#i know i said that already but. hough.

[namakes]

i dont follow you, just read your tags on the Just Start post (i read lots of tags on every post i see for some reason) i am also teaching myself how to skate, it is so humiliating to be a beginner but no one who sees you is thinking about that. something i tell myself is "well they are not skating" if anyone sees me (if they are, then that's someone you can maybe skate with!).

my "i wish someone told me this" for if you feel so constantly embarrassed while skating is, don't worry about anyyyy tricks for like, 2 weeks at least, until you get really comfortable pushing the board and turning and going in the direction you want to go. once you get comfortable with that you'll probably naturally develop some style and feel more confident :D

also a motivator for me is i'm trying to practice a little every day and when i get discouraged i think to myself "it would be really wild if i practiced consistently and never improved at all." you got this!!

(just combining these asks for ease of answering)(also I totally get it, I am also a serial tag reader lol)

Thanks for the tips! Being a beginner at anything is always rough...

Been trying to tell myself like "okay, even if someone does see you, no one's really looking at you" but alas, I am unfortunately cursed with a lack of confidence and critical self-awareness. Getting better at believing it, though! It does help telling myself like, if anyone does see me they're just going to think like "hey, that person's just learning" and not like "wow look at that loser" lol

For sure! I mostly picked it up 'cause I wanted something that's more portable than like, a bike, but would make getting around faster than walking (and also more fun). I'll likely learn to ollie at some point and see where it goes from there, but I'm def gonna build my confidence with the basics first!

Also that's true lol. Progress is usually slow to start, but eventually we all get better! It can be a little unmotivating (especially with something like skateboarding where you're basically guaranteed to eat it a few times), but the only way to get better is to practice, even if it's only a little bit a day. Videos and reading can only take you so far.

Oh, that's a good idea. I did try that a couple times, but I should really do it more often (esp. with how wet it's been here recently)...

Thanks again for the pointers, and good luck to you too!

[og-danny-dorito]

Would it be possible to request a hc of ghost who’s fwb with reader and he catches feelings like how he’d go abt that👀

hello!! sorry about the late response, but of course!! this is. VERY badly written and i ended up getting carried away and making it kind of like a fic so please be warned. i've hit a writing block recently so that's why it sucks 🚶

[ Ghost Catching Feelings For His "Friend With Benefits" ]

TW: mentions of sexual content. minors do not interact. small text included in post (warning for my visually impaired readers).

The relationship you and ghost have is very uhh... complicated. To say the least.

its not like no one's heard of the "friends with benefits" situation at some point in their lives, but he never really thought he'd be involved in something like that

it's even more of a shocker when he starts noticing that he wants a little more than the body that he's learned like the back of his hand

to be more specific, he wants your company. and regardless of whatever logical train of thought might go on in anyone else's head, to him that's a problem

ghost is very task oriented. when he starts to realize that he's developing feelings for you, he's going to do everything in his power to stop it

which means he's going to start avoiding you (rip)

usually he sticks around for a little bit after your little "meetups" are done, but ya'll start going back to square one with him just disappearing after he's done cleaning you up

the meetings start dwindling down in frequency and, eventually, to zero

it hurts your feelings, of course, but you know him well enough to know that he's not very confrontational when it comes to emotions and he's either lost interest in you or wants to stop for some other unknown reason

you won't pressure him to speak, but the fact that he doesn't even have the balls to tell you to your face pisses you off enough that you end up coming to his quarters one day after you get back from a mission

your blood is already boiling hot from the adrenaline of almost having you and 5 of your comrade's blown to bits, the fuel of not being able to take your energy out in the "usual" means fueling you enough to go banging on his door at an ungodly hour of the morning

only you didn't actually expect the door to swing open and reveal the very man you were only half searching for. and it doesn't look like he expected you either.

there's a long beat of silence where it doesn't really look like either of you know what to say, but you eventually speak up after searching his eyes for any sort emotion to go off of.

"Where the fuck have you been these past few weeks?!"

his stunned silence gives you plenty of room to rant at him about how upset you are that he ghosted you (pun fully intended im hilarious i know), not knowing what's been up with him and how HORRIBLE his communication skills are, how he didn't even have the balls to say that he didn't find you attractive anymore-

but you can barely get the rest of the words out before he pulls you into his room with a clean swoop and shuts the door behind him, throwing you off your balance enough to fall onto his cot with a guttural "hough!"

but you only have enough time to get your bearings before he sends you that look

yes, that look. like he's waiting for you to be ready to listen to what he has to say, arms folded against his chest as he stands in front of the door like he's guarding it

and after enough of a pause of silence for you to catch your breath and give him enough of an irritated but intent stare, he speaks

"I never said I didn't want you anymore. I didn't say anything. It was on purpose."

your eye twitches a little bit, sitting up with a groan. your muscles are already aching from the day but being thrown around certainly didn't make it better

"I... I didn't want to cross any lines. Found myself wanting more than just your mouth on me and got cold feet. Got nervous."

it's almost kind of odd how unsure he sounds, but you've seen this uncertainty in him before

he gets this way when he talks about something he thinks you'd like, or when you can see that you said something that made him want to laugh but he isn't letting himself do it

it's restraint, and you can see from the tightness in his shoulders that there's a lot of things that he wants to say that he isn't letting himself verbalize

but you choose to be patient with him, and sit up fully to lean against the wall and place your hands in your lap, waiting.

the silence between you eventually prompts you to speak, and you can't help the crease of confusion that furrows between your brows

"What are you saying? You uh... want me to... what do you want?"

the words make him stiffen a little, and for a second you can see his eyes flicker over you

it's something like desire, something you've sen a thousand times before in one of the many endeavors where he pursued you into some abandoned storage room in the base or played the game of cat and mouse that eventually lead into one of your personal quarters

only this time he looks more focused on your emotions and how you're processing the situation as if he's expecting you to figure it out on your own

aaand eventually the pieces start to click together. you don't... understand everything, but you get the idea of what he's saying to you

he wants you

not just your body, but you. as a person. it's something that burns slow as a realization, the flames making your neck and face heat up as you process what's going on

"You like me?"

his tone is soft when he responds. "More than that, love."

and so you sit in silence for a bit before he makes his move towards you

he's cautious at first, as if offering an opening for you to back out if you want, then goes in for the kill

you spend the night together like you have many times before, but somehow it feels different this time. more exposed, in a way.

he still doesn't take off his mask tonight, but over time he ends up getting more comfortable with it and makes an effort to remove it on occasion

like a lot of things in your relationship, the process of revealing himself both physically and emotionally is slow since this is almost entirely uncharted territory for him

he still struggles with feeling like he doesn't really deserve you or is somehow holding you down, but he barely ever verbalizes these thoughts since they reveal a more vulnerable side of him that he barely lets anyone else see

but even though it takes time, progress reveals that he's an incredibly caring lover and speaks with his actions where his words fail him

that and he's really possessive. but he was before you two were an item anyway so it doesn't change much

it's just that now he's a lot more open with his displeasure of others rather than having to resort just tracking them like a hawk from across a room or something

but overall i think that he'd be very tentative in going about actually establishing a relationship with you, but he loosens up later on and finds himself genuinely feeling safe with you and trusting you almost entirely

© ogdannydorito 2022; reblogs are greatly appreciated! do not repost, republish, or generally plagiarize any of my works without permission. translations welcome with proper credit.

[principleofplenitude]

hough it doesn’t always make it into the media discussion, scholars know that the motherhood penalty — which past research has found averages 5 to 10 percent per child for women in their 20s and 30s — can vary significantly based on occupation, the age at which women have their first child, their marital status, their cultural background, and whether they live in an urban or rural environment. Averages can mask a lot, too. White women tend to experience higher motherhood penalties than Black and Hispanic women, but the magnitude of the penalty has gone down significantly for all women over the last 50 years, thanks to factors such as increased educational attainment and mothers returning more quickly to work after having kids. In some fields, there’s no penalty at all. “We shouldn’t think of child penalties as something that’s immutable or a constant,” said Henrik Kleven, a Princeton economist who has studied these dynamics closely. “It’s something that has changed over time.” Moreover, though there’s real evidence that some women experience penalties after having kids, we don’t have very strong evidence that it’s a lasting hit. Other research suggests people may time their pregnancies to when their earnings were already flattening out. One 2014 study found that for most women who had fewer than three children, the motherhood penalty essentially disappears, both in terms of wages and job status, once they reach their 40s and 50s. As the more recent study on Danish IVF users also showed, the context around the motherhood penalty changes when we take a longer view. Those considering children deserve to make parenting decisions with the best information possible, including factors that could minimize or even eliminate labor market disadvantages. Finishing school before having kids, for example, is linked to lower or nonexistent motherhood penalties. Many women would prefer to have kids while they’re younger even if that means they can’t maximize their lifetime earnings. Still, the growing body of research can help make the case for policies that mitigate the negative tradeoffs of having kids and create more family-friendly cultures in the process. Ultimately, though, should the goal be to try and eliminate all penalties that mothers face? Kleven, the Princeton economist, thinks it’s unrealistic and undesirable to expect no wage penalty after having kids. “It’s very natural, and I think right, that someone bears a child penalty. I don’t think we necessarily want to move to a world where we outsource all child care,” he told me. Rather, the goal, he said, should be to have “similar-sized motherhood and fatherhood penalties” — for the cost of parenting not to be so gendered. That’s reasonable, but it’s also not the only potential aim. Women worrying about the cost of motherhood instead might care more about closing labor-market gaps through better employer support, or offsetting income penalties women face in the labor market through new tax and transfer programs, like federal paid leave and child allowances.

