cosmik-homo · 2 years ago
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Every single day I log onto Tumblr dot com and see star wars takes that clearly have no consideration for anything other than clone wars. It's a good show! Not the only part of the franchise tho
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mazuwii · 3 years ago
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Hello! I just found your blog and loved the headcanons you write for aot. So I thought maybe I should request something. Umm... my favorite au is where Levi saves Mikasa instead of Eren and he takes care of her like a sister. Maybe they are cousins or distant relatives. I like to think Erwin like a father/uncle to her and Hanji like a sister/aunt. You may add -or not- other characters as you wish. So yes I would really love to hear your ideas on this in canonverse. Thank you, have a nice day 🤍
This is such an adorable idea! By the way, I’ve never really written an AU like this, I put it into headcannons but I hope you enjoy it either way, if you didn’t then you can reply to the post requesting me to put more in\leave more suggestions in the ask box
•Mikasa, at first, didn’t trust Levi. I mean, after witnessing random older men, why would she trust another random old man.
•When he noticed little Mikasa hiding in the corner in both anger and fear, it reminds him of his younger self. So in a way. Levi becomes a figure that he needed when he was younger.
•He crouches down to her height, whispering things in such a calming manner compared to the yells and violent kicks he was throwing towards the now dead men.
•Mika felt like she could trust him, so she took his extended hand and limply followed him out of the house.
•Now, either I don’t remember or perhaps it wasn’t shown in the anime, but I have no idea how people adopt in Paradis. It seems like Grisha just took Mikasa home and called it a day 😭
•So let’s pretend that Levi did adopt her after a long while of thinking (thinking of how Kenny left him, why would he ever put a younger Ackerman through that)
•The next day there wasn’t a expedition or anything so he took her to the scout region (he wanted some input on how to take care of kids but was too prideful, knowing Hange, he knows she’ll start yapping on about something useful and that’s the main reason he took her)
•When they both arrived, the captains and commanders were in awe of this little girl that had Levi’s face plastered straight onto her. People even asked if it was his daughter. He scoffed but once he looked at her he did see the resemblance. (Still he tells them they’re blind)
•Hange has Mikasa on her hip and as she takes her for a tour in her science lab (Levi warned her of great consequences if he took young Mika to the Titans 😭😭) and Moblit was on edge the entire time, at some point, he had to take Mikasa from Hange because the scientist was getting a little bit too giddy and he worried she may drop her.
•Mikasa didn’t speak the entire time, she only nodded and added back her input. This is only because she’s shy, Mikasa does have her moments of being jumpy and basically the opposite of Levi when they’re around each other.
•Levi isn’t against the idea of her becoming a scout, to him, Mikasa is like a bird, there will come a time where she’ll leave the nest and she may face dangers outside the nest. He won’t stop her, he’ll just help when she needs it.
•So when she grows up, she follows Levi’s footsteps and joins the scouts. I like to think that in this verse, she’d be friends with Jean, Sasha and Connie rather than Eren and Armin. Though she’s cool with them too.
•Also this is just a thought, that even I contradict myself- I feel like if Levi found her instead then the affect from that change in the past would make her grow a liking more to Jean than Eren. And that she may just view Eren as a funny hothead.
•Thought I reject that thought by also thinking she’d have funny reactions to him trying to ask her out. Which means she totally jokingly rejects him multiple times after his dumb attempts. It usually ends in Sasha and Connie laughing their ass off at him.
•In a way, Eren would have a crush on her but hide it perfectly- though I doubt anything goes unnoticed by Levi, whom always glares daggers at the brunet.
•Overall, in my opinion, I doubt she’d have romantic feelings for anyone- and if she did it would be healthier.
•back to the Levi and Mikasa duo!!!
•Levi has had his moments where he has embarrassed Mikasa, where she’s volunteering for a dangerous job and he tells her to go clean something up because she missed a duty. She didn’t really, he just doesn’t want her facing anything that bad during her first year.
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everlarkficexchange · 5 years ago
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Sunset on Grass
Written by: @alliswell21
Prompt 67: Her parents said that it was just a childhood crush and that she will outgrow it. But why does her heart flutters. When she’s finally old enough to get a job, she immediately gets a part time job to be close to him. Will is pursue her love against people’s negative views because he’s so much older than her. Or go for it and make him fall in love with her. Age Gap Older!Peeta. [submitted by @animekpopxx]
  Rated M: for later chapters/ this particular one is actually G. 
  Tags: Age Difference- Peeta is 19 years older than Katniss, but there won’t be any romance until she’s of age, so I might as well tag this as Slow Burn. Time Jump. Mr Everdeen is alive in this one, which makes Katniss OOC. Tags will update according to chapter posted.
Unbetaed. All mistakes are mine. This chapter closed at around 4200 words. Happy reading.
Thank you to @javistg and @xerxia31 for once again hosting Our Beloved Exchange. You guys are the best!!! 
—————
CHAPTER ONE:
It was a very cold day; Mama made us wear hats and gloves and clunky snow boots, but the worst offender in my 8 year old opinion, was the fact she forced me to wear a fleece over my long sleeve shirt with the sparkly pink hearts, and then a heavy winter coat to top it all, covering my favorite outfit that happened to be perfectly apt for the month of February… who had time to worry about layering for the weather, when Valentine’s Day gave us the perfect excuse to wear mushy, pink, glittery hearts in public?! 
  Prim had just turned four recently, and Daddy decided she was finally old enough to sit through a movie at the theater with us ‘grown ups’ like a big girl. Normally, he would’ve let Prim pick the movie, since it was her first time joining us, but when we got to the theater, I begged to see Bridge to Terabithia, because all the girls in my class had a crush on the main character actor, some Josh Hutcher-something or another, and I really wanted to see what the fuss was about with the boy. 
  Well, none of my little girlfriends bothered to tell me the movie was so darned sad! 
  Prim wailed and sobbed despite not really understanding what happened in the story. All she knew was that Mama sniffled and dabbed at the corner of her blue eyes with a wadded-up napkin, and that was enough for her to let her tears fall freely, clinging to Daddy’s neck until hiccups raked her tiny frame. 
  At the end of the movie, Mama’s eyes were red rimmed but she at least was done sniffling. Daddy and I just sat there stoically, like the hardened leaders of our small clan, we were… if my lips trembled, it had nothing to do with the sap fest we just endured. 
  Daddy sighed, “Some movies should come with disclaimers.” He grumbled, adjusting Prim on his hip while pulling open the exit door.
  “I thought it was great. The young actors were marvelous. Such range of emotion…” Mama gushed, before wiping the corner of her eye daintily. “I’d recommend it to other people, personally.”
  Daddy gave her a look, and then Mama amended, “With a warning for grief and depression.” Her lips formed a thin line, but Daddy seemed satisfied, so we walked into the frigid February afternoon and winced in unison as soon as the cold hit our faces. 
  Prim was still intermittently sobbing.
  “Primrose, honey, will a treat help you cheer up some?” Daddy asked quietly, tenderly caressing her cheek.
  My baby sister nodded, her pitiful big o’ blue eyes shining with unshed tears. 
  “Let’s get you a nice treat then. Let’s take advantage of those neatly shoveled sidewalks our tax money afforded us.” Said Daddy smiling sweetly, his gray eyes twinkling. 
  We crossed the street and kept on going until we reached the square a block away and then hesitated for a second in front of the ice cream parlor, finally settling for the quaint little bakery two doors down. 
  Immediately, my cheeks warmed up and I tried to walk with my back a little straighter, just in case a certain baker boy was working that day. My heart rattled against my ribs and I tried real hard to keep my eyes up, but as usual, chickened out last minute and all I could see was the ground. 
  Daddy walked in making the bell above the entrance chimed cheerfully; he held the door open so Mama and I could scoot into the building. We all stood just inside the door, taking a collective sigh of relief at the warmth and inviting aromas of the bakery: Yeast, sugar and freshly brewed coffee mingled in the air, welcoming.  
  “Afternoon Everdeens!” Called a deep, velvety and familiar voice from somewhere ahead. “Come on in and make yourselves at home, please!” Mister Peeta smiled, like us, walking into his family’s shop was the highlight of his day. 
  It surely was mine, of course; not that anyone would’ve been able to tell just by how gun-shy I acted, except from my parents that is. 
  They knew alright. 
  They knew all about my crush on the young baker, and at least Mama thought it was cute. Daddy wasn’t too comfortable acknowledging it, so he usually rolled his eyes at Mama about it.
  But who wouldn’t have a thing for mister Peeta, really? He was nice, polite, and handsome, with a soft looking face and bright blue eyes, always smiling, and wavy blond hair that curled under the many baseball caps he wore (currently, he donned one with the Mellark’s logo on the front.). He was also strong… or at least I figured he had to be, since he was school wrestling champion and all. I hadn’t witnessed it myself of course, mister Peeta and my folks were ancient compared to me, but I grew up hearing the stories. 
  Mama and Daddy had been high school sweethearts who’d been in the same grade as mister Rye— mister Peeta’s older brother— so they knew the Mellark brothers some. Daddy said Mr. Peeta was the pride of the town as a teenager, since he became State Wrestling champion in his senior year of high school, a full two years after my folks graduated Panem
high. 
  “How are you doing, Peeta?” Said Daddy reaching a hand over the counter to shake the baker’s.
  Mama waved and smiled, offering her own little “Hello, Peeta.” Then nudged me to do the same, and my eyes about popped out of my sockets when the baker smiled and winked one of his bright, blue eyes at me. 
   “I heard you’re leaving for Europe soon?” Asked Daddy.
  Mister Peeta smiled widely, “Yes! Got accepted to study pastistry at a prestigious school in France. I can’t wait.” His excitement was contagious.
  “That’s great, Peeta!” Interjected my mama. “I bet your folks are pleased. The bakery will boom with everything you’ll bring back with that training.” 
  Mister Peeta nodded, and though he was still smiling, he didn’t look happy. “Full scholarship ride, and I came up with my own ticket and expenses money from a year’s worth of savings. My mother is really pleased.” 
  For some reason, it didn’t sound like Mrs Mellark was truly pleased. Not for the first time, I thought adults could be so weird when they talked, not saying what they truly meant. 
  Still, Mama and Daddy offered congratulations again and I felt my stomach knot when Mister Peeta spoke again, and for once my eyes were glued to his kind face. 
  “Enough about me. Y’all came in right on time,” Mister Peeta clapped his enormous hands once, “I just pulled a tray of cheese buns out of the oven, and sat them to cool on a rack in the back. Let me go grab y’all some. I heard cheese buns are Miss Katniss’ favorites!” 
  I almost choked at that, and turned my head owlishly to glare at my parents, wondering who’d spilled my secrets behind my back to the handsomest man ever. 
  Mama was already sitting at a table; she was covering her smile behind the gloves she just pulled off her hands, while Daddy rolled his eyes slightly before sliding into the bench with Prim still wrapped around him like a baby Koala. 
  So Mama then. She tattled on me. 
  Traitor! 
  At Daddy’s behest, I came and sat next to him; Prim on his lap, and all of our coats in the space next to Mama on the opposite side of the half booth. 
  Mister Peeta came back with a tray bearing hot chocolate in white mugs engraved with ‘Mellark’s’, and a dish piled high with pastries. He placed four small plates in front of each of us, and gifted us with one more of his wide, welcoming grins. 
  “Tuck in, Everdeens! Enjoy!” The bell above the door chimed with more customers, but right before he left, mr. Peeta leaned closer to me and suggested, “Dip your bread in the chocolate. Is my favorite snack on cold days like today.” He winked again and I almost fainted.
  He truly was the handsomest man ever! 
  Mama’s smile just widened. She tried to hide it behind her cup of cocoa though, but Daddy let out a noise, like a grudgingly amused grunt of sorts. 
  “Lily,” He warned halfheartedly. 
  Mama looked up at him, wide, blue eyes innocently. “What?” She mumbled.
  “Stop teasing.” He said, sinking his straight teeth into his cheese bun. “She’s too young for crushes. Even on bakers that make amazing cookies and cheese buns. Ain’t that right, Catkin?” Daddy looked at me, arching one bushy eyebrow. 
  I scowled and turned my nose up at the lot of them before tearing chunks of my bun and dunking them in my hot chocolate. At the first bite, I had to admit, the baker was onto something! 
  “I don’t know what y’all are yapping about,” I said haughtily. 
  “There you go,” said Daddy grinning smugly at Mama, “That’s my girl!”
  Mama rolled her eyes and waved us off. “Oh well, it’s just puppy love. She’ll grow out of it soon enough, especially when he’s away in Paris and out of sight.”
  I chewed on my chocolate infused cheese bun, and my eyes lifted to watch mister Peeta bagging a customer’s order, taking payment with a grateful smile. 
  My heart drummed harshly in my chest. 
  I had no idea what the love of puppies had to do with anything, but I found it hard to believe the strange feeling of bubbles popping in my tummy would go away any time soon, even if I didn’t see the baker ever again. 
  ————————-
  My 16th birthday brought me a set of wheels, in the form of my daddy’s ancient but still reliable pick-up truck. But with the wheels, came Daddy’s caveats. 
  “Young lady, if you want to be driving around town, here are the rules,” he stated, “You gotta drive your sister to and from school. No boys—“
  “Or girls!” Interjected Mama, passing to the couch with a bowl of popcorn in hand.
  “Or girls,” Daddy continued glaring at Mama, “Unless Mama or I are in the truck with y’all.” 
  That one earned him a big groan from me, not that I’d planned on having friends ride with me places; after all, Gale had been driving his daddy’s old Jeep for the last two years, and Madge just got a new Volkswagen Beetle for her birthday, despite having failed her driving tests… twice! So we all had our own transportation, thank you very much. 
  “And, you are to keep the tank of the truck at least half full at all times.”
  “Alright. That’s cool—“ I started, but was swiftly interrupted. 
  “What your daddy means is, Sweet pea, you are responsible for your own gas. We won’t pay for it, unless it’s an emergency.” Said Mama delicately, her eyes shifting to Daddy’s for support, which he gave in a curt nod of his graying head.
  “Wait… what?” I stared at them in turn. “You mean I need to come up with my own gas money?” I asked just to clarify. “Even while having to chauffeur Prim around, like I’m a courtesy shuttle driver?” 
  “Lily, our daughter is a genius!” Said Daddy with his goofy dad smirk, “Haven’t I said so a million times before?”
  Mama giggled, “You sure have, Dear. Our Katniss is one bonafide genius!” 
  Truth be told, the prospect of having spending money of my own was actually exciting for me. We lived a decent life, not luxurious like the Undersee’s, or as tight as the Hawthorne’s, but comfortable enough to always have a pocketful of allowance dough; but having my actual money, without having to ask for it or justify why I needed it, was very appealing to me.
  I still groaned at my folks for their exuberance. I didn’t mind working hard; I’ve always helped Daddy doing house work around our place, and never complained about the daily chores imposed by Mama growing up; having an honest to God paying job sounded kind of… liberating. Like I was an adult, instead of a kid. 
  “You should try the shops in town,” Mama suggested. “Something close by that won’t interfere with school—“
  “Or archery club—“ Father chimed in.
  “Or soccer.” Said Prim crossing the room out of nowhere and plopping on the couch next to Mama, to munch on her popcorn. The demand was for her, since I didn’t play the sport. “I can’t miss practice. Rue would have a fit if I get kicked out.”
  “Fine! I’ll go ask around town if anyone needs help.” I made a show of rolling my eyes and shrugging, but inside, my blood quickened with the excitement of my impending job hunt.
  Twenty eight hours later, I was stumbling out of the Sweet’s store in town square, walking backwards and grinning like a lunatic. 
  “Thank you so much, Ms. Donner! Really. You won’t regret it! Thank you again!” I gushed and barely repressed a squeal of excitement, “I’ll see you Monday. Bye!” 
  I had to grab on to the frame of the open door, not to fall on my bottom like an uncoordinated noodle when I tripped on my own feet, and finally pulled myself away from the store front. I turned on my heel and practically skipped down the sidewalk, giggling non-stop. I managed to reel it in and climbed on my truck before pumping the air with my fists in a tiny victory dance. 
  Everything was coming up Katniss, and my spirits soared high! 
  I got myself a job, and while it wasn’t my first option— Mr. Mellark said his bakery was fully staffed at the time— I had effectively secured myself a source of gas money, which was my main concern and the literal driving force behind my job hunt. I counted as a perk, the fact that Mellark’s Bakery was sitting across the square from the Sweet Shop and I was granted an unobstructed view of the front room of the bakery from behind my counter, because watching the Mellark men working was just inspiring. And I meant that in a non creepy way… hopefully.
  I tried not to be as obvious with my crush on Mr. Peeta, but I wasn’t deaf and his mama— dubbed The Witch, by the town youngsters— enjoyed bragging loudly about her successful business, and a good chunk of that came from Peeta’s success as a baker. I pretty much knew anything a nosy sixteen year old girl could know about a guy twenty years her senior, hoarding all kinds of gossip about him like a dragon hoards gold.
  Being only a few years younger than my own father, Mister Peeta graduated from Panem U when I was a toddler. He earned a business degree he’d really never used; then, he went to Paris-France for almost three years, and trained with the best chefs in the pastry business, returning to our small town to open up his own high end patisserie, but since the economy had taken a dive those days and his shop was so new and fancy, he was forced to close up and take over the cakes and pastry side of Mellark’s, until things stabilized for new businesses. Sadly, he never ventured back on his own, which was a downright shame, because the man was a culinary genius and so artistic at that. 
  Currently, he worked weekend’s at Mellark’s while teaching at the Pastry school in Capitol City… not that I was keeping tabs on the man or anything. 
  I was just observant that way… 
  Sort of. 
