes landed on his ex-girlfriend’s stunning hazel eyes.  He admired the wavy brown hair cascading down her curvy figure.  He reminisced on nights when he begged her to grow her hair out from the shorter bob.   “Olivia, what are you doing here?” Harry asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She giggled, pecking Harry’s flushed cheeks, “Do you remember that event I planned?  Well, the trip didn’t last as long as we thought.” Harry’s heart sunk, “Oh wow.  Well, I’m glad to see you.” “Me too, are you here with your girlfriend?” She asked, scanning the crowd. Harry nodded, “Yeah, you should join our team. I seem to recall you constantly winning every game we ever played.” Olivia giggled, patting Harry’s arm, “Okay.” Harry shoved his broken-hearted thoughts into the corner of his stressed mind.  He chugged the chilled alcohol while searching for his girlfriend. *  *  *  *  *  *  *              “Hi, are you Harry’s girlfriend?” A tall brunette asked, interrupting Glenne’s story about Jeff’s adventures with Harry. Y/N smiled, “Yeah,” Her mind wondered why this beautiful woman’s face seemed familiar, but she hadn’t met her before. “Hi, I’m Olivia,” The woman wrapped her hand around Y/N’s limp hand. Y/N’s heart hammered against her ribcage. Images and articles flashed past Y/N’s shocked mind.  She realized this stunning girl happened to be Harry’s ex-girlfriend.  Harry never discussed Olivia and his relationship, but she read about it online.  Olivia and Harry ended their two-year relationship because their schedules never seemed to match up.  Harry found Y/N two months later, and Y/N often asked herself if Harry used her as a rebound. “It’s game time,” Jeff shouted, waving everyone into the room. Y/N sighed with relief, “Well, it was lovely meeting you.” “Wait, Harry said I could join your team,” Olivia grinned, patting Y/N’s shoulder. Y/N swallowed down the jealousy bubbling up in her throat, “Great.” Harry plopped down onto Jeff’s expensive white couch with his beer in hand.  Y/N glared, watching Olivia rub her leg against Harry’s legs.  Y/N cuddled into Harry’s side, ignoring Olivia’s attempts at wooing Harry. *  *  *  *  *  *  *              “Harry, you are hilarious.  Do you remember when we stayed up all night playing monopoly?” Olivia giggled, leaning her head onto Harry’s shoulder. Harry chuckled, patting Olivia’s knee, “That was fun.  Should we try to buy boardwalk?” Y/N rolled her eyes, “I don’t know. Olivia, should we try to buy boardwalk?” Olivia shook her head, “No, that’s the worst game move.  Harry, we should grab lunch.” “I’d love that.  Are you free tomorrow?” Harry asked, sitting up straighter. Y/N gasped, pinching Harry’s elbow, “Hey, we planned to grab lunch with my friends tomorrow.” Harry frowned, “Can I get a raincheck?  I haven’t seen Olivia in forever.” “Yeah, can you please let him see me?” Olivia pouted, laying a hand on Harry’s shoulder. Y/N growled, “Harry, can I speak with you in the kitchen?” Harry nodded, following his fuming girlfriend into the empty kitchen.  Half-eaten mini weenies and pizza lined the marble counters.  Y/N gripped the counter while staring out of the kitchen window at the sparkling stars.   Harry crossed his arms over his chest, “Well, I hope you plan to apologize for interrupting the game.” Y/N’s jaw-dropped, “You think I give a shit about the game?  Are you going to apologize about forgetting me once Olivia walked into the room?” Harry rolled his eyes, “Y/N, you’re ridiculous. If you got over the fact that we dated, then I think you’d like her.” Y/N sighed, “Harry, I’ll try to be nice, but I’m worried.  The girl you dumped because time didn’t work out, now has all of the time in the world.” Harry frowned, striding across the kitchen, “I love you,” His arms wrapped around Y/N’s waist.  He promised his love to her with a gentle kiss upon her plump lips.   *  *  *  *  *  *  *              The laptop whirred inside the silent bedroom.  The comfy white comforter swaddled Harry’s body while Y/N leaned against his bed frame.  The laptop illuminated the dark bags under her exhausted eyes.  Her fingers tapped against the clicking keys while she finished business reports.  Harry’s curls tickled her bare arms, sending chills down her spine.  A soft groan rumbled from Harry’s throat.  Y/N smiled, raking her fingers through his curls. Y/N continued working until Harry’s lusty groans filled the small bedroom.  Y/N blushed, wondering what might be happening in Harry’s dream.   “Olivia,” Harry moaned out. Y/N gasped, clutching her broken heart. For the past two weeks, Harry and Olivia grabbed lunch every day, and Y/N ignored the worries building in her chest. Now, Y/N’s insecurities coated her fragile skin.  Did Harry ever love her? *  *  *  *  *  *  *              “Can we talk?” Y/N asked, stirring the sugar into the steaming black coffee. Harry nodded, setting the spoon onto the kitchen counter.  Y/N sighed, staring into Harry’s worried eyes. “Are you breaking up with me?” Harry mumbled nervously. Y/N smiled, “No, but you moaned out Olivia’s name last night.” Harry’s green eyes widened at the news. This morning, Harry startled awake with guilt festering inside his churning stomach.  He recalled the steamy dream about Olivia, but he hoped that Y/N didn’t notice his cries. “I’m sorry.” Y/N frowned, “H, do you still love her?” Harry shook his head fervently, “No, I love you.  I don’t know why that dream happened.” “Okay, I trust you,” Y/N smiled, pecking Harry’s rosy lips. Harry returned his attention to the sizzling bacon while Y/N helped Harry cook the eggs.  The couple finished cooking breakfast, singing along with the radio. *  *  *  *  *  *  *            Olivia cackled, throwing her head back against Harry’s leather couch. The bubbly water popped inside the aluminum can.  Harry chuckled, leaning closer to Olivia’s body. “I missed spending time with you.  How are things with Y/N?” Olivia asked, biting down on her pink plastic straw. Harry smiled, “She’s amazing.  You’d love her.” “She looks perfect for you.  Do you remember that one time we visited Venice?” Olivia smirked. Harry blushed, “Yeah, but we never seemed to leave the bedroom on that trip.” Olivia giggled, slapping Harry’s knees, “We were quite the pair.  I haven’t dated anyone who matched your skills in the bedroom.” Harry faked a smile, tugging on his aching neck, “Are you dating anyone?” “No, I haven’t dated in a while.  I tried to date once you moved on first,” Olivia frowned, glancing down at her red toenails. Harry scoffed, “I didn’t move on first? Whenever Sarah mentioned you were dating someone new, I started to look a for a new love interest too.” Olivia shook her head, “I couldn’t move on from our love.” Harry smiled, grabbing Olivia’s hands, “Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone.” Harry’s ringtone interrupted Olivia’s hand from creeping up Harry’s thigh.  Instead, Harry scooted backward to reach the phone dangling out of his back pocket. Y/N’s message popped up, explaining her horrible mood.  She hoped Harry’s kisses and food would wash away her boss’s rants.   “Hey, you better leave before Y/N returns home. She can’t know that you were here,” Harry mumbled, jumping to his feet. Olivia smirked, “Of course, why are you hiding me from your girlfriend?” Harry rolled his eyes, collecting the sparkling waters from his coffee table, “I’m not hiding you from her.  I’ll see you at Jordan’s party?” Olivia nodded, pecking Harry’s cheeks, “I’ll see you.” Harry wiped the condensation rings from the coffee table.  Olivia searched through her designer bag.  Her manicured fingers wrapped around the pink lipstick, dropping the golden tube onto Harry’s couch.  A sinister chuckle bubbled out from her plump lips while she exited Harry’s house. *  *  *  *  *  *  *            Rain soaked the blonde woman’s flimsy blue blouse.  The brunette man blinked past the droplets brushing against his long lashes.  The blonde woman professed her love for the brunette man.  Her muted words resulted in a passionate kiss shared between the young couple.  Harry shoveled creamy pasta into his mouth while Y/N devoured the garlic bread sticks. “I’m full.  Do you want my leftover pasta?” Y/N complained, rubbing her bloated stomach. Harry smiled, “Sure, can you put them in my fridge?  I’ll eat them tonight after my writing session.” Y/N giggled, pressing her oily lips against Harry’s stubbly chin, “I love you.” Harry’s smile widened as he watched his girlfriend stride into his kitchen, “Jeff missed you today.” “I missed him too.  Did you two write all day?” Y/N yelled, unscrewing her water bottle. Harry nodded, “Yeah, should we switch movies? I’m tired of watching her kiss him in the rain.” Y/N giggled, shuffling back inside Harry’s living room.  She plopped onto Harry’s couch, brushing her hand against the golden lipstick tube. Her eyes landed on the fancy script engraved in the golden tube and her stomach dropped. “Hey, did Glenne visit?” Y/N asked, clutching the lipstick as if it might disappear under her grip. Harry shook his head, “Jeff came alone, why?” “I don’t know.  Maybe because I found someone else’s lipstick on your couch,” Y/N hissed. All color drained from Harry’s shocked face, “What?  Are you sure that isn’t your lipstick?” “No, I don’t own this brand.  Who visited you?” Her mind already knew the answer, but her heart played the fool. Harry frowned, “Olivia and I caught up today.” Y/N gasped, blinking back her hot tears burning her naïve eyes, “You lied to me?  Why? Did you sleep with her?” Harry shook his head, “No, I’d never cheat on you.  We talked about our new lives.  I didn’t tell you because I know you don’t like her.” “And lying about her being with you was supposed to make things better?” “No,” Harry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Harry, do you still love me?” Harry agreed, but her heart seemed to know the hidden truth.  Harry couldn’t love her because his heart belonged with Olivia. *  *  *  *  *  *  *            Heavy clouds blocked the moon’s rays from shining down on the broken couple.  The cool night winds whipped against Y/N’s knees.  Her eyes focused on her stained white sneakers rather than Harry’s sorrowful green eyes.  Even if they discussed their lives, silence surrounded the couple.  Harry scrolled past updates and messages, waiting for the black cab. “Is Olivia going to be there?” Y/N said softly. Harry huffed, dropping his hand against his side, “I already told you that she’d be there.” “I can’t go to this party,” Y/N mumbled, clutching her twisting stomach. “What?  Are you serious?  I told you that I don’t love her,” Harry whined. Y/N nodded, “I trust you, but I can’t watch her fall all over you.  I’m going to hang out with my other friends.” “Okay, let me tell Jordan,” Harry pouted, typing out his excuse. Y/N shook her head, grabbing Harry’s arm, “I’m never the type to keep my boyfriend away from his ex.  You can still go to the party.” “Will you be upset?” Harry asked, eyeing the cab driving down the cobblestone road. Y/N smiled, “Harry, I feel sick when I hear her name.  I trust you, but I don’t trust her.  I can see her motives, and she isn’t catching up to be your friend.  She loves you.” Harry nodded, absorbing the new information. Harry’s heart throbbed within his weak chest because he loved his kind girlfriend, but his heart dreamt about his life with his ex-girlfriend.  Y/N swallowed the lump shutting off her oxygen supply.  A shaky breath parted her painted lips as her heart processed Harry’s reaction.  Her chest held her broken heart together while her hand brushed against Harry’s cheeks. “I love you, but I know how you feel.  I hope you it works out this time,” Y/N breathed out. Harry frowned, cupping Y/N’s hand, “I love you.” Y/N nodded, “I love you too.” Loose gravel crunched under her worn sneakers. She focused on her ragged breathing while the small neighborhood seemed to crumble around her.  Her heart shattered into a billion pieces once she stepped away from Harry’s life.  Hot tears streamed down her cheeks while her fists rubbed the salty liquid from her face. She lost the battle for Harry’s heart.

[craftedincarhartt]

Happy Small Business Saturday

To celebrate Small Business Saturday, we’ll be introducing you to several small businesses and the women who make them run.

Seattle Urban Farm Co.

Meet the women of Seattle Urban Farm Company. Their knowledgeable team can plan, build, and maintain the urban farm you always wanted but never thought you could personally manage—perfect for those of us who may not have a green thumb, but love the idea of homegrown tomatoes.