"The “motherhood penalty” is more complicated than you think" from Vox

[ratcandy]

hi hello hi!! i just finished bingereading cogr and i hope you don't mind if i yell into your inbox about your fic lol

SO FIRST OF ALL. i never expected i would get so attached to zote. but now i am! i will never get the neglect achievement after reading this. but i can't even be mad it's so good

i have to say that it's a really, REALLY good example of how to add depth to a normally unlikable character! like by the end zote is still at least a bit of a bastard, but after knowing how horribly literally everything in his life has gone you can't help but feel bad for him and hope things start looking up.

plus, it provides an explanation for why he's Like That. genuinely if he got therapy to work through his multitude of issues he'd probably be, like, 10x nicer about everything.

also while i did read the tags, i can't say i expected it to be THAT dark, mostly because i was thinking "it's a fic about zote being a nosk it can't be THAT bad." but nope! this man is suicidally depressed and by the end he's barely even trying to hide it. i don't mind though, it's DELICIOUS angst

OH and the format of the fic, where it's presented as zote talking to Someone Else, is absolutely GENIUS for this fic. genuinely this choice makes the fic so much better. i mean ok to start off i normally hate first-person pov in fanfiction but this sort of format i like. HOWEVER that's not my main point here

this structure lets zote's personality really shine through. if it wasn't filtered like this, first of all everything would be revealed way too quickly but also the writing would lose all of its character and emotion. plus the tangents and mid-sentences corrections, the way he corrects and interrupts himself...it's all BECAUSE of how this fic is framed. i just...aaah!! i don't know how to FULLY express how much i love the way cogr is framed. just know that i think it was a perfect choice on every possible level

OH I JUST REMEMBERED!! it makes the ending possible, and holy shit the ending. it's SUCH a gutpunch to realize he's all alone, talking to nobody, and then he just...keeps on talking. i am still reeling from it as i type this ask. bravo i think this is one of the best endings to a fic i've seen, especially for a sad ending

other things i've noticed!! first of all, there is excellent use of zote's unreliable narrating for foreshadowing, as well as wonderful callbacks and parallels!! i don't remember everything 100% since i was admittedly reading pretty quickly but from what i DO remember, i'm pretty sure i could go through cogr and find a TON of good stuff like this.

one thing i noticed in particular, the way he based himself off of vessels...DELICIOUS parallels there. i don't remember everything like i said but i'm pretty sure zote says some stuff about how it was dangerous to express emotions in the nosk den? stuff like that makes the way zote chose to disguise himself as a vessel just...augh. perfection 10/10

i also LIVE for your nosk lore and worldbuilding. i don't have much to say about this i just really like worldbuilding and this is quality

i also decided to read the trivia doc and first of all. the yikes ending would have been...i want to say cruel but honestly i'm more inclined to say tragic? although cogr is already a tragedy...ooh that would be interesting analysis, although i don't really have fully formed thoughts on it yet

ON A LIGHTER NOTE, the au in the trivia doc with zote AND two siblings?? it's one of the only ways that this whole mess could go happily (although that's to be expected of a hollow knight thing tbh), and i am rotating it in my mind.

ANYWAY that's all i have to say!! or well it isn't but it's all i can think of and actually communicate understandably lol. anyway cogr is a 10/10 fic and i will be thinking about it for the rest of my life

I'M SO NORMAL ABOUT THIS ASK <-- SHE'S LYING SHE MIMED PUNCHING A WALL AND YELLED OUT LOUD "YEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!" WHILE SHE READ

I am deVOURING this I . HOUGH. Big long ask about my big long fic I must consume it so vigorously. my TTEEETH are ripping INTO THIS

OK !! 1: GOOD That you're attached to Zote now!!!!! I love hearing that I've dragged people into Hell unimaginable!!!! Fuck yeaH!!!

AND 2: hhoughHHHhhgouh ;s;;;;; hhhhg;sh. This ask is so nice I am smiling so much and giggling and kicking my feet. also the hdgKJH "It can't be THAT dark!" hdgkJH YEAH. IT. Tends to blindside people from what I've heard!!!!!!

Hhoguhhh ;;; I wish I could respond in a more cohesive manner but I am jus. Gushing . Thank youuu thank you so much I'm so normal about getting complimented

ALSO YOU DRAWING THE PARALLEL BETWEEN HIS DIGUISE BEING A VESSEL .... I kid you not I Out Loud just went YES!!! and started clapping and hooting and hollering because i"m so normal especially when my Funny Symbolism gets noticed dhKSHDGKLHG

AS for whether CoGR counts as an honest Tragedy ... obviously I would DEVOUR any analysis on it BUT From My perspective. I go with a Maaaybe ? Since tragedies are like. The downfall is brought about by the protagonist's own actions. And like. Yes! But also ? but also Sort of! I'm not sure!!!!!!

AND SIBLINGS AU YES!!!!!! That one has been developed a bit more since that trivia doc thing!!!!! I'll tag the siblings au tag in the. Tags, an u can go through what we had for it!!!!! It is indeed the only happy version of the story (with some inevitable angst still sprinkled in of course) but!! YEA!! Bronze (Zote's brother) and Silva (Zote's sister) are my beloveds for all time

OK I'm normal now. I'm so normal.Yep. Thumbsup emoji THANK YOU SO much for this ask I .will be returning to it frequently I'm sure. just so I can go EEE and flail my arms around and rip my teeth into it <33333333

[anxious-ace]

I have some lore (?)

(Yes this is why I referenced Alan Wake in the notes thing, I ended up making him an alternate version of Toast):

"I don't remember anything that happened last week. I mean I remember getting a call from Bright Falls regarding a famous author and shadow entities, but I don't remember making the trip over here, what happened when we arrived or the entire week we were here. All I remember was running around in the woods one night and the rest of the team clamoring to find me but that was about it, besides an entity calling itself "the collective" forcing me off the side of a wooded hill (which I rolled down mind you). It could be 1. My narcolepsy, 2. The concussion I sustained that night, 3. An apparent bout of alcohol or other substance use or 4. A combination of factors that brought on this amnesia. Either way, it's not good and I need to figure out what's happening and why."

-Toast (12/6/23: 10 am)

"In regards to Toast's log from this morning, he's right. After we found him near the bottom of that wooded hill, we rushed him to whatever medical professional was around. The doctor did indeed confirm a concussion, which means that Toast will be staying back at the cabin while the 3 of us help the author and his agent. The agent has noted that we should first check for any more scientific explanations, and has permitted us to look at any files that they had on them. I may not trust them, but who said I needed to in order to do my job and help them? Also, we need to look into this "collective" entity that gave Toast the concussion in the first place. If anything else pops up, I'll check back with everyone when I get the chance." 

-Ghost (12/6; 5:14 pm) 

"Harvey's is a pizza parlor on the outskirts of PMA Square. Jackie Houghs has asked us to investigate during his next shift there, he has the day shift so they cleared out a few days for us to investigate as we have to get back from Bright Falls and they have to make sure it's clean for our arrival. The reason they asked us to look at the place is because it keeps getting attacked by the spirits of past visitors who have died while attending. Who or what killed them we don't know but we know that something must've." 

-Colon (12/8; 3 pm)

 

I forgot that I said that Jackie was a software developer, apparently blanked and just gave him a job at my Fazbear's stand-in (maybe it's to keep up the civilian act) 

"I hope everyone in Bright Falls is okay, it's been hard getting back into the swing of taking care of the company. The new guys are so…adamant about all of the evidence the base has and how if the field workers aren't careful, a whole lot more damage can be done. I mean, John's son already has a concussion and is suffering acute memory loss, and it hasn't even been 2 weeks. It might be paranoia from past experiences or parental instincts but I can't help being scared for everyone. I'm just…I want my son to be safe and for him to know how proud of him I am."

-Timothy Casket (12/8; 3:40 pm)

[claitea]

some thoughts about pokemon violet. spoilers ahead!

there are. quite a few graphical glitches and messes whbejrvhr. sometimes trainers and pokemons eyes get stuck closed for a while, camera clips into the floor during battle, a sunflora i was in battle with and therefore Very Close To moved at a lower frame rate like other faraway entities. hough the homeroom scene..... almost everyone in that room looked so janky.

but tbh? i've been having too much fun to care too much about that specifically. the rest of the game is pretty :)

wish i could stop the minimap from spinning. i can lock the map app to north but not the minimap????

