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thisismysecondrodeo · 2 years

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School Daze pt. 3

AN: Okay so there will definitely be a part 4 lol. This is a LONG chapter because there's smut (who me? writing smut?!) but it's skippable! Smut starts and ends with 🌶 so feel free to read or not read as you so choose.

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Michelle Lasso, Henry Lasso, Second Chance Romance, Alternate Universe - College/University, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Time Skips, Ted and Beard have the purest friendship, Ted Lasso Deserves Love, Getting Together, nipple play, explicit sexual intercourse, dry humping,

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Fic Masterlist

22 Years Ago

Beard didn’t know how he got there but he shivered in front of Ted’s dorm room and tried to force himself to ask for help. It was winter and he was soaking wet in a white t-shirt and black jeans, no coat, and no shoes.

Ted knew about the drugs. Not all of them, he kept the worst of it from Ted, but it had gotten bad and he needed help and Ted wouldn’t judge.

“Of course, I wouldn’t judge you,” Ted responded and all of a sudden Beard realized he was not only talking out loud but was wearing Ted’s clothes, crammed in Ted’s tiny bed. The man himself was sitting near his feet, his back pressed against the cement wall and a textbook opened in his lap. Beard didn’t remember anything between knocking on the door and then being here. He tried to push himself up into a sitting position, immediately embarrassed at being this fucked up and needy, but Ted pressed him back gently and Beard realized he was still shaking like a leaf.

“I’m sorr—” Beard started to apologize, but Ted cut him off.

“Don’t apologize for needing a friend. Do you want to stop?”

Beard nodded immediately and emphatically, “But I’m worried the minute I leave here I’ll be right back there and I can’t…I don’t…I’m not a strong person, Ted.”

“Sure you are,” Ted said, his voice as cheery as always, but before Beard could get frustrated with Ted’s assumed naivety, he continued, “but I can be your crutch until you get your strength back. What do you say?”

“I’d say you don’t know what you’re gettin’ into,” Beard mumbled, tucking Ted’s navy blue comforter under his chin. Deflecting, as usual.

“Mmm,” Ted hummed, closing his textbook, “I could say the same for you because this is gonna require 100% honesty from you and lil ol’ me as your constant companion.” Beard shrugged under the covers and Ted climbed off the bed, slipping the textbook into his ratty Jansport, before pulling the covers away. “Let’s get a move on now, I’ve got theater.”

PRESENT

Ted handed you the bouquet of flowers and your hands brushed, sending a spark tingling up to your wrist. You grinned, leaning in to press a grateful kiss to his cheek. You’d wanted to meet his lips, you’d been thinking about it all day, but after your conversation with Beard, you were being a little more cautious. Beard didn’t scare you off, but he certainly made you remember this was potentially more than just a bit of fun with an old friend. Which meant you needed to have some serious conversations before you pulled him back into bed.

Ted just seemed happy to see you, rocking back on his heels, his eyes never leaving yours. “You look gorgeous,” Ted complimented with boundless enthusiasm and you winked, whispering conspiratorially, “I bought it just for you.” You tucked the flowers in the curve of one elbow, taking his hand and leading him toward the hotel restaurant. After settling and ordering wine, you cleared your throat, signaling that you were moving beyond the pleasantries.

“I had a nice talk with Beard today,” you started and Ted arched an eyebrow. Clearly, Beard hadn’t said anything to him. “That’s not sarcasm, it really was nice. He’s a good friend.”

“The best,” Ted agreed sagely.

“So, here are some things I should tell you. Nothing crazy, I swear, but just… I should let you know before things go further. Not that I assume we’re going further, but after, you know… I’m rambling.” You sighed, taking a sip of your wine and Ted smirked.

“I would love to take things further, so hit me.” The waiter came back and you both ordered entrees, and then you folded your hands on the table in front of you.

“The reason you couldn’t find me after theater ended is because I dropped out. My mom got really sick and there was no one else to take care of her. I had no idea you were looking for me, I promise,” Ted looked like he wanted to interrupt and tell you it was no big deal, tell you he was sorry, but you pushed on, “No one’s fault. We both moved on and life happened and now here we are. But the other thing I should tell you is that I’m here on vacation because I got laid off. I still swear it's a coincidence, I really didn’t know you were here and I’m not after your money. I just thought, after my talk with Beard, I should lay all my cards on the table. Because…I have real feelings for you Ted.”

Ted’s smile crept up slowly, his dimple deepening as he reached across the table to take your hand in his. “I appreciate that, darlin’. And I’m so sorry about all the tough times you’ve had, back then and now. Gosh, I’m sorry I didn’t try harder when you could have used a friend.”

Something about that sentiment, the idea of Ted being disappointed that he couldn’t have just been a friend when you were in need brought tears to your eyes, and you blinked them away swiftly. “I appreciate that Ted. I really do.”

“I don’t know what the future has in store for you or us, but I’d really like to see where this could go,” Ted said sincerely, just as your plates arrived. Before he could pick up his fork, you leaned across the table and kissed him, sweet and bold and public as hell. As always, Ted kissed back.

The two of you behaved yourselves for maybe half of your meal before it was boxed up and you were pulling Ted to your hotel room, too hungry for each other to even think about eating. The elevator was empty and Ted had you pressed against the mirrored wall, his lips hot on your neck and his hands heavy on your hips. Your hand curled around the back of his neck, his skin hot to the touch, and you sighed heavily at his affection. The elevator dinged and you quickly separated, still looking suspicious to the older couple taking your place but not enough to ruin the mood when you slid your key card into the door and ushered Ted in.

🌶

You’d left a lamp on and your hotel room was small but cozy, the lighting bringing out the honey tones of Ted’s eyes, the shadows adding a layer of intrigue to his gaze. He watched you set your keycard aside, his hands in his pockets only drawing attention to his arousal. You smiled over your shoulder at him, pleased that he was letting you take the lead. You turned and slipped your hands into the shoulders of his blazer, sliding it back slowly as he removed his hands from his pocket so it could fall away entirely. His chest hair peeked out of the top of his dress shirt and you leaned forward and kissed him there, right at the base of his throat. He swallowed hard, his adam's apple bobbing as he pulled his arms free of his jacket and took it from you to toss gently on the back of an armchair.

“I’m glad you didn’t wear a tie,” you said softly, pressing more kisses to his neck and moving on to the buttons of his shirt, revealing more and more skin to focus your attention on.

“Yeah,” Ted asked, his voice low and breathy, “not too casual?”

“I like casual,” you shrugged, his shirt now hanging open. You nipped at the front of his shoulder and he hissed slightly. “No undershirt either. I like that you made it easy.”

Ted laughed at that, the implication that he was easy—that any of this was— considering the whole relationship had been over 20 years in the making. You started working on his belt but Ted had let you have your fill and he needed more of you. He slipped his hands under your shirt, the barely there caress tickling and distracting you enough for him to lift it over your head. Your own pants followed easily, and you kicked them off your feet as he backed you toward the bed, his tongue sliding easily into your mouth. Ted wrapped an arm around your waist, lifting you just enough to get you centered on the bed, his knee finding a place between your legs that had you involuntarily jerking against his thigh.

“Woah there,” he teased, using his large hands to press you down against the overstuffed duvet. “Someone’s ready to go, huh?”

You gave a pointed look to his tented pants, “Yeah, someone sure is.”

You sat up on your elbows and he met you for another deep kiss, his hands crawling from your hips to your back, easily undoing the clasp of your bra. You whimpered at the loss when he pulled back from the kiss, but his lips found your jaw and neck and sternum, and then he was sucking a nipple into the heat of his mouth and you moaned. He flicked his tongue against you, the sensation going straight to your clit. When you realized his leg was still between yours, you didn’t hesitate to find relief grinding down on his thigh.

“Jesus fuck Ted, you’re so good with your tongue,” you whined, and you could feel him smile against you. He released your nipple, his eyes finding yours as he pressed his leg into you firmer and you sucked in a breath.

“That’s a good girl, take what you need.” He didn’t wait for a response before he attached himself to your other nipple and you nearly shrieked with pleasure. One of your hands found the back of his neck, the other digging into this bicep, and you knew you were going to come. You, a grown woman, were about to come from nipple play and dry humping. It would have been embarrassing if it didn’t feel so magical. Ted’s tongue started moving in faster, tighter circles, and your hips shifted just so, and then you were falling apart. Curses and praise fell from your lips in equal measure as you jerked erratically. Ted sat back, his hands running warm gentle paths along your side as you came back down, your eyes immediately finding the small wet spot on his leg.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Don’t you ever apologize for that. Ever. That’s like apologizing for a miracle. Imagine Jesus sayin’, ‘sorry I turned water into wine.’”

“Jesus Christ,” you laughed, knowing Ted was being ridiculous on purpose.

“Yeah, that’s him!”

You sat up to finally open Ted’s pants with a roll of your eyes and he chuckled at his own joke as he slipped off the bed to let them fall to the floor. He went to crawl back onto the bed, but you placed an open hand against the softness of his belly.

“Ah ah,” you smirked, letting your hand trail down to cup his hard length over his boxer briefs and he growled. “Lose ‘em.”

Ted peeled his striped briefs off and his cock bobbed, drawing your eye and your interest. Before you could get your hands on him he playfully launched himself back onto the bed, covering your body with his and you giggled. Sex with Ted was fun, everything about Ted was fun. Ted clearly felt the same, sucking ticklish kisses everywhere he could reach just to keep you laughing. He moved down your body, catching the edge of your underwear with his teeth and dragging them as far as he could without his hands.

“You make me feel fucking 20 again, I swear,” you smiled, pulling him back against you, both of you now naked and joyful and wanting.

“Good,” Ted whispered, his breath hitting the shell of your ear and making you shiver, “‘cause we’re not getting any younger, darlin’.”

You reached a hand between your bodies to wrap your fingers around him and he dropped his forehead to your collarbone with a lustful exhale. “Well then you should probably fuck me sooner rather than later, hm?” You felt Ted grin against your skin before he sunk his teeth into your shoulder and you groaned, your hand tightening around him.

Using a firm grip on Ted’s hair you encouraged him onto his side and then his back, quickly straddling him. You both took a moment to just look at each: cheeks rosy, eyes glassy with passion, bodies warm and soft. You reached a hand out to cup the side of Ted’s face, your thumb tracing his bottom lip and his mouth fell open easily. It was enough to know how willing he was, how pliable; it sent a burning heat through you that made you unable to wait even one more second for him to fill you.

The first time this had happened—was that just last night?!—Ted had ducked into the bathroom for a condom, but you didn’t want him to have to go scrounging through his pants if it wasn’t needed.

“I was tested a few weeks ago. And I'm on birth control.”

“Was tested last month, nobody in between,” Ted said quickly, “but if you’d be more comfortable—”

“Nope,” you responded, raising up slightly to sink down on him slowly, letting yourself adjust to him and the feeling of no barrier between you. The firm weight of him stretched you perfectly. He cursed beneath you when you seated yourself fully, his eyes closed and his fingers digging gently into your thighs. You hoped you’d still be able to see where he touched you in the morning. He looked at you when you started to rock against him, slowly but already starting to build, already starting to chase what felt good.

“You feel so good, Y/N. So good.” You appreciated Ted’s praise, but you liked when he lost control, when he cursed and writhed, so you pulled yourself almost all the way off of him and then quickly back down. Your thighs strained with the effort but it was worth it to hear Ted say, “fuckin' shit,” and feel his grip tighten on you. Supporting yourself on his chest, your thumbs brushed his nipples and his head fell back against the pillow again. You rode him earnestly, and though you could certainly come this way, your walls starting to flutter, your legs wouldn’t last that long—before you had to ask, Ted was flipping you. He barely gave you a chance to catch your breath before he was driving back into you, hard and fast.

Ted was hitting the perfect spot inside you, his weight resting on one elbow, his other hand supporting your thigh. It wouldn’t take you long to reach your peak, especially if you could get a finger on your clit. You started to snake your hand between your bodies but Ted noticed and beat you to it.

“Can I make you come again, sweetheart?” You knew Ted wasn’t asking if it was possible, but if he could be the one to make it happen and you couldn’t think of anything you wanted more.

“Please, please, please, please.”

Ted used his thumb, his hand moving slower than his cock so there was constant pleasure. You knew you were still saying something but you weren’t listening to yourself, too busy riding a roller coaster that only seemed to be going up. If Ted’s pace was anything to go by he was right there next to you. Ted’s hips snapped into yours and he panted your name, and you were so close, so close…

“Faster, fuck, your thumb faster, please” you whimpered, and Ted obeyed immediately. You cried out, obnoxiously loud for a hotel room, but there was no keeping this sensation to yourself. Your vision whited as Ted’s hips stuttered and he followed you over the edge, groaning your name as his cock twitched and emptied. It took a few minutes for your breathing to slow and your eyes to open, to stop being overwhelmed by the warm sense of fullness and return to the present. When you did, Ted was cleaning you up gently, smiling when he felt your eyes on him.

🌶

“Not to be presumptuous, but I thought I might stay the night?”

“Don’t ever leave,” you smiled, and Ted chuckled, lifting up the corner of the duvet and helping you under it. He followed you under, tucking you close to him. It would have been easy to slip into a safe sleep, but Ted’s phone clattered against the nightstand.

“Sorry,” Ted grumbled, reaching over you to retrieve it, “might be Henry.”

Ted picked up and just listened, his only real words were, “Where are you?” When he hung up you felt him sit up, preparing to go somewhere. He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face, his other hand stroking lightly over your shoulders.

“Was it Henry?”

“Beard. He’s somewhere downtown and…you have no idea how much I don’t want to go darlin’. But, long story short, when Beard says he needs me he means it.”

“Tell him to come here.” Ted raised his eyebrows, his eyes darting between your naked bodies. “Okay, not like here here, but the hotel. I’ll stay out of the way, I promise, but neither one of you should be wandering around at this hour. Go sit with him in the lobby.”

Ted thought about it for a moment and then fired off a few quick texts before climbing out of bed and collecting his abandoned clothing. “You’re right, sweetheart. He’s gonna come here.”

“Do you know what’s wrong,” you asked, watching from your cocoon in bed as he buttoned his shirt, his long fingers moving quickly.

“Not exactly. But if I had to guess it's something about Jane. I’ll be back, gorgeous,” Ted leaned over the bed and kissed you sweetly. He made his way toward the door, flicking out the lamp and closing the curtains tightly for you.

“Take my key card,” you called out quickly, his hand on the doorknob, “you’re a good friend, Ted.”

<- Part 2 | Part 4 ->

#ted lasso #ted x reader #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso x yn #ted lasso fluff #fluff #au

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lunar-years · 10 months

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I think it’s hard for me with defending Keeley because like on one hand don’t talk bad about her you losers… but also like her season 3 sucked and the shows insistence that she’s flawless and she’s a successful girlboss with no back up evidence makes me sort of meh about her

You’re very valid for this. There’s no defending her season 3 plot, like I will never, ever be forgiving them for that 😭😭😭

I’ve been trying to do more self-reflecting lately before shouting “bad writing” because of the whole “was this actually bad writing or are you just upset that what you wanted to happen didn’t happen” thing. A problem which is admittedly. Ahem. Somewhat rampant in this fandom. Butttt I’m gonna be honest I still chalk so much of Keeley in season 3 up to genuinely terribly writing. like??? Separating her for the majority of the time from all the other characters we’ve cared about for two seasons, making her inexplicably bad at her job (if it was meant to be imposter syndrome they needed to like. Actually dive into that? What.), making Shandy a(n extremely long-winded) gag character instead of someone actually meaningful to Keeley’s growth, giving her no voice in the ending with Roy and Jamie (having whatever she said to them happen offscreen sure was a choice), having Rebecca’s money swoop in and easily solve her work issues, like…WHAT was the reason??? They even ruined her sense of style like they didn’t give my girl a break my GOD 😭😭

I also totally get the flawless girl boss complaint because I fucking hate when shows do that women. Like ughhh?? But something interesting to me about Ted Lasso is that many of the things they set many things up REALLY well and compellingly and then lost their own plot in the last half, lol. I’m thinking, for example, of how they clearly knew how many people would view beard/jane, because they had their other characters recognize and call out their problems ONSCREEN! The diamond dogs have a full ass conversation about how none of them actually like or support this relationship but don’t think it’s their place to say anything, and then Higgins is like actually no I think that’s stupid and I’m going to talk to my friend about how I think this relationship is harming him! And then he does! Even beard ignoring the advice is like. Okay, that’s realistic. The setup is equal parts messy and compelling!! But then it’s never addressed or brought up again and suddenly they’re getting married?!

Similarly, I think a lot of the ~flawless girlboss~ thing going on with Keeley is a perception other characters have of her that I actually think makes sense for those characters (such as Roy and Jamie) but isn’t actually reflective of Keeley herself even in what we do get to see onscreen. And the writers weirdly seem at least somewhat cognizant of this at the same time as they give her girlboss immunity in weird places? Like, she DOES have flaws, she falls into the same patterns of bad behavior across all three seasons, the writers are actually extremely consistent in having her make the same pitfalls. Rebecca literally calls her out on her actions multiple times (in headspace, and in season 3…). This all would have been perfect setup for a season 3 plot where Keeley finally runs her problems into the ground and is forced to confront them, while the characters who put her on a pedestal realize she isn’t perfect but that they love her anyway. The threads for this are THERE but never go anywhere!!! Keeley just ignores Rebecca’s advice, continues to make the same mistakes with no accountability or reckoning and then her problems are magically solved at closure. EURGH.

This leaves viewers to fill in all kinds of gaps and make up their own backstories and reasons, which I’m more than willing to do as someone who was a huge fan of Keeley to begin, but I can totally understand why many fans don’t care to go through the trouble to fix-it. Like if you were not super invested in her to begin with of course you’re going to see her as meh after s3. Her plot was undoubtedly shit.

