#it would make more sense for them to have paparazzi following them and photo leaks and stuff | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dearweirdme · 1 year

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I followed the gurumi situation pretty closely last year so I'll try to give a brief rundown of what I can remember lol.

Okay so the first photo was leaked a couple days before Taennie coincidentally both went to NYC. Their flights were both leaked in advance, so people were already making a big deal out of it even before the photos leaked. Gurumi posted the first photo on twitter and used some corny caption, something like "are they just friends or more?" and also something about how one of Jennie's friends leaked the photo. So they originally set up this narrative that they didn't know if they were dating or not, but Jennie's friend has betrayed her and leaked the photo and somehow it ended up in gurumi's hands. To garner attention for the first photo, gurumi used bots to increase the likes on the tweet, and many people caught this. They also linked their tweet under popular tweets on army twitter in order to get the photo more attention. So they were clearly mainly after attention from the very start. The photo started to blow up but most people didn't take it seriously. I think another photo leaked right before their respective flights. At this point, people are theorizing about them both going to NYC and making up theories about them meeting up there (super similar to the whole Paris/Cannes situation). However, it was known Tae was going there to work on his Vogue shoot and Jennie and all the BP girls were there for the VMAs (which BTS were also nominated for). The VMAs were fan voted, so many blinks even used the photos to capture people's attention and get them to vote for BP. Taennies started growing in numbers and they said that Taennie were going to make their couple debut at the VMAs red carpet (sound familiar?). Obviously, this didn't happen and a paparazzi that followed BP pretty much everywhere around NYC said they never saw Tae with Jennie. I don't think people even really spotted Tae in the city. So it was anticlimactic, but the stage was set. Even without any actual evidence, Taennies were convinced they coordinated these trips on purpose. Later, both Tae and Jennie posted photos from their trip and Taennies said they were doing lovestagram, even though it's NYC, obviously some of the scenery is going to look similar lol. Nothing in either of their photos could be linked together even though Taennies tried. There was also coincidentally a Foundrae store in NYC (the jewelry brand Taennies love connecting) and Taennies said they went and bought their jewelry together lol. After this, photos continue to leak periodically. People notice that photos are usually leaked whenever Tae would have something coming out (like with Vogue) or when Jennie would have something going on. Interestingly BP's album was released September 16, right in the middle of this. Gurumi gets suspended on twitter and moves to telegram where they build a cult-like following essentially where people ask them questions in a group chat and beg for them to release new photos. Gurumi frequently teased people in the group, doing polls about what photos should be released next. I don't know if it was a power kick or something, but gurumi clearly starts to go off the rails. They come up with thousands of different stories (I don't even remember them all). They tell people Lisa is behind it, they tell people G Dragon is behind it, and they tell people Jennie's friend whose instagram user is twozoobrother is the main one behind it, and he went with them to Jeju apparently. Gurumi starts claiming that a staff member of Tae's is this twozoobrother guy, trying to prove that Tae and him are friends. The only evidence of Tae knowing this person is from 2014, when twozoobrother was apparently a trainee. So the whole twozoobrother thing was the first of their lies. It never really made sense, why would this random guy leak photos to this random user? Jennie is also still friends with this guy so. Gurumi also never clearly states how they obtained the photos, but they imply twozoobrother was the source.

This is so long I have to send another ask sorry

Part 2

At one point, gurumi fakes an email from HYBE, saying that they've been in contact with them and have negotiated about the situation and they've decided to stop posting. Obviously, this was a lie since they continue to post not long after this "email" and there's no way HYBE was in contact with them lmao. They switch up their story of "are they dating or not?" and start telling people in the group that they are absolutely dating and that Tae is straight (weird thing to include). Then they start going out of their way to prove this. They tell people that Jisoo of all people is in the the group chat and she's going to confirm Taennie's relationship by posting a photo of herself on Instagram. Gurumi sends the photo she's going to post. Soon after, Jisoo does end up posting the photo (it's a Dior ad). This proves that they had photos of other idols and proves that Jennie clearly didn't have her icloud hacked, or even her account hacked. If either of these were true, it makes no sense as to why she would have that photo of Jisoo lmao. (Which is why I think staff could be behind this). At one point, a photo of a computer screen with several images in a folder appears (not sure where this came from, I can't remember if gurumi posted it or not). Gurumi tells people not to share the images, because they're edits. However, some of these photos on the computer are part of the Jeju photos gurumi later posts. Also one of the photos in this folder is of some random couple on Pinterest, make of that what you will. Gurumi obsesses over having a statement from HYBE or YG and constantly tries to bait them in order to get one. Gurumi continues to swear to people they're dating, which I've never understood; if they had dozens of leaked images, why did they feel the need to prove their relationship so badly? Why did they care? Gurumi even starts messaging people individually on telegram and tells people a bunch of weird things. I distinctly remember them telling someone that Taennie apparently had sex when they went to Jeju like WHAT...how would they even know that 😭 They basically just started acting like an unhinged weirdo. Gurumi tells people that he has no videos or any concrete proof, but then posts a video that was taken during the first photo they dropped, the one where Tae is getting ready before PFW. The video is super sketchy, it's filmed (or cropped) in a way so you can't see who's recording and Tae doesn't acknowledge the camera at all. It gives me super weird vibes. Gurumi also says Tae calls Jennie "yeobo" (Korean term of endearment) in the video, but the video is coincidentally (!) muted, so you can't hear what he actually says. Multiple people who speak Korean though came out and said it seemed more like he was saying something like "is this nice/good". I don't remember exactly, but it made sense in the context of him getting styled. Regardless, people were pretty sure he didn't say "yeobo"

Part 3

They continue dropping photos periodically (also weird to me - why not just post everything you have and go?) but people were definitely losing interest. The people that gave the photos attention were mainly just Taennies at this point. One of the later photos they posted was of them at a restaurant. The photo is of Tae supposedly, but he's pointedly not looking at the camera and he's wearing a hat so you can't see his face. Once again, they're in a public place but no one saw them? Anyway, gurumi says Jennie captioned this photo with "my other half." Taennies eat this up of course but people start questioning this too. If this was posted on her Instagram story (which it would've had to have been, since she hadn't posted any actual posts on there in a while), then usually the caption is directly on the photo. So either gurumi had to crop the caption out (why do that?) or they lied. This goes on and then HYBE drops their quarterly statement about an individual who has been defaming their artist. Army's immediately think of gurumi, but gurumi denies and says they've heard nothing from HYBE. Immediately following this, they say that they're going inactive. Which makes it seem like HYBE's statement was about them. Then a couple days later YG releases their statement about Jennie's private photos being leaked and gurumi jokes about it in the group, and then they never post again. These statements came out at the end of September/beginning of October, so over a month after this started (towards the end of August). YG's statement was also close to when gurumi posted that bathtub picture of Jennie, and a lot of fans reacted to that and called them out. So I think YG's statement was always over the bathtub image particularly. I mean, why let this thing go on for a month and then speak up?

Part 4

It should also be noted that at the start of this, someone emailed gurumi and asked if they would edit two idols together for them, and they offer to pay them a few hundred dollars. Gurumi responds and tells them this is too low. The person posts the screenshots and a screen recording of this email thread on twitter and gurumi freaks out and threatens to dox this person. Also in the middle of the gurumi thing, an account on instagram who had been "supporting" Taennie and continuously posting the leaks on twitter since they start suddenly switched up on gurumi. They claimed everything was an edit and then they started posting photos of idols that had never been seen publicly before (including ones of Tae and Jennie individually). Their account is suspended, and then a new account is created to continue posting the thread of idols and they say that gurumi went too far. It's hard to know if they were actually working together but it's definitely weird. There was also another account on twitter that's a huge Taennie "supporter," and they briefly turned on gurumi too. They posted a screenshot of their convo with them and said that everything was fake. The convo was basically them asking gurumi is everything was ready and gurumi was telling them to wait (or something like that). This account deleted the tweets not long after and said they were hacked (who would hack this random account? and give them their account back afterward?). This same account was also posting photos of couples from Pinterest on their twitter around a month before the leaks started and they claimed these couples were Taennie. Weird coincidence if you ask me.

Thats everything I can think of at the moment (sorry for the excessive length) but I think this gives an overall gist of everything. Sorry if anything is worded confusingly, everything is just so complicated and hard to explain at this point lol. The situation is extremely weird and I definitely think some staff were involved.

Gurumi anon here again sorry, I forgot to add abt the jewellery it actually first came from one of those gurumi pictures itself - the elevator one I’m not even sure was any of them - where they’re both seen wearing matching bracelets but the quality is horrible. Taehyung did have a bracelet like it but guess who else had a matching one? rosé, not jennie. So shippers saw and tried to place the same bracelet on jennie using bad quality and outright lying because she genuinely had real matching jewellery from that brand with GDragon, and when it didn’t work they dug to found her wearing a pendant from the same brand, not in any way similar to Tae’s. again like I said before, it could’ve later on become intentional when they saw, but last year it was not.

Hi anon!

Thank you so much for this summation, I hadn't been able to find anything like this and it all makes more sense now. This to me doesn't look like it's completely company arranged no. Way way, too messy for that. When companies leak pics, they don't really need a story to back things up. They just leak a pic to an already larger fan account and things start happening. The point is not to get attention on the leaker, but on the leaked material. Gurumi obviously wanted attention on theri account. It is odd though that the leaks coincided with promo moments, which does point to it being somewhat used for that. It's possible it started with the company and got out of hand, but it might very well be outsiders (friends.. staff/old staff... maybe someone from media with connections... a hired person to do the initial leaking, lots of options really). I'd say it's from BlackPink's side mostly. Since the Jisoo part points to them having knowledge on BP projects.

Is the Gurumi from Twitter definitely the same as the one on Telegram? Since that's when the unhinged behavior really started.

It kinda gives me the same feeling those fan accounts (like the taennieisfake thingy) do. They get high on power and start unhinging. Maybe the son or daugter of an employee had access to their parents computer, saw all this stuff, happens to be a fan and took the opportunity to create a fandom meltdown. The changing stories, the mention of "taennie having sex" and "Tae being straight" to me point to someone young being behind this. There's a lack of proffesional behavior; no organization, no professional wording, dramatization and some things that just seem impossible (Jisoo in the chat for instance). I think it's a person with loose ties to BP. Someone with acces to material, but no real insight in the business. It being a minor, would also explain the slow advance they made with making it a lawsuit. But then again, if it was the son or daugter of an employee they would've found out really soon.

But holy sh*t what a wild story. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm glad to be able to store this in my blog.

#taennie #gurumi #gurumi summation #thanks anon!#anything to add anyone?#this is long

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microwave-core · 3 minutes

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If I asked you to give me some wedding Leon headcanons, would you? Pretty please 🥺

This is from July 4th I'm so sorry anon. Leon wedding headcanons be upon ye.

Jesus I wrote this in my drafts and hit save and it didn't immediately update and I just thought I lost it and would have to rewrite it

Alright, first things first. Leon wants a small, private wedding. More than half of his life has been spent in the spotlight. Privacy is a rare commodity for him, and he'll fight tooth and nail to keep the most important day of his life hidden from the public eye. It's about him and you, baby, not about the paparazzi or tabloids.

The guest list will be small, just family and friends. Probably in a small place in the countryside, away from the public's prying eyes. He's a farm boy at his core, reconnecting with his roots.

Despite his desire for privacy, it's only a matter of time before pictures get out. The public already knew about your engagement, and are incredibly disappointed that they won't be privy to, what they describe as, the wedding of the century. Thankfully for them, a certain social media addict is in attendance-

Yeah, Raihan ends up leaking photos from your wedding. It's not on purpose, prommy. It's expected, and as much as Leon wants his privacy for just one day, he loves Raihan too much to cut him from the invite list. Thankfully, the only photos that get out look good.

Honestly, Leon doesn't care that much about the décor. He knows his sense of style isn't... the best. He doesn't mind that fact, it's just how he is. He cares about getting married to you, that's all. He'll give his opinion when prompted, but he's more than happy to let you pick whatever you want. You could pick the gaudiest color scheme, the most abysmal floral arrangements, and the worst venue known to man, and he'd think it's perfect because it was all hand picked by you. Man is down bad.

Again, his only real input is having the ceremony at a small venue. Somewhere outdoors in the country side, or maybe in a barn. The specifics don't matter to him.

Raihan would definitely be his best man, followed by Sonia, his childhood bestie, and Charizard, because it's Leon what else do you expect. They hype him up, especially during the leadup to the actual ceremony. He won't admit it to you, but he was sweating bullets when waiting. He knows you love him dearly, but can't help but worry, you know?

In terms of attire, he dresses rather normally. Just a simple white suit, likely with a yellow tie. I saw someone headcanon yellow as his favorite color once, and it stuck with me. He even ditches his hat for the day, his hair instead braided elegantly.

You could literally wear a trash bag for your attire and he'd love you all the same. It doesn't matter how you're dressed-whether you wear a dress or suit, traditional or out there-he'll find you breathtaking all the same. He tries his best to hold back his tears when you walk down the aisle, only letting a few fall. He's so unbelievably lucky to have you.

The reception doesn't particularly matter to him, either. He does enjoy himself, being surrounded by the people that matter the most to him, around his loved one's without putting up a face for once. It's liberating for him, actually, but his eyes always find their way back to you, as if trying to sear your image into his mind.

Perhaps the best part of the whole event, aside from getting married to you, obviously, is the fact that none of his friends make fun of him for how hopelessly in love he is. On any other day, they would poke fun at him, teasing him gently for the warmth in his eyes and stupid grin that comes onto his face when he spots you, but his wedding day is different. He's more than allowed to think of nothing except for how much he absolutely positively adored you, on lookers be damned.

He's got two left feet when it comes to dancing. He's bad at it. Laughably so. And no amount of practice can truly fix that fact. He'll stumble, step on your toes a few times, forget the next steps more than once, but he can't be bothered to feel embarrassed about it. Slow dancing with you is a dream for him, makes it feel like there's no one else in the world but the pair of you. He might cry again, holding you in his arms, having officially tied the knot. Wipe away his tears with a gentle touch, and he might somehow fall for you even harder.

In general, Leon would pretty much let you do whatever you want for your wedding, both ceremony and reception. He doesn't care, tailor it to your preferences, it's already going to be the best day of his life, knowing you're happy with everything just makes everything so much better.

Your ring can be whatever you want it to be. Leon doesn't have a budget, no amount of money is too much for him, not when it comes to you. I imagine his ring would be pretty plain, a simple gold band. If he's still champion, he ends up taking it off fairly frequently, not wanting it to get dirty and smudged during battles. In his chairman era, it's on 24-7.