Hilary Dahl is co-owner and host of the Encyclopedia Botanica podcast. The podcasts are quick lessons in farming. Follow @seattleurbanfarmco to check out her tips and advice. The all female maintenance team includes Sarah Bolton and Emily Barry. Together, they care for over 60 urban vegetable gardens across the city. Daily tasks include planting the crops, keeping an eye on the soil, fertility, irrigation, pest management, pruning, weeding, and harvesting.

“Engaging with local businesses often takes more effort from the consumer, but I think it’s worth it. Buying local provides an opportunity for genuine human interaction, better quality products, and more interesting stories. The success of a small business often depends on word-of-mouth. Anytime you vouch for a local company, you are doing somebody a huge favor and I thank you on behalf of small business owners everywhere. Just get out there and rep the businesses you love.” -Hilary Dahl

Kubich Lumber Yard

Meet Bobbie Rowe. She’s been a nurse for two years, but she’s always played a big role at her family’s lumber mill. Her main gig is driving the water truck, and when it gets busy, it’s all hands on deck. Then you can find her throwing strips or controlling the multi-head resaw she built with her dad as a child. The mill has been in operation for over 70 years. It sits deep in the woods of Grass Valley, a small Californian town that was the epicenter of the Gold Rush in the 1800s. With a population of just under 13,000, the city is closely knit together by a strong sense of community and tradition. If you’re in the area and in need of some fresh milled timber, give Bobbie a call. They have a wide variety of products, ranging from sugar pine flooring to cedar siding. You can also visit their website: www.kubichlumber.com.

“People are especially shocked to find out I’m a nurse when I jump out of the water truck. I remember dad laughing really hard one day after I drove the truck when I first became a nurse. He told me a couple customers had just commented on how cool it was that he hired a woman truck driver and he replied ‘That’s actually my daughter, and can you believe she is giving up truck driving to be a nurse at Stanford? She must be crazy.’ The truth is I really would be crazy to completely walk away from the mill.” -Bobbie Rowe

Glass Artist Ona Magaro

One Magaro has been working with glass for 30 years. The shear heat and intensity of the craft most attracted her during summer camp. Years down the road, she earned her BFA from Alfred University and MFA from Bowling Green. Blowing glass requires immense physical strength, particularly when fabricating on the scale of some of Ona’s larger pieces. However, Ona considers her willingness and eagerness to evolve her approach to her work her greatest capability.

Though Thanksgiving has come and gone, hopefully the spirit of gratitude remains. Ona met her mentor in school, but he continues making an impact in her life to this day.

“My sculpture professor in undergrad at Alfred University, Glenn Zwygert, showed me that I needed to be fully committed and devoted to my passion. Glenn and I use to butt heads on a lot of topics, but through the years I realized that those interactions made me open up to being able to SEE. He is still mentoring me everyday, by his own pursuits and ambition to constantly be creating.” -@onamagaro

To see more of Ona’s work, visit her website: www.onamagaro.com.

Amaltheia Dairy Farm

Amaltheia Dairy Farm in Montana is a family run operation. Sue and Melvyn Brown broke ground on their very own Grade A goat farm Thanksgiving Day in 2000. After building their own cheese facility, they developed exceptional products with the highest standards for purity and flavor. Amaltheia offers 17 different products and the Browns are able to produce 2,000 pounds of goat cheese a week. Sue and Melvyn’s children are a big part of the business as well. Their son Nate and his girlfriend Karen play a big role in caring for the vegetables and animals along with property maintenance. Their daughter Sarah oversees operations at the cheese plant, though you can often find her fixing fences and feeding animals.

“To be raised in a barn is the most fulfilling childhood I could possibly imagine. Yes, it’s a lot of hard work; but you develop a close-knit relationship with animals and nature. And my parents’ ideals of organic, home grown food for their children has definitely been instilled in my brother and myself. We are blessed to be able to continue to develop and hone-in our farming and cheese making skills into the future. My brother and I hope to take the reigns and continue to provide our community with farm-fresh, organic products.” -Sarah Brown of @amaltheiadairy

You can order a fresh batch of Amaltheia cheese for yourself at www.amaltheiadairy.com.

Ceramic Artist Alayna Wiley

Alayna Wiley is a ceramicist, an art educator, and a craft curator. She teaches at The Art Shack in Brooklyn. This women-owned non-profit ceramic studio offers classes to both offer classes to children and adults. If you’re interested in learning more about hand building, wheel throwing, glazing, plaster mold making or slipcasting—head on over to @artshackbrooklyn for more info. When Alayna’s not working at The Art Shack, she’s a studio assistant at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her education is impressive and extensive. She’s studied at Oberlin College, Germantown Academy, Penland School of Crafts, and Harvard University to name only a few. Follow her instagram, @alaynawiley.nyc to take a closer look at her work.

[coffee-n-bagels-comic-universe]

Superheroes with Secrets: My Gothic Love (Fic part 34) (Set in 2001)

Around 2000 Words. 18+ in places.

Tags: @piratewithvigor please inform me if you wish to be tagged/untagged from posts

‘Giantess’ Kirby Roussimoff x Shane ‘Hurricane’ Helms (Circa 2001)

Reference Posts: Shane ‘Hurricane’ Helms

Kirby ‘The Blacklight Bandit’ Roussimoff

Notes: The story is set in 2001, which would make Helms 27 and Kirby 31. This story also blends Kayfabe and Reality. Certain people speak in different colours, Mainly: Helms is Green. Kirby is Orange. Kane is Red. Undertaker is Purple. Big Show is Blue.

Other members of the BSK are also in purple.

Other women are in Pink.

"About two days, yes. But alas, I couldn't think of a better man to be my husband."

Lita looks towards Matt with a raised eyebrow. "Hope you don't trip over all these hints I'm dropping."

Matt gives her a look of 'I got it'.

"So, Jeff, what do you want to eat, ya colourful weirdo" Kirby asks.

"Something that balances the lines between 'too much sugar for human consumption' and 'breakfast'."

"Eddy, give Jeff the rainbow connection pancake stack." Kirby nods at Eddy.

Eddy nods with a knowing, very amused look. "Something tells me he'll enjoy it."

"So… Lita, Matt, what do you two lovebirds want?" Kirby questions teasingly.

"Eggs. Feeling like a lame old man today."

"Any particular way you want them cooked, over easy, scrambled, sunny side up?" Eddy asks

"I'll take 'em sunny side up. With home fries please."

"Alright, and your red headed beauty of a girlfriend?" Eddy shoots Lita a friendly smile.

"The same with some toast and OJ."

"Alright, one moment," Eddy walks off to put their order in.

"C'mere you," Kirby whispers, pulling Helms into a side hug and kissing his temple, "I think you might end up painted with lipstick marks by the end of today" she whispers.

"Wouldn't want it any other way."

Kirby's phone goes off, "I'm gonna take this outside babe, I'll be back in a minute or five." she gets up and answers the phone while leaving, "Hi Glenn, what ya after big guy?"

"Trackin' you down. Haven't heard from you since St Louis."

"I'm in Ellerbe, with Helms and Team Extreme, what's wrong, why can I hear Taker and Show in the background?"

"Cause we all came down to Texas. You know, where the show's gonna be."

"I know, do you want us to fly down tomorrow, it's gonna take some convincing to make the guys leave, Glenn."

"You guys aren't desecrating the ranch, are you?"

"Glenn if they break anything, they have me to deal with. Ya know, André's daughter."

"Not desecrating like that! I mean when kids your age get a house to themselves unsupervised..."

"Oh, you mean fucking, I'm not telling you if I fucked my fiancé or not."

"Just tell me I'm not calling you in the middle of an orgy."

"I'm outside of a diner in broad daylight, I'm not currently nude Glenn. Do you need us to fly down tomorrow or not?"

"Need you, no. Just saying you should come on down sooner than later. Mark's got a pool and the whole BSK is here and we're gonna have a big convoy to the arena, it's gonna be a hell of a time."

"I'll see how soon we can get there, I ain't missing out on an Undertaker party."

"See you guys soon."

"Bye, Glenn." Kirby hangs up and heads back inside, practically draping herself over Helms, Her legs over his, her boobs right under his head, she kisses his forehead, "Hi, baby."

"Hi." He grins, nuzzling up to her chest a little. "What'd Glenn want?"

"Well, Mark, Undertaker, has a pool and the BSK and the guys are getting a convoy to the arena and I don't want to miss out on an Undertaker party, so I was thinking, we fly out tomorrow if possible?"

"I say that sounds like a hell of a time. We stay here today, fly out tomorrow, then we have like six full days to party."

"I thought it would be harder to convince you, mon amour."

"Well... maybe push back one more day. Fly out on the seventh."

"I will not be pushing this plan back by a day, not unless you make me, Hero" Kirby teases.

He leans in close to her ear. "Saw some ropes in the barn... what if I were to tie your pretty ass up?"

"What else are you willing to do to convince me?" Kirby whispers back, kissing Helms' jaw.

"Pin you down and fuck you until you beg for mercy twice."

"What if it takes more than that? Mon sauvage?"

"Maybe I'll just knock you up."

"Now, that's one step too far babe, I was trying to make you say that you're gonna cover me with your cum." Kirby whispers as she kisses just above his eyebrow.

"I am. Inside and out."

Right as Kirby goes to retort his comment, Eddy shows up with their food. Although it all looks delicious, Jeff looks like he's seeing the face of an angel when he looks over his stack of rainbow pancakes.

"Thought you'd like this place, Jeff. Dig in, boy." Kirby teases.

"With pleasure." He grins.

Kirby smirks as she takes the first sip of her milkshake.

"Damn, they make some beautiful fucking pancakes here." Helms whispers around a mouthful.

"It's why I'm a regular customer." Kirby whispers, as she begins devouring her meal piece by piece.

"It's so heckin good."

Kirby lets out a near orgasmic moan as she takes another bite of her pancakes and bacon. The moan goes right between Helms' legs, making him cross them.

"Oh, sorry babe" Kirby whispers.

"No you're not." he lifts an accusing eyebrow.

"You're right, I'm not, I love the food more than not making you pop a stiffie." Kirby whispers directly into his ear, kissing his temple.

"I think you just like making me pop stiffies too."

"As long as I'm the cause, yes." Kirby whispers before talking another bite of her food.

"It's always you, sweetheart."

Kirby smirks as she sips her milkshake, putting her free hand on Helms' lap.

"Now you're just being mean."

"I'm not being mean, I'm just touching you, Lita help me"

"She's being Kirby, Helms." Lita explains.

"Ah I see. So I guess it's time for my brain to say farewell to ever have blood in it again."

"Weird question guys, would you rather have no sex ever, or sex at least once a day for the rest of your life?" Kirby questions.

"Been living the second option since meeting Lita." Matt smirks.

"See, I don't know what has crawled up your ass today, Helms, but all I'm doing is enjoying myself, sorry if you get hard thinking about that." Kirby rambles.

"Oh, I see how it is." He takes a bite of pancakes and gives a near-obscene moan.

By the end of her rambling, Kirby's blushing deeply and debating going back to the car, "fuck me, I'm walking home, I'm finishing this and walking home." She murmurs.

"You kidding? If you can't drive in those heels, you can't walk back home in them."

"I will absolutely walk home in these heels, Helms. Don't tempt fate boy." Kirby states as she takes the final mouthful of her meal and drinks the last part of her milkshake.

"Then I'll walk with you."

Kirby walks up to the counter and pays for the group's meal, "I'll see you back at the house, I'm goin'." Kirby mutters as she leaves the diner.

Helms sighs and begins eating a little faster. "What part of 'I'll follow her anywhere' doesn't she get yet?" He mumbles, tossing the keys to Lita as he finishes up.

"The part where you actually mean it, she's never had someone like you before." Lita explains as he gets up.

"She best get used to it. I'm not gonna stop, no matter how many rocks she throws at me..." he murmurs, adjusting his beanie as he walks out.

Kirby's gradually making her way down the street, if she wasn't wearing heels she'd be a lot faster. It doesn't take long for Helms to catch up, much quicker in sneakers.

"Go away Helms" Kirby murmurs.

"Told you I was coming with you." He shrugs.

"Helms, if I needed you to follow me everywhere I'd tell you. I wanted to walk back to get out of this pissy mood I'm in."

"I follow you when you're in a bad mood and wanting to be alone because by this point, I've learned that the longer you're alone, the more time the negative self-talk has to get into your head. So far, I haven't regretted my choices."

"Thank you" Kirby stops walking for a second, "I mean it, if I hadn't met you when I did, I... I don't know if I'd be here ... if I'd be alive by now." Kirby whispers, mostly to herself.