  Mrs. Mellark liked to boast about things she had no hand in doing, like her youngest son’s accomplishments and success abroad and locally, but she was also a ruthless disparager who couldn’t care less when and where she criticized her sons or husband when something didn’t go her way. The Witch was always going on and on about Mr. Peeta going to France and becoming an expert cake decorator, and teaching pastrity at some hoity-toity culinary school in Capitol City, as if she herself had done it for him, and in the next breath she’d be groaning about how much of an inconvenience to her it was he went overseas for the training. The woman was a hag, but I couldn’t help people in town were so gossipy and when she started with the stories. I just perked up my ears and gobbled up all the information she was sharing. 
  Anyway, my mama’s prediction about my infatuation with Mr. Peeta ending, kind of flopped. The crushed endured all the years between his absence to Europe and his return; it was still going strong even at age sixteen, but I had learned to pine discreetly, surreptitiously sneaking peeks at mister Peeta from a distance and daydream about scenarios where the handsome baker finally noticed me, and we fell madly in love with each other and lived happily ever after in a marzipan house, eating all kinds of bread and cake without ever gaining an ounce of weight… Also, in those scenarios, Mr. Peeta was like ten years younger, and nobody batted an eye at us being together. 
  Of course, I wasn’t delusional. I knew nothing like it would ever happen; after all, Mr. Peeta was nineteen years older than me and devoted to his craft. But dreaming was free, and as long as the fantasies stayed locked in my head, I wasn’t hurting anyone but myself.
  ————————
  My first Saturday morning working at the Candy shop, I parked in the public parking lot, diagonal to the town square, before opening time. The lot was built adyacente to a few city offices to accommodate anyone running errands downtown, like paying their license tags, filing taxes, getting permits of miscellaneous natures, or simply taking a stroll around the square at dusk, licking on a frozen treat from the ice cream parlor or having dinner at the pizza place. It wasn’t too much of a stretch to park there if one worked in one of the mom-and-pop shops littering the picturesque merchant center of Panem. 
  I could’ve used the designated parking spaces on the road behind the sweets store, but there was a humongous dumpster next to ours, and Ms. Donner hadn’t given me a key to the back door yet, so even if the threadbare upholstery of my truck wasn’t threatening to absorb the stench of the whole neighborhood’s trash, there wasn’t any benefit to me parking there. 
  I yawned dispassionately tossing my keys in the new purse Prim gave me when I announced I’d found a job, because according to her, I was now a grown-up and needed a proper purse instead of my ratty messenger bag, that honestly had seen better days. I swept the bag off the bench and slammed the door shut without bothering to lock it. There was nothing in the cab worth stealing; everyone knew me and my folks, we were just another run of the mill middle class family, without any wealth to our names. 
  “Ouch!” A velvety, deep voice spoke from a little ways over, and my whole body went rigidly straight. “Shouldn’t treat your steed so harshly, Hunter. I don’t think old Francine appreciates it.” 
  I turned on my heels and peered at Mr. Peeta trying to keep myself from screeching in a panic or something equally embarrassing. 
  The man was just straightening up from retrieving a chef jacket from the back seat of what I surmised was his car, and lifted his gaze in my direction with a slight smirk on his lips that quickly fell off, giving way to a confused expression, as his bright, blue eyes fixed on mine. “You ain’t Hunter,” he mumbled, squinting a little.
  To his credit, it had been a while since he saw me last, despite me keeping tabs on him and stealing glances when I could. He had no reason to seek me out or anything, plus he was a busy man, always in the back room of the bakery working his pastillage gifts. Then again… ‘Francine’— my daddy’s former ‘89 F150– was like forever linked to Hunter Everdeen’s persona or something.
  “Katniss?” Mr. Peeta frowned, like fog was slowly lifting from his mind and vague recognition finally set in, making my heart lurch and beat unbearably fast. 
  I nodded mutely, but soon I answered a spastic, “Morning, mister Peeta. How do you do?” My mama hadn’t drilled sixteen years worth of relentless Southern hospitality for me to stay silent for long. I hesitated a second and trudged along without giving him a chance to respond, scowling at the ground, “Francine, she’s sturdy,” I chance a glance at his face, “But you’re right, she’s too old to be treated poorly. I’ll make sure to be gentler with her in the future.”
  Mr. Peeta arched his eyebrows, as if surprised by my mere voice. He tugged the collar of his plain white t-shirt, and then huffed a chuckle. 
  “Little Miss Katniss is driving now,” he said with a rueful shake of his head. He eyed me curiously, “Well, I guess you’re not little anymore. But wow! What a way to humble a man about his old age.” A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest, making me shift in place in mild arousal.
  He draped his chef’s shirt over his forearm and closed his car door softly. “I have no words to describe how I feel, discovering young Katniss Everdeen is old enough to drive Francine,” He tsked at his boots, but his smile made his eyes crinkle in the corners. “End of an era… for me at least. Beginning of a new one for you, I supposed.” He smiled self deprecatingly. 
  My face burned and my chest tightened at his words, not sure if I felt elation or embarrassment. 
  “Oh… you ain’t old, sir.” I waved him off, still scowling for no good reason. 
  Mr. Peeta laughed. “You’re too kind, Miss Katniss, but my I.D. disagrees. Plus, knowing you’re old enough to drive is a sobering thought.” He smiled kindly again. 
  “I turned sixteen a week and a half ago. Daddy gave me the truck for passing my driving test.” I volunteered without prompting.
  “Neat! Spring baby, then. Makes sense. Suits you.” Mr. Peeta smiled, and I got incredibly shy, excited and happy at his short words.
  “Yeah, May 8th.” I offered softly, “That’s me. Spring baby.” 
  “As I said, it suits you. I’m a wintry kid myself, so I try to be extra warm to counteract any cold disposition I might have.” He said, checking his watch. 
  I panicked slightly; I knew time was closing in, and I’d be dismissed soon, so I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head. “What brings you out here so early on a Saturday morning, anyway?”
  Mr. Peeta cocked his head sideways and glanced at me curiously. “Work.” He said in an amused, lilting tone. He lifted his arm to point at his chef uniform laid neatly folded. 
  I clamped my mouth immediately, to prevent any other ‘brilliant’ questions might escape. 
  Mr. Peeta smirked, probably realizing what a dork I was. “How about you? It’s awfully early for a kid to be downtown.” His face took a distant quality for his next words. “When I was your age, my mother would beat me out of bed for my Saturday shifts at the bakery… all I wanted to do was lay in bed until noon, you know. But, baker’s hours aren’t exactly flexible.” 
  My whole face twisted at that tidbit of information. I couldn’t read his emotion about his comment, which bothered me somehow. I started talking just because I disliked the way his face turned blank. 
  “I’m a morning person myself.” I shrugged. But my folks made me get a job so I could finance my gas addiction,” I was smuggly pleased when the baker started laughing heartily at my silly joke. It felt nice, knowing I said something he found funny. “Anyway, I’m working too. At Ms. Donner’s shop.”
  “Nice! Good taffy. Did old Maysilee offer to pay you in candy? I swear she did that to my brother, Bannock, one summer he decided to give another shop a try. ” He said conversationally, activating the alarm of his car. 
  “Oh, gosh!” I laughed, “No, she offered to give me a check every two weeks.” Then I looked at him dead in the eye, “Now the Christmas bonuses, those are in candy.” 
  We both laughed at that 
  Mr. Peeta nodded. “Well, Miss Katniss, I won’t keep you much longer, but if you need anything… a cheese bun for example,” He winked, putting my heart a flutter again, “Don’t hesitate to come in!” 
  With that, he started walking towards the narrow street behind the row of shops, no doubt heading to the back door of the bakery. 
  “Bye, Mister Peeta!” I croaked out belatedly. 
  Peeta waved over his shoulder. 
  All I could think after the encounter was how wrong my parents had been about my “puppy love” being a passing crush. 
……………………………..
Josh Hurcherson starred in Bridge to Terabithia, which came out in February of 2007. To this day, I can’t watch that movie without bawling my eyes out. Everyone should see it!
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randomvarious · 4 years ago
Video
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Capt. Rock - “Cosmic Blast” Street Sounds Electro 6 by DJ Maurice & DJ Noel Song released in 1984. Mix released in 1985. Electro / Hip Hop
***Song starts at 5:49 and ends at 12:07***
I just wanna preface this long-ass post I had queued up for today to say rest in peace to MF DOOM, the greatest rapper of all time, bar none, and an incredible beatsmith, too. No one has ever had quite the incredible way with words that DOOM had or managed to cultivate the air of mysterious intrigue around themselves like he was able to with his mask. I saw him perform once at a festival in 2007 and I don’t even really know if it was actually him on that stage. It would’ve been one of the DOOM-iest moves to trot out an impostor to perform his own songs while he still got to collect that check; a move whose abject ballsiness you really can’t help but just chuckle at. 
Fuck this year, royally, man.
A rhyming cannibal who's dressed to kill and cynical Whether is it animal, vegetable or mineral It's a miracle how he get so lyrical And proceed to move the crowd like a old negro spiritual
JUST REMEMBER, ALL CAPS WHEN YOU SPELL THE MAN NAME
*     *     *
There’s so much to dig into with this record, and I’m not even really sure where to even begin with this post, but I guess I’ll start with the Aleem twins, two (duh) enterprising guys from Harlem who loved all kinds of music. Born in the mid-40s, the Aleem twins got their musical education from many local sources. They frequented the Apollo Theater and then a legendary local gangster, Jack “Fat Man” Taylor, signed them to his label, Rojac Records. The Aleems didn’t go anywhere with Rojac, but they learned the ins and outs of running an independent record label and they also met the enigmatic Blowfly, who was an in-house writer for Rojac at the time. Through Taylor the Aleems also met Jimi Hendrix’s friend and love interest, Lithofayne “Faye” Pridgeon, who ended up hatching quite a scheme involving the Aleems and Hendrix.
Pridgeon wanted to get Hendrix evicted from his apartment, in which he lived with her friend June Vasquenza. So Pridgeon sent the Aleem twins to the apartment to kick him out, with one of them to claim that he was going to marry June in order to help her secure a green card since she was undocumented at the time. But the plan fell apart when the Aleems actually met Hendrix and discovered that the three of them all shared a deep passion for music. Rather than Hendrix being evicted, the trio would end up sharing an apartment together. 
Hendrix would then ship off to Europe and become a superstar, but upon his return to Harlem, he kept close to the Aleems. They provided backing vocals on a number of Hendrix songs and they also promoted a street fair in Harlem that Hendrix headlined, which took place just a few weeks after his legendary performance at Woodstock. Hendrix had bigger plans for the Aleems, too; he was set on producing an album that they were planning, for which they would call themselves the Ghetto Fighters. Hendrix envisioned the album as a “street opera.”
But then in 1970, while in London, Jimi Hendrix tragically died, which, to say the least, put a really big crimp in the Aleems’ plans. However, they kept at it throughout the remainder of the 70s; they expanded their group to four members, including their sister, Juliette, changed their name to The Prana People, and got to be managed and financed by New York Knicks star, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe (Is this post New York enough for you yet?). In ‘77, the Prana People released their debut album, and in ‘79, the Aleem twins decided they wanted to move towards more of an electronic sound and ended up releasing a club hit called “Hooked on Your Love,” which stayed on the Billboard Dance chart for months and had both a barely known Jocelyn Brown and a young Luther Vandross on backing vocals.
Off of the success of that record and from being disillusioned by aspects of the music business, the Aleems decided to start their own independent label, NIA Records, which was to release disco, funk, soul, electro, and hip hop music. 
Around this same time, Jack “Fat Man” Taylor, who now owned the famous Harlem World club, wanted to promote his neighborhood’s burgeoning hip hop scene, and in 1980 released a record called Rapper’s Convention, whose a-side featured a duo who would break off afterwards and call themselves Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde. A frequent patron of Harlem World was a guy named Ronnie Greene, and he would one day run into Mr. Hyde and convince him to make him Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde’s DJ.
Fast forward to 1982 and the Aleem twins are holding auditions to put out a new George Clinton and Tom Tom Club-influenced electro-funk-hip hop record called Cosmic Glide. It’s a record that introduces a main character, Captain Rock, who’s an extraterrestrial that just wants earthlings to get down to his space-funk jams. The Aleems and Mr. Hyde already had the song written and Mr. Hyde then brought Ronnie Greene in to audition to be Captain Rock. And even though Greene had never really rapped before, he managed to win the Aleems over with his smooth delivery, his cool and varied flows, and his swaggeringly captivating mic presence.
However, despite it being a quality tune, “Cosmic Glide” didn’t perform all that well. But the next Captain Rock record, 1983′s The Return Of Capt. Rock, again written by Mr. Hyde and the Aleem twins, fared much better, and also became the first record to really earn a name for the NIA label. This new bit of fame for both Greene and NIA then allowed for the third and fourth Captain Rock records, respectively 1984′s Capt. Rock To The Future Shock and Cosmic Blast, to flourish. “Cosmic Blast” became both Captain Rock’s biggest and best hit and it also marked Ronnie Greene’s musical peak. Mr. Hyde had moved on to do other things, so the Aleems allowed Greene to write the song’s lyrics and they also involved him in the production process. 
Not long before “Cosmic Blast” was recorded, Doug E. Fresh, who was also a Harlem resident, had released a record called The Original Human Beat Box, and that was a record that was simply fly as fuck. It put Doug’s deft skills as a beatboxer on full display, and it also gave Ronnie Greene the idea to include some beatboxing on his own upcoming record. So he got his friend Richie Rich, who was a pretty good beatboxer himself, to come breathily box his beats for “Cosmic Blast”. And with Richie Rich, and an unforgettable electro-chiming melody supplied by the Aleem twins, and Greene’s fun party-rocking rap demeanor as Captain Rock, that quartet spun some real, dynamic, mid-80s New York gold.
It was actually a quintet though, because also in on the fun of that record was none other than Marley Marl, who’d go on to become one of hip hop’s greatest, most prolific, and most important producers. While mixing “Cosmic Blast,” Marley discovered, totally by accident, how to sample drums. He was trying to take a riff from a song, and in the process of playing back “Cosmic Blast,” discovered that he had lifted a snare drum, too. But the snare he had sampled sounded better than the drums that were originally programmed, so he kept the sample as is. This discovery led to an epiphany for Marley, in which he realized that he could sample any drum from any point within any record that was in his massive collection and then use those sampled drums as part of his own drumbeats instead of having to program the drumbeats on his own with a drum machine. This was a huge freaking deal; Marley’s beats could now sound uniquely authentic, like the drums had come from an actual drumkit, instead of sounding like they had come from the same inferior-sounding drum machines that every other producer was using. Pandora’s Box had suddenly been opened for Marley Marl with “Cosmic Blast,” and it helped set him on a course to attain legendary status as a producer.
But there’s even more to this story. Not only was electro big in New York; it was pretty popular in the UK, too; so much so, that Captain Rock actually went out there to perform at Wembley Stadium for a hip hop and electro festival called UK Fresh ‘86. He had absolutely no idea that people in the UK even knew anything about his music, but a compilation label called Street Sounds, which specialized in electro and hip hop, had been lacing their mixes with Captain Rock songs since ‘83, and in 1985, a pair of UK DJs by the names of Maurice and Noel included “Cosmic Blast” on the sixth installment of Street Sounds’ wonderful Street Sounds Electro series. 
It’s there you’ll find this fantastic version of “Cosmic Blast,” which features the addition of some really dope scratches from DJs Maurice and Noel that you won’t hear on the original cut; and those scratches have a way of really fucking enhancing the song. Maurice and Noel speed things up a little bit, too, which raises the pitch ever so slightly, and makes the tune way more danceable, overall. They also completely transform the third verse by mixing in other dubby vocals from Captain Rock and then instead of running with the electric guitar solo from the original, Maurice and Noel close their version out with more scratching with a little Run-D.M.C. mixed in there.
Very cool stuff all around. An already incredible jam made even better by two British DJs. Ring in the new year with this shit. Long live electro!
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alice-in-gingerland · 4 years ago
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Axel/Roxas - Beauty and the Beast
So, I’ve been out of the writing game for roughly ten years, since university killed my spirit. But lately I’ve had this idea playing around in my head and wanted to see if I could still write. So I am slowly writing my Akuroku retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Posting the first chapter draft of chapter one here and hope people can give some feedback and maybe some ideas. Let’s see what happens!
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Namine sighed heavily, torn between slamming her face into her palms or shouting at the ragtag team in front of her.
‘You literally could have just taken a horse each!’
Sora raised his eyebrows in confusion, a cookie still raised partially to his lips.
‘But we only had one rope between the three of us.’
‘Plus, dwarves are too short to ride a full sized horse alone,’ added Riku, gesturing to a nodding Kairi. 
‘You didn’t even need a rope once Kairi’s character subdued them,’ Namine exclaimed.
Kairi giggled at her sister’s obvious exasperation but chose not to let it go just yet, ‘but you can’t control a horse like that, it’s not realistic.’
The whole group were beginning to laugh at the absurdness of the situation, even Riku was trembling slightly, trying to hold back his amusement at the normally calm dungeon master who was turning vaguely pink with frustration.
‘Why do you guys always have to make big events out of tiny situations, we’ll never get to the main parts of the quest if you keep doing this.’ She slammed the book in front of her closed with an air of finality, causing Sora to pout.
‘Ah Nams, you never let us mess around, that’s half the fun of DnD!’
Riku tilted back in his chair to check the clock on the kitchen wall, ‘to be fair, it’s getting pretty late. We should probably finish up and head home.’   
‘Let's make camp for the night, I’ll tie up the horses. We’re only a few kilometres from the town so will be good to rest up in case there’s a fight,’ said Sora, his eyes darting over the colourful map that covered the majority of the dining room table they sat at.
Namine rubbed her forehead tiredly before beginning to carefully pack away her books and pens. 
Sora was decidedly less careful, using his forearm to sweep his dice, notebook and other odds and ends into a waiting cardboard box, causing Riku to wince.
‘Before we head home, what’s the plan for Halloween this weekend,’ Kairi queried. She stretched out her back to loosen her muscles after a few hours being confined to the table, her russet hair almost tickling the small of her back. Namine tapped one of her colouring pens against her dusky pink lips, debating how she would like to spend one of her favourite holidays of the year.