Make no mistake, though, he will let the public know how much he loves being your husband. If he had the choice, he would talk about you in every single interview, simply gushing with praise. No force on Earth could ever make him feel ashamed for loving you.

Similarly, the honeymoon can happen wherever you want. As long as he's with you, he's happy. He is restricted by time, however, he can't be gone for too long, unfortunately. You can stay in Galar, or go to any other region, to do any activity your pretty mind could dream of. (Although, if you asked him where he wanted to go, he'd probably say Alola.)

I can't promise he won't get into battles on the actual trip. I can actually almost guarantee that he will. He can't help it, battling is his passion in life. He does spend most of the time glued to your side, though, wanting to spend as much time with you as humanly possible before having to go back to the regular grind of life.

I do think Leon and Cynthia are a bit similar, hence why I think their weddings would be similar, with the shedding of tears at the altar and whatnot. That is to say, on your wedding night, you will be getting dicked down. Lovingly. Leon just wants to show you how much he loves you, and, after a long day surrounded by other's, professing his love directly to your face, the best way to do that is with his action. Specifically, action involving his dick-

#pokemon x reader #leon x reader #thank you anon for giving me motivation to write #anon im so sorry its been months #i will write #i will write more #mantra i say to myself in the mirror #its hard to write about weddings because all i can think about is this one moment from my cousins wedding #my baby cousin who was probably three or four at the time was just in the buffet line by himself #not accompanied by anyone #not terribly long but i dont have much else to add #my head hurt #i KNOW ive already used this gif of leon but its SO good #twilight wings i love you heart #anyways #ive gotta go back to playing terraria #golem's days are fucking numbered

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angel-princess-anna · 3 years

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Speculation Sunday

In which weekly(?), I try to connect two dots (and connect nothing) in regards to the second DA film. This week, it’s more about the lack of spoilers and how it will be that way for awhile (also I realize it’s probably now Monday for most of you, whoops)

This post is based on my own perceptions and experiences having followed how they filmed and promoted the TV show and first film. I love discussing Downton, and I love hunting for spoilers, haha. Mainly because I want to know what’s gonna happen with my faves ASAP.

That said, I think we are going to get even less spoilery crumbs during the filming of DA 2021 than we did with DA 2019.

Focus and Carnival kept the official synopsis of the first film a mystery for a very long time (basically until the first full trailer came out) and I assume it will be similar this time too. They then dumped some more info and stills much closer to the release date. Interviews with the cast focused on “getting the gang back together” and I assume the DA 2021 press tour will focus on “getting the gang back together after lockdown” and “we are bringing escapism in dark times”. Understandable, but not ideal for people like me who love spoilers!

During most of the filming of the TV series, we didn’t get a lot of info and pics other than paparazzi photos (social media being less of a thing during the early series, and the latter because of cracking down on spoiler leaks), but then with S6, we were spoiled with riches given that they filmed outdoors a lot, and there was a bit of a social media campaign for the end of the show to honor the crew.

With DA 2019, all we got was a handful of outdoor sightings (the major one of course being the parade filming). This year we’ll have to rely on the paparazzi and tabloids, but again that’s if they film outdoors.

And given how most of the cast is when it comes to social media, and the worry of being punished for spoiler leaks, they aren’t gonna be taking selfies all the time.

So while we wait for Entertainment Weekly or the likes to visit the set, or one of the actors to promote another project and feed us crumbs in an interview, or a still gets released for a holiday... let’s think about what we do know.

The “original principal cast” is back. In Focus’ DA 2019 press release, that wording preceded a list of the main ensemble that was in all six series of the TV show, plus Matthew Goode and Harry Hadden-Patton. Raquel and Michael weren’t listed at that time, and while neither has posted on social media lately that I can see, Raquel’s latest post (as of writing this) has Baxley related hashtags lol. I don’t see why Baxter and Andy wouldn’t be in DA 2021. Kiddo wise, we know that the Baker boys are back as George and their triplet sister is playing someone. Fifi Hart is back as Sybbie. No word yet on the other children, but there’s five child actors from that one agency back for the new film (which doesn’t discount there being child actors from another agency).

Lily James didn’t appear in DA 2019, and I don’t think she would here either (regardless of, uh, Dominic West). Tuppence Middleton confirmed on Twitter she’s in; Max Brown confirmed he’s not. I haven’t seen anything concrete on Imelda yet, but I do assume she’d appear. We have at least four new characters, but nothing on who the new cast members will be playing.

Filming has already begun(!) at Ealing Studios, the studios they used when they filmed the TV show. And now they’ve been filming at Highclere Castle too!

Meanwhile, Rob gave us some clues on ITV’s This Morning:

- "someone goes for a bicycle ride" (easy, that’s the postman or whoever lol) - "someone has an argument" - "someone falls in love" - "someone falls out of love" - "someone goes to the shops"

As HWW said to me, perhaps it is not people that the characters are falling in and out of love with, but perhaps places, things, or ideas. And in the case of Thomas and Richard, it’s possible that they aren’t ‘over’, it’s just that they can’t see each other in the time frame of the film and maybe Thomas receives at least a letter from Richard or something.

Now, what we don’t know, which is... mostly everything.

The timeline is a biggie, as it would definitely influence some of the plots. And it was something that really wasn’t confirmed for DA 2019 until after we got the trailer. The cast gave us vague ideas, but uh... let’s just say not all of them were correct.

Fellowes has always said that he wouldn’t take DA into the ‘30s, but he always used to say that he’d never work on DA and The Glided Age at the same time, and yet, here we are. I feel like he or Gareth mentioned at one point a sequel would follow closely to DA 2019 timeline wise. They had similarly said DA 2019 would follow closely after the TV show’s timeline, and that ended up being an 18 month gap.

Considering that DA 2021 is coming out during Christmas time, this makes me think that Christmas will be featured at some point. Not every DA Christmas Special did, but it’s festive, timely, and an event to help anchor the film and bring characters together.

The question then is, does it center around Christmas though? Of the three CSs that feature Christmas in some form (S6CS is really about New Year’s Eve, but the decorations and tree are still up), S2CS starts there but ends mid January of the next year, and S5CS and S6CS both start roughly in late summer, and then finish in late December (well 1 Jan in S6CS’ case).

One potential choice is to have it be set in December 1927 and then go into the next year, akin to S2CS. The S5/6 CS idea would set it in 1928 at the earliest.

Another thing factor to take into account here is Edith’s pregnancy. Fellowes skipped over showing Mary pregnant with Caroline in the first film and had her born before DA 2019, so the same might happen here again.

Other potential big events are perhaps a wedding between Daisy and Andy and/or Tom and Lucy.

And then the elephant in the room: Violet. Maggie’s said time and time again that Violet’s too old, and then we had the plot in DA 2019, which would set... you know... that all up.

So like... filming outdoors in Bampton (where the town of Downton and the church was traditionally filmed for the TV series) is something is that is easily spoiled. They can put up screens to block the view around the church, but to also do it around the cemetery might be too telling. They did kinda manage with S6E8 (well, only kinda, ahem).

Thinking now about how members of the cast have said that DA 2021 will be coming at a time people are wanting/needing "escapism,” I don't think that discounts anything sad happening per se; a lot of people continued to call the TV series "escapism" when it got more darker (see: S4-5), and, I mean, people call Call the Midwife "cosy escapism" despite there being traumatic situations almost every episode it seems. So Violet's days could still very well be numbered. I remember how S3CS was marketed as a fun and frolicking trip to the Highlands, until the Norwegian channel NRK’s trailer for the episode came out and gave away that there was going to be a car accident. Escapism isn't the same for everyone anyway, so we'll have to see what this all entails. I don't necessarily want this for Violet, but I do hope that DA 2021 takes itself a bit more seriously, as the TV show did.

The first movie was written in a manner that was so that it was (somewhat?) understandable to people who didn’t watch the TV series. I have to wonder if DA 2021 has been written similarly. Part of me thinks it will be more similar to the first film than to the TV series, but with a potential sad plot for Violet... who knows, it might go back to its more “serial” roots (if that makes any sense). If DA 2021 also leans more into comedy as DA 2019, I don’t foresee it doing so but we’ll see.

That’s it for the this ramble! I have a topic for the next one regardless of the lack of crumbs! ;)

#downton abbey #da 2022 #da movie spoilers #film: my meta #film: speculation sundays

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bcbdrums · 4 years

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Purification

All right. @cocoa-at-night was mad at me, and I know others will be... So this is in fact a second sequel to "Torment.” I already had this idea in my head as a possible sequel so... Who says I can’t write two! Therefore, readers, you get two options now. Decide which way you prefer the story to end.

To be very clear, this is a different sequel than “Immolation” and follows a different path to a different ending. It begins the same however. Please enjoy “Purification.”

FFn AO3

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Purification

Shego ran the dampened washcloth over the smooth, polished surface of the bar and stared at the grains of wood beneath. She nearly had them memorized, for how many times she'd run the cloth over them to wipe away the condensation left by the rims of drinking glasses. She always tried to find vague shapes in their patterns; faces and objects and sometimes familiar ocean waves. She didn't have anything else to do with her days, after all.

The small wall-mounted television in the corner continued to play news from the local channel, and after three years she could finally understand the Spanish of the broadcast. She'd picked up the local slang faster by necessity, since she couldn't use her powers to protect herself from the type of crowd the bar attracted. It was ironic, for its nearness to the Caribbean, but the slums of El Salvador had been the perfect place to hide. She easily translated the broadcast into the more comfortable English:

"...And here is Dr. Drakken only days ago, unveiling his latest innovation at the world's largest scientific conference in Berlin..." the voice from the TV cut through the minimal noise at the late hour in the bar.

A soft smile came to Shego's face. And then suddenly her vision was filled with the large form of a dark-skinned man wearing a t-shirt that had seen too many years, and with a face that hadn't seen a razor in weeks.

"Venga, chica. Bailar conmigo."

Shego stepped back from the strong scent of alcohol and scowled at the man, a regular at the establishment, but one who never quite took the hint. Especially not when he had had too many.

"Raquel?" came the accented voice of Esteban, her boss and the owner of the place, from across the room where he was wiping down tables and stacking chairs for closing.

She leaned around the offensive man to merely smirk at her boss knowingly in return. He grimaced slightly, no doubt wondering how much of a mess there would be to clean after she was finished with the brute.

Truthfully, she didn't always reject the men who asked her to dance. Whenever she'd had a few shots it was easier to say yes, and she enjoyed closing her eyes and moving to the rhythm of the music, and imagining herself in a different place. But it would always end the moment any of them tried to lay a hand on her...

She couldn't cross that line. There was only one set of hands she ever wanted to touch her, and they never would. Allowing herself to indulge once and pretend with anyone else would open the gate to far worse sins than her most definitely out of control drinking, and she didn't want to deal with the ramifications of heading down that path.

She still wasn't sure when she'd fallen in love with Drakken. She'd certainly been in love with him before she left, but she'd only realized the fact while in her self-imposed exile, when all she could think about was him.

Numerous magazines and newspapers were delivered to the tiny room she rented above the bar, but not of the variety she'd used to get. Now it was all science periodicals, and world news... And her wall was adorned with newspaper cutouts with his familiar, confident grin. The only reason she watched the news at all was for word of him.

She was pathetic.

Her 'clean break' as she'd hoped to make it seemed to have worked for him. He was finding the success she knew he would as soon as she was out of the picture, no longer holding him back. She knew that would have been the result had she stayed, making him question his sudden yearning for 'good.' Less for good, she knew of course, and more for the recognition and honor his genius rightly deserved. She wouldn't have said that years ago, but with the new understanding she had of her feelings...

She couldn't have stayed. He would have denied himself for her. And she refused to let herself think it was because his feelings were deeper too. No, that wasn't possible. It had been made abundantly clear to her over their four years as partners in crime that he simply didn't think of her that way. She was little more than an asset and a comfort; a listening ear for his endless dronings and rantings, easily replaced.

So she had left a note on her pillow one day after painfully listening to him describe the amazing job offers he had received, and simply vanished. She knew he would come looking for her, as he always did because 'he needed her,' so she had made herself impossible to find. She'd not hardly used her powers in three years, and she'd managed to convinced the locals in the high-poverty, high-crime rate slums she'd hidden in that her skin color was due to something between genetics and illness.

'Shego' was gone.

Now she was Raquel, the barmaid who drank too much, wouldn't let anyone get close, and who had a strange obsession with science magazines. Esteban and others had tried to get her to talk about herself, or her apparent science interest for awhile, but they'd finally taken the hint that she was out there in the middle of nowhere, at one of the only respectable establishments in those slums, to make sure know one ever knew her story.

Shego waited until Esteban wasn't looking, and then she lifted her hand above the leering man's head as his greasy fingers reached across the bar for her, and she let him have just enough of a pressure blast from her glow to knock him out. When the man's large, dead-weight hit the floor, her boss turned with a start.

"Ai ai ai, Raquel! Someday I will see how you accomplish that."

Shego merely smirked as her eyes shifted back to the television. It was a simple, lonely life... One that she might leave someday to pursue other interests. 'Shego' as the world had known her could probably never return, after her world-saving ventures with Drakken. She wouldn't want to put his career at risk in any way. But living from day to day and drink to drink, with only her periodicals and the TV to briefly soothe the ache in her heart wasn't plausible. She needed to move on.

The reason she hadn't was for the lack of one thing in every photo, article, and broadcast about the blue former villain who had saved the world: he was always alone. Even the candids taken by paparazzi that she would find in the trash magazines she had specially delivered only ever showed him having breakfast alone at a sidewalk cafe, or seated alone in an audience as he waited to accept an award.

Why hadn't he met someone and settled down already?

That was the last piece... That was what was missing. When Drakken finally had a woman on his arm, and his happiness was complete...then she could risk moving out into the world and being seen again. If he had someone else, he most definitely wouldn't need her. And she wouldn't have to face up to the fact of possibly seeing him again, with the feelings she'd been harboring for too many years that simply refused to die.

"...It has been confirmed to have been a suicide attempt now, as a note was leaked to the press by a source who wishes to remain anonymous from within Japanese Intelligence..."

Shego's attention snapped to the television, where now a years-old photograph of Drakken at the UN, wearing his medal, was displayed in the corner of the screen as the Spanish news anchor continued to read the copy.

"The note was addressed to fellow-hero Kim Possible, and the text reads: 'I can't figure out what I did wrong. I can't live without her anymore. I'm sorry.' The note was not signed, but handwriting analysis easily showed it to be in the script of Dr. Drakken."

