#ultimately there are a million things that could cause someone to clock you or anyone else incorrectly and its 1000000% subjective

[spitblaze]

One day you will reach a point where someone will misgender you and instead of feeling the jab of disappointment or fear or mockery, you will only feel confusion or bewilderment or even just...nothing, whether you correct them or not. And you will realize how far you've come, and how resilient you've grown, how much comfortable you are in your own skin.

[seriouslysnape]

“I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

I found this prompt and immediately had to come to you (you’re my favorite Snape writer ever)!

Maybe, if you want, write this with a student aged Snape, who has a horrible dream about his best friend he’s secretly in love with, and so he sneaks into the girls’ dormitory and tells her this. (You can leave the house unnamed or something the reader can fill in.) And then they go into the common room together and sit in front of fireplace and talk it out to get him relaxed and a lot of romantic fluff follows!

SO you woke up today and chose hella fluff, huh? YOU GOT IT.

Also, thank you! You’re too sweet! :)

__

Night Fright

Young Severus Snape x Fem. Reader

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 1,750

“I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

__

His eyes snapped open in an instant, his lungs involuntarily taking a sharp inhale. It took him a second to identify where he was, or even what time it was. He eventually realized he was in his dorm room, and it was an ungodly late hour. His breathing became ragged and heavy as he tried to regain himself, reminding himself that he was safe in the comfort of his room.

He tried to slow his breathing, not wanting to wake up his roommates, who were all snoozing peacefully. He wiped at the beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead, ultimately pushing his hair from sticking to his clammy skin. His skinny legs were trembling something awful, and his fingers were so tingly that he could barely move them.

He sat up in his bed, taking another gander around his dorm. A sigh of relief flowed from his chest as it resonated with him once more that he was okay. Even more so, that you were okay. He had bad dreams before, but nothing like this. It had been so graphic and so real, he was sure that it had actually happened. It was even worse that you had been in it.

He tossed back the covers on his bed, swinging his feet over the side, and standing up. He knew you were fine, but he wanted to be absolutely sure. He would feel better if he actually saw you and heard your voice. He threw on a t-shirt, not bothering with pants since his boxers were enough and no one would really see him. He caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall saying it was half past 2:00 AM. He groaned to himself, annoyed that his sleep had been so abruptly interrupted.

He tip-toed past his roommates, creeping out of his dorm as quietly as possible. Thankfully, Severus had always been rather light on his feet. He knew what he was doing was totally against the rules. If he was caught sneaking into your dormitory, he’d definitely be punished or maybe even suspended until further notice. Severus grumbled at the thought of him getting in trouble for doing something that James Potter and his friends did all the time and were never scolded for.

His heart still felt like it would burst out of his chest, but his breathing had slowed to a more normal rate. The hallways were eerily quiet, the only sounds were his bare feet shuffling on the hard floors. He was glad no one was out, because he was sure that he looked like a wreck.

As he came closer to your dorm room, he wondered if you were still up. You had always been a bit of a night owl, so there was a possibility you were awake. However, it was the end of the week, so you were probably sleeping it off. He still had this feeling of paranoia that something was wrong.

He managed to shield his face from any portraits, although most of them were asleep anyways. He said a silent prayer that you were okay. He made it to your dorm, suddenly feeling kind of weird for entering a room with a bunch of sleeping girls. Much to his relief though, you were curled up in bed, sound asleep. He let out an exhale as he saw your chest rise and fall with each steady breath.

“She’s okay, Severus…she’s fine.” He whispered to himself, resting a hand on his still heavy beating chest.

He crept around your roommates’ things until he was in your space. He checked to make sure that no one had followed him before resting a hand on your shoulder, shaking gently.

“[Y/N], wake up.” He whispered quietly.

You let out a rather loud disgruntled groan, annoyed that someone was trying to wake you up. Severus winced, hoping you wouldn’t wake anyone up. You stirred for a moment, but collapsed back into your pillow.

He fought the urge to laugh, and shook you a little harder this time.

“Come on. [Y/N], wake up please.” He whispered again.

Your eyes actually peeked open this time, peering at him with an irritated look. Your aggravation didn’t last long. You immediately noticed that something was up with him. Mainly because he had never snuck into your dorm without telling you first, and also because he looked about 50 shades of terrible.

“Sev?” You murmured groggily, rubbing your eyes as you sat up from your mattress; “What are you doing here?”

He bit the inside of his cheek in thought. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to admit that he had come all the way up here just to check on you. That seemed a little weird, and maybe even protective. Not that you minded Severus going out of his way to see you, but he wasn’t sure how kindly you’d take to him breaking in.

“I...just needed to see you.” He half-lied.

You quirked a curious brow at that. This was odd behavior, even for him. One of your roommates turned over with a creak, causing Severus to jump. You laughed under your breath, throwing back the covers of your bed and putting on a jacket.

“Come on. Let’s go to the common room so we can talk.” You said persuading him out of your room.

“Are you sure? You can go back to bed, I just...came by.” He replied, blushing hard when you took his hand into yours.

You noted how his hands were still shaking. His skin that was usually cold was flushed warm. Something had rattled him to his core.

“Yeah, I’m sure. She’s not a pretty sight when she doesn’t get her beauty sleep.” You said, referring to one of your roommates who was dead to the world.

You both snickered as you guided him down the staircase into your House’s common room. There was already a roaring fire, likely from whoever was the last person to turn in for the night. You and Severus settled on the couch in front of it, soaking in the warmth that the fire was emitting. Severus had grown quiet now, his eyes dead set on his fiddling hands in his lap.

You looked over him. He was notably tired. His hair was a disheveled mess from where he didn’t even bother to brush it, he had dark circles under his eyes, and his eyelids weighed heavy. Something was bothering him.

“Did something happen?” You asked at a more comfortable volume than before, but your tone was still light.

He figured that you ought to know the real reason for his surprise visit. No matter how much he liked you, he would probably never slink into your bedside “just to see you”. He sighed, averting his gaze to you.

“I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” He confessed, feeling a little silly about it.

His words really tugged at your heartstrings. You had been best friends with him for years, and every day he seemed to care more and more about you. You let out a soft, sympathetic noise and scooted a little closer to him.

“You’re so sweet, Sev. I’m okay,” You assured him, resting a hand on his knee; “Do you want to talk about it?”

He felt a lot better after seeing you, feeling you, and hearing you. He was always so afraid of something happening to you. You were always the best part of his day.

“It was one of those dreams where I knew I was dreaming, but it still felt real. I was standing with you out by the lake, and then this...thing showed up and grabbed you,” He explained, his eyes opening a little wider; “Next thing I knew, you were gone and all I could hear was you screaming. I was scared. I didn’t know what happened to you, or where you went, or if I’d ever see you again...”

His pulse had quickened as he recalled the ghastly details of his dream. He just hoped he’d be able to sleep again after that. You felt horrible for him. You threw your arms around him, wrapping him in a hug. He slowly returned the embrace, burying his nose in your shirt, smelling your familiar scent. You never wanted him to worry about you.

“I’m so lucky to have someone who cares like you do,” You confessed, kissing his cheek and causing him to blush once more; “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He was tempted to bring a hand to his cheek where you had just left a kiss. He wanted to savor the feeling forever. You refused to let him go, still hugging him until you knew he felt better.

“That’s why I was so scared. If something had happened to you...oh, I don’t know what I would do.” Severus proclaimed.

Now it was your turn to blush. You pulled back from the hug, but still kept your arms wrapped around his shoulders, his hands somehow found their way to your waist, but your head was so focused on what he was saying that you didn’t seem to notice.

“Are you saying you can’t live without me?” You wondered, really hoping that this was his way of admitting his feelings for you.

You wanted this. He just had to say one little word and you were his forever. Severus didn’t say anything for a moment, and you internally cursed him for getting shy on you now. But he did, eventually, reply as clearly as ever.

“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying,” He said; “I love you. A million times over I’ll tell you that I love you.”

You were stunned, overwhelmed, and thrilled all at the same time. Leave it to Severus Snape to profess his love for you at almost 3 o’clock in the morning. But you didn’t care that you were missing out on precious sleep. This was way better than that.

“Oh, Severus...” You breathed, surging forward and kissing him.

He felt as if time stopped. The stars had perfectly aligned in his favor for once. The girl he was willing to bear his heart to was kissing him as if he were the only other person in the world. He was undeniably happy in this moment. You were with him, you were safe, you were perfect, and you loved him back.