"Exactly why I'll follow you anywhere. The more you push against that, the more I know you need me."

Kirby leans down to kiss Helms, using his shoulders to keep herself steady.

"Forgot how extra tall those heels made you." He chuckles.

"I'm around seven feet tall already, I might as well stand even taller at some points." Kirby jokes.

"We'll get you a pair of those docs Elton John wore in Tommy. Think they were seven feet high too."

"Do not, Helms" Kirby whispers as she takes his hand in hers, "I don't like being so tall, but there's nothing I can do about my gigantism, I've already had corrective surgery."

"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry." He says, completely serious.

"Some days I wish I was five foot four and people took me as normal for once." Kirby murmurs.

"Five foot four is like the worst height."

"Try being six foot ten, you'll see why I wanna be so short"

"No, I just mean in general, it's the worst. It's one inch below average, so people can officially call you short, but you're not so short that most people can pick you up with ease."

"I don't want to be picked up, I... I just want to be normal." Kirby admits, letting go of Helms' hand to wipe away tears.

"I know, sweetheart, I know..."

Kirby bends over to remove her heels, "I love you, ya know."

"I love you too. I always will."

"You look so handsome, ya goofball."

"Me? In all my ratty jeans and graphic tee glory?"

"Yeah, I'm all dressy as if I need to impress others to be confident, you aren't like that, you look handsome and confident in fucked up jeans and a humorous T-shirt."

"Guess it stems from only being self-conscious about my size. I can't fix it or make it worse with clothes, so I don't try."

"Why are you self-conscious, you're handsome as fuck, with your dark, near black hair, your deep brown, intriguing eyes and your soft skin, with those tender lips and scruffy beard, and your musculature, sculpted like a statue by Michelangelo."

"But I'm still short, and compared to other wrestlers, that's all people see."

"You are not short, you're short for a wrestler sure, but so is Rey, I've never heard him complain because his height gives him an advantage."

"Rey's puny though. His four-year-old is half his height already."

"Yes, but does Rey complain that he's too short?"

"...no."

"Then why should you, view it as a secret super power, you're shorter and therefore lighter."

"Easier to be thrown through tables."

"There's a poem, titled 'My Gothic Love' that I think you'd like. It might lift your spirits slightly." Kirby whispers.

"Ain't upset about my height. It's just the one thing that bugs me sometimes." He shrugs.

"I mesmerised this poem, so I'm still gonna recite it to you," Kirby clears her throat, "I spend my days dreaming of you, My Gothic Prince, For night is when we roam, When our nocturnal souls unite, and when our dark journey begins. I dream of your scarlet lips pressing, against my pale neck, my vampire of love. You are my evil prince clad in black, you darken a room by the strength of your presence, I succumb to your whims without a struggle, without regret. We are bound by our love. Our very essences are nourished, in the consecrated blood of our mortal bodies. Love for us is dark, foreboding, together we carve a path toward a dark eternity, none dare tear us apart, my Gothic Love."

Helms stops them in their walk, grabbing her hand and pulling her into a deep kiss.

[back-and-totheleft]

"It's possible I was angrier as a young man"

For many years, Oliver Stone tried to make a movie of The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand’s epic novel about the arrogant ur-capitalist and architect Howard Roark. Stone’s version would have reinvented Roark as a visionary designer of public buildings—maybe a guy like Fidel Castro or Hugo Chávez, two gifted egoists Stone has been known to pop a Fresca with. That’s interesting company for a born Republican and decorated Vietnam volunteer, though maybe not for the man who gave us Wall Street (1987) and Gordon Gekko, or who wrote Brian De Palma’s Scarface (1983).

Stone’s new film, W., is a biopic of George W. Bush that the director has scrambled to finance, shoot, edit, and release before the 2008 election. Surprising only to people unfamiliar with his work, Stone paints a politically excoriating but emotionally sympathetic portrait of our 43rd president. Josh Brolin stars in the title role, alongside Elizabeth Banks (Laura Bush), Jeffrey Wright (Colin Powell), Richard Dreyfuss (Dick Cheney), Thandie Newton (Condoleezza Rice), Scott Glenn (Donald Rumsfeld), and James Cromwell (George H. W. Bush). W. is Stone’s third crack at presidents or their legacies, following JFK (1991) and Nixon (1995). What could he possibly be thinking?

DAVITT SIGERSON: When I was first thinking about talking to you, lines from that Bob Dylan song “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” came to mind: “If my thought-dreams could be seen/They’d probably put my head in a guillotine.” Do you ever feel like you’re running in a different time zone than the rest of the world?

OLIVER STONE: Why do you ask that question? Because I’m making a movie on George W. Bush?

DS: Well, no . . . We’ll get to that. But I have my own theories about why you freak people out so much.

OS: Oh, really? This is a great way to start. I like it. At least you’re honest. I would love to know your theory, if you can give me the short and sweet of it. It could help me frame my own life, I suppose.

DS: Well, I think this: You’re an impressive formalist, and you can be as grand or as vulgar as the material requires-for example, with the use of television and different film stocks in your movies. I also think that your films follow function because it seems you are, above all, a rabid moralist who is intent on saying what you’ve got to say. And I think that really freaks people out. People prefer a tasteful formalist to a rabid moralist. Even though you have elements of both in your work, I think that you . . . Well, I think you know what I think: that saying what you’ve got to say is the most important thing for you in your movies.

OS: Interesting. Very well said. I mean, I suppose in our culture—in our lifetime—we’ve always enjoyed people who tell it straight. We like our presidents, our comedians, and our actors to do that . . . It’s funny. You say that people prefer a tasteful formalism—as opposed to an oppressive formalism—but I do feel very strongly that form follows function. I really do. I’ve said repeatedly in many interviews over the years, “Look, the styles in my films have changed, and each film has a function at the time at which it was made.” But I don’t know that the point has really ever gotten across yet. I have skipped from style to style from film to film, and I love doing that because it’s given me the ability to free myself from the past. Perhaps one of the worst feelings that I can have is the feeling that I’m locked in, like a prisoner of myself, which is something we all feel at some point in our lives. So part of making those stylistic jumps is just to free myself up-to get away from the old or the old Oliver Stone. When I make a new movie, I always get stuck with, “That’s not an Oliver Stone film.” But I don’t know what to do about that except just move on. That’s why I was really happy to do W. It’s a chance to shrug it all off again. That’s the way I approached making the movie, and I know it’s one of the issues with its relationship to the other two presidential films I’ve made. But I’m leading you now-

DS: That’s all right. That’s good. I actually feel a lot of parallels between W. and Scarface.

OS: That’s interesting. Why is that?

DS: Well, let me disclose that I’ve seen a couple of versions of the script for W., and one of the things that struck me is that it seems you set off to make a film that is in many ways a very sympathetic understanding of George W. Bush. It’s certainly not a positive portrayal, but it definitely feels like you set out to get inside of him as a character and to understand him on his own terms—which is, I think, exactly what you did with Tony Montana in Scarface.

OS: That’s correct. It’s what I tried to do with Nixon, too.

DS: W. has that autumnal quality that Nixon had, but I also feel there are ways in which you and W. . . . For all the things that you and George W. Bush don’t have in common as people, there are some things that you do.

OS: Well, we both went to Yale, class of ’68. And although W. came from a much more powerful family, both of our families did have aspirations for us. I didn’t have the size of the family that he did-I don’t have brothers and sisters or a lot of cousins. We didn’t have boarders at our house or anything like that. But I did go to Yale and was raised Republican-Eisenhower Republican or Rockefeller Republican, I like saying. My dad was staunchly pro-Vietnam, and, you know, I believed everything I read in the media and saw on television in the ’50s and ’60s. I really did. And I watched the war in Vietnam unfold on that basis, without irony. I went as a volunteer.

DS: You requested combat duty.

OS: I requested infantry—I didn’t want to get fucked out of that. I didn’t want to end up in Germany or in South Korea or anything. And I got what I wanted. I got it in spades.

DS: Well, there’s a big difference between you and George W. Bush. You skipped out of Yale, and W. skipped out of Vietnam.

OS: I know. There are a lot of differences at that point—the fork in the road is huge. And I wish that George W. Bush had gone to Vietnam, because he would have seen history in a different light. He would’ve experienced it in a different light because I don’t think he understood the nature of war.

DS: But you do get us to like George W. Bush. There’s a scene, for example, where he drives up drunk after getting into Harvard Business School—

OS: Well, it goes beyond him being a kid. I, quite frankly, find him to be likable in the way that he’s a goofball president—it’s like having a bit of a goofball in the White House. I mean, people don’t like Richard Nixon. I found that out when Nixon came out—people just did not like the movie because they did not like the man. I think the movie is very well made, but there’s a thing about Nixon that turned people off: a dark side that Cheney also has. But in George W. Bush, there’s no evidence of a dark side that people see, and I think that’s fascinating about him. So people, of course, like him and trust him. As [Karl] Rove said, He’s a man you can have a beer with. And there’s an ineffable charm in that. Even my mother, who is a diehard-you know, she’s a Republican-and she’s seen what’s happened these last eight years, but she’s rigid about that. She said, “Don’t make a movie, Oliver, where you demean Bush or you hurt Bush.” And I was trying not to do that. I was trying to be, you know, fair is a tough word . . .

DS: Well, when it comes to hurting his cause, W. has already got the job covered, hasn’t he?

OS: Yes, George W. Bush speaks for himself. I mean, the fact that we haven’t had to make up words is the beauty of it. With Nixon, we had to reach inside and find some of that material-Nixon was very much a man behind closed doors. With Bush, you don’t have to reach very far. He’s put a lot of great, colorful stuff out there.

DS: I wanted to ask about that: One of the things about the movie that I found myself really enjoying is that the material is so familiar. I felt it was sort of like going to a Rolling Stones concert. They’re going to play “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Brown Sugar,” but you don’t know when. There is a reference that W. makes to his poppy, George H. W. Bush, throwing up in Japan . . .

OS: Yeah, there’s a lot of that going on, a lot of inside stuff.

DS: But the way you handled weaving in some element of the Rumsfeld “unknown unknowns” briefing from 2002 about evidence that Iraq was supplying terrorists with weapons of mass destruction . . . It makes up for the, perhaps, overfamiliarity of the story by providing all these little moments.

OS: One of the dangers about making a movie about a current president is that everyone thinks they know him. I think that people think they know a lot about George W. Bush—I mean, wherever I go, everyone has an opinion. But people don’t really know everything they need to know about him. They don’t know the history. They know how it all plays into the present, but they don’t think about it in terms of the whole span of his life and how his past contributed to what his thinking was at various points and how he allowed these certain things to happen. So by putting his life into a two-hour framework and dealing with some of the complexities of his time growing up and his youth-the first act-and then the second act, where he really had his greatness, I suppose, in the ’90s with the baseball team [Bush was part owner of the Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1998] and the Texas governorship, where he reached his level, so to speak . . . And then the third act becomes very interesting because this is the payoff: the seeds of the man now and the growth and the strength. This is the man who became stronger than his father and became president. So the movie really takes place at that point. The fulcrum is in 2001, after 9/11, and the movie is climactically about that 2001-to-2003 period. We didn’t go beyond the beginning of ’04—once he goes into Iraq, we know what happens. We didn’t want to go into the crumbling apart because we sort of know what’s happening now.

DS: You’re right. Especially around W.’s campaigns for the governorship of Texas, there are some key moments, like where he stands up to his poppy about the fact that he’s going to run. There’s also the conversation with Rove, where Rove says, “I’ll tell you what to say.” And W. says, “You’re the wordsmith, you give me the words, but I’ll tell you what we’re saying.”