Shego felt the world spinning around her as her vision seemed to spin in the opposite direction. Her head swam and ached all at once, and she could see bright spots dancing in front of her eyes even as her view darkened. She stumbled forward to lean against the bar as she struggled to listen to the television.

"And the world remains in shock, one week from the date the acclaimed scientist attempted to take his life by jumping from the roof of the Osaka World Trade Center. We will keep you updated with more details as the story continues to unfold. This is Paola Ramos, reporting."

Suicide attempt? Drakken, of all people? It didn’t make sense... He had everything...everything he had ever dreamed of, and more. She had made sure of it by removing herself from his life so he would have nothing holding him back. How could he have attempted suicide?

"Raquel! ¿Qué pasa?"

She peered upward and let Esteban take her hand and help her straighten up from where she had all but slumped over the bar.

"Phone..." she managed to get out, her throat strangely tight. “I need...I need to know...”

“You need to make a phone call?” he asked.

Shego nodded. As Esteban fumbled in his pockets for his cell phone, Shego thought about what had been reported as the contents of the suicide note.

"I can't live without her anymore," it had read.

He couldn't... He didn't... He wouldn't...mean me?

Shego felt like she might throw up, and as Esteban offered her the phone, she moved past him and all but fell onto one of the bar stools, suddenly feeling like her feet would fail her. She began dialing a long-memorized number, then realized as the phone rang that she didn't know if the number would be the same after so long, but that thought was broken by Esteban stepping into her vision.

"Are you calling 911? What is wrong?" he asked, his dark eyes wide and worried as he studied her. But then, the phone connected.

"Hello?" the familiar voice said through the line.

Shego suddenly realized she had only ever called the girl 'Princess' or 'Pumpkin' or 'Kimmie,' and wasn't sure how to address the now young woman and for a brief time, ally.

"Kim..." she finally settled on, the name leaving her throat hoarsely.

"Yes? Who is...?" A familiar gasp sounded through the phone. "Shego?"

"Drakken..." was her one-word answer as suddenly tears began filling her eyes. "Drakken's note."

"Where have you been!? Where are you? We looked for you for over a year!"

"Did that note... Was it real? What I saw on TV, did he really...try to kill himself?” she asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand before digging her fingers tightly into her side as her hands started to shake. When had she started crying?

“Yes... He did.”

Shego’s throat tightened. “Have you...seen him, or talked to him?”

“Yeah, right after it happened, but...he doesn’t want to see anyone. He’s angry and embarrassed that it didn’t work. Shego—”

“Did he, I mean...how is he? Is he okay? How did he survive?”

“His vines. Their own sense of self-preservation must have kicked in, and they grabbed onto the building partway down. He’s in the hospital.”

Shego realized tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her hands were shaking so much it was hard to hold the phone. She closed it hard as she let her hands fall to the bar, and then she leaned forward again.

“Raquel! Mi lucecita, what is wrong?”

Shego took a breath and gathered her strength to push away, even as her vision swam. She left the phone on the bar, knowing exactly what would happen, and then reached across the smooth wooden surface for a bottle of tequila. She ignored Esteban's words as she numbly made her way to her room, climbing the stairs and pushing through the door to stumble against the bed, the bottle of alcohol falling from her grasp. She spun around, and after shoving the door closed she fell back to sit on her narrow, uncomfortable mattress as she fumbled with the lid of the tequila bottle.

She looked around at her walls, with their newspaper clippings and magazine cutouts of photos and articles about Drakken's successes. Tears fell from her eyes anew as she brought the bottle to her lips and soon felt her throat burn nearly as badly as her eyes. And the words of Drakken's note played through her mind repeatedly, her every thought and excuse for the past three years dissolving into torment.

-------------------------

The next morning a pulsing, booming sound caused her to wake, and as she sat up hurriedly with hands alight, the vision of red, purple, yellow, and black that swam before her eyes brought back to mind what she had drunk the bottle of tequila to forget. She let her glow die as she fell back on the bed and hid her face from the light with a pillow.

“Shego!” the astonished voice of Kim Possible resonated against her skull. She regretted the hangover, but she couldn’t have handled her thoughts the night before. Tequila had been the only choice.

“Are you all right? You don’t look so good,” the side-kick’s voice followed just as loud with concern.

“You’ve lost so much weight!” Kim continued.

“Yeah, what about it?” Shego said into the pillow, even her own voice painful to her ears.

“Is this where you’ve been all these years?”

“What have you been doing?”

Shego grit her teeth and ignored the questions of her former enemies-turned-allies after Drakken saved the world, finally moving the pillow to narrow her eyes at them.

“Will you take me to see Drakken, or not?” she asked bluntly.

The brows of both young adults rose, and they looked at each other.

“That’s the only reason I let you find me. Cell phone trace, right?” Shego said, grimacing against the throbbing in her head as she rolled over and got her feet on the floor.

“Yeah... It only took Wade—”

“Will you take me to see Drakken?”

“Yeah... I guess, sure. We can do that.”

“Good. Wait downstairs, I need to shower,” she said.

The two young heroes didn’t move, and Shego realized they were studying her walls with the photos and newspaper clippings of Drakken. But she was under too much stress already to worry about what two college kids thought of her. As she painfully stood, her eyes lighted upon a figure hovering in the doorway. Esteban was hanging back in the shadows, watching the interplay nervously.

Kim and Ron were still staring at the walls, and Shego first beckoned her employer into the room before frowning and sighing dramatically at the other two. They both looked at her.

“Haven’t you already read a lot of this stuff? Hurry up, I want to get to Japan before tomorrow.”

The pair gave her another once-over before glancing at each other and finally slipping through the door, giving an even more confused look at the curly-haired Latino who had been welcomed in. They closed the door behind the darker-skinned man as he looked curiously at the adorned walls which Shego had called home for three years. Finally, he sighed.

“You are going to him, then? This man, from the news report.”

Shego nodded, grateful for her boss’s softer tone.

“Yes,” she said.

“He is the reason you came here?”

She nodded again, sitting on the bed as her head pounded.

“...Why did you run from him?”

Shego’s brows knit together, but after all that Esteban had done for her over the years, she supposed it wouldn’t matter to give away a little more. Especially since she would never be seeing him again.

“I thought I was doing what was best for him,” she said with a shrug.

“But surely, if you were in love...? Was there some problem?”

Shego looked up, her brow twisting further in confusion.

“What... You think...he was in love with me too?” Her head was reeling again. That couldn’t have been what his note was about...could it? He had never showed any sign of having those types of feelings for her...

‘You never showed any of your feelings to him.’

She grimaced at that thought. And she wondered with a sickening feeling...had it really been necessary? All she’d done for three years was wallow in her own misery and loneliness and think of nothing but him. What if she had just...taken the risk?

“If the note on the news was real, then it would seem so,” Esteban had replied as she’d been thinking. She looked up again.

“Then I... I... I have to go.”

She stood again to get some fresh clothes and then paused, looking back at the suddenly long face of her boss.

“I hope you can find him. He will recover under your smile.”

Impulsively, Shego closed the distance between them and threw her arms around her boss’s neck. She felt his large palms hesitantly rest on her back.

“Thank you, Esteban...”

“Goodbye, Raquel.”

---------------------------

Shego raked her fingers through the ends of her hair for what must have been the tenth time just walking down the hall. As she found the correct door number she pushed her hair back over her shoulder, and then tugged down the simple green blouse and black jacket she wore. Possible had been right before... The garments weren’t fitting her as they should, but that was a concern for another day. She took a shallow breath and with a trembling hand, pushed the door inward.

The hospital room was dim and silent but for the beeping of monitors. On the bed, a familiar blue face lay atop a pillow, bandaged, like much of the rest of his body that could be seen. One forearm and foot were in casts, and his other arm was bandaged with the slightest of bloodstains showing through, like the one on the side of his face. She held her breath as she stepped in silently, as if walking into a dream. But he heard her.

The corners of his lips turned down before his eyes opened to slits, but then widened slightly upon seeing her. She hesitated only a moment before continuing her slow approach. She could see now the one side of his face was swollen, and his lower lip was split and bruised. She tried not to picture him falling from the top of a skyscraper, smashing against its sides on the way down only to be inexplicably rescued by his own mutation. Instead she fixated on his eyes that were bleary, shocked, and disbelieving.

“Shego?” he croaked out.

She fought the tears that tried to come to her eyes. “Yes. I... I’m here,” she managed, her throat tight.

He seemed to be studying her as she sat down on the edge of his bed, afraid her legs wouldn’t hold her and also needing to be nearer. The thought that he could have...that he very nearly died, and she didn’t even know...

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Her lips parted as she stared at his expression that was quickly becoming anxious, despite the haze in his eyes she was sure was in part due to the heavy painkillers that were doubtless coming through his IV line.

“What...?” she breathed.

“Whatever...I did...to make you leave...” Drakken said quietly, each word coming out labored through his dry throat. “I’m sorry. Please...forgive me.”

Shego didn’t bother trying to stop her tears anymore. She took a slow breath to try to calm the ache in her chest as she tore her eyes from his, instead looking at his hand lying on the bed, his knuckles bruised and scraped. She hesitated, but then gently held his hand in both of hers. His skin was clammy and cold, and she noted for the first time the too-slow beeping of the heart monitor.

“You...you didn’t do anything wrong,” she said, looking back at him. His confused and now fearful expression was a blur through her tears. “I did.”

“...What?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she repeated with more strength, recalling the words of his note. “I did. It was just me. I...I’m so sorry, Dr. D.”

Her voice rose on the last as her throat tightened, and she closed her eyes tightly as hot tears slid down her cheeks. She tried to keep her cries quiet, and some time later her attention was drawn back by his hand shifting in hers. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. He looked a bit more focused, and a familiar, analytical expression had joined the caution and confusion on his face.

“I don’t understand,” he finally said. His fingers curled around hers and held on firmly.

Her heart thudded against her ribs, and she let her gaze fall to her lap. She had already broken her promise to herself, to never see him again... But clearly, that had been a mistake from the beginning. If she was honest...then at least she would know, there was nothing else she could have done. And yet, the most important words she could say to him still died on her lips.

“I didn’t want to hold you back,” she said, staring down at their joined hands. She was careful not to hold too tight for his bruised knuckles. A long moment of silence passed before he spoke again.

“What...? But... Shego...”

“I didn’t want to be part of...this world,” she said, lifting one hand briefly to gesture weakly at the opulence of the hospital room. Not exactly what she meant, but she hoped the point would get across. “But I know you, Dr. D.... You...you wouldn’t have taken any of the jobs, without me. I just...wanted you to be happy. And I didn’t want any of this...”

There was another silence, broken only by her sniffling as she gradually brought her tears under control. She heard Drakken take a long breath in through his nose and then release it just as slowly.

“Thank you for visiting me...”

Shego turned abruptly, her tears stilling with a silent gasp. Drakken’s eyes were on their joined hands, and he looked sad.

“You look...” he began, glancing up at her briefly before his gaze fell again. “Hm. Where will— That is...”

He trailed off, glancing away toward the curtained window in the room with a slight grimace. Shego tried to follow his train of thought.

“I don’t...have to leave right away,” she ventured carefully. He looked back at her, his expression guarded. “We could...catch up for a while? If...if you...”

She broke off as tears threatened her eyes anew. Who was she kidding? His note had been clear...

‘I can’t live without her anymore.’

“If you...don’t mind having me around, I could stay...longer.” She set her hand back atop his, minding the scrapes on his knuckles. The pressure of his fingers against her palm hadn’t diminished.

Drakken’s swollen lips parted, his dark eyes seeming to glitter even brighter for the mottled bruising on his face. And then, a shadow came over his features.

“No, that’s...that’s all right. You can go back to...your life.”

Shego held her breath. She thought about telling him she knew about the note, but...what if that only made things worse? Then he would be embarrassed, and he had already...apparently given up on living. What would that new revelation do to him?

His words were also unknowingly meaningless, she realized, as because for the past three years she...had had no life. Only worrying and pining over him, waiting for the day he married so she would know he didn’t need her anymore, and then and only then could she come out of hiding. But she had left El Salvador behind fully when she had come to Japan. The bar was already out of her mind. All she wanted, and what she really needed, was...

She took a breath. “Drakken...”

When she met his eyes they were sad. She looked down again.

“I...I also left because...because I’m in love with you. But I knew...you didn’t feel the same. I knew you could find someone to replace me and...really fulfill you, and it seemed like...the best way I could give you everything you wanted...was to be out of the picture.”

She sniffled, bringing one hand up to wipe her eyes and nose before straightening up from the tense hunch she’d found herself in and then leaning back on her hand, the other still firmly gripping his. She didn’t want to hear his confirmation, but she needed to. Knowing that her feelings weren’t reciprocated would mean it was all worth it. Even though it didn’t explain his years of solitude...or the note. She didn’t want it to be about her. She couldn’t be the reason that he’d nearly—

“Everything I wanted? Shego...”

She cast a cautious eye on him, and he looked a mixture of confused, hurt, but somehow resolved. His hand suddenly left hers, and her throat constricted with the sudden loss. And then she was gasping in worry as Drakken started trying to push himself up.

“All I’ve ever wanted—” He stopped short with a hiss of pain, shaking as he paused halfway up.

“Dr. D....”

“...Is you.”

Her breath caught, and they stared at each other eye to eye. Drakken’s expression was steady but fearful, and her own she knew reflected utter shock. She was so startled she hadn’t even realized she’d spoken a response until he answered her.

“The note was about me...”

Drakken let out a soft, almost exasperated puff of air and lightly shook his head.

“What did I do to...make you think I didn’t love you?”

Shego blinked rapidly as tears filled her eyes.

“Oh, Dr. D.!”

Her arms were flung around him as her lips gently pressed against his, minding the cut and swelling. His least injured arm raised to wrap around her, but without the support his frame shook and he began to fall. Shego guided him down, never breaking the intimate contact. Her tears fell on his face as she cried through the kiss, but his hand pressing into her back strengthened her. She let her fingers move through his hair, ever so softly touching the swollen parts of his scalp as their lips barely moved. She was careful to keep her full weight off of him, but the warmth of their chests together was like a salve, beginning to mend the wounds in her heart.

When they finally parted and she opened her eyes, she found his just as wet.

“Shego...” he whispered hoarsely, and she heard a catch in his throat. “Don’t leave me.”

She held him tighter. “Don’t let me go.”

--------------------------

One month later, Shego was grinning happily as she pressed her face further into Drakken’s neck where they sat together on the sofa in his new apartment. She sighed contently as she snuggled closer into his left side, her arms around his neck and her legs folded and halfway over his lap.

“Shego...” Drakken whispered, “this isn’t exactly...it’s not...”