That was all he’d ever want.

[babbushka]

Beyond Reasonable Doubt (ch.1)

                                –      A Lawyer AU      –

You and Kylo Ren have hated one another for as long as you can remember. He, a criminal prosecutor, and you, a defense attorney should be natural-born enemies, and you are. But when Kylo comes to you seeking representation after being charged for a murder he didn’t commit, you both learn a thing or two about life, the law, and love…

[5k, no warnings for this first chapter!] 

Available on AO3

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

In a world of ever-changing circumstances, where people do things that cause ripples and shocks through the very fabric of society that shake them to their core, where the sun shines and rain falls and snow blows cold through the streets of Manhattan, where there is life and death and a mess of bullshit in between, there was but one thing that you could ever comfortably rely on in life.

Only one thing remained constant in the grand scheme of it all: your alarm.

With a grunt and sigh, your arm extends out from underneath the covers to smack at the loud blaring jingle that sounds from your phone, hand desperately trying to hit the dismiss button without looking so that you don’t have to face the day just yet. It’s too early, you reason, to pull your whole self out from under the covers.

Eventually you give that thought up though, because dammit now you’re awake and it’s Monday morning and you have an office that’s waiting for you uptown. So, ever grudgingly, you throw the plush comforter off of your body and stretch to greet the day, saying good morning to the city that never sleeps.

You don’t usually dread waking up, but well, the last time you’d been in the office was Friday afternoon, after you lost your case.

After you lost your case, to him.

Glancing at the clock on your phone, you chew your lip for a moment or two, before finally turning off the do not disturb function, immediately going into the bathroom to shower and ready yourself for the day while damn near a hundred backlogged notifications make your phone buzz nearly onto the floor.

There’s a small mirror in the shower, a little compact to make sure there’s nothing left on your face after you scrub your skin clean, and you catch your own reflection in it. You’ve looked better, that was for damn sure – but by that same token, you’ve also looked worse. Mondays were shit, but today was gearing up to be an even worse one than normal.

No, you think as you shake your head adamantly, you have no desire to let him soak up any more of your good mood than he had already. So what if you had forgone your entire weekend, canceling plans and ignoring friends to nurse the sting to your pride that was losing? So what if instead of checking your email or your phone, you sat yourself on the couch and wasted two entire days doing nothing but watching shitty shows on Netflix?

What you did on your downtime was nobodies’ business, and since you live alone in your beautiful one-bedroom in SoHo, no one was there to spill your secrets. If anyone asked – not that anyone would, if they knew what was good for them – you would tell them that you absolutely did not spend the weekend wanting to throw darts onto a photo of his face. That wouldn’t be very professional, now would it?

Shutting off the water, you wrap yourself up in a big plush towel, and pad across the floor to your closet. Briefly, ever so briefly, you glance at your phone on your way, holding your breath, wondering, hoping that there might be something from him.

If there is, it’s buried under a pile of emails and text-threads from your firm, so he’ll have to wait.

Manhattan in January was chilly, so you bundle yourself up in your chicest coat overtop your most well-fitting skirt suit and a pair of heeled boots. Even if you felt like shit, you could look like million fuckin’ bucks, and no one would be the wiser.

And what a wonder the power of confidence was! Through the streets and down to the subway, you smiled at everyone, and they all smiled back. You offered your seat on the train to an elderly man who clearly needed it more than you, and he complimented your gloves. Everyone from the NYPD officer drinking his coffee to the mom scolding her three children brightened as you wished them a good morning, and somehow, along the way to work, your Monday blues disappears into something a little brighter.

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

Your good mood only continues to grow as you exit the elevator of the huge high-rise that you call your home away from home, your office on the twenty-third floor right in the heart of the Upper West Side. Sandwiched between the Hudson and Central Park, you have to admit that getting your ass out of bed was worth it, even if just for this view.

“Morning (Y/N).” The front desk security guard greets you, and you say hello back to him with a performative show of your badge.

HKS Law, so named after the founders and current partners Amilyn Holdo, Ben Kenobi, and Luke Skywalker, is a shining pinnacle of what defense attorneys and opposing counsel at trials should be. Not only had the firm made history time and time again with incredible wins and even more incredible ultimate losses, but it prided itself on being representation for the people no one else could represent.

Most of all, it had you.

If your alarm was a constant, than this was a universal truth: you are a damn good defense attorney. As you walk through the crisp and clean polished floors, you hold your head high, knowing that this loss against him still put you at the lowest loss rate of anyone in the history of HKS, lower than even the founders themselves.

That little reminder has you grinning to yourself. You’d been working with HKS for nearly six years now, and very quickly you saw your office climbing higher and higher up the skyscraper, saw it getting bigger and bigger. And now, you were nearly positive, that your meeting at eleven o’clock would be to discuss partnership with the firm as a reward for your continued hard work.

“Hey (Y/N)!” One of the associates, Rose Tico smiles at you from where she’s chatting with her sister Paige by their desks.  

“Someone looks like they had a nice weekend.” Paige remarks, and you only wink at them, playing the game.

A game, which becomes instantly easier as your assistant, a bright-eyed intern fresh out of law school appears seemingly out of nowhere.

“(Y/N), good morning!” She is already offering you a cup of something nice and hot, her arm cradling a stack of manilla folders that have all sorts of sticky-note flags on them, that she shifts onto her hip ever so slightly to brush a few loose braids out of her face, speaking at what feels like a million miles a second, “I have your coffee ready and there’s a fresh breakfast buffet in the break room if you’d like, I can get you something – ”

“Good morning Neisha.” You accept the coffee gratefully, but interrupting her only to give her a chance to catch her breath. You check your watch, it’s only half-past seven, she’ll wear herself out if she exerts that much energy first thing. “A bagel with the usual would be perfect, thank you.”

“No problem – oh, Rick wanted you to look over those case files before your eleven-o’clock.” She breathes a sigh of relief, and gives you a smile.

Groaning, you accept the manilla folders too, balancing the coffee cup on top of them as Iman follows you into your own private office. Your assistant stands in front of your desk at the ready, looking sharp and put together, as ever.

One thing that you loved about Neisha – aside from the dozens of things that you admired and appreciated about her – was that you have never ever seen her in something other than a pantsuit. She did not wear dresses or skirts, she was almost never in heels, and she did not carry a purse. Instead, Neisha could almost always be found in a very smart trouser and blazer set, often complete with vests, and fun-colored socks in her loafers to coordinate with her ever-expanding collection of ties.

“Rick can go fuck himself.” You mutter under your breath, and she laughs.

“Should I tell him you said that?” With a playful glimmer in her eye, she crosses her arms over her broad chest.

“Yes.” You wink, before checking your watch once again and reminding her about that, “Bagel?”

“Bagel – right, on it.” Neisha snaps her fingers and leaves, closing the office door behind her.

 You like your office, even if you’ve outgrown it. Much like the rest of the firm, it has stayed up to date with the contemporary interior design of the day. However where the open floor of the firm is mostly whites and silvers and glass, your office feels warmer with shades of coffee browns and creamy neutrals. 

Remembering how you had been so excited for the promotion to your own office, you can’t help but chuckle to yourself now – it really was a small office. It consisted of a long dark brown desk situated in front of a wall-unit bookshelf/display area, and a seating arrangement of matching brown chairs situated around a free-edge wooden coffee-table. A soft rug covers the marble flooring, and cream gauzy curtains cover the windows, but that was about it.

You had been to the offices of the higher ups, you knew just what you could achieve if you made partner – even if you made junior partner.

And if all went well during this meeting at eleven, you knew you’d be moving into one of those offices soon.

For the first time all weekend, you sit down in the big leather chair behind your desk and finally check your phone. The case files remain on your desk, and you know you’ll get to them eventually, but until you’ve had some breakfast and that coffee can work its magic, no one could blame you for scrolling through the shit that you had put off since Friday.

It’s mostly work friends taking your side, which you appreciate. They knew losing a case was hard for you – you didn’t do it very often. And even though you never lost to anyone besides him, it still never got easier.

The case had been a simple one, or at least, you had thought so. Murders are so often simple, either the person did it, or they didn’t. If they did, there’s evidence, and if they didn’t, well, there’s evidence too. And when two parties come forward with their own evidence, compelling, strong fucking evidence – evidence of alibis and proof that your client couldn’t have been there, couldn’t have done it – it’s up to the jury to decide who to believe.