THE FOOD ILLUSTRATIONS ARE SO GOOD I WANT TO EAT THE ICECREAM SO BAD

rip pixel pokemon and item icons though </3 i find them more charming. also the icon for persim berries is too red and its bothering me, persim berries are PINK this is BRIGHT SCARLET

idk how pokemon icons on the minimap work either i'll be running all over the place it indicates and not find the pokemon its showing. i want a charcadet :(

i chose sprigatito but was THIS close to choosing fuecoco because of the first cutscenes. quaxly having to tell fuecoco not to eat the burnt orange whjegjevdj

miraidon my beloved asshole lizard who eats all my sandwiches. i gotta rewatch any and all miraidon scenes with koraidon when i'm done with the game, the first cutscene with the houndoom was SO COOL

PEOPLE WERE RIGHT ARVEN IS THE PROFESSOR'S KID

there were a couple nods to older games! a book in the library talks about someone seeing the stow-on-side mural get broken by a copperajah, another book talks about pewter crunchies, and the meditative seat art installation in artazon are items you could buy in oras as decoration for your secret base. i know every game has callbacks to previous ones but the stow-on-side one caught me offguard because thats a spoiler isnt it?? the other one surprised me too but more becaue Why do i remember this one specific base item. i havent touched oras in years

a library book also said Hydreigon and Volcarona got alt forms like donphan did and i need to see them IMMEDIATELY

as far as i've seen in the library, the pokemon that get those forms are donphan, tyranitar, volcarona, hydreigon. and Delibird. which i find hilarious bc its all these threatening scary pokemon and then. DELIBIRD.

WHY DID MY BELOVED LECHONK EVOLVE INTO AN EMO BOY

so far out of the new pokemon. the only design i dont like is spidops. spiops. i forgot how to spell it. where did my cute little yarn ball go :( maybe its just New Pokemon Doesnt Look Like A Pokemon Yet Syndrome but there is just SOMETHING about spiops's design that doesnt sit right with me

miraidon jumping is a little janky sometimes idk??? also i got stuck in a pond once and it could NOT climb out no matter where i tried. i had to fly out

i already like tera raids a lot more :') i HATED how max pokemon could shield and move multiple times and all that. i dont have online so max raids are damn near IMPOSSIBLE for me to do because the ai sucks That bad. i feel like with the time limit thing and infinite revives i could stand a chance doing it solo. this is just me talking about the early 1-2 star raids though idk how it'll go later on

i did get one odd glitch where my first attack didnt appear to deplete the hp bar, but then a few attacks later it looked like it had hp left but it fainted? my damage just. Didnt Show for some reason while still registering as damage

i think they fixed the overlevelling problem bc i was even getting my ass kicked by wild pokemon sometimes HKWBDJBF. i was cruising through fast like i'd gotten used to in xy to swsh, so i was actually underlevelled a lot. mela almost curbstomped me

THE CAR IS A POKEMON THEY WERE RIGHT ITS AN ACTUAL POKEMON

mela walks like manga emmet lmao

clodsire. thats it thats the bullet point <3

in conclusion i am having a BLAST. i absolutely adore this game so far!! i'm honestly able to overlook anything that bothers me just because i enjoy it a Lot. like of Course i still wish the subpar graphics werent subpar but Who Care look at my clodsire his name is Mousse and i love him

[gnattyplayssims]

1943 Pt2 - Finding Sofia

The day every military wife dreads came one day in late summer. "Lucian what a lovely surprise. Can I get you some tea"

"No thank you, I'm not here long. I'm on my way back to Henford but I wanted to be the one to tell you."

He hesitated and Kailee's heart sank.

Kailee steeled herself and reached out a hand to encourage him. "I can handle it."

"I'm sure you know that Knox, William and Kye were all in the same squad. Well the squads MIA. Best case scenerio they're prisoner's of war. Worst case..."

"I understand. Thank you Lucian."

A shroud fell over Pigulock Manor after the news came. Each of the women coped in their own ways. Kailee threw herself harder into the community space, Lizbeth barely came out of her room and Anabelle threw herself into caring for the kids and drank herself to sleep every night.

Kailee found Anabelle in a drunken state one night, crying over a letter from Kye. "He asked me to marry him you know."

"What?"

"Yeah, in that letter you're holding. He said when he came home he wanted to make an honest woman out of me. I never gave him an answer."

"Why not?"

"It just never seemed like an option for us. I can't say yes when I can barely look at myself in the mirror."

"I think you need to find her. You need to stop thinking about how Kye would react and do this for yourself. I think I know someone who can help."

After a few weeks of Kailee exchanging letters with a contact in Henford, she and Anabelle set up a meeting at the remodeled community center. They even managed to drag Lizbeth out of her room for the afternoon though they both quickly regretted it as she was hardly good company.

"Okay kids, you know the rules. Stay within the fenced area, no running, indoor voices and be respectful of those around you."

Once in Kailee's apartment Lizzie let out a long sigh, "I still can't believe you kept this fridge."

"It's functional and we had to make due."

Once the ladies had freshened up Kailee brought them down to the Green Room which she had reserved to meet her contact.

"You've really transformed this place Kailee. I barely even recognize it."

There was a sad hopeful note to her voice "Knox will love it...when he comes home."

Soon Jonathan Noble arrived and Anabelle was left to their dealings. "So you're Anabelle. Pardon my saying so, you are much prettier than my mother-in-law made you sound."

"Ha, well Esther is the jealous type from what I hear."

"Mm yes, Gilbert's perfect match."

Jonathan chuckled and leaned forward "But enough of the family small talk. I hear you're looking for someone"

"Yes. My daughter"

"Kailee tells me the orphanage closed a few months ago"

Anabelle shifted nervously. "Yes"

"Hmm that makes things more difficult but not impossible"

Anabelle took a nervous drink of nectar. "I don't know what help I can give."

"Oh don't worry. I already have everything I need. But I do have an important question."

"What's that?"

"What do you wish me to do when I find her."

Anabelle let out a breath "Bring her home."

"Well?"

"He says he'll find her."

"Then he will. Jonathan married into the Hough Family. They're bad blood. That woman is Rowan Holliday, the lover of Kinley's brother Gabriel whose in jail now for assult. They'll find her and it's best not to question how they plan to do it"

"Did the family give you any trouble?"

"Are you kidding me? They practically begged me to take her off their hands and that was before they saw the bag of 'gems'."

"Ah I wish I could see their faces when they realize they're useless. And the girl?"

"Didn't even shed a tear."

Sofia looked up at the pretty woman standing before her. The woman dropped to her knees in front of her taking her hand. "You're all grown up now." Anabelle's voice shook as she looked into her daughters green eyes. "I'm so sorry I missed it."

Sofia didn't say anything.

Sofia remained quiet throughout the entire ferry ride. She finally spoke when they arrived at Pigulock Manor.

"You live here?" Her voice was barely a squeek as she realized how close she had been to coming with Nikolas so many times.

"Yes, Sofia. This is your new home."

David had come a few months before to assist with the children and be by Lizbeth's side. Stefan hid nervously behind him as Anabelle and Sofia entered. "It's okay son, remember what I said, just give her a chance."

Sofia looked up at Anabelle nerviously, "Is that...my brother?"

David gave Stefan a small nudge. Anger filled him as he looked at Sofia. "NO! I hate this! You can't be my sister, I don't have a twin!"

"Stefan wait!"

"Let him go, Anabelle. He has every right to be angry. You'll only make it worse if you try to take that from him."

David smiled at Sofia. "Now, I for one would like to meet my granddaughter."

Sofia let him hug her and for the first time she smiled.

Stefan balled his hands into fists. Mother had betrayed him. Lied to him. Hidden a part of him. Chose favorites. He hated her for it.

Later that evening, David was helping Anabelle clean up dinner. "William really did well for himself keeping this place. I'm sure you'll be able to get the Mizrahi Estate looking as nice."

"We won't be moving to Henford."

"Oh?"

"My home is here and Kye would agree."

David sat at the island with a chuckle. "Elena predicted as much. She said you'd left something here"

"She knew?"

"I don't think she knew exactly but she was the one who told me to send you away to find closure. Now it's time you decide what you truly want. With or without Kye"

1944 Pt1 - The First Keepsake

[hardynwa]