“Mmmh, let everyone see how much I love you...” she murmured, turning to face the camera placed in front of them, the magazine photographer looking at them quizzically as she offered something between a smile and smirk. The interviewer stood close by, equally ill at ease, but Shego didn’t care.

She positioned her hand on Drakken’s shoulder so the diamond of her engagement ring sparkled in the light. Her heart warmed when his healed left hand reached up to hold hers, and she laced the fingers of her right hand through his, setting her left on top again to show off the ring. She tilted her chin up toward him and was rewarded with his radiant smile.

“I love you...” she said softly, “and I want to spend the rest of my life telling you.”

“I love you, Shego,” he breathed.

Their lips met in a gentle, ardent kiss. Beyond them, after a long minute, the camera flashed.

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moodyvalentinestories · 4 years

Text

Direction – Three | Hunt x HWU MC (Danielle)

Summary: Thomas and Danielle reminisce about the past and make a deal.

Words: 1800+

Notes: Y’all, remember when I was writing Wherefore Art Thou My Professor? and thought it was an absolute trainwreck? I think I’ve found its worthy successor because this is so much worse (in the best way, if you ask me). I keep getting hella sidetracked and even though I know how it’s gonna end, I have NO IDEA what my brain decides to do with the middle part. So stay tuned, I guess.

❥ Previous Parts: Prologue | One | Two ❥ Moodyvalentine’s Masterlist

Danielle was almost certain that Hunt would freak upon seeing her collection of photos from her time at Hollywood U. He wasn’t in all of them – not even half of them, really – but she did have quite a few pictures of him. Nonetheless, she felt like she at least owed it to him to let him see them. “Okay. I’ll get my laptop,” she said and got up from her chair.

“Please tell me you did not store them online,” Hunt replied, rather condescendingly.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, no, I saved them to the most easily hackable cloud I could find. Jesus, Hunt, the ones you’re worried about are all safely stored on an encrypted flash drive. Stop assuming the worst of me for two seconds, would you?”

He mumbled something she didn’t understand – and she was sure that was for the better – while she retrieved her laptop and the flash drive.

“You’ll have to promise me not to tell a soul about the things you may see on this,” Danielle said when she returned, and Hunt raised an eyebrow.

“What exactly am I going to see?” he asked.

She shrugged as she plugged the drive into her laptop. “I’m not sure. I’ll try not to show you any things that don’t concern you, but these are pretty much all the photos I’ve bought off paparazzi that some people might not want to see published.”

“I didn’t know you did that,” Hunt remarked while she unlocked the flash drive.

Danielle chuckled. “What, you thought I needed you to save my ass all the time? You know, I try to learn from my mistakes.”

“Could have fooled me,” he huffed.

“Do you want to see the pictures or not? I know I fucked up, you don’t have to remind me,” she said and got up. “Scoot over. I’m not letting you go through them alone.”

Hunt reluctantly did as she told him, and she sat down on the sofa, closer than he probably would have liked her to be. But there were things on there she certainly did not want him to see.

There were several folders on Danielle’s flash drive, and though Thomas didn’t have a chance to get a good look at them before she’d clicked on the one titled Centaurus Lost, he had a fairly decent idea of just how many people’s photographs she had kept out of the press – and therefore just how many people she could have under her thumb, were she ever to stoop to Montmartre’s level.

One of the folders he had seen was titled Chris, which should have been the least surprising as Danielle and Chris Winters had dated for some years during her time at the university, but considering the images Thomas had seen of the two in magazines, he couldn’t even begin to imagine what could be found inside. The other folders, as far as he could tell from the short glimpse he’d caught of them, all bore the names of either projects she’d worked on – such as Centaurus Lost – or of her friends. And, all of a sudden, Thomas had to re-evaluate what he knew of Danielle.

That she had kept so much from being leaked to the public was admirable, but the fact that she had kept everything was certainly cause for concern. Perhaps she truly was capable of worse than he’d thought.

“Most of these aren’t pictures of you,” Danielle said once the contents of the folder – multiple hundreds of images – had fully loaded. “In fact, almost all of them are of Holly and Mike. I’m actually quite surprised by how many I could get, considering the whole thing with May.”

Thomas simply nodded along, beginning to feel somewhat uneasy. Many of the photographs of Tanner and Holly could have very well been used to support May Gordon’s narrative, had she ever got her hands on it. It made sense, of course, that Danielle would have wanted to keep them from being leaked at the time, seeing as it was her film as well, but now… now she could very well release them, and likely make good money speaking about everything that happened behind the scenes. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to know what she could do with whatever images she had of him.

She would be able to spin a pretty story, he was sure of it, and come out unscathed, while he… well, considering that many a despicable Hollywood giant got what they deserved these days, he was sure he could easily be lumped in with the lot of them, and his career – or what was left of it – would be over.

Because Thomas knew he’d made some questionable decisions while working with Danielle, and though they had never quite become friends – or, God forbid, more than friends – they had been closer than they probably should have been during that time, and he was certain the photos she had reflected that.

“How many are there?” he eventually asked while Danielle was scrolling through the images to find the ones they were looking for.

“Potentially incriminating ones? Two or three, I would say,” she said nonchalantly, which did nothing to alleviate his concerns.

Had she perhaps been lying again? Had she given the photographs to Montmartre after all? She’d seemed upset before, but she was an actress, and as much as Thomas believed he was skilled enough at reading people to tell whether or not they were putting on an act… Danielle was Danielle.

“And how many overall?”

She turned to him, an eyebrow raised. “We worked together quite closely on the daily. What do you think?” With a shake of her head, she turned back to the screen and said, “Ah, here they are. See for yourself.”

Danielle clicked on the first file and a picture of her and Thomas walking out of the studio together just before dawn filled the screen. That, he imagined, would have been one of the two or three problematic ones – at least in combination with the ones Montmartre already had.

“I remember that night,” Thomas said involuntarily. He wasn’t sure what he meant to say, but he knew it wasn’t that, and it most certainly wasn’t supposed to come out the way it did – as if it was a fond memory.

Danielle smiled at that. “So do I. I think it was the first time we managed not to yell at each other for more than two hours.”

“If I recall correctly, you almost ruined the peace by finishing off my Scotch without asking me,” he said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to reminisce about photographs he was worried could be used as blackmail material.

“You ate my snacks first. It was only fair,” Danielle countered, then let out a sigh. “God, that seems like so long ago.”

Thomas had to agree, though it really hadn’t been. It had to have been just over a year and a half, and yet it felt like an eternity. He didn’t say that, though, and just remained silent as Danielle began clicking through the images.

Most of them were harmless – the two of them at work, several obvious disagreements, or just a conversation – but then there was another one from a late night. It had clearly been shot through a window and showed Thomas and Danielle in an embrace that, to an outsider, would most certainly not look appropriate for a professor and a student.

“You should…” Thomas began, then trailed off. He remembered that night, too. It had been one of the last nights before filming – and therefore their working relationship – had ended. They’d officially made peace then, promising to respect each other as they hadn’t before they’d started working together. Needless to say, that hadn’t worked out. Thomas cleared his throat. “You should probably delete this one.”

She looked up at him, eyes wide, and shook her head. “I promise, no one will get their hands on this. Dean knows his stuff; he’s made sure it’s safe, and nobody knows where I store this. I swear—”

“Danielle,” Thomas said quietly and much more softly than he had intended.

Chewing her lip in that way she always did when she was nervous, she regarded him for a moment more, then looked back to the image on screen. “You know, I really thought you meant it then,” she said wistfully. “That we could be civil, at least.”

“We are civil right now,” he argued, which made her turn to him again, a stern look on her face.

“Right. But only because you want to check out what I have on you. Don’t think for a moment that I don’t know that. I’m not quite that naïve, Hunt.” She sighed. “Look, if you want me to delete the photos, I’ll delete them.”

Thomas wanted to believe the offer was genuine, but if his concerns were justified, she’d certainly have copies of everything lying around somewhere. And if they weren’t, it wouldn’t matter whether or not she kept the photos.

“No,” he said eventually. “But I’m going to need something in return, to guarantee you won’t release or use them against me in any way. Insurance, if you will.”

Danielle narrowed her eyes at him. “You honestly think I would – of course you do.” She huffed. “Fine. It’s a good thing I happen to know you only pretend to be scary so people will respect you,” she said as she removed the flash drive and put the laptop down on the coffee table.

“What are you doing?” Thomas asked, furrowing his brows.

“Oh, I’m not giving you my nudes,” she said and got up from the sofa, smirking when an odd choking sound escaped Thomas. “Come on, I’ll give you something better.”

He followed Danielle to her wardrobe and watched as she climbed onto a chair to get a cardboard box off the top shelf. She handed it to him without another word, then jumped off the chair.

“What is it?” Thomas asked.

“Open it.”

He did as she told him and gasped when he saw the contents. “I thought the university had taken care of this.”

“They did,” she said, biting her lip. “Nothing ever got out. And it’s not everything, but it’s enough proof, I’d say.”

“I couldn’t – this would ruin you,” Thomas said and tried to give the box back but Danielle wouldn’t take it.

“Kind of the point, isn’t it?” she said with a shrug. “ You’re worried I’ll ruin you, so I’m giving you the tools to return the favour if I ever do. Wasn’t that what you wanted?”

He nodded hesitantly. “Yes, but—”

“Good. Good,” she said resignedly and inclined her head towards the door. “Then I suppose it’s time for you to go.”

Tags: @lilyoffandoms @trappedinfandoms @flyawayboo @oneemofungirl @alleksa16 @silversparrow02 @i-bloody-love-drake-walker @alj4890

#thomas hunt #hwu hunt #danielle

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magpiedminx · 4 years

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From above : PSA on Britney Spears and the #FreeBritney movement for anyone that needs or wants more information on what is going on with her. It’s a fucking rabbit hole, so buckle up. A little backstory first. Britney was a child star starting at the age of 4 years old on Broadway, and then worked her way to the Mickey Mouse Club, and eventually the solo career we know today. Her career has been on autopilot her entire life. If you look back at her music, she’s been telling everyone for years she’s too controlled and treated as a product if you listen to the lyrics of most of her hits. Examples include: Lucky, Overprotected, My Perogative, Circus, Piece of Me and Gimme More. Her music videos, social media posts, tour props and photoshoots regularly show her in a cage or in chains. If anyone has ever seen videos of her when she was younger, you’d know her REAL singing voice is very similar to Christina Aguilera’s. Her record label didn’t like it, as they were both on the Mickey Mouse Club and about to release their debut albums at the same time. So they had her voice retrained to sing in the baby voice we all know today because they believed it to be more iconic and would create a brand and career for her instead of her real voice. It’s unhealthy, and it’s been destroying her voice over the years, thus why she is known for lip syncing. She wanted to make an acoustic type pop album in 2006 titled Original Doll and reinvent herself using her real voice. The album was shelved and cancelled once her label realized she would be singing in her real voice. She isn’t allowed to sing live because she will either fail terribly, or she’ll have to sing in her deep voice that she isn’t known for. Her entire career she has been treated like a product meant to sell. Now, for the real tea. Everyone remembers the 2007 meltdown. Everyone. Leading up the meltdown Britney was going thru a public divorce, had two children under the age of 2 at the time and was VERY much the focus of the public. We all saw her on every magazine cover. We all also saw the photo of her with one of her kids on her lap while driving. Go on YouTube once and look up ‘Britney Spears paparazzi’. You’ll watch her be chased and followed by hundreds of them, even trying to get into a public restroom to photograph her, videotaping her in tears asking them to leave her alone, and even filming her thru the windows of an ambulance while she was naked being taken away for her final mental health hold. After the public meltdown, shaving her head, locking herself in her home with her children, speaking in a british accent on regular basis, wearing the imfamous pink wig everywhere, and shopping naked, she was hospitalized twice. After the hospitalization, her father petitioned the courts to be a TEMPORARY conservator to her until she was mentally stable and for only one years time. 2 months after her hospitalization she did a guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother. 6 months after her hospitalization, she drops the Womanizer video and starts to promote her new album Circus with its worldwide tour that grossed $131.8 million. If she’s so unwell, why did she start working right away? Her father after one year petitioned the courts for the conservatorship to become permanent due to her ALLEGEDLY having EARLY ONSET DEMENTIA in her TWENTIES. It passed and has been that way ever since. For 12 years to be exact. Now for everyone that doesn’t understand what that means let me break it down for you. Britney Spears is a now 38 year old woman who is not allowed to do the following without her fathers permission or he can legally lock her up in a mental health facility: • drive a car • vote • get married • have children • spend HER OWN MONEY • see how her money is being spent • see her children (she has 30% custody of both of her boys due to her dad assaulting one of her sons) • leave her home • hire her own lawyer • have any control over her career • speak about the conservatorship publicly • do interviews that aren’t scripted and all final cuts are approved by her father as well • use a cell phone without being monitored • use social media unmonitored • contact ANYONE without being monitored or having them extremely vetted. (Iggy Azalea allegedly had her house searched for drugs top to bottom when they collaborated on a song together) • go shopping • go for a walk • get Starbucks A conservatorship is meant for people with mental health issues or decaying health. Most likely grandparents or people with actual dementia etc. They are meant for people who literally cannot take care of themselves. If she is so unwell that she isn’t mentally capable of doing anything for herself, why is she still working? Since the conservatorship began 12 years ago she has: • released 4 albums • done 3 worldwide tours • did a FOUR-year Vegas residency • was a full time judge on X-Factor • released multiple perfumes and a lingerie line • made $138 MILLION DOLLARS or so A YEAR In January of last year, Britney was placed in a mental health facility for 3 months after being seen driving her car to In-N-Out with her boyfriend without permission and for refusing to take the sedating medications her father has doctors prescribing her to keep her under control. She testified to a judge in documents that she was held there against her will by her father. After it was leaked to the press that she was there against her will, the Free Britney movement picked up speed causing a judge to open an investigation into the impact and legality her conservatorship has on her life. Britney’s mother Lynn was also liking and commenting on Free Britney posts saying she agrees that Britney is trapped by her father. Britney’s team had Twitter disable the Free Britney hashtag, and regularly threatens any celebrity that speaks out using the hashtag with a lawsuit if they don’t remove their support for the movement. She was seen shortly after leaving a hotel thru the front door (99% of celebrities park underground to avoid paparazzi unless they WANT to be photographed) stumbling while carrying her shoes, and out of it. Her team used that moment to justify to the public that she needs this conservatorship. She is not allowed to have any say in the hiring or firing of anyone on her team. Every year she pays $1.1 million dollars in fees for the conservatorship to continue, including paying her father a solid $100k+ salary and paying a lawyer she isn’t allowed to choose. She is allowed an allowance of around $1,500 a week for bills, shopping and essentials. Her net worth is $250 million. So, when everyone sees her on Instagram walking up and down her hallways like it’s a fashion show. That’s all she is allowed to do. She has NEVER had control over her life. I don’t care if you personally like her or her music, NO ONE DESERVES THIS. All this woman wants is to see her children, make the music she wants to make, and go get a frappuccino in her car. She is a light of sunshine in this world, and we must protect her at all costs. So please, do not make fun of her, support the Free Britney movement, and send good vibes her way. She has a court date this month to review the conservatorship and decide if it is abusive or will continue to be in place. There are so many details to this that i left out that would make this post entirely much longer than it is, but a simple search will show you what else is out there. Spread this far and wide. ❤️ Free Britney Edited to add some important links! Here’s a google doc of info https://docs.google.com/document/d/17jeZV78SCwgQGsOkad0H0PA8jqjgRsxgSqD9f_f1yAk/edit Petition by Danny H: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/conservatorship-and-civil-liberties-britney-spears Screenshots of leaked emails, voicemails, and other helpful links: https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-britney-spears-conservatorship-freebritney-movement-2020-2 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-17/britney-spears-conservatorship-free-britney https://www.forbes.com/sites/trialandheirs/2019/05/15/making-sense-of-the-britney-spears-conservatorship-and-freebritney/#5ce808c94b74 Jayden going on Instagram live reporting they were being abused by his grandfather: https://theblast.com/c/britney-spears-son-jayden-james-instagram-live-video-free-britney This is a news article from USA Today about her father’s child abuse allegations filed by Kevin Federline. He reportedly had an altercation with Sean in September 2019: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/2362531001 Source from the opposing view pointing to the success of her conservatorship and that fans are wrong, I think it's weird she has made no formal appearances to contest the conservatorship in court but she said (link above) we were not being told the truth and the media is being manipulated: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/10/24/britney-spears-why-does-she-still-need-conservator/2288009001/ There's a lot of money at stake to keep her in this situation. Just seems too convenient that she can't care for herself considering her net worth, and considering the fact her male counterparts of equal stardom with public mental health battles have never been under this much control. This is an issue and question of abuse in conservatorships at large. Unfortunately, the princess of Pop has somehow become the poster child of this type of crisis. While conservatorships can be beneficial when the best interest is at heart, we can't ignore the fact there are companies that profit enormously from people with disabilities by keeping them under extensive legal control. Are they providing the best care? If Britney has been too unwell to care for herself these past 12 years, why would she be made to work tirelessly? World tours? Vegas? X-factor? Her perfume line? Why not let her rest? Here's a good excerpt from Forbes, it's just not clear what is going on, but my initial gut thinks there is something that is not right. "In this case, Jamie Spears did not have legal authority to force Britney into treatment or to take psychiatric medications. But that doesn't mean that Britney's reported claim that she was held against her will is wrong. Rather, because Jamie has so much control over Britney's life through the conservatorship - including decisions like whether to get married, to perform or live in Las Vegas, or even if she can drive a car - he easily could have refused to grant consent for Britney to do any number of things unless she agreed to his request to enter the mental health treatment facility. In other words, Jamie could have indirectly forced her into treatment even if he could not explicitly sign her in against her will. But, even if Jamie Spears did so, he may have done it out of an earnest believe that Britney needed the treatment. TMZ previously reported that Britney was not doing well and her old course of medications stopped working, necessitating heightened treatment." Take what you will from this, but here are a few petitions to reinstate her rights in August is here - http://chng.it/CMfngqyMBj https://www.change.org/p/team-britney-freebritney