I only get pissed when people complain about the wrong things and/or are just being misogynistic or biphobic or both. Like, calling her bisexuality unnecessary or out of nowhere, only caring that she didn’t get back together with Roy…on the opposite side a new one I’ve been seeing is going on about how she was actually terrible for Roy and he deserves better than her?? HELLO?! I’m the first to say she wasn’t perfect in that relationship but good god neither was Roy? Calling out just Keeley is crazy crazy and also why do these people hate women.

#look at how they massacred my girl #Keeley jones #sorry anon for the rant I am very passionate on the subject of Keeley jones #ted lasso #asks

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damelucyjo · 1 year

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Let’s spend some time with Little Lasso!

Episode 8 - We'll Never Have Paris

Oooh this is a cool montage

Haha angry Rupert 🖕🏼

Yeah, that’s not a happy Ted 😕

How are neither Jake nor Michelle incredibly awkward over this?? I feel awkward just watching them!

It’s nice that Ted & Michelle can joke and pretend he’s not there ✌🏼😂

Uh oh, awkward. Again.

Okay, so the red & blue magnets are gonna mean something, right? Because we’re sure the matchbook does

Prince Henry 🫡 Nice one, Mae

(They are some sad English Breakfasts, I’m sorry)

He doesn’t need to know, nor care, what you are, Jake!

Big piece of cereal making a come back! Does Ted know there are 100s of other cereals available or…?

Ted, why would they bring Henry to you for the weekend if they were just going to fly back to America?? Come on, dude

Oh poor Ted 🥺

YYEEEAAAHHH!!!!

Of course Keeley thought she’d have to play 😂

Show off your ‘girlfriend’. Sure, Jan 🫠

‘Does he need another fake niece’ 😂 Keeley, please never change!

Nate, keeping tabs on Richmond 🥺

Okay, I’ll say it again and again but JADE & NATE ARE CUTE!!

Of course he shaved and showered 😂

Fiona Apple 😍

Oh poor Keeley 🥺🥺 Juno making me want to climb into the TV and give her a big hug

Will making a game out of getting Henry to do his work for him 😂 well done, king!

The guys at the window 😂

I like how none of them ask him why he’s asking where they’d propose. They just answer 😂

Also Beard’s answer made me audibly say ‘aww’ 🥹

ROY KENT ASKING IF HE WANTS TO TALK?! My baby’s come so far 🥰

Or maybe not 😂

Jeremy’s run 😂😂 oh that got me!

Welcome new pup, Trent 🫡

“I’m her ex-husband, not her current father. So, no” 😂

Roy wanting nothing to do with these meetings but always listening from his desk and getting involved anyway 😂 love to see it!

Beard is done with your bullshit, Ted. So is Higgins! The guy ran down and up stairs for you! HE’S GONNA HAVE LEG CRAMPS IN HIS SLEEP, TED! DO YOU NOT CARE?!

The pointing 👉🏻👈🏻 😂

‘You should find out before you flip out’ sound advice there from Higgybottom! 👍🏼

‘Woof’ PROTECT TRENT CRIM WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!!!!

Nate trying to have his own diamond dogs meeting 🫣 The poor boy really thought Rupert would show up 🫣

‘Love Hounds’ 🫠

‘Never let them know how you feel. It’s very expensive’ Disco, you’re fun 😂

‘Are we in trouble now’ poor Roger 😂 he must get ‘told off’ a lot 😂

BISCUITS!! BISCUITS!! This is not a drill 🚨 🚨🚨

Rebecca, channeling her inner Hannah 👀😂

The boys playing with Henry is too adorable! (I wish she’d gone to the window to see it, though)

Look at these two, talking like a married couple🫠

‘The Eiffel Tower is just a lamppost with a publicist’ 😂😂

Oh, he pulled out a ‘Rebecca’. That means he’s serious. And she knows it with how quick she agreed to help 🥹🥰

There’s a whole discussion to be has here over whether she really did call a PI like he asked, or she just said she would because she knew it’d calm him down enough that he wouldn’t continue to spiral so bad 🤔

That smile at the Oscar Wilde line was totally Hannah trying not to laugh 😂

His sad little high-five to the tree 🥺 (you can’t convince me Jason didn’t do that because he knew how much Hannah loved his ‘high-five tree!’ from season 1)

I want to believe Barbra wishes she could say more to Keeley but feels like she can’t. I think they’d have a great friendship if they allowed themselves.

Juno is absolutely breaking my heart with all this. Just give her the awards now 🥺🥰

Jamie’s Lynx collection 😂

The fucking Sun 🖕🏼

Colin with another ‘joke’. In reality he’d be called out and accused of being gay for how much he makes these jokes

Rebecca deleted Candy Crush from his phone, for sure 😂

‘Fuck yeah, 24601’ 😂 I love how varied these boys are! Of course they’re fans of Les Mis

All these guys questions are brilliant, but O’Brien’s got me 😂 that’s gross, mate!!

It’s absolutely wonderful how they all completely switch as soon as they find out Keeley was one of them 🥰 Like it didn’t seem like a real thing until they found out how close to home it hits (but Issac only wants them to protect themselves, even though we all know it wouldn’t even be a thing the other way around because they’re guys and Keeley is a girl 🫠)

Will, what kind of picture you got to get a reaction like that from Jamie?! 😂

(I know story wise it had to happen like this, but why did Issac follow Colin out of the room? As close friends he surely should have trusted that he’d do what he asked??)

Listen here 📢📢📢THAT IS NOT A MAN WHO IS ANGRY HIS FRIEND IS GAY. THAT IS A MAN WHO IS ANGRY HIS FRIEND DIDN’T FEEL LIKE HE COULD TELL HIM 📢 📢📢

Keeley, baby, why were you taking topless photos for your teacher at 15?? 🤔 Rebecca’s reaction is exactly right

This whole plot point for Keeley is coming directly from Keeley Hazell and the line about choice solidifies that for me.

If anyone could change society it’d be Rebecca Welton ✌🏼

Just the fact she has to ask if she should be ashamed or embarrassed is heartbreaking 🥺

Alright Nanna, put your glasses on 😂

‘Just think of how many young women you are going to teach how to masterbate properly’ 😂😂😂 Oh, Rebecca. We all need someone who praises us instead of making us feel like we should be ashamed 🥰

Queen Rebecca humping her parents furniture to the point it had to be reupholstered 😂 I’d expect nothing different! Then blaming a non-existent dog is just *chef’s kiss*

‘I’ve got you’ 🥹🥹🥹 this woman is so maternal it actually hurts my heart she does t have a child

Poor Richard 🫡 😂

It was going so well Roy! Why did you have to ask her that?? 🫣 I’m disappointed in you, grandad 😕

Jack is all over the place. Having already watched the episode I know what is coming up, which makes this scene very important. I like her less and less every time I see her now 🫤

Of course Barbra is a party animal! Now I need a girls night between Barbra, Keeley & Rebecca 👍🏼😂

A Marcus Rashford book 😍

Totally unrelated but TED’S FLAT HAS AN UPSTAIRS?! I’m so confused 😂😂

Another cute call back to the kid Henry was bullying with them now being friends and starting a band 👍🏼 And a lovely little nod to Jason with the drums. Well done

Ted delicately trying to ask Henry questions about Michelle & Jake only for him to be asleep. Happens every time! 😂

Aww, they text each other goodnight and good morning 🥰 ADORABLE!

(I wonder who else does that 👀)

Fair enough for cancelling it, but why do these people never communicate?! Drives me crazy

So Jack doesn’t really care about Keeley. Am I the only one getting those vibes??

Fuck yes, uncle Beard! Love to see his & Henry’s relationship.

Okay but why do I want to see Beard, Ted & Henry at a rave now 😂

It’s actually incredibly sweet that he wants to go watch football. That’s his dads life that he doesn’t really get to see properly for himself. Of course he wants to actually witness it 🥹 Henry, you’re a good egg

Angry Beard having to stop at home first because of course there’s no question that they’re not going to that match. I LOVE THIS LITTLE FAMILY 🥰🥰🥰

Beard being at a West Ham match is full Richmond gear. YOU, SIR, ARE AMAZING!

So is this showing that Henry probably spent a fair amount of time with Nate when he was there the first time?? Or is he just a sneaky little shit who wants to mess with him!! 😂

These two would be incredibly cute if I weren’t so suspicious of Jack 🫣

Yes, be all over her until someone you know is around. Then refer to her as your ‘friend’ 🖕🏼 RUN KEELEY!

(I also recognise this Alyssa girl and a quick search shows she was in Downton, so maybe it’s from that 😂)

That’s a little strange for Rupert to text that to Nate 🤔 Surely he wouldn’t actually care???

I love Mae’s commitment to hating West Ham 🫡

‘You think I wanted to fucking be there’ 😂 of course not, but you’d do anything for your nephew and we love you for it, sir 🫡😂

Sidebar: Rebecca’s kitchen is gorgeous. Just like it’s owner 🥵

At home, comfy Rebecca is delicious, too

Unconsciously correcting his mispronunciation is terribly wifey behaviour, Rebecca 👀 You two aren’t fooling anyone anymore

IT’S NOISY!! TISH CALLBACK 🤔

‘You think I’m nuts’ as she’s munching on nuts, I mean…

He likes The Beatles because Ted does 🥹🥹

Uncle Beard is amazing 🥰🥰

I challenge anyone to listen to this song and not ‘ na na na na Hey Jude’ along 😂

It’s important that Ted has this conversation with someone, but I think it’s incredibly important that it’s with Rebecca. Yea, it is my Tedbecca loving heart saying this but whatever

‘You need to stop letting yesterday get in the way of today, Ted’ just like I’ve learnt to do! Yes, we’ll done, Rebecca 😂

She told you she couldn’t do it so why are you still going on about the statement, Jack. Put your listening ears on, woman!!

I’m so proud of Keeley for sticking up for herself! She shouldn’t feel ashamed for it and it’s disgusting that another woman is telling her that she should! And she’s telling her to her face that she cares more about what people think than her ‘girlfriend’s feeling. Bitch, bye! 🖕🏼

You don’t need her Keeley! You need to spend some time alone for a change!!

Subtlety showing Nathan doesn’t care about winning anymore. Nicely done 👍🏼

He’s evolving, guys! I’m excited!! I need him to rip into Rupert before he leaves, though

‘I love your smile. I like to see my boyfriend happy’ THEY’RE SO BLOODY CUTE!!

Baby boy Jamie’s grown up so much. I’m so proud of him!!

Of course he thought password only had 1 ‘s’ 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 so wise yet so dumb

He didn’t need to hold onto the bag that long 😂 that was weird

No fist bump 😂 FUCK YOU, JAKE!

He’s got the army guys in his window 🥹

Well that was another wonderful episode! A great one for Juno, especially. Fingers crossed for more Rebecca & Keeley besties moving forward 🤞🏼

I think Keeley Hazell did a great job on this one. Seems like a lot of her personal experience, and being the blueprint for Miss Jones especially, worked really well here.

#Ted Lasso #Ted Lasso Live Blogging

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ridingtedlassosjetskimustache · 1 year

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My thoughts on 3x05 - Signs

@movrings Since I was unable to post my thoughts about the episode when it first came out, here’s my thoughts on it here!!

First off, concerned for Beard, he’s been increasingly wrong with small things recently and becoming more unsure of himself, part of me thinks this might have to do with Jane and his abusive relationship with her or it could be just a gag, but I’m hoping the former is actually addressed at some point

The whole “Shite in Nining Armor” thing being just a slip of the tongue seems a little too obvious, I’m still holding out hope it’s either about Jamie or Henry because i honestly don’t see the significance of that scene unless we’re talking about the mention of “soulmates” during it

Side-note: I absolutely despise John Wingsnight and this scene just made it worse, this guy sucks and deserves to be called a shite (he’s also incredibly creepy, Rebeca you dodged a very large bullet)

Anyway, “soulmate” mentioned!!

Also, I understand why Keeley can’t pick up the phone, but it is sad to see especially later in the episode

Jumping to the boys talking about Nate and Anastasia: i love how Isaac said that Nate’s “transformation is gonna be on the inside” like it has yet to happen. Obviously, he means it in a negative way, but for the audience, we know/hope that Nate’s transformation is going to be good and lead to a reconciliation! This is especially interesting to see coupled with Nate’s plot point within this episode

All i gotta say about Zava is fuck him, but i am sad we never got to see his wife and Smingus Dingus

I love the “injured monkey” bit the guys do to guilt Trent into telling them his idea and that Roy joined in

I love how i knew it was Henry that was actually the bully - definitely wanna know what he did to Doug

Roy’s monologue, the music, *chef’s kiss* (Love the way Ted handled that too lmao)

Higgins saying they should think about firing Ted and hearing Rebecca’s gasp before he even said it actually broke my heart

THE BISCUIT BOX

Watching Rebecca get her hopes up about what Trish said is killing me and i definitely cried so much this episode - love Higgins helping her out though

Straight up thought Nate was so fucking smooth with that phone call until it clicked lmao 💀

Ok The Scene™️:

I straight up screamed at this, i was freaking out

The same dress she was wearing when she bumped into Sam??

The way that they both use inverted greetings from what they normally do “Hey Boss/Hello Ted” to “Hey Coach/Hello Rebecca”

The way that they both stop at the exact moment and turn around to look at each other before meeting each other in the middle

The way that they already know what’s going on with the other without having to say anything

They way that their lives are so in sync and mirror the other’s and they don’t even realize it, but they’re both shocked by what the other said

Also, I know it’s the same place that Sam bumped into Rebecca last season, BUT it’s also the same exact place where Ted asked Rebecca how she was holding up after her divorce in the first episode of the first season and that shit just killed me

Proud of Keeley for firing Shandy

Watching Rebecca sit in that office killed me

Also the Emergency Contact 👀 i just know that’s gonna play into what’s happening in Amsterdam (perhaps after her falling into the canal)

Going back to Ted and Rebecca - Dr. Wagner asking her how she’s holding up??? Mirroring Ted’s words to her the first time they met??? I can’t remember where, but I’m pretty sure there’s an interview where Hannah mentions how important that scene is because Ted is the first person to really ask Rebecca how she’s doing during that and you can see the shock Hannah portrays on her face perfectly - anyways I’m emotional

So grateful Jan Maas is actually spotting Colin this time and not letting him choke like the other guys did lmao

Watching Ted go from water to wine after the mention of Jake was actually so painful, but also healing isn’t linear and just because we saw him do well last episode, doesn’t mean he’s healed now

Dan is my favorite and i love this anxious man

I’m sad we never got to see what’s in Barbara’s desk drawer

Love Roy’s hype up he does with the boys

I swear Henry was avoiding Ted because he didn’t wanna tell him he was bullying a kid lmao

I FUCKING LOVE JADE

Thinking about how upset Nathan got last season when someone got his name wrong, but he got called Nathan Jelly and he wasn’t timid this time or angry, he just let it slide off - you know what that is, that’s growth

I’ll say it again - Fuck Zava

Loving the bi representation with Keeley!! I know it was mentioned in season one, but it’s great to see on screen

Nate came to A Taste of Athens after he got promoted at Richmond 😭

Anyways watching Rebecca get that call in her office and Hannah’s face journey made me actually start sobbing oh my god like get this woman therapy and let me hold her

I just know that Jade would stand up to Nate’s dad for him

Watching Roy look at Jamie approvingly actually killed me and I’m so proud he got recognized in at least a small way

Watching Ted take himself out of a panic attack!!! I was so proud of him!! He was so proud of himself!!

“Your girlfriend runs off with some dude and it turns out they were soulmates” 👀 looking at you Sam

THE SPEECH!!! WE ARE GETTING OUT OF THE DARK FOREST

#anyway this was a beautiful episode and I cried multiple times throughout #mainly from Hannah’s scenes and performance #she did absolutely fantastic #excited and scared to see where this will go #ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers #jason sudeikis #rebecca welton #hannah waddingham

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jvstheworld · 11 months

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My Ted Lasso Re-watch: S1E6 (part 1)

Two Aces

Someone give Ted a hug. He's all alone and sad. Sudeikis really sells the emotional moments in this show.

Manic, fast talking Ted, trying to not let on that anything is wrong. He isn't trying to be positive, he's just trying to deflect his own attention away from his thoughts and not give Nate and Beard an opportunity to ask him about things.

Ted looks good in red. Well, he looks good in anything, but red and blue especially. The bit with the jumper is cute. And his hair in that scene, I want to mess it up so bad. And the strand of hair that keeps on falling out of place, oh honey (I will never apologise for finding that man attractive, even for the smallest thing. A dishevelled Ted is a hot Ted).

Ted doesn't like the word bury and it's negative connotation, because of his dad.

You can not get anything past Beard, he knows all and sees all. Also he was there for Ted after Michelle and Henry left so he knew what was up already.

I love Trent Crimm - The Independent. Enough said.

'Not talk like that at work anymore' Why Ted, what kind of masterstroke did you think Rebecca was talking about?

Ted's reactions to stuff is gold. It's slightly over the top but not so it's unbelievable.

The semantic satiation bit with the word plan, Ted only says it 4 times before it loses meaning. And the way he says plan when mimicking Rebecca, how his voice just goes softer... Am I really gonna thirst for Ted during this episode? Probably.

Rebecca is a busy woman, yet she still indulges Ted in his ramblings.

Beard's 'oh boy' because he knows shit is about to go down. Ted is done with Jamie's bullshit.

It was in this moment that everyone knew Jamie fucked up. Even the guys around Jamie know to leave when Ted turns back to confront him. If Jamie wasn't so smug, Ted wouldn't have gone off on him like he did. Never piss off the nice person, what they say will hurt more than you think and you know you've gone too far.

Ted says practice 11 times during to speech to Jamie but the word still has meaning, compared to plan and aces where he says it a few times.