Riku snorted, still leaning back dangerously in his chair and obviously in no hurry to assist with the clean up. ‘Aren’t we getting a bit too old to be trick or treating?’
Sora stuck his tongue out at the older boy, following up with a nudge to his chair. Riku’s azure eyes widened in panic as he struggled to stop from toppling backwards; he managed to right himself and gave Sora a victorious smirk.
‘Just because you turn fifteen soon doesn’t mean the rest of us have to stop enjoying ourselves,’ retorted Kairi, swiftly linking her arm through Sora’s.
The young brunette posed thoughtfully as he lent into his best friends supporting frame.
‘He does have a point though, maybe we could do something a bit more, I dunno, exciting this year?’
Namine’s brow dipped in concern, knowing from experience what Sora meant by exciting. Kairi nudged Sora with her hip. 
‘By exciting, I think you mean dangerous…’
The boy glanced to his right, a mock hurt expression crossing his face, ‘ well it doesn’t have to be anything bad, just maybe something scary. You know, to frighten Mr All Grown Up.’
Namine clapped her hands together in excitement, startling the three other teens who turned to her in puzzlement. The young girl’s features were alight with excitement, her usual cornflower blue eyes darkened with intent.
‘I think we should go to the old Wildwood House.’
Sora and Kairi almost bounced in excitement. Sneaking into the old Wildwood House had been a tradition for the teenage population in their town for at least the past two decades. The old manor house had been empty for over one hundred years, allowing multiple rumours to circulate regarding why no one had bought it; tales varying from gruesome murders to alien abduction. It didn’t help that the house sat imposingly upon the tallest hill in the area, surrounded by a dense pine wood that was often enveloped in thick mist due to the multiple hot springs the territory was known for. 
Namine beamed at her sister and Sora’s reactions as she began to twirl her ash blonde hair between her finger tips; her usual habit when dreaming up artistic ideas.
‘I’ve wanted to go for a while, apparently the architecture is untouched and even the original furniture and furnishings are unblemished - a paused moment in time. I really want to take some photos and maybe make a few quick sketches, but it’s way too creepy to go alone.’
The petite girl turned her pleading gaze upon Riku, who swiftly noticed all three of his friends were staring at him, silently pleading for his agreement.
‘Well if you three pansies think you’re up for it, why not,’ he shrugged, hooked his arms behind his head nonchalantly.
Sora grabbed Kairi’s hand, which she noticed was trembling slightly.
‘Oh my god Kairi, I can’t wait! Did you hear that the whole family was murdered up there by a wild axeman, and the ghosts still haunt the woods because they are buried in the floorboard.’
Kairi scoffed and argued, ‘don’t be stupid, they would have found the bodies. Everyone knows they made some kind of deal with the fairies for an immortal life and were transported to the faerie plain, they only return once a year to steal souls for the fairies.’
‘I heard that the man who lived there sold his soul to a fire demon for eternal beauty and power,’ retorted Namine. Riku let out a snicker and flicked a stray dice at the blonde. ‘Honestly, that’s the plot from Howl’s Moving Castle, you muppet.’
The youngest girl blushed and the four teenagers continued to bicker until they were interrupted by heavy footfalls and genial masculine voice.
‘Nah, the owner made a wish with a genie to be immortal, but it didn’t pan out quite the way he planned.’
Two young men appeared at the bottom of the stairs, one with a mischievous grin and pushed back dirty blonde hair, the other with an almost cherubic face; almost identical to Sora except obviously older with golden blonde styled locks, instead of a brown unkempt birdnest the younger brother liked to sport. 
Roxas pondered for a moment, nudging his friend out of the way so he could grab a crisp from the bowl on the table, ‘that’s not it either, it was a djinn. He was so set on looking for power that he was possessed by a travelling djinn.’ He popped the crisp into his mouth and almost immediately winced, ‘what is wrong with you guys, prawn cocktail, really!’ Roxas grimaced and wiped his fingers on his little brother’s shirt. 
Sora visibly bristled, shoving his brother away from the group.
‘What are you two doing down here, go away!’     
‘Snacks of course,’ Hayner countered, grabbing a handful of prawn cocktail crisps and winking in Namine’s direction. Riku narrowed his eyes and tugged the younger girl to his side; he didn’t mind Roxas, but his flirtatious friend could often be a little too forward with Kairi and Namine. The girls never seemed to mind, but Riku knew that Hayner was less than innocent and not very faithful at that. He had overheard arguments between the two older boys regarding Hayner’s treatment of women for at least two years. He’d never mention it to Sora but he had accidentally walked in on the pair of them locked in an extremely heated embrace once. The memory of their tongues and roaming hands made him nauseous and caused a shudder to ripple through his body. Hayner obviously didn’t care whose pants he was getting into as long as he was getting satisfaction from them.   
Deciding he’d annoyed his brother and company enough, Roxas gestured for his friend to follow him into the adjoining kitchen. 
‘Come on, let the kids play.’
Hayner gave a brief wave and grin before accompanying Roxas into the kitchen and closing the door behind them. 
‘Ah, that takes me back.’
Roxas raised an eyebrow in question whilst grabbing two cans of fizzy from the fridge, passing one to the other boy. Hayner gratefully accepted the can, popping it open with a satisfying hiss and taking a large gulp before answering, ‘you know, when you, me, Pence and Ollette used to come round here and play a bit of dungeons and dragons.’
Roxas rested his hip against the sideboard, his gaze turning pensive for a moment.
‘Yeah, back before it was cool,’ he laughed, ‘also before we discovered the lure of alcohol.’
Hayner slid forward and lightly caressed Roxas’s forearm, his voice taking on a heated tone ‘before we discovered other things as well.’
Roxas’s eyes flashed with annoyance and he gently but firmly brushed away the offending appendage. ‘Aren’t you seeing that guy Seifer.’
He moved away from his promiscuous friend, putting a bit of distance between them before taking a sip of his drink. Fooling around with Hayner has always been fun, but he worried it was a distraction from him finding a real and meaningful relationship; something Roxas was starting to desire more than simply sexual gratification. He wanted dedication and passion, and was perfectly aware Hayner was not capable of fulfilling those needs. He also wasn’t keen on accidentally becoming ‘the other man’ when his friend inevitably forgot he was in a monogamous relationship. 
‘I was only teasing,’ Hayner said, not looking as chagrined as Roxas believed he should be feeling.
“Anyway, me and Seifer aren’t exactly exclusive,’ he continued, picking at the side of his can, ‘pretty sure he’s crashing with Fuu and there’s no way those two are platonic.’
Sensing his friend's discomfort Roxas replied, ‘you don’t know that, you know better than I do that he fights with his Dad on the regular. He probably just needed a safe place to stay and him and Fuu have been mates since primary school.’
A small smile flit across Hayner’s face as he glanced up.
“You’re probably right, always are.’
Roxas gave the taller boy a shove and the two chuckled quietly.
Sounds of giggling and shuffling trickled under the kitchen door as the pair relaxed into an amicable silence.
“Do you remember when we went up to the Wildwood House,” Roxas murmured.
Hayner shifted, leaning back on his tanned arms, ‘yeah, it was creepy man, but only because it was old and dark and we were thirteen.’
Roxas frowned, “what about the figure I saw, and that burning fire?’
Hayner snorted and replied, ‘dude, you freaked out at a curtain, and some group who went up before us must have lit a candle to scare the next visitors. Just don’t say anything to the kids; Sora will get all hyped up then they’ll all be disappointed when it’s just an empty old house.’
Yanking open a cupboard door, Hayner extracted a bag of bacon rasher crisps and a packet of party ring biscuits and gathered them under his arm.
“Come on mate, got your fav biscuits, let’s go destroy strangers on Rocket League.’
The muscular blonde elbowed open the door and strode away, leaving Roxas to his vague memories of a slim cloaked figure reaching out to him with a palm of smokeless flames. 
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kusunogatari · 4 years ago
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[ ObiRyū October | Day Seventeen | Trick or Treating ] [ @abyssaldespair ] [ Uchiha Obito, Suigin Ryū, Hatake Kakashi ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ]  [ Vulgarity ]
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“Is he here yet?”
“No, not yet.” Very carefully, Ryū applies the last of her makeup. Funnily enough, it doesn’t take much. Just some gaunt, dark makeup around her eyes to make them look sunken and ghastly. She doesn’t even need a wig, her white waves straightened to make a foreboding curtain around her face.
“Ugh, I swear that guy manages to be late at every turn…” Scowling, Kakashi descends the stairs. His own costume is...mostly applied. Ryū just needs to finish wrapping his head, the rest of his mummification already complete. He claims the holiday is lame and for kids, but...she totally noticed him spiffing up what she’s already gotten done.
He might claim Obito’s dragging them out, but she knows he’s actually glad his friend asked.
“It’s not that late yet,” she gently retorts, turning her face to look for anything she’s missed. Just a little black lipstick, and she’ll be done! The second hand store had the perfect white dress, which she’s (temporarily) dirtied for effect. Some carefully tacked-on gauze gives her a spooky look, and just like that: she’s a wraith! “Want me to text him?”
“No, I’ll do it.”
Ryū gives him a glance, a brow perked. He’s standing at one of the windows by the front door, clearly keeping watch. That seemed a little...odd. But she soon shrugs it off. “I hope it doesn’t get too cold...it’s gonna ruin our costumes if we have to wear coats…”
“It’s pretty cloudy, we should be fine. You sure you don’t wanna go to Rin’s party? She said you could go.”
“I know...but I can’t let you dorks go anywhere on your own,” she replies, carefully applying her lipstick. “That’s just asking for trouble.”
“...uh huh. Doesn’t have anything to do with Obito going with me?”
“If Obito weren’t going, you wouldn’t be going. So I guess you could say that,” she counters cheekily.
Kakashi scowls, hidden behind the wrappings on his face.
“Besides, they’re all older than me. It’d be weird. Can’t I just go trick or treating with my brother without being interrogated?”
“Okay one, they’re only about a year older than you. And two, Obito and I are their age, so what’s the difference?”
Ryū turns, pouting. “I’m the odd one out! They all think I’m just a little tagalong. Doesn’t matter that it’s only a year, they still think I’m a twerp. I can tell, they don’t like me…”
Kakashi rolls his eyes. “They like you just fine. You’re just too sensitive.”
“And you’re not sensitive enough!”
It’s then a frantic knock sounds at the door, and they both look to see Obito peeking in the window. “Let me in!” he calls, muffled through the glass.
“About time,” Kakashi mutters under his breath, opening the door. “What took you so long?”
“I had to fix my facepaint, it started melting!” Staggering through the door, Obito arrives in all his zombie glory. Scars left uncovered, he instead has a fake wound on his forehead, and...well, it looks like it’s actually bleeding, given that the paint is indeed starting to ooze.
“Oh, jeez...here, lemme see.” Ryū crosses the gap, a makeup remover napkin in hand. “I can make a new one with some makeup that won’t run. You’ve got it on here way too thick, that’s why it’s being goopy, silly.”
“Uh -?” Not given a chance to refuse, Obito finds himself dragged to the mirror in the main hall, Ryū quickly getting to work. “...you know how to do that?”
“Yeah, duh. We did a workshop on it in theater class, remember?”
“I didn’t do that one, I did props!”
“Well maybe you should have done makeup instead,” she teases, cleaning his forehead. “Now hold still.”
Kakashi, arms crossed, watches the pair with a halfhearted glower. “Hurry up, it’s almost dark. We’re gonna run out of time.”
“It’ll just take me a minute! Obito should get to look the part, too. Have a little patience big bro.”
“Yeah big bro,” Obito echoes, grinning.
“Shut up or I’ll give you a real wound, instead.”
“What crawled up your ass and died, Kakashi?”
He heaves a curt breath, not wanting to admit it. “...nothing. I just want to get this over with since it was all your idea.”
“Says the guy who can’t stop fiddling with his costume to make sure it’s just right,” Ryū retorts. “Admit it, Kakashi - this is gonna be fun! You don’t have to be such a stick in the mud all the time.”
“Trick or treating is for kids.”
“And we’re still kids,” she reminds him, leaning out past Obito to look at him. “Stop trying to grow up so fast! We’re not gonna think any less of you for letting loose and having fun sometimes.”
“...okay maybe I will, but that’s just cuz I have to make fun of you,” Obito offers, pretending to flinch as Ryū lightly baps his arm. “Kidding, kidding!”
Kakashi just rolls his eyes. “Someone around here has to have some sense.”
“Hey, Ryū’s got plenty of sense, and she’s not a jerk!”
Blinking, she flushes a light pink.
“She’s also too easily swayed by your shenanigans, so that doesn’t count,” Kakashi counters dryly.
“Well maybe she just likes to have fun!”
“Okay guys, c’mon, enough arguing,” she cuts in with a sigh. “Obito, how’s that look?”
Not realizing she was done, he leans in toward the mirror. “Whoa! That looks so cool!”
Her pink cheeks get pinker. “Think that’ll work for tonight?”
“Yeah! Thanks!”
“You’re welcome!”
“Okay, now are we ready to go?”
Ryū holds up a hand. “One sec!”
Kakashi groans, head tossing back as she dashes upstairs.
“Y’know, you didn’t have to say you’d go,” Obito offers, crossing the room to stand beside him.
“Ryū wanted to go.”
“Doesn’t mean you have to.”
“Yeah, actually, it does.”
“Why?”
Another grumble. “...cuz I’m her brother. I don’t want her out alone after dark with anybody.”
“What, you don’t trust me?”
“I trust you the least.”
“Aww, why? You know I’d never -!”
“Just nevermind,” Kakashi mutters, edging too close to a rather sensitive topic.
“Okay, back!” Ryū hurries back to the main level. “Here!”
“What’s this?”
“They’re trick or treating bags, duh! Gotta have something to hold all our goodies, right? We made them this week in Home Ec for the elementary school students. I had some extra time, so...I made us all some! They’re based on our costumes.”
“Dude, this is awesome - thanks!” Obito holds out his bag, which sports a felt zombie face on it. “Is there anything you don’t know how to do?”
Kakashi deadpans as she blushes again. “W-well yeah, plenty of things.”
“...okay, anything else, or are we good to go?”
“All right all right, let’s hit the street!” Bag in one hand, Obito holds his aloft, staggering and dragging a foot toward the door.
“Obito, come on! We won’t even make it to the neighbor’s if you go that slow!”
Rather than replying, he just groans.
This is going to be a looong night, Kakashi can’t help but mutter mentally.
Once they get outside, Ryū pushes against Obito’s back to speed him along, earning a laugh as he breaks character. “Save that for when we’re closer to the doors!”
“You don’t like my zombie walk?”
“I like it just fine, but you’re too slow! Kakashi’s right, we don’t have all night. Don’t be a walker, be a runner!”
“What, like...this?!” Spinning around, Obito makes a wild sound, reaching out and making Ryū squeal in surprise as he starts chasing her.
“I’m a ghost, you dork - I don’t have a brain for you to eat!”
“That makes two of you,” Kakashi calls from behind them
“Hey, shut up!”
“Don’t run ahead.”
“First I’m too slow, now I’m too fast. Make up your mind, Kakashi!”
They reach the first house, everyone huddling up on the doorstep as Ryū rings their doorbell. A young couple opens the door, marveling at their costumes before giving them each a heaping handful into their bags.
“Hey, so are we gonna trade each other for stuff we don’t like when we get back?” Obito asks, looking into his bag.
“Maybe, if we have enough time.”
“Kakashi do you even like candy?”
“I like the sour ones. And dark chocolate.”
“I like mint and chocolate!” Ryū pipes up. “Ooh, and peanut butter!”
“Eh, I’m not too picky. Sweet is sweet to me.”
They slowly make their way around the neighborhood, visiting house after house and dodging gaggles of younger kids pursued by their parents. They even manage to cross paths with a few others from their classes.
“See! I told you we’re not too old,” Ryū teases her half brother with a grin.
“Obito and I are still pushing it,” he counters. “Most of our classmates are probably at parties instead.”
“And yet you’re here with the cool kids.”
He snorts. “Debatable.”
They even manage to cross paths with a teacher from the school, his wife helping take their son for a round of trick or treating. Ryū hoists the little blond to her hip, cooing over his fox costume. Naruto is quickly a bundle of giggles at her attentions.
“She’s pretty good with kids, huh?”
Kakashi glances to his friend. “She’s been babysitting for them.”
“Whoa, really?”
“Mhm. It lets her earn a little spending money, and she’s learning some responsibility.”
“And practicing for being a mom.”
The Hatake’s expression sours. “If she wants to be one, sure.”
“She’d be a great mom! She’s super sweet and patient.”
“Good thing, since it lets her put up with you.”
“Hey!”
As the evening ages, the trio decide to call it a night. Each of their bags are rather swollen with goodies, and Ryū digs through her own eagerly.
“Wow, there’s a lot more here than I thought we’d get!”
“Good thing we went down that side street - they had the best haul!” Obito agrees, peering into her bag. “A lot better than my neighborhood. Everyone’s so stingy…”
“So you’re just here to loot ours?” Kakashi asks, brow perking as Obito goes pink.
“No!”
“He’s just teasing,” Ryū assures him, rolling her eyes. “Come on, let’s get back and trade!”
They return to the Hatake household, sitting in a circle on the living room floor. Each dumps out a little candy mountain at their front.
Right off the bat, Kakashi hands over everything but sours and dark chocolates to his sister, who in turn gives hers of his favorites. He’s left with a bit of a small pile, but he doesn’t really care. Sweets aren’t his thing.
“Okay Obito, what can we trade?”
“Uh…” He rummages around. “I’ve got some chocolate and mint stuff. Not much with peanut butter, though.”
“Okay! What do you want that I’ve got?”
They start haggling, Kakashi unwinding the bandages on his face enough to chew some sour Starbursts. He can’t help but be amused at how seriously they take it. Unlike himself, they both sport some pretty hefty sweet teeth.