Off-duty nurse rushed to save teenagers involved in police chase crash

An off-duty nurse tried to save the life of two teenage boys after witnessing the aftermath of a crash that they were involved in, an inquest has heard. A jury of seven men and four women at Bolton Town Hall were told that Leo Gradwell, 14, died after 'losing control' of a Fiat 500 in Ashton Road, Golborne, before colliding with a Kia Sportage and then a Renault Clio on October 11, 2019. Two passengers in the car - named in court as Rhys and Bradley - were also injured in the collision. At the time of the crash, Leo was being chased by police, as the car he was driving matched the description of a Fiat stolen in Wigan the previous night. The court heard that a blue Fiat 500 had been taken by two masked males, one of whom had allegedly been carrying an axe. However Leo was not alleged to be one of the assailants. Giving evidence on the second day of the inquest, Susan Lane said that she had been driving home from shopping in Wigan when she spotted a car on its side in the middle of the road. After telling officers that she was an off-duty nurse, she was invited inside the scene. Ms Lane told the jury that when she first saw Leo, he had already been removed from the car and had been placed in the recovery position on the road. “He had a really good pulse,” she said. “I opened his eyes and his pupils appeared to be blown, which is a symptom of a severe head injury.” Ms Lane said she asked a police officer if they had any first aid equipment but said they only had a ‘basic’ kit containing plasters. “I told them that was no good. I couldn’t do anything,” she added.Tributes to Leo left at the scene of the crash (Image: Manchester Evening News) It was at that point she turned her attention to Bradley, then aged 15. Ms Lane recalled: “His lips were turning blue… he was struggling to breathe. “I asked if anyone had oxygen as that’s what I thought he needed. I couldn’t do anything for Leo because I didn’t have the equipment, but I could help Bradley. “I talked to him and he was in obvious shock. I didn’t know if he had a head injury, as some of the things he was saying back to me wasn’t appropriate. “I was telling him to sit up straight, breathe in on three, and breathe out on three. He was really struggling.” Ms Lane told the court that she then went back to Leo but his pulse had slowed. Paramedics had arrived on the scene by this point and started CPR, she said. “I got the view that all emergency services at the scene wanted Leo to survive and did all they could to keep him alive,” Ms Lane added. Commending Ms Lane's actions, senior coroner Timothy Brennand said: “Matters unfolded for you that day when off-duty and to give up your time and skills you clearly have, you can see how grateful the family are. I can only commend you.” The drivers of the other two cars involved in the collision also gave evidence. Leo initially crashed into the back of a Kia Sportage as he tried to go around it, before the car flipped and crashed into the front of a Renault Clio on the other side of the road. Gary Dawber, who was driving the Kia Sportage, said: “I heard a big bang and then saw a car flying past my window.” Clio driver Max O’Hare told the court he was ‘in shock’ after seeing a Fiat 500 on its side and coming towards him. “I saw a police car coming towards me and pulled over so I was stationary," he said. "There was also a black car opposite me. “I only realised a moment before that the Fiat was there. I saw it went onto two wheels.” He added: “I think the police that day did all they could.” One of the first paramedics on the scene was Karl Hough, who the jury was told had almost 20 years experience at the time of the incident. After trying to resuscitate Leo at the scene, Mr Hough told the jury that he was responsible for the decision to take him to the trauma unit at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary rather than Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, which is a specialised major trauma centre. Explaining the decision, he said that he thought Royal Albert Edward Infirmary represented Leo’s best chance of survival. Mr Hough added: “I was informed it was 12 to 13 minutes away. Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital was at least 30 minutes away. “My decision on that day was based on the instability of his condition. He was very very unstable.” Leo was assessed by Dr Asim Habib at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary. Dr Habib told the court that all staff were on standby for his arrival after being put on ‘red alert’. He said that on arrival, Leo still had a pulse but said he made the decision that being transferred to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital would give Leo the best chance of survival. Upon arrival at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, paramedics were informed that the CT scanner in the children’s section of the hospital was ‘faulty’, so Leo had to be taken to a different part of the site, where a scanner was available. Representing the Gradwell family, barrister Mass Ndow-Njie raised concerns about delays in Leo being scanned and questioned why he was not taken straight to that part of the hospital upon arrival. Mr Hough responded: “When we arrived, he was very unstable. The observations were not someone who could be safely put into the scanner straight away. “He needed intervention from doctors to stabilise him right away. It is unheard of for us, as ambulance staff, to take a patient directly to a scanner. “All the right people were there in the room when we arrived, they would establish priorities. There was a delay in A&E, but rightly so because they worked vigorously to stabilise Leo. “At the scanner, they don’t have the same equipment at hand, so if he became more critically ill while in the scanner, it would have been an even bigger problem." Mr Ndow-Njie also raised concerns on behalf of the family about Leo being transported by land rather than air, as air ambulances responded to the incident and had taken Bradley straight to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Dr Edward Davies, who responded with North West Air Ambulance, said: “We wouldn’t take very unstable patients in a helicopter. Land ambulances are more optimal - they are bigger spaces and there are more people. I would never have taken him by helicopter as he was so unstable.” Dr Davies added that helicopters are usually called to the scene to provide equipment, rather than to take patients to hospital. Read the full article

[infernallegaycy]

goth legend

[crhinge]

Breaking Down The Classic Rom-Com

I feel like I haven’t written a fun post in a hot sec so lets talk about one of my favorite subjects: Rom Coms

According to wikipedia, a Rom Com, also known as Romantic Comedy, is “a subgenre of comedy and slice-of-life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles.” In the past, Romantic Comedies have also been called “Chick Flicks” but I think this is devaluing of both women and  the romantic comedy genre. 

The other day, I woke up to find that the most wholesome rom-com couple of all time reunited: Matty & Jenna (Aka Mark Ruffalo & Jennifer Garner). This got me thinking about the beauty of the Rom-Com and how unappreciated they can be. It has been years since we have seen a rom-com with the cultural impact of 13 Going on 30, and I would like to petition for more of them after a sad and painful year. 

I can already hear the millions (in my head this blog is extremely popular) of comments “What about To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before?!?” “What about The Kissing Booth?!?” And too that I say, "Good Riddance!” If you’re rating your rom coms on a TATBILB scale, or even WORSE The Kissing booth, I feel sorry for you. Truly I do. So let's dive into the best Rom Coms of all time, but first... 

What makes a Rom-Com good? Well let's start with a relatable as hell main character. I am talking a girl (sometimes guy), who has many flaws, but the audience can see themselves within her/him. Let's use Jenna Rink from 13 Going On 30 as an example. Well, she's literally a 13 year old in a 30 year olds body, but don’t we all still have a preteen hiding inside of all of us? She is 100% willing to be herself at every step, even if that means dancing thriller all alone. She touches on all of our insecurities, while teaching us how to break down our walls. 

Rom-Coms also need characters to make realistic choices. This does not mean that the movie itself is realistic, but rather than you can understand the choices the characters make. Again, 13 going on 30 does a fabulous job of this. Obviously, Jenna traveling in time because of wishing powder is not realistic, but the choices that her and her past self make are. Due to the insecurities of her childhood and a need to feel included, relevant, and powerful Jenna pushes important people out of her life, which happens to so many people in the real world. These decisions force her to miss out on the love of her life, and ultimately, the story ends sadly: the love of her life marries someone else and she is left with tears, wishing powder, and an old doll house. That is until she is able to travel back in time and change the course of her life. 

Lastly, Every classic Rom-Com couple needs to have chemistry. There. I said it. Hollywood loves just casting random famous actors without giving them a proper chemistry read. One great example of this is Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel in Safe Haven. Both fun, famous, Hollywood actors who have zero chemistry. Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner had more chemistry throwing back Razzles than those two did during an intimate sex scene. 

Alright, now that we have broken down the requirements of a Romantic Comedy, let's jump into the best and worst of all time.

Best: When Harry Met Sally. 9/10. A classic. A tale as old as time. Both Sally & Harry are very flawed, yet relatable characters. Sally is too picky and particular, while Harry is a player. They both suck at relationships, but make rational decisions based on their motivations. We all have friends like these two and their chemistry is on point, both on a friendship and romantic level. They bounce off of one another splendidly. 

Worst: Sleepless in Seattle. 1/10 I know, this is a strong take, but this is a terrible movie about a stalker. Meg Ryan (I don’t even remember her character's name) is the stupidest most unrelatable character I have seen in a long time. She is extremely unlovable, cheats on her SO emotionally, and flies across the country to stalk a man that she has never met before. And then you’re telling me that Tom hanks FALLS FOR HER? Nope. No. I refuse to except this. Plus, their chemistry in this is pretty mediocre (You’ve Got Mail is Way Better) and we only get to see them together once. 

Best: 10 Things I Hate About You. 8/10. I was tempted to leave all high School Rom-Coms off this list, but Heath Ledger is my exception. Talk about likability. Kat is a strong, powerful, independent woman who learns how to be more vulnerable while still being a feminist badass. We all wanted to be Kat growing up. Meanwhile Heath Ledger is the classic bad boy with a soft side, and who wasn’’t into that? Both characters grow into new people throughout the movie making them relatable, complex, and realistic. Not to mention the angel that is Joseph Gordon Levitt, who keeps the audience up beat and smiling throughout the course of this Shakespeare tale

Best: My Big fat Greek Wedding. 10/10.  Have you seen this film recently? Because it is an absolute DELIGHT and so relatable. It dives into the difficulty of family expectation and cultures merging. It also has the cutest proposal of all time with a realistic couple that fights for one another on a daily basis. You laugh. You cry. You get a dynamic cast with wonderful chemistry. You feel invested in the family and the relationship. Just a joyful wonderful film.

Worst: Something Borrowed. 0/10. If you’ve never seen this movie, don’t. Ginnifer Goodwin sleeps with her best friends fiancé and we’re supposed to be okay with it because she liked him first. Hard pass. And she ignores John Krazinski who is right in front of her. She is unlikable, unreliable, and makes dumb decisions that no one else would. 

Best: He’s just not that into you. 9/10  I will go to bat for this movie. It follows several realistic storylines in a Love Actually manor, except they actual seem legit. A woman realizing her boyfriend is never going to marry her. A girl facing the fact that maybe some guys just aren’t that into her, and she isn’t an exception to the rule. A man slowly making the decision to cheat on his wife as they are growing apart. A woman realizing that she is worth way more than her bastard husband. A woman realizing that the person she’s sleeping with will never leave his wife for her. It's compelling, has realistic characters that we can relate to, and still warms your heart in the end. 

Best: The Big Sick. 8/10. Okay to be fair, this is based on a true story so it automatically has realistic characters and decisions. Maybe I should leave this off of the list, but I wish this film got the recognition it deserves. Two lovable main characters who make mistakes that are understandable. Wonderful chemistry between Kumail and his girlfriend as well as her family. 

Best: About Time. 11/10 This is hands down the best Rom-Com of all time and Potentially the best film of all time as well. If you don’t cry in this movie you do not have a heart or soul. The characters are SO insanely likable and adorable.It touches on the importance of family and valuing time and how little of it we have. The chemistry within the whole cast is palpable, and we can all relate to at least one character, whether it is the protagonist Tim, his wife Mary, his sister Kit-Kat, or his father. 