Jamie starts out smug, thinking that Ted is a pushover, nothing he says matters. And he's like that until Ted really starts shouting at him, when we get the Dutch Angle. We see the difference in both Ted and Jamie. Ted for the first time is genuinely angry, a side very few probably see, and Jamie has gone quiet because he's being reminded of when his dad shouts at him.

This is one of the few times I've seen a Dutch Angle used perfectly (here's looking at you Twilight. You're an example of how not to use it). A good example would be in the first Mission: Impossible film when Ethan sits down with Kitridge.

Ted's while speech is a reimagining of the Iverson speech. Sudeikis being a basketball fan would know of it and figured out a way to use it for his own intentions. Giving it a new meaning that's just as effective as when Iverson said it.

When done shouting Ted just walks away, giving Jamie no time to talk back or argue with him. Ted is in control over the situation, as opposed to the previous episode where Jamie was the one in control.

Everyone now respects Ted a bit more now. Probably and especially Roy.

Ted is still hot when he's angry. God damn it.

Beard is smiling in the office because he knows that Ted finally put Jamie in his place, something that needed to be be.

Schadenfreude - taking pleasure in another's pain. Nate enjoying what happened to Jamie is just an indication of later behaviours that will pop up.

#ted lasso #coach beard #rebecca welton #jamie tartt #nathan shelley #ted lasso rewatch #tv show thoughts

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professortennant · 3 years

Note

Hello! If you like either of these from the kissing prompts post, I’m partial to #8 (shoulder kiss) because Hannah’s got amazing arms and shoulders and #13 (goodbye kiss) because I’m a sucker for a little angst

this was gonna be a 5 times fic and i was gonna get both of these in here but then i finished 3 and like......couldn’t bring myself to write the angsty goodbye part so INSTEAD have like 2500 words of fluff and light angst

The first time she takes him to the airport, his first season as AFC Richmond’s head coach is over and she has granted him a blissful two months of reprieve from paperwork and contract negotiations.

(“Are you sure?” he’d asked, looking at her—really looking at her—to make sure she wasn’t putting on a front for him. “Because I can help. I mean, I’m not so hot with laptop thing or the math thing, but I’m pretty good with the people thing.”

“I know,” she’d said, patting his arm gently. “But I can handle it. Go be with your boy.”

He’d let out a little yip, pressed a kiss to her cheek and practically leapt and run out of her office, calling out over his shoulder, “You’re the best boss!”)

It’s a thirty minute drive from her home to his and another hour to Heathrow and Ted spends every last one of those minutes bouncing his leg and checking and re-checking his phone, pulling up the electronic boarding pass as if making sure today was the right day and time and—

“Ted, the plane isn’t going anywhere without you on it.”

“Right, right.” He slipped his phone back into his pocket, twisting in the passenger seat beside her. It felt too impersonal to send her drive to pick him up or to allow him to hire his own driver, not after the hell she’d put him through this season. It was the smallest of steps in her journey to earn back his trust (no matter how many times he’d told her she already had it).

“Can I tell you something?”

“I sense you will no matter what I say.”

He’d just grinned at that, hands wringing nervously in his lap. “What if too much has changed? What if I get there and Henry and Michelle have formed their own little club that I’m just not part of anymore?”

“Oh, Ted,” she’d sighed, taking her eyes off the road for just a moment to look over at him in sympathy. “That’s—that’s just not going to happen.”

“But what if I get there and I don’t fit?”

“Ted, I don’t think there’s anywhere on this planet that you don’t fit.” He’d blushed a little at that in an aw shucks way that she found entirely too endearing. She tried to remember her promise to herself: to be more open, to be more available. Right. She adjusted her hands on the steering wheel and flicked her gaze over to him once more, just to make sure he was still listening. “My father was a very successful businessman. He traveled all over the world and was always away from home. I missed him terribly, even if I knew he wasn’t leaving because he wanted to.”

“Not really helping, boss.”

“But,” she continued, glaring at him. “Whenever he came home, it was the best day of the year. He used to gather me up into his arms and swing me around in our front garden and tell me all the stories of the places he’d been to and it wiped away every moment of missing him once he was back. I never felt like he didn’t belong back home. Not once.”

The feeling of Ted’s hand settling atop of hers on the gear shift startled her and she looked down, took in the sight of his tan, calloused hand covering hers. She made the tight turn into the drop-off lane in the Heathrow Departures section of the car park.

“Thanks, Rebecca. Really. I mean it.”

“Yes, well, family is hard.” And this was the part that would cost her, would hurt like hell. She threw on her hazards and put the car into park. “Ted, while you’re home, I-I want you to think about your position here at Richmond.”

He frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I pulled you away from your family to bring you here and I know things have changed for you, but if you need to leave, if you want to check if Wichita State will take you back while you’re home, I would understand.”

“Rebecca,” Ted said, a small smile on his face. He gripped her hand in his, tugged it into his lap and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles in a soothing manner. “I told you already: You and me have got unfinished business here.”

“But, your fam—”

“I’m coming back.”

When he said it like that, firm and sure and like a promise, she couldn’t help but believe him, the reassurance settling something anxious in her chest, a fear that she didn’t know she was harboring.

He leaned across the console and for the second time in two weeks, pressed a soft, barely-there kiss to the curve of her cheek, his mustache tickling her, before disappearing just as quickly, sliding out the car and ducking back in for a moment to tell her goodbye. “Thanks again for the ride.” He winked at her and then, “See you in two months.”

(About ten hours later, in the middle of the night, she received a text message from Ted: a picture of Ted and Henry in the front yard, Ted’s arms wrapped tightly around the little boy, their heads thrown back and laughing. The picture was blurred enough for her to tell that they were in motion. Ted’s accompanying message read: Thanks for the advice, boss.

She pressed the little heart reaction on each of the messages, just as Sam had shown her last week .)

ii.

Between the start of the Championship League and Christmas, things had changed around the AFC Richmond clubhouse. Roy now wore a coach’s jacket and lanyard, scowling his way up and down the football pitch. Keeley sported a shiny ring on her left hand and a new title as Richmond’s Media and PR Director. Beard and Nate spent every waking moment attending matches across the country, absorbing the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents and working on ways to incorporate new strategies into their own game.

And over weekends spent exploring the winding cobblestone paths of London’s markets, ducking into older-than-Shakespeare bookshops together and weekends spent cooking barbecue and walking through parks, Ted and Rebecca had found somewhere along the way that they meant more to each other than just boss and gaffer, than just friends.

(He’d always assumed when it happened—if it happened—it would be in a rush of emotion after a big game or in quiet, shared comfort after a loss. But it had nothing to do with AFC Richmond, they came together on their own over a shared love of yellowed paperbacks and the bit of latte foam in his mustache and her gentle, exasperation with him, thumb swiping over his top lip and—and then her mouth on his, his hands on her hip and cradling her face, a murmured, “Finally,” against her lips.)

But tonight is Ted’s last night in London for a week, closing the gap between Boxing Day and the first week of the near year in Kansas City with Henry. They’d fallen into a devastatingly easy intimacy, one she knew she would never recover from. His flat was all but vacant now, most of his clothes and books mixed up with hers—his stack of adventure books and motivational, leadership workbooks on his side of the bed and her stack of mystery novels and Sudoku puzzles on hers, his open jar of peanut butter on her kitchen counter and her sheets smelling of his body wash.

Tonight, they sit up in bed, the soft, yellow light of their bedside lamps allowing them both to read in bed together, glasses perched on the ends of their noses. Beneath the bedsheets, Ted’s toes wiggle excitedly.

“I don’t know how I’m gonna sleep,” he tells her, dogearing his page and putting the book away, rolling onto his side to face Rebecca. “Feels like Christmas all over again. Two Christmases, Rebecca.”

She looks at him over the rim of her glasses, smiling ruefully at him. “You better sleep tonight or the jet lag will kill you.”

“So wise,” he teases, leaning over to press a soft kiss to her exposed shoulders. She sighed, and kissed the top of his head before returning back to her book. But Ted didn’t roll back to his side of the bed, instead tracing his fingertips along the hem of her pajama top, lips pressing once more to her shoulders, open-mouthed and enticing.

“Ted,” she warns, voice low and breathy. “What do you think you’re doing?”

His hand slides against her belly, creeping up to cup her breasts and thumb at her nipple while his mouth works over the curve of her shoulder and to her neck, nuzzling against her and encouraging her to tilt her head back to allow him better access.

“I just thought of a very, very good way to tire myself out and get a good night’s sleep.”

“Oh did you?” She scratched her nails down his back and into his hair, holding his mouth to the place on her neck that made her legs feel like jelly.

He hummed against her skin, reaching blindly for her book to toss it off the bed and settle atop her, mouth working on the underside of her jaw and then to her mouth, kissing her hungrily.

“A week apart, Rebecca,” he gasps against her mouth, pressing his hips against hers and grinding down. “That seems an awful long time.”

She loops her arms around his neck and one leg hitches around his hips, bringing their bodies closer. “A week and then you’re coming back, right?”

She hates that she still has to ask, hates that she needs the reassurance, hates that she is terrified he will leave her behind irreparably broken.

His face softens and he traces a fingertip over her brow and nose and kisses her softly. “Coupon for life, remember, young lady? I ain’t goin’ anywhere without you.”

She presses her forehead to his and breathes him in, tightens her hold on him for a moment and memorizes the feel of him against her. And then he moves against her and it’s a rush of frenzied touches, gasps and moans, slick skin and hurried, whispered assurances.

When she drops him off at the airport, this time with a soft kiss, and watches him disappear into the sliding double doors of Heathrow, she remembers his words: I’m coming back.

iii.

Their first fight involves raised voices and snappy words and a level of miscommunication that would make Keeley feel ashamed. It starts with a bad day for both of them—frustrating lawyers dragging their feet on salary re-negotiations and a string of vapid, mind numbing conference calls for Rebecca and a team of unmotivated, surly footballers for Ted, in-fighting and dirty scrimmage play making his blood boil. It ends with Rebecca snapping at Ted for not loading the dishwasher properly and Ted accusing her of micromanaging.

“You know what,” he growls, barely keeping a lid on his temper, can feel himself spiraling out of control. “You once told me to leave before I say something I regret and I think I better just do that.”

“Good! Go!”

She watches with a heaving chest and pounding heart as he collects his AFC Richmond puffer jacket, steps into one of his many pairs of Nikes, and storms out the front door into the evening and away from her.

The moment his form disappears from view, her face crumples and she collapses into the kitchen chair, face buried in her shaking hands. As far as fights went, it certainly wasn’t the worst she’d ever had, her mind helpfully supplying her with flashes of the knockout-dragout fights she and Rupert had frequently engaged in, the cruelty and worst of each of them always sneaking out.

But cruelty wasn’t in Ted’s bones and it wasn’t in hers either. She didn’t want to fight and she didn’t want to go to bed alone and angry, not after nearly a year of sleeping next to Ted every night.

She sent him a quick text: I’m sorry. Bad day at the office and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Come back home and we can talk about this.

But no response comes and all she can do is wait, pacing the front hallway, cleaning and cleaning and cleaning the kitchen. She sticks her finger into his peanut butter jar and hopes the sticky substance will help hold her heart together until he comes home.

Maybe she’d always expected it would come to this—her ruining them, driving him away, just as Rupert had said she’d done to him.

Not enough, Rebecca. You’re just…not enough for me.

But, she reminds herself, Ted is not Rupert. She and Ted are not she and Rupert. He’ll come back, they’ll fix this, it’ll be fine. Her head repeats it over and over again like a mantra, but her heart is stubborn and frozen in paralyzing fear.

Twenty minutes go by.

Thirty.

Forty.

An hour later, she picks up her phone, checks it again but there are no messages from him, no indication that he’s coming back. A small, desperate sob slips out from the back of her throat and she presses the heels of her hands into her eyes, willing the sting of tears away.

The sound of the front door opening startles her and before she can rush into the hallway to see if it’s him, Ted stands in the sitting room before her, brambles in his hair.

“I, uh, got a little lost walking around, got stuck in my head. And, you know, the streets look a lot different at night, so—”

But she doesn’t care if he wandered into a bush or hitchhiked home with an aardvark or whatever ridiculous adventure he’s been on in the last hour, he’s home.

She stands, throws her arms around his neck and shoulders, presses herself against him and buries her face in his neck. “I’m sorry,” she gasps into his skin. “I’m sorry.”

He shushes and soothes her, rubs his palm over her back and up over her head, slipping his fingers into her hair and stroking over and over again. “Hey, hey, none of this, okay? I’m sorry, alright? But we got through our first big fight, right? We’re okay, we’re okay.”

She holds him tighter, turns her head to kiss his neck and cheek and jaw and lips. “I was so worried you weren’t going to—” But she can’t even finish the worry, ashamed she even doubted him, some fears too deeply ingrained.

Ted cradles her face, rubs his thumb over the curve of her cheek. “I told you, sweetheart, you got me for life. You got your listening ears on?” He reaches up to tug gently on her ears, making her smile. “Okay good, listen up: I will always come back. For as long as you want me, you got me.”

“Okay,” she sighs, turns her head into his palm and kisses the center of his hand. “Okay.”

#ted x rebecca #ted lasso #ted lasso fic #enjoy! im sorry i couldn't think of a 4 and 5!#pwfishing

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reelwriter19 · 4 years

Text

Black and Blue

Pairings: Kevin Atwater x Black Reader

Summary: With all that’s going on in the world, I wanted to explore things from Kevin’s perspective. What’s it like for him and his family, existing on both sides of the spectrum?

*Title inspired by one of my favorite Chicago PD eps

Attempting to soothe your 4 month pregnant and agitated stomach, you got in your cousin's face, finger pointed, rage on high.

“As much as you want to refute my choice of a life partner, Detective Kevin Atwater is the reason your dumbass isn’t in a jail cell right now...or worse.”

“So now I’m a dumbass?!”

“YES!”

“You don’t think what we’re doing out there is important?! Did you sell out when he put that ring on your finger or was it the day he wrote the down payment check for this bougie ass loft you’re livin’ in?!”

Without hesitation, you smacked Brian across the face, just as Kevin walks in to the front door. Already changed out of his riot gear, he dons his usual black hoodie, dark jeans and combat boots. He holds a beat on locking away his gun, as he’s not quite sure what he’s walking into.

“Baby, you good?”

You and Brian are still staring each other down. You finally break the silence, with gritted teeth.

“Get out of my house.”

Brian slowly backs away from you, being sure to glare disapprovingly at Kevin on his way out. Locking the door behind him, Kevin continues his routine of securing his gun as you walk over to him crying.

You weren’t quite sure if it was the adrenaline from the fight you just had with family, the worry for your husbands safety out on the currently extra dangerous streets or the pregnancy hormones, but all you wanted was Kevin’s hands on your body.

As you reached up to place your arms around his neck, he obliged and pulled you into a passionate kiss. Within seconds, your legs were wrapped around his waist as he carried you up the stairs into the bedroom, slowly lowering you on to the bed. He hovered over you, gently reaching down to kiss the remaining tears away. You removed his hoodie and proceeded to let him know just how glad you were to have him safely home in one piece.

_________

Hours later, the two of you were absently wrapped in sheets. Kevin sat up, his back against the headboard, while you laid across his lap. With one hand intertwined with his, you used the other to trace the solid ridges of his stomach.

“Y/N…”

“Hmm?” The deep sound of his voice breaking you out of a trance.

“I don’t want you to be mad at Brian.”

You sit up to turn and fully face him. The look of curiosity and annoyance growing across your brow.

“Kev...the things that he said...what he’s doing out there? You saved him tonight from the possibility of not making it back home and he couldn’t even say ‘thank you’? He’s a disrespectful little...”

“But Y/N, I get it. The way Brian grew up, hell the way we grew up, he was trained to hate people like me. Do you remember how reluctant you were to date me when you found out what I did for a living?”

“Of course. I was pissed cuz you didn’t tell me right away.”

“Exactly, but I didn’t because I wanted to make sure I had you before your opinion of me was tainted by what you thought a Chicago cop was like. Y/N, Brian never had that chance. Sure I’m married to you and by default he’s family, but that deep seeded hatred takes years to undo.”

“True, but you guys in Intelligence…”

Cutting you off with a touch to your cheek.

“We’re a rare breed baby. You know that. Just think of all that nonsense I had to fight off two years ago with Doyle’s people. They’re the majority. They’re the ones who don’t care about Brian’s life and they’re the reason why he was out there looting with that group after others protested peacefully downtown for hours. And you know good and well that if circumstances were different…”

Kevin slightly repositioned himself over you, placing light kisses on your pregnant belly.

“...if you weren’t cooking my beautiful baby girl in this sexy ass oven…”

Smirking as you playfully swatted his hand “Boy! I told you I want a boy…”

He rolled his eyes at you while further pinning you down under him. Unable to move, you gazed upon your husband as he proceeded to have a full on conversation with the child growing in your stomach. Although annoyed at the topic of his current Ted Talk, you truly loved these moments. Being black in this country was hard enough. Adding to that, your choice as a couple to stand with a foot on both sides of the spectrum of black and blue, it was a rare occasion when the love of your life was allowed to put his guard down and just be a man. You came back to reality when he purposely grazed your sensitive skin with his beard.

“Listen baby GIRL...mamas gonna try to act tough when you get out here, but I got your back, ok?

Laughing reluctantly and whining in protest and for him to move… “Stop it! That tickles!”

Kevin relented and moved up, gazing deep into your eyes. The look on his face as if he was ready to put another baby in the oven. You bit your bottom lip. As you each moved in closer for a kiss…there was a sudden urge...

“Great, now I have to pee!”

He burst into laughter as you untangled yourself from his limbs and the sheets and scurried to the bathroom.

“Shut up!”

_________

The next morning, you awoke to a text from Brian.

My bad cuz...I ain’t mean that shit.

Brian was never verbose and you knew him sending just that simple message took a lot. You were about to respond when you heard voices downstairs. You had expected Kevin to be at the District by now. He previously had a routine of waking you up before he left, no matter the hour, but that became less frequent once you got pregnant, deciding to text you his whereabouts instead. His voice ringing in your head now...