In this case, this jury decided to believe him, and there was nothing you could do about it. It was losses like this, losses like the knowledge than an innocent man was going to prison, that make you seriously question the legal system as a whole, frankly.

It’s then that you see it, and your hand freezes.

You have a missed message from him.

He’s saved in your contacts as the dick from VTH, and even though that could refer to any number of people, you know that it’s him. You have five missed messages from him, as a matter of fact, which sends both a rush of adrenaline through you, as well as a spike of anxiety.

The two of you…you’d never been friends, not really. In fact, the closest thing to a relationship that you might have is that of a rivalry, if not flat out enemies. You hated him, and he hated you, and he had hated you ever since the first day he set eyes on you, from the very first moment you walked into the courtroom as a last-minute addition to the defense counsel, and won the case in fifteen minutes.

Which was a shame, because you often find yourself thinking that if he weren’t such a…well, a dick, there could have been something there. Instead of a friendship, or even a civil acquaintanceship, you have over the years developed something of a hate-fucking-enemies-with-benefits arrangement. He was probably pissed that you ignored him all weekend, but that was okay – let him be pissed, you were pissed too.

You don’t open his messages, not yet. You’d need coffee in you and food in your stomach before you’re able to handle whatever mood he has to be in, now that you’ve got the energy to deal with him.

You’re so deep in thought that you nearly miss when Neisha returns with a plate for you, a big spread arranged on your desk for you to enjoy. You’re about to thank her and let her get on with whatever work she has to do, but she holds out a newsletter with a devious smile and curiosity gets the better of you.

“Have you seen?” She asks, and you raise a brow, a smile of your own creeping across your face.

The newsletter was something that circulated through the different firms in the area, keeping everyone up to date – or at least as up to date as legally possible – on the goings on in the sphere of influence that you all found yourselves in. Everything from congratulatory memos to case results, and even high profile celebrity gossip was fair game, but one of the more scandalous parts of the newsletter, was the publication of trouble that various lawyers found themselves in.

The Monday morning newsletter had quite a bit of this from over the weekend, and right there on page sixteen, is none other than his face looking as irritated as he possibly can, as he’s being given a hard time for a DUI on Friday night.

“Oh fuck.” Your eyes widen, wanting nothing more than to call him and yell at him for being a fucking idiot, “What the hell does he think he’s doing?”

“Whatever he wants, evidently.” Neisha shrugs, no doubt thinking the news would cheer you up in some sort of vengeful way that you appreciate. She reaches for a pumpernickel crisp from the spread on your desk and muses, “I bet the cops are thrilled, they hate that sonofabitch.”

“Yeah them and me both.” You mutter, already rubbing away a headache that’s starting to form across the expanse of your forehead. “He’s not going to be pleased about that photo, he looks rumpled.”

Sighing, you look down at the photo. He’s very clearly intoxicated, you’ve seen that look in his eyes more than once, the blurry out of focused glassy look that he gives you over smiles at dinner sometimes. You blink away the image of him in a nice suit on the other end of a table, reminding yourself that you’re angry with him.

“Doesn’t he have a driver? I wonder why he got behind the wheel himself.” Neisha continues, and bless her you think, for continually giving you a means to not be left alone with your thoughts.

“If there’s one thing I know about that man, it’s that when he sets him mind to something, no one is going to stop him from doing it.” You reply, not able to ignore a bit of gut-wrenching regret.

Maybe if you hadn’t been so mad at him, you could’ve gone with him to wherever he was coming back from, and maybe you could’ve --

“Should I have this framed?” Neisha asks, and you blink again.

You check your watch, it’s only a quarter ‘til eight. Have you really only been at work for fifteen minutes? That stack of folders sits on the edge of your desk, taunting you. You’re gearing up for an extra long day.

“No, that’s okay.” You shake your head, opening the bottom drawer of your desk and dropping the newsletter into it. “I will keep a hold onto it though. Just for fun.”

With a laugh, Neisha leaves and once again closes your office door.

“God dammit.” You grumble, pulling your phone out yet again.

The unread messages from him sit buried beneath thirty other messages that don’t warrant responses, and you hover your thumb over his name.

After all these years, something about getting a text from him made your heart jump. It felt stupid, you weren’t some teenager with a crush in high school, you were an adult, and this was just another adult, who you happened to have developed some sort of attachment to. Not a friendship, or a relationship even, but some kind of attachment.

Right now, you wanted to bitch at him for getting himself into trouble, for driving while he was so very clearly drunk, a whole argument prepared about how he could have seriously hurt or even killed someone, how even though he’s a rich asshole he can’t afford to be so reckless.

But first, in order to bitch at him, you have to read what he’s sent you over the weekend, and that’s where you keep tripping up. You don’t know why, but when you do finally open up his texts, you find that you’re holding your breath until you read them.

You try to ignore the way the thread starts out, try to ignore how if anyone were to squint, they might think something was going on between you two.

 Incoming: [1/8 6:03am] just picking up croissants from that place u like. jam?

[1/8 6:10am] Yeah, raspberry if they have

Incoming: [1/8 6:11am] on it, go back 2 bed.

 That had been just over a week ago, and you remember the day well, how you exchanged smiles over bites of fresh and flaky pastry, how you had dipped the croissants into hot chocolate in his bed, not giving a fuck about the crumbs that weren’t your problem because they weren’t your sheets.

How that was the last time you had seen him, before the conclusion of the case.

Now, now that you’d lost, the tone of the thread has very clearly shifted to something much colder. One thing you’re surprised to see though, is that they’re all from around Friday night, which was unusual.

 Incoming: [1/15 7:43pm] going out 2 celebrate tonight, join me

Incoming: [1/15 8:57pm] u can’t ignore me forever u know

Incoming: [1/16 12:02am] i’m glad u didn’t come, ud fucking hate it here. theyre playing music 2 loud

Incoming: [1/16 12:15am] r u seriously still mad?

Incoming: [1/16 1:09am] Fuck you.

 Rolling your eyes, you rub away more of that headache that starts to form. It was weird that he didn’t text you at all for the whole day of Saturday, or Sunday for that matter. If you didn’t spend the weekend together, he was very content to simply blow your phone up with links to random bullshit or long text conversations in broken grammar because his thumbs were too big for the buttons.

So for there to be radio silence after one o’clock in the morning was strange.

“For fucks sake.” You find yourself texting him back without even thinking about it, your fingers moving over the keyboard easily and quickly, sending off a slightly antagonizing reply after two days of nothing;

 [1/18 7:55am] Looks like you had quite the night on Friday.

 There, you think. That should get a response out of him. No doubt he would be quick to complain about how he had been pulled over and the whole nine yards. You wait for it to come through, the text. Or more accurately, the string of impassioned paragraphs that he tends to send you.

But a minute go by, and there’s nothing.

Five minutes, and nothing still.

You know you have to work, you have shit to do, you have that big meeting in a couple hours that you have to mentally prepare for, there’s no time to be worrying about him not texting you back. Still, you don’t like the silence. Sure that makes you a hypocrite, but he deserved your cold shoulder for beating you in court. At least, that’s how you justify it for yourself.

Getting up from your desk, you hover in the doorframe, where your assistant’s desk sits just outside to act as a buffer for anyone wanting to bother you.

“Hey Neisha?” You ask quietly, getting her attention, “I haven’t missed any calls, have I?”

A crease of confusion dips between her brows as she frowns, and immediately she checks the call logs on the conference phone that sits on her desk next to the big computer that takes up most of her space.

“No not that I can think of, are you expecting someone – ?”

Just as she’s asking, the phone rings. You lean over and see the number is one you don’t recognize, and you frown too.

“Better get that.” Neisha says awkwardly, so you just nod and retreat back into your own office from where you came.

It’s been seven minutes now, and there’s still nothing from him.

“Fine, fuck you too.” You mutter at the phone, locking it and putting it in the shallow drawer of your desk so you can focus on the folders in front of you finally.

 The stack is pretty normal, all the weekend material finally coming in now that it’s the start of a new week. There’s new case files to look through to decide if you’re doing to accept the client, supplementary material from old case files that you’ve asked for to review, notes and evidence belonging to associates’ cases that you said you’d give your opinion on – all mixed into one big pile.

You liked it though, liked staying busy. It was a good distraction from a loss, the ability to win, the ability to prove to yourself and to the world that you’re good at what you do. There are all sorts of awards and pieces of paper displayed on the walls of your office that show that you’re good, but still, there’s nothing like a strong win after a frustrating loss.