“But that’s not fair!”
“I don’t want them!”
“Then take some more of these!”
“It’s fine!”
“Ryū, he said he doesn’t want them,” Kakashi cuts in, getting tired of their babble.
“But -!”
“Are we going to watch a scary movie?”
The question acts as the perfect distraction. The other two teens blink. “...are we?”
“Might as well sit and watch something while we eat all this, huh?” Kakashi pops another Starburst.
Obito glances to a clock. “It’s kinda late, though. Should I head home?”
“Aww, already?” Ryū gives Kakashi a pleading look. “Can he stay?”
“What?”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday, it’s not like we need to be up for school! He can just sleep over after the movie. We can put the inflatable mattress in your room!”
A hint of suspicion colors his gaze. “You’re gonna have to make extra breakfast.”
“I don’t mind! Pleeease? We’re having so much fun, I don’t wanna quit yet!”
Ugh, she’s too convincing for her own good. “Fine...I’ll make some popcorn. Go find a movie.”
“Yay!”
...he’s going to regret this, isn’t he?
Throwing a bag of popcorn into the microwave, Kakashi subtly watches into the living room. Ryū and Obito both look over Netflix, trying to find a good movie.
“No, not that one! It’s too scary!”
“I thought that’s the point?”
“I wanna be able to sleep tonight!”
“Nothing to be scared of! Kakashi and I will be here, right?”
“W-well, yeah...but -?”
“Okay, let’s keep looking. Scaredy cat.”
“Am not!”
Obito just chuckles. “How about this?”
“...okay.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
Kakashi just rolls his eyes, splitting the popcorn three ways. “Here.”
Lights turned out, they start the movie.
Like most horror films, it starts out slow. Ryū, wedged between the boys, sinks into her seat and subconsciously munches her popcorn, staring at the screen. And despite his usual boredom with the genre, even Kakashi pays attention.
And then the first jumpscare happens.
“Eep!”
Kakashi flinches as Ryū shrieks, shying back from her slightly as his ear complains. But then he glances over to check on her.
And she’s curled up into Obito’s shoulder.
His eye gives a slight twitch.
Obito, watching wide-eyed, hasn’t really reacted. But a few minutes later, when another shot of the movie’s monster flashes across the screen, he lifts an arm without breaking his stare at the screen to let her closer.
Maybe this was a bad idea.
By the end, neither of them have moved. Only once Kakashi flicks on a light do they both jolt, realizing their positions.
“...time for bed,” Kakashi then mutters. “C’mon Obito, help me set up the air mattress.”
“Uh...right.”
Ryū scurries to the bathroom to brush her teeth, the boys awkwardly heading to Kakashi’s room.
Kakashi doesn’t say a word, letting Obito stew in it for a while.
“So, uh...Ryū really doesn’t like scary movies, huh?”
Here we go. “She likes ones with ghosts. Gore bugs her, though.”
“Really? Doesn’t she want to be a nurse?”
“Mhm.”
“...then -?”
“There’s a difference between real world injuries and overdone movie wounds,” Kakashi sighs as he throws some blankets over the temporary mattress. “If it’s too over the top, it freaks her out. Besides, she’s only sixteen. She’ll get over it before she actually gets into med school.”
“...right.”
More awkward silence.
“Does she, uh…”
“Does she what?”
“Does she...like me?”
Oh brother. “She seems to tolerate you pretty well, yea.”
“That’s not what I mean! I mean does she...like me?”
“How should I know? Ask her if you’re so curious.”
“I can’t just ask her that!”
“Why not?”
“Cuz -!” Okay, he doesn’t really have a reason. “...it would be weird.”
“Weird.”
“Yeah!”
“What are you, twelve? No wonder you’ve never had a girlfriend.”
“Maybe I haven’t wanted one!”
Kakashi deadpans. “...do you like her?”
Obito flashes pink. “...I dunno. I...I guess so.” A pause. “...is that...bad?”
“You tell me.”
“I mean, you’re her brother, and…” Something seems to sink in. “...oh…”
“Yeah. ‘Oh’.” Finished, Kakashi just glances to his friend. “...you’re an idiot, but...apparently she’s into that sort of thing.”
“...wait, she -?”
“Yeah. If you weren’t thick as a brick wall, you’d have noticed by now.”
Suddenly Obito is far more nervous. “...are you mad?”
Kakashi sighs. “...no. I just worry. That’s what big brothers do.”
“...sooo…?”
“...so...just don’t fuck it up. Then I won’t have a reason to get mad.”
“Er...right. Okay.”
“Okay guys, bathroom’s free! G’night!”
Obito fumbles for a moment. “G-goodnight!”
“Night,” Kakashi calls back. Once he’s ready for bed, he slips under his covers, hearing Obito do the same.
...well, breakfast is going to be interesting.
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     Well this is...late and a bit on the short side, but I ran out of time. Today was busy and I ran out of steam =w= But it’s done! Also got to rest run the sub-verse idea of Ryū and Kakashi being related cuz I just like the vibe :3      Anywho, just some silly fluff with out favorite dorks. Makes me sad trick or treating won’t really be a thing this year (if people are smart, anyway).       ...I’d say more but I’m tired :’D Thanks for reading!
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BFCD Reviews by Nesha: Summertime on Netflix
This is what I’m gonna do... I’ll be doing more structured reviews later and most likely liveblogging suggested stuff and tagging with “Nesha Watches (Insert Title) for all liveblog posts. For this first review, I won’t be as structured, because I didn’t really plan on reviewing, so this is basically all of my comments to friends @chenoahchantel and @daintyurbanprincess that were made whilst I was watching this show suggested to me by @rbaifzau 
It didn’t take me long to be annoyed with the white boy in this show. It doesn’t take much anyways, but one episode in and I’m over him already. This dude saw her at a party, she got pushed into the pool accidentally, he gave her a dry shirt, and two minutes later tried to kiss her… TF..  
Girl, this bout to be IGNANT...
Chile... She was like, "What are you doing?" And he looked surprised. Like whet. And in episode 2 after having seen her thrice and spoken to her once, he telling his best friend, "I'm pretty sure I like her a lot." I HATE stuff like this. Why did I tell old girl I'd watch this and discuss it with her? 😭
But she like him, so like??? 😭
And her daddy, who we haven't seen yet is presumably a rolling stone. Only one negro in this town and the nigga gotta be probably running around on his wife? 🙄 I'm like, OH, so the one Black man in the show gotta be a rolling stone? And even though his wife is also highly irresponsible as a parent, she's sort of made out to be the victim of his dreams. They never portray Black mothers doing things on their own as victims. That woman was messing up left and right and it's all on her husband not being there, when that's only part of the problem.
Also, if she IS the only present parent and made the decision to do that, she should be doing it instead of leaning on Summer all of the time. 
And she got a close friend that have an obvious crush on her but she seems oblivious. I hate dis
This dude reminds me of Max Theriot. He always looked musty to me. 🤣🤣🤣 He look like him breaf stank. Him and Jack Griffo were working on something where they play soldiers and I absolutely said, "He still look like he stank" when I saw him on Instagram…
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This is basically the same mold of dude and it looks moldy and should be tossed out. None for me, thanks.
But, there are moments in this show that's really cracking me up. 🤣🤣🤣 It's like, I feel like I should enjoy it for the messiness of it, but the main characters can be infuriating.
She called him an asshole and he said, "You don't even know me." No duh dipshit. She ain't know you when you tried to kiss her neither. NOR when you was talmbout you like her. 
This girl kissing her friend!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. She's gonna hurt this boy! My Gwad. He finna be discombobulated. 😭😭😭 He all happy today and she don't even see him like that. Lordt.
He walked up and she look uncomfortable AF. Her younger sister is like, "You're being weird." 🤣🤣🤣 Even SHE hip to something. He on the beach talmbout "It's hot today, don't you think?" And took his shirt off. 😭😭😭😭😭😭
I like Summer's friends and feel bad for them because she really didn't treat them kindly. She used Edo whenever she was upset by Ale and then she just completely ditched Sofie on her birthday and didn't even text her or anything. Just had her waiting on her and didn't even apologize. Like, I love that she gets a chance to be human, but being an asshole to the people who you're supposed to be friends with is such an upsetting trope to me.
And the connection between her and Ale is so weird. He comes across as super predatory in the beginning and I don't understand why she liked him in the first place, but also whenever he does something by mistake, she is so angry at him, even though she's been just as inconsiderate when it comes to her friends.
NOW... HE HARASSING HER AT HER JOB. 
WOTTICE DIS HUNNY??? 
Talmbout if she got a boyfriend he'll "take care of him" 😖 After she told him to leave and he said he'd wait for her outside, she asked her coworker, "What do you do to let a guy know you like him back?"
NOW, she went outside and he's there, but her friend showed up to surprise her after work. 🤣 Whoever made this HATES me
He stole a book out her locker and left a card with his phone number. How is this the start of a romance???
OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. FRIEND IS TALKING ABOUT THE KISS...He said it was perfect........
Chile... And she don't even wanna tell their other best friend. Bruh. He said, "What we have doesn't need to be discussed." Summy PLEASE tell this young man...HE TRIED TO KISS HER AGAIN AND SHE SAID, "We just talked about last night's mistake" 😭😭😭
And she done hurt my friend this way, but she worried about Maxface because his mama can't reach him on the phone??? Girl.. go.. girl...
The gag is that she got mad at Ale because she saw him talking to his ex and she had to cover for him at work, but you've now ACTUALLY put your best friend in a bad space. And he ran into her mom and little sister and looked so uncomfortable but kept it short and sweet. These are people he loves. Idk. I feel bad for him and also like she kind of a hypocrite.
That was what REALLY bothered me. I don't expect her to be perfect, by all means. Black girls should be allowed their imperfections and their mistakes, but the fact that she knows what it's like to have the people you love be so absent and that she would treat her friends this way because of one guy who she's only known for a couple of months was disappointing for her character. She could have been written imperfectly without this glaring problem that I don't believe a real person in her position would actually have. 
I think in real life, the girl who raises her sister and basically has to lift her mother up all the time would overextend herself to her friends, but instead, she just leaves them in her dust as soon as she gets some dick. 😭
He is now hanging out with her little sister. 😭😭😭She goes to school with them but she looks tiny. I'm cringing at everything.
BRUH. Like... I can't tell if they're trying to or not, but I wouldn't be surprised because he's cool with the sister too, but they've been friends a while, so I didn't think much of it until Summer hurt him.I thought she liked him earlier, so idk if he is noticing her or I just EXPECT it. 
OAN, this man realized his son had a motorcycle accident on purpose and got mad instead of concerned
At one point, they say he's been riding bikes for 20 years, and whenever his father is mad that he had his accident on purpose (which I'll come back to) he says that he's never made a mistake like that, not even was he was 4, so Ale is AT LEAST 24 and she JUST turned 18. Which is WILD to me, even though at 18 I dated someone who was 23 (he was possessive and abusive, so I have a real suspicion of age gaps). 
But, aside from that - she gets mad at him any time she sees him with his ex when It is perfectly fine to speak with your ex and whenever she did see them together, it was always innocent and she didn't give him a chance to explain.
But then, when he does something questionable, like whenever he tried to kiss her the first day they met, or whenever he came to her job to ask her out and she told him to leave but he said he was going to wait outside (toxic AF and presumptuous) she is fine with those things.
Now, back to Ale's accident. I really felt so bad for him whenever we discover he did this on purpose, because his father is mad, when they should be concerned. His mother says, "You could have died" and he agrees...
How did they not notice that meant that this young man was so disappointed with his life as a biker that he was literally suicidal? They just grazed past it and whenever he vanished on them, there wasn't a huge call to find him,even though he'd just admitted to purposefully filling a possibly fatal mistake.
I'm prepared for nothing but disappointment. ALL these people outta there. Ale's best friend is in love with his ex. 😭 IT'S SUMMER'S 18TH BIRTHDAY. MYNIGGA She really stood her other best friend up to go get some dick on a little ass boat
The little sister shot her shot! 😭😭😭 He told her she's like his little sister and she burnt off mad denna muffugga
This child drunk, walking down the street in the middle of the night without her glasses...
OMG AS I WAS TYPING THAT SHE GOT HIT BY A DAMN CAR
I was really upset by these things coming to light, and also whenever Blue gets hit by a car, because all of the reviews that I've seen on this site have been that it's a cute love story with likable characters, but nobody mentions the problematic content, the dark portions of the story that can be triggering - like suicide and alcohol incidents and literally seeing a young Black girl be hit and run by a car??? 
I wasn't prepared for that shit in a "cute love story." I think that this story is less cute and more dark than people have made it out to be, and that's one of my problems with it. It isn't marketed as a dramatic coming of age story. It's marketed as a romantic comedy, when it is more serious than that and has a lot of issues that should be considered.
The lesbian best friend is in love with her too??????????????????? I. Hate. This.
My favorite person in this whole thing is the lesbian in the background, Irene. And also Dario.
I was entertained a lot of the times. Just heavily confused because I couldn't figure out what the tone was supposed to be. 😁
In conclusion - it's maybe a dark comedy, not a cute comedy, IS a coming of age about a young Black girl who is kind of an asshole, but Black girls should be free to be assholes too. White dudes do it all the time and are valued characters. The dude is weird AF for chasing around this 17 year old girl and he's in his 20s. Idk if that's normal in Italy. It's nasty to me. Their beginning is young people foolishness and there's not much that we see their relationship built upon, but that happens, yanno. You young, tired and silly and some pushy dude makes his move whenever he see you. Slap some discount sex in a dinghy on it and you have this show. I don't recommend it, but a lot of folk loved it, so I guess it did what it meant to do.
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waywardnerd67 · 6 years ago
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A Balanced Life: Chap. 2 - Three Men and a Middle Schooler
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Summary: Frustrated Dean lashes out and has to rely on his brother along with his best friend to get to the bottom of why Sammi is acting the way she is. Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel, Sammi Winchester (OFC), Reader Pairing: Dean x Reader Warnings: Fluff/Slight Angst Word Count: 1568 A/N: As always this is unbeta so all mistakes are mine. Likes, comments and reblogs are splendid and I will love you doubly for them! Enjoy!
Catch Up Here: A Balanced Life Masterlist
The next few weeks were difficult. Sam and Castiel were out on a hunt as Dean stayed behind to make sure Sammi was okay. One moment she would be fine joking with Dean and then in a split second it was like she was the girl from the Exorcist. He could get a handle on what he was doing to set her off.
They were sitting in his Dean Cave watching Sammi’s favorite horror movie. Her phone was constantly buzzing throughout it. “Yo, tell little Suzy your hanging with your cool dad and to text you tomorrow.” He said taking a drink of his beer.
He looked over to see Sammi roll her eyes giving him a pointed look then looking back down at her phone. When she sat her phone down on her lap he paused the movie. “Dad, I was watching that.” She said pointing to the TV.
“Could have fooled me. You’ve been looking down at your phone more than watching the movie. What’s going on?” He asked turning towards her.
She shrugged taking a drink of her bottled root beer, “Nothing. Just talking to a friend.”
“Uh-huh, who?” he asked a sickening feeling washing over his body. Dean was not stupid he knew twelve-year-old girls started liking boys and he knew all too well what twelve-year-old boys thought of.
“It’s no one dad, can we please watch the movie.” Sammi said sighing heavily.
Dean turned pressing play as the movie started again. A few minutes later her phone buzzed again and as she was typing he snatched it out of her hands. “DAD!” she yelled as he looked down at it the text.
“Who is Josh?” he asked reading through the conversation. Most of it was innocent getting to know you questions. “Sammi, who is Josh?”
She stood up grabbing her phone from him again, “None of your business. I’m old enough to make my own decisions dad.” Sammi started off towards her bedroom with Dean quick on her tail.
“Sammi, come back here and talk to me. Just tell me who he is.” He said trying to keep his cool. He watched as his daughter stomped her feet a little harder down the hall to her room slamming the door in his face.
“Leave me alone!” she yelled.
Dean took a deep breath before speaking, “Sammi please talk with me. This only works if we talk with one another.”
There was silence on the other side of the door. That is when Dean had enough opening her door and walking in her room without permission. “Hey!” she called out as she sat up on her bed.
“Don’t hey me, Samantha Winchester. I tried to be nice, but you leave me no choice but to do things the hard way. If you won’t tell me about Josh, then you aren’t allowed to talk to him.” Dean walked over snatching her phone out of her hands and placing it in his back pocket.
She quickly got up placing her hands on her hips. In that moment, she looked so much like Lisa it was startling. “This is so unfair! When you were my age you were hunting with my non-existent grandfather and I can’t have a simple friendly conversation with a boy from school!”
“Watch what you say about your family, young lady. If you were only having a friendly conversation, then why hide it? Secrets only end badly, Sammi.” He paused for a moment, “Look I just want to protect you…”
Sammi lashed out, “Protect me? Like you protected mom? I can take care of myself and don’t need you!”
Dean felt as if his heart was shattering. The ache developing in his chest made him grasp his shirt and then a raging fire flowed through his veins. “You’ve gone too far, Samantha. You’re grounded until I say otherwise. I will drop you off at school and pick you up. You will do your homework in the library and then complete a daily chore list I have for you. After that you can stay here in your room without your computer, phone and TV.”
He walked out of her room slamming her door as she screamed, “I HATE YOU DEAN WINCHESTER!”
Dean stopped swallowing the large lump in his throat from hearing those words. He knew that it was harsh of him, but she needed to learn that he would not be a push over. How his dad was ever able to raise him and Sam out on the road while hunting was beyond him. Each year he found a new respect for his dad missing him a little more.
Dean made his way to the library grabbing a bottle of bourbon and a glass. Sitting down at the map table he poured himself a drink down it quickly. By the time he poured his fourth glass, Sam and Castiel walked in through the main Bunker door. Sam gave him a disapproving look as he set his bag down on the table.
“What happened?” his brother asked.
Dean drank from his glass, “She’s talking to a boy.” He said as Castiel sat down next to him.