“You need to be well rested, Y/N.”

You got up, put some comfortable clothes on and went downstairs. To your surprise Kevin was sitting at the dining room table with his partner Adam and your cousin Brian. It looked like they had been planted in their seats having a heated discussion for hours. You stood in shock and then walked over to the kitchen to make some tea.

Adam was the first to break from the tense meeting, walking over to greet you with a hug and a peck on the cheek after you placed the kettle on the stove.

“Morning, Y/N, you’re lookin’ beautiful as always.

With a chuckle, “Hey sweetie...you’ve always been such a good liar...I appreciate that.”

“I'm serious girl, you look great. I told Atwater if he acts up…”

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Kevin yelled from the dining room as he approached. He and Ruzek were like brothers. He’d stood by Kevin’s side through it ALL, unwavering in his loyalty, so it was only natural that, as a brother, he also knew which buttons to push to irk him the most.

Kevin punched him in the arm and Adam reciprocated with a swat to the back of Kevin’s neck. You shook your head and laughed, proceeding with the business of putting the kettle on the stove….this boyish nonsense was routine.

Both deciding there could be no winner in this moment, they finally calmed down. “Man chill out, you’re gonna upset my goddaughter.”

You immediately rolled your eyes and sighed as you grabbed your favorite mug from the cabinet. “Daughter...I see he’s gotten to you too huh?”

You darted a look at Kevin, which he avoided, clearing his throat with a smirk.

“Adam, are you hungry?”

Walking past the guys into the dining room, you offered an olive branch to your cousin as well, who still sat at the table in deep thought, “Brian, you want anything to eat? I can make some breakfast.” He looked up at you and rose from the table. You were startled by the look of both sorrow and determination in his eyes.

“I’m good cuz.”

He gave you a quick hug and exited the apartment.

You turned to Kevin and Adam for an explanation. “What just happened?”

Kevin spoke up first.

“I called him. He was pissed when he saw Adam here at first but I needed him to get it. I wanted him to understand why I still do this job everyday. That we haven’t sold out. We haven’t abandoned our people, I’m doing this for my people. It’s hard as hell but people like Adam, Intelligence...it’s a family, and we’re doing what we can at least to make this shit a little better.”

“How did he take that?”

Adam retorted, attempting to break the awkwardness, “Well, Brian didn’t try to hit me in the face, so I guess you can say it went alright?”

You snorted. With Adam’s sarcasm and Brian’s temper, you knew that was no small feat.

“Ok man, I’m gonna head out. I’ll catch up with you at the district.” Adam pounded Kevin’s fist and made his way to the door, but not before one last jab. With a wink to you, “Bye baby…”

“Bro! Get the hell out!”

With a mischievous laugh. “What?! I was talking to my goddaughter!”

You couldn’t help but laugh too. “BYE Adam!”

Kevin walked towards you, wrapping his arms around your waist. Your hands rested lightly on his strong arms.

“How many people have you told that we’re having a little girl?”

“Not many...I mean, the people down at the 21st of course…”

Hitting his chest… “Kevin Atwater! We haven’t even officially checked yet! Such a man.”

He tilted your face up to look directly at him. “What’s wrong with me wanting a girl, Y/N? If she’s anything like her beautiful mama, she’ll be strong, graceful…” His words slowing down as he was sure to kiss your face after proclaiming each of the attributes he adored.

“...independent….smart.....beautiful.”

Per usual, you were becoming puddy in his arms. “You said that one already.”

He squeezed you tighter, hoping to stay in this moment a little while longer. Your face buried in his chest, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For trying to make it right with Brian. For reminding me why I chose to stay with you. For reminding me how easy it was to fall in love with you even after I found out you were a cop. I’m proud of you babe.”

No sooner than the two of you became lost in eachother again, the kettle whistled loudly on the stove. Kevin moaned against your lips in protest as you wiggled away from him to take it off the stove.

Trailing right behind you, he smacked your butt and then reached for you. Longing for the comfort of your body to hold flush against his chest. You turned the stove off and allowed him to engulf you in his arms from behind. Your fingers interlocked with his as they rested comfortably on your stomach. You each looked down for a moment at your growing belly.

Neither of you discussed it often, but there was an innate fear of what it meant to birth a black child into this world. Things had changed, yes, but the cases Kevin was exposed to and the systemic racism that still existed, as obvious in more recent events, was enough to make any future parent uneasy.

One day, when Kevin found you deep in your thoughts, he reminded you that he would never let you shoulder that burden alone. You and his unborn daughter were his world. Everyday that he chose to put that badge on, he was doing so with the intention of making the world around you and for generations to come, a little bit better.

“I have to get to work.”

You turned to face him. “I know...just make sure you come back to us.”

With a kiss to your forehead and another placed softly on your lips.

“Always. I love you.”

#kevin atwater x reader #kevinatwaterxreader #kevin atwater imagine #kevin atwater x original female character #Adam Ruzek #Chicago PD #family #blacklivesmatter #Kevin Atwater x black reader #Kevin Atwater x black! reader #fluff #love #reelwriter19

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emwritesfootball · 4 years

Text

Proud of You | Roman Bürki

An unexpected addition to @footballffbarbiex‘s Big Screen Writing Challenge. (Amy, please don’t kill me for this. I was just looking for someone to write this very sad scene with and @lawsandother suggested Roman and I couldn’t say no. CC’ing @sunslittlesister so you can cry, too, Dana xx)

Taken from the Season 6, Episode 8 of Schitt’s Creek scenes between Ted and Alexis.

Word Count: 2,943 Warnings: angst (I cried writing this)

It felt so unrealistic to wake up next to him that she almost thought she was dreaming for a moment when she woke up from her mid-afternoon, post-sex nap. Roman had been in and out of her life for the last six years, but lately each visit seemed to bring a sense of dread that neither one of them could place. Timing had never been a strong suit when it came to their relationship, but they’d been trying like hell to make it work.

When he’d been at SC Freiburg, things had been a bit easier. The two-hour commute on the weekends or for special occasions felt like nothing and she always looked forward to those Fridays or Mondays off work so she could have just one more day with him. Then came Dortmund, or ‘the beginning of the end’ as she had started to think of these last five years. The distance added five hours to her drive, and in the beginning, it was worth it. She still got almost two days with him, but each time she left the pit in her stomach grew. For two years, they saw each other twice a month; then once a month for a year. Now, he only came to visit her when he got a call-up to the national team or when he came back to Münsingen for a holiday break, the latter of which seemed to happen more often as he hadn’t gotten a call-up since 2018.

“You’re awake,” Roman mumbled, his eyes still closed but he could feel her presence as if she were a part of his own body.

“I am,” she confirmed, lifting up his tattooed arm so she could tuck herself into his side. She pressed a kiss to his chest, sighing contentedly.

“Did we switch places?” Roman joked, his chest rising and falling as he chuckled. “Usually I’m the one up before you.”

“Just wanted to surprise you, I guess,” she answered, feeling guilty at the lie that so easily fell from her lips. I couldn’t sleep knowing you have to leave me tonight.

She had stayed up for the half-hour that he’d napped, replaying their relationship over and over, all the good and the bad moments on a loop until she couldn’t take it anymore. The worst part about it all was that he had come to surprise her this time, but she was the one who had to be realistic.

She’d been working on a logo for a new up-and-coming local shop set to open soon - the newest in a long line of new clientele that had steadily started hiring her one-woman graphic design company - when she’d heard a rhythmic knock on the door. Thinking nothing of it, she set down her pen and walked over to the door of her studio, shocked but elated to find Roman on the other side.

“Oh, my god, Roman!” She’d squealed, jumping into his arms for a tight embrace. She hadn’t seen him in almost eight months and words couldn’t describe how good it felt to see his face after so long. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to surprise you,” he said, smiling shyly.

She hadn’t expected it to feel this awkward. After all, they were still in a relationship...just one that happened to be almost 700 kilometers away and one where they stopped FaceTiming as often as they used to. “Oh my god, uhm, hi!” She said brightly, taking his face in her hands and kissing him deeply.

“Hi,” he mumbled when the kiss ended, reaching into his back and pulling out a Steiff bear wearing a t-shirt. “Sorry, there were limited options at the hotel gift shop.”

“Mehr Bier, bitte!” She read, laughing at the words. “So sweet.” Not quite sure what to say, she pulled him in for another hug. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” Roman murmured, burying his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling her scent that he’d missed these last eight months.

“Wait…” she paused, putting the pieces together, “there’s no break for months. What are you doing here?”

Roman looked away, wishing for a brief moment that he hadn’t fallen in love with such a perceptive woman, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I picked up a small injury in the match on Friday, so I was told to take a long weekend.”

Her brow furrowed as she did the math. “But today’s Sunday. How come you didn’t get here until,” she paused, checking her watch, “half-past noon today?”

“Well, I was supposed to be here yesterday morning, but I had some unforeseen car troubles.” Roman cringed, remembering the incident. “Got a flat within the first two hours of my drive, so I had to get my car repaired, which took longer than expected. Then, something happened with my engine that required an overnight repair and I didn’t make it out here until now.”

“That’s okay,” she cooed, running her fingers over the beard he’d been growing for ages now. “So, how long do we actually have, then?”

Roman sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Just today.”

“Oh, wow, okay. Enough about your car troubles, then.” She took his hand and dragged him over to her bed, kneeling on it as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.

“I just want to be with you and catch up and talk,” he said, leaning down to capture her lips in his before he laid her down on the bed and covered her body with his.

There had been no other way to describe what he’d done with her except that he’d made love to her. His love for her was in every kiss that he place on her body; every word from his lips and every caress across her skin. When he’d asked if they could cuddle afterwards as he pulled her into his side and subsequently fell asleep, a part of her couldn’t help wondering just what the future held.

“You still with me, Schatz?” Roman asked, nudging her playfully to get her attention.

“Yeah, sorry,” she replied, clearing her throat as he brought her out of her head once again. “Got distracted, is all.” When she looked over at him, the look on her face had her stomach dropping. “Is everything okay?”

Roman took a deep inhale, steadying himself for what he was about to say; no matter how many times he’d rehearsed it in his head, it still pained him to say it. “I just..thought that it was important that we have this conversation in person.”

Her heart started to race, and for a moment all she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears as it pumped through her veins. “Roman, are you breaking up with me?”

“No,” he answered quickly, shaking his head. “That’s the last thing I want to do.” He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into him, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Oh, thank god.” She breathed a sigh of relief, tracing the tattoo on his pec. “Then, what is it?”

“I don’t remember when we last talked about this, but my contract with Dortmund is up at the end of this year and the managers want to talk to me about re-signing.”

“Wow,” she said, stunned. Of course she was well aware of how good he was, regardless of how long it had been since he’d gotten a National Team call-up. He was a key player for Dortmund, starting almost every match, and even though she cringed every time the ball came his way, she tried to watch all of his appearances whether he knew it or not. “How long would your new contract last?”

“The foreseeable future. Five years at minimum is what we discussed, provided I don’t have any major injuries. We even talked about the possibility of me retiring with the club, but that’s at least a decade away if things go my way.”

She cursed in Swiss-tinted German, the unexpectedness of it all hitting her like a punch to the gut. Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked them back, hoping Roman hadn’t seen them. “That’s a long time,” she said when she’d regained her composure, trying desperately to find some small bit of hope to cling onto.

“Yeah…”Roman agreed, trailing off. “I just… I keep waiting for things to get easier for us.”

“So, uh, what are you gonna tell them?” She asked, placing a hand on his forearm as some modicum of reassurance.

“I- I don’t know. I was hoping that the drive to you would clear my head and show me the right answer, but-” he took her hand in one of his, focusing on that so he wouldn’t have to look her in the eye, “seeing you? I don’t wanna lose this.” He took her hand and placed it over the tattoo on his chest so she could feel his heartbeat under her fingertips.

“Okay, so what do we do?” She asked, her brain already switching into work-mode trying to figure it all out. “Do I just pack up my life and move to Dortmund with you?”

“Or I move back here,” Roman said, and she could already hear the melancholy in his voice.

“And turn down the opportunity to finish out your career at a great club before you move onto the next chapter of your life,” she finished for him, the heavy feeling in her heart returning.

Roman sighed, running a hand over his scruff and then through his hair, not knowing what to do. “I was hoping that we’d have the weekend to talk it over, figure it out, formulate a plan, but then-”

“Your car, I know,” she replied, unable to keep the bitterness out of her tone. A lump was starting to form in her throat and she knew the tears were going to start falling very soon, and she knew that if they did, she wouldn’t be able to stop them until she was all cried out. “I’m gonna need a minute to think about this…”

“There has to be a way through this.” Roman felt like he was pleading now, hanging on to the one reason outside of family he came back to Münsingen.

She gave him a sad, watery smile, taking his face in her hands and giving him a soft kiss. “I liked this a whole lot better before we started talking.”

“Me, too.”

- - -

She took a walk while Roman showered, accidentally wandering into the café they’d met at six years before. It wasn’t often that she came to this café as everywhere she looked seemed to remind her of them and the time they’d spent here together.

The same person who’d waited on them the very first time all those years ago was still behind the counter, greeting her the moment she walked in. “I haven’t seen you around here in awhile,” the old woman said, giving her a warm smile.

“I haven’t had much reason to be back here in awhile,” she answered, taking a seat at one of the stools at the bar area. “I just needed to get out and...clear my head.”

The woman nodded solemnly, pouring a cold glass of water. “Is everything okay?”

“I don't know.” It was an honest answer, but one she hadn’t voiced until now, the words sounding odd coming out of her mouth. She ordered her usual, her mind wandering back to the very first time she’d met Roman here.

The old woman said her name a few times, finally getting her out of her reverie. “Here’s your order,” she said, nudging the cup toward her.

“Do you ever have those days where you wonder why things can’t just be easier?” The question was out of her mouth before she could even stop it, but thankfully there wasn’t anyone else but her and the old woman in the cafe.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

Those three words opened up a flood of emotions and before she knew it, she was pouring her heart out to the woman behind the counter. She wasn’t sure if the woman knew who she was talking about - with a population of a little more than 11 000, Münsingen was on the larger side of municipalities, but with only a handful of well-known professional footballers, she couldn’t be sure.

By the time she walked out of the cafe, she knew what she was going to do.

- - -

Roman double-checked the address on his phone for what felt like the hundredth time, but he knew he had it right. He stood outside, adjusting his suit and tie one final time as he took in the sign for the café. There had been a weird feeling in his gut from the moment she’d left to the moment he’d received her text telling him to meet her here at this address at 7pm.

The little bell at the top of the door jingled as he entered, signalling his arrival. Roman turned the corner to find the café completely empty, save for his girl in the centre of the room, ‘their’ booth adorned with candles and wine. Jazz music was playing softly over the speaker, and Roman couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“What is all this?” He asked, his gaze roaming over her. She was dressed in one of his favourite dresses on her, and Roman felt awestruck in her presence.

“Sit,” she said, gesturing to ‘his’ side of the booth as she took her own seat opposite him.

“Did you close down the whole café?” Roman tried to make conversation, unsure of what to do next.

She lifted a shoulder in a partial shrug. “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

Just then, the old woman came over. Roman felt like he was back in that café seeing the woman he now called his girlfriend for the first time, familiarity shocking him unexpectedly. “So, the set menu for tonight is mozzarella sticks, four-cheese lasagna, and a blueberry cheesecake for dessert.”

“That’s a lot of dairy,” Roman balked but couldn’t hide the fact that he was very hungry and it all sounded appetizing.

“All your cheat-day favourites,” she said as the woman walked away.

Roman’s chest tightened at the gesture that subtly hinted how well she knew him. The crossroads they were at now was just a bump in the road he kept internally repeating to himself, hoping he’d start to believe it soon. “So…” he started, clearing his throat. A part of him didn’t want to do this now before they’d even eaten, but he’d be remiss if he didn’t at least say something.

She said, the words for him, though, and time seemed to stop. “You can’t move back here, Roman. You’ve been offered the job of your dreams and there’s no turning back now. Just think of all the trophies you can bring to Dortmund. Maybe you’ll even get another national team call-up before you retire. You’ve got so much to accomplish in Germany and I don’t want to hold you back.”

“What about you?” Roman asked. He felt like he was grasping at straws, but he needed to know that she was going to be okay without him even if it broke him. “What are you gonna do?”

“I can’t move with you, Roman.”

“I wouldn’t let you even if you tried. You’re building something special here with your graphic design business, and you deserve to see where it takes you.” Roman swallowed past the lump in his throat, reaching across the table for her hand. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I’m so proud of you.” She played with his fingers, trying to steady her emotions. “I’d like to think that we helped each other get here.”

Roman’s other hand came up, taking her chin between his thumb and index finger so she could look at him as he said with certainty, “I know we did.”

“And when you drive back to Dortmund tomorrow, I want you to know how grateful I am to have met you.”

“I don’t think I’m ever going to meet another woman who made me feel the way that you do.” Roman’s eyes searched hers. He needed her to know that he spoke the truth. Losing her would be the biggest loss of his life, but on some level he’d known that this was going to be the last trip he made to see her the moment he’d turned onto her street and this confirmed it.

��I’m sure there’ll be some other woman...somewhere.” She tried to make a joke but it fell flat, the thought of Roman moving on to someone new making her want to cry.

Finally defeated, Roman sighed. “Can’t say that we didn’t try.”

Six, almost seven, years. That was how long the two of them had supported the other, through good and bad. There had been some rough patches and more than a few fights, but they’d always come back from them stronger than ever.

“I love you, Roman,” she whispered, releasing his hand.

“I love you, too.”

Roman leaned in and she did, too, their lips meeting in soft kiss goodbye that said all they couldn’t say with words.

With tears in her eyes, she stood up and Roman instinctively shifted over so that she could come sit next to him in the booth. He put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into him. Reaching over, Roman grabbed his wine glass and gesticulated a toast. “To us.”