But you’re not even halfway through reading the first folder, when Neisha knocks on your door and opens it slowly, a look of preemptive apology on her face.

“I’m afraid you’re going to need to cancel your eleven o’clock.” She says, and you can tell by the tone of her voice that there’s no use in trying to argue with her.

You let the folder fall down onto the desk, and brace yourself for whatever bombshell she’s about to drop on you, what could possibly be so important for you to have to reschedule one of the biggest meetings of your career. They would understand, you’re sure.

You hope, anyway.

“Who is it?” Your tone is already filled with dread, but a resigned kind of dread, knowing that whatever it must be, it has to be big, and you’re the only one in this entire fucking firm who can handle big things like this – it was the reason they wanted you for partner in the first place.

But Neisha hesitates with this response, scratches the back of her neck in a way that makes you instantly curious.

“I…I was instructed not to say, just that you’ve been requested to meet with them regarding representation.” She tells you, and now your headache pounds even harder.

Clients didn’t withhold their identity from you; some used an alias of course, but you can’t say that so far in your career you’ve had a completely anonymous client. Whoever this person was, had to either be royalty, or something very very close.

And though that meant there was going to be a nightmare of a trial – because these high profile people almost never got to simple settle, not when the prosecutor wants to make a show of prosecuting them – you can’t help but think that would be a pretty good notch in your beltloop, as it were.

“Alright, where are they?” You’re already up and away from your desk, shuffling the case files into a locked cabinet.

“Rikers.” She says straight away, and you let out a groan.

“Of course they are.”

You had almost hoped that whoever this mystery client was, they had posted bail and could meet at a nice neutral location. You didn’t have anything against Rikers personally, but rather the entire prison industrial complex as a whole, and as far as New York prisons went, there were few more infamous for being unnecessarily brutal than Rikers Island.

“I can call them back and tell them you’re busy…but they sounded adamant about wanting you in particular.” Neisha nudges gently, and really there’s no need to butter you up, you’ve already made up your mind.

“I’m guessing they didn’t tell you why?” You ask, even though you know the answer.

“Correct.” She replies with a sheepish shrug.

You look at her, at your watch, at your phone screen which shows no new notifications from the last time that you checked it, and you square your shoulders.  

“Alright, reschedule the eleven o’clock, and let’s get out of here before Holdo freaks the fuck out on me for that.” You say, grabbing your coffee and a few more of the pastries to take in the car with you for the drive.

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

Most times, you have no problem taking the subway wherever you need to get, but visiting Rikers wasn’t as easy as hopping off the train and walking a couple blocks. For times like these, you and Neisha take one of the company cars, a sleek and shiny black thing with dark tinted windows. Cars really aren’t practical in the city, which is why you don’t have one of your own, but it was nice to be driven around from time to time in the peace and quiet of a car like this.

Normally, visitors are not allowed on Mondays or Tuesdays, but you’re not a normal person, and you’re not here for a normal visit, so once you pass through the security gate, the K-9 unit and the metal detector security tests with ease, you find it a pretty quiet lobby.

“Good afternoon Ms. (L/N), here on official duty?” One of the correctional officers that sits up by the front visitation desk beams at you.

“No, I just missed you Jake.” You reply, fishing out your identification for him even though he really doesn’t need it. Jake has worked there only a year or so, and every time you see him you can’t help but think he’s young, too young for this job, you think, too young to become desensitized to the humanity of incarcerated individuals. But that’s not a conversation that you’re here to have today, so instead you keep up the chitchat with, “How’s Lottie and the kids?”

“They’re good, who are you here for?” Jake asks as a matter of protocol, and you give Neisha a look, before looking back at him.

“That’s just the thing, I don’t know. I wasn’t informed for confidentiality reasons.” You try to explain, before leaning forward and mock-whispering to him, “Please tell me someone has me on the list and I didn’t drive all this way for nothing.”

Jake laughs, a sound that feels out of place in a place like this, and pulls something up on his computer. You can’t really see it, the list, and that’s okay. Whoever this mysterious person is, you’ll find out within just a few minutes.

“You know the drill, they’re waiting for you in the back.” Jake waves you off, and you’re glad to go.

“Wait out here.” You tell Neisha, who clearly looks uncomfortable even being in the lobby, and with good reason. She doesn’t argue you on that, instead takes a seat on a bench near Jake’s table, and the two of them get to chatting while your boots click on the floors as you walk away.

There’s a couple different visitation areas in the jail, and the deeper into the building you go, the more that you’re glad that visitation isn’t allowed on Mondays. You don’t want the chance of running into someone that you had failed. Granted there had only been a handful of those instances, but the thought of any one of them being here is not outside the realm of possibility.

Through the sea of empty tables and chairs that are reserved for long term inmates who happen to have visitation privileges for good behavior, you find yourself moving deeper and deeper, until you’re at the door of another room, a closed off one more typical to that seen in movies and television shows.

Opening the door, you hang in the hallway to confirm that there’s no one else there, as there shouldn’t be. There’s eight stations, four on each side of the small room, with a phone and a pane of bulletproof glass. Right away, you have a feeling this is going to be a murder trial, if they’re not even letting you meet with the client out in the open, if they’re monitoring the phone conversation that you’re about to have.

You see a shuffle of movement out of the corner of your eye, and assume that that’s who you’re here to meet, so with your chin held high, you step into the room, and make your way to the visitation booth where a man in a bright orange jumpsuit is waiting on the other side of the glass.

Stopping as quickly as you’ve started, you stand frozen in the middle of the room, blinking away and desperately shoving aside a wave of feelings that have crashed over you at the familiar face behind the glass.

The dark hair, the deep eyes, that proud nose, those full lips, you take it all in with some strange sense of disbelief – surely this must be a dream? It has to be, even as you sit on the little stool and yank the phone off the wall, shoving it against your ear, not even knowing where to start as you try to wrap your mind around the fact that the man, this mystery client…

“Hey sweetheart.” He says, and you could smack him upside the head if only there weren’t this glass between you and Kylo Ren.

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

Tagging some pals, please let me know if you’d like to be added to or taken off the taglist! @safarigirlsp​ @steeevienicks​ @mochabucky​ @sacklerscumrag​ @artsymaddie​ @bitchydecisions​ @direnightshade​ @reyloaddict55​ @kylorenswhxre​ @sunflowersinthesnow​ @mousemakingjam @the-unmanaged-mischief​ @drake-bells-waxed-penis @littleevilme13 @rennaissance-mama @materialisthicc​ 

[ladykissingfish]

Under the Mistletoe with the Akatsuki // Part Nine // Pein (Nagato)

Leader. Never in a million years did Nagato Uzumaki believe he had it in him for be a leader, and especially not one of a group of S-ranked criminals like the ones that comprised his Akatsuki. But perhaps he really wasn’t; after all, save for Konan, none of them had even met him before. All they knew about him was Pein, the body that he animated and controlled through his chakra. Yet despite all he and his group have accomplished, the nagging feeling never leaves him ... that Yahiko would have done a much better job than Nagato. It’s one of the main reasons that Nagato fashioned his main Pein-body after his old friend; to try and infuse some of Yahiko’s wisdom and charisma into his own leadership style. One of the things Yahiko often stressed was the importance of having people around you that you could trust, and depend on. In short - friends. Aside from Konan, Nagato doesn’t truly consider anyone in this organization to be his ‘friend’ ... rather, he’s come to think of the group as a whole of being his family. And apparently families played games with each other, hence why he (as Pein) agrees to this mistletoe game now.

Kisame

“Good evening, Leader.” Kisame was by far one of the more desirable members that Nagato had strived to bring into his group. Mature, experienced with battle and ninjutsu, and one of the fabled Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. In any given situation, in any conflict between members of the group, Kisame will most often be the voice of reason. Nagato chose to pair him with the young but mature beyond his years Itachi, believing they’d have much to learn from one another, and he was correct. Out of all the duos, theirs was probably the most stable (and certainly the least problematic). Despite being both tall and intimidating, the half-shark had a surprisingly gentle, almost shy nature to him when one caught him in a one on one situation, as was the case now. Kisame walks up to Pein but seems unable to take the initiative, so Pein does so himself. He puts one hand on Kisame’s shoulder, leans up slightly, and kisses his cheek. Kisame blushes and grins, before going back to his room for the evening.