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the--sad--hatter · 5 years

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Name Changing (4)

FANDOM - MARVEL MCU, X-MEN, DEADPOOL

PAIRING - BUCKY X READER (female reader, no physical descriptions)

WARNINGS - ALL OF THEM, SMUT, VIOLENCE ANGST

DESCRIPTION - Sequel to Name Calling

After merging with your bloodthirsty alternate personality things start getting a little dicey. You’ve got two decades worth of anger to sort through, a feral mutation to figure out how to live with, a biological father who you hate trying to teach you control and if your wedding planner suggests teal for the bridesmaids again you might just eat her liver.

Luckily you have Bucky Barnes by your side, helping you figure things out. What Bucky doesn’t know is that you have found an outlet for the uncontrollable rage, one that absolutely nobody can know about. If your friends and family knew that you were out slaughtering people in the dead of night while they slept, they might be a little annoyed. Wade Wilson is happy to keep your secret though, so long as you keep bribing him with Mexican food.

For as long as you could remember, all you had wanted was to be good. Now you’re seeing the temptation in the darkness.

A Stark Reminder

Read the Exclusive Interview with Deathwave

Interview conducted and written by Kara M Pierce

Since her very public debut as the long lost daughter of Tony Stark, she has been the subject of much curiosity. Her story is a dark one, yet it’s also one filled with hope.

It quickly came to light that Miss Stark was far more than she first appeared and while she is in fact Tony Starks daughter, it is not by blood. Though after just a few minutes in her presence I am wondering if that is true. She exudes the same confidence and charm as her father, not to mention the same sharp wit. Having interviewed Mr Stark in the past I can confirm that both Starks harbour the same respect and fear for Pepper Potts as one look from the CEO can make either Stark fall into line.

Thank you so much for agreeing to sit down with me today Miss Stark.

Bold of you to assume I had any choice.

Thank you so much for convincing her to sit down with me today Mrs Potts.

She’s very happy to be here.

I imagine you are quite busy, does being Deathwave take up a lot of your time?

It does but apparently the bad guys have no concept of acceptable work hours. Someone should really start a labour union for them or something.

What’s it like being an Avenger and is it different from being a secret Avenger?

I used to just have to deal with Hydra and Vernichtung agents attacking me, now I have paparazzi as well but apparently I’m not allowed to blast them into smithereens.

Other than that, it’s not actually very different. Not having to wear the mask makes it a little easier, that thing was kinda warm.

How well do you get along with the other Avengers?

Sam Wilson, The Falcon is my best friend. When I first arrived at the compound he sort of took me under his wing. Sam is an excellent cook and he loves feeding people He’s also a great listener, he really cares about what you have to say and if you need advice he’ll do his best to give it to you but he knows when you just need to vent.

Plus have you seen the muscles on that man? Who doesn’t want to cry on those shoulders?

It sounds like you’re writing a dating profile for him. Are you trying to get him a date Miss Stark?

No... Maybe. Not that he needs my help, the man is handsome, charming, has the thighs of a god and is a superhero. He's also single. Just saying.

What about the other Avengers, are you close with them?

Well I am engaged to one so yes? We’re a family, all of us. I trust them with my life and they trust me with theirs. When we’re out there in the field our lives and the lives of the people we are fighting to protect rests in each others hands. That tends to form some close bonds.

So does that mean you’re close with Loki, the man who once led an attempted invasion?

Yes, I am. Loki was not responsible for that, and despite being controlled he managed to manipulate events so he would lose the battle of New York. He did the best he could with limited control of his own mind.

Loki was instrumental in helping me defeat Docherty, he helped us win the Second Battle of New York. He’s a hero, an Avenger and a friend and anyone who says otherwise can take it up with me personally. I’ll be happy to educate them on the difference between a hero and a villain.

You seem to have a protective streak, not just for those you know personally.

Was there a question in there?

I was wondering where that protectiveness comes from?

My father. He protected me. And I owe it to the world to follow in his example. He made a lot of mistakes along the way to becoming the hero he is today and he owns up to them and not only learned from them, encourages me to learn from them as well.

Speaking of your father, there’s been much speculation about your biological family.

Are you referring to the rumors that were leaked about Docherty being my grandfather?

Yes, those rumors have been circulating. Is there any truth to them?

Yes.

Would you like to elaborate on that?

Not particularly. Biologically, I was his granddaughter. He was evil, I stopped him. End of story.

What about the rest of your biological family? Do you have any desire to know about them?

What makes you think I don’t already know? My mother is dead, Docherty killed her. My father didn't know I existed until recently and he... he and I are working through our issues but that’s a private matter. If his identity comes to light at any point I just wanted people to know he didn't know about me or Docherty. It wasn't his fault.

That’s fair. Onto happier subjects Miss Stark, you won’t be Miss Stark for much longer. Are you excited?

You’d assume I was excited about my upcoming nuptials or I wouldn't be getting married would I?And the Stark name was the greatest gift I ever got, I’m not giving it up. I’ll be Mrs Stark-Barnes.

How did the romance between you and Sargent Barnes happen? Who made the first move?

(Miss Stark is trying to contain a laugh at this point, Mrs. Potts giving her a warning look.)

He made the first move. He followed me about for months, begging me for a chance. It was getting quite sad so I took pity on him.

What about the photo’s that appeared to show you on a date with Captain Rogers?

Well, Cap was my first love but he’s too good, too pure. I had to downgrade.

So you settled for Sargent Barnes?

(The laughter dies and the expression on Miss Starks face is one of love and conviction, it is clear her feelings for Sargent Barnes are very real and very powerful.)

James is the only man I have ever wanted to be with and the only man I ever want to be with. He’s my partner in every way, he supports me even when he doesn’t like what I’m doing, he challenges me when I’m being an idiot, he forgives me when I mess up, he holds my head above water when I’m drowning. He is the love of my life I know how lucky I am that I get to spend the rest of my life returning his love.

What about the blurred photographs that appear to show you in the company of the Vigilante and Mercenary known as Deadpool?

Deadpool is a menace to society. It is my personal mission to hunt him down and give him exactly what he deserves.

Quite a turn around from the woman who once refused to sign The Sokovia Accords.

My refusal to sign wasn’t about the accords themselves but rather the way they were being used. Secretary Ross is a slimy rat and I would never cow to his perceived authority. (There is a short argument between Mrs. Potts and Miss Stark but Miss Stark insists we can print her opinion on Secretary Ross, though it must be noted that the opinion of the interviewee do not necessarily represent the views of this publication.)

Colonel Rhodes is a man who knows the value of bureaucracy and the importance of the accords and balances it with the public's need for protection. The Sokovia Accords are no longer used as a power play but are in place to protect the people who signed as well as holding them accountable for their actions.

It’s at this point in the interview I informed Miss Stark I had some fan questions that had been sent in and she immediately perked up.

I like the fans, they’re just normal people who like me for some reason. It’s always strange when they come up to me and ask for a selfie or an autograph but it’s inspiring. Hopeful. It reminds me that there’s a world out there that I get to help protect.

From Jess on Ao3: How did you decide that you wanted to be good, despite the evils you’ve encountered?

I decided I wanted to be good because of the evils I encountered. My earliest memories are of cruelty and you’d think growing up that way might have given me a twisted sense of morality but I knew the way I felt was horrible and I didn't ever want to be the reason somebody else felt that way. There was a guard when I was really young, he slipped me chocolate through the bars of my cell. He was killed for it when they found out. That's how I knew they were evil, even if I didn’t know the word. And I knew I didn't want to be that way.

TaraStudiesaLot: Are you are interested in any art form? Photography, painting, film or music? Like, does do enjoy any of these or are they still foreign to you?

Steve tried to get me into art but I’m more made to appreciate it than make it.

I like to take pictures though, nothing special, just little moments from life. I like being able to look back at the photo’s, they help ground me and remind me of the good things I have in my life.

Phoenix-whiskey-Tears: What kind of music are you into?

I hadn’t even been out of the cage for a full day before my dad introduced me to AC/DC. So I kind of associate 80’s rock with freedom I guess? I’m also partial to big band music from the 40’s. (It should be noted that at this point, Miss Stark is doing her best to hide her blush.)

Firefly-in-darkness: I wanna know more of your habits and little simple things like your favorite colour, movies, books, etc?

Red. My favorite colour is red. The Iron Suit was red, red is the colour of freedom, of salvation, justice.

Books and movies? I don’t have favorites per se, it’s still exciting and thrilling to see and read them, even bad ones.

HoneyBadger: What advice would you give to abuse survivors? And do you think you’d ever take on a protege or sidekick?

Well first of all, I have a sidekick. Bucky Barnes.

To abuse survivors I would say this, you already did the hard part. You survived. You are already winning that battle by fighting it and I know it’s a long battle, one you’ll be fighting every day for the rest of your life. That thought is depressing and exhausting and overwhelming.

But it’s worth it. The world is still out there waiting for you, use the pain you have experienced to see the world differently. See the beauty in the mundane and normal because after your suffering you deserve every single tiny bit of happiness and calm you can grasp.

What happened to you shaped you yes, but it does not define you. You are so much more than what they did to you. Their evil does not leave a stain on you and your future is not dictated by your past.

You’re warriors, Kings and Queens who deserve so much more than life gave you. Life and people can be cruel and it’s up to you now, to take what you deserve from the world. Be amazing, you’ve already proven you have it in you. Support one another, hold each other up and never ever forget that we are a thousand times better than those who tried to put us down.

Pydia Packmaster: What keeps you going despite everything you have been through?

Life goes on, the world keeps turning. And everything I endured can be used to help me make sure others don’t have to go through the same thing.

All the bad things that happened to me are being used as a force for good now. Like I once said, I was created to end the world but I’m going to save it.

Beansy: if you had the ability to change anything in your past, what would it be and would you?

I wish I had known I had a mother, maybe I could have saved her before it was too late. Maybe I could have known her. But what’s done is done. My whole life I didn’t even dare to imagine that I would have a future but now I do and I won’t waste it by living in the past.

ToastLuvr: If you could choose an actress to play you in a movie who would it be?

Jack Black. Next question.

BuckityBarnes: Who’s your Avengers Crush?

Black Widow... Obviously. If Nat would have me I’d drop Bucky in a heartbeat. Have you seen that thing she does with her thighs? That’s how I wanna die.

Sitting down with Deathwave was just as inspiring as I had expected. Since the details of her past were revealed to the world she has become a symbol of hope to people everywhere. She is a hero, of that there is no doubt but what truly makes her an inspiration is the fact that she reminds us all of what we can be.

Who you are and where you came from doesn’t decide where you are going to go. That choice is up to you and you alone. No matter the challenges you face in life, big or small, they can be overcome.

Setback only set you back, they don’t stop you. People will stand in your way but they can be moved. You are the hero of your own story.

We are all the heroes of our own stories.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AUTHORS NOTE

This was mostly fun to write but there is a lot of of it that came directly from my heart. I’ve made no secret about how Docherty was based on real people who hurt me so the advice Baby Stark gives to abuse survivors is what I would say to those of you who it applies to and I mean every fucking word.