She did the same, looking over at him as their glasses clinked together.

“To us.”

#amys2021challenge #my writing: roman burki

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bigmafluff · 3 years

Text

Unreal Love Story “Henry Cavill” chapters 1-3

Sequel To My Story “Tom Hiddleston”

Summery

“ Tom Dear ! She is gone!” His mother says when her son barges thru her front door. Diana Hands a sobbing Charlie to His Stunned father Leading them into the house to a computer sitting @ her kitchen table with a flash drive in it. Just as Tom is about to say something . His Mom hush's them both and starts the video. I start with calming Charlie through the computer. “ Hello Little one . I'm am sorry I have to leave you so. But You are a strong young man . Sometimes even stronger than your father at times. Just know that I love you dear one and will always be your special friend . Now dry those tears and Go see Nanna . So Your dad and I can talk.” I said to Charlie thru the computer. Tom Knew after that our relationship was over maybe had been over for a while.

Chapter 1

Numbness,& NASCAR

I couldn't Stay in London. It hurt too much all I saw was pain. I couldn't go home yet still felt like I failed myself some how so home wouldn't work. So I numbed myself out in Cali. I did what I swore I wouldn't. I went full Party Girl. Between the parties ,clubs, Bars I was wasted most of the time. But I knew that being In Love Like this before then Losing love has it's down side . Tom and I had been it for 3 years. But towards the end I was more His son's nanny than his girlfriend . Most of his friends warned me this was one sided . He never got over Sophia Di Marino ,Charlie's Mom. The split was Mutual. I'm Not mad to be truthful. Annoyed really that I let it go on this long ..

So California I went , to numb the hurt. I don't give a rat's ass what they say about better to have Loved crap ! It still hurt's dammit! So Party Shannon I became. I still wrote my stories without impairment. By day I was the mildly hungover writer coffee in hand . Luca was still Daydreaming so I was still writing. But @ night Let's just say in the great words of Bill & Ted .” Party on Dudes” So I did. Shaking my ass Beer in hand in a club in south beach ! Rockin' out to Pink. I am vaguely aware I am Jamming with a rather large Englishmen Go Figure ! He has a familiar tone I can't place ,frankly all I see is curls ,beard & muscle , Cause I'm too drunk and don't care but he was hot and can grind Like no other. But even though I was no lady ,he was a gentleman And at the end of the night I was in my Hotel room clothes and dignity intact.

Woke the next morning with another hangover that I never use to get when I was younger. They still Suck! UGH! I'm about to start typing when I get a feed from TMZ. “TWH PROPOSES TO SDM!” I switch on my TV and sure enough The rock on her finger is massive and Charlie Looks so Happy . The numbness lifts along with the pain . I can see the sun again so I finally pack my stuff .

But not for England . I head home. I decide I need time with my son . So Arkansas, Hot Springs that is. Although when I get there I find out my son is in Florida . In Daytona Beach. At the Racetrack! My nephew Christian and his wife Kiki took Lucas to a NASCAR race and Somehow Lucas Landed a job as head mechanic for Carlos Contreras's race team. Shocked as I was, I get on a flight to Florida it is a good shocked but WOW. I got a Hotel room and then went to the track . Took me a little convincing to get in . Security walked me to the Pit where I found my baby boy covered in grease. Under a car . When Lucas jumped up and hugged me they left us alone . test moment's in a parent's life is seeing your child seceded at something he loves. This was Lucas's dream !Like writing is for me. It was his turn. Lucas Introduced me to Carlos with sparkles in his eyes . Carlos seemed to Like what My Son does. Even tells me that Because of my Boy, Carlos has won 8 races. How more proud can I get I am in tears. While I was here I went to a few races and Lucas and I raided the theme parks. Then one night Lucas had a grown up moment and told me I had to go back to the U.K.. He said I write my best stuff there and I need to make peace with Myself. How did my Autistic Son get so smart. Then he tells me. He is a big Guy now and He didn't need his Mom to hover.

Chapter 2

Something New

So once I'm back in London. I dust off My flat that Luke made sure I got despite me moving in with Tom. Besides writing, a few friend's gave me the intro to the London night life and I found a outlet to unwind . But I didn't drown myself like in Cali. But I still maintained my Party Mama status. Also I am exercising regularly, to compensate for the Night life . But I found that I have way's now that I am Back to make exercising fun. I do the Gym of course. But I also like rollerskating in Hyde or St. James park, when it's sunny. I found a Ice Skating rink that is 7 day's a week. And there is a indoor pool at the Gym I go to. .

But I realized some things while I was home in the states. I can't ever forget where I came from . So I pay it forward to 4 special organizations for charity and I never write them off my taxes . I went back to church I actually found a Nazarene church in the U.K. Honestly Church is what keeps me semi sober in the clubs on Friday and Saturday. No hangovers in Gods house .So I have been busy. By maintaining the order of my life like I did way before when My soul purpose was being a MOM. God, Family Friends career is a new addition but not that high on the list.

I found a way to keep myself going .My heart has even healed to a point and I am actually making good friends with “ The Hiddleston “ I can't even comprehend The fact that Sophia took Tom's name . I didn't think her agent's would let her do that. Any how I Am officially Aunty Shannon to Charlie and he even still talks to Lucas and they talk cars regularly according to Tom. As for right now though I'm actually doing more than writing I am at The Harold Pinter theater in London as a Producer and assistant to Kenneth Branaugh the director of a play Based on one of my fan fiction stories . It's a Vampire Love story with a family twist. No Not Twilight no blood sucking fairies here. But what has me excited is the cast . Tom is in it along a whole bunch of my fave idol's Including Henry Cavill as the male lead. . OK! I fibbed Kenny doesn't need me the whole time so I am writing when I am not teaching Charlie Who is acting for the first time. Tom is One Proud Papa! I will tell you what. And Charlie Looks like he is having a wonderful time despite playing a Girl demon!

also I do have a little Mystery of my own I am trying to solve. Every morning when I get to work. Yes I'm getting paid for this production. I go to my seat and drink my coffee but I find a different colored long stem lily in the seat . I asked Tom. If Charlie was doing it and I even ask Ken. None said It was them. Both even offered to investigate with me . Saying they have a little experience because they played P.I.'s

I was actually flattered I had an admirer. I just hope I won't regret taking the Lily more seriously. Anyway The play is gearing up for opening night I called Lucas's aide Reed to Se if He will be able to be in London for my Play . Which If it does well it will head to the States and go on Broadway. Now tell me if that ain't totally awesome. I.K.R. We as far as my Book's are concerned Luca start's Middle School. So Social interaction and puberty mixes in with his amazing world which should make for a wild ride for our readers. My honorary nephew is even reading them which make's my heart sing Oh! So I don't leave it out my lily was Aquamarine and silk today not real but it had a pink bow and it sparkled . He-he! Who ever this is knows I like things that sparkle. It makes me giddy.

Opening Night!!!!

My Lucas is here . Looking Just Like he did Prom Night When he took my god daughter to the prom. My boy is So handsome. Lucas has been working out so My lucas is Tall and Jacked thanks to His Buddy Phillip Hull. We get to ride in a Limo It will be Lucas's first time in one. Me! I'm In all Red Long red hair with a touch of gray at the temple and proud of it. A Long Jessica rabbit dress that sparkles in the light. Red flat's I ain't that crazy . It's gonna be a long night and I am in my 50's Heels are not in the program. I had red cloves and a red silk Shaw. I felt amazing and all my boy could say is Wow mama Look Pretty! LOL! I am also excited not only for the play but according to the Little note I got with My Red Rose that was sitting in my seat on the last day of practice. I get to meet my admirer tonight too

So Lucas and I are off Lucas is Like a school boy Looking around and he is also a little nervous. I can tell he Keeps Playing with his collar and tie. I made sure Luke had a pair of ear buds and his fave music in a MP3. And sunglasses to help with Lucas's experience. Plus so he doesn't have to deal with the red carpet stuff Reed is here so Lucas will be with me only for a few pictures then Reed will take him inside while I deal with the popularity this sold out play has caused . New York here we come!!!!!!

Lucas went inside as planned. And Luke is by my side in his place as my escort. Luke felt I shouldn't be alone. Because of the split and Tom's marriage. Even though Tom and I are cool talking about and he is even here with Taylor so I'm cool. I was having lot's of fun taking little interview's and pictures and such. Luke always said I was surprisingly easy going in the lime light and it shows tonight. `Sophia , Ken and I had some fun with the photo people and Kissed Each side of Tom's cheeks while he was trying to pic up Kenneth, then we Bent down to Kiss Ken's cheeks when Tom dropped him on his butt ,our booties where purposely in the air. Let's Just say we made Kenny's night! I was all in good fun Tom told me that Charlie was inside with new Hot wheels car's to show Lucas cause they are NASCAR ones.

Finishing up the pictures and fixing to go inside I was about to give up hope on there being an admirer. When I went to take one last. Picture, Henry Cavill came to Join me in the picture and whispered in my ear to Look down, as he grabbed my waist for the picture . I did. And their was a pink Lily and a white rose in his hand tied in a pink bow. Let's Just say that pic had my mouth hanging open and Henry laughing as we went in to the theater. Let the new dance begin.

Lois Lane never Got Superman this way Ha!

Chapter 3

Don't jump! One moment @ a Time.

As far as the play went it was as major success. I couldn't pay attention at all . I was staring at Henry the whole time In awe of all of this.As far as I was concerned it was like I had never tasted this before . I won't lie, it scares the shit out of me . I was a ball of nerves the whole play . It was Thomas all over again. @ least that was what I thought. Until Henry asked if I would sign a book for is Nephews Daughter who has Down syndrome. I was politely surprised . He then introduced himself to my Son. Which Lucas can recognize any actor who has ever played a Superhero or villain . Henry was one of our faves. He asked if we wanted to grab a bite to eat . Lucas always could eat. Even in his 30's endless Belly! Can you see 3 adult's in fancy dress in Mc. Donald's. I Loved it Because Henry took the liberty to date Lucas first. To me that Mc. Donald's was 5 stars. The Limo dropped 2 very full and sleepy men at My son's Hotel. I was sparkling in happiness. We pulled up in front of my flat but Henry wouldn't let me out yet. I think he wants to talk . So naturally I listened.

fore I could even say anything He Quieted me and held my hand . Baby Blues connected. Then he spoke. “ Shannon I know what you went through with Hiddleston. I grilled him after meeting you . Actually I'm kinda surprised he didn't rat me out. Story for another time. Now that you understand my intent. I want time. Time to know you. Also before you get nervous, will it help If I got permission from Lucas to date you and Charlie Hiddleston second's the permission. I'm normally a prideful Man But Shannon something inside Tell's me I am supposed to started something new with You. I want get to know you Date you proper. If anything let's see where it goes. Even if we don't connect more personally . We can at least catch a grind to a tune and groove like buddies”.

My breath hitch because I just realize that dude I was grinding with in California at that club. The English Dude. That was Henry!!!!! He notices my blush and Shakes his head showing me the bracelet. I smack his shoulder Laughing my Blush off. Then I told him I am willing to try and if all else fails Partying in New York won't get boring . Then he kissed my Palm and let me out . I gave him my # and told him to give me a call when he was ready to try. The Limo waited till I was Inside. But instead of Leaving The door opened and Henry came running up to me . Grabbed my waist, pulled me close and Kissed me. We exploded!!!!

Hand in Hand at JFK airport Henry and I go straight to the Hotel . No Not for that . We came early so Henry could as he says Court me proper. LOL! There is nothing I'd rather do the then run all over NYC for the first time with Henry. I have jumped in fully no comparing to any other love . This is true Eros and I'm going with the flow. That was our agreement for each other the next morning after the Play. To Just Love & enjoy till the fluffy lady quits singing.

I exploded because of SuperMan!

{None of this story is real the pic are from Googles images !!!!!!!!!!!!}

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ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes · 5 years

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Burned Part 26

Summary: Alfie Solomons is in need of a secretary. Tommy Shelby mentions a young woman in need of employment. From there the two step into a dangerous dance together.

Part 26: Theodore Solomons turns 3.

It was seven in the morning when Teddy Solomons came catapulting down the stairs. His nanny tried to keep up but he jumped the last two steps and stumbled into his father’s study.

Alfie chucked when the little boy slid across the polished wood floors in his socks. He stood and caught his son before he collided with Cyril who was nearly the same size as Teddy. “And here comes Theodore Solomons coming in fast as a bolt of lightning!” He grinned.

Elizabeth, the nanny they'd hired around Teddy's second birthday, came running in. "Sorry Mr. Solomons, tried to keep up with him." She panted breathlessly. Tending for the active boy was a work out every day.

"S'alright, Liz, I've got him. Go and get some breakfast." Alfie relieved her of her duties.

Breathless and wide-eyed, Teddy grabbed Alfie’s beard. “Daddy, it’s my birthday!” He chirped happily.

Alfie rested him on his hip. “Oh no, that can’t be right. You just had a birthday.” He teased and pretended to be serious. “Weren’t it just last month? Yeah, you ain’t any older, mate. Just a regular old day.”

Teddy just giggled. “No!”

“Yep, in fact, think it’s my birthday.” He chuckled and playfully threw Teddy over his shoulder, “What’d you get me, then?”

The toddler shrieked with joy. “Not your birthday!”

Every single day reminded Alfie how lucky he was. What sort of happiness he’d found on borrowed time. Teddy was the light of his life and vice versa. The bond between father and son was unbreakable. It reassured Alfie that when his time came, he made a lasting impression in Teddy’s life. One that would hopefully last.

Alfie carried Teddy out to the patio where Louise was enjoying the brisk fall morning. The two foxhounds they bought were outside with her. They were strays that she’d found wandering the pastures. Of course, Alfie couldn’t turn them away and figured they could be helpful. He managed to train them to be protective and to tag along on Louise’s daily rides on Paris. That way he could be assured that she had some sort of defense if she ever needed it even if Surrey was very tamed compared to London. Cyril was far too lazy to get the task done, especially at his age, and Alfie certainly wasn’t going to get on a horse and join his wife. So, they brought in the dogs and let Teddy name them. Thus, Baby and Ollie were welcomed into the Solomons household. Of course the latter being named after Alfie’s former assistant whom Teddy adored.

“There’s the birthday boy!” Louise exclaimed and the hounds began to yip happily. Cyril stood his ground beside Alfie, nipping at the pups if they got too close to him.

“Hold on now, ain’t his birthday.”

Louise gave her husband a playful look. “Don’t tease him. Of course, it is!”

“Oh, right, s’pose it is then.” He chuckled and handed over the now three-year-old to her.

“Hello, love, happy birthday.” She murmured to Teddy, kissing his cheek a few times.

Teddy giggled and clung to her. “I’m three.” He reminded her.

“Three?” Alfie sat down, letting Cyril sit between his knees. Baby and Ollie began to chase each other in circles around the yard. “No, no, can’t be three.” He shook his head adamantly and stroked Cyril’s ears. “Three is practically all grown up.”

Louise smiled and sat down at the patio table as well. “Next thing you know you’ll be dressing up suits like daddy.” But behind her smile, she knew there was a bittersweetness to the day. She’d woken up that morning even before Alfie. Sitting up in bed, she stared at the wall, dumbfounded. Her little boy was going to be three. Wasn’t it just yesterday that she was holding him for the first time? Wasn’t it just last week that she married Alfie? It couldn’t have been more than a year since she first met him standing outside of the bakery. Life moved so fast. She just wanted to grab the passing time and dig her heels into the ground. Try and hold it back from going by so fast so she could savor the moments just a little longer. Just one more minute. One more second.

~~~~~~~~~~

Teddy was spoiled on his birthday. They went for a drive to town to go shopping. He got to ride Paris, sitting in front of Louise in the saddle. His hands over hers on the reins as they slowly walked around on the mare, Alfie watching from the fence.

Before dinner, he opened his presents, enough toys to last him his entire childhood as far as Louise thought. But she couldn’t say no to Alfie who wanted to give Teddy things he could remember his father by. And it was such a gift seeing the little boy tear open the wrapping paper with a glow in his eyes. To see Alfie lying on his stomach, pushing a toy train around the carpet with Teddy crashing a toy car into the caboose.

Then to finish it off, a big chocolate cake. Just like the one made for Louise’s birthday every year at Inglewood. Teddy was delighted and by the time he’d had his share, he needed a thorough bath to wash off all the chocolate from his hair, face, and hands.

While Louise bathed their son, Alfie retired to the bedroom. Cyril plodded off to bed; ready to call it a day after keeping an eye on Teddy and trying to keep Baby and Ollie in line.

Alfie leaned down to pat the bullmastiff on the head. “Good, lad. Family man now, aye? Used to be just us bachelors ‘fore. Now, look at us.” He chuckled and straightened up with a pained groan. Every bone and muscle in his body screamed out. He was so tired. The cancer was wearing him down, slowly taking out every ounce of energy he had left. He feared the day he wouldn’t be able to keep up with Teddy.

He sighed and slipped his shirt over his head, tossing it to the hamper. He paused by the mirror on Louise’s vanity. Time really did seem to catch up with him. He wasn’t the rabid young man who was a captain in the war. Not the fit boy who could beat the ever living shit out of men twice his size. The clean-shaven man who only sported a bruise here and there.

But the war. That’s when he started to wear the burdens life had given him. Scars. Bullet wounds. Unforgettable bits of violence always marked into his skin.

The tattoos. To remember or perhaps to warn others. A man who wasn’t afraid of death and certainly wasn’t afraid of a little needle.

Now, what was left? He was thinner, thinner than he’d been since he was prepubescent. The cancer appeared to be eating away at him. He grew thinner and horrendous lesions littering his skin. Marks that made him sick to look at. He thought it was a wonder that his son wasn’t afraid to look at him and his wife still kissed him. Alfie felt as if he were a piece of metal that was slowly rusting away. Then, in the end, there’d be nothing left but dust.

The door opened and Louise stepped in. “Alfie?” She asked gently.

He was pulled from his thoughts and glanced over at her. “Yeah, love?”

She frowned when she noticed the preoccupied look in his eyes. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, ‘course. What could be wrong?” He forced a smile and went to finish getting changed for bed.

“Alright…well, Teddy’s ready to be tucked in.”

He nodded and walked over to the door, stopping to kiss her cheek. “Love you.” Most days, he couldn’t say it enough to her. He wanted his wife to always have that locked in her mind even when he was long gone. Always wanted her to know that he loved her more than life itself.

She smiled. “I love you too.”