OS: There’s also one of those defining moments when he tells Laura that his father lacks the decisive spirit of a decision maker. Stuff like that. We took dialogue from everywhere. We did sometimes put it into another context, but we tried to stay true to the feeling of it. In other words, like Rumsfeld’s line—”I know what I know and I know what I don’t know . . . ” He’s a great press conference guy, Rumsfeld, but we’re not showing him in a press conference, so our difficulty as dramatists is to get that stuff contextually into dialogue so that it makes sense. You have to do that as a dramatist-you have to have the people in front of you. I reread all the same research books—I think the book about Paul O’Neill by Ron Suskind [The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill] was the first to break in 2004, and then Richard Clarke’s [Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror]. We read all those books, and they really started to change the picture of what was going on in the Bush administration. I really could not have made the movie in 2004, because we didn’t have the information. I mean, Bob Woodward penetrated a lot with his books, and there was also the other Suskind book, The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America’s Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11. We got a lot of that stuff into the movie, which was really tough to do. We put in a lot of rancorous disputes with Powell fighting with Cheney and Rumsfeld-there was sort of a triangle, and we went out on a limb in presenting that. Now I’ve been reading more and more that there were some big arguments behind the scenes, but that hasn’t really come out yet because Powell won’t write anything about it. Rumsfeld’s memoirs are coming, though I don’t think they’re going to be different than you’d expect—they’re going to be above it all, so to speak. But Powell did have some arguments. He did fight on behalf of his beliefs. All of these actors are great, by the way—Jeffrey Wright, who plays Powell, and Scott Glenn, who plays Rumsfeld. I can’t believe the humanity they brought to it.

DS: How did you handle presenting W.’s relationship with Laura? I really felt the truth of that couple. What did you do to get inside of that?

OS: There’s so little written on Laura-we read everything that we could, but then we had to go into the dialogue.

DS: That line, though, that’s in the film, “I read, I smoke, and I admire”-Laura Bush actually said that, didn’t she?

OS: I believe she said that in another context. Again, we have to deal with lines. If they said it to the press and we’re trying to fit it into a one-on-one situation, they won’t talk as they do sometimes to the public.

DS: There’s a moment of tremendous beauty in the script when W. and Laura are in London and Laura says, “Why don’t you go buy a suit?” And W. says, “The shoulders never fit.” That’s almost Death of a Salesman-like.

OS: “The shoulders never fit . . . ” I remember that line. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t shoot it.

DS: No?

OS: Yeah, I wrote the line. I don’t know if W. ever said that, though.

DS: Who cares?

OS: You liked that line?

DS: Oh, you’re fucking killing me.

OS: You have to recognize that this film was made -under Spartan conditions. Nobody in America wanted to make it, basically, except for one small company. And if it wasn’t for China and Australia and Germany, we wouldn’t even be talking about it right now. So thank God there’s a little diversity of thought in the world. But, you know, we made the film for $25 million, which is about 60 percent of what Nixon was made for, and we made W. in 46 days, which is amazing considering the amount of footage we got in that amount of time. Normally it would have been a 60- or a 70-day shoot, so I’m just saying that you have to let things go. You can’t fight for everything. So London is not in the film. I loved that scene, though, because I was in London when W. went through there [in 2003]. It was this remarkable moment in history, to just see an entire city closed down. They had to close down all of central London and keep everybody away from him. There were demonstrations. And the American media, again, did not really report it correctly.

DS: Well, obviously there was a hand behind that.

OS: Oh, yes. But that’s another movie, I suppose. In fact, I’m working on a documentary with Mark Weisbrot [the American economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C.]. He’s very good with media subjects and the dirty tricks that go on.

DS: When I look at your three presidential pictures, it does feel that, as different as they are, you could almost weave them together into a sort of John Dos Passos-like triptych on American disappointment.

OS: Wow. I wrote a long essay on Dos Passos in high school.

DS: Did you really?

OS: Yes, I was a big fan of his. I was a Republican in school, and I remember liking Midcentury. I was very impressed with that. The style was unbelievable. He hasn’t been appreciated. He really got the workers, you know? When I was a young man, I thought, Wow, I’ve never read something like this. I really -understood what the Wobblies were about, the socialists . . . And I didn’t realize it at the time, but I identified with them. I had my own political framework, but the humanity of it got through to me. I remember the sex in those books-as a young man, reading those things under lightbulbs in dingy rooms. Farm girls and stuff.

DS: Let’s talk about Natural Born Killers [1994] for a minute.

OS: Sure.

DS: I understood that maybe Quentin Tarantino, who wrote the script, didn’t like what you did with it. I don’t know if that’s something you can talk about . . .

OS: Quentin never saw the film at that time, frankly—he admitted. Quentin and I have since spoken many times. You know, he was a young filmmaker. He was coming up, and there was a big dispute with him and two producers, Don Murphy and Jane Hamsher, who had he thought undermined him and gotten the rights. It’s a complicated story, but basically everything was done legally. And then I announced I was going to make the movie, and he was upset because it was his movie. But he had never expressed a desire to do it.

DS: So it was a business fight rather than one about interpretation.

OS: According to some, he never saw the movie-or he walked out of it 10 minutes in or whatever. But he just didn’t like the fact that I had changed his screenplay. Quite considerably-that was his issue.

DS: What’s funny about Natural Born Killers, having seen the film when it came out, was that there were things about it, like certain aspects of W., that seemed very familiar—the predatory newsmen characters, for example. Yet over time, between YouTube and Abu Ghraib, it has shown itself to be an unbelievably prescient movie. The main characters, Mickey and Mallory, have these roles as the self-cast stars in their own drama. That’s become the story of our world today.

OS: You know, I felt at the time that those characters in Natural Born Killers were archetypes that we should do big and broad and that we should make it a cartoon . . . This was the way the world was going. I put my feelings at the end of the movie very clearly. There was a run of things happening at the time making front-page news. It started roughly around the time of Tonya Harding and John Wayne Bobbitt’s penis being cut off and terminated with O.J. Simpson. It was just these three years in the media where all of this stuff was seeping onto the front page of The New York Times. It was ridiculous. It’s when the news became entertainment, I guess. Wasn’t it Laurence Tisch who started that up 10 years before, at CBS, when he said that the news -division was going to have to make money on its own? It was around ’86 when Tisch got a hold of CBS-and I say that because I remember it very clearly. It was a shock at the time. CBS never recovered.

DS: And now you get the pictures from Abu Ghraib, and it does look like a cartoon. I mean, it’s an indecent cartoon . . .

OS: Well, it’s been written about like a cartoon because it never went further than that. The media never invested in really following up. The hard news takes time—it’s not one-day stuff. It took years to bring that to the surface, you know? It took so much time. It took a lot of work. And even now more details are coming out. So hard news takes time. It takes a nonprofit sensibility.

DS: I was reading something, I think around the time all of these Abu Ghraib pictures first came to light, about why the people were smiling in the pictures. There’s an amazing Weegee [Arthur Fellig] photograph called Their First Murder. It was taken on a street in New York City. It’s of all these people standing around [an out-of-frame] dead body, and there is one kid looking up and smiling straight into the camera-because that’s what you do when there’s a camera, right?

OS: Well, we have pictures like that from Vietnam, snapshots of people standing over bodies. It’s that white-hunter thing. It’s part of the human instinct, the death ray that we all have—that dark side in every single person. Even Mr. Bush. If anybody is a walking optimist, it’s George W. Bush, but even he must have a dark side. I think we took a few shots at exploring this idea of who he is toward the end of the film. It does come out—Josh Brolin did an extraordinary job of bringing that to the surface.

DS: Back to Scarface: Tony Montana is an ultimate example of a character who you’re totally blatant about as a writer in terms of your moral judgment of him. And yet you show him so purely that he has become a kind of ultimate folk hero. Did that surprise you? Or was that part of your goal?

OS: There was an impulse in that direction. I think Mickey and Mallory in Natural Born Killers are the same thing. I remember what happened in Scarface vividly because I did most of the research in Miami and in Fort Lauderdale and the Caribbean-there were just guys like that around. They were obviously not as big as Tony was, but there had been some chain saw murders, as you know, and the AK-47 had been introduced into the streets of Miami for the first time in around 1981. As a dramatist, you could imagine where things were going to go because the DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] was getting into the war on drugs down there big time-but they had no idea of the amount of money that was involved. They had no idea. I remember that the first estimates were in the $100 million range. It’s that big, you know? But little did we know that really, if you go back now and check Pablo Escobar and all that, the take was even bigger. It was probably in the billions.

DS: But what happened with the Tony Montana character afterward was like how Macbeth became a hero for Scotsmen.

OS: Yeah, well, I could say I was amazed. It did take off right away on the street. The black and Spanish communities really took to the picture, and they made a hero of the guy. I don’t think he was one. I think Al [Pacino] played him as an antihero, as a Brechtian character. Arturo Ui was really my influence in that, but it’s amazing . . . The same thing happened in Wall Street. Gordon Gekko was the antihero of the picture.

DS: You told me about the documentary that you’re doing with Mark Weisbrot, but what is the subject of the other one you are currently working on?

OS: It’s a secret. I’ve been working on it for a year. I’ve self-financed it up to today. It’s another one of those tough ones to get made.

DS: And then what’s next after that? Do you know?

OS: No, I really don’t. I wrote an original, which is a smaller film, but it’s really important to me and hopefully-maybe-I’ll get a chance to make it. The market has changed so much, and the business in the last 10 years—it’s gone, the way I know it. I’ve been operating on the edges since Nixon. I’ve been independent, except a couple of times when I went back and worked for studios under completely different circumstances than I had before. It’s just that the risk factor in making a film has become so enormous. The corporations have become bigger. The accounting mentality is completely dominating the business. So people like me-and directors in general-are kind of like a thing of the past.

DS: This can be a function of aging, but do you think you’re less angry than you once were? Because I think it would have been pretty fair to characterize you as an angry guy. Whenever I see pictures of you, you have these puffy eyes, and I always think, Oh, he’s been crying tears of rage his whole life.

OS: [laughs] Oh, really? It’s possible that I was angrier when I was younger. I think a function of getting older is that you figure out more and you become more compassionate toward everybody, even people who dislike you. I don’t think it’s an issue of what’s fair—I think that compassion is the key because in a movie, you have to relate to the person you’re telling the story about. Even if it’s Richard III or Henry VIII or Macbeth, you have to relate to that person. And that’s been part of my learning curve, too.

-Davitt Sigerson interviews Oliver Stone, Interview, Nov 25 2008 [x]

[average-fanfics]

Wizardess Heart Modern Au

So this was greatly inspired by Rayheart on tumblr, with her modern AU. I couldn’t help myself. I just had to write it. This is still Gedonelune but given a modern world instead. I am basing this off of both my high school in Australia and what my friend's high school is like for her in America. Also, Wienfix is mentioned in Sigurd's route (but I found it on tumblr). I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT AMERICAN FOOTBALL, SORRRRYYYYY….

“So Liz, you going to attend the football match tonight?” Liz turned to her left to face her best friend, Amelia. They were walking together on the way to their next class, which was an elective, and the only class they have together.

“Of course! I love to cheer on the football team, especially Klaus, Serge, Vincent, Guy, and Glenn!” Liz enjoys cheering on her friends every week, either it is a home game or an away game.

“You should consider the cheerleading squad, Liz,” Amelia suggested, combing her fingers through her orange hair, trying to catch knots that didn’t leave that morning with her hairbrush.

“I don’t know… plus I have to wear those suggestive outfits, and guys already hit on me left to right.” Liz explained her reason to not join. SHe would love to cheer for her guys and be a part of a team, but with boys around the school constantly flirting with her, she doesn’t want the extra attention.

“I understand your reasoning, but in most stories, the cheerleading squad girls are the most popular girls on campus! Think of that, popular!” Amelia’s grin was spread across her face, popularity looking good to her.

“I don’t need to be popular when I have friends that care about me.”

They stopped in their tracks as Amelia gives her a big hug. “This is why we all love you, Liz.”

“All I need is my friend’s love.” Liz hugged her back before the pair started walking again to their class.

Liz had spent years of her life alone, after her and her parents were involved in a freak car accident. When Liz was only 13, they were on a trip to the neighboring continent, Wienfix, when unfortunately, a drunk man speeding in the opposite direction collided with their car. The car was severely damaged in the front, killing both of Liz’s parents. She survived in the back seat and had to live with her aunt and cousin for 4 years till she was 17. She now lives in an apartment by herself, earning her wages by working at the local cat cafe.

The first period passed as normal, as did the next 3 periods until lunch. She had cooking during the 4th period, meaning payday. This was another way to earn money. She would cook and end up selling the food at lunchtime, she didn’t ask for this, but she needs any extra money to continue living alone.

“So today I made some Yo-Yos. They are an Australian biscuit, which is also called Melting Moments. They have a cream filling and are extremely sugary, with lots of butter as well. Unhealthy but delicious.” Liz explained the contents of the biscuit.