“Let me guess, you overreacted and now she’s mad at you.” Sam said shaking his head.
“I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn’t talk. Then I yelled at her and she yelled back. Now she hates me.” The defeat in his voice did not go unnoticed by either of the men around him.
Sam sighed, “I’ll go talk to her. Cas, why don’t you make some coffee for Dean.” He grabbed the bottle of bourbon as Dean pouted.
A few minutes later, Castiel walked back in with Dean’s favorite mug filled with black coffee handed it to him. Him and Castiel sat in silence as he drank the coffee feeling his buzz dying off and the ache in his chest returning.
“Are you okay, Dean?” his best friend asked.
“Not really, Cas. Everything I try to do or say is wrong. I just wish… I wish Lisa was here for her. I’m no role model for a young kid.” Dean looked over his mug to see Castiel smiling softly.
“Dean, you are a better role model than you think. I am sure it is difficult for her to not have her mother, but you are doing your best. Sammi is an amazing young woman and I think Lisa would be proud of you for the way you are raising her.” Dean ran his hand through his hair and down to the back of his neck.
He sighed heavily, “Cas how am I supposed to keep her safe and let her live her own life? I don’t want… I don’t want her to end up like Sam when he was eighteen and hating our dad so much he ran away. After losing Lisa and Ben, I can’t lose Sammi too.”
He looked down at the mug in his hands trying to keep back the tears threatening to fall down his face. He felt Castiel’s hand grip his shoulder as he had done many times during their long friendship. Whenever Dean needed someone to lean on, Castiel was always there for him.
“You will not lose her, Dean. She loves you.” Hearing Sam’s voice he looked up to see him walking towards the table.
“Is she okay?” he asked.
Sam nodded, “She’s pissed but yes she’s okay. She was scared to tell you that she was talking to a boy. She feels like she doesn’t have anyone to talk too about this kind of stuff.”
“She can talk to me about anything…” Dean started to say as Sam scoffed.
“Boys are more of a mother, daughter topic. We don’t exactly have anyone living here for her to talk too. She needs someone to guide her through puberty.” Dean’s eyes shot up to Sam’s, wide and fearful.
Sam chuckled as Dean shivered, “You’re right. Maybe we can ask Jody or Donna to come down for a little while. Maybe Claire could come live down here and hunt.”
“I think that is something Sammi needs to decide. Just give her some time and her phone back.” Sam said holding up Sammi’s cell phone that was on the table.
Dean sighed, “I’ll think about giving it back to her, but for now I’m gonna keep it.”
Sam nodded setting it back down as he walked by him patting his shoulder. Castiel got up walking towards his own room leaving Dean alone in the library once again. He cleaned up his glasses and made his way towards his own room. He stopped outside Sammi’s room seeing her door slightly opened.
She was asleep under her blanket something clutched under her arm. Dean smiled seeing it was Mr. Buns Buns, the stuff rabbit he had gotten her as a baby. He moved a strand of her hair tucking it behind her ear. Leaning down he placed a kiss on her forehead then he set her phone on her nightstand plugging it in, so it was fully charged in the morning.
The next morning when he woke up, there was a note on his nightstand. “Dad, thank you for giving my phone back. Uncle Sam is going to take me to school. I will see you when you come pick me up. I’m sorry for what I said. I love you daddy. Love, Sammi”
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crimsondomingo · 6 years ago
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Day 17: Coffee Shop/Flower Shop/Bookstore
For my July AU a Day Challenge
(I added the bookstore part)
Len finished the last sentence of the chapter to riveted expressions from the children watching, a few with worried, tearful faces at the fate of the main character—and with sympathy for the villain—just as Len had hoped.
He closed the little paperback with a flourish.
“And if you’d like to find out what happens next, you’ll have to convince your parents the merits of supporting your local businesses.”
Several kids groaned and whined, while most of the parents laughed. The Vampire Who Came For Christmas was hardly a title to break the bank, and he’d distracted these fine folk’s children for half an hour with a reading from near the middle of the book, where he felt they were most likely to get invested. The parents couldn’t be too upset with him for getting their kids interested in reading.
It also helped that he was dressed in a snazzy medieval outfit with plastic fangs to set the scene.
“Lenny,” Lisa stood with hands on hips after the children had started to disperse. “It isn’t Christmas or Halloween. Why that book? Just an excuse to play dress up?”
“Please, Lisa, I choose Children’s Corner based on more important timing. A little girl purchased the book recently and could not stop regaling me with how much she loved it.”
“Plus, the dress-up.”
“Well I do look good in black.” Len winked.
Rogues Corner was a shop passed down to Len from his mother with local authors and hard to find books, a little section for gifts and flowers, and a café in the back where people could grab coffee and a snack—a little bit of everything in a compact package. Len loved it, and he loved running it with his sister and best friend.
Mick handled the flowers and gifts. Lisa handled the books, though Len always read for Children’s Corner on Saturdays. And Len manned the coffee shop. They had a few additional workers to share the load, but for the most part, the place was theirs.
“Don’t look now, Lenny, but your favorite customer just walked in.” Lisa nodded over his shoulder.
Silly, unfair flutters churned in Len’s stomach before he turned around to see the young man who’d been coming in regularly for the past few months. Sometimes for a book, sometimes a gift, always for coffee and a treat, taking time to chat with Len each time. Lisa kept telling him to ask the guy out, but Len was unsure.
He was too old for the young Mr. Allen—“Call me Barry.” Oh but he was beautiful and adorable and so easy to talk to. Len just couldn’t be sure if Barry felt anything for him.
In that next moment as Lisa chuckled at his expense and headed off, he suddenly knew the answer.
Barry wasn’t interested—because he was in love with the girl he’d brought with him today.
She was a knockout. Dark skin, vibrant smile, flawless and petite figure. The way Barry looked at her was with such obvious adoration, Len stood no chance. No wonder their banter and what Lisa had insisted was flirting never went anywhere. Barry already had someone in his life.
They were headed for the flowers and gifts section, so Len bee-lined for the café. He shooed his extra cashier, Axel, to help Lisa with book sales, and hid behind the counter, wiping it down and serving the people who lined up for muffins and lattes.
He completely forgot he was still in costume from Children’s Corner until Barry and the knockout appeared out of nowhere.
“Did I see The Vampire Who Came For Christmas on display for Children’s Corner? I loved that book as a kid!” Barry exclaimed, without a single comment about Len looking like Lestat with shorn hair.
Knockout raised an eyebrow though. “You really get into your work, huh?”
“It’s for the kids!” Barry defended, then smiled at Len with a warmth that made Len’s knees week. “And the fun, right? You make fangs look cool again, Len.”
“There was a point they weren’t cool?” Then Len realized what he’d said and he, Barry, and Knockout all said at once, “Twilight.”
“Still a long road to recover from that,” Barry snickered. “Oh this is Iris. Iris, this is Len, one of the owners. He makes the best chocolate coconut mocha you have ever had.”
“You just made my order easier.” Iris smiled.  
“Make it two?” Barry looked at Len hopefully. “And a cinnamon scone for me, please.”
“Coming right up.”
It was when Iris paid, waving Barry’s wallet away, that Len noticed the glittering ring on her finger.
“When’s the happy day?” Len asked, feeling his stomach sink deeper as he accepted her cash and readied her change.
“Next weekend. I’m losing my mind, so Barry is trying to keep me distracted. Best Man of Honor ever,” she said, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m going to check out the gift section again. There might be something over there perfect for a bridal party gift, so you, sir, cannot come with me for a while.”
“Wouldn’t dream of peeking,” Barry gave a little salute.
Off she went with her mocha, while Barry sat at the café counter to enjoy his. He didn’t immediately look down at his scone though, but watched Iris walk away with longing.
It was worse than Len thought. He should leave things alone, he really should, but he found himself asking anyway, “So tell me, Barry…she know you’re in love with her?”
Barry startled, nearly choking on his first sip of coffee. “I… It’s that obvious? But yeah, she knows. I told her before they got engaged, but…”
“She chose the other guy.”
“We don’t want it to make things weird. She’s my oldest friend. My best friend, and she always will be.”
“Doesn’t change that you’re hung up on her.”
“Like a jerk.” Barry picked at his scone, only taking a small bite, which wasn’t like him at all. He was a hearty eater for such a slim guy. “Her fiancé, Eddie, is the best too. Like, even I love him. It’s not a case of her choosing the wrong guy, I’m just out of luck.”
Len felt for him, intimately familiar with unrequited love. “Well…” He tried to think of something comforting to say.
“Mr. Len?”
Len peered over the counter beside Barry where one of the regulars from Children’s Corner was clutching a book and some cash. He went around to crouch in front of her. “Yes, Eleanor?”
“I only got three dollars and fifty cents, but the vampire book is six. Can I bring you the rest later?”
Eleanor’s parents insisted she earn and pay for her own books, trying to teach her patience and restraint, though they gave her fifty cents here and there for easy things to give her a sense of accomplishment too. Len could see them in the distance, watching her closely.
“You most certainly can,” he said, since he appreciated a negotiator. “We’ll write an IOU.”
“A what?”
Len pulled a pen and paper from his pocket, turning to write on the empty stool beside Barry so Eleanor could see. “I,” he wrote and pointed at her, “O,” he tapped the money in her hands, “U,” he pointed at himself. “And we’ll write the amount left on your tab so we both remember. What is six minus three-fifty?”
“Um…two-fifty!”
“Good girl.” He wrote that down on the paper along with Eleanor’s name, and handed it to her. “You go give all that to Miss Lisa and say I said it was alright.”
“Thank you, Mr. Len!” Eleanor bounced on her feet before dashing away. Her parents shot him a sly look but he simply shrugged.
Then he noticed Barry smirking at him, right there above him where Len was still crouching.
He quickly stood. “What?”
“Nothing. You’re just amazing. You’re really good with kids, you know.”
“Easy to be good with them when you can give them back to their parents.”
Barry chuckled and started eating his scone with more gusto.
“Wedding, huh?” Lisa appeared just as Len got back behind the counter. She must have grilled Iris.
“Shouldn’t you be up front?” Len glared at her.
“Axel’s got it, and I took the IOU, you big softy.” She looked back to Barry for an answer.
“Oh, yeah, next weekend.”
“Do you have a date?”
“No?” Barry said more like a question.
“Going stag to bag a bridesmaid?”
“No!”
“Groomsman?”
“Lisa,” Len snapped. She did not need to ask that—or hover so close to Barry.
“Not these groomsmen,” Barry said with a glance away that said he might be interested in some groomsmen—in men as well as women, which should not have made Len feel so hopeful. “They’re all friends of mine.”
“Then you should take Lenny.”
“What?” Len’s attention whirled back to his sister.
“You get a plus one, don’t you?” Lisa grinned at Barry mischievously. “Lenny loves weddings.”
Len hated weddings.
“At least then you’d have someone to dance with and not feel awkward during the reception.”
“I couldn’t ask that.” Barry turned to face Len with that typical nice ‘no thanks’ expression. Or at least Len thought that’s what he was seeing until a swirl of hope entered Barry’s face. “Unless you…really wanted to go? Would you?”
Len resented and loved his sister so much in that moment because it didn’t seem like Barry was only being polite. “If you’re really asking…I could be available.”
“Really? Coz I think I am asking. I would love to not have to go through next weekend alone, especially if you were the one with me.” Barry seemed to realize how he’d said that and promptly blushed.
Lisa looked so damn smug, but maybe she wasn’t wrong about Barry.
“Great,” Len said. “It’s a date.”
122 notes · View notes
ketch117 · 6 years ago
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Fake Dating/“They’re coming- kiss me!”
As she approached, the throbbing pulse of music reached her ears. Somewhat inauspiciously, a heavily synthesised remix of Chuck Berry's 'You Never Can Tell'.
Her brother Oberyn's nightclub was located in a basement down a poorly lit side street popular with prostitutes and junkies. It was a dingy, shabby hole, sweaty and cramped, painted an unfortunate shade of yellow that always put her in mind of over-ripe bananas and stinking of sour cigarettes and stale booze, or was it the other way around? That it was able to survive was testament to the combined pulling power of Oberyn's top-shelf alcohol, legendary for it's potency among bohemian alcoholics, and the still more legendary floorshows that unfolded on the mirrored stage behind the tiny dance floor, that truly defied description. In fact, together these proved such a draw that the club was sold out every night, and - given the cheapness of the rent for obvious reasons - should therefore have been wildly in profit, but so much cash went into bribing the police and, when that was unsuccessful, fighting court orders and reapplying for licenses that it barely covered costs. Oberyn claimed to keep it open for the art - and it might be true, he certainly didn't need the money, but his sister privately suspected it was either an extremely clever way of laundering money, or it's main purpose was in acquiring blackmail material. Perhaps both.
It was early when she got there, not even fully dark yet, but the queue was already beginning to tail back along the street. Elia considered herself to be a worldly sort of girl, but she didn’t know anyone who wouldn’t have felt out of place there - women dressed like Warhol-era New York prostitutes, sharp-suited, sharper-coiffured men in eyeliner waiting in multi-sexual combinations of pairs and threesomes, but she did her best not to pay it any mind. She knew that the line you saw out the door was rarely an indication of how many people were inside. An empty club could have a line of people waiting to get in, to give the right image. Ignoring them all, she walked straight to the front of the queue, where two cold, bored, actual eunuchs, sinewy rough-and-tumble motherfuckers that her brother had acquired from God-Knows-Where (that must have been a hell of a job interview) stood, wearing actual leopard-skins in lieu of clothing to show off their wiry physiques. They were holding clipboards, and were sorting through the crowd and turning away the insufficiently hip.
The larger of the two, shaved entirely hairless even to the eyebrows and dark skinned in an ambiguous way that could suggest all a manner of ethnicities moved to intercept her with a bored swagger. Elia had never seen him before in her life, at least she was fairly certain, but he obviously recognised her, since he smiled warmly instead, leaning over to undo the chain fence to let her through. “Oberyn said you'd be around. He's waiting for you."
“What the hell?” one of the girls near the front of the line complained, “We’ve been waiting for forty five minutes and you let that slut through like that?”
“Out of the line,” the doorman said, his voice bored.
“The hell? Why?”
“She's a VIP. Out of the line. You and your friends are banned indefinitely." Having said all he intended to, at least to her, he stepped aside to give Elia space to enter.
The girl was obviously too young to know to cut her losses. Elia could hear her still protesting as she walked through the doors.
The music was a great deal louder inside. It was too early in the night for much in the way of character, the people inside were mostly relaxing, drinking, and sneering at people not as cool as them.
"Welcome back to the country. ” Oberyn grinned, emerging from the VIP rooms and ambling over with a long, rolling step. Her brother was always making something of a spectacle himself, he couldn’t help it, and here, where there was nobody to rein him in or exert control over him he was playing it up more than ever. He was wearing leather pants that probably stood in violation of public decency laws, and no shirt. Some of the tattoos looked new. She was almost certain the nipple piercing was. He’d grown his hair out, so that it was just brushing his shoulders, and he’d regrown his beard. “Taking a break from fighting the good fight?”
“I’m only here for a week. I don’t know if that counts as a break. And I don’t know that what I do counts as the Good Fight.”
“Well, it’s making the world better for the common man - even if there is no medals in it. And even if you work too hard anyway, and it keeps you out of the country.” Oberyn said. “When exactly did you get here?”
“My flight touched down an hour ago. I got an Uber here.”
“And you came to visit me first? You’ll break our dearest brothers heart with this blatant display of your preference.” He paused. “Where are your bags?”
“I didn’t pack any.”
Oberyn’s grin widened. “And Doran complains I am too spontaneous.” He shook his head. “Well, that simply won’t do. Not at all. You and I will have to purchase a new wardrobe for you while you are here.”
Elia had been expecting that, so she only shrugged. “This is why I didn’t pack, you know. You’d make me do this anyway.”
“Of course! Sister dearest, I count it as a gift, the trust and faith in me you display by trusting me to take care of you.” Oberyn replied, giving her his most charming smile. “When I’m done, you’ll turn every head in New York. Where are you staying?”
“One of Doran’s spare rooms. And you’re taking me there - I’ll rent a car tomorrow.”
“Not so fast. We’ve got to catch up a bit first.”
“Well, of course. Why bother showing up to a wedding, except to catch up with all the people you’re to busy to see? I want to hear everything.”
The VIP rooms were actually very comfortable, despite the fact that every smooth surface seemed to be dedicated to a smorgasbord of substances to snort, swallow or inject. And the highly conspicuous biohazard bins by the door and couches to dispose of syringes. By Oberyn's standards, that was very responsible.
Her brother mixed her a drink that she didn’t try to identify, she just poured into her for the sake of being a good sport, then sent him off to get something more her speed. He returned with a glass and the entire bottle, obviously feeling it would save time in the long run. She glanced at the label and nodded approvingly, then poured herself a glass. She took only a small sip - she was hesitant to disrespect such a great bottle of wine by using it to get trashed. “You spoil me.”
“When I can get away with it. So, what’s happening in your life?”
“More of the same. I'm fighting against international corporate hegemonies, which you are not only not interested in talking about, if I try to you will change the subject. Rhaenys is studying international law in Scandinavia, and Aegon is somewhere in South America. And you’re doing…”
“Oh, a little here, a little there.” He replied, evasive as he always was. “Some of it’s legal, but those bits are so dreadfully dull that hearing about it would bore you terribly. Filing, mostly.” He crossed his legs. “But surely there is more to life in Brussels than work.”
“Well, there is a positively decadent expenses account, and plenty of exquisite champagne and truffles to use it on.” She winked. “I’ve put on, what, twenty pounds there? Two kids and I never gained an ounce, but all that food… I’ll be starting to waddle soon, can you imagine?”
Oberyn swallowed. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“Liar.” She replied with a wink. "I'm up a whole size. And lighten up. Someone as throughly debauched as yourself shouldn't be so easy to embarrass."
“Have you found a man, between champagne dinners?”