~~~~~~~~

Alfie nudged open Teddy’s door and smiled. “Got all the chocolate off your face, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Teddy beamed. His dark hair still a bit damp from the bath, his cherub cheeks still pink from the warm water. “Mummy said I couldn’t keep any of it for later.”

His father laughed and sat down on the edge of his bed. “I’m sure Baby and Ollie would come in to lick it off you.”

“Ew!” The little boy wrinkled up his nose. “Yuck.”

“Yeah, yuck.” Alfie chuckled and reached over to move aside a piece of hair stuck to Teddy’s forehead. “Look at you.” He said quietly in disbelief. “Can’t believe how big you’ve grown.”

“Gonna be big like you,” Teddy announced happily.

“That right? You don’t want to stay this little forever?”

“No!”

Alfie smiled sadly. He knew he’d never see Teddy as a grown man. As much as he would love to see what a great person he knew his son would become. If fate was on time, he wouldn’t see that day. “Alright then, right, you can get bigger. Long as you never forget dad, aye?”

“Okay.” Teddy didn’t understand. Alfie was always there. The longest they’d been apart is when Alfie and Louise took a holiday one weekend. Ollie and Shayna watched the little boy while they were away. But other than that, Alfie had been there every day. Teddy couldn’t comprehend being without him. The little boy didn’t even understand what death was.

“Good.” Alfie kissed his forehead. “Love you lots. Sleep well, yeah?”

“Good night, daddy.”

“Good night, Ted.”

Permanent Tag: @papa-geralt-of-cirilla @giftofdreams @biba3434

Tag list: @vehement-care @kimmietea @eleventhdoctorsangel @fire-treasure-iii

Masterpost

PB Masterlist

#alfie solomons #alfie solomonsxoc #alfie solomons x oc #alfie solomons imagine #peaky blinders #peaky blinder imagine #peaky fookin blinders #peaky blinders fanfiction #fanfiction #ofc #oc #tom hardy #tom hardy character

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a-crook-who-was-caught · 5 years

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I Think He Knows Analysis

Disclaimer: for this song I think I'll break it down by verse not by lyrics

I think he knows his footprints on the sidewalk lead to where I can't stop go there every night I think he knows his hands around a cold glass make me wanna know that body like it's mine

A lot of gay girls have to pretend to like and notice guys like this to "fit" in before they come out and in a way i believe that I Think He Knows plays in to that in a way. The easy way to interrupt this verse is that it's very straight but what if it's not? This might sound crazy to you but this verse could be Taylor trying to appear straight to play in to her current persona. With her recently saying that she doesn't notice how men walk in The Man BTS doesn't add up with what she's saying here so either she's just using he pronouns to pass or she really means it and doesn't mean what she said in the bts. This might just be me but for some reason this verse reminds me of "I don't want you like a best friend" for some reason and if they actually are supposed to correlate then if dress if about a girl this song is too. Ironic foreshadowing for a lyric yet to come.

He got that boyish look that I like in a man I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans it's like I'm 17, nobody understands no one understands

Why would Taylor like a boyish look in a man at 30 isn't that kinda creepy? If she's truly an architect who's building her life how she wants us to see it until she's ready to us to know the real story. She wants us to see Joe and her and think of them as goals at least right now but if you dig a little deeper you discover some pretty gay things. Not the least of which is her claiming to be an ally and dressing all in rainbows then prancing around stage all night. At 17 when she first started getting really famous so this verse could refer to getting to experience everything for the first time including a weird thrill of getting away with a lie even if it has a detrimental effect on her mental health like I'm assuming bearding does. That being said it could be this weird drug where she likes being able to get away with it but is also trying to get off of it by slowly dropping hints. Lately those hints have taken the form of Karlie taking on a more "boyish" look in suits since Taylor announced The Man as the next single which makes the lyric a lot less creepy.

He got my heartbeat skipping down 16th Avenue I got that, ah, I mean wanna see what's under that attitude like I want you, bless my soul and I ain't gotta tell him, I think he knows I think he knows

"I want you bless my soul" could be that she's going for a bad boy again which could play in to the attitude she talks about. The second idea is that she could asking for that because she's religious and being anything but straight according to most religions would require repentance and "blessing" of the soul. The latter of which would go along perfectly with the theory that I've seen about Scotty boy making Taylor stunt down 16th Avenue.

I think he knows when we get all alone I'll make myself at home and he'll want me to stay I think he knows he'd better lock it down or I won't stick around 'Cause good ones never wait (Ha)

Yes there's been theories about Taylor and joe getting married but you know what predates those rumours? The idea that Karlie and Taylor are either engaged or married. For some reason these lyrics are making me flashback to the pics of Taylor literally walking out of a garden gate with Karlie. If I had to guess why im reminded of that is because that could also relate to her saying she'll make herself at home.

He got that boyish look that I like in a man I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans he's so obsessed with me and, boy, I understand boy, I understand

I love the idea that Taylor is so confident here that she knows she's worth being obsessed with. There is also a chance that if this song is indeed about bearding. What could "obsession" start to look like in terms of who you're dating you ask? Well maybe it's Taylor and Tom Hiddleston running around on a beach where they both probably knew there was paps and having Tom wear an "I ❤️ Taylor Swift" shirt.

He got my heartbeat (Heartbeat) skipping down 16th AvenuebI got that, ah, I mean (I mean) wanna see what's under that attitude like I want you, bless my soul and I ain't gotta tell him, I think he knows I think he knows

See above breakdown

I want you, bless my I want you, bless my I want you, bless my I want you, bless my soul

See above.. again

Lyrical smile, indigo eyes, hand on my thigh we could follow the sparks, I'll drive lyrical smile, indigo eyes, hand on my thigh we could follow the sparks, I'll drive "So where we gonna go?" I whisper in the dark "Where we gonna go?" I think he knows

He got my heartbeat (Heartbeat) skipping down 16th Avenue (Baby) I got that, ah, I mean (I mean) wanna see what's under that attitude like (Yeah) I want you, bless my soul and I ain't gotta tell him, I think he knows I think he knows

Both joe and Josh know theyre just beards

I want you, bless my I want you, bless my I want you, bless my (Oh, baby) I want you, bless my soul (He got my heartbeat) I want you, bless my (Skipping down 16th Avenue, baby) I want you, bless my I want you, bless my soul and I ain't gotta tell him, I think he knows

Thanks for coming to my ted talk

#lover taylor swift #i think he knows #ITHK #gaylor #gaylor swift #karlie and taylor #taylor and karlie #kaylor #taylor x karlie #karlie x taylor #karlie what you want #thats hella gay taylor #taylor thats hella gay

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korra-the-red-lion · 3 years

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Unnatural Affairs. Chapter 21: The Banishment.

(Ally + Lyn + Michael)

Lyn.

“You’re going to training camp, aren’t cha, Lyn?”

I looked over at Matt who was hanging off the lane rope, water dripping off his beard. Andrew looked at me quizzically as well as they waited for my answer.

“Probably, yeah,” I said with a shrug. I’d totally forgotten about it, honestly. I’ve been so busy with all this spirit hunting junk that training camp just slipped my mind.

“Good. Kerry and I are going too.” Matt licked his lips. “So, you, Loryn, Kerry, Maddie, Thom, Ollie, and Will. Oh, and me!”

“I’m going to,” said Emma. “So’s Robin and Tams.”

“That’s not too bad,” I commented. “You only got like 7 people last year. You nearly got half the team. Wait, is Gunner not going?”

Andrew shook his head. “Me and Gunner are gonna go home together this year. I think he needs it.”

I looked over at Gunner, who just dove in the water for his heat. We were doing practice races today to work on our spirits and diving techniques. We got out of the pool since they started and walked over to the benches, where we sat and waited for it to be our turn again.

I rested my head against the wall and closed my eyes, thinking about all the shit we learned the last few days. I couldn’t believe that old prof was the killer. I didn’t like the guy, but I didn’t think he was capable of murder. Of course, not all killers looked like killers. That’s how Ted Bundy and Paul Bernardo got away with so many killings before they were caught.

We hadn’t told the police yet because we literally had no concrete evidence that he did it. We really only were going off what we’ve seen and what ghosts have told us and done to us. We couldn’t really say much in our defence. Whatever. Tomorrow we were going to get rid of the monstrous Fredrik Moore with the help of Katherine.

Ally told us this two days ago. Then she causally mentioned that she nearly got killed by Kinkly when she went to go speak to the ghost residing in the art building. I swear to God, between Ally and Michael, I was going to have aneurysm. Who the hell causally mentions they nearly died through a text message?? It was a little exhausting to keep up with, truthfully. I only understood so little, yet I was expected to keep up with all the crazy. I was definitely ready for it to be over.

Katherine had sent Ally a list of things that we needed for the ceremony tomorrow, or whatever you wanted to call it. I guess it was basic ghost hunting stuff like salt, iron or silver, special amulets. I didn’t really get it, but Michael was more than happy to find all that for us. Where he got it from, I didn’t really want to know.

“What’s on your mind, Lyn?”

Loryn’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I blinked back into focus. “Just some stuff.”

“Hm.” Loryn sat down next to me. “I can’t wait until this semester is over. I feel like once Christmas goes by, we’ll reset and refocus.”

“I agree.”

I watched Thom glance at Loryn as he walked up to the block. I wasn’t the most observant person on the planet, but I was starting to notice the looks he was giving her. I wondered if he had a crush on her or something. The thought of that brought a cheeky grin to my face.

“What are you doing for winter break, by the by?”

I shrugged. “Suffer until my flight, I guess.”

Loryn rubbed her hands together nervously. “Did you want to stay over at my place? We could leave together.”

“Loryn…” I stared at my friend, emotion building up in my chest. She was watching me with this stupid soppy look on her face too. “I can’t just impose on your family, especially not during the holidays.”

“And I can’t let my best friend go back to a place that makes her miserable,” countered Loryn. “C’mon, dad is totally okay with it. I just want you to think about for real, okay?”

“I will, I promise.”

She reached over and hugged me, and I hugged back. It really did mean a lot to me that she even asked. I didn’t know what I was going to do for winter break. I thought I’d just hang around here until then, but who knows, maybe the ghost problem was still going to be a thing then. I broke off the hug when I realized it was my turn to go up again. I patted Loryn on the head and headed over.

XXX

Michael.

I was so excited to see the list Ally had sent. I knew exactly where to get those things! As soon as my horrid math course ended, I raced down to the Dreaming Mythic. When I got there, Talia was in today. She smiled at me as I pulled off my hat and shoved it in my pocket.

“Mr. Yamamoto! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you last.”

“Yup!” I walked straight over to where the bags of salt were. “I’m here to stock up today.”

“I figured you were,” she said softly as she drifted over. “Katherine told me that you asked her for help.”

I froze. I smiled guiltily at her as I reached for the salts. “Yea’ I did. I hope that’s okay with you. I just got really excited when I saw her reading the spell book.” I did feel bad that I asked her like that, it probably caught her so off guard.

“Katherine is an adult,” said Talia wistfully. “If she wants to help, then she can make that decision herself. I just hope that you children are going to be safe.”

I nodded as I poked around the amulets. “I hope so too. I think that if we get hurt again, Lyn might kill us. And trust me, she doesn’t look that strong but that’s only cuz she’s wearing sweaters right now. She could crush my head if she wanted to. Plus, I’m pretty sure I’m scarred for life now because of this, so I don’t really need to add physio on top of therapy.”

Talia walked into the back room as I continued to poke around. I wasn’t really sure where I was going to get any silver from, but maybe the weird antique store down the road had something. These small towns and their wacky stores, huh? You could always find the weirdest stuff. This whole town had proven to be p r e t t y i n t e r e s t i n g so far.

I walked over to the counter with an armload of things. One could never be too careful when it came to fighting a giant ghost monster that could totally crush you with one hand. Never. I dumped my stuff and tapped my fingers against the counter as I waited for Talia to return. I wasn’t in a rush, so I didn’t mind waiting.

When she came back out, she was carrying a bundle in her arms. I looked at it quizzically as she set it on the counter delicately. My jaw fell open when I saw what it was.

A gleaming silver blade.

“This belonged to my mother, who got it from her father and so on,” said Talia as she ran her fingers on the flat part of the blade. “It served them well. I would like it if you took this to protect yourself. It’s much more efficient than a baseball bat.”

“How…?” I was dumbfounded.

“Mr. Yamamoto, I’m aware of how the minds of you people work,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “Also, I was a student once too, in a house full of girls. We all had our own weapons of choice in case anyone ever tried to break in.”

I ran my hand over my head. “I feel bad if any person ever tried to, after seeing this guy.”

She slid it back into the sheath and wrapped it back up. She put everything in a paper bag and handed it all to me. “Please, be careful. Those are dark forces you’re dealing with. And…” she paused, her face thoughtful. “Never mind. Take care, Michael.”

“Thank you, Talia.” I squeezed the bag to my chest tightly. It meant so much to me that she’s been so awesome this whole time. I can’t think of anyone else who would go to such crazy lengths to help a practical stranger. She really was a great person, no joke.

I smiled one last time before leaving the store. I couldn’t help but feel the nerves starting to creep in. It was going to be really dangerous, we knew that. It’s been dangerous this whole time. I think only when Ally spoke to Amelia was the only time she didn’t get hurt. These ghosts mean business, and their business is to kill.

In some weird way though, we had to do finish it. We were the ones who started this whole thing, really. If we hadn’t bothered to dig around more, then we wouldn’t feel the sense of responsibility to help them all move on. No one else could do this job but us. Sure, it was terrifying and stupid, but I’m happy in a way. I’m happy that we’re going to make a difference. Especially since all the victims were people that thought no one cared about this. But there were people who cared, somewhere out there. I mean, hell, we cared!

I understood their anger, though. I’ve been there. People making offhand comments about me behind my back. Being a biracial kid in Victoria hadn’t been terrible, but there were times that I was all too happy to forget about. I’ve been pulled over more times than I care to talk about because of the colour of my skin. There were times were people asked me if I was visiting people from home, as if my family didn’t live here in Canada. I understood all that. That’s why it was so important to me to help them out. Because someone had to.

So yeah, I was nervous. I was nervous because there was so much more at stake than just stopping Kinkly from killing again. It was about telling these people that they mattered. Because for the love of fucking God, they do.

XXX

Lyn.

When I got back to my room, I was surprised to see a package lying on my bed.

Nura would pick up my mail for me sometimes because she was a sweet and wonderful person. I didn’t order anything for myself, so I wasn’t sure where it came from. With a confused frown, I dropped my bag to the floor, grabbed the package, and opened it up.

A letter fell out, landing gently on my bed. I picked it up, surprised to see Olivia’s name scrawled on the front of it. Feeling even more confused now, I opened the letter to see what she had to say.

Lyn,

I just wanted to apologize again for making you come home for Thanksgiving. It was wrong of me to make you promise something like that when you needed a ride to the hospital. I still don’t know the real reason why you needed to go, but hopefully one day you’ll be able to share the truth with me.

It’s a little early for Christmas, but I got you a gift. It’s not much, and maybe you’ll hate it. What you do with them is your choice, and I’ll be none the wiser on what you decide. Speaking of, if you would like, Travis and I would be happy for you to come and stay for a while. I know you’re probably flying off to Florida or wherever again for your winter training camp. I just wanted to let you know the offer is there for you to take if you wish.

Anyway, I hope that you’ve been well and that all your finals go as you expect. You always give everything 110%, so I know you’ll do amazing.

With warmest love and regards,

Olivia.

I sat heavily on the bed, my emotions conflicted. I reread the letter a few more times, making sure I didn’t miss a single thing. It absolutely meant the world to me that Olivia went the extra mile to apologize for making me go back there. She didn’t have to, but she did.

I reached for the rest of the package and pulled out the box that was inside. It was a shoe box for Converse, and when I opened it, a brand-new brand of blue-green high-tops rested inside. I pulled them gently and examined them. They were my size exactly, and there was another note inside the box.

I know you loved those black ones you have, but since they were bloody, I thought these would be a good replacement.

They were gorgeous. I loved them already. I wouldn’t be able to wear them for while because of the weather, but Olivia made an awesome choice.

I thought back to Loryn’s offer. Now I had two places to go for the holidays, meaning that I wouldn’t be spending them alone, regardless of my choice. I felt warmth blooming in my chest. Maybe later tonight would end horribly for us, but for now I was content to just sit here and be thankful for the people in my life.

XXX

Ally.

December 1st.

If someone had asked me at the beginning of the term what I would be doing 9 days before the first day of exams, I probably would have said pretending that relearning the entire course wasn’t stressing me out at all. Instead, I was going to go back to the swim team’s locker room for the third time this term to hopefully help a ghost move on from this plane of existence. You know, a typical Wednesday.

I stared up at the clouds as I sat outside on one of the benches scattered around campus. It was a really peaceful day. It was cold, and the wood was wet on my legs, but still peaceful.

The nerves I felt were not as bad as I thought they would be. Maybe because we’ve already been through so much already. Scarred, bruised, hurt, but alive. We lucked out twice already, and I know we’ll do it again a third time. If everything went according to our plan, it should be fine.

I laughed to myself. When has anything gone according to our plans?