Sasori

Unbeknownst to the others, aside from Konan, Sasori is the only member of the Akatsuki that knows that Pein isn’t who (or what) he presents himself to be. After all, spending years hidden inside a puppet body gave one a little leeway into seeing into (or perhaps seeing past) others’ true selves. But Sasori understands Nagato’s need to conceal his real body; in fact, he’s even helped him a few times. He’s travelled with Konan before to meet the actual Nagato, when the latter came down with an illness that Konan wasn’t sure how to treat. Sasori used his extensive knowledge of medical procedures to help Nagato, and since then, the two had become good friends. He also gave him valuable advice (again from his own experience of using chakra to control multiple puppets at once) to Nagato in how to more effectively maneuver his Six Paths of Pein bodies during battle, even helping Nagato to tweak them to better control their movements. Sasori shows Nagato (and ultimately, Pein) the same respect that he would a fellow master puppeteer. He approaches Pein now, in his own body. Pein leans down and kisses his cheek, and the two nod at each other before Sasori returns to his own room.

Itachi

“He murdered his entire clan in one evening.” “Are you sure?” “Well, all but his younger brother. But I’m sure if he ever got the chance —“ Nagato still remembers the conversation he had with Konan, the day before they brought Itachi into the Akatsuki. Nagato had been against it at first, believing that one who could commit such callous atrocities against his own clan and family would no doubt have trouble turning against a group of people that were strangers to him. But Itachi pleasantly surprised Nagato, with how calm, and quiet, and kind he was. He often forgets how young Itachi is, considering he speaks and acts like a man decades older. But still ... there was a sadness that could be felt whenever Itachi was in the room, tangible even to someone who’s “real” body was quite far away, like Nagato’s was. When Itachi comes to him, the Pein body reaches out and pulls the boy into a hug. Itachi seems surprised, but whether out of respect to the leader or because he truly needed it, he lets the embrace happen. The two stand there for longer than seems feasible, until Pein breaks it by gently kissing Itachi’s forehead. Itachi steps back, gives Pein a smile (which turns back the clock even more and makes Itachi seem like a child) and goes back to his room.

Deidara

Nagato felt real, valid concern when bringing the 15 year old Deidara into his group. Besides being the youngest, besides having that volatile temper and wanton pleasure in causing chaos and destruction ... the kid was beautiful. An odd word for a male, perhaps, but it was the most fitting term for him. In the Akatsuki it was more or less made clear that Konan was off-limits in terms of things like that, but Deidara ... with his long silky hair, big blue eyes, soft skin ... what was to stop one (or possibly ALL) of these older (and likely stronger) members from attempting to — but Nagato was lucky, in that everyone exhibited more self-control than he gave them credit for. And pairing him first with the older Sasori and then with the wily Tobi had seemed to be good choices, as well. One taught him maturity, and the other, patience. Although sometimes — “Oi, Leader ... can you talk to Kakuzu for me?” “For what?” “He won’t let me have an advance on my pay, because he says I’m just going to waste it on ‘my stupid clay’, hm!” “I do not interfere with the financial decisions of my treasurer, Deidara.” “But —“ Pein kisses his forehead and says, quietly, “Learn to exercise restraint when it comes to your artistic endeavors, Deidara.” Deidara grumbles as he walks away, and Pein smiles and shakes his head as he watches him go.

Kakuzu

“Pein. No matter what Deidara said to you, you won’t convince me to give him an advance on his pay. That boy is already three weeks into his money, and our budget simply won’t allow —“ “Do not fear, Kakuzu. I don’t intend to step on your toes regarding our finances.” Never in Nagato’s life has he met anybody quite so concerned with money as Kakuzu. He was strict not only with his own money, but every other member’s, as well. While Nagato found this to be a character flaw at first, now, he saw Kakuzu’s thriftiness and frugal tendencies as being a God-send. It was only because of him that they were able to move from hideout to hideout, to put food on the table, to buy clothes and weapons and any number of things that the group needed to survive. But his finance-savvy ways weren’t even the most impressive thing about him; it was the fact that he dealt with Hidan, day in and day out, and had not been driven to madness. The older man walks up to Pein now, lowers his mask, and delivers a light kiss to the cheek. Pein nods and watches as he leaves, noting, as he often did, his cold Kakuzu’s skin is. Nagato can feel it through Pein’s sensors; standing close to Kakuzu is much like standing in front of an open grave. He often felt that he should suggest redesigning Kakuzu’s Akatsuki robe to make it warmer, but Nagato knows that this suggestion would be rapidly rejected.

Zetsu

On the day that it is Pein’s turn under the mistletoe, Zetsu is nowhere to be found. Nagato knows where he is, of course; traveling through the earth at the speed of sound, going to scout out an enemy territory before the Akatsuki makes a move on it. Zetsu and his infiltration skills have helped Nagato countless times in the past, providing valuable intel on targets and mapping out the most problem-free routes for the rest of the group to take on missions. Still, though; there’s something about the plant-man that gave Nagato the slighter touch of unease. Being near Zetsu, even through the barrier of Pein, gave Nagato the feeling of being inches away from a wild animal. Hearing him speak was like listening to a dog that suddenly begins speaking in a human tongue. Nagato is very glad that Pein does not have to kiss this individual, and in fact hopes that his turn will end before Zetsu makes his inevitable return.

Tobi

Tobi, Tobi, Tobi ... such a confusing young man. Such a surprising young man. Many months ago, the Pein-body walked into Tobi’s room to retrieve him for something, and happened to catch him sleeping. Nagato was curious and made his artificial body approach the side of the bed that Tobi’s face was on ... but all Nagato was met with was darkness. A solid, blurred-out black where the boy’s face should have been. Nagato thought that perhaps something was malfunctioning in the Pein body’s ocular region ... but everything else was clear as a bell. Did Tobi have some kind of exterior defense mechanism set into place that would bar Pein, specifically Pein, from seeing his actual face? And if that was the case, then WHY? What exactly was he hiding?? It made Nagato nervous, but he never let this on to Tobi. “Pein-sama, Pein-sama! Is it Tobi’s turn for a kissy?!” Pein nods and Tobi approaches him, slides his mask halfway off ... and again all Pein can make out is blackness. He can feel his cheek being kissed, but his vision doesn’t return to 100% until Tobi’s mask is fully back in place. “Thanks, Pein-sama!”, Tobi says; and is it Nagato’s imagination or is there a touch of smugness to his voice? Well, regardless, the kid is leaving, and a Nagato can put him out of his mind once more.

Hidan

“I’ve had to kiss every single one of you fucks, including the old geezer and the orange idiot. Now I’ve gotta slobber with the boss too?? What’s next; are we are jumping into bed and having a group fuck?!” Nagato hadn’t rolled his eyes in many years (and rolling Pein’s eyes would have been an unbecoming gesture for a leader), but hearing Hidan speak always made Nagato want to break this self-imposed rule. With his additional bodies, his Rinnegan, his seemingly unlimited chakra and his fabled Uzumaki clan endurance, Nagato considers himself to be an earthbound God. But then this kid, this foul-mouthed violent crusader, comes into the group speaking about HIS God, Lord Jashin, and flaunting his (admittedly enviable) gift of immortality. From the very beginning, Hidan made it clear that offering sacrifices to his God was his main priority; and the kid wasn’t lying. It’s always been Pein’s (Nagato’s) mandate that as long as one completed their assigned mission, then they would be free to do as the my liked in their spare time. But Hidan’s preferred “hobby” left even someone as war-weary and hardened as Nagato feeling a bit queasy, in the pit of his stomach. “Come, Hidan.” Hidan visibly balks at being given an order; but he’s never love hesitated to obey the Leader. He goes to Pein and, after Pein studies his face, receives a kiss on the nose. The gesture is so light and whimsical that it leaves Hidan blushing and flustered, as evidenced by his leaving without uttering a single swear word.