Well it is important to point out the obvious here: this list is lacking diversity in a huge way. All but one of these movies follow a cis, straight, white couple, and that is extremely concerning. People have attempted to make more diverse rom-coms over the past few years, but they all seem to be lacking one of the three core components of what makes a rom-com great: Relatable, realistic, and great chemistry. For example. Crazy Rich Asians was a fantastic film, but the high level of wealth that Nick Young comes from, made his character difficult to relate to, and I’m sorry but the chemistry just wasn’t there for me. Always Be My Maybe’s characters fell flat and it’s not a film I would want to watch more than once. Love Simon made some huge waves for LGBTQ representation in the media, but that ending kiss was unrealistic along with his friends reaction to fining out he was lying, which left the movie anti-climactic by the end. 

Now, the most recent film on this list was made in 2017. And before that 2013. So where have all the Rom Coms gone? Why don’t we see more of them. There are a few Rom Coms that could be contenders on the “Best” list from the last couple of years that include a small amount of diversity: 

Yesterday 7/10. The big question here is does this count as a romantic comedy? The love story isn’t the main plot, but is definitely a large sub-plot. This movie features an interracial couple and is highly re-watchable. The main characters are entertaining, relatable, and have pretty good chemistry. We will see if it stands the test of time. 

The Broken Hearts Gallery 7/10. This movie has gotten NO recognition. The main character, Lucy, is an extremely likable 20 something, not unlike our Ginnifer Goodwin in He’s Just not that Into You. The plot is fun and predictable but keeps you watching. I don’t know if this one will stay on my list long, but it’s definitely up there. 

But here is my challenge to Hollywood: create some new, beautiful Rom Coms that celebrate diversity but that don’t throw away the relatable, realistic, and high chemistry characters that we are just waiting to fall in love with. It’s got like 16 ideas up my sleeve, so just give me a call Hollywood. 

[softlyqoos]

Forbidden Love Pt. 1

(Pairing Draco Malfoy x reader)

Summary : Draco and Y/N were best friends since their first year and the only person who doesn’t worship the ground he walks on like the rest of his fellow Slytherins. Draco needs to break off their friendship before it turns into something greater and irresistible, but his heart tells him something else.

Warnings : heartbreak, heartbreak and heartbreak. (basically anything related to it.) *THIS DOES NOT HAVE A HAPPY ENDING*

A/N : I had this written down on paper two weeks ago but didn’t have time to finish it and stuff back then. I know I’ve only been doing angst so far I’m not really sure how to write fluff event hough I want to. If you have any requests please don’t hesitate to ask <3

flashbacks in italics

He couldn’t take his eyes off you whilst your laugh filled the Great Hall, interrupting his thoughts. A simple act that could distract him even a room away. He couldn’t imagine ever living without you, even he himself found it cliché, he didn’t believe he was in love nor did he believe in love.

That is because he didn’t want to. He thought that the simple body signs and skin contacts the two of you often shared were just gestures of friendliness. You were always the careless, friendly and outgoing one, and in his eyes, you were beautiful. Every time he looks at your eyes, his heart stops beating. He’d met you on the train back in their first year.

“Hello” he lifted his gaze away from the window and his eyes landed on your Y/E/C ones. “May I join you? The rest of the cars are full.” you smiled pointing out to the corridor. Before he could could reply, you shut the door behind you and sat opposite from him. He stared at you then looked back at the window snickering. “Tell me, why do you find my face so amusing?” you demanded furrowing your eyebrows at the platinum blonde in front of you.

“There’s mud on the side of your face.” he grinned, pointing at your right cheek.

Your eyes widened, wiping your cheeks, you looked down at your hands.

“Oh, um.. I ate a bar of Chocolate Frogs a few minutes ago” you said, wiping your hands on a tissue. You smiled at him looking up, laughing at yourself “I guess it was silly of me, I still have a few more.. would you like some?” You said taking out a few bars from both your pockets.

“No, father’s given me plenty of pocket money.” He smiled proudly before handing out his hand. “Malfoy, Draco Malfoy”

“Y/N Y/LN”

You turned your head looking at Draco from across the table and winked at him. His breath hitched in his throat for... Merlin, he didn’t even remember how many times you’ve taken his breath away that day. It was driving him mad because the two of you always shared multiple winks and smiles, but that day he was observing them closer than ever, cherishing your happy gestures. Only he himself knew the reason to it.

He stopped halfway from the door “I don’t know what you’re talking abou,t” he wanted to get out of his office, he knew he needed to but his legs froze his steps.

“Do you think I’m blind, boy? Nothing and nobody, especially Ms. Y/L/N must distract you now with the mission the Dark Lord’s assigned to you”

His jaw tensed and he closed his eyes with the view of you lingering in the darkness.

“We can’t afford more time, I’m sure you can’t afford losing your family too.” Snape reminds him. He clenches his fists and turns around facing his professor.

“She’s a friend, she means nothing to me.” he bit his cheek at his words. Guilt washing over him as he heard it, but he knew it was only the beginning.

“A-ah see, if she surely means nothing to you, like you said, then I’m sure you won’t mind her cries when the Dark Lord finds out about her and who knows what will happen to her.” tsked Snape.

Draco’s chest rose up and down, his breath heaving, with the thought of you being tortured or worse, killed made his rage build higher than his guilt. He opens his eyes ignoring the tears welling up his eyes blurring his vision.

“W-What.. how,”

but he didn’t need the answer he already knew to.

You glanced at Draco before he quickly drifted his gaze to his table you realized you were being watched by him, the thought that he did it because he fancies you made your cheeks flush. You were confident that he might feel the same way no matter how many times you overheard him saying he never believed in love to Crabbe and Goyle. You never told him anything because you were afraid of taking risks after almost 7 years of friendship.

Draco was usually fairly talkative to you during breakfast. You couldn’t help wonder why he was oddly quiet that morning, but you brushed it off when Draco got up and walked to you.

You smiled, looking down at your food playing with it around your fork “Finally talking to me huh Dray? I thought you were giving me the silent tr-”

“Meet me at the Astronomy tower, tonight, after dinner” he said and walked.

Exiting the hall, you scoffed watching him.

You couldn’t concentrate on your classes the whole day, usually Draco would sit behind you in Charms but he sat in the corner of the room. You were nervous every time Draco walks past you to get to the next class without saying anything. If you looked at his face properly you could see his pupils looking at you from the corner of his eyes. (not in a creepy way)

When you entered the Great Hall again for dinner that night, your eyes would scan the room looking for your him like it usually did, and your eyebrows furry when he wasn’t there. Sure, you were in love with him, but you were also his best friend and the thought of him acting odd that day made you tense.

After dinner you walked to the Astronomy Tower like Draco had instructed, in a fast pace. Was he told not to attend Hogwarts anymore with his father in Azkaban? You didn’t know about his relation to the Dark Lord as the two of you shared everything but he didn’t have the courage to tell you about his mission, his threats and him being a.. death eater.

When you reach the end of the stairs to the top, you slowly walked out feeling the night’s cold breeze brushing against your skin. You took a deep breath as you walked towards the figure wearing a black suit facing the rails. You thought whatever he was going through you were gonna cheer him up.

You walked to the rail beside him leaning onto it watching the view with him. It was a full moon you were taken aback by how beautiful the night sky was.

“Hey Dray,” the words came out more cheerful than u you wanted it to be “ Are you okay? I barely saw you today.”

“Poor Y/N/N, Miss me that much?" He grinned finally looking at you.

You rolled your eyes and bit your lip. "Yes, poor Y/N, she got detention for breaking a cauldron in potions today.”

The two of you joked together and you forgot about Draco’s odd behavior that previously happened. “Why did you ask me to meet you here, Draco?”

As soon as you said that Draco’s smile faltered, he avoided talking about the subject entirely because he wasn’t ready, he couldn’t imagine your face when he tells you what he’s been dreading to. He looked into your eyes and you saw him soften. Merlin, you were gorgeous, the cold air made the tip of your nose red, he admire your features until his gaze fell on your soft lips.

You thought to yourself, you have to do it, you had nothing to lose, You lean closer to him and you close your eyes expecting the kiss you had dreamt of since you were twelve.

“N-no, I..”

Your eyes fluttered open and you look at the boy you love in confusion. The realization hit you like a brick. You gasp and quickly took a few steps backwards avoiding eye contact from embarrassment. You felt tears swell up in your eyes but you didn’t wipe them away, your heart thumping louder and louder in the silence, you were sure he could hear it. You were too shocked to move.

Draco cleared his throat “Y/N I’m sorry, I can’t do this,”

Your eyes widen, you felt your heart break into pieces at his words, you thought to yourself this has to be a nightmare. The Draco you know wouldn’t toss away 7 years of friendship. The Draco you knew wouldn’t toss you away

You wanted to act unhurt but your voice betrayed you “Wha-what do you mean?”

“I think we shouldn’t be friends, I don’t want to, not with you following me around like a sick puppy. I didn’t mind after a few years but you’d really ticked me off lately. I don’t need another mother figure. You were just another annoying-”

There was a loud smack and this time Draco’s eyes widen. Your hand print was glowing red on his pale cheek. He looked down at you and and you look into his gray eyes daring him to speak. You could see rage in them but they turned into sadness or maybe even guilt?

You turn on your heels running to the stairs but you stopped. Draco didn’t move, he was still standing at where you had slapped him.