If you are or were in a situation of abuse, be it mental, physical, sexual or other then please consider my inbox a safe space to talk if you ever need it.

@nerdandproud-86 @harrison-shot-first@thejourneyneverendsx @thelostallycat @inquisitor-selvala@the-corruptor @iovher @kendrawr-kitkat @phoenix-whiskey-tears @the–real–wombat@buckitybarnes@fairislesheets@angieptt @meganjonezzzz@dugan365@fluffeh-kitty@memanda17 @krystallynx@theonelittleone@piscesbarnes@free-as-fishes@tarastudiesalot@captainamericasbeard@dropthepizza346@jaynnanadrews@likes-to-smell-books@drdorkus @life-wanderer@metalarmlover @animegirlgeeky@jsmith509@chipilerendi@nerdy-bookworm-1998@ericasabe@gravedollie666@madlykpopfan@l0kisbitch@mywinterwolf@sassysweetstories @life-wanderer @jessieray98@littledeadrottinghood @firefly-in-darkness @demonlover87 @jessieray98 @pinkisokay @chipilerendi

#hattersmarvelverse #Bucky x Reader #Bucky Barnes

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5secondsofrant · 5 years

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Thoughts on Lierra

DISCLAIMER:

This posts contains personal opinions and theories. I’m not confirming stuff.

This post’s purpose is not to hate on them but to share what I think.

As my bio says, I’m up for discussion, while it’s done with respect to me but also about the people we’re talking about.

This might be a long post due the time this has been going on. Honestly, I feel like this can get messy at some point and I apologize but there’s too much to cover.

Sierra has been part of the boys’ circle of friends for a while. She is (or was) best friends with Kaykay, who has been friends with Ashton for a while, so it tells you she has been around two or three years (if not more). She also seems to be friends with Mitchy and if you look up, you can also find candid photos of her with the boys, usually at parties.

I don’t know if you remember, but the first time she was papped with one of the boys, it was actually with Ashton. And not only that, but at the time he had referred to her in really lovingly terms to her on social media (twitter and Instagram mostly), always showing support, and after she started to date Luke, he stopped (I won’t go deep into this because there’s already a big post on this, really well-made by the people at sierratheory where they show this with solid proof).

As you know, there are a few blogs here that talk about this topic I’m discussing right now, and I’ve read divided opinions on this relationship: some say is fake, some say is really real.

And to be honest, I can see the reasoning behind both parts, so I’m going to try and explain why I’m so in the middle about this whole relationship.

> Why I think it could be real:

- They share the same social circles and most importantly, they were friends at some point. Following that narrative, it makes sense that you can fall for a friend and take it a step further into a full-relationship.

- The boys (well, Calum, Ashton and Luke since I’ve never seen her interact or be around Michael —though I can be missing something here because I’m not a really big user of social media, so I tend to not see the boys’ stories on Instagram or Snapchat—)seem to be genuine friends of her, at least it seemed that way in those videos I came across from a Halloween party, the photos I’ve seen of them with her at parties and also there’s the fact that Calum attended her birthday party.

- If we follow the narrative, they both seemed to be in vulnerable states after breaking up with their previous couples, so maybe that made them get together.

- They have met each other’s families, and I guess that shows that they’re serious about this (and in my personal opinion, it would be really fucked up to drag your family to a media show, though it’s not new and sometimes the artist doesn’t really have a choice). Apart from that, they’ve shared important dates like thanksgiving and the lunar New Year.

- She’s always around. Parties, his home, near Petunia, she was there a lot during the 5SOS3 and Meet You There tours. Let’s not forget she was also in the video diaries.

> Why I think it could be fake:

- Grandebaby, my favorite fail ever. You probably know about this, but if you don’t, basically Sierra was answering to a fan about herself from a “fan account” to help this confused fan to understand who she is, and why she’s hanging out with the boys. But then, she switched accounts and forgot and responded to the fan again following the conversation she had started from the fan account, so she basically got caught.

- The time “Luke” left a comment on one of her pictures and he was performing on stage.

- The fact that as soon as people began to suspect about them, she started to tease with photos that shared location with Luke, or taking photos at his house or with Petunia.

- Every time we get Lierra content, it’s before or after something related to the boys music is happening (go and look back to the drama before the Meet You There live album release, Who Do You Love as a single release, and even Youngblood).

- We have gotten so many stories by fans that seem to be made up; while I don’t blame her or them for this, I feel like a lot of those stories where they’re all in love (especially that one where she cried because she loves Luke so much) are fake and made up by fans to get clout and maybe show an image of them to the public.

- We always get filtered photos at the most random times. Remember two weeks ago there were photos that came out of nowhere about them hugging in the airport? And the whole fandom brought back their attention to them because they’re “goals”. The thing with this is that in my opinion it’s really strange: why this photo, from so many months ago, was suddenly leaked? After a few hours, a pair of girls came out to say that they shared them but didn’t think that anyone would share them on social media because they asked the people they shared them with to not do so, but… One, they shared those photos really back in the day (when they took them they were on tour so it has been a hot minute) and suddenly people decided to share them? Or did they share it recently? Again, really strange, especially since it brought attention back to them before Coachella.

- Her birthday party drama. I can understand that you get mad because someone posts pictures of your birthday when you want it to be something private (though, some of her friends still posted and she didn’t say a thing. She even posted something herself if I’m not wrong). But let me remind you this girl went crazy trying to find a “mole” in her group, which tells you a few things: either she has had stuff filtered before and doesn’t know who is doing it and that leads to you to think that she is worried about the things this “mole” can share. One thing is being mad about your privacy, which is understandable, but respond like this about only a small birthday video tells you a lot about what she could be doing behind the scenes.

Also, it caught my eye that Ashton was nowhere to be seen. She invited a few of the friends you can see hang out at parties but he wasn’t around. Even if Calum was there, Ashton didn’t show up (I’m not saying they go everywhere together, but they usually go to the same parties and are seen together) and while we can only speculate about this, I wonder why Ashton has been absent of the picture for so long (especially when Sierra even seems to be close with his sister)

- The amount of articles and paparazzi photos of them are astounding for such a “lowkey” couple, especially considering she’s not really famous and he’s known, but he isn’t on the Beyoncé or Justin Bieber level to get that amount of press (same with Michael, but that’s another story). Every time they’re on an airport, there seems to be paparazzi. Every time they’re out in a restaurant or a club, what you have? HQ pictures. We even got paparazzi photos from freaking Australia, where paparazzi aren’t such a big deal as in US. As I said in the Kaykay and Ashton post, paparazzi are usually called by the artist’s management or the celebrities themselves.

- She honestly seems like a damage control for what Arzaylea did. Look at the image she gives out: a singer, who’s passionate for music and went through a heartbreak (sounds like someone to you?), and is trying to put herself back together in the music industry but is having a tough time. This girl is smiley, kind to fans, kind of shy when she speaks, everyone refers to her as a really good friend. Now, what’s the image of her in the fandom? an angel, who saved Luke from his darkest hours—but not only that, he also saved her. (TBT to the premiere of the Lie To Me video and everyone commenting how she saved him, totally dismissing Luke’s own hard work to put himself back together, but yeah, love can fix your mental health in a snap, I guess).

- This brings attention to the band (and good attention). Relationships have been a game that publicists have played since the old good days back in Hollywood, whether is to bring attention or to hide a sexuality, they exist (you can check this article to read more about it). People love to idolize and ship people, especially given heartbreaking-Nicholas Sparks-ish narratives about their love. In this case, attention was needed: the boys took a two year hiatus, being a band that while didn’t do bad, wasn’t at the top to afford doing this, they [management] had to do the most with their come back. You and me care about their mental and physical health, but for their management and record label they’re numbers that weren’t adding up. Youngblood was a risk for everyone, so it’s rational to think management could pull on those strings so their money makers don’t flop. While I believe that the fandom is really supportive and the music the boys brought this time around is good enough to make it to the charts, no one in the business was going to take the risk.

- Honestly they look so awkward together. The only times that their photos don’t look strange is when they’re posted by themselves. I’ll link some down below where I truly believe they look really awkward to be a couple. (Example 1) (Example 2) .

- That Post Malone tweet I discussed a while ago.

> Some things I can’t place up there because while they’re strange, I don’t totally believe they have to deal with a “fake” or “real” relationship:

- Her dad posting so much about Luke on social media. I don’t get what’s the necessity, since her daughter is probably the less hated 5sos girlfriend ever. And the way he phrases things is such a weird way, it’s almost like if he were thanking his fans, which is totally strange in my opinion for a parent.

- Luke’s brother using her to promote his clothing brand.

- Those photos of their first appearance holding hands, were strange. Almost staged. And then there are photos of Sierra walking near Crystal which really made me go “huh”. (And as far as I know, I think KayKay is also friends with Crystal, and if you’re friends with her, I can’t really trust you lol —also, doesn’t it call your attention that the girls are friends with her but the boys they’re dating, or supposedly dating, don’t even interact with her?).

- Sierra deleting photos so when you check her profile the first thing you see are photos of Luke and her.

- Maybe it’s me but it’s so... awkward I’d like to say, the fact that there are photos of her hanging out with the boys while Luke was still dating Arzaylea. (But again, that could be a personal opinion)

After this, and weighing the fact that I listed more fake things than real, you might be wondering why I’m in the middle about this.

While I can see why people think they’re fake, and until some point I did, I lean towards the fact that this relationship is probably real, but by staying in the middle, I’m trying to explain that I’m not 100% convinced. I’d say is a 70/30 for me.

They can be real, even if the way things happened were weird (especially after Luke denying her for so long until Youngblood came out, but again, Luke is really good at denying relationships until he’s pushed to talk about them in public) but if they’re real, this is definitely tainted by PR. I can totally see them both seeing the benefit that they could get from their relationship and allowing it to happen this way. At the end of the day, I think that Luke would be that kind of person to go on board with giving clout to a girlfriend because he truly believes in her and wants to help out somehow (and in my opinion, the boys don’t seem to mind giving shout outs to their friends projects or work while they’re aware they’re doing it and not being tricked into giving clout).

And she needs it, whether you are a fan of her from her old days in the group with her ex-boyfriend or you arrived now, we both now she doesn’t have the attention she needs, and to be honest, I believe she needs a publicist and a manager that actually care about her career (and her to be on it full time too, since she’s technically starting from zero). I think she really missed a really big chance by not releasing music back when she first left “Alex & Sierra” and she was giving interviews about her career to such important music platforms as Billboard. Maybe she needed a longer break to make music and figure out what she wants to do, but in my eyes, she and her team (if she does have one) seem to be really, really lost, especially in terms of her public image.

While I believe it’s true for the amount of candids that we get, and I’m theorizing about them agreeing to this PR over their relationship, I really hope it’s going that way. Sometimes she shows some tendencies to be there for attention rather than to be there for Luke, which is... Sad. Hopefully they truly like and care for each other and she just does that because it’s part of her personality.

And also, I’d like to think that if this girl wanted to use the boys, she could have from a very long time ago (but well, since they seem to be technically have started hanging out by the time she splitted from Alex, this theory can be throw out the window, because after that, she needed a way to get attention on her, but I’d truly like to be wrong about this one).

I don’t know what it is but there’s still something that rubs me off in the wrong way about this relationship and I can’t quite tell what it is yet. If I ever find out, I’ll probably make a post about it.

And I’ll be transparent about this whole thing, because I mentioned it on my Kaykay/Ashton post, but I don’t have the best perception of her. I could make a whole post of why she gives me a weird vibe off based on stuff she has done or said.

With that said, I’d like to say that having a bad perception doesn’t equal hating someone, because honestly I can sit here and theorize for fun, but that doesn’t mean you’ll find me on social media sending mean comments to her.

I’m probably missing a lot and this probably was a hot mess, and I apologize, but I tried to touch on the topics that have caught my eye the most about these two. As I stated at the beginning, I’m up for discussion and for you to theorize with me (you can even dm if you want it to be private) while you’re respectful with me and towards Luke and Sierra, which means I won’t be taking any comments that mock or say mean stuff towards her.

Thank you for reading!

#lhsd #theory #opinion #lh

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lalainajanes · 6 years

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@thetourguidebarbie and I were complaining about the Polyvore alternatives and I found this truly awful dress on one. Celeb AU fluff was born.

Lookin’ Sharp

She’s exhausted, the consultation she’s walked out of had been a battle, one she’d had to smile through. Caroline’s dealt with difficult people before, had eagerly tackled this latest job. She’d never been one to back down from a challenge but then she’s never met a woman who thought a shapeless shiny mint green caftan was a good look for a Golden Globes after party.

Until today.

She really should have listened to Kat when she’d warned Caroline that socialites were the worst people to style. Caroline had brushed off the words at the time, figuring that her client’s reputation – sweet, agreeable, super committed to using her dad’s money to help ex-cons – would mean she’d be an easy paycheck. She’s mentally listing jewelers who like her, hoping she can find a necklace spectacular enough to distract from the chosen dress’ awfulness. She’s thinking diamonds the size of golf balls might do the trick.

“It’s a lost cause, you know.”

Caroline’s heart lurches when the words ring out, her body tensing. She whirls, dropping the armful of garment bags she’d been lugging out to her car. She hadn’t recognized the voice – she’s never heard Klaus Mikaelson say so many words at once. At least not in real life.

He’s a few paces behind her, hands up and a contrite expression on his distractingly handsome face. “Apologies,” he murmurs.

She relaxes, but not completely. She’s pretty sure Klaus isn’t going to stuff her into a trunk but he’s still a very big deal for a girl trying to make a name for herself in Hollywood. Caroline presses a hand over her chest, takes a deep breath. “You scared me. Do they teach you how to walk like a sneaky ghost when you sign up to play a superhero or something?”

He smiles, “I wasn’t making an effort to be silent. Perhaps you were just preoccupied?”

That’s possible. The fitting she’d just left had not gone well. A client who flat out refused to listen to sense, who appeared to see something vastly different than Caroline did when she looked in a mirror, was proving to be really freaking frustrating.

But she couldn’t exactly tell the client’s boyfriend that, could she?

She pastes on a sunny smile, “Well, award’s season’s just about to go into full swing. I have a lot on my plate. I’m sure you’re very busy too.”

Caroline hopes that’s a subtle enough hint. She’s curious about why he’s followed her out, hadn’t been lying about having an extensive to do list. She’s positive she hadn’t forgotten anything, that the four trips between condo and parking garage haven’t been in vain. She can’t exactly go making demands though, not from a guy whose next movie is projected to have a 100 million dollar opening weekend.