Konan

The kiss between Konan and Pein is ... disappointingly short. Surprising, considering how close the two of them are, and how much Pein seems to care about her. But it’s a very quick forehead peck, and then both Pein and Konan retire to their rooms. The Pein-body shuts down in his own room, but Konan is getting dressed. It’s a somewhat lengthy journey, especially for this time of night, but one Konan is very familiar with. She comes every single day, after all, after everyone else is asleep or preoccupied for the evening. The old cave is so far into the woods, and from the outside seems abandoned, but ... “Nagato? I’m here.” Nagato turns his head and, although he’s happy to see her, can’t help but sigh. “You’re soaking wet.” Konan uses her cloak to wipe her face, telling him it’s not a big deal, just a little drizzle outside... but it is to Nagato. Trapped like this, a prisoner of his body and his hatred and pain ... anybody else would have walked out and left him years ago. But Konan, no matter what, she stayed by his side, and showed him more caring and comfort than Nagato felt he deserved. “I brought you some beef and curry rice tonight,” Konan said, now uncovering a small bowl. “It’s still warm.” She moves into position to feed him, and as she does, she quietly tells him little tidbits about her day. It’s solely through Konan that Nagato has any sense of the outside world at all, or any REAL idea about what the members of the Akatsuki are actually like. And he’s grateful to her. He’s grateful to her for so many — “Konan?” She looks up from where she’d been tidying up. “Yes?” “I’m so sorry.” She stops and looks at him, head tilted. “Sorry? What are you sorry about?” “I’m sorry that you’re not married, I’m sorry that you don’t have children, or a family, I’m sorry that you go from hideout to hideout and village to village and all you see is the same pain we saw when we were kids. And I’m sorry that things are only this way because of me. I couldn’t save Yahiko, and I’m destroying you, and any chance at happiness you could have had. I never meant for things to be this way. I’m —“ but Konan’s arms are around him before he can finish his sentence. “You’re a goddamn idiot,” she mumbles, her voice slightly shaky. “Yahiko dying wasn’t your fault, and my life — my life is full, and despite what you may believe, I’m happy, Nagato. This Akatsuki you’ve created; you’ve done two things. You’re fulfilling Yahiko’s dream, and you’ve given me, US, a family. So stop with this nonsense, okay?” “But I —“, and Konan interrupts him again, this time with a soft kiss on the cheek. Her lips breathe warmth and comfort into his chilled skin. “You’re the most important person on this earth to me, and I love you,” she murmurs as she pulls away, a smile on her face. “But I swear if you don’t cheer up, you’re not getting any of this dessert I made.” A pause, and then, with a smirk reminiscent of the shy boy he once was, “I’ll only cheer up if it’s something I like.” “Strawberry pie.” Nagato gives Konan an even bigger smile, to which she replies “That’s better”; and the two laugh. He feels like a weight has been lifted off of his heart. After dessert, he tries to mentally prepare himself for her leaving again ...but to his surprise she pulls a blanket from her satchel spreading it out neatly along the ground. “You’re staying tonight?” “I’m staying.” “Good. I love you, too, by the way.” “I know.” Before bed she spends a good deal of time gently brushing out his hair, telling him jokes and stories, the same that she used to do with him and Yahiko when they were all children, during those many long, cold nights when hunger or anxiety kept them awake. Neither is present now, but the goodness of the feeling remains the same. After awhile they both fall asleep, and for once their dreams are calm and peaceful.

[arse-crack-thistle]

quality time

rwrb and the five love languages | part four

in which bea nearly crashes from the stress of party-planning (aroace rep)

Princess Beatrice buzzes around The Masquerade, double-checking place cards, straightening table settings, and pulling dried rose petals from the centerpieces. She rented the concert venue for the night to throw a modern Valentine’s gala to benefit Henry’s queer youth center in London. He and Alex are around here somewhere, probably hooking up in a broom cupboard and definitely not nitpicking every detail like Bea is. Her assistant follows her with a clipboard and updates her on the schedule: t-minus three hours until guests arrive and, in the meantime, she needs to give final approval, soundcheck with the band, and get dressed up. Jeans and a blazer, while royal casual, are not party-appropriate, and tonight needs to be perfect.

She usually hates royal events like galas, but this one is special. Not because it’s Valentine’s Day—Bea could not give two fucks about the holiday—but because ever since coming out as asexual around Christmas, she’s been looking for an opportunity to help other queer people, or at least give them a public figure they could point to and say, “See Mum and Dad, she’s like me.” Henry and Alex got their chance, and now this time, it’s hers.

The stage lights up with pink and red; it’s cheesy, but Bea digs it. The concert was the one thing she would not budge on with her royal event planner. Did she want to reach into wealthy pockets? Yes. Did she still want to have a good time? Hell yes. And the band she’s joining for one night only happens to be just as queer as the charity they’re supporting.

Permanent Record, local to London, tune their instruments on stage. Bea has met them dozens of times over the last month and vibed with them instantly. Margot, the too-cool lead singer always decked out in a leather jacket and Docs, is ace like her, and as much as Bea has wanted to get to know them, there’s been no time. Turns out, party-planning and party-executing steals the host away from all meaningful human connection. She’s only been able to keep up with Henry because he’s partly responsible for this event.

The pit, full of tables covered in pink and gold, finally looks perfect enough for Bea to hand-off any other minute fixes to the planner and finally have her soundcheck with the band. But then, a large crash comes from the back of the venue, and she hears a loud shriek coming from a familiar voice, the one that’s been shrill and disapproving for the last month. When Bea runs up, she sees hundreds of shattered champaign flutes and her planner on the floor, blood oozing from her hands.

This cannot be happening. The only reason Bea kept this woman around was to take most of the day-of duties off her plate. But she’s in the back of an ambulance now, and Henry is nowhere to be found. Bea’s stress levels go from tolerable to unbearable as she orders her assistant to track down replacement flutes. The staff are quick to fill her other requests: a couple of people start sweeping, someone runs off to find her co-host, another tells the band Bea’s soundcheck will be postponed, and a brave soul steps up as a temporary assistant and follows her around the back tables to check for broken glass. Bea knows she doesn’t have to be the one to do this, but it seems like the success of this event lies solely one her shoulders. If something goes wrongs, it’s her face—not Henry’s—in the papers the next day. Powder Princess Crashes and Burns at Gay Ball. Christ.

After an hour, everything is sorted. There’s no glass. The planner is getting stiches. Permanent Record has started their soundcheck and sound amazing. But even their chill indie tunes can’t calm the princess. She needs to get on stage, but her stylist specifically requested she have at least two hours to work his magic, which is not going to happen.

Bea tells her assistant to get her stylist and his team to the venue, because she won’t be able to leave, and warn him he’ll only have an hour at best. Henry and Alex have already taken off to get ready, and she has to remind herself to smack them later for abandoning her.

She tugs off her blazer, drapes it over a chair, and rolls up her sleeves. If she does get her hands on a guitar, she’ll explode. It’s all she can think of to stop her from raiding the bar at the back.

“Better late than never, eh, Princess?” Margot says as she huffs on stage.

One of the stagehands gives Bea her beautiful sleek, black Fender Stratocaster, and her anxiety reduces itself to a hum. Music can’t cure all, but it certainly keeps her from wrecking every good thing in her life.

“Let’s just play,” she says.

But it’s anything but perfect. Whatever chemistry she had with Permanent Record somehow jumped into the Thames between their last rehearsal and now because this is an absolute travesty and she’s only playing two songs with them tonight. She’s forgotten measures of one song and can’t find the chords fast enough in her solo of the other. Utter shit.

Why does she even fucking bother?

She always fucks everything up. Always. Why did she think she could put this on? Sure, she’s chaired these events before, but not ones she actually cares about, not ones she’s actually put her heart into. Christ, no wonder. She should’ve known it would turn out like this. She’s the anti-Midas; everything she touches turns to shit.

No kid will ever see her as a queer role model. She’s the girl they point to and say, “See Mum and Dad, what a waste.”

She needs a hit so fucking bad.

Which is why she has to get out of here ASAP. Before she does anything she’ll regret. She won’t slip again, and she won’t be the reason this gala fails. Henry can handle it without her.

So when Margot calls for a five-minute break, Bea excuses herself and hands off her guitar. On her way out the door, she tells the stagehand to find her assistant and tell her to have Henry take over. The hard part is over thanks to the planner actually being brilliant at her job, even if she and Bea would never get along.

No doubt, cameras are already lined up outside, so she hides in one of the green rooms and locks the door behind her. If she just takes a deep breath and calms down, she can bring herself back from the edge.

Five things she can see: The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Solange, and Fiona Apple’s signatures on the artist wall.

Four things she can feel: the worn leather on a crusty couch, the chipped-paint walls, her toes in her shoes, and her fingers through her light brown hair.

Three things she can hear: the ticking from the clock, the click of her heels as she paces, and a knock at the door.

Two things she can smell: decades-old musk from artists past—no doubt coming from the couch—and her light perfume on her wrist.

One thing she can taste: a hint of coffee from earlier.

She breathes in and out, and the knock on the door continues.