“Tell me, for the last 7 years of our friendship, did you not feel anything?” You chocked in tears.

“Because I did, and I still do, I love you and probably forever will.”

You didn’t wait for his answer and walked down the stairs in tears, but what you didn’t realize was when you left, his heart left with you.

here is Part 2

[cranehusbands]

keep your enemies close

chapter 1 of 3(?)

karl heisenberg/ethan winters; reluctant allies to lovers; canon divergence - ethan takes the deal; someone lives/not everyone dies; re village spoilers (obviously). 2403 words.

a/n: hough ok. nervous 2 post this but here goes.

after seeing so many other writers try their hand at the what if of ethan taking the deal, i wanted to. toss my hat into the ring. after having really bad writers block and anxiety about writing for a.. long while, tbh, after writing for rp stuff i. think i’m gonna be ok to post stuff again. which, im so glad for. ive missed it - and what better way to come back with my current brainworms of the week, eh? lmao

likes < reblogs, any comments in the tags are appreciated!

ao3 mirror in the reblogs!

Ethan played with his hands. Like, a lot.

It wasn’t the first thing Heisenberg noticed about him, but it was certainly one of his more prominent traits. He rubbed his wrists as if they were aching, cracked his knuckles along the deep purple bruises that went down to the bone, pressed his thumb into his palm and up between his middle and ring finger of a non-bandaged hand and across a scar that was already starting to heal. Was it to try and restrain himself from another half-panicked half-angry rant, or simply just to check they were still there? 

Ethan took the deal. He still didn’t know why. When he was sat in that chair, inches away from a pit with death, the father looked like death of a different kind - dead man walking, was the phrase that came to mind - and talked like it, too, voice tired and strained but still pushing the words out from the back of his throat with a ferocity and hatred that wasn’t unexpected, but still hurt, if only a little. There were bags under his eyes, his body shook as if it was about to shut itself down like a faulty machine. And when Heisenberg hung him over that pit as a threat, he almost let go without intending it, bringing his other arm up to grip onto the man’s coat with the three fingers he still had left. It probably would have been easier, to let him fall then and there, have his army deal with him… but things would never have been that simple. Ethan Winters simply didn’t… die. So when he huffed out an exhausted ‘fine’, Heisenberg had pulled him to his feet, and shut the hatch behind him.

And now, here they were. Nowhere near friends, but somewhat closer to allies. They’d gone back and forth with a plan, at opposing forces for a majority of it - Ethan was a good father, and Heisenberg cursed him for that fact. Ethan didn’t want to use his daughter as a weapon, and Heisenberg had called him stupid. Ethan said he wasn’t going to die so easily, and, despite another insult on the tip of his tongue, Heisenberg believed him. So they’d agree that whatever the kid was, she was a last resort first and foremost. So it was just the two of them, and a mindless metal army. Things were still in their favor, but it was going to be a bit more difficult without the kid. Whatever kept Ethan on his side, though. 

That fidgeting was getting annoying, though.

The man glanced over, watching the way Ethan started to shake his bandaged hand, as if it had gone numb from the wrist, before moving to rub the back of it in rhythmic motions with no beat. Had he not been doing this for the past half an hour as they sat in silence, it would have been almost charming. “Are you nervous, Winters?”

“What?” He raised his head, pausing the coaxing of phantom pains to give the man a look - though he tried to remain neutral, there was something behind the eyes that had never left him since he’d arrived, since that very first trial. Fear. “I- fuck, I mean, yes? I guess that’s the word, other than ‘terrified and sick to my stomach that I’ll never see my child again’-”

“-which you will, by the way.”

“Gee, thanks, guy who’s tried to kill me a handful of times.”

“Only twice, really. Would have been more if you were a little stupider.” Heisenberg corrected him pointedly, smiling at the glare that was thrown his way, as he propped his feet up on the work table just in front of him, knocking things away with heavy boots. Ethan was fun to mess with, but wasn’t to be underestimated - a few wrong buttons pushed, and he’d be on the right side of a shotgun, again. Loyalty to a deal flew in the face of fatherly love, and of family. 

The glare persisted for a moment, before the man spoke again, firm. “You’re insane.”

“And so are you, for humouring me.”

He paused, eyes flickering away for a moment before he conceded to the point. “Yeah, maybe.”

There was a moment of silence between them, before Heisenberg kicked his feet down again, pushing the work table away with a heavy clatter, enough to make the man in front of him flinch. He leaned forward a little. “What will it take to get you to trust me?”

Ethan scoffed. “A fucking miracle.”

A smile played on his lips at that. “Oh? Well, I can work with that.”

He looked confused for a moment, before yanking his hand back as Heisenberg reached to grab his bandaged hand. “What- no, get fucked, you’ve already done enough!”

“And I’m going to fix it, you big baby. Hand it over.”

“Fix it?! I’m not one of your machines.”

“I’ve got a prosthetics mold, asshole.”

That made him stop. The arm he was holding protectively to his chest with a good hand fell slightly, looking down.

“We can’t have you killing Miranda in 20 different pieces, can we?” Heisenberg continued, carefully watching the consideration wash over his face. “It’ll be easy, almost painless, and then as soon as we’re done, we’re gonna send that bitch to boom town and get your girl back.”

There were a couple more moments of silence, before Ethan sighed a tired sigh, and gave his hand to the man with a huff.

Though his hands were rough and calloused from decades of factory work, Heisenberg’s touch was gentle as his fingers moved up the bandages, trying to find an end to them to unwrap his hand. He didn’t look back up, but he knew the man was staring at him, eyes burning into him, watching for any sense of betrayal of trust. There wouldn’t be any of course - sure, he was a monster made in Miranda’s design, but he wasn’t going to conform to the role fully. He found the pin with a quiet ‘ah’ escaping him, and pulled it out, placing it on the side with one hand and taking hold of Ethan’s wrist with the other. The blood had dried, for the most part. But the wound was still fresh, both in body and mind - he could tell that much from the way he tensed at his touch against the skin.

“Relax,” And for once, Heisenberg’s voice was quiet, though still firm - less of a reassurance, and more of a command, out of habit. “I’m not gonna take another bite. That’s not my job.”

Ethan huffed out a half-hearted laugh though his nose. “Right. Leave that to your fairytale army.”

He bent the man’s good fingers into his hands, turning his wrist to face the palm upwards, though he didn't look up, even still. “You sure do hold grudges well.”

“Yeah, just a bit.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm. A familiar sound. “It’s kept me alive for this long, and I won’t stop now.”

A quiet hum escaped him. Couldn’t argue with that. “I suppose telling you I’m always good with my business partners won’t help things?”

“Not at all.”

“Ha, thought so. It was worth a try.” 

Ethan clicked his tongue as he shook his head and looked away, trying not to wince with the way fresh wounds were being played with, seeming to flinch every so often. He was a brave one, and a man of many strengths, but he was still only human.

(He didn’t seem to notice when Heisenberg removed his wedding ring, and left it on the side of the work bench without a word.)

They continued in silence, aside from the occasional whistle of a long forgotten tune or mutter from Heisenberg as he worked, or when he would tell Ethan to stop either bouncing his leg or playing with his other hand (flicking each intact finger out from under his thumb, in rapid succession). While the damage was severe, and the skin had already begun to repair - impressive, yes, but also curious - it wasn’t so much so that he couldn’t interrupt the process. Letting his hand fall, he pushed his chair back with a terrible screech against the metal floor, moving to stand and grab the mold left to cool from the back of the workbench.

It was then he heard a laugh. “You were saving those?”

“Hm?” He looked up as he popped out two lifeless appendages, the gesture somehow both rough and soft. “Maybe. Just something to hang over your head if you were stupid enough to turn me down.”

Despite himself, Ethan chuckled - though it certainly wasn’t a relaxed laugh, it was certainly the most amused he’d been since he got there (he tried not to make note of that). “Ah. Yes, the be-all-and-end-all of the deal, two fingers.”

Heisenberg scoffed, holding the fingers tight in one fist, as he moved to grab the chair and turn it backwards, sitting on it as such as he gestured. “Hand, smartass.”

He still smirked, shaking his head as he, surprisingly, did as he was told, handing over a now unbandaged three-fingered hand for him to hold by the wrist. He did not flinch as it was held, this time.

It was a surprisingly easy process, though he did yelp and curse as the metal dug into flesh and threatened to touch bone. And as Ethan spewed off another profanity, he paused at the way his hand bent in a gesture - how all five fingers bent in a gesture. Looking down, he stared, watching the way the two missing fingers moved in turn with each finger like a wave of movement.

“What the…” He trailed off, turning his hand over, as if to check there weren't any strings making the damn things move. But no, no strings attached, not in the literal sense.

There was a sudden tingle down to his bones, with the way the fingers had connected with his nerves, a gentle surge of electricity forcing his hand to move upwards as he watched in mild horror, eyes refocusing on the man behind his hand, as Heisenberg puppeteered it with dancing fingers and a sly smile. Of course it wasn’t made out of a polymer composite - less durable, for one, and he wouldn’t be able to mess with Ethan that way. He wore his scowl well as the man that had once been his enemy simply grinned winder, continuing to lift his hand before holding it in place, moving his own to interlock their fingers and pull him closer.

“And how’s this for fine craftsmanship, hm?”

“Asshole.” was the singular response he received, in a half-hearted growl.