“They look delicious, Liz.” Elias was the first person to comment on her food. Having a sweet tooth, and instantly bought some before they were gone, Klaus not too far behind.

“Just what I need before practice. Be better if I had tea with me.” Klaus bought some before more guys started to show.

“You should try some coffee, Klaus. I bet these are amazing with coffee.” Sigurd butted in. Klaus instantly scrunched his face, disgusted by even the mention of coffee.

“Keep that coffee far away from me, also Serge gave me his money to buy some for him since he is already down at the pitch. He said he needed a lot of whatever you baked.” He gave extra money to Liz to buy some for Serge.

“Tell Serge I said hi, and you're welcome for baking these.” Liz smiled, knowing how happy Serge would be for these sweets.

“Will do.” And with that, Klaus was off.

“Can’t believe he won’t try coffee… Maybe I should swap his tea for coffee sometime.” Sigurd walked off after purchasing a couple of Yo-Yos. You could tell by the concentrated look on his face, he was figuring out a way to make Klaus drink coffee.

Lunch rolled past quickly, with all her sweets being sold before halfway through lunch. Yukiya had popped in to buy 1, while other’s like Luca and Joel, bought a handful, not letting the ‘beautiful’ food go to waste.

For the rest of lunch, she sat down on the grass field, overlooking the football and the football team practicing, with Amelia. They gossiped, well, Amelia gossiped, about what was going on through school. A secret relationship was revealed when they told their friends they were dating, and one girl accidentally told another girl. That other girl had a habit of not keeping things secret, and by the end of the day, Amelia was sure the whole year level would know this. And by the end of the week, the whole school would know. That was the way it worked here at Gedonelune High School. Something couldn’t remain a secret for long.

The day quickly ended, with Liz walking side by side with Amelia, on the way to the cat cafe to attend work. The bonus of working there, you get to hang around cats. When Amelia and Liz arrived, they changed into their uniform, a simple white shirt and black skirt with an apron. It had only been 5 mins until Elias walked through the door with a book in hand, and sat in his regular corner seat.

Liz walked up to him, with a notepad to take down orders in hand, and tapped his shoulder to get him out of his book. “So what would you like today, Elias? The normal chocolate and caramel slice with hot chocolate, or would you maybe want to try our new triple chocolate cake?”

“I would like the normal hot chocolate, 3 teaspoons of sugar and 2 marshmallows, and I would like to try the new chocolate cake please.” Elias smiled as a tabby cat came over and sat on his lap. “Hello, Mr. Fluffy, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” He talked to the cat, which was named Mr. Fluffy because of his large fluffy fur.

Liz walked back up to the counter and told Liz his order. “I swear, he orders diabetes every day.” Amelia laughed.

“Klaus isn’t any better. They both live off sugar, which apparently they and their older brother got from their father.” Liz laughed along as they both prepared his order. Liz working on the hot chocolate and Amelia cut a slice of cake for him. When both were finished, Liz walked back over to him with a plate in hand, and he instantly started eating.

After eating, Elias complimented her on the food. “Thank you, Liz, I deeply enjoyed the cake and hot chocolate.” He gave his fan-killing smile to Liz, which could melt anyone’s heart. “The cat’s are just an added bonus, as I mostly come here to see you- I mean eat your food! You did say you cook some of the food here, right!” He was blushing from head to toe, causing Liz to blush as well.

Liz gave a slight thank you, as she walked away to the counter, Amelia watching the exchange from her position with the widest grin on her face. “You two are soooo adorable together!” She squealed at Liz, getting excited. “I hope you two date someday!” This caused Liz to blush even more.

The next couple of hours continued, with Elias leaving not too long after the embarrassing conversation. He normally stays for longer, but the girls guess he couldn’t handle the embarrassment, but either could Liz. However, the shift continued with nothing of the sort happening again, just serving customers.

Amelia and Liz made plans that Amelia would drop Liz off at her place, as usual, but pick her up later to attend the football match. This prevented Liz from happening to walk to the school grounds at dark, even if the school is in walking distance.

An hour later, they were both at the school football field, cheering on their fellow friends. Sitting with them on the bleachers was Elias, Yukiya, Azusa, Joel, and Leon. Not too far was Cerim, Leslie, Sigurd and Mel, and Luca sitting amongst the girls, obviously with his new girlfriend, which would not last too long. God knows how many girlfriends he has had, although Amelia might actually know since she stays a top of gossip.

The game was off to a good start, with Guy being the fastest runner, scoring a goal. This continued on, with their team winning. With a combination of Glenn’s strength, Guy’s speed, their teammates, which includes Serge and Vincent, and Klaus’ leadership as captain, they were sure to win.

It was halftime break, and Amelia used this to talk to the guys sitting with her and Liz. “So Yukiya, take anymore stray cat’s home again?”

Yukiya moved his head so he was facing Amelia. “I found a stray cat on the way back home after school, but after mum’s last warning about bringing home another animal, I could only give him some leftover lunch and make a little shelter out of nearby boxes and containers.”

“Awww, that’s so sweet…” Amelia cooed.

“I could maybe take that cat home, could you show me where it is if it is still there?” Leon asked Yukiya, who was sitting next to him.

“Sure. Let’s just hope the cat is still there.”

“I love cats,” Elias joined the conversation. “but unfortunately, Klaus is allergic to cat hair so I’m not allowed to bring any home.”

“That’s a shame,” Yukiya responded.

The game then continued, with their school still in the lead. The other team was gaining up, causing a tie. Both teams were desperate to win this match, which would lead them to the finals. They had little time left and wanted to try every strategy to win. They decided on Guy going in for the final goal, and fortunately, he did it. He managed to score a goal before the end of the game, meaning that they won!

Everyone from Gedonelune High School ran down to the pitch to congratulate them on the win. Liz headed down as well, but not running like everyone else. She headed to where Klaus and Serge were crowded.

“Hello Klaus, Serge. Great job on winning tonight!” She smiled up at them as she felt happy for their win.

“Well, I couldn’t have done it without those delicious treats at lunch!” Serge hugged her, his way of saying thank you.

“Serge, I wouldn’t mind a hug normally, but you’re sweaty.” Liz pointed out. He immediately let go, now aware of how terrible he must smell.

“Those treats were delicious, Liz, and I do believe they helped us today.” Klaus butted in, obviously not happy that Serge was close to Liz.

The crowd eventually faded, and Liz was dropped off at her apartment by Amelia. She quickly changed into her pajamas, taking out her twin pig-tails held together by pink ribbon. She flopped onto her bed quite dramatically, as she felt exhausted from today’s events. She had a quick scroll through social media before falling fast asleep, dreaming about the events of the day. Selling food, the football match, and don’t forget about Elias’ blushing. That was the most awkward of today's events. She dreamed of something happening between the two, a romance.

She was happy in her dreamland until she woke up.

---

Word count: 1885

Yeah, so that is it. Will Liz end up with someone, since 15 guys like her? That scene with Elias though, our adorable tsundere is all grown up! If I continue this, it might have one feature guy per chapter, I don’t know. Again, thanks to Rayheart for her amazing modern AU that prompted me to write this!

[probably-eternal-blog]

Hard Times: PT. 6

Hard Times Part 6: Congratulations Word Count: 987 Pairing: Daryl x Female Reader Warnings: Smoking, Language

Author’s Note: The part I included in this chapter is not canon, I am fully aware, This is just how I would think the event would have happened if things didn’t happen the way they did. Please don’t shoot me!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was night time, Maggie and Glenn had invited the whole group together for dinner at their place. It wasn’t uncommon,  but it made you feel weird. having dinners with people you weren’t even sure they would be alive tomorrow. You were lying to yourself, you secretly loved being with everyone, made it feel more like a family, like home.

You scratched your scalp, running your palms across the velcro feeling of your shaved head, pondering on what you were going to wear tonight. You decided on a pair of jeans, and a black and white baseball shirt, you hadn’t worn it out on a supply run yet, so it was still pristine, the only shirt that you had that wasn’t almost completely riddled with holes.

You quickly got dressed, buttoning your jeans as Daryl came into the room raising an eyebrow as you turned to him.

“Hey, Glenn and Maggie invited all of us over for dinner. Want to go?”

“Sure.” His graveled voice croaked out.

“You gonna get dressed?”

“I am dressed.”

“I mean in clean clothes?”

“These are clean.”

“Okay, You don’t have to change if you don’t want to, I just thought maybe you’d like to get out of those sweaty duds.”

Daryl stared at you for a minute before going to his side of the closet, and grabbed a shirt from the hanger, exchanging his dirty shirt for the clean one.

“I guess yer right. I get real itchy.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The two of you walked down the street, side by side, hands grazing each other as you strolled along. The moon was full, illuminating your way as a soft breeze floated through the air. You sighed and looked over at Daryl, who was smoking a cigarette, smoke rolling from his mouth as it dangled.

“Can I have a drag?”

Daryl took the cigarette from his mouth and held it up to your lip, letting you take a drag, his knuckled brushing your lip as he pulled it away. God damn he was sexy, and he knew you thought he was sexy, he started to become aware of this from the way you bit your lip as you watched him do the simplest of tasks.

“Easy girl. Look at me like that anymore and I might spontaneously combust or something, you got fire burnin’ in'em bright.”

“Stop.”

“What?”

“Stop being so sexy.”

“I ain’t sexy.”

“Bullshit.”

He smirked as you two came up to Glenn and Maggie’s house, tossing the spent cigarette into a burning barrell nearby, as you two accended up the steps to the door.

Maggie was already there, holding the door open for you two;

“Hey you two, get on in here and get comfy, dinner is jus'bought ready.”

You went in first, and saw the whole team sitting in the living room, Glenn was in the floor with Judith, playing peek-a-boo with her, Judith’s sweet laughter filling the room, putting a smile on everyone’s face. It wasn’t much, but there is nothing better than a baby laughing in delight. Especially in times like this.

You and Daryl sat down together on the loveseat opposing the couch where Carl, Rick, and Michonne were sitting, Daryl put his arm around the back of the couch, placing his hand gently on the back of your head, absentmindedly carressing.

“About time you two showed up!” Rick smirked;

“We were starting to wonder if ya’ll were even gonna show!”

“Miss this? No way in hell would I miss this. Out of all the things we all do together, this is probably my favorite.”

You smiled warmly at Rick, who cocked his head in approval.

“Dinner is ready!” You heard Maggie say from the kitchen, bringing a huge pot to the farm table in the middle of the dinning room, and sat it down, “Ya’ll come eat!”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The soup was delicious, the family had been fed, and everyone was telling stories. You were sure the laughter could be heard all throughout Alexandria. A tiny shred of joy that was well deserved.

“Yeah, Judith is getting ready to talk, and I just know it’s going to be Shit, from all of us contributing!”

“Hey! I’m clear of this, I haven’t cussed once in front of her!”

You said, defending yourself.

“Of course you’d be safe, I was just pullin’ everyone’s leg.”

Rick sat back in his chair, looking over at Glenn and Maggie as they stood up.

“Well. We didn’t just invite you guys over for dinner, we wanted to spend some time with you guys, and tell you all something.”

Glenn said, beeming a million dollar smile, looking over to Maggie, who had came to stand next to him.

“I’m pregnant.”

The whole room came to an uproar, Rick got up and hugged the two of them.

Congratulations were going all around. It was such great news. Glenn would be an excellent father, and Maggie a great mother. You smiled at them as everyone gave them congratulatory hugs.

“Looks like I’ll be on the lookout for cute baby clothes!” You chimed in, Daryl curved the corner of his mouth up at you, giving you that handsome crooked grin that drove you insane.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It had been a month since the news was announced. Everyone banding together to get the new baby stuff. You did find some cute clothes, even got lucky and found a few diapers in a CVS.

You were busy making more rag dolls from more discarded clothes for the baby, this time working on a small teddy bear. You tried to keep yourself busy, Daryl wouldn’t let you go out on runs very much, especially since he was in full blown baby mode. He didn’t want to lose you, you meant the world to him, you were home.

Daryl came into the house, kicking his boots off at the door, and came into the living room where you were. You looked up at him, and smiled.

“Hey sugar britches.”

“Hey sweetheart.”

He came over and sat down next to you on the floor, picking up  small scrap of fabric, and playing with it.

“Makin’ more dolls? You should do this for all the kids, I bet they’d all love ‘em.”