Still, I dropped my head back, so it was dangling over the bench, we’ll be okay. I have to believe that. I don’t want anything to happen to them. I won’t let anything happen to them.

I wasn’t a physical fighter, but I was going to try my best to make sure we all made it out of here okay. I owed Michael and Lyn that much. I dragged them into this wild world, and I was going to be the ones to make sure they got out of it alive.

“You’re doing your thinking face.”

I smiled as I sat up properly. “Hey. Did you get everything?”

“I totally did,” said Michael as he sat next to me. “Now, don’t divert the convo. What cha thinking about?”

“Just everything, honestly.” I tucked my hands under my armpits. “You know my brain is always running, it never stops.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” he chuckled.

We sat there as I rested my head against him. He put his arm around my shoulders. We took comfort in each other’s warmth. The steady rhythm of his breathing added to the calm I was feeling. There was something about sitting with a friend on a cold winter day that was under appreciated.

The day slowly waned away as we sat silently. I don’t know what Michael was thinking about, but it was probably about tonight. I could feel the anxiety emitting off of him. He wasn’t biting his nail, but he was bouncing his leg away from me quite a bit. I reached down and squeezed his hand in comfort, causing him to look my way. I smiled at him and he returned the gesture.

“Do you really think we’ll be okay?” His voice was small.

“I do,” I said firmly.

He nodded slowly, staring off again. “Do you think it was a mistake to ask someone else to help? I feel more guilty the more I think about it.”

I frowned in thought. “I’m not sure, honestly. I do think that she would have said no if she really was against the idea, though. She’s got spirit, I think.”

“Okay.”

“Hey,” I looked up at him. “Michael, I know you. Don’t beat yourself up over this. We’ll make sure nothing happens, alright?”

Michael closed his eyes tightly. “Alright. I just…I don’t know if I would ever forgive myself if someone got hurt because of me.”

A flashback of Michael smacking into the wall and the blood flying from Lyn’s arm shot through my head. I swallowed thickly as guilt rested heavy in my stomach and said, “Yeah, I get that.”

The sun dipped below the skyline as it started to get dark. It was only 6:00 now, and we had to wait until closing. Stupid winter and shorter days. It was starting to get too cold for me to stick around much longer, so I gently pushed away from Michael and stood up, my body shivering from the loss of contact. I fiddled with my glasses anxiously.

“I’m going to head back to my room for a bit,” I said. “See you soon.”

“See you soon,” echoed Michael.

XXX

“Hey, Ally?” The RA leaned against my doorway. “There’s someone waiting for you outside.”

I glanced at Sarah before pushing myself away from my desk. The RA walked all the way to the door with me before leaving without saying a word. I pushed open the door and saw Lyn standing there, her cheeks pink from the cold.

“Hey! Why didn’t you just text me?”

“Left my phone in my room,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t really want it to get ruined.”

I stepped out of the way to let her in. She gave me an appreciative smile as she came in. I wasn’t sure where we should go, since Sarah was still in our room. I decided on the common area and led Lyn that way.

After a quick look around, I walked in once I saw it was empty. I sat down on one of the sagging couches and Lyn plopped down besides me. She slipped her hat off and ran her hand over her hair to smooth it down. She took my hand into hers, which was freezing, and gave it a quick kiss.

“Are you feeling nervous?” she asked, her eyes searching.

“I’m definitely feeling it, yeah.”

“That’s good,” Lyn laughed. “I’m scared shitless.”

I nodded in understanding. “You’re not alone in that feeling.”

Lyn ran her free hand over her face before squeezing her ear. “That’s great to hear. Like seriously, you do all this crazy shit, and it always amazes me. Well, it makes me want to kill you first, but then I’m amazed. I don’t know how you can keep it up.”

I mulled over that for a few minutes before saying quietly, “Because no one else can. I mean…yeah, I totally scared. I literally think I’m going to die each time we go out, or that I was so stupid for doing this, or for dragging you guys into this. But…” I frowned, scrubbing a hand against my eye, “someone has to do this. I would feel terrible if someone else died while I sat by and did nothing about it, you know?”

Lyn looked thoughtful as she nodded. She didn’t say anything else as she released my hand, instead slipping her arm around me and taking my other hand back. She kissed the top of my head and held me close. I closed my eyes, taking comfort in her presence.

To be perfectly honest, I never would have done this alone. It was only because I had Lyn and Michael that I was able to do this. Not even counting the close encounters, it was really traumatizing to see how someone died. They have been here for me this whole time, and for that, I’m forever grateful. Sure, we’ll all be in therapy because it, probably. But at least it won’t be alone. At least someone I know will always understand what I’m going through, on some level. And hopefully after this was all done, we could figure out a way to stop Kinkly once and for all. Then it would all be over, and we can go back to being normal students. Students who were worried about their exams, not about whether they’ll be haunted that evening while studying in the library.

We sat together like this until it was time to go. My stomach lurched as we stood up, the realization of what we were about to do catching up with me. Lyn squeezed my hand tightly, her jaw set determinately. I could see the fear dancing in her eyes, the way she kept cracking her fingers, but she was ready to go. When she caught me staring, she winked at me with an easy smirk.

“Hey, we’re the Spook Searchers, this is what we do,” she said jokingly. “We search for spooks.”

“I don’t think dealing with monsters and witches is part of the description,” I pointed out.

She rolled her eyes as she held the door open for me. Startling, the wind was ranging outside. Despites my protests, Lyn pushed my back to my room. She was firmly insisting (read: leaving no room for argument) that I put on a pair of pants. According to her, every time we’ve gone there, we’ve had to flee outside and that I wasn’t going to be freezing my ass off just for the sake of my style. She had a point, but that didn’t mean I agreed with her. However, I sullenly complied because it did make sense.

Finally, we left Lukas and made a painful walk to the Athletic Centre, hopefully for the last time. The wind was biting into my face. It felt like tiny little cuts were opening on my skin. The walk only lasted 5ish minutes, but it sure as hell felt longer than that. Michael and Katherine were there when we showed up.

Michael grinned when he saw us, though I could see the tightness in his face. Katherine wasn’t even attempting to smile, instead glaring at us moodily. I gave Michael a quick hug while I nodded to her. She just stared back. Yay, this was going to be really fun.

Lyn patted Michael on the back and gave Katherine a nod of acknowledgement as she pushed the door open. Her friend was sitting at the desk and looked up as we walked over. Apparently, she had spoken to him the other day and told him this huge lie about how she wanted to sneak us into the pool for a secret party. She told him it was totally safe and that she’d lock up afterwards. Her ability to come up with believable lies was really amusing to me. First a camping trip gone wrong now this.

“Just make sure you put everything back to where it belongs,” he said to her nervously as he handed over the key.

“I totally will!” said Lyn in a bubble-gum tone. “Thanks so much for doing this for me, Hassan.”

“You owe me one.”

She gave him a big hug. “Yup! Have a good night, buddy.”

A smile flickered onto his face. “Yeah, yeah, you too, Lyn.”

Lyn cheerfully waved to him as he left the building. After she was sure he was gone, she quickly locked the main doors. Her shoulders were tense with stress as she came back over to the three of us.

“This better go well,” she said as she pocketed the keys.

“I think it will!” said Michael with a fist pump. “I have a really good feeling about it this time. Plus, look at all this awesome stuff I have!” He held his bag open for us to look inside. I saw bags of salts, some knives, and amulets. Katherine stuck her hand in there and pulled out the necklaces.

“I need you guys to put this on,” she said as she handed one to each of us. Michael readily put his on while Lyn stared at hers skeptically. I understand why, since the last time we relied on jewelry it didn’t do much for us. I took mine from Katherine and slipped it on, the weight of it feeling a little strange. Lyn finally shrugged and put hers on as well.

Katherine stuck her hand into her coat pocket and pulled out a small object. I felt my brows raise in surprise as she flicked it open, revealing the blade inside. I winced as she sliced her finger open. Michael’s face went pale, and Lyn frowned, her ears lighting up. Katherine hissed as she pressed the bloody digit to the center of her amulet, and it started to glow brightly. She muttered something under her breath and the brightness dimmed, the necklace reflecting only a warm glow.

“Who’s next?” she asked with her hand outstretched.

Michael tentatively stuck his hand out. Katherine took his hand gently, before quickly nicking the skin open. Michael’s face scrunched slightly in discomfort but otherwise he said nothing. She pressed her finger on top of his before placing it on the amulet. The same light show happened before it dimmed down.

I was about to lift my hand when Lyn quickly thrusted hers out. Katherine glanced up at her before cutting her thumb open, causing Lyn to flinch. She had her eyes closed the whole time Katherine worked silently. After it was over, she sucked on the thumb as if that would help with the pain.

Finally, I was up, and I gave her my hand. Katherine’s eyes searched mine before she took my hand into hers. Her grip was surprisingly gentle as she looked at my fingers. She grabbed my ring finger and sliced the knife against the skin. I felt the tingling in my face from the pain as she pressed our fingers together. I only just noticed now that she used a different finger for each of us, as three of her fingers dripped with blood. Once she was done with me, she quickly stepped away and dug out a clean thing of gauze with her other hand. She ripped the thing open with her free hand and grimaced as she pressed her fingers into it.

“Here, let me help,” said Lyn. She reached over the desk and grabbed the first aid kit. She quickly wiped up the blood and wrapped each of them in a small gauze.

“Thanks,” muttered Katherine.

Michael fingered his amulet with a curious look. “So…what was the point of that?”

“Protection,” said Katherine. “Your blood mixed with a witch’s should be a much better protection against anything that might try to take your body from you. It will do little against physical harm, so you still gotta be careful.”

“Gotcha.” Michael smiled at me. “Should we head down, then?”

“If we’re all ready,” I said with a smile of my own. I certainly didn’t feel happy, but I didn’t want all of us to be freaking out, so I put on a brave face. I did a quick look around and when everyone nodded in agreement, we headed down.

The hall lights flickered on as we walked down the stairs. The pipes were moaning overhead as they settled. I could hear the fans working through the pool doors as we walked by. Michael handed Lyn something that was wrapped up in a bundle, causing her to look very confused.

“What’s this?”

“Something I think suits you best,” he said with a wink. I could see the trembling of his hands but he hid them behind his back so we wouldn’t see his fear.

She pulled the rope off the bundle and let the cloth fall to the floor. She gasped as she held out the sword in her hand. I was surprised to see a weapon like that too. I looked over at Michael with wide eyes, who just gave me a shaky thumbs up. Katherine was eyeing the weapon with a strange look before she looked away, wrapping her arms around herself.

“We should keep moving,” I said, my voice echoing into the darkness.

Our footsteps sounded incredibly loud as we approached the locker room. When we stood in front of it, Katherine frowned in trepidation. She poked around for a bit before sighing deeply through her nose.

“This is it, then?” she asked, looking at us.

Lyn nodded. “Yeah. This is where the big fucking angry ghost in. The other one is apparently in the mirrors where the bathroom and showers are.”

“’Kay.” Katherine shrugged her bag off. “This is going to be a very dangerous thing. Once I start, he’ll fight against me. He’ll probably attack us. I wouldn’t be surprised if the other ghosts around the area get involved. Are you all ready for that?”

I swallowed thickly and nodded. “We know what we signed up.” Ugh, my voice definitely cracked there a few times.

Katherine looked at me for several long seconds before turning away. “Alright. Just give me a few minutes to get ready then.”

Only a few minutes before shit hit the fan, oh boy. Those were going to be a long few minutes.

XXX

Michael.

Watching Katherine work was something weird for sure.

She sat down on the floor and poured a bag of her own salt around her in a protective ring. Next, she set up a few black and red candles around her. She pushed her bangs out of her eyes as she muttered to herself quietly. I wanted to ask what she was doing but I thought leaving her alone was the right move to make. I went over to where the others were leaning against the wall instead.

Lyn looked really pale as she watched Katherine. Her face was devoid of any showing emotion, but I could tell by the way she kept tugging at her ear that she was really nervous. Ally was biting her lip as she fiddled with the zipper of her jacket. She attempted to give me a smile when I stood next to her, but it came out looking grim.

“We’re going to be fine, Ally,” I said. I believed it, too. I had to.

She nodded slowly, her eyes unsure. “I think so too,” her voice was so quiet. “It’s just what happens after that I’m scared about.”

“Whattya mean?” I tilted my head.

“With Kinkly,” her voice cracked at the end. “Sure, we’re helping Fredrik here and that’s really awesome. But what about the actual murderer? We don’t exactly have tangible evidence that says ‘hey, this guy is the killer!’”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” We both were startled by Lyn’s sudden jump into the conversation. She tore her eyes away from Katherine and gave us a tight smile. “We’ve already done so many crazy things together, what’s one more? I’m sure that we’ll figure it out once we have time to think about it. But first, we gotta focus on this, you know?”

We both nodded in agreement. My heart was thudding rapidly in my chest suddenly. The temperature in the hallway started to drop and I looked over at Katherine. Her face was screwed up in concentration as she continued to mumble to herself. Her gaze lingered up and when I caught her eye, she nodded towards the door.

It was time.

Trying my very best to swallow my growing fear, I held out one bag of salt in one hand and an iron knife in the other. Lyn drew the sword smoothly from its scabbard and held it tightly in both hands, her knuckles white. Ally took a deep breath as she held onto her own knife. She reached for the door handle, but it ripped open before she could even touch it.

Fredrik in his monstrous form bellowed at us in the cramped space. Suddenly, I felt the floor shifting beneath my feet as the area expanded. I stumbled a little before getting my footing again. I wasn’t sure what happened, but this wasn’t the locker room anymore. It was, but it wasn’t.

The whole space was distorted. The lockers looked like they were curved and wider than they usually were. The tiles on the floor were red with blood and the walls moved as if they were breathing. The whole area felt alive. Fredrik stood in the middle of it, his mouth drooling bloody saliva. Fiona stood next to him, her expression dark and hard to read.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” she said grimly. “You’ve made a horrible mistake.”

Her face twisted horribly as her own body began to transform. My pulse was pounding in my ears and my hands shook violently. My eyes flickered to Katherine, who was chanting loudly now, her eyes glowing brightly. All we had to do was make sure nothing bad happened to her while she finished.

Fredrik lurched forward, his powerful legs carrying him forward. We scattered away from the attack. He whirled and immediately went towards Katherine. My legs felt like lead. I tried to move but I couldn’t. I looked down and saw that my legs were trapped in a gory cast. I yelled in surprise, stabbing at it with the knife. Katherine was in danger, and I was helpless to do anything for her.

I looked up when I heard Fredrik scream. Lyn stood in front of Katherine, her eyes wide in fear but she held her ground. Fredrik’s face was dripping with fresh blood and the sword glistened with blood.

“That’s for scarring me, asshole!” Lyn swung the blade heavily, causing Fredrik to draw back.

Quickly I cut myself out of the gore cast and was about to run over to where they were when Lyn pointed over. “Go to Ally! I’ve got this!”

That sounded like a lie, but I wasn’t going to argue once I saw that Fiona was swiping at Ally, who was trapped waist deep in a gory hold. I ripped open one of the bags of salt I had and threw it directly at Fiona. She shrieked as she tore at her face. Pieces of flesh fell to the ground with a sickening wet sound as the blood welled on her face. The salt that landed on Ally’s gory prison started to dissolve and she started tearing chunks off with her own knife.

“What is this stuff!?” Ally scrambled back so we were side to side.

“I have no idea, but it felt very…fleshy,” I said with a heavy swallow. I was not going to be sick here.

Ally looked sick at the thought but nodded. “Okay. Okay. We need to stop them from getting to Kat.”

I nodded in agreement. I handed Ally a bag of salt. She looked around before kneeling down and ran the knife through a puddle of something liquid. She stuck the knife in the bag and pulled it back out, the blade now covered in salt. Geez, that was so quick thinking. I was about to do the same thing when Fiona screamed at us.

“YOU ARE GOING TO SUFFER FOR THAT, HUMAN. I WILL KILL YOU!” Her voice was distorted, sounding like it was being layered with something else. Her back ripped open with a wet sound as a second pair of bloody arms grew from her back. Her head twisted with a vicious crack as her jaw opened widely like a snake’s, only it didn’t seem to have a stopping point. Ally and I stepped away in fear.

We ran away from her attacks, each punch pounding into the floor with a fleshy sound. The floor kept trying to get a hold of us with its gory prison. Bones grew from the floor like tree roots, and we had to dodge them so we didn’t trip. Fiona was howling behind us like wounded animal. I could see the pain in Ally’s face as she tried her best to keep moving forward. But no matter how far we ran, it was like we couldn’t get away.

I barely felt fear as we rolled away from a smash of her claws. My body was running on instinct to survive. There were nearly no thoughts in my head besides run, survive, get away, dodge. Fiona picked something up that suspiciously looked like a body without a head and threw it at us. I shouted as we fell to the floor. Hands with rotting flesh shot through the floor and grabbed at us, keeping us in place. I struggled against their slimy grip, sweat dripping down my face. Fiona leisurely approached us, her twisted features manic.

“You should have kept your nose of this, Ally,” she said quietly. I could see the pain in her eyes, the agony she was feeling. She raised one hand, claws ready to tear into us.

“I’m sorry.”

Her eyes widened in shock. I twisted around to look at Ally, who’s face looked utterly heartbroken.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I’m sorry that you’ve been forced to become this thing, Fiona. I’m sorry that they gave up on you and your brother so easily. I mean it, and I meant it last time. What happened to you two was tragic and it’s so horrible that no one tried harder. I can’t imagine the pain you’re going through, I really can’t. B-but,” there were tears streaming down her face, “I know you don’t want to do this. I-I saw how David was being controlled.”

Tears sprung to my own eyes as Fiona hesitated. There was a battle of conflict playing out on her face. Ally closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. “You are in control here, Fiona.”

Fiona’s face twisted as she howled. She brought down both arms.

XXX

Lyn.

The sword was heavy in my hands as I swung it.