“Not for a few weeks yet,” Klaus says, crouching to gather her scattered things. Caroline hurriedly follows, brushing off the pebbles and dust from the bags he hands her. “I’m just supposed to smile for the cameras and look pretty. Make people forget about the… incident in Las Vegas.”

She chances a glance at him, unsure of how to react to that statement. She’d never have thought he’d make such a direct reference.

Caroline knew there’s no way she’d be able to be blasé if photos of her naked body had been splashed all over the internet. Then again, she’d never play strip poker with total strangers.

It hadn’t quite been a full frontal shot - Klaus had been lucky, and a champagne bottle had been left on an end table - saving the pics from being fully NC-17. Had circumstances been different they might not have even caused a stir. Klaus Mikaelson’s resume had a couple of racy film and TV appearances from before he’d left England on it, not that Caroline had googled him.

Okay, fine. She hadn’t googled him recently. And she definitely hasn’t watched the compilation of all his sex scenes on YouTube since she’d met him in person.

Unfortunately for Klaus (and really unfortunately for his publicists) the timing of the photos of his drunken debauchery leaking couldn’t have come at a worse time.

He’d been voicing a character in an animated feature when they’d come out, a gruff but loveable lone wolf who learned about the power of friendship. That, plus a superhero blockbuster on deck, meant he had to appeal to the broadest audience possible.

The pictures were the opposite of wholesome, damage control was necessary. He’d been volunteering with soup kitchens, had adopted a rescue dog. Had gone public with a relationship, one with a textbook good girl, and had been seen holding hands and getting fro-yo and generally being snuggly.

In public, at least. In private, from what Caroline’s observed, the relationship isn’t the warmest. Klaus has usually been in the background, glued to his phone and making noncommittal grunts when asked for an opinion.

Caroline’s not sure how to address the Vegas incident without putting her foot in her mouth so she decides to go back to his original statement. She straightens, folding the stack of dresses over her arm, “What did you mean about a lost cause?”

He’s edged closer when he stands. She keeps her eyes trained on his face, not on the way the fine weave of his shirt clings to his shoulders. “Just that your work’s not going to end up on any best dressed lists. You’ve tried to steer her towards flattering and age appropriate but she’s remarkably convinced her perspective is the right one. It’s not just clothes, if it’s any consolation. It’s everything.”

Wow. It certainly seemed like there was trouble in paradise. Caroline does her best to be diplomatic, “Personal style is a funny thing, I guess.”

He grins, head tipping to the side, “That’s an impressive non-answer. My publicist would be proud.”

“It’s a gossipy industry. Badmouthing clients is going to lead to fewer opportunities not more.”

His eyes sharpen, “Ah, speaking of opportunities, I’d wondered if you might do me a favor.”

A favor? That seems suspicious. “What kind?”

He laughs softly, “Nothing nefarious, love. I’d merely like a ride.”

“A ride?” she repeats, eyes shifting over to the black SUV she knows belongs to Klaus.

“In your backseat. Covered in a few of the bags you brought with you. Passed the paparazzi that are staked out on this block. They need to think I’ve spent the night, you see. And I’d really rather not.”

This conversation just got weirder and weirder. “Did you… I mean, it’s not any of my business if you guys are fighting but maybe talking it out would be better than fleeing?”

He looks at her as if she’s said something crazy. “We don’t talk. Well, no more than necessary.”

“Sounds like a healthy relationship,” Caroline quips. Her eyes widen and her teeth snap shut in horror. Had she seriously just said that? She’s so freaking fired.

Klaus surprises her though. He laughs again, louder this time, the sound echoing off the concrete walls around them. She’s confused, and frozen, unwilling to say anything that might make things even worse. When he calms he shifts closer, relieving her of some of the bags. “We’re not in a relationship, sweetheart. Not really. It’s a contract. A mutually beneficial agreement. I raise her profile, she makes me look like a fine upstanding citizen. Everybody wins.”

Huh. While Caroline knows those kind of arrangements happen, at least intellectually, she’d never expected to be a party to one. “That sounds…”

“Awkward?” Klaus supplies, “tedious? I can assure you it’s both. We’ll have an amicable breakup in April, pledge to stay friends. I’ll be done with press and can disappear for a bit.”

A thought occurs to Caroline, one that she doesn’t like. “Wait, did you fake adopt a dog too? Because that’s not cool.” She’d seen snaps of him walking the dog, some kind of Labrador mutt, and it’s really freaking cute.

“No, Munch was legally and truly adopted. He’s likely being given too many treats by my assistant as we speak.

Caroline nods sharply, satisfied, and fishes out her keys so she can pop the trunk of her car. “Good. If you were a faking a dog adoption I’d have to assume you’re a garbage person and I would not let you in my backseat.”

“Big fan of dogs, are you?”

“In theory, yes. Not in practice just yet.”

She begins loading up, carefully arranging things for maximum space use. She feels Klaus watching her carefully but she focuses on her task. Now that she knows he’s single the little devil on her shoulder is urging her to flirt. Whispering that the worst thing that would happen is that he wouldn’t reciprocate.

And if he did? Well, Caroline wouldn’t mind seeing him naked again. Would be seriously onboard with touching him while he was naked.

“Perhaps you’d like to meet him? You could come in for a bit once you’ve dropped me off?” he asks.

Caroline rears back, nearly hitting her head on the open trunk.

Klaus makes a soft noise, concerned, and his palm brushes over the back of her head, lowering to settle on her shoulder. “Careful. No need to injure yourself. I’d much rather we have dinner than take a trip to the emergency room.”

Maybe she had hit her head. “Dinner?” she parrots. “Like, together?”

He nods, a smile curling his lips. His thumb strokes her neck, an absent gesture that’s unfairly distracting. “You, me, the dog begging for crumbs. We’re working on it but his manners aren’t the best just yet. If that goes well I hope you’ll agree to do it again sometime.”

Clearly, Caroline hadn’t needed to talk herself out of flirting. Klaus didn’t share her qualms. Unless this was another step in his image rehab. She shifts back until he’s no longer touching her, crossing her arms. “Is this another contract kind of thing? Dating someone who’s not super rich so you seem down to earth?”

Klaus denial is immediate, “No, nothing like that. I’ve just spent an awful lot of time studying your face, wondering at the comments you’ve been holding back. Your face is remarkably easy to read when you’re frustrated.”

Whoops. Caroline makes a note to work on that. Her clients were a self-absorbed group but it’s possibly someone would notice her inner screaming at some point and she couldn’t have that. At least not until she’s more established. “I suppose I could eat,” Caroline says slowly.

Klaus expression warms, his pleasure evident. “Lovely. Just let me program my address into your phone.”

Caroline hands it over willingly, doesn’t shy away from the brush of his fingers against hers, letting her body brush against his more than necessary as she returns to packing up.

Half-assing things isn’t in her nature. If Caroline’s going to flirt (and oh boy is she ever) she’s going to do it right.

#klaroline #klaroline drabbles #a break from all the smut

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x-enter · 5 years

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How Kanye West and Kim Kardashian use their public love of chains like McDonald's and Chick-fil-A to get rich off of low-brow culture

Kanye West's Chick-fil-A-inspired song "Closed on Sunday" is just the latest in his and Kim Kardashian West's long relationship with fast-food chains like McDonald's and In-N-Out.

Kim Kardashian West used partnerships with fast-food chains like McDonald's and Carl's Jr. to become a household name, with Carl's Jr.'s then-CEO saying that Kris Jenner begged him to put Kim in an ad.

Kanye has long been obsessed with fast food from a branding perspective, once tweeting, "McDonald's is my favorite brand."

Today, Kim charges brands up to $500,000 for a single Instagram post. But, she continues to highlight her love for fast food on social media and in paparazzi photos.

Fast food is one of the few connections that Kanye has with the average American in 2019, as the millionaire rapper faces controversy after controversy.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

I have listened to the fourth track on Kanye West's new album, "Jesus Is King," at least a dozen times since it was released on Friday.

"Closed on Sunday," West raps, "You my Chick-fil-A."

The song continues with its semi-dreary, semi-desperate rhythm, rising and falling, then ending abruptly when West yelps — there is no other word but "yelp" — "Chick-fil-A!"

As someone who reports on fast food, I pay close attention to chains like Chick-fil-A and McDonald's. Over the years, I have come to realize that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West do, too. Understanding fast food is key to understanding the Kardashian Wests — and how they're making millions of dollars a year.

Kim Kardashian is a longtime fast-food fanatic

Kim Kardashian's ties to McDonald's span more than a decade. Back in 2008, she and Khloe attended McDonald's "Big Mac 40th Birthday Party at Project Beach House." It is an event I have thought about at least once a month since I discovered it while looking for McDonald's photos on Getty Images back in 2013.

At the time, Kim was far from the international celebrity she is today. Kim and her mother/manager Kris Jenner used fast-food partnerships to turn Kim — who was largely known for her leaked sex tape and for being Paris Hilton's reality show sidekick — into a household name.

Back in 2015, the then-CEO of CKE Restaurants, Andy Puzder, told me that Jenner called him to try and score Kim a coveted spot in a Carl's Jr. commercial, hoping to launch her daughter into mainstream fame.

"The Sports Illustrated swimsuit models that we use in our ads, like Hannah Ferguson and Samantha Hoopes … tell me that the girls actually talk about 'How can we get on a Carl's Jr. ad?'" Puzder said. "Kim Kardashian, her mother Kris called me, and said, 'Can we get Kim in an ad?'"

Puzder, whom President Donald Trump would later nominate as labor secretary, said that starring in a Carl's Jr. ad was seen as a massive career boost for young models or actresses. Fast-food brands have greater reach than almost any other industry, with customers developing strong connections with and opinions about the brands.

The McDonald's arches are the most recognizable symbol in the world. Kris and Kim were gunning for the Kardashians to be the most recognizable family in the world. As their social media follower counts grew and Kardashian coverage ballooned, fast-food name drops on social media and in interviews continued — a symbiotic relationship where both Kardashians and fast-food giants benefited from the press.

Kanye West has his own fast-food obsession

It should come as little surprise that Kanye West, a man obsessed with how he brands himself, had his own appreciation of fast food before ever meeting his future wife.

Kanye has songs that name-check chains — "Says she want diamonds, I took her to Ruby Tuesdays, If we up in Fridays, I still have it my way." Others talk about working in restaurants — "This week he moppin' floors, next week it's the fries." In 2008, West bought the rights to open 10 Fatburger locations in Chicago.

His 2014 marriage into the Kardashian family brought a new level of scrutiny, even as he attempted to avoid appearances in "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." Kanye reportedly bought Kim the rights to open 10 Burger King franchises located throughout Europe as a wedding present, though no locations were ultimately opened in the Kardashian West name.

The name drops continued. "Beggars can't be chooser, b----, this ain't Chipotle," Kanye rapped in 2016. He penned a poem in 2016 called "The McDonald's Man" in a magazine written to accompany Frank Ocean's sophomore album,"Blonde."

Kanye portrays fast food as both a symbol and as sustenance. In 2016, the rapper tweeted: "McDonalds is my favorite brand." In 2018, he tweeted: "McDonald's is my favorite restaurant."

The division between high-brow and low-brow is dead

Around the time they were getting together, Kimye was a brand comparable to many fast-food giants. Many people described "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" as a "guilty pleasure." Kanye was still recovering from becoming public enemy No. 1 after the Taylor Swift incident. Both Kanye and Kim were wildly popular, even if they weren't always respected.

But, Kim and Kanye didn't just want the fast-food kind of fame, the fame of being something most people like, but feel ashamed about liking. They wanted fine-dining, New York Times' Food section-reviewed, high-brow approval. They wanted to be Vogue cover stars — and, despite plenty of backlash, they got it.

Pink Polo Kanye and trashy-chic Kim needed to disappear. So, they put out fashion lines, attended the Met Gala, and schmoozed with tech executives. Anna Wintour reportedly signed off on their decision to name their first born North West. Kim is going to be a lawyer! Both of them have met with the president!

Like celebrities desperate to appear relateable by scarfing down In-N-Out after the Oscars, Kim and Kanye continue to keep their public love of fast food alive.

Kim's fast-food consumption feels both deeply performative and — because of her decade-long dedication to the game — surprisingly genuine. Chains like McDonald's and In-N-Out somewhat frequently turn up in Kim's interviews, Instagram posts, and Snapchat. Paparazzi shots of her leaving McDonald's with a $1 ice cream cone are viewed by millions, providing Kim with a press cycle about how low-key and relatable she is and the fast-food chain with significant free advertising.

Kim Kardashian's approval is worth millions of dollars

It's clear the chains appreciate the love Kim gives. Back in 2016, McDonald's sent Kim a Givenchy wallet filled with gift cards to the fast-food chain. After all, Kim typically charges $300,000 to $500,000 for a single Instagram post.

"Because a significant portion of my business involves the licensing of my name, trademarks, and images, I work very hard to ensure that my brand means something to my fans and to the public, who view the use of my name as the stamp of approval by me," she said in a 2019 lawsuit.

Kim wouldn't be spotted with a brand if there wasn't something in it for her. Today, Kim's reputation is more precious than anything money can buy.

Again and again, Kim Kardashian gives fast food the stamp of approval. Fast food helped make her a household name. Now, it keeps her semi-relatable as she travels the world and racks in millions of dollars a year.

Why Kanye is drawn to Chick-fil-A

Kim's approach to fame has been to try to have it all, aiming to dominate the high-brow and the low-brow until there is no divide between the two. Kanye's has been darker.

The rapper has publicly discussed his mental health issues, and he faced backlash for his controversial statements and support for Trump.

In that way, it makes sense that Kanye's newest fast-food obsession would be Chick-fil-A. In an industry where most chains aim for widespread acceptance, Chick-fil-A remains polarizing. Its first location in the UK sparked massive backlash due to its anti-LGBTQ reputation. But, it is also incredibly beloved — teens and basically everyone else in America consider it their favorite chain.

In "Closed on Sunday," Kanye advises against the sins of modern fame, pushing a religious message. But, even at his most pious, Kanye doesn't only turn to God. He turns to a fast-food brand.

Chick-fil-A is a symbol for Kanye. If McDonald's was Old Kanye — a classic American brand — the New Kanye brand is more similar to how Kanye and other Chick-fil-A supporters interpret Chick-fil-A's identity: controversial but driven by conviction.

"Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A," Kanye raps. "You're my number one, with the lemonade. Raise our sons, train them in the faith. Through temptations, make sure they're wide awake."

Kim has been cashing in on fast food as a sponsored-content icon since before the rise of the influencer. Kanye, on the other hand, attempts to use brands to connect with people.