You nodded, concentrating on the curve of the teddy bear’s arm, trying to get it right.

“Yeah, if I could find more scraps of fabric that weren’t useless, I would be more than happy to do it.”

“Wanna try to hit up an art store or sum'n? I bet'cha could find some there.”

“That’d be nice.”

You finished the bear and sat it down next to you on the floor.

“Well? How’d today go?” you asked, bringing your knees up to your chest, as you looked over him.

“Was alright. Didn’t find a whole lot. Happened to find some more vitamins for Maggie.”

You nodded.

“That’s good. Anything else?”

“Found these.”

He pulled a crumpled up box and sat them next to you, the box was faded, but you could tell what it was.

“Pregnancy tests?”

“Yeah…Just figured, you know…In case you think you might be pregnant sometime.”

Daryl looked away, and bit the pad of his thumb.

You sat there for a minute, looking down at the box. How long had it been since you had your period? You could'nt remember for the life of you. You felt a cold sweat break out on the back of your neck, Were you pregnant?

“No, I actually think I might need these.. It’s been a while..”

Daryl snapped his head to look at you.

“What’d'ya mean?”

“I mean, I haven’t had my period, it’s been a while, I can’t remember the last time I had one.”

Daryl shot up from the floor.

“Go take one!”

He helped you up and followed you to the downstairs restroom closing the door behind you.

“You’re going to watch me?”

You asked, as he leaned up against the counter.

“Uh, yeah. I want to know too.”

You shrugged and started unbuttoning your pants.

“I just thought that you wouldn’t want to watch me pee on a plastic stick. That’s all.”

“Darlin’ we’ve had sex, ain’t no secrecy anymore.”

You pulled your pants down, pregnancy test in hand, taking it out of the wrapper, and prepping it before putting it between your thighs.

“Touche’”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

@magpiegirl80 @karuraira @carriecat101 @aimeethepizza @copripiumone@strangersangel9 @smuttwd @zombeeegurl @littlequeertesia

[lalka-laski]

Did you ever pretend you were someone else as a favor for a friend? I’ve made several phone-calls for my sister pretending to be her. Luckily we have the same voice.  Do you own a water gun? I did as a kid! What item most embarrasses you to purchase? I have very childish tastebuds so I sometimes get embarrassed buying my sugary cereals, juices or stuff like mac & cheese.  Do you know any actual dances or do you just move to the music? I know the cheesy choreographed dances you do at weddings, like the Cha Cha Slide & the Cupid Shuffle.

Do you eat pork and beans? I’m a vegetarian  What is the last thing you referred to as legit? I haven’t used that word in a long, long while Do you give cards to people for holidays or events? Yes! I prefer (giving and receiving) cards over gifts.  Do you have anything hanging from the ceiling of your room? A ceiling fan. Speaking of, I gotta have maintenance come & take a look at it because it makes all these rickety noises and drives me bananas.  Name the coolest thing about one of your grandparents. My grandpa was goalkeeper for Northern Ireland’s national football (soccer) team. He has some amazing stories about his travels. Which do you prefer, doctor or dentist? I prefer going to the dentist simply because he is hot :P And I love to gossip with my hygienists. My mom, sisters & I have all been going to this office since I was a kid and they love us there. Are any walls of your room blank? All of them are. I have some cool artwork that I’ve been meaning to hang up for AGES though.  What color are your favorite shoes? I prefer going barefoot  If someone was willing to tell the person you like that you liked them, would you let them? I think Glenn has a PRETTY good idea about my feelings for him :P Do you know the zodiac signs of your friends? Yep. I like to dabble in astrology.  Do you drink any hot beverages? What? Coffee & tea, all kinds.  Name two things you put whipped cream on? Sundaes. My body ;) Who is the last person who saw you with bare feet? Glenn Do you ever eat peanut butter straight from the jar? Mhm Do you know how to ride a bike? Do you own one? I do. And I have been meaning to buy a bike for awhile now.  What was the last pill you took for? Heartburn Any friends you only know online? A few people on Twitter Do you ever talk to your next door neighbor? We exchange pleasantries when we pass each other in the hallway or parking lot. And I left him my number once when I mistakenly took & opened one of his Amazon packages. He was SO nice & understanding about it though. Good dude.  Did anything shock you today? Nope. And I’d like it to stay that way. Unless I get a shock of winning the lottery or something  Are you wearing a hoodie right now? Nope Do you prefer your clothes loose or close fitting? I like things pretty form-fitting Are your favorite pants jeans? I prefer leggings/jeggings Favorite thing you’ve ever painted? A David Bowie sugar skull  Are there any songs that remind you of your mother? Solsbury Hill & Drops of Jupiter. Among many others.  If you had a sister, would you prefer her older or younger? Why? I have one of each! Best (or worst??) of both worlds!

[rjptalk]

Liebster Award Nomination

AUGUST 7, 2020 / LYNCRAIN

I don’t usually do these because they WERE intended for new bloggers to help boost their readership. I’ve been blogging daily — unless I was in the hospital — for eight years with nearly 15,000 followers and just under 11,000 posts. No one could call me a new blogger. But the intent is kindly. and I won’t name anyone. But if you like the questions, please feel free to jump in with your own answers. And if you are a new or newish blogger, grab this nomination and run with it! I did when I was starting out.

And the 11 questions for the nominees are:

1. What’s your reading preference? A physical book or on Kindle?

Actually, it’s audiobooks. I have trouble focusing on print on any page. If my only choice is to read it, I will choose a Kindle where I can at least make the type bigger. Also, Kindles are lighter than books and I don’t need a light because they are backlit.

2. If books could talk what would they say about your reading choices?

That they are magical, or maybe excessively long. Too historical. Or too spacey. I am extremely fond of history, mystery, and wizardry. I get more than enough reality during our news breaks. These days, there is way too much reality lurking around me. I want to get through whatever this thing is that we are going through and then somehow manage to live for a few years that are a little bit more fun. Magical years.

3. Cat or Dog lover? Or some other creature?

Cats, dogs, birds, horses and anything else that lives and breathes, minus insects of which i am sincerely NOT fond. I don’t mind lizards and non-poisonous snakes, but I freak out at spiders. I can’t help it. It’s irrational.

4. What’s your favorite comfort food? Is there a story behind it?

Sushi and Tempura. I love Japanese food. Fortunately, Garry loves it too. Unfortunately, there were two really good Japanese restaurants in the area. One has already closed down since the COVID-19 pandemic. I don’t know about the other one. I hope it will still be around when this mess is over. I think it’s possible that other than fast food joints, this town no long has any functional restaurants. We didn’t have much to begin with and now, we have nothing.

The story behind it is that when i came back from 9-1/2 years in Israel, my son and ex-husband said they were taking me out for sushi. i said I didn’t know if i would like it. Raw fish? But they took me out for sushi and it has been my favorite food ever since. Good thing Garry was already a fan.

5. What’s your preference for travel… planes, trains, boats, or automobile?

I love boats, but going out on one isn’t really travel. It’s a fun day sail with friends. i loathe airports and airplanes. There was a time, when I was much younger, that flying was a luxury. Now, it’s a nightmare unless you have enough money for first class and even then, I always get sick when I fly. It’s all that recycled air. All you need is one sneezer or cougher to get their germs into the recycling machinery and voila. Now, with COVID? I’d have to be nuts to fly.

But we do drive. Not very far because I’m afraid of restaurants and public toilets. I’m beginning to sound like my mother.

6. Married or single or in a relationship or non-applicable?

Married, married, and married again. I was married at 18 the first time. Divorced at 30. Remarried at 32. Divorced at 41. Remarried at 43 and still married till the end of time at 73. Thirty years. And we COULD have done it thirty years ago but the husband was so deeply involved in his work, he didn’t have time to be a  husband. Then one day, he realized that something was missing. Me. He says he was too immature to marry me and save me that miserable middle marriage. Hrrrumph.

7. What was your favorite activity as a child?

Reading.

8. If you had to pick one , would it be a blog entry or a poem for your epitaph, which one would it be?

I really don’t care. Dead is dead. I don’t even care if I have an epitaph, but I hope they have a nice party for me and everyone laughs a lot.

9. Favorite song? Why?

We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billy Joel

Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio

Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe

Rosenbergs, H-bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom Brando, “The King and I” and “The Catcher in the Rye”

Eisenhower, vaccine, England’s got a new queen Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye

We didn’t start the fire It was always burning Since the world’s been turning We didn’t start the fire No we didn’t light it But we tried to fight it

Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc

Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron Dien Bien Phu falls, “Rock Around the Clock”

Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn’s got a winning team Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland

Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev Princess Grace, “Peyton Place”, trouble in the Suez

We didn’t start the fire It was always burning Since the world’s been turning We didn’t start the fire No we didn’t light it But we tried to fight it

Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac Sputnik, Chou En-Lai, “Bridge on the River Kwai”

Lebanon, Charlse de Gaulle, California baseball Starkweather, homicide, children of thalidomide

Buddy Holly, “Ben Hur”, space monkey, Mafia Hula hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go

U2, Syngman Rhee, payola and Kennedy Chubby Checker, “Psycho”, Belgians in the Congo

We didn’t start the fire It was always burning Since the world’s been turning We didn’t start the fire No we didn’t light it But we tried to fight it

Hemingway, Eichmann, “Stranger in a Strange Land” Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion

“Lawrence of Arabia”, British Beatlemania Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson

Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British politician sex JFK, blown away, what else do I have to say

We didn’t start the fire It was always burning Since the world’s been turning We didn’t start the fire No we didn’t light it But we tried to fight it

Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline Ayatollah’s in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan

“Wheel of Fortune”, Sally Ride, heavy metal, suicide Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz Hypodermics on the shores, China’s under martial law Rock and roller cola wars, I can’t take it anymore

We didn’t start the fire It was always burning Since the world’s been turning We didn’t start the fire But when we are gone Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on

We didn’t start the fire It was always burning Since the world’s been turning We didn’t start the fire No we didn’t light it But we tried to fight it

We didn’t start the fire It was always burning Since the world’s been turning We didn’t start the fire No we didn’t light it But we tried to fight it …

Songwriters: Billy Joel

We Didn’t Start the Fire lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

This isn’t my favorite song, but it is the one to which I most relate now, in this time and place. My real favorite “song” is Beethoven’s Sixth “Pastoral” Symphony. I can hum along with all of it.

10. Favorite author? Why?

It’s a list. I can’t pick one. But it’s not a huge list. Well, it could be a huge list, but i’ve got myself roped in.

Anne Golon (Angelique)

Jim Butcher (The Harry Dresden Series)

Gretchen Archer (Davis Way Capers)

James Lee Burke (Robicheaux and everything else)

Jodie Taylor (The Chronicles of St Mary’s and more)

Doris Kearns Goodwin (all her histories are phenomenal)

I think there are a lot more, but this will just have to do it for the moment. I really could go on forever.

11. What makes you smile, no matter how many times you see it? Why?

Bizarro. His comics are the best. I’ve been laughing at them since I was young and living in Boston. I absolutely love his work.

Bizarro

The elephant in the room

The last Session

Piano lessons?

A personal favorite. I got contact lenses — and no one noticed any difference in my appearance.

You need at least ONE literary comic, right? People still read, don’t they?

NOT EXACTLY A LIEBSTER AWARD, BUT ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS Liebster Award Nomination AUGUST 7, 2020 / LYNCRAIN I don't usually do these because they WERE intended for new bloggers to help boost their readership.

[averagefanfics]

So this was greatly inspired by Rayheart on tumblr, with her modern AU. I couldn’t help myself. I just had to write it. This is still Gedonelune but given a modern world instead. I am basing this off of both my high school in Australia and what my friend's high school is like for her in America. Also, Wienfix is mentioned in Sigurd's route (but I found it on tumblr). I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT AMERICAN FOOTBALL, SORRRRYYYYY….

“So Liz, you going to attend the football match tonight?” Liz turned to her left to face her best friend, Amelia. They were walking together on the way to their next class, which was an elective, and the only class they have together.

“Of course! I love to cheer on the football team, especially Klaus, Serge, Vincent, Guy, and Glenn!” Liz enjoys cheering on her friends every week, either it is a home game or an away game.

“You should consider the cheerleading squad, Liz,” Amelia suggested, combing her fingers through her orange hair, trying to catch knots that didn’t leave that morning with her hairbrush.