That was enough to make Heisenberg laugh, short and loud, before he tugged at Ethan to make him trip where he stood, ignoring the way he quietly cursed as he inspected his work. Metal used to create and nurture, rather than destroy… Well, they’d be using them to destroy Miranda, but that bitch never counted for anything, so she wasn’t taken into account as part of those calculations.

The man tried to pull his hand away, but that tingle persisted, making his fingers curl tightly it’s Heisenberg’s hand to keep him in place while he continued to inspect his handiwork. It was dark metal, lightweight and durable, decorated with delicate golden motifs like the barrel of an old pepperbox from westerns he remembered vaguely from a time before the village. He muttered to himself, “Absolutely stunning, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, great, continue gloating, stroke your ego some more,” Ethan was still trying to pull his hand away, enough to make the other man grab his wrist firmly.

“Knock it off,” His voice reverted to that gruff, dangerous growl he was known for at this point, looking up finally from over his glasses. “You’ll tear the nerves again. And then this’ll be worth less than shit.”

“Then let go of me.” There wasn’t a moment of hesitation to match the tone - he wasn’t easily intimidated anymore, after everything he’d been through. 

Heisenberg stared. The tingling stopped, and Ethan’s hand fell suddenly, so suddenly that he felt the need to catch it and stare at it in disbelief.

He flexed his fingers, watching the way they moved before he gave a breathless laugh and met the man’s eyes again, as he simply gave a modest shrug. 

Ethan was messing with his hands again, but with eyes full of wonder rather than ones struck with fear. Fingers ran along the ridges where joints would be, a thumbnail scratching along the back of the prosthetic, gentle touches where the metal welded with the skin. And all the while, he was just… shaking his head and laughing to himself, in disbelief, as Heisenberg leaned back, resting his arm over the back of the chair he sat on.

“What’s so funny, Winters?” He asked, despite thinking he already knew the answer (he didn’t).

The man flexed his fingers a few more times, before he swallowed. “I… I don’t know. I guess I just… never expected to get them back, from you of all people. It’s nice… to not be killed on sight, I mean. So, uh… thanks.”

It was the way that he looked up that caught him off guard - that look in his eyes had changed again, to match the warmth of his words, despite how tired he was. He tried, and failed, not to stare for a moment too long, before he coughed with a fist covering his hands and fixed his posture. “Well! Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, why don’t we put those fingers to good use, hm?”

“…Right. Yeah, right.” It was almost as if he’d forgotten why they were here, caught up in the euphoria of being able to use his appendages again, by some miracle. 

There was a beat of silence again, before Heisenberg stood up, pushing his chair back with a horrific screech of metal against a metal floor, before extending a hand down.

Ethan looked up, raising an eyebrow, before taking the hand offered to him with a newly fixed one, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet, but not letting go quite yet. “I still don’t trust you.”

“I know.” The response was almost immediate. He still hadn’t tried to pull his hand away. “Now let’s go kill that psycho bitch.”

[coralsgrimes]

What makes this situation REALLY sad/funny is that ALL of this would have eventually blown over if BB just did nothing. Like if he just stayed off social media, didnt block anyone, no interviews, nothing - yes some people would still have been upset, but outside of his fandom people mostly would have been fine or still tried to defend him. Now the whole narrative is ‘ben barnes might be dating Julianne hough, but he blocked his POC fans who called him out on her blackface and other racist things she’s done’. ‘Oh and also here’s a bunch of other bullshit he’s done that we’ll dig up for you’. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. He’s getting cancelled because he’s an absolute idiot who thinks he’s too smart for social media, when in fact it’s the opposite! He just did a great job of convincing people he wasn’t an airhead.

I do agree lol the bigger part of the fandom would be over him (fair and deserved, go get him girls) anyways but cuz of his stupid ass his lil stunts went on a lil trip outside his circles. And actually had shown that the peeps mad at him are right

THO HE DESERVES TO BE DRAGGED HIS LIL BLUE SHORTIES FLAT ASS GETTING DIRTY

I do agree that he thinks he's smarter than everyone else and he can do it all by himself. Been sayin this for ages x.x but his problem, beside what already said, is that he is too sure of himself and lives without negativity. Also for someone who says he loves words and is educated fella, he never reads. He will leave a like on anything and will do the same with blocking.

YES I KNOW ABOUT THE INTERVIEW, gonna post it later. BUT FIRST!

The Benny acting as nothing happened. It's getting worse. This is what shows on the bird app when ye tryin search for him

Insta and now it seems tiktok are against him as well.

Imma pretty sure I said that one of the days his online besties will turn on him, and that would be it for Benny

Ma question is. Where is his team? Cuz it's past couple of fans, past only peeps who were interested. It's everywhere now so that even shitstains uninterested in him are coming by to add their bullshit. It looks bad and clearly won't go by itself. Why no one is supervising the bastard?

If there is nothing to hide, then why he stays silent? It's not stupid gossips anymore. Does he really think that he can cover himself with privacy again? Or that it is just kids on the internet so why bother?

/comedy break/

I did actually reach out to his reps as I believe in truth and only truth [NOT CLICKBAIT] imma also great investigator. Unlike ma question about the aubergine, this time his team got back to be and I can share exclusive photos and quotes with ye. Here at coralsgrimes, exclusively 🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️ #notsponsored

Meet Benny Boy's pr team!

What they said to me about the situation was:

None of us can tell the difference between shite and chocolate. Either way, we will wrap it in paper tho and serve it as a delicacy.

They also explained:

We don't exist actually as Mr Beyyn is so smart and know it all that he thought he can do all this stuff on his own. Like his music career attempt! He's a real genius who owns the only key to his socials!

[steampunkforever]

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, especially the ending of the film, fascinates me the same way a pumpkin filled with hamburger meat fascinates a particularly dull bear. It’s a poignant, well-done, well-acted *exploitation* film. It feels like it was never supposed to be as good as it is. Yet elements of the way it was constructed perplex me.

What it doesn’t do well is end. It’s abrupt, comical, and feels weak, like it’s aping Vanishing Point without understanding what Vanishing Point is really about. It’s random the way that the randomness of Easy Rider and Vanishing point is not. It confused me. I think this excerpt from the wikipedia page help explain why:

Throughout the film, through various impacts, it’s established that the protagonists are not bulletproof, and their high-speed antics have a very good chance of killing all three of them--even Mary, who didn’t exist in the book. The book itself ends with a crash into a tanker truck, something foreshadowed in the script by the multiple truck confrontations (some requiring a jump, some smashing windshields) in the beginning of the film. The material for a violent ending is there.

But he chose a train! If you read the script, there is no Chekhov’s train. Nobody even mentions a locomotive. The inclusion was solely an addition of convenience. Trains look cool. Put one in, we already have so many lying around. The ending isn’t stupid for any other reason than this: a weird edit and the Alco S1 locomotive.

1974 was the year they implemented the infamous 55MPH national speed limit, so Hough’s little statement might just be a repetition of the rote anti-speeding PSA, but his statement still reflects the philosophy of the film: unsustainability catches up with you sometime.

This movie came out the same year as Pam Courson and Nick Drake overdosed. The same year Mama Cass died of heart failure. Hendrix and Morrison were already dead. Hunter S. Thompson’s autopsy of the counterculture was already published in 71, the same year that Vanishing Point said the same thing but with less dialog. Whether Hough actually cared about road safety or if he was just placating the press is a matter of phenomenological debate, but Hough killed the three protagonists for a reason.

In the final minutes of the film, Mary, just moments from her death, realizes she’s had her fill of this lifestyle. The future belongs to the proto-yuppie who’ll trade in the Hippy Bus for the Business Coupe. The counterculture burnt itself out. The life (the speed!) is unsustainable, and if she continues in her ways she’ll be going full throttle to the grave.

She does. When writing these words it feels poignant even still. The ending makes sense! The whole time we’ve been waiting for that last crash. The driving gets more and more reckless. Even when the submarine-hunting tactics of the cowboy cop prove to be no match for Larry’s craziness, the car remains erratic, every tire-screech sounding out hubris. 

They’re bound to crash, more violently this time. We know it, and we’re waiting for the consequences to rush in. 

Then comes that stupid train.

[tomfreakinghollandneedsaoscar]

Post It's

Pairing: JJ Maybank x You

Summary: JJ and you both work at the hotel. Never meeting each other, you leave notes on the others locker.

Word Count: 1,787

Warning: Fluff that's its tooth rooting.

Note: Knowing that JJ works as a bus boy in the show and seeing how well he looked in episode 5, I couldn't get this idea out of my head. Tumblr was keep messing up as I was writing this so I'm going to post this and throw my phone out of my bedroom window now :) I hope you love it! :)

━━━

"DON'T EAT SOMEONE ELSE'S LUNCH!"

"Or what? ;) - JJ"

"I'll end your whole career. Side note: I found out who ate my PB & Jelly sandwich and it wasn't you so don't get any idea's now. - Y/N"

━━━

JJ bullshit his way through the hiring process. It might not be his dream job, but it was easy. He had to do something when he realized he had to grow and man up. His father didn't teach him that. His the reason.

The small tips he gets from all the older women after he gives them more attention than their husband's - they're either on 'work' call or still playing a game of golf - doesn't hurt. It's adds up quick. He normally buys more groceries for him and John B as an unspoken thank you for letting him basically live with him. Then he treats himself with new weed. He needs it after surrounded by Kooks and playing the part of a little bitch for them.