“I anticipated you were working your way to that. I even held off asking about my old friends to give you the chance. Still, I expected more candor.”
“Well, I…”
“The answer is no, Oberyn. No, I haven’t met anyone who excites me - not that I need any excitement, and so I am entirely free. My kids have grown up, they have their own lives, and I’m not afraid to be alone.”
“You’re wasted alone.”
“I never said I was alone. Just that I am not afraid of it, and that anyway, I haven’t found anyone new." Sex had been sporadic at best, and more often than not she found herself entirely doing without. Which was a shame, because she loved the idea of sex, but hardly dedicated any effort to actively pursuing it. "I haven’t been in more than the occasional date in nearly two decades. I was pretty hot property back then, as I recall, but we’d only just discovered texting in those days.”
“It’s not actually all that different, now.”
"Oh now? What about all of the sexting and the snapping and the swiping right Rhaenys seems so taken with. Or is it left? I admit I don’t have any idea.”
“There’s no great mystery to online dating, sweet sister. It’s just like chatting someone up in a bar, only over email and with the guarantee that they’re on the prowl as well.”
“Where does the swiping come in?”
“No swiping.”
“Are you trying to take all the fun out of this? That's not like you at all, brother. Is your nerve failing as you get older?”
Oberyn was much to irrepressible to let something like that take the wind out of his sails. “Maybe we’ll work up to that. But the problem is not how you go about it. The problem is that you’ve got no taste in men.”
“Well no. Of course, neither do you.”
“Granted, but for entirely different reasons. Your problem is that, on some unconscious level, you feel the need to be with a partner who is utterly destructive. To themselves, and to your life.”
“I'll admit that has happened a time or two" She briefly thought about Simon Toyne, who for most people would be the boyfriend they most regretted. They'd met in college, and she had been taken by surprise when he was injured in a shoot-out with the National Guard and was now serving simultaneous life sentences for domestic terrorism, then considered Rhaegar Targaryen, who'd seemed perfect right up until he left her for a teenager one night without a word, and then skipped out on his bail and fled the country ahead of prosecution. Apparently he was now living somewhere alongside the french riviera, toying with collecting art and trading mistresses with the other ageing bon vivants. "Are you working up to something? Because if so, I’m afraid I don’t follow. Just have at it, will you?”
Oberyn smiled. “Well, you can't show up at your niece’s wedding unescorted. That simply will not do."
"Agreed." Elia replied.
"Fortunately I anticipated this, and as it happens I have already alighted on a solution.”
She looked at him, her expression set in some strange expression caught somewhere between disappointment or amusement. “Are you trying to set me up with one of your exes?”
Oberyn looked offended. “As if I want any of my exes anywhere near my family. Particularly you, sweet sister. If they couldn’t handle me, you’d eat them alive. No, I have the perfect man for you. Handsome, reliable, just dangerous enough to be interesting…”
Her eyebrows went up, but he knew his sister well enough to know he’d intrigued her. “Really?”
“And that’s the best bit. I know you’ll like him, since you already do!”
+ + + + +
These days, the crossword was the only part of the paper that Arthur Dayne devoted more than a few minutes to. In the past, he would read the front part of the New York Times from top to bottom and form an opinion - almost always negative - about every last item, including the opinion pieces, the sponsored content and the letters. He'd stopped doing that a few years back when filling his empty hours had stopped seeming so important, and what a load-off it had turned out to be! It had happened one Sunday Morning, shortly after the paper had arrived on his doorstep. The local and International News, Business, Sports, Art & Leisure, Review, Agenda, five sections of classifieds, and he'd put it aside.
So it made a change to be reading a paper again - if more out of a desire to occupy himself while he waited to discover the favor Oberyn was asking for him. It didn't occupy him the way it had used to - he didn't know if that meant he was changing, or the way that the News was reported was changing, but given the world didn't seem to change as much as everyone thought it did he assumed it was the former. General opinion, judging by the microcosm of it deemed newsworthy, didn't seem too important, anyway.
He'd ordered himself lunch while he waited, but it had yet to arrive. The coffee had, but he'd drunk it by now, and was beginning to regret that he'd not ordered a second cup. Looking up from the paper, which he was mostly only holding as a prop anyway, he blinked when he realized that she'd arrived. He recognized her, of course, even though they hadn't seen each other in years. But it still took him by momentary surprise when he noticed just who was wearing the red orchid in her dark hair - the agreed identification (obviously Oberyn had watched too many spy-movies) enough that he's already folded the paper and placed it aside when she sits across from him.
"Well. Now I'm wondering if Ashara put Oberyn up to this, or the conspiracy goes deeper yet.” She said, with her bright smile, her dimples and her sparkling eyes. Arthur Dayne thought a man would have to be made of stone not to smile back. There was something about Elia, something that kept you thinking of her to the expense of conventional beauty.
“Honestly, I was halfway ready to ask you the same. Before that, I wondered if this was some sort of elaborate set-up.”
"Well, I never doubted that you were innocent - at least in regards to scheming up this. It's lovely to see you Arthur."
"You too." He replied automatically, but scrupulously honestly. "I had no idea you were back in the country."
"I'm not, really. Not for another six months. Maybe longer. Honestly, these days I always seem to be busy."
"You thrive on it."
"Well, thrive might be too strong a word. How about yourself? I hear they have you training special forces recruits somewhere classified?"
"They don't know what else to do with me. In all honesty, I'm bored out of my mind, but I haven't dared tell anyone."
"Afraid you'll embarrass them?"
"Aware that complaining about boredom isn't something anybody can do in my position - anyone gets a whisper of dissatisfaction from you, and the superiors will worry about cracking up or an addiction to risk and force you to undertake psychiatric evaluation. Or worse." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "I'll put up with it a bit longer. Who knows, maybe get a discharge, try and give civilian life a try."
"You'd hate it."
"You might be surprised. I'm almost laid back these days."
She snorted. "How is Ashara?"
"You'd know better than me, I'd think. We don't talk much any more."
For a moment there was a comfortable silence.
"You're not here under any sort of false pretenses, are you?"
"Not unless I've tragically misread this situation, and you've something sinister in mind."
"I never plan anything sinister, it just happens."
"Like anybody could believe that."
She laughed. "You're growing so suspicious. No, it's only that I'm a little at a loss - all I've been told to do is show up."
"Well, apparently it's a date. And I'm a little out of practice, but I believe I'm supposed to charm you, sweep you off your feet as much as you'll let me, and otherwise show you a good time. It's all pre-planned, your brother even texted me an itinerary, a list of bookings…"
"Let me see that." She said eagerly, then snatched away his phone before he could offer it to her. "Hmmm. He's certainly gone to a lot of trouble, hasn't he? He always did know what I like. Unfortunately, he seems to have stolen most of his ideas from watching montages in romantic comedies. Well, I won't protest - I'll go through with it. It'll be fun, if nothing else, and the two of us do need the chance to catch up. At least if you are game?"
"It's not really a chore, escorting you around all day."
"Oh, you say that now, but up until now you've only known me as a friend. Apparently I'm high maintenance. Also, intimidating." She gave him a smoky look. "Though I'm sure you can keep up with me for a few days. There's a wedding to attend, afterall. Arianne's, if you can believe it." She smiled fondly. "And there is something so magical about weddings, I've always found."
"You must be very proud."
"Of course I am. What an odd thing to say."
"So it's a date?"
"People who date me tend to know. Let's do this as friends, and if we start to enjoy ourselves we can change our minds. Less pressure that way."
+ + + + +
It was sunset when they left the theatre. If Arthur Dayne had been asked if he considered himself the demographic likely to enjoy a play written by an up-and-coming young talent satirizing capitalism, Arthur would have had to say no. The theatre wasn't something he had any involvement with, it was something he wouldn't have expected to see, much less form an opinion on.
"Well, that was fun." Elia said at last. Truth be told, he'd spent more time watching her then the play, waiting for her to explain the meta-narrative and complex farcical twists into something he could understand. After a while, he'd stopped trying. There was no sense in listening to the words, instead he listened to it like he would music. Just let it flow in and out.
“I had fun. Lots, actually." Arthur Dayne agreed. He sounded almost surprised. "What now?"
"Well, I hope you'll escort me to the wedding. It's a magical time, anything can happen. After that, I'm going to be on a flight back to Europe, where they know how to take care of royalty.” She winked. “Look me up. Might be nice to give this another try. You know. For real.” She winked. "We missed out on old-times sake, but if you ever feel like new-times sake, get a hold of me."
Arthur Dayne was not a man given to spontaneity. He planned everything, he always had. Which is why he took himself by surprise as much as he took her by surprise when he stepped up close, leaned down, cupped her chin and drew her toward him until their mouths all but touched. He could feel her breath, warm and shallow, on his neck, and when he kissed her, she responded with slow but genuine passion.
Already the kiss was beginning to change; it was hotter now, more demanding. Her body pressed against him. His breathing had quickened considerably; hers came swift and shallow.
"Or we could act now."
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seriouslycromulent · 6 years ago
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OK. So I finished binge-watching Black Lightning on Netflix and ...
... Oh my damn! I really didn’t want to give this show a chance because I’m vehemently anti-Berlanti-verse and just general anti-CW writing, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m on board for Season 2 when it airs this fall. 
I think a part of the reason this show works for me more than the other Berlanti-verse shows is because of Mara Brock Akil. She’s the executive producer, and I’d like to believe it’s her influence and leadership that makes the dialogue and characterization on Black Lightning just 10x more realistic and engaging than the hokey after-school specials that make up the rest of the DCtv world on the CW.
Add to that the fact that the acting is far better than what I’d expect from the CW universe, and I have to say...
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I only started the show yesterday, and I’m already on episode 10 (of 13) finished. And now my biggest complaint is why didn’t this show get a full season from jump? But I shan’t dwell on the could haves and should haves. Instead, let me share why I’m enjoying this series so much:
The superhero is over the age of 40. Thank goodness! For a network dedicated to high cheek-boned youth and their parental figures occasionally offering a word of cliched advice, I’m so happy to see something developed outside of that superhero trope.
The main superhero has to juggle an actual family and full-time job. Now, like most superheroes, we don’t see him doing his job nearly as much as he should be when the action gets going, but it’s still somewhat believable that a high school principal can afford the life that he leads and have a family without going:”Where is all this money and time coming from?”
Team Anissa all the way! Granted, she did her old girlfriend wrong, and deserved to be called out on it, but she’s easily my second favorite character on the show. 
Speaking of family dynamic and Anissa, how much do I love the relationship Jennifer and Anissa have as sisters?! Like seriously. They remind me of real life sisters. Not “TV” sisters. Their dialogue and behavior toward one another -- whether they’re arguing or supporting each other -- is so on point, I feel like I’ve heard these conversations before in person between different members of my family.
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The constant commentary on Black Lightning’s outfit is cracking me up. I like how every other episode someone on the street or in the neighborhood compares his outfit to something they saw in Parliament Funkadelic or Earth, Wind & Fire. :-)
Jill Scott. She was a wonderful surprise to the cast, especially in the role she played. I wish she had had more screen time because Ms. Scott just has the most magnetic presence, and I’ve never seen her get to play a role like this.
Ha! The Garfield High School mascot is a panther. I see what you did there! 
Other cameos I’m feeling: Senator Nina Turner. Roland Martin. Antonio Fargas. I would love to see more of this type of diverse cameos in the future.
Again, I know this is a CW show, so the younger audiences are their bread and butter. But I really like the 1970s music they have playing during Black Lightning’s fight scenes. I feel like it’s a great tip of the hat to the comic book’s 1970s’ origins, and well, most of the songs are just great jams. I appreciate the hip hop music too, plus the original songs written clearly for the show. But the ‘70s music is a nice touch. 
Soooooo ... Khalil? Can I get your number? Because damn if that child ain’t fine.
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In episode 10, when that lady tried to drop her A/C unit and microwave on top of Black Lightning in the alley ... I damn near spit out my water! And when she said her name was, “Rent. Car-Note-Electric” I almost fell out of my chair. See, that’s something you just would not hear on Supergirl or The Flash.
Like most CW shows, one of my biggest problems with Black Lightning in the beginning is that they don’t write transitions well. For the first 5 episodes, you constantly feel like they’ve cut a scene that had some important information or character development for a scene they left in. Legends of Tomorrow did this a lot. I mean, a lot. But thankfully, as I continued to watch this show, that trait seems to have disappeared a bit and has become less of an issue.
I’m a bit thrown every time Tobias Whale makes a derogatory comment about Black people, then turns around and makes a derogatory comment about White people. Is it purely the result of self-hate borne from an abusive upbringing? Or is there a tad bit of genuine Uncle Ruckus lurking beneath the surface there?
Even though her attitude sometimes gets on my nerves, I love the exploration of a character with superhero powers who doesn’t want to be a superhero. We rarely see that explored in the mass media adaptation of comic books, so it’s a nice swerve compared to the current slate of superhero fare where we either see people eagerly wanting to be superheroes or we see villains reluctantly become anti-heroes, then superheroes. Jenn’s desire to just be normal in the face of the possibility that she might have a higher calling in life is a great trope subversion. 
The makeup on Gambi’s face while he was being beaten and after it had supposedly dried was not good. Dude, seriously. The makeup department dropped the ball on their end with those details. It didn’t look realistic at all and it was too over-the-top.
Another great trope subversion: The techie/hacker of this franchise is a man over the age of 60 instead of a teen or young adult under the age of 30. Sweet!
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Can I just say the Pierce family is probably my favorite biological superhero family of all-time? Yes. Yes, I can.
Favorite line of the season: “You got to bring ass to get ass.” - Detective Henderson
Jefferson’s dad’s old house has a wood-encased floor unit television set with a push button remote. Awwww, that reminds me of my grandmother’s old TV set. 
I wonder if Gregg Henry ever gets tired of playing bad guys?
Khalil’s dreadlocks look ... not ... good. Either that’s a really bad wig or whoever twisted his hair has a broken hand.
Ahhh, so Syonide does know how to aim for the forehead when she shoots. Could’ve fooled me when she was fighting Thunder that first time. 
So I mentioned that Anissa/Thunder is my second favorite character. That means someone else is my first. And it is ... Gambi. I know. I know. Go ahead and take my Black Card away, but from the first episode on, all I wanted was an episode dedicated to learning his secrets. And not just secrets as they relate to Alvin and Jefferson. I still want to know about his past. Like, why did he say he was a “monster” to Proctor? He stayed in Freeland even after he left the ASA, but does he have family that’s missing him or looking for him? Did he look after Jefferson in an official capacity after Alvin died? Was he his legal guardian? Or was Jeff in foster care and visited Gambi a lot? That man has been some places and did some things, and I can imagine a ton of backstory there to fill in.  Yes, I know he’s the only white guy in the cast of mostly minorities, but to be frank, that just makes me respect James Remar more. I’ve been a fan of Remar’s for years. I even got to meet him 2 years ago at a convention in Philadelphia. And the man’s IMDB page is ridiculously long. Seriously, check it out. So he’s not hurting for work. He’s not up and coming. He’s not an older actor struggling to keep his name in the game. He’s a respected character actor who has a very successful career. The fact that he probably has white actors telling him to turn down this project because he’s “above” it, but he’s on the show as the anchor just makes me proud to call myself a fan.  Either way, Gambi is a cool cat with a terrible mustache, whose background is a mystery. And I’m a nerd who loves mysteries and lots of character development in my genre fiction TV shows. It’s a perfect match. But yeah, he’s the only white regular on the show, and he’s my favorite. You mad? Good. His role could’ve easily been played by another actor of a different racial/ethnic background and I would’ve felt the same about Gambi.  I pretty much like all scenes with him in them, especially when Gambi interacts with Anissa or Jennifer. That cool uncle vibe is sweet, and I think it adds a nice layer to the family dynamic on the show. Anyway, enough about him ... For now.
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To sum up, I highly doubt I’ll ever go back to watching Arrow. Now that Jeremy Jordan has left Supergirl, I doubt I’ll be checking in on that show anymore either. Legends of Tomorrow is just ... ugh. But because I love Matt Ryan’s John Constantine so much, I just know I’ll probably peep an episode here and there throughout the new season. And I’ll probably be disappointed because ... ugh. And The Flash? I know a lot of people on Tumblr love that show, so I’m going to play nice and say nothing about it. 
But I’ll definitely be checking out Black Lightning season 2 and hoping that the common CW failings don’t work their way into the show. It’s a highly entertaining series, and a breathe of fresh air for this crowded genre. Here’s hoping season 2 is a full 22-episode season!
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rodgersodimba · 6 years ago
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Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood cast net worth and Salary per episode in 2018
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The Love and Hip Hop franchise has been going on for quite a while now producing spin-offs on most major cities of the country. It all started with New York, then later spilled over to Atlanta and finally the Hollywood edition. Other cities that have been proposed for the show include Chicago, New Orleans, Detroit, and Houston. medianet_width = "600"; medianet_height = "250"; medianet_crid = "442568836"; medianet_versionId = "3111299"; We will focus on the cast of Love and Hip Hop : Hollywood, highlighting their salaries per episode and overall net worth and assets. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({});
Ray J Net Worth in the year 2018.
Born as William Ray Norwood Jr., younger brother to famous singer Brandy and cousin to Snoop Dogg, Ray J has definitely made headlines. Both for the wrong and right reasons. He’s a singer, songwriter, television personality, actor, and so much more.
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Ray J net worth While focusing on his acting career alone, he has done quite some shows For the Love of Ray Jay, Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business, and Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood. Starring as one of the main characters on the show, he let the world in his $25,500 salary per episode aired on the VH1 network. Ray J’s net worth currently amounts to $6 million.
Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood cast Moniece Slaughter Net Worth.
The show is mostly known for its dramatic twists and turns. However, the producers did not anticipate for the shade main cast member Moniece Slaughter threw at VH1. This beef had something to do with the low salary from each episode she did for the show.