“I don’t know… plus I have to wear those suggestive outfits, and guys already hit on me left to right.” Liz explained her reason to not join. SHe would love to cheer for her guys and be a part of a team, but with boys around the school constantly flirting with her, she doesn’t want the extra attention.

“I understand your reasoning, but in most stories, the cheerleading squad girls are the most popular girls on campus! Think of that, popular!” Amelia’s grin was spread across her face, popularity looking good to her.

“I don’t need to be popular when I have friends that care about me.”

They stopped in their tracks as Amelia gives her a big hug. “This is why we all love you, Liz.”

“All I need is my friend’s love.” Liz hugged her back before the pair started walking again to their class.

Liz had spent years of her life alone, after her and her parents were involved in a freak car accident. When Liz was only 13, they were on a trip to the neighboring continent, Wienfix, when unfortunately, a drunk man speeding in the opposite direction collided with their car. The car was severely damaged in the front, killing both of Liz’s parents. She survived in the back seat and had to live with her aunt and cousin for 4 years till she was 17. She now lives in an apartment by herself, earning her wages by working at the local cat cafe.

The first period passed as normal, as did the next 3 periods until lunch. She had cooking during the 4th period, meaning payday. This was another way to earn money. She would cook and end up selling the food at lunchtime, she didn’t ask for this, but she needs any extra money to continue living alone.

“So today I made some Yo-Yos. They are an Australian biscuit, which is also called Melting Moments. They have a cream filling and are extremely sugary, with lots of butter as well. Unhealthy but delicious.” Liz explained the contents of the biscuit.

“They look delicious, Liz.” Elias was the first person to comment on her food. Having a sweet tooth, and instantly bought some before they were gone, Klaus not too far behind.

“Just what I need before practice. Be better if I had tea with me.” Klaus bought some before more guys started to show.

“You should try some coffee, Klaus. I bet these are amazing with coffee.” Sigurd butted in. Klaus instantly scrunched his face, disgusted by even the mention of coffee.

“Keep that coffee far away from me, also Serge gave me his money to buy some for him since he is already down at the pitch. He said he needed a lot of whatever you baked.” He gave extra money to Liz to buy some for Serge.

“Tell Serge I said hi, and you're welcome for baking these.” Liz smiled, knowing how happy Serge would be for these sweets.

“Will do.” And with that, Klaus was off.

“Can’t believe he won’t try coffee… Maybe I should swap his tea for coffee sometime.” Sigurd walked off after purchasing a couple of Yo-Yos. You could tell by the concentrated look on his face, he was figuring out a way to make Klaus drink coffee.

Lunch rolled past quickly, with all her sweets being sold before halfway through lunch. Yukiya had popped in to buy 1, while other’s like Luca and Joel, bought a handful, not letting the ‘beautiful’ food go to waste.

For the rest of lunch, she sat down on the grass field, overlooking the football and the football team practicing, with Amelia. They gossiped, well, Amelia gossiped, about what was going on through school. A secret relationship was revealed when they told their friends they were dating, and one girl accidentally told another girl. That other girl had a habit of not keeping things secret, and by the end of the day, Amelia was sure the whole year level would know this. And by the end of the week, the whole school would know. That was the way it worked here at Gedonelune High School. Something couldn’t remain a secret for long.

The day quickly ended, with Liz walking side by side with Amelia, on the way to the cat cafe to attend work. The bonus of working there, you get to hang around cats. When Amelia and Liz arrived, they changed into their uniform, a simple white shirt and black skirt with an apron. It had only been 5 mins until Elias walked through the door with a book in hand, and sat in his regular corner seat.

Liz walked up to him, with a notepad to take down orders in hand, and tapped his shoulder to get him out of his book. “So what would you like today, Elias? The normal chocolate and caramel slice with hot chocolate, or would you maybe want to try our new triple chocolate cake?”

“I would like the normal hot chocolate, 3 teaspoons of sugar and 2 marshmallows, and I would like to try the new chocolate cake please.” Elias smiled as a tabby cat came over and sat on his lap. “Hello, Mr. Fluffy, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” He talked to the cat, which was named Mr. Fluffy because of his large fluffy fur.

Liz walked back up to the counter and told Liz his order. “I swear, he orders diabetes every day.” Amelia laughed.

“Klaus isn’t any better. They both live off sugar, which apparently they and their older brother got from their father.” Liz laughed along as they both prepared his order. Liz working on the hot chocolate and Amelia cut a slice of cake for him. When both were finished, Liz walked back over to him with a plate in hand, and he instantly started eating.

After eating, Elias complimented her on the food. “Thank you, Liz, I deeply enjoyed the cake and hot chocolate.” He gave his fan-killing smile to Liz, which could melt anyone’s heart. “The cat’s are just an added bonus, as I mostly come here to see you- I mean eat your food! You did say you cook some of the food here, right!” He was blushing from head to toe, causing Liz to blush as well.

Liz gave a slight thank you, as she walked away to the counter, Amelia watching the exchange from her position with the widest grin on her face. “You two are soooo adorable together!” She squealed at Liz, getting excited. “I hope you two date someday!” This caused Liz to blush even more.

The next couple of hours continued, with Elias leaving not too long after the embarrassing conversation. He normally stays for longer, but the girls guess he couldn’t handle the embarrassment, but either could Liz. However, the shift continued with nothing of the sort happening again, just serving customers.

Amelia and Liz made plans that Amelia would drop Liz off at her place, as usual, but pick her up later to attend the football match. This prevented Liz from happening to walk to the school grounds at dark, even if the school is in walking distance.

An hour later, they were both at the school football field, cheering on their fellow friends. Sitting with them on the bleachers was Elias, Yukiya, Azusa, Joel, and Leon. Not too far was Cerim, Leslie, Sigurd and Mel, and Luca sitting amongst the girls, obviously with his new girlfriend, which would not last too long. God knows how many girlfriends he has had, although Amelia might actually know since she stays a top of gossip.

The game was off to a good start, with Guy being the fastest runner, scoring a goal. This continued on, with their team winning. With a combination of Glenn’s strength, Guy’s speed, their teammates, which includes Serge and Vincent, and Klaus’ leadership as captain, they were sure to win.

It was halftime break, and Amelia used this to talk to the guys sitting with her and Liz. “So Yukiya, take anymore stray cat’s home again?”

Yukiya moved his head so he was facing Amelia. “I found a stray cat on the way back home after school, but after mum’s last warning about bringing home another animal, I could only give him some leftover lunch and make a little shelter out of nearby boxes and containers.”

“Awww, that’s so sweet…” Amelia cooed.

“I could maybe take that cat home, could you show me where it is if it is still there?” Leon asked Yukiya, who was sitting next to him.

“Sure. Let’s just hope the cat is still there.”

“I love cats,” Elias joined the conversation. “but unfortunately, Klaus is allergic to cat hair so I’m not allowed to bring any home.”

“That’s a shame,” Yukiya responded.

The game then continued, with their school still in the lead. The other team was gaining up, causing a tie. Both teams were desperate to win this match, which would lead them to the finals. They had little time left and wanted to try every strategy to win. They decided on Guy going in for the final goal, and fortunately, he did it. He managed to score a goal before the end of the game, meaning that they won!

Everyone from Gedonelune High School ran down to the pitch to congratulate them on the win. Liz headed down as well, but not running like everyone else. She headed to where Klaus and Serge were crowded.

“Hello Klaus, Serge. Great job on winning tonight!” She smiled up at them as she felt happy for their win.

“Well, I couldn’t have done it without those delicious treats at lunch!” Serge hugged her, his way of saying thank you.

“Serge, I wouldn’t mind a hug normally, but you’re sweaty.” Liz pointed out. He immediately let go, now aware of how terrible he must smell.

“Those treats were delicious, Liz, and I do believe they helped us today.” Klaus butted in, obviously not happy that Serge was close to Liz.

The crowd eventually faded, and Liz was dropped off at her apartment by Amelia. She quickly changed into her pajamas, taking out her twin pig-tails held together by pink ribbon. She flopped onto her bed quite dramatically, as she felt exhausted from today’s events. She had a quick scroll through social media before falling fast asleep, dreaming about the events of the day. Selling food, the football match, and don’t forget about Elias’ blushing. That was the most awkward of today's events. She dreamed of something happening between the two, a romance.

She was happy in her dreamland until she woke up.

---

Word count: 1885

Yeah, so that is it. Will Liz end up with someone, since 15 guys like her? That scene with Elias though, our adorable tsundere is all grown up! If I continue this, it might have one feature guy per chapter, I don’t know. Again, thanks to Rayheart for her amazing modern AU that prompted me to write this!

[sandiegodjstaci]

Michelle & Michael's Trekkie Water Conservation Garden Wedding

Michelle & Michael's Trekkie Water Conservation Garden Wedding

Of all the San Diego wedding DJs calling America’s finest city home, Michelle & Michael chose me to DJ and MC their groovin’ Water Conservation Garden wedding on Saturday, April 6, 2019. The following write-up is based on San Diego DJ Staci’s crazy organized & detailed outline for this Water Conservation Garden wedding.

  (c) San Diego DJ Staci, the Track Star

THE WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN WEDDING CEREMONY

Prelude ➔ Hedwig’s Theme – Vitamin String Quartet, Island in the Sun – Vitamin String Quartet, Kingdom Hearts – Dearly Beloved, The Princess Bride (“Storybook Love,” Mark Knopfler cover) – Vitamin String Quartet, Canon in D – Violin Sisters

Wedding Party Processional ➔ Star Trek The Next Generation theme (Vitamin String Quartet) – Cue to 0:34

Bride Processional ➔ Bridal March – Violin Sisters

Interlude (unity candle) ➔ Harry in Winter (Harry Potter soundtrack) – Vitamin String Quartet

Recessional  ➔ Marry You (Bruno Mars)

  (c) San Diego DJ Staci, the Track Star

THE COCKTAIL HOUR & DINNER MUSIC

While San Diego DJ Staci offers couples pre-set cocktail & dinner playlists to choose from, Michelle & Michael opted to hand-select their background music for their Water Conservation Garden wedding.

  THE WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN WEDDING RECEPTION

MC Welcome ➔ “Good evening! Welcome to Michelle & Michael’s wedding reception!!! I am the Master of Ceremonies, DJ Staci. Please take your seats so we can officially welcome our guests of honor. If you need to charge your devices, I do have a mini charging station up here including some universal chargers.”

“Tonight I’m going to be sharing a lot of stories about Michelle + Michael with you. To get rolling, let’s tackle the first ‘I love you.’ On August 27th, 2015, at Birch Aquarium in La Jollla…Michael planned their date that day expressly so he could tell Michelle he loved her out on the ocean deck…how sweet!!! Ladies & gentlemen, put your hands together for the introduction of the wedding party…”

Grand Entrance ➔ Hedwig’s Theme (Harry Potter soundtrack) – John Williams

1. Give it up for Groomsman Brandon & Nick with Bridesmaid Shara!!!

2. Please welcome bridesmaid Audrey & Groomsman Aaron!!!

3. Show some love to Maid of Honor Stephanie & Best Man Thomas!!!

➔ Star Trek – Insurrection: End Credits – Jerry Goldsmith (cue to 0:20) ➔ “They met on June 3rd, 2015, at ‘wing night’ at San Diego Brewing Co. after getting to know each other on Ok Cupid. Not soon after, they started officially dating as boyfriend and girlfriend. Together they enjoy video games, summer concerts, snorkeling, going to the movies, theme parks, zoos & aquariums, hanging out with friends, & traveling. They are planning a honeymoon to Maui, Hawaii. Ladies & gentlemen, get on your feet to welcome–for the FIRST TIME EVER–Mr. & Mrs. H—–!!!”

➔ First Dance ➔  You and Me – Lifehouse ➔ fade early: 3 mins ➔ “On June 4th, 2017, to celebrate her birthday, Mike and Michelle went to Universal Studios Hollywood & dressed up in their Harry Potter robes. In front of the Hogwarts castle with all of their friends around, Mike surprised Michelle by getting down on one knee and presenting her with a ring he designed himself. We know how Michelle answered because we are about to welcome Mr. & Mrs. H to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife.”