“Bea, are you in there? Could you let me in?” Margot. Essentially a stranger. She supposes it’s better than facing a disappointed Henry, so she opens the door and promptly relocks it as soon as they’re inside.

“Christ, this place is legendary, isn’t it? Everyone’s played here—is that Bob Dylan? Fucking nuts,” Margot says, pointing to the wall.

“I’ve seen loads of people here. Always wanted to play here myself,” Bea tells them. She traces Lizzo’s signature. That was a fun night; Nora and June flew out for a girls’ night, which was ultimately crashed by Pez.

“Me too, and the rest of band as well, I suppose.” Margot looks at Bea and smiles. They’re brown eyes crinkle in the corner, and it reminds her of Alex. “And now we get to, eh, Princess? Couldn’t’ve gotten here without you. The whole world knows Permanent Record now.”

“You could’ve done it without me,” she says. “You will tonight anyway.”

“Hey.” They reach for Bea’s hand. “Everyone has some hiccups before a big gig. It’ll be grand, but only if you’re there. This is your night as much as it is ours or the youth center’s. You have no idea how important it is for your lot to shine a light on causes people shy away from.”

That makes Bea smile. For so long she wanted to hide from her position. She wanted freedom to do whatever she pleased, but now she understands the power she has, even if people still see her as “The Powder Princess.” No matter what she wears, millions of fashion influencers share links to her clothes. If she walks into a restaurant, their yearly profits skyrocket. When she told the world she was ace, thousands of people messaged her and said the same. One of them was Margot, telling her about their undiscovered band from South London.

She tells Margot how that was one of the first times she really felt like herself. Completely at peace with who she is. How that peace got away from her and turned this gala into a near-panic-attack-inducing event, she doesn’t know.

“Have you let on how stressed you’ve been to anyone?” Margot asks. The two sit together on the couch after Margot bravely plopped themself down on the dirty, old thing.

“Hadn’t the time,” she says. Truthfully, Bea doesn’t think she’s had a genuine conversation with anyone since the gala’s conception.

Margot throws their hands in the air. “Well, there you go then! You’ve got to take the time! To take care of yourself. To hang out with your mates. Just to have some goddamn fun, Bea! Come on! You think I’d be a functioning human if I didn’t let loose with my mates every now and then? This—” They gesture to their body, covered in tattoos and tattered black clothing. “Doesn’t happen on its own.”

Bea laughs. It’s been so long since she’s laughed from anything other than stress. “Right, so how does this all happen then?” She swirls her hand in Margot’s direction.

As they chat, Bea relaxes. They talk about their families and uni and music and coming out. Bea tells Margot about the time she and the gang went to the karaoke bar where Henry got wasted and sang Queen horrifically. Margot tells her about the time in year twelve when they got dared to try out for the school play and ended up playing an old man in the most unbelievable bald cap.

Eventually, the two of them pull out their phones and play a few games of Among Us until Bea’s desperate assistant finds her and pleads for her to get ready though the door. They only have an hour before guests arrive.

“You all right?” Margot asks. “Want to go out there and try again?”

Funny how it doesn’t seem so scary anymore. How it only took a short break, a nice chat, and a little pink astronaut to put Bea at ease. She smiles. The notes come back to her fingertips.

check out the rest of my rwrb and the five love languages series: part one, part two, part three, and part five. (links to come as they’re released)

listen, my permanent headcanon is aroace bea and you will never convince me otherwise and i will never write her as anything else bc i love her so much!! (that being said, if you ship her with anyone, i totally understand). also, i reference a fic of mine i wrote for winterfest so if you want to check out my version of bea’s coming out, you can do that here! and finally, i know this wasn’t a romantic fic for romance week but like i said in part one, valentine’s day is different for everyone. <3

rwrb romance week | @rwrb-fests

[comfortcharacterkillua]

a thousand little broken things

a hunter x hunter fanfiction

tw: suicide, suicide attempt, suicidal killua

Killua was crying. Hot tears pouring down his cheeks in an unstoppable waterfall. His nose was running too, how fucking embarrassing. It seemed for like the first time in his life, he was letting his emotions show. Of fucking course it was after Gon had left. How many times had Gon and Leorio pleaded with him to show his emotions?

 Let them out, Leorio always said, whenever Killua came to him for advice, you’ll feel so much better.  But it was too late, Gon had left. Maybe for good and all because of him. Everything was his fault. As it always was. It was always always his fault. He messed up a mission, he wanted to make sure Gon lived, and everything blew up in his face. 

He had already lost Gon once for a few years and those were some of the loneliest times of his life. He had Akulla of course but it wasn’t the same. He was always watching, hovering, making sure Illumi wasn’t too close and able to snatch her up. He had to make sure that her powers weren’t exposed and that they stayed on the run. Always two steps ahead. 

Was Gon coming back? He had yelled and screamed at the dark haired boy. He could feel his throat getting sore from a mixture of yelling and sobbing. Why is anger the only emotion I’m capable of showing? He should text Leorio. Or Kurapika. They would know what to do. Oh, so you can be more of a burden to everyone around you? a voice in his head says. At that thought, Killua let out a strangled cry. He was useless. A burden. A disgusting tainted thing. Unable to do anything right. He had chased Gon away. He didn’t deserve love. 

He rolled over in their bed. 

They had fought for the millionth time over Killua being unable to express his emotions. Illumi's voice had echoed in his head. You're just a killer, unable to hold anyone dear. He could hear his older brother's laughter over him thinking that he could ever have a friend, much less a boyfriend. 

He was right. His brother was always right. Even though he hadn't killed anyone in years he still was suffering. He was making Gon suffer. That's all he was capable of, making people suffer and run away from him. 

He just said he needed to get so air, the last logical part of his brain whispered. 

Killua grabbed a pillow, desperate, used it to muffle his sobs. Gon was leaving, he didn't need him, and he wasn't going to come back. Killua's brain was moving a million miles an hour, trying to figure a way out of this that didn't involve him manipulating Gon. All he could think of were desperate, hurtful ideas. 

God, he wasn't even capable of coming up with one lousy way to not hurt the man he loved? Let go, said a voice in his head, let all of it go. Die so that he can live happily.  This wasn't the first time that he had thought something like that. Not even the hundredth. After all isn't that what love is, being willing to die so that others are happy? 

He knew deep down in his gut that that wasn't what love is. But he had no space for that right now. It didn't fix the current problem. Or any of his problems, really. But he wanted to live with Gon forever. But if Gon wasn’t coming back - another sob racked his body - then he couldn’t have that anyway. But if he died he wouldn’t have to worry about killing or hurting anyone ever again. His hand would never be forced. A feeling of calm settled over him. With that his mind was made up. 

To die was the only answer. The only good answer, anyway. 

His claws came out on their own accord. The clock read 2:03 am. He should probably apologize to Akulla for what he was about to do. Losing her big brother was not going to be easy for her. He didn't want to tip her off, however. He stared blankly at his hands. The logical part of his brain was trying to fight the irrational part. But wasn’t that part of his brain just as irrational? Trying to keep him alive at all costs? The clock read 2:27 am. Instead of reaching for his phone, to call Akulla or text Leorio, he dug his claws into his arm and drug them down the length of his arm, then across his stomach. 

He stopped a moment to relish in the pain. It felt so good and yet so bad at the same time. He finally could breathe. He felt a sense of ecstacy at the sight of his own blood. He it knew was only caused by his body trying not to make him feel like he wasn't in agony. 

He swiped at his other arm, weaker this time, from blood loss and pain. 

He lay there for a while his consciousness got increasingly fuzzy. Almost like he was drunk, but so much better. Just so nice and soft at the edges even though he was getting so, so cold. 

He didn't even process the sound of the door opening, or the sound of footsteps pounding, running, towards him. 

He saw a flash of light and then a horrified gasp filled the air, "Killua!" 

A pair of beautiful doe eyes appeared above him. They were filled with horror, there was a wet sensation on his face, like raindrops. It didn’t make him happy like rain normal did. “Gon,” he said. Then everything went dark. 

chapter two

Gon had run all the way to the grocery store, after he and Killua’s fight. It was 1 am and he had to run for an hour to find a store that was open. He didn’t really want to leave Killua alone, he got worried about what the white-haired boy thought sometimes, especially with the way that he looked at him as Gon had left. But he had needed to blow off steam so that they wouldn’t yell at each other anymore. It was ultimately less hurtful in the long run if he went to decompress a bit. 