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Moniece Slaughter's net worth The posts, currently taken down were uploaded on her Instagram when she threatened to leave after three seasons. Though unknown, it looks like the network decided to do something about it since she stayed till the 5th season. Besides being a TV personality, she’s also a performer, model, and songwriter. Moniece Slaughter has a net worth of $1.7 million from all her work and business.
Teairra Mari Net Worth is $1million.
Always spicing up the show is none other than a dancer, actress, singer, and songwriter Teairra Mari.
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Teairra Mari's net worth While her voice may be the work of an angel, her personality is fierce. While the show mostly feeds off the drama, she has been known to sometimes get physical in her confrontations when protecting her man. Away from the drama, she does have a reputable career to be emulated. Love Hip Hop Hollywood’s Teairra Mari Net Worth is $1 million. Teairra Mari’s salary per episode on the show may be unknown, but she has made millions from her songs and contract signings at Def Jam. Collaborating with famous artist like Jay Z, you most definitely bet her songs have risen up the Billboard charts.
Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood cast Nikki Mudarris Net Worth.
The women on the show aren’t just models and divas. Some of them are businesswomen and well established for that matter. Meet Miss Nikkii Baby, also known as Nikki Mudarris, a model, reality tv star, and entrepreneur.
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While she may be pretty on the outside, she knows a lot about money and how to keep them coming. The model runs her father’s numerous casinos and family businesses. However, that’s her father’s fortune. To focus on her, each salary per episode may be unknown, but her net worth isn’t. Nikki Mudarris makes roughly $320 thousand annually salaries and has an estimated net worth of $800 thousand.
Lil’ Fizz Net Worth.
Every rapper goes with a cool alias. Usually something so catchy that even their real name starts to fade. Well, we’re here to remind you. Lil’ Fizz, also known as Dreux Pierre Frederic is a record producer and actor. He had his breakthrough as a member of the early RnB group B2K. Nowadays, the rapper does his best to stay relevant in the industry by making use of his acting career. Lil’ Fizz net worth is approximately $2 million while his actual annual salary is undisclosed. The same can be said about his salary for each episode of Love & Hip Hop he stars in.
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Lil' Fizz net worth
Princess Love
Princess Pilipina Love Norwood is an African-American Filipino model, actress, and fashion designer. She shares the name Norwood with Ray J because she is, in fact, his girl. The two tied the knot on January 2015 after dating for a year. Together with her entrepreneur of a husband, the power couple manages fashion lines and clothing designs. She appeared on the show as one of the main characters and soon became the love interest of Ray J. Financially, she can speak for herself. Princess Love has a net worth of close to $2 million. Unlike her husband, her cheque per episode is private and confidential.
Hazel-E.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 25th, 1980 as Erica Adams, she grew up to become a formidable rapper. However, this wasn’t always the case for her. The rapper had dreams of becoming an actress and even studied for it. Instead, a life directed her to a career as a publicist. From celebrities to brands and promotions, she did it all. She soon joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop and earns just as much as they do. The rapper was the love interest of fellow rapper Yung Berg. It’s still unclear as to how much she gets per episode. On the other hand, Hazel-E’s net worth is estimated to be $1 million
Masika Kalysha
Born as Masika Tucker in Chicago, she knew she was destined for greatness at quite a young age. However, her parents being protective of their daughter decided against it. At age 16, she became a model and moved up the ladder to become a Video Vixen. Linked to famous rappers like Lil Wayne, she decided on changing her name and started her rapping career. Masika Kalysha became even more famous when her acting career kicked in. Being the mother of a daughter with her father allegedly being Fetty Wap, she had to make ends meet. Masika Kalysha’s net worth is $200 thousand from sources such as her business and acting. Like most of the cast members, Masika Kalysha salary per episode remains undisclosed.
Nia Riley
Starting off as the daughter of the famous celebrity and Grammy award winner Teddy Riley, Nia got to be her own person when she stared in Love & hip hop. She’s a model, reality TV star, and mother to the beautiful Baby Kamryn. The paternity of the girl has always been debated as to whether she’s Soulja Boy’s or not. Nia Riley and Soulja Boy have been in on and off relationship since they started back in 2014. When she’s not with him, she’s seen cuddled up with Lil’ Fizz on the show. It looks like the model takes home a huge salary after filming. Nia Riley has so far garnered a net worth of approximately $3 million.
Lyrica Anderson
Lyrica is the remaining Anderson twin after her sister, Adia died due to lung-related issues when she was younger. Growing up and finding her roots, she dedicated her whole album to her and called it Adia. Lyrica Anderson is a talented singer and songwriter with EP’s related to Missy Elliot, Demi Lovato, and many more artists. Album sales went crazy with her two albums King me and King me 2. As a result, she got cast on the show as a supporting cast member but soon got promoted to one of the main members. She springs up a decent salary per episode. We can tell judging from her lifestyle. Lyrica Anderson’s net worth is $800 thousand.
A1 Bentley
No, we aren’t highlighting a car. Capturing the heart of Lyrica Anderson is none other than Floyd Bentley, also known as A1 Bentley. The duo found each other sometime during the prime of their careers and enjoy life together as a married couple. When it comes to a life’s work and legacy, the rapper doesn’t kid around. Love Hip Hop Hollywood A1 has a net worth of $2.3 million from his business deals and music. The rapper currently boasts of bossing around employees at his record company called Right Now Sounds. Always overseeing the signing of new artists, the CEO decided to venture into reality TV with his wife. Both their salaries are not for public eyes.
Kimberly Michelle Pate
The latest addition to the show during the fifth season is none other than Soul and RnB singer Kimberly Michelle Pate. The talented singer got her breakthrough in 2009 with her hit single Fakin’ It. Since then, she’s had some major record label signings, collaborations, endorsements and to top it all off, A World Tour. Her time on reality television may be short, but she does act like a natural. Anything to make ends meet for her little boy, Chase Bowman. K Michelle’s net worth is yet to be confirmed. Sources say she’s worth millions. Others say Kimberly Michelle Pate’s Net worth is $800 thousand. K Michelle’s salary is unheard of.
Bridget Kelly
The show may be called Love & Hip Hop, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be all about rappers and hip-hop artists. Bridget Kelly likes it much softer and goes for Pop songs. As a pop singer, she has gone through the cliché heartbreaks concerning cheating spouses even on the show. Nevertheless, it may be just the story that’s needed for the show. After all, she does get paid for it. Born on April 8th, 1986, the 32-year-old’s fortunes are still unknown. As such, Bridget Kelly’s net worth is $500,000. She did sign with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, and together with her acting, Bridget Kelly’s annual salary should be more than enough.
Solo Lucci
Drawing seasonal inspiration from famous rappers like 2pac and Swisha House, Solo Lucci made it into celebrity stardom with his single, Rip Tupac. Forming collaborations and producing worldwide hits are some of the reasons he got chosen to be on the show. He found love with Fetty Wap’s former girlfriend Alexis Sky, also appearing on the show. Moreover, his old flame and baby mama also appears as a recurring cast member to antagonize the couple. Quite an interesting storyline. As part of his reward for acting right, Solo Lucci’s net worth currently grosses at $2 million. The millionaire’s salary is next to mythical. No one knows for sure.
Marcus Black
Born on September 2nd, 1986, the 31-year-old songwriter makes a list. He made several guest appearances before getting fully reinstated as a cast member. Musically, he is a genius. Having written smashing hits for artists like Justin Bieber and partnered up with known celebs like DJ. Mustard and more, he deserved to be on the team. However, details about Marcus Black’s salary on the show are a little bit hazy since he isn’t one to share much. Marcus Black net worth is $560,0000.
Brooke Valentine
Like two peas in a pod, Brook Valentine has been closely associated with Marcus. She is Marcus’ girlfriend and maybe, just maybe become his future wife if they both play their cards right. Born as Kanesha Nichole Brookes, the 33-year-old singer joined stardom with her EP Girlfight. About a decade later, she was cast onto the show even with her music career grown dull. In an interview, she explained that she pushed the focus to her son, London who needed her attention more than the world. He has cerebral palsy. Brooke Valentine’s net worth stands at $500 thousand.
Apryl Jones
A medicine scholar in the house. Apryl Jones is the perfect definition of beauty with brains. She put those brain muscles to work scoring a net worth of $8 million. While Apryl’s salary per episode may be concealed, Apryl Jones earn $1.6 million annually next to her man, Omarion.
Omarion Grandberry Net Worth is $12 Million in 2018.
Always laughing to the bank, rapper and singer Omarion Grandberry’s net worth is $12 million. To top it all off, he also has a successful acting career. Always hitting the road, flying up on world tours, the singer has won several Grammy Awards for his voice and act. Now Omarion Grandberry married to his longtime girlfriend Apryl Jones; the singer raises two beautiful kids, Megan and A’mei Grandberry. If you couldn’t afford tickets to his show while he was in town, tune in to VH1’s Love & Hip Hop to watch him there.
Love Hip Hop Hollywood Cast Net Worth Summary
Ray J $6 million Moniece Slaughter $1.7 million Teairra Mari $1 million Nikki Murdarris $800,000 Lil’ Fizz $2 million Princess Love $2 million Hazel E $1 million Masika Kalysha $200,000 Nia Riley $3 million Lyrica Anderson $800,000 A1 Bentley $2.3 million K. Michelle $800,000 Bridget Kelly $500,000 Solo Lucci $2 million Marcus Black $560,000 Brook Valentine $500,000 Apryl Jones $1.6 million Omarion Grandberry $12 million Ray J Net Worth in 2018 is $6 million Moniece Slaughter Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $1.7 million Teairra Mari Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $1 million Nikki Murdarris Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $800,000 Lil’ Fizz Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $2 million Princess Love Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $2 million Hazel E Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $1 million Masika Kalysha Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $200,000 Nia Riley Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $3 million Lyrica Anderson Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $800,000 A1 Bentley Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $2.3 million K. Michelle Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $800,000 Bridget Kelly Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $500,000 Solo Lucci Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $2 million Marcus Black Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $560,000 Brook Valentine Net Worth in 2018 is $500,000 Apryl Jones Net Worth in 2018 is $6 $1.6 million Omarion Net Worth in 2018 is $6 Grandberry $12 million Unlike the stars from their Atlanta based sister show, the cast members from Hollywood seem to have their salaries per episode concealed. With the upcoming new season, we hope they will be generous enough with the information while in turn increasing their net worth. Trending. Cheap Celebrities Who Are Terrible Tippers Rich Celebrities Who Live Humble Lives Celebrities Who Are Incredibly Generous Tippers. No 8 might surprise you. Best Animal Shows that You will Love. How many of these have you watched? Celebrities Who Drive Most Expensive Cars In The World Read the full article
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darklygophilia · 7 years ago
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A Charmed Review
(Three witches & a demon walk into a bar - sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.)
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One of my favorite shows growing up was “Charmed.” Yeah, you know, the show about three sister witches who kick-ass, vanquish demons & save the world every other day of the weak? What’s so nice was that it focused so completely on the main female characters of the show, the Halliwell sisters: Prue, Piper, Phoebe & later Paige. It’s a show about women, for women! A rarity in film & TV even today. Despite how much I love the show (even to this day I go back & watch it) I was never blind to its faults.
Over Sexualization:
The first criticism I became aware of was when my mom happened to walk into the room when I was watching an episode (I was about 10yrs. old @ the time) & made a comment about how the sisters were dressed. My mother appealed to my more realistic side & mentioned how wearing such tight shirts, short skirts, & high heels would’ve been impossible to fight demons in. I noticed this, but I also noticed a comparison of the extremeness of such skimpy clothing between the sisters themselves...
You had Prue who, for most of the 1st three seasons tended to dress a bit sensibly (especially for work), though towards the end of S3 she did start to dress more provocatively especially when the sisters would go to Piper’s club. There was Piper, who dressed the MOST sensibly throughout the entire series. Then there’s Phoebe, who at times I wondered if she was really wearing actual clothes at all or if a certain top was a bedazzled bra or a makeshift bikini - & unlike Prue she wore such things to work! Lastly, there was Paige who, like Prue, wore clothes for work that were relatively appropriate though in other settings she did tend to dress as provocatively as Phoebe (just not as often).
The most surprising was Piper! She was, after all, the sister who owned a night club, so out of all the sisters she was the one I would’ve been able to understand wearing such clothing (or lack there of). Her conservative yet still cool style (we’ll call it hip) broke away from that expected night-club-owner-style stereotype.
With Phoebe I can understand her penchant for showy clothes. She’s the sister that had the least amount of presence of a male father figure in her life. When Prue/Piper were young, its assumed that Patty & Victor were quite happy together & the 2 older sisters certainly have the most memories when it comes to their father, as seen in various flashbacks. By the time Patty was pregnant with Phoebe, she & Victor had separated, leaving Phoebe to have the least amount of time growing up with a father. Phoebe’s also the only sister that really seeks their father out - seeking his love & approval - likely b/c he wasn’t as present in her childhood compared to Prue/Piper. Psychologically speaking, girls that have no or very little presence of a male/father figure growing up tend to be more promiscuous than they usually would be otherwise. So, there is at least that theory for why out of all the sisters Phoebe is the most sexualized.
Logically speaking, I understood what my mother was saying. There’s no way the girls could’ve worn what they did & be as physical as they were. My own theory was that, given the show was the first of its kind - focusing so heavily on its leading female characters - it had tried so hard to make the girls tough & kick-ass, then the show had to make up for that toughness & remind the audience that these were young, sexy women. So, put them in skimpy clothing! The thing is, we didn’t really need that reminder. We know they’re women, let’s give them the respect they deserve & make them seem smart by wearing smart, physically-capable clothing. If anything the skimpy clothing during the fight scenes just made that leap from the sensible seem foolish, but I digress.
One theory was that the show was trying to make the sisters seem comfortable with their own sexuality. Bravo! But, we can see that through the relationships they have with men throughout the show, through their behavior, their confidence & go-get’em attitude. By placing the sisters in such clothing (& while I’m all for women wearing whatever they want) gives an over-sexualized undertone to an otherwise pro-feminine show, often making the girls seem more like sex-objects for the sake of the audience & not for the sake of the female characters themselves.
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One of the best parts of the show that faded as the series went on was how, despite it’s magical theme, it focused almost entirely on the sisters’ interactions & life together rather than the concept of good-vs-evil.
Double-Standards:
In S1-3 & the 1st half of S4, the sisters’ relationship with each other is the forefront of the show! The magic & demon fighting are just bonus material. As the series went on, the show began to loose this (beginning with Cole Turner’s vanquish at the end of S4) & focused too heavily on the fundamental good-vs.-evil trope. We saw this with every relationship on the show in those later seasons: the sister’s relationship with each other & the bad habit of constantly getting possessed by evil forces (something else that became more prominent), Phoebe’s fear of falling in love with someone that was categorized as evil, Paige’s relationship with the Dtv. & their later connection to the Avatars, their confrontations with Billy & Christy, etc. The show became less about sister-hood & more about judging what was considered good & what was supposedly evil. Forget the grey areas in this show, b/c there are none, except when applied to the sisters themselves - no matter what selfish, personal gain, or downright double standard presented to them, they were always exempt from the rules!
I remember watching the end of “Charmed” being shocked that no one ever really got Christy, Billy’s sister, any real psychological help! It’s not Christy’s fault she’s evil - she was kidnapped, tortured, & raised by demons & probably had PTSD from all of that! She’s a product of the abuse she faced! While the sisters & Billy do try to help Kristy, it still comes down to: Christy was raised by demons therefore she must be evil herself! When it’s Billy that kills her own sister I was flabbergasted! I mean, why not do things a little differently & instead strip Christy of her powers & put her in a mental institution where she can get the help she very obviously needs?!
It seemed odd that Phoebe, with a degree in psychology, or Paige, a former social worker, never suggested anything like this which makes the sisters seem somewhat complacent, judgmental, & narrow-minded.
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That same narrow-minded thinking broadened the double-standard of the show’s good-vs.-evil campaign. It started mid-S4 with Cole Turner. Cole was the most morally grey character on the show - probably what makes him so interesting - yet he’s categorized by the show & the sisters as evil. Cole gave a freshness to the show that really started to ask the question: What made a demon evil?
Cole Turner:
We learn things from Cole. Things that the sisters take full advantage of in aiding their own quest against the demons that come after them...
1) Upper level demons have a soul & bleed red b/c they are only half demon. Those 2 things really opened the door for Cole’s character; the fact that he wasn’t wholly demon gave hints of a redemption arc.
2) The Nature vs. Nurture theory, like with Christy, is a strong base for Cole. Both were taken from the human realm. Cole’s mother killed his father when he was a child & took him to the Underworld to be raised as a demon. Christy was taken as a child & also raised by demons. Both, at times, try to fight that ever present darkness inside them which lends to the very relate-able concept that none of us are purely good or wholly evil. In the words of Rowling’s Sirius Black, “We all have light & darkness inside of us, what matters is the side we choose to act on.”
The thing with Christy & Cole is that they never realized they had that choice! They were raised as demons, treated, feared, & expected to be demons, thus they acted like demons. They are both products of their respective environments & how others treated them. Reminds me of Erik in “Phantom” - he’s abused, jeered at, bullied, & looked upon as a monster; violence is the only thing that’s consistent in his life so of course when he lashes out, he lashes out violently. But is it really Erik's fault? He’s a product of how the world has treated him! Or perhaps a self-fulfilling prophecy, like Oedipus Rex - he’s told the prophecy that he’ll kill his father & marry his mother, & spends his life trying to ensure that doesn’t happen, yet unknowingly every action he does to prevent the prophecy from coming true is in fact ensuring that it does!
In Cole’s case, we really got to see him struggle with what he was brought up to be & his realization that that’s not what he has to be. He discovers he DOES have a choice &, for a long time, he chooses to do good. I theorize it must’ve been nice feeling like he finally had a choice with his life instead of always taking orders from the Source.
The difference between Cole & Christy is that Cole didn’t have the same support system that she had. Christy’s rescued from the demons & welcomed with open (perhaps wary) arms into the Halliwell household. Her sister Billy, & the Halliwell sisters, recognize how horrible it must’ve been being kidnapped & raised by demons & do what they can to acclimate her into a more normal setting (as normal as it gets in the Halliwell Manor).