I thought it would be like a baseball bat, but man was I wrong. This thing was wearing me down so quickly. I could hear Katherine behind me, continuing with the spell. The hair on the back of my neck and arms were standing on end as the pressure around us continued to increase.

There was blood dripping off the sword where I had sliced Fredrik. My hands were covered in it from the splash back. My chest was rising and falling heavily as I panted. My whole body was shaking from the effort of keeping her safe. My heart was racing from a mix of adrenaline and fear. My stomach felt like it was cramping shut.

I was so worried about Ally and Michael too. I saw Michael run off to go help Ally, but I haven’t seen them since. I really had no idea what was going on and it was freaking me out big time. This whole place looked like a fucked-up rejection from a horror movie or something. The walls moved away from you each time you took a step. The floor fucking looked like it was made of human bodies. If I stayed still for too long, rotten hands reach up and try to grab me, or some gory entity does.

Fredrik watched me carefully, circling around. I sluggishly followed him with my eyes, careful to have the sword pointed at him the whole time. He was waiting for me to let my guard down. That wasn’t going to happen.

Katherine gasped loudly behind me, causing me to look back. Fredrik screeched as he launched himself at me. I swore viciously as I tried to defend myself. I really didn’t want another scar to match.

“Step back and swing upwards.” A jolt of panic shot through my whole system.

I did as the voice said, and Fredrik’s claw missed my face by half an inch. I swung upwards and caught him by the chin, Blood sprayed all over me and I blinked it out of my eyes as I stumbled back.

“Duck, then thrust forward.”

Again, I did as it said. The sound of his claws rushing by filled me with dread as I took a huge step forward. I jabbed the blade into his belly. Fredrik shrieked in pain as he doubled over, stumbling away from us.

“Good job. Stay close to the witch now.”

“Who are you?” I asked into the wind.

“Someone trying to help you, darling. I know we’ve never talked before, but you have to trust me.”

I shook my head as I stepped back. I stopped next to Katherine, who was breathing heavily. She pushed sweaty bangs from her face and looked up at me, her face going pale as she took in my appearance. I felt disgusting, so I could only imagine what I looked like.

“Are you finished?” I asked, kneeling down next to her.

Katherine nodded quickly. “It should only take a minute for the effects to kick in now.”

“Thank God,” I muttered darkly.

“Are you hurt?”

I glanced at my hands and shrugged. “I really couldn’t tell ya, honestly.”

“That’s…that’s fair.” She pulled her knees to her chest, her eyes wide with fear. “This place is so fucked. Is this what you’ve been dealing with the whole time?”

I shook my head. “Mostly just insane shit happening in the locker rooms. Though I took a lovely blood shower once,” I said sarcastically.

Katherine opened her mouth to say something when there was a huge roar that shook both of us to the core. Fredrik was writhing on the floor, clawing at his skin. Blood gushed from his self-mutilation. My stomach lurched from the display, and I looked away. But when I heard him howling, I found myself looking once more. Layers of flesh peeled away from his body. Bones became exposed as they crumbled away. Organs were exposed as they melted away into nothing.

“What’s happening to him?” I asked, my voice thick with fear.

“The monster is dying,” Katherine said flatly. “The human soul is becoming exposed.”

I watched in horror at the remaining parts of what was Fredrik dissolve into a frothy liquid. From the remains stood a boy, not much older than Ally or me. He looked scared and confused as he looked around. When he saw us, he tripped over the bones of the monster as he tried to walk over. He stopped a couple feet short of us and fell to his knees.

“You saved me,” he cried. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” said Katherine softly. “I hope you have a better time in the Shadow Lands, Fredrik Moore. I know this journey hasn’t been easy for you.”

He wiped at his eyes and nodded. “I hope so. Is…is my sister here?”

Katherine lifted her hand and pointed. Fredrik looked over and gasped when he saw his sister standing over Ally and Michael. I felt fear coarse through my veins as I saw her bring down her own claws. I screamed out their names as I tried to get to my feet. Tears left paths down my blood covered face as I stumbled over to where they were.

The plume of dust dissipated, revealing a very stunned Ally and Michael but otherwise unharmed. I collapsed next to them, grabbing a hand from each of them and trying to control my crying.

“We’re okay,” coughed Ally. Her eyes widened as she took in my appearance. “Are you okay?!”

I nodded as I squeezed her hand. “I think so,” I said with a hiccup.

Michael sat up, his face pale and ashy looking. “I’m okay too, in case you forgot I was here.” He said it jokingly, but I could hear how weak his voice sounded.

“I’m glad you’re okay too,” I sniffled as I gave his hand a good squeeze.

I stiffened when I saw Fiona approached us. She was no longer a monstrous version of herself, instead looking like a young woman. There were tears dripping down her face as she bowed her head. Fredrik put his arm around her and rested his head on hers.

“Thank you, Ally…for saving me. He was controlling me, and I couldn’t stop myself from hurting you.” Fiona wiped at her face.

Ally smiled tiredly. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad you are together again.”

Fiona grabbed Fredrik’s hand tightly as she looked around. Both her and her brother looked confused as to where we were. That was not a good sign. Even though my body was physically exhausted, the panic that was settling into my bones was causing me to feel twitchy.

Then we heard the slow clapping.

XXX

Ally.

I looked around, but I couldn’t place where the clapping was coming from. Fiona and Fredrik both looked terrified. Michael sat up straighter as he looked around as well. Lyn’s pupils were wide with fear. Katherine stood wearily next to us.

“You need to get out of here,” whispered Fiona. “He’s coming.”

The whispers of ‘he’s coming’ echoed all around us. I shakily stood up. Lyn and Michael did the same. We instinctually stepped closer to each other. Lyn reached out and even pulled Katherine a bit closer.

“I can’t believe you managed to pull that off, Alexandra,” said his voice all around.

“Pulled what off?” I called out, hoping my voice sounded stronger than it felt.

There was an unsettling chuckle. “Getting rid of me from Fredrik. That required a lot of power. I didn’t think you’d be able to find someone to pull it off. But you proved me wrong.”

“Show yourself, you monster!” I yelled.

The earth shook underneath our feet violently. Fiona and Fredrik ran away from our group, disappearing from sight. The ground split open to reveal beating organs beneath our feet. Michael finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and threw up. Lyn looked sick too, but she managed to keep it down. Katherine couldn’t tear her eyes away from the horror that we were standing on. When there was another chuckle, the ground shook again.

“I’ve been here the whole time, Alexandra. This is my body you’re standing on, after all.”

Shocked coloured my face. How was that even possible? I stepped away from the seeping wounds at my feet, trying to make sense of it all.

Then he showed himself.

Robert Kinkly looked just as he always did. Round glasses, frumpy sweater with crazy wispy silver hair. He smiled at us and gave a polite clap for us. Lyn gritted her teeth and hefted the sword back up. Michael held the knife high as well, his hand steady despite his fear. Katherine looked petrified as she stepped slightly behind us. I didn’t blame her at all. All I wanted to do was ran away and hide away forever.

“Honestly, I do have to ask, how’d you figure it all out?” He tilted his head in that way that he always did when he asked us questions in class.

“I’m not telling you,” I spat out. God, I was feeling a lot braver than I actually was.

He blinked owlishly. “Huh. Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. I’ll just have to kill you three and make away with all that research you have. It will be tragic, three students losing their lives just before exams. But the roads are icy at this time of year, after all.”

“You’re a fucking psycho,” snarled Lyn. “I can’t believe you murdered all those people.”

“Language, Lyndsey. There is no reason for you to be speaking to me that way,” he scolded coolly. “Besides, I had to kill them. It was the only way for me to survive.”

“But why?” I cried out. “You died! I don’t understand how you’re even here!”

Kinkly held his hand up. “Patience, Alexandra. To be honest, I’m not quite sure myself. I remember when I died, and I remember begging for a second chance. The next thing I knew, I was alive and well. The only issue I ran into was my flesh began to rot away on me. However, I soon discovered I could stay alive so long as I could sacrifice someone else’s life in exchange for mine. And well…” he spread his hands out with a cold grin. “It was obvious who I was going to choose.”

“But…” Michael’s voice cracked with emotion. “How could you do that to innocent people? Amelia and the Moore siblings didn’t deserve that. Dahlia and Jamieson didn’t deserve that.”

Kinkly laughed with a shake of his head. “I didn’t kill Dahlia. She was already here when I died. But the others? Nobody cared when they were alive, and nobody cared when they died. Really, I may have been the way to swing the axe, but I wasn’t the one who killed them. Society did.”

I felt anger bubble in my chest as I took a step forward. “That’s a lie you tell yourself. These people, they had live. They had futures. You are the one who took that away from them, no one else!”

“Please, stop with the dramatics already,” he said with an eyeroll. “I told you so many times to keep to yourself and mind your own business. Really, your own death is on your hands. Shame, too. I thought you had potential.” His face twisted into something horrible. The grin was too large and stretched out, like it belonged on someone else’s face. His teeth were just slightly too pointed to be natural. He laughed loudly and the floor shook once more.

“Lie down and die for me, ALEXANDRA HOLLAND, LYNDSEY HART, AND MICHAEL YAMAMOTO.”

My whole body shook as panic shot through my brain. It was bad for a ghost to know your full name. It was really, really bad. But I didn’t really know why, I just knew it was. I could feel the power behind those words. I closed my eyes, ready for the end.

0 notes

ecoorganic · 4 years

Text

'Ted Lasso' and the Journey From Viral Promo to TV Series

Jason Sudeikis reprises his role as a befuddled coach in England, with his viral NBC promos evolving into a full-on TV show. He explains the story of how it happened.

There’s a scene in Ted Lasso, where the title character–Jason Sudeikis’s American football coach who abruptly turns into a Premier League manager–sprints to the assistant referee in the middle of a crucial match after raising his flag for an offside call.

“Come on, now! What do you mean? How’s that offside?” complains Lasso, with his characteristic Kansan drawl as the linesman looks at him with confusion.

“What?” asks the official.

Lasso gets closer. “No, I’m serious. How’s that offside...I don’t understand it yet.”

This lack of complete understanding and across-the-pond confusion is one way to describe the essence of Apple TV+’s latest sitcom, which originated from a 2013 NBC Sports promo. That's where Sudeikis introduced his character as part of the network’s acquisition of the Premier League broadcast rights.

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The idea was simple. Lasso, an intense, wide-eyed college football coach from Kansas City arrives in London and enters the alien world of the Premier League. In the promos, he takes over Tottenham (the following season,

he returns as head coach of youth girls' team St. Catherine Fighting Owls), questioning why players don’t wear more pads and teaching the art of flopping. He has no knowledge of the game or its cultural and historical significance. It was a satiric outlook at two different worlds seen through the eyes of a naïve American, and for NBC, it was a way to both attract a loyal, knowledgeable soccer fan as well as appeal to a new audience.

In the end, it worked, as both promos (2013 and 2014) went viral and gained a tremendous amount of attention. Combined, the videos have generated more than 20 million views on YouTube and helped the network build a strong foundation for its Premier League audience.

It’s been six years since those promos aired, and soccer in the U.S.–without Ted Lasso–has grown tremendously in popularity. So how was the character revived?

“I guess it’s a dozen little things that go right that you’re willing and ready to receive,” Sudeikis told Sports Illustrated. “After doing the second video (in 2014), it really unlocked elements of the character that we found very, very fun to write and portray and view the world through. So, one day in 2015, my partner Olivia (the actress and filmmaker Olivia Wilde) came up to me one day and said, ‘You know, you should do Ted Lasso as a show,’ and I said, ‘I don’t know,’ but then after marinating on it, I thought maybe this could happen.”

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In spring of the same year, Sudeikis got together with his creative partners and writers, Joe Kelly and Brendan Hunt–the three of them started together with Chicago’s well-known improv group The Second City and Amsterdam’s Boom Chicago; Hunt also plays Lasso’s assistant coach and confidante Coach Beard–and powered through for a week to see if they could create a show out of it.

“When you have a germ of an idea, you don’t know if it’s something you say out loud or if it’s a tweet or a letter or a screenplay, who knows," Sudeikis said. "So, we sat down, and we were able to bang out a pilot pretty quick in that week. As well as outlining six to 10 episodes of the first season. And that let us know, ‘O.K., there’s something here.’”

Despite the excitement for the idea, that’s all it was at that moment–an idea without a home. So, life continued, and the three friends left Ted Lasso alone for a few years and diverted their focus to their respective careers.

“But that allowed us to get a little space from it, and low and behold, the showbiz gods looked and smiled down on us and brought Bill to our doorstep,” Sudeikis said.

"Bill" is Bill Lawrence, the experienced television writer, producer and creative force behind award-winning shows such as Scrubs, Cougar Town and Spin City. Lawrence entered the frame in 2017 when he and Sudeikis played pickup basketball a couple of nights a week and one night, the idea of Ted Lasso came up. After a few more chats, he read the script and the concept and was immediately interested.

“I wanted to work with Jason Sudeikis, he just cracks me up. I thought he was awesome on SNL, whenever he shows up in a movie, I’m immediately into it and he seems like that dude you want to hang with,” Lawrence said. “I’d also seen those sketches, the promotional videos for the Premier League back when he did them and I thought they were so funny, and he said, 'What if we made that character three-dimensional and really rounded him out?' Ted Lasso can still be goofy and funny, but we could also have our version.”

And this was critical for Sudeikis. In the commercials, Lasso’s unawareness is funny and often endearing, but for a show, there had be more to him for the audience to not just laugh, but also root for him.

“I think Scrubs is a fantastic show. You can put the 10 best episodes of it up against any show,” Sudeikis said. “Bill writes male characters and relationships so beautifully, his use of music and dealing with heavy duty issues of life and death. And now, two years later, here we are talking about it. It’s actually really gonna happen and I can’t kind of believe it.”

Not only is the show happening (it premieres this Friday), but it also succeeds in its mission. Ted Lasso is warm, it’s funny and–like the main character–it has heart. Unlike the commercials, where Ted’s biggest trait is his buffoonery, the show celebrates his relentless thirst for hope. He is a man with passion, dignity and someone you for whom you cheer. Lasso is the eternal optimist, whose naivety is both a strength and a weakness, and just like J.D from Scrubs, Lasso is vulnerable (in the show, he actually leaves the U.S. to escape from a troubled marriage) and aches for comfort. That’s what he offers his new team in return–an arrogant, underachieving Premier League side controlled by a scorned owner. It’s not Tottenham this time around, but the fictional AFC Richmond.

Lawrence sees Lasso as the perfect example of the inspiring teacher. A sports version of Robin Williams's John Keating from Dead Poets Society, where his personality is a weapon against cynical reporters and resentful fans who naturally express their disgust at the thought of an American with no knowledge of the game taking over their beloved club.

“We all grew up with a favorite teacher or a favorite coach. They put us on a path. These people never force you into doing anything. It’s just good folks,” Lawrence said. “Me and Jason overlap cause we also like doing shows with heart and because it’s such a dumpster-fire time in the world, Jason really wanted to do a show that was hopeful and optimistic, and most sports movies have that. That’s what's at their core. It’s the underdog. We were trying to capture that optimism and hopefulness that comes with those iconic figures from your life, whether it’s a coach, a teacher or a parent.”

If there's a coach in the real Premier League that emits optimism and hopefulness, it's Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp, and Sudeikis admits that Lasso's character in the show is partly inspired by him.

“Man. When I heard about him taking his squad to go do karaoke, I was like, ‘hellooooo, story idea…’” said Sudeikis, who also admires Pep Guardiola. “I really love those coaches. I really like the way they handle themselves as leaders of an organization. They are guys who I would follow into a fist fight.”

Sudeikis loves the game but fully admits he still needs to do more before calling himself a hardcore, scholarly fan.

"I love the sport. My joke has been that I have a deep appreciation for it but a shallow understanding. But that’s why I keep company with Brendan and Joe, who know their stuff,” Sudeikis said. “But it’s still all new to me. Every time I go to see a match, I buy a kit for me at the gift shop and a kit for my little boy. I’m ready to be a fair-weather fan for whoever needs it [laughs]. I know people hate for me that, but that’s the truth.”

The showrunners put together a cast with colorful characters who add depth to the multiple plots. There’s the tough-as-nails veteran midfielder Roy Kent (surely inspired by Roy Keane and played by Brett Goldstein), the narcissistic Man City loanee Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), the charismatic duo of Dani Rojas (Mexican star played by Cristo Fernandez) and Nigerian forward Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh). Nick Mohammed (who can be seen in Sky TV/Peacock’s Intelligence) also shines as the quiet kitman. It’s also refreshing to hear NBC’s Arlo White serving as the show’s commentator throughout AFC Richmond’s season.

But if there’s someone aside from Sudeikis's Lasso who steals the show, it’s Keeley Jones, the confident and no-nonsense TV celebrity/model/PR guru played by Juno Temple. She was the only actor who didn’t audition, as Sudeikis, who knew her work, wanted her in the show from the get-go.

“I met Juno with Olivia when they were on Vinyl (Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese’s 2016 HBO show), so I’ve done karaoke with her. I’ve been in a room with her. I knew her,” Sudeikis said. “She’s so fun and dynamic and just pro-female. She’s just a kick-ass that lives with an excitement that’s fun to be around, and that’s a little bit of what the character had.”

In the end, Ted Lasso is exactly what an audience needs right now. It’s a story that makes you laugh and reminds you to smile at adversity. It’s a lesson that’s less about football management and more about unity, and the script works because it takes a hold of our differences and embraces them as one. And it echoes Lasso’s favorite Walt Whitman quote, “Be curious, not judgmental.”

Lasso is heroic, not because he commands respect but because he earns it. He is kind, because he doesn’t know any other way. But like us, he is also vulnerable, and that’s why we can relate to his journey.

“He’s more white rabbit than white knight, but he’s actually becoming the change he wants to see in the world, without any agenda,” Sudeikis said. “And these days, that’s unusual, both in real life and on television.”

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