As Kanye continues to lead a life that's increasingly divergent from the average American, Chick-fil-A represents a common touchstone that everyone has a take on. We may not be making $150 million a year, living in $60 million mansions and hosting invitation-only spiritual gatherings.

But, the feeling of craving a chicken sandwich, then realizing it is Sunday and Chick-fil-A is closed — that is something people can still relate to.

SEE ALSO: Backlash didn't actually kill Chick-fil-A's UK expansion, with a location quietly opening in Scotland and more likely on the way

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A pair of Air Jordans can resell for up to $2,000. Here's why these iconic Nike sneakers are so expensive.

source https://www.businessinsider.com/kanye-west-kim-kardashian-use-chick-fil-a-mcdonalds-2019-10

#Entertainments

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funniesandboxes · 7 years

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Judy and Nick prompt: disaster date.

I am going to take this in a direction you likely least expect.

—-

Rumors had been floating around the tabloid papers for months on end that the ZPDs first bunny and fox officers were dating. Like months, going onto like a year now.

Because their partners and single. And just together all the damn time, doing just about everything together. Not to mention Judy’s just a physically affection mammal, and Nick doesn’t mind her being all up in his space.

So yeah, the tabloids gossiped. Snapped ill time photos and made up odd little headlines now and again.

Nick and Judy after all were border line celebrities, in the senses that most mammals knew who they were. They sold a few papers, because the public is weird and the drama is good. But mostly everyone know it’s fake, or at least nothing to generally to take too seriously. MR only called them in once, because one tabloid ran on racey headline, but nothing ever came of it.

So when Nick and Judy started dating, they kept it secret. From like everyone.

Well like save Bogo, one mammal in MR, Finnick, and their parents.

They had been dating for months and now one was the wiser. Nick was very good about keeping a secret in plain sight. Not to mention, twisting the truth into something that sounded different. Judy’s just as good, and her physical affection is just chopped up to Judy being…well Judy. So no one is ever the wiser.

And they always managed to hide their dates.

The two were always together. A lagging paparazzi photographer thought little about seeing them running around doing anything. And romantic dates were always hidden beyond well. No one ever knew any better.

Their six month anniversary dinner wasn’t any different.

Nick had an in at some super fancy restaurant, the kind where the staff prides themselves on secrecy. The reservation was under a fake name, some dumb thing that is a terrible name for anyone. The two of them went separately to the restaurant, and meet and the bar before going to their table and having dinner

It always work flawless.

Or it use to.

Somehow, word got out. Someone somewhere leaked something, Judy couldn’t guess who. Most of the guests seemed to pay them much mind, other than ‘oh look a fox and a rabbit having dinner’. And the staff prided themselves on their abilities to keep a secret and keep it well.

But half way through the main course, a paparazzi camera come out of no where. Followed by like three more. Then two more. Then four more. They just see to keep sporting up before the restaurant staff could handle them accordingly. Some shouting questions, “is this a date, like a real date” or “which anniversary are you celebrating tonight” as they were shoved and shown out.

And all of them were aimed at Nick and Judy.

“This way,” Their polite waiter said as Nick and Judy had started to cower in their seats.

More mammals turning to look at them and the paparazzi still yelling for something. The waiter motioned with his paw for the two to follow him silently. The fox and the rabbit did, almost without hesitation, following the waiter quickly as he lead them to a room just off the kitchen.

“You can finish eating your meal in here,” The waiter commented, gesturing to the table in the room. “I’ll have your plates and glasses brought here for you. It will only be a moment.” And then they left.

“Well there goes tonight,” Nick grumbled as the door closed.

Judy nodded slightly as she climbed onto one of the chairs before sinking into it. They both knew the damage was done, and there was no stopping the wild fire that was about to spread.

There was nothing they could do. Their carefully planned secret date was ruined. No way they could enjoy the rest of their meal or evening now. Not fully at least. Because it would all still be there in the back of their mind.

“Maybe it won’t be that bad.” Judy stated optimistically. “We’re not like Gazelle or anything.”

“I think you underestimate the content we just came more papers.” Nick grumbled. “Both legitimate and otherwise.”

Because they both now it’s big news. Because Nick is a fox, and Judy is a rabbit. An interspecies relationship of a rare kind. There would be a media explosion with them at the center of it for days.

“Maybe we have some time before anything happens.” Judy returned, trying at salvage something from the night.

But the her voice chimed.

Followed by another chime, and another, and another. The one from Nick’s and another.

“Carrots, stop saying things like that.” Nick returned as he pulled his phone out and tossed it on the table. “Unless you’re going to say this will last forever.”

“Sorry, hon.” Judy sighed out weakly.

“Me too, darling, me too.”

—-

AN: You probably wanted something where like everything went wrong…but I would end up making that something two actually ended up enjoying, cause like that’s just want I do. But I think this fits much better for a disaster date. Cause none of that sounds fun.

#zootopia #wildehopps #nick wilde #judy hopps #fanfiction #ask fic #ask prompt #disaster day #not proofed #bite me #I put a little twisted on it #and to be honest #this is a fic I've also wanted to write

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phooll123 · 7 years

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How Hair, Makeup Team Age Mandy Moore for ‘This Is Us’ – Variety

“America has been tortured enough already.” But alas, not Mandy Moore. It’s the last day of filming on Season 2 of “This Is Us,” and for the sixth time on the finale’s eight-day shooting schedule, Moore begins her day in the hair-and-makeup trailer, girded for the three-hour process that will turn the 33-year-old actress into the 68-year-old Rebecca. Moore estimates she’s gone through the transformation more than 30 times — 20 this season alone. Not that she’s complaining about it. “I love that I’m given this opportunity to play this character from 25 to 68,” she says. “That’s so unheard of. So I don’t begrudge the process that comes along with it.” The finale chronicles the wedding day of Rebecca’s daughter, Kate (Chrissy Metz), and Toby (Chris Sullivan), which means the present-day action calls for Moore’s near-daily transformation. Given the death of her husband, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), Moore’s Rebecca is the only character who exists in all of the show’s multiple timelines: from the 1980s when she and Jack first meet, through the ’90s when they’re juggling tweens (her favorite age, she admits) and then teenagers, to the present, where she’s remarried and trying to resolve long-simmering issues with her three adult children.

“It’s such an honor to be the glue of this family,” she says. “I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility.” Playing older Rebecca she says is the most challenging age, not just because of the labor-intensive process but also because of the deep-seated emotion it inevitably carries. “If I’m in age makeup, something dramatic has happened,” she says. “I’m being confronted by my son about the fact that I’ve been lying to him, meeting his biological father and pretending I don’t know him, talking about the anniversary of my husband’s death.” Even amid all of the show’s mysteries, the transformation is “one of the most asked-about questions,” she says. The hair-and-makeup trailer is well lived in, fitted with six chairs for the actors and crammed with mementos of an intense season. Taped on the walls are photos of the cast in a range of stages (tracking Jack’s famously fluctuating facial hair), as well as a chart listing their relative ages through the show’s complicated timeline. Jack’s stops abruptly in 1992. There’s a jubilant feeling of senioritis in the air — everyone’s talking about the wrap party, set for the following night. The set is also abuzz about paparazzi photos that were leaked the day before, and crew members debate camera angles to try to identify the culprit. Throughout the morning, other stars filter in and out of the trailer — Metz, Justin Hartley (Kevin), Caitlin Thompson (Madison). Ventimiglia is on set, too, even though he’s not filming, to lend his support: “Someone made some money,” he says regretfully of the spoiler-laden photos. They’re accustomed to Moore’s lengthy stay in the trailer, but they know all too well their time might also be coming. We’ve gotten a glimpse of future Randall, which means Sterling K. Brown spent about four hours being transformed. He’s on deck for another session later in the day. And those leaked photos revealed that another of the show’s stars had his turn too. “It gives me a kernel of satisfaction that other people now know what it’s like,” says Moore with a sly smile. Moore arrives in the trailer promptly at her call time of 8 a.m, her long brown hair still wet from a shower, clad in a robe, jeans and Uggs and carrying boxes of croissants from a favorite bakery. (None for her, though — she’s gluten-free.) On cue, hairstylist Katherine Rees first offers her conditioner, then Advil. It’s not that she’s hungover; she’s preparing for the headache that inevitably comes as her hair gets pinned up ever so tightly. Moore gratefully accepts the pills as hair department head Michael Reitz wraps her hair around her head to fit under the wig cap, the first and easiest step in what will ultimately be a nearly three-hour-long odyssey. Fifteen minutes later, she moves to the makeup chair for a far longer haul, and turns on the timer on her phone, ever hopeful that this time things just might be quicker. Crafting the right look for older Rebecca was an ordeal of its own, with several tests that went too far — inflated lips, a floppy neck waddle, long gray hair. “We went to 12 and had to bring it back down to 6,” says makeup department head Zoe Hay, who’s worked on shows like “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” “We came at it with the least we could do, but had to keep stepping it up to find what really works.” Paramount to the effort was maintaining a sense of continuity about Rebecca’s naturalistic style. Twentysomething Rebecca might be more playful with color (“A young woman would experiment with how she looks,” says Hay), but as she ages, she settles down into more neutral, safer choices. What solved the problem were some leftover prosthetics from makeup artist Stevie Bettles that Hay happened to have in her trailer from a recent commercial shoot. They’re impossibly thin silicone stickers, color-matched to Moore’s skin and placed precisely around her face and neck.

“Her gestures are completely different … in terms of there having been a fair amount of tragedy and sadness in her life. She carries it all. And that was not something I ever discussed with her.” Dan Fogelman

She can still emote through them — an important detail, given all of the crying Rebecca is wont to do — though Moore reveals she doesn’t know when tears are running down her face. “It’s a very weird sensation,” she says. “Sterling told me I was crying last night, but I couldn’t feel it.” The team knew it had finally found the right look when Moore shot a scene with Ron Cephas Jones (William), who’s 61, and it played seamlessly, as if she were truly the same age as he. “This Is Us” showrunner Dan Fogelman says he briefly considered casting two actors for the role (à la “The Crown,” which is replacing Claire Foy with Olivia Colman as the queen ages), but that scene with Jones proved he was right to trust his “gut instinct” of letting Moore pull it off alone. “Her gestures are completely different; her voice changes; her shoulders carry the weight of a life lived hard — not in terms of drugs or alcohol, but in terms of there having been a fair amount of tragedy and sadness in her life,” he says. “She carries it all. And that was not something I ever discussed with her.” Before the prosthetics can be applied, though, Hay — along with makeup artist Elisabeth Chang — begins the process of wrinkling Moore’s normally clear, smooth skin, painting on speckles and age spots and delicately applying an ager onto her skin and hands that will form lines and creases. As one dabs, the other pulls her skin tightly; Moore’s coloring turns red as they poke and prod. (Removing it all at the end of the day will take another 45 minutes to protect her skin: “We call it the devil’s glue,” says Chang.) It’s a well-choreographed dance; Hay and Chang are careful not to bump into each other in the cramped trailer, and Moore doesn’t need to be directed which way to turn her face, when to stick her thumb in her mouth to stretch it out, or when to turn herself nearly upside down in her chair, so they can paint under her neck. “The first time I was like, ‘You want me to do what?’” she says, laughing. They move painstakingly from her eyes to her forehead to her lips, where Hay paints on additional delicate lines, erasing the lips’ natural edge. “Smoke and mirrors,” she says. After an hour, they take a 10-minute break before moving on to the prosthetics — there are 10 in all. (Four for her eyes, two for her laugh lines, two jowls, one neck piece, one for the bridge of her nose.) “It’s like putting on a Band-Aid, but not quite,” says Hay as she peels each one off the board they’re all pinned on. After she carefully puts them in place, she brushes over them to melt them into Moore’s face and neck. The rest of her body is spared — if Moore has her way, we’ll never see older Rebecca’s legs or feet. “I hate wearing panty hose, but I will wear them every single time I have to be older Rebecca,” she says. Nor will we ever see her in a bathing suit. “That would have to be a body double,” she says with a laugh. One thing remains constant: Her nails at every age are always a light pink. “It’s the last thing I want to think about,” she says. They’ve had to navigate a few unforeseen challenges — when Hay broke her hand and three people had to fill in, or when Moore banged into the shower door, and they had to cover up her black eye. Luckily it was the Halloween episode, so Rebecca as Cher sported purple eyeshadow. Each character has a detailed bible with his or her history, and one crew member is tasked with maintaining continuity. Given the show’s tendency to jump back and forth in time and revisit past scenes, each look needs to be carefully tracked. When Hay is ready to put the tiny crow’s-feet prosthetics on Moore’s eyes, she yells out: “Eyes! We’re doing eyes!” That’s a signal for everyone to stop moving — no one steps in or out of the trailer as she applies the stickers. “The miracle is me not sticking myself to Mandy,” says Hay. “That may or may not have happened before.” Matching Moore’s face side to side is the trickiest part, and Moore points out that one eyelid feels heavier than the other. There can be no cheating. “They like to put the camera everywhere,” complains Hay. “The cameras are not our friends.” She inspects her work through a magnifying glass, looking for spots she might have missed. At least today’s shoot is indoors; daylight makes matters worse. “When they shoot outside, it gives me a heart attack,” she moans. And then Hay layers on the usual stage makeup, but she has one more trick up her sleeve: frosted eyeshadow. “It shows every wrinkle,” she explains. “You wouldn’t want it as an older woman, but it helps Mandy.” Finally it’s back to Reitz for the wig. With eight precisely planted pins and more application of glue, he secures the stylish yet age-appropriate bob on her head. Says Moore with a satisfied look in the mirror: “There she is.” Credit that senioritis: They’re done in near-record time, just under three hours, and Moore’s finally ready for her close-up. Director Ken Olin leads the cast through a rehearsal, figuring out their marks. It’s a short scene, but the quick exchange between Rebecca and Kate speaks volumes about the tension in their relationship. “Did I say something wrong?” Rebecca asks her sons after the encounter sends Kate marching out of the cabin. “I feel so bad for her,” Moore says of Rebecca after the scene has wrapped, over lunch in her trailer. (There’s a pizza truck on set, but she opts for a healthier salad of grains and fish.) “She’s so acutely aware that she ruffles Kate’s feathers, so she’s trying to be on her best behavior. I see myself a little bit in my relationship with my own mother. It’s very complicated.” And while audiences have focused on Jack and his death, Moore hopes that they’ll come to find sympathy for the character, too, even if she has made questionable choices. “I have a real soft spot for her,” she admits. “She’s just not the same. The life force is out of her eyes. Is it just Jack? It has to be, but she breaks my heart.”

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