Cole had very little support from the sisters. Prue was the 1st to condemn him & that continued with Paige who judged him left, right & center for doing things that happened before she even knew him! There’s episode 3x12 which showcases Prue trying to save a former boyfriend from becoming a demon. Phoebe points out her hypocrisy but Prue maintains that Cole was already a demon & that “it’s different.” Or what about 1x18 when Prue discovers a priest friend was actually born a warlock & is trying to change his ways; the sisters still save him. It begs the question: Is Cole at fault? It’s like someone who was raised in a cult. Is what they do or believe really their fault, or is it the fault of the person manipulating them. Think about “Arrow.” Is Thea really at fault for killing Sara? No, she was drugged & manipulated by Malcolm Merlyn, he’s the real cause behind Sara’s demise (that & Katie Cassidy’s contract that required HER to be Black Canary, not Sara, but that’s a completely different meta).
3) Another thing we learned from Cole is the dynamics between demons & his knowledge about them in general. Piper even goes as far as saying, “We’ve got a resident demonologist living in the house.” The sister’s take full advantage of his knowledge, even as early as 3x19 & 3x20 where Cole voluntarily goes undercover to help the Charmed Ones stop another demon. The sisters continue taking advantage of Cole’s knowledge for demons as well as his feelings for Phoebe even after Cole is no longer part of their family (if he was ever truly part of it): IE episodes - 5x01, 5x02, 5x03, 5x07, & 7x16.
4) Unlike the sisters, Cole is willing to do some questionable things if it means a positive end result! For instance he hands himself over to his former demonic mentor in order to recover & save his human father’s soul.
But, then we get moments like this on the show...
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Wait, so Bruce Wayne’s entire purpose in becoming Batman is still wrong? What about Superman? He’s not an official representation of the legal system. Does that make his vigilantism bad? What about the Halliwell sisters? They vanquish kill demons. Sure, they’re doing it for a good cause, but killing is still killing. Right? Does that make the sisters bad? What about Snape? He was a spy & did a LOT of questionable things but all those things still inevitably aided Harry in destroying Voldemort?
See how this concept doesn’t really work when you really think about it! The WORLD is not black & white. Good & evil are relative. If the show had been willing to go into more grey areas, it would’ve helped lend a sense of realism to a show that was primarily supernatural in theme!
Back to Cole...
Once Prue’s gone, Paige takes up the mantel of judging Cole. It begins in 4x08. Paige previously knew Cole was a demon & didn’t seem to have any problems with that. It’s not until she sees a picture in the Book of Shadows of Cole’s demonic-half, Balthazar, that she starts to take issue. Which connects to one of Paige’s quotes, “If it looks like a demon, talks like a demon, acts like a demon, it’s a demon!” The problem with Paige’s outlook on Cole is that she knew what/who he was, but only when she sees the demon within does she judge Cole. It’s like judging Beast from “Beauty & the Beast” - he looks like a beast, therefore he is a beast. It also connects to what I said earlier - they were raised by demons, therefore they are evil! It’s very one sided, black-&-white.
Cole does his best to do good. It’s not easy & Phoebe is often the only one who cheers Cole on in his quest for redemption, but even she looses faith in him. In 3x20 its mentioned by Cole’s mentor, “If we keep putting the bottle in front of him, sooner or later he’s gonna take a drink.” That’s direct parallelism to alcoholism! What’s interesting about Cole is we SEE the struggle he has between good & evil just like we’d see an addict struggle with their addiction! The thing with this particular episode is that not only is Cole’s mentor tempting him with evil, he’s also used magic on Cole & is using Cole’s father’s soul as leverage to get Cole to do what he wants! This hints that not only is Cole struggling to fight the demon within him (his proverbial addiction) he’s also struggling to do what’s right - free his father’s innocent soul. In 3x20 when his father’s captive soul is revealed, Cole, “How did you get that, the Source...” Cole’s mentor, “The Source promised to free him when you fulfilled your end of the bargain. You kill the witch & come back & finish your obligations.” The mention of the Source (who has no active role in this episode) hints that Cole’s been fighting to free his father’s soul for a while now, it also suggests that it may have been the reason that Cole was sent to kill the Charmed one’s to begin with at the start of the season!
(NOTE: there are other characters in other shows who also draw on the parallel between magic & addiction, such as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold & Evil Queen/Regina in “Once Upon A Time.”)
In 4x03 Cole uses himself as bait & sacrifices himself to the wrath of the Furies that have taken Piper. We’re reminded of all the bad Cole has done, but in awe of him facing that very real fact. Cole doesn’t shy away from it, he embraces it & tries to change himself for the better. At that point, it’s not just for Phoebe, he likes doing good, it’s become a part of him just as being a demon used to be. But the dark side of him is still there & it’s interesting to see him struggle internally in his quest to find a sense of self that’s not defined by just one part of himself!
Yet, Piper still treats him with a wary camaraderie, Paige judges him blatantly, & even Leo lends Cole his 2 cents. In 4x07 Cole’s willing to go into the Underworld (where he now has a bounty on his head) in order to help save Piper who’s been kidnapped by the Source. Cole not only puts himself in danger, he kills a fellow demon he once knew in order to help the sisters. Leo’s response is, “It feels different now, doesn’t it? Killing. Now that you’re human.” SERIOUSLY! Cole’s there to save your wife, Leo, & you take a moment to judge Cole for killing a demon, which is literally what the sisters do on a daily basis? WTF!
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Cole’s Possession:
The sisters have been possessed, taken control of, turned into something evil, not to mention those questionable past lives, throughout the series. (IE episodes: 1x12, 1x15, 2x14, 2x15, 3x09, 3x13, 3x18, 4x03, 4x06, 4x10, 4x18, 5x01, 5x02, 5x04, 5x10, 5x21, 5x22, 5x23, 6x01, 6x02, 6x05, 6x15, 6x17, 6x18, 6x22, 6x23, 7x01, 7x06, 7x12, 7x13, 7x19, 7x20, 8x08, 8x09) Suffice it to say, the sisters have fallen prey to dark magic MANY times & have done questionable things ‘under-the-influence’ (so to speak). Do those actions make them evil?
We saw Cole struggle not just with the things he’s done as a demon, but also with his possession. The sisters, however, always seemed to have a “We we’re possessed so it’s not our fault” attitude, which is wherein the hypocrisy becomes visible.
When Cole is possessed w/o his knowledge, he is coerced by the Seer (4x13) to take in the Hollow in order to help the sisters defeat the Source. But when the Source lobs a fireball at Cole, the Hollow in him absorbs the Source’s power. When the essence (a possessing entity) of the Hollow is removed from Cole, the Source’s power remains. Why? B/c Phoebe vanquished Cole’s demonic half (4x08), meaning Cole is missing a part of himself, which leaves him vulnerable to the possession of the Source’s essence!
We see Cole struggle with his possession - he’s the only one that seems to be aware of it - in 4x14. As the Source’s essence gains more control over Cole we see the distinction of the possession as Cole (as the Source) refers to himself in the 3rd person! The sisters notice that something’s wrong with Cole, but instead of helping a man who is part of their family (brother-in-law), Cole (the outsider looking in) is instead vilified as the new Source, as if he chose to become him!
When Phoebe finally figures it all out, she is easily manipulated by the Seer (much like Cole was, but the show only shows Phoebe as the victim). At that time Cole has finally found the strength to remove the Source’s essence, but Phoebe (under the influence of the Seer) stops him (4x19). The show also later makes great effort in differentiating the fetus in Phoebe as being the Source’s essence & not an actual child (4x21) to excuse Phoebe but the show wouldn’t make the same argument for Cole. Once again the double-standards of the show usurp legit character development, fueling many plot holes!
One plot-hole being that, like with Christy, Phoebe (with her Psychology degree) & Paige (former social worker) don’t seem to notice a person who’s in severe emotional/mental/physical pain. Instead, when they do feel something is wrong with Cole they assume it must be b/c he’s evil, not any other reason - like possession (& I can only imagine the Psychological ramifications possession can have  on a person, considering we saw Cole essentially loose his mind ins S5)!
Abuser or Victim:
The vanquishing of Cole & his later S4 & early S5 arc is a blatant attempt of the show’s idea of addressing Domestic Violence. It makes sense; the show is about women so they want to address one of women’s most prominent issues in society. The problem is that by excusing the sisters multiple possessions & transformations into evil creatures themselves makes the hypocrisy that the same is not warranted for the Cole character far more obvious! Cole’s possession of the Source lends him a role more akin to victim than abuser. Phoebe was essentially made into a victim in the show’s sordid narrative look into Domestic Violence in order to avoid addressing the growing double-standards of the Good-vs.-Evil theme of the show. As a victim of DV myself, I took great offense, most especially b/c is raises the question: Why does Phoebe, a leading female character, need to be victimized in the 1st place?
It seems to be the go-to for how to make female characters suffer; turn them into DV or rape victims! Why is that the first thought writers have for how to make female characters suffer?
Phoebe’s victimization is downright contrived solely for the purpose of vilifying Cole. The message against DV would’ve rang more true if the sisters had saved an Innocent from DV. It also lends to the misconception that men can’t be victims, they can only be abusers, & that women can only be victimized! Instead of victimizing yet another woman for the sake of plot (Phoebe) why not emphasis Cole as the victim & have Phoebe be his savior? It would’ve shown male vulnerability while also empowering the female character by having her be his savior!
Pandering to Other Characters:
Throughout S4, with the introduction of Paige, the show panders to her character in an attempt to acclimate her into the sisterhood & plead for the audience to accept her. We sympathize with her b/c of Piper’s subversive comparisons between Paige & Prue (making Paige feel unwelcome; the 3rd wheel). S5 Paige follows Prue’s footsteps in quiting her job to be a full-time witch. Throughout S4, Paige takes Prue’s place as judge, jury, & executioner of one Cole Turner! It’s obvious the plot is bending its will to cater to Paige’s character, which causes a great deal of contradiction on the show along with plot-holes.  We see this on other shows, too, when writers are desperate to get the audience to like a specific character. “Arrow” comes to mind, where the plot bends repeatedly to suit the Laurel Lance character.
Why do shows, when they replace a character, feel the need to make them similar? In “Law & Order: SVU” - Nick Amaro replace Eliot Stabler, but instead of making Nick his own character, the show makes him a near (less likable) mirror image of Stabler (the same attitude problems & temper). When Paige replaces Prue, the same happens. 
Conclusion:
Charmed is still one of my most cherished memories of my childhood. I still love & watch the show (it’s a guilty pleasure of mine). But I also feel that it is important to acknowledge it’s faults, which are to be expected in long running series. Things get old-hat, repetitive, contradictory, etc. These faults don’t make it any less beloved to me, though!
Stray Thought:
“Gladiator” Leo!
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Bookshelf Briefs 1/25/20
Again!!, Vol. 12 | By Mitsurou Kubo | Kodansha Comics – For better or worse, Again!! has always been unpredictable. I appreciate that it didn’t always follow the expected story beats, but at the same time, the inconsistency has been frustrating. For example, Imamura’s fluctuating dedication to the Ouendan had him proclaim at one point how much he wanted his grandma to see him cheering, and had that occurred it would’ve been a heart-tugging moment. But it didn’t happen. Instead, Imamura returns from another do-over (this time, flashing to a future in which his death inspired the other characters) with an apathetic attitude that eventually prompts him to return to 2014—a future where his grandmother is dead—without apparently a single pang about it. The ending is also kind of abrupt and ambiguous. In the end, I find myself wishing this had been more predictable, ‘cos at least it would’ve been more satisfying. – Michelle Smith
Chihayafuru, Vol. 18 | By Yuki Suetsugu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This volume is full of choices for Chihaya. It’s time to complete another career survey, and this time she fills in a more realistic goal than becoming Queen. It’s also less ambitious, however, and thus her karuta advisor comes to see her play at the Yoshino Club Tournament to ask someone with more experience whether Chihaya really has the potential to become Queen. Happily, she’s playing with more precision and focus than ever, but her next opponent is Haruka Inokuma, a 4-time former Queen, so her chances really hinge on how she fares in that match. (I suspect Taichi vs. Arata is in the offing, as well.) Too, the school trip conflicts with the Master/Queen qualifiers, and Chihaya must choose which side of herself she wants to cultivate more. I seriously love this series and am eagerly anticipating the next volume! – Michelle Smith
Dr. STONE, Vol. 9 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – Perhaps being interesting was too much to ask, but Taiju and Yuzuriha are at least contributing now that they’ve been added to Senku’s team—Taiju by being a literal tank soaking up damage, and Yuzuriha by apparently taking all the statues that Tsukasa smashed and sewing them together, presumably so they can be revived. If this seems farfetched, it’s no more so than finding the hospital where Tsukasa’s terminally ill little sister was located and unstoning her, which apparently also cures her illness. That said, Tsukasa may not be the end boss, as there’s another who’s been waiting for the moment to make his debut as a Big Bad. This continues to be ridiculous but also cool. – Sean Gaffney
Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 10 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – Best Couple get the cover, and I continue to be more interested in them than I am Riko and Kai, who are cute and all but also somewhat predictable. The four of them go to the hot springs, mostly as Riko is too nervous to be alone with Kai, and Takaya learns that Ayumi leaves herself wide open. After a cute but slight Valentine’s chocolate chapter, the best part comes when Ayumi gets a bad cold and Takaya visits, meeting her parents and finding out she’s actually pretty rich and her family are famous film creators. Ayumi is not yet ready to reciprocate Takaya’s feelings, but she does open up to him about wanting to seek her own path. It’s great to see, and we have three volumes left after this, so I’m sure it will work out. – Sean Gaffney
ROADQUEEN: Eternal Roadtrip to Love | By Mira Ong Chua | Seven Seas – While not technically manga, ROADQUEEN will likely still appeal both stylistically and thematically to readers who enjoy Japanese comics. In particular, the volume makes an excellent addition to Seven Seas’ catalog of yuri titles. ROADQUEEN originated as a short online comic, followed up by a much longer multi-chapter sequel. Both of these stories and an additional bonus comic are collected in this volume. Leo, the prince of Princess Andromeda Academy, only has eyes for Bethany—her motorcycle. At least until Vega arrives on the scene and steals Bethany away. Vega promises she’ll give the bike back, but only after Leo proves that she can be a decent lesbian (not to mention human being). ROADQUEEN is deliberately over-the-top, Chua obviously having a lot of fun playing with tropes, but it can actually be very touching, too. With an abundance of humor and a ton of heart, ROADQUEEN is an absolute delight. – Ash Brown
Saki the Succubus Hungers Tonight, Vol. 1 | By Mikokuno Homare and studio HIP-CATs | Ghost Ship – I will admit that for a title that’s coming out via the Ghost Ship label, which means “borderline porn,” this is pretty cute. Saki is a fairly new, still virginal succubus who has been thrown out of her family home as she’s old enough to be finding men to “feed” on, but she’s honestly a bit too shy for all that. She is thus near starvation when found by Renta, an adult salaryman who is also a virgin. They clearly fall for each other pretty fast, but are also both innocent and clueless, so nothing happens… well, OK, something happens, she manages to “feed,” but the plot is still “will they ever actually do anything” and the answer is likely “no.” Still, for tease, this is relatively cute and sweet. – Sean Gaffney
Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 5 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – Welp, despite what I thought, the series does not end just because the main couple confessed. Indeed, most of the volume involves separating the two—not by design, but simply as Shirayuki has been invited to another country for a get together… her old country, where Prince Raj is. Indeed, after having it out with her a couple of volumes ago, Raj is seemingly turning over a new leaf, but that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable around her at all—he never expected she’d accept the invitation. Her bodyguard for this journey is Obi, and I note that this series is very good at having a bunch of guys in it who are not immediately in love with the heroine. Whether that’s true of the new villain introduced here, who knows? – Sean Gaffney
Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 7 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – Having established that our leads will end up married with a child in the future, the series can now slowly move forward in increments, culminating in the final chapter here, where Nishikata, of his own volition, asks Takagi to the summer festival. But we’re also looking back, as we get to see how the two of them first met, and how Nishikata’s two basic qualities—a nice guy with great faces when he’s embarrassed or upset—inspire Takagi almost immediately. I’m not sure this is exactly when she falls for him, but she certainly has by the end of this book, which gives us another nice blushing reaction from her. Oh yes, and there’s still plenty of teasing. You expected something else? – Sean Gaffney
The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 2 | By Kousuke Oono | VIZ Media – This was another fun volume of The Way of the Househusband, in which Tatsu tries aerobics and yoga, intimidates a yakuza by offering him kitchen gadgets, eradicates stubborn stains in Masa’s laundry, plays volleyball with housewives, and more. I really appreciate that we saw more of Miku, his wife, this time around, and probably my favorite chapter is the final one, in which her parents drop by for a visit. Even though the fish-out-of-water setup in this series reminds me of the premise of Saint Young Men, The Way of the Househusband is not only visually superior (better art, great pacing to jokes), but has more heart, especially the bonus chapter in which we see Miku’s dad practicing for the moment when he asks Tatsu if he wants to go outside and play catch. I stop short of calling the manga sweet, but it’s wholly endearing. Highly recommended. – Michelle Smith
Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 13 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 13 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – OK, I was probably foolish to think the race would end in this volume. We’re gonna have to wait for fourteen. But in return, we get so much shonen sports at its best. Midousuji does his best, but then crashes and burns. Instead, it’s Manami who gets the bulk of this book, where we discover that he enjoys shifting gears higher when he should be doing the opposite, just to make things even more fun. That said, he shouldn’t dismiss our hero, Onoda, who has his pedaling and his Pretty Princess song to keep him going forever. (Oh yes, and his mother shows up—apparently at rando, as he never told her about the race? This was the funniest part of the book.) Things should end next volume… well, at least this race. – Sean Gaffney
By: Ash Brown
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