➔ Newlywed Brief Welcome/Thank You Speech ➔ yes

5:45 pm ➔ Meal Served: Buffet ➔ Dismiss tables: Day-Of Coordinator

➔ Toasts ➔ champagne ➔ “Ladies & gentlemen, I hope you are enjoying your meals. On that note, may I have your attention please for the toasts. Welcome our first speakers:

➔ Parents of the Bride – Jon & Susan

➔ Best Man & Brother of the Groom – Tom

➔ Maid of Honor & Sister of the Bride – Stephanie

➔ Mother-Son Dance ➔ “Sweetheart Tree,” Johnny Mathis ➔ fade early: no ➔ “Now let’s welcome Michael & his mother, Rebecca, to the dance floor to share a special dance.”

➔ Father-Daughter Dance ➔ Michelle – The Beatles ➔ fade early: no ➔ “And now let’s welcome Michelle & her father, Jon, to the dance floor.”

➔ Group Photo on Dance Floor

➔ Open Dancing

8:30 PM +/- ➔ Formal Cake Cutting ➔ Sugar, Sugar (The Archies)

➔ Garter Removal ➔ Stray Cat Strut (Stray Cats)

➔ Garter Toss ➔ Pour Some Sugar on Me (Def Lepard)

➔ Bouquet Toss ➔ Run The World (Beyoncé)

➔ Money Dance ➔ How Sweet It Is – James Taylor, Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley, You’re My Best Friend – Queen, In the Mood – Glenn Miller

9:00 pm ➔ Photographer leaves

9:57 pm ➔ Last Dance

  (c) San Diego DJ Staci, the Track Star

  MICHELLE & MICHAEL’S DANCE MUSIC RECIPE

Dance Music Rating ➔ PG-13 early on then some R/X-rated as it gets later

Play A Lot ➔ Top 40/Pop, 80s Pop/Rock/New Wave, 90s R&B/Boy Bands/Pop, Motown/Funk

Play A Few ➔ Disco, Oldies, Electronic Dance Music, 70s/Classic Rock, Slow Dances

♥ M U S T – P L A Y S ♥

Too Close – Alex Clare, Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley (later in the night!), Cha Cha Slide, Cupid Shuftle, YMCA, I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys, Island in the Sun – Weezer, Shut Up and Dance, Tearin’ up my Heart – NSYNC, Time of Our Lives – Pitbull, Thinking out Loud – Ed Sheeran

♥ P L A Y   I F   Y O U   C A N ♥

Fireball – Pitbull, Larger Than Life – Backstreet Boys, Crazy in Love – Beyoncé, Shape of You – Ed Sheeran, Can’t Stop this Feeling – Justin Timberlake, Give me Everything – Pitbull, Dynamite – Taio Cruz

♥ D O   N O T   P L A Y S ♥

Country, Chicken Dance, Whip Nae Nae

  (c) San Diego DJ Staci, the Track Star

  THE WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN WEDDING FLOOR PLAN

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDOR LIST

Here is the amazing team of San Diego wedding vendors I had the pleasure of working with on this Water Conservation Garden wedding:

Venue ➔ Water Conservation Garden (at Cuyamaca College)

Day-Of Coordinator ➔  Kes Event Planning

Caterer ➔  Taquizas Victor

DJ ➔ DJ Staci, the Track Star

Photographer ➔ Shot by Ellen

Officiant ➔ Pastor Manuel Retamoza

Cake Bakery ➔ DIY

Florist ➔ Sweets & Buds

Again, I was honored to be the one and only San Diego wedding DJ Michelle & Mike trusted with their Water Conservation Garden wedding. Thank you!

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[torentialtribute]

England manager Gareth Southgate reaping rewards of giving youth their chance

Sir Alex Ferguson may seem a strange example to a manager from England. The Scot was not always considered to be the most helpful when he understood that the English team could replace Manchester United

Gary Neville recalls that there was once a dispute between when England ruled Glenn Hoddle and Sir Alex about whether he should return to Manchester or stay with England. & # 39; I could hear the manager calling: & # 39; That boy is coming home now! & # 39; "Neville wrote in his autobiography. & # 39; Blood ran from Hoddle & # 39; s face. Eventually he came on the phone."

Yet it is Sir Alex who coach England Gareth Southgate invokes the fact that he is in charge of feeding an extraordinary generation of teenage talent in the national team.

Sir Alex Ferguson may seem strange

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Sir Alex Ferguson may seem a strange role model for England manager Gareth Southgate

On Friday evening, England built on the progress they had made in the fall and underlined their status as one of the most feared teams in world football with a 5-0 win over the Czech Republic.

The sight of Jadon Sancho making his way down the right wing, just as he had been in the Bundesliga, has been shown to the English eyes what the Germans knew: he really is among the best teenage talents in the game.

To see his childhood friend, Callum Hudson-Odoi, come off the bench – still not familiar with a League-start from Maurizio Sarri in Chelsea – and injected the same foot on the left from the last 20 minutes om Understand the depth of talent that comes in. Maybe it's Phil Foden from Manchester City.

Wolf Gibbs-White van Wolves will be released soon. Joe Gomez from Liverpool will return from an injury. Marcus Rashford was in Russia, but only as an additional player. Trent Alexander-Arnold is ready to play the right-back role if he can pass Kyle Walker.

But he is already ahead of Kieran Trippier and the stars of the summer can be repressed.

Southgate feels the responsibility very hard: it is the rich legacy that Southgate is burdened with when considering Euro 2020, which, if they reach the end at Wembley, would see England playing the majority of their games at home. & # 39; Very sorry, & # 39; he said. & # 39; I think that applies to everything: how much we expose them to the public, how much we put them in commercial situations.

& # 39; We have to think about all this time because it is very easy for them to enjoy these moments. And they must enjoy these moments. But there is also a good balance.

<img id = "i-e6666c3f95150717" src = "https://ift.tt/2uoMWtF image-a-17_1553374801225.jpg "height =" 435 "width =" 634 "alt =" Raheem Sterling was the star of the Wembley show when he scored a hat trick on Friday morning "

<img id =" i -e6666c3f95150717 "src =" https://ift.tt/2Fm8T1A "height =" 435 "width =" 634 " alt = "Raheem Sterling was the star of the Wembley show when he scored a hat trick on Friday night"

Raheem Sterling was the star of the Wembley show when he scored a hat-trick score on Friday night

<img id = "i-2b5bd7d64302cbfb" src = "https://ift.tt/2una77G The_Manchester_City_attacker_was_at_full_stretch_to_connect_with-a-20_1553374805597.jpg "height =" 361 "width =" 634 "alt =" The Manchester City forward was on v olle length to connect with Jadon Sancho & # 39; s low cross "class =" blkBorder img-share "

The forward city of Manchester was at full length to connect with a low cross of Jadon Sancho City forward was at full length to connect with Jadon Sancho

& I always think of Sir Alex with Ryan [Giggs] and how he did that or well. They were therefore successful.

& # 39; So although they are not our daily players, we have the responsibility to do that as much as possible, because we bring them to a different level and we

English class of 2017 , composed of the players who won the U-17 World Cup that year, may one day give classes of 92 to run for their money in terms of what they achieve for the national team

Of course, for such a collection of young British talents, in Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt, to merge into one club in 1992, were extraordinary.

The Football Association has the advantage of picking cherries. Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne and Tony (born March 1, 1964) is an American singer and songwriter. Adams.

& # 39; We cannot have the same influence because he

Eventually their successes would come in club football, not in England, but according to Southgate lessons could be learned. they can get into the office on Monday morning and figure out & # 39 ;, said Southgate, smiling wryly at the thought that & # 39; they might look like & # 39;

<img id = "i-65ed1996782c7336" src = "https://ift.tt/2Fp2P8F -22_1553374808654.jpg "height =" 422 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-65ed1996782c7336" src = "https://ift.tt/2FmJzZn 21 / 11340380-6843013-Harry_Kane_made_no_mistake_scoring_his_18th_consecutive_penalty_-a-22_1553374808654.jpg "height =" 422 "width =" 634 "alt =" Harry Kane was not mistaken – scored his 18th consecutive penalty to double England's lead "

Harry Kane was not mistaken – scored his 18th consecutive penalty to double England's lead

Harry Kane was not mistaken –

<img id = "i-c3c5f2cb05570d26" src = "https://ift.tt/2uypASF" height = "438" width = "634" alt = " <img id = "i-c3c5f2cb05570d26" src = "https: / /i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/03/23/21/11370768-6843013-image-a-23_1553374854396.jpg "height =" 438 "width =" 634 "alt =" England built against the Czech Republic build on the progress they had made in the fall "built on the progress they had made in the fall"

Against the Czech Republic, England built on the progress they had made in the fall

& # 39; But we can still ensure that we play them at the right time and recognize the times to pull him out. And less on the field, it's more what we expose them to. It is about the environment and the messages we give them.

& # 39; It is easy to give young people a lot of sugar and they know we are full of it, so we want them to feel it. But they are still learning, they are still adults, they are going to make mistakes, none of them is perfect.

& # 39; But they are surrounded by good role models in the team and our experience in developing young players should also help them. & # 39;

Southgate, however, understands that it seems Sarri and Jose Mourinho are not yet complete, that the world has shifted in the last 10 years when it comes to young footballers; and probably young people in general.

Even Pep Guardiola, once the youth champion when he pitched Pedro and Sergio Busquets to his first Barcelona team, appears to have become more conservative and less at risk in middle age.

Sancho & # 39; s confidence in leaving Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund would have been unthinkable five years ago with most English academics graduates.

Hudson-Odoi & # 39; s dissatisfaction about being told to know his place and awaiting his turn is evident from his desire to join Bayern Munich. Life is not what it was when the Southgate generation grew up.

<img id = "i-2e0af47db22537dd" src = "https://ift.tt/2Fm8U5E image-a-26_1553374868403.jpg "height =" 446 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-2e0af47db22537dd" src = "https://ift.tt/2Y6pO0I /23/21/11370762-6843013-image-a-26_1553374868403.jpg "height =" 446 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-2e0af47db22537dd" src = "https: //i.dailymail. co.uk/1s/2019/03/23/21/11370762-6843013-image-a-26_1553374868403.jpg "height =" 446 "width =" 634 "alt =" Southgate (right) is thinking about how Sir Alex Ferguson Ryan Giggs treated at Manchester United Think of Sir Alex Ferguson Deal with Ryan Giggs at Manchester United "

Southgate (right) thinks how Sir Alex Ferguson deals with Ryan Giggs at Manchester United

little more faith, "Southgate said. & # 39; We encourage them more.

& # 39; Bosses in all industries are less draconian in their way of working, less oppressive. That helps young people to come in and have more faith and be more creative, and to believe that they can make a difference.

& # 39; They are not afraid of anything. & # 39; The world's smallest place. They fly all over the world, they travel. I just think that if they get the chance, they will generally surprise people. & # 39;

Southgate was lucky. Mentor and friend Alan Smith made him captain of the 23-year-old Crystal Palace. But football was in general, even in Palace, old-school and hierarchies were honored.

& # 39; You had to earn everything & # 39 ;, Southgate recalls. & # 39; "Don't get carried away, you have to earn your right to play, you have to earn your right to do this." Did that get the most out of us? Probably not.

& # 39; There were some great qualities that gave us, and we must ensure that we do not lose it, because respect is important and appreciation for what you have. ]

<img id = "i-a094bb7d14e275ea" src = "https://ift.tt/2uypBpH .jpg "height =" 440 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-a094bb7d14e275ea" src = "https://ift.tt/2FnmHZS 11370770-6843013-image-a-28_1553374947277.jpg "height =" 440 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-a094bb7d14e275ea" src = "https://ift.tt/2UINeHc /2019/03/23/21/11370770-6843013-image-a-28_1553374947277.jpg "height =" 440 "width =" 634 "alt =" Southgate insisted that he could not have the same influence as the Ferguson due to the lack on time

Southgate insisted that he could not have the same influence as Ferguson due to lack of time

& # 39; We have seen that many young players from other countries get their chance, perhaps because they have limited resources, and we are a bit in that situation now.

& # 39; We have a smaller pool to choose from, so you have to start thinking more creatively. You can't wait for 40, 50 matches, but that doesn't mean that the players are not of the quality of the source, as we saw on Friday. "

Still, for all the excitement of what to attach this moniker to this generation. We have been there before and know that all the glitters are not necessarily golden.

a welcome change to just hope again and an approach to the Euro 2020 tournament, a large part of which is based in England, with expectation instead of hysteria.

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