As soon as he clocks out for the day, he undo the tie harshly. That's another thing he hates about this job - the uniform. White button up long sleeves, black dress pants with black dress shoes. If it's a morning and evening shift, the finish touch is a black vest. For nights, it's a black tie. Even if he is only walking around to give people refills, asking if they're doing fine, and cleaning up afterwards, his hair must look well put together.

He is unbutton his shirt when he stops in front of his locker. He's smiling at the post it on his locker before he even reads it. He knows who it's from.

It started a month ago. Someone left a message taped on the fridge in the break room for everyone to read. He knows he didn't have to, but he wrote down a response on the piece of paper. He wasn't expecting one back. When the front and back got filled up, he started looking for the same name on a locker. He left a post it note.

He reads the newest one on his locker.

"Fun fact of the day: you're reading this. - Y/N"

He rolls his eyes. He pulls it off and opens his locker, grabbing his normal clothes to go change. He adds it to the pile with the others.

JJ decides to stop at use book store. When a co-worker asks him if he is back for extra hours, he says no. He's carrying a shopping bag.

━━━

Your morning doesn't start on a good note. Your mind wakes you up ten minutes after your alarm should've gone off. You didn't plug in the charger all the way last night, so you're phone is at 14%.

Somehow you get to work on time. You notice you forgot your nametag.

At least there's a new post it on your locker.

"Funny. Not. Look inside and thank me later ;) PS. Don't write your new comb on the back of your lock again. - JJ"

You curse at yourself underneath your breath. You start laughing when you read the title of the book he left for you.

"365 Jokes For Kids: A Joke A Day Book."

You put it in your bag and grab your clear water bottle before closing your locker to clock in.

━━━

The giant clock on the wall taunts you. Only ten more minutes until your break and you can finally eat something.

From the dinner-room area a cute blonde starts walking towards you. By his outfit, you can't help to silent pray that he isn't a boy on a vacation and just knows how to look hot as hell all dressed up. Underneath a black vest, the long white button up shows off his muscles and the sleeves are rolled up, which is just another level of attractiveness itself, and his legs look long and firm in the dress pants. It's his hair that got your attention in the first place and now you can't help to watch as he pulls it, running his fingers through it.

Checking out cute guys all day is definitely a perk for you. Sitting behind a desk all day and being first person people see as they walk in, helping them check in or out, and answering calls is not how you wanted to spend your summer.

Last month your dad pulled some strings over a game of golf to land you this job. He sounds like a robot every time he tells you that you need to work your ass off to get the money you deserve. How is this doing that?

You get out of you thoughts when the cute blonde doesn't go in front of the desk. Instead you have to spin your chair sideways. He learns over the pull-up door and does a hand gesture, telling you to come over. You do.

"Hey."

"Hi?" It comes out as a questin since you're confused as to why he is keep looking back at the dinner room. He seems like he is afraid of getting caught. "Can I help with you something?"

"Can you make an announcement? Over the speaker loud enough for all they to hear?" He looks over again and points.

"It all matters about what you want me to say."

"Say that it's hard as fuck for me to do my job when lil Satan's are running around and how great it would be if parents tell them to stop before I do. I can't get written up or life my job because of them."

You try to hide your excitement when you find out he works here. He's not wearing a nametag. You know that it's only bus boys who don't. Briefly, you wonder if he knows JJ.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could but I can't. Parents will come up and start yelling at me that I should keep my mouth shut and thoughts to myself."

He clenches his jaw and mumbles, "yeah. Right, of course."

"When I come back from my lunch, you can-uh everytime you want to lose your shit, look over here, and I'll give you a thumbs up for not killing someone. Especially the kids."

His laugh makes you wish he is JJ.

Someone comes from behind him to release you. He doesn't say anything before walking away.

But later, you lose track on how many times he looks over at you and mouths, "help me".

━━━

The next day on his day off, he gushes over the front desk girl to his friends. "She made me not want to hurt a room of kooks. I think she has superpowers or some shit."

Kiara takes a hint of his blunt. "I'm kinda jealous, not going to lie. What's her name? I need her to tell how she did it after talking to you for only a couple of minutes when I've been your friend for years."

"I don't know. She wasn't wearing a nametag and I forgot to ask." Pope slaps him on the back of the head. "You forgot or worried she wasn't Y/N?"

"Oh my god!" Sarah squeals, "What if the front desk girl is also post it girl?"

JJ chokes on the hit he was taking. "Life doesn't work like that." For me. He thinks to himself. He makes eye contact with John B. Curse him for being able to read him.

"I think it's time to ask Y/N meet up, dude."

━━━

When he walks through the front doors, he catches himself getting upset seeing someone else at the front desk. He still waves and says good morning. On the door of the back room, there's a sign.

"MANDATORY STUFF MEETING WEDNESDAY, IN THE LOBBY AT 6PM"

On the very bottom, he notices Y/N handwriting.

"Looks like we'll finally meet. ♡ - You Know Who"

He kicks the door open.

━━━

He is still thinking about the stupid little heart when a waiter calls him to come over towards the kitchen. "Can you bring this to the front desk?"

"This isn't a drive in restaurant- you know what? I shouldn't be surprised and know not to ask stupid questions." He salutes the waiter and grabs the bag.

He stops dead in his tracks.

The front desk girl is now there, talking on the phone and writing stuff down. When she feels someone looking instantly at her, she looks up. She smiles and gives a small wave.

JJ cringes at himself and tries to not trip over his own two feet. He puts down the bag, and looks at everything and anything but her as he waits for her to finish the call. When she does, he quickly states, "Someone ordered food to get pick-up."

"Ah yes, Mr. Hough. He called saying he was carving for some of the all you can eat bread rolls."

When she says the name, it's like a lightbuld goes over his head as he remembers. He doesn't listen to the rest of what she says.

Before he can ask, the phone is ringing. "I should answer." She smiles and it makes him feel a tug in the corner of his mouth. "See you at the meeting tonight?"

"Yeah. I should go back to working too."

━━━

Your eyes go wide when the cute blondie sits next to you at the same time the manager says the meeting will begin shortly.

"Hey, how are you?" You ask after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Fine." He splits out.

"Doesn't sound like it." You cross your arms against your chest. He doesn't say anything, only rolls his eyes and takes his red snapback hat off. In the corner of your eye, you watch him pull on the loose trends.

Grabbing your bag off the ground, you open it to see what you can do to pass the time like him.

"Holy shit."

You look up at him, confused. You notice he is staring at the joke book JJ gave to you. With the way he makes eye contact with you, you can tell that he is nervous.

But why would he-

"Oh my god."

"JJ, Y/N." Both of almost get whip flash to look and listen to your manager. "Pay attention please."

━━━

You're going through all the post it's in your locker, dropping some when an arm wraps around you and your boyfriend. He kisses your cheek. "Are you ready?"

"To meet your friends? I'm kinda nervous. But you've told me so much about them that I already feel like I know them."

"Trust me, they'll say the same thing about you. Ignore the names they call you."

━━━

"You're the peanut butter to my jelly. - JJ"

"That's the cheeses thing you have ever said. Say more. - Y/N."

━━━━━━━━━━━━

Taglist: @harrysbbby @sunflowerbecca @latenitewolves @outrbank @katerosexx

[kattahj]

Over the past year or so, I've seen several people say that since JKR is a TERF, they were going to read Diana Wynne Jones instead. And I'm always in favour of people reading DWJ, but at the same time I was a bit puzzled, because it's not like she was a vocal ally or anything, it's still classic British children's fantasy with barely any LGBTQ+ rep.

It wasn't until last night that I remembered that we can at least get a glimpse of her view on trans people through Deep Secret, and the three long-haired people with the baby.

Deep Secret is one of her adult fantasy novels, partly set at a SFF con, and the three long-haired people with the baby are con-goers who pop up from time to time. They're friendly, and beautiful, and at least one of them is trans (they may or may not all be).

By 2020 standards, it leaves a lot to be desired, not least because one of the characters is deadnamed. But for 1997, written by an author already in her sixties at that point, it's not too shoddy.

Quote from one of their appearances:

By this time it was quite late. People were appearing changed into fine clothes ready for the parties. Maxim Hough hurried past wearing a velvet patchwork jacket, beside two achingly slender girls in glittery dresses. And coming towards us were two fabulous women in long tight black leather dresses that laced up all over with red thongs. It took me a moment to recognize that they were two of the long-haired people with the baby. Their hair was piled up in glossy hairdos and their false eyelashes stuck out a good inch.

Nick recognized them at once. "Wow!" he said. They were delighted. They struck poses and Nick admired them. "What have you done with the baby?" he asked.

"Larry's looking after him, said the one on the left. "Loretta, I mean."

"She's become ever so maternal, since he became a she," the one on the right explained.

Nick became speechless. I asked them rather despairingly whether they'd seen Rupert.

"Rupert the Mage?" they said in their lovely husky voices. One of them added, "I love that man – he's so straight!" and the other one said that he (or she) had seen Rupert going into the Filk Room, just along there. Then they went swaying off – they both had shiny black boots on with six-inch heels. I wondered how they could walk at all, in those tight black leather skirts as well.

Nick said, "I know one of them has to be a man! Can you tell which?"

"Darned if I know!" I said. "They're both so beautiful. But that baby's surely having a weird upbringing!"

Nick said, in a vague way, "All upbringings are weird."