As he walked into the store, getting blasted by the AC, he tried to make a mental list of what he should buy. Maybe he should get chocolate milk as a peace offering for Killua. So they could talk about this calmly, like adults. What adults? You’re only 17. He sighed, he really wanted his relationship with Killua to work. He loved him, but just wished that he would actually tell him when something was wrong.

***

Gon was about 10 feet away from his apartment when he first smelled blood. Immediately his senses went on high alerts. A ball formed in his stomach. Something was telling him that he needed to check on Killua. That’s silly, he thought, Killua is more than capable of taking care of himself.  He walked up to his apartment promising himself that he would check out the source of the blood after putting the groceries away.

Only… the smell of blood was getting stronger as he approached his apartment. Frantically trying to fit his key into the lock, his mind was spinning. Please don’t be Killua, please whatever gods are out there. 

As he opened the door he was hit by a wave of the metallic sent. “Killua?” he said. No response. His heart was in the back of his throat, Gon was trying desperately not to throw up. He dropped the bags he was carrying and they hit the ground with a thud as he sprinted towards their bedroom, leaving the door ajar.

His heart stutters to a stop when he sees what’s waiting for him there. Killua, his beautiful Killua, was laying in a pool of his own blood, his blue eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Jagged wounds where what seemed like everywhere on this body. Was Killua attacked? There was so much blood. So so much blood. 

Gon didn’t remember kneeling by the bed, but all of the sudden he was so much closer to him and heard someone say Killua and oh my god he had to stop the bleeding, he had to call 911 he-

“Gon,” Killua rasped, he seemed like he was trying to grab Gon but then his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he went slack. 

“Killua!” Gon desperately reached for his phone trying to hold himself together. If they couldn’t understand him, they couldn’t help Killua. He doesn’t remember what he said -he was too busy trying to get a towel to stop the bleeding- but he remembers hearing that an ambulance was on its way. And to check his pulse. It was there but only barely and he wondered if his last words to his love were going to be ones of anger. He could feel his chest heaving and his hands were covered in blood and suddenly there were people in uniforms moving him away from Killua and he screamed and his mind was going Killua Killua Killua he couldn’t leave him alone, what if he died? What was Gon supposed to do? 

He climbed into the ambulance with Killua, not necessarily calmer but numb.  His boyfriend had been attacked. He was barely alive. He hoped to god he lived because he didn’t know what he would do without him by his side. 

As they pulled out of their apartment complex, Gon put his head in his hands and sobbed.

[davidmann95]

I haven't been able to tolerate a comics news site since ComicsAlliance shut down so what news out of SDCC is actually worth knowing about?

I’ve gotten so many questions regarding SDCC-related news that I figured I’d just do one big post, and this seems as opportune an ask to build that off of as any. To kick off, in terms of news that’s not for me but is a big deal, there’s a trailer for the next season of Doctor Who, and Star Wars: Clone Wars is shockingly coming back for a final reduced season years after the fact. Congrats to the fans of both franchises! Plus yesterday we got the announcement of Orlando and Foreman’s Electric Warriors for DC (as well as Orlando’s Dead Kings with Matt Smith at Aftershock Comics) and the Wonder Woman/Justice League Dark October crossover.

So first and foremost in terms of the reaction it picked up, OH MY GOD:

It’s like the Bat In The Sun team handed over their production to their shitty kids but made them work off a third of the budget. I kept seeing the jokes about it on Twitter, and I kept thinking they were surely hilarious exaggerations, AND NOT A ONE OF THEM EVEN SLIGHTLY WAS. At least it now makes sense why Hawk and Dove is here, given the Liefeld connection: this is 90s as helllllllllllllllllllllll, and while a part of me hopes it swerves unexpectedly in a couple seasons into Fun 90s DC with Starman and Wally West and an Electric Blue Superboy and Titans One Million, I can’t pretend I wouldn’t gleefully hatewatch this if it wasn’t behind a paywall. What it really comes down to is that, as I saw someone mention, the over-the-top content warning at the beginning isn’t actually by any means to get rid of anyone under 18, but specifically to appeal to them over anyone over it: there is nothing about this show not precision-crafted to appeal to teenagers watching something they technically aren’t supposed to, since anyone older than that will just laugh until the stars grow cold. And while it’s one line in particular that’s rightfully drawn all the attention, to me the clear defining moment is Beast Boy taking his big goofy dramatic leap, and you expect him to transform, but that ain’t happening (I fully expect he’ll just have claws and growl and do assorted Wolverine shit instead), because that kind of thing is for STUPID KIDS, whereas this is RAD. 

RAD, dare I say…to the EXTREME.

Also, the pilot Robin’s scene was presumably drawn from was written by Akiva Goldsman, Greg Berlanti, and Geoff Johns. So was it the guy behind Batman & Robin, the guy behind the CWverse, or the recent President of DC Comics who ushered FUCK BATMAN into the world? Because all three of those possibilities are equally hilarious. In any case, the rubicon has been crossed: easily one of the top ten, probably one of the five or so most iconic superheroes of all time said fuck in a piece of mass media. Where we go from here, nobody knows. But at the very least I’ll take the L for my original certainty that this would take place in the CW DCverse, because that clearly isn’t going to be the case. Though boy, imagine if it was. Personally I like to imagine this is a totally normal DCU, and suddenly going full 90s and murdering a bunch of people is their universe’s version of normal teen rebellion.

Additionally, it’s now seemingly set in stone that the fourth DC Universe live-action show alongside Titans, Doom Patrol, and Swamp Thing will be a Stargirl show where Courtney Whitmore learns about her legacy and tries to track down the Justice Society, described as in the flavor of Superman ‘78 and Wonder Woman. Again, if it wasn’t behind a paywall I’d check it out.

And before turning to comics proper, we learned from WB itself that there are no plans to idiotically pour millions into making a functional Justice League Snyder cut a thing, unsurprisingly making some of the worst people on the internet be just the absolute worst (I’m interested myself in it artistically even if I don’t think it would be very good, but at this point it would feel like a validation of some really rotten people’s behavior if this happened). Meanwhile the first trailer for the Dragon Ball Super movie dropped, and yeah, I’m still happy to see Broly. This looks big in a way Dragon Ball for all its action rarely gets, and seeing Paragus suggests Toriyama understood what worked about the original flick, which is a very good sign. Did they swap out Vic Mignogna as Broly though? Wouldn’t blame him, I know he’s said he hates the part, but surprising nonetheless. And the Spider-Man game dropped another trailer, along with a ‘Velocity’ bonus suit designed by Adi Granov.

The big comics news of the day was of course the long-awaited confirmation that Green Lantern is being relaunched - apparently as The Green Lantern - in November by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp. What’s surprising is that Morrison’s currently insisting that since the last decade or so of the franchise has dealt with constant upheaval and cosmic apocalypse, his run is going to scale back down to a character-focused study of Hal (“He’s a loner and a drifter and he’s an unreconstructed man. It was nice to do that and to go a little bit old-fashioned with it. He doesn’t belong here at all, you know? He’s longing for the heavens, and to be back up as a Green Lantern. We’re doing Hal Jordan where, you know he’s a good cop, but is he really a good guy? And we’re looking into his relationships and how he deals with people. And also the fact that, if you’ve got a job as a space cop, it’s hard to be stuck on the planet Earth. He has other lives on other planets.”) amidst him going about his duties and dealing with weird alien crimes and space threats, such as stopping aliens from ‘parking’ a planet-sized artificial megastructure near a sun and causing damage to nearby worlds, and solving the murder of a gaseous lifeform.

I doubt it’ll necessarily stay there forever - his Batman and Action Comics runs, after all, were both initially marketed as staying on the smaller side by his standards, and the one idea we know of Morrison having once had for the Green Lanterns back in the day was making them a multiversal force. But it’s remarkable how, well, normal this sounds coming from Morrison. Clearly this must be a passion project if he’s doing a monthly again for the first time in 5 years, especially since DiDio mentioned he had to be persuaded (ultimately persuading himself as his attempts to brush off the proposition led to him thinking about the possibilities and rapidly talking himself into it) to make time for this amidst an incredibly busy schedule of surely more profitable and creatively unshackled projects, but on the surface level? This sounds like the closest Morrison has come since his JLA days to writing a regular superhero comic. At this point in his career, I’m very, very curious what that’s going to look like. Just hoping he read the King/Shaner oneshot on whatever reread he surely went through to catch up on current continuity. And also hoping this guy was right that it’ll turn out “the REAL construct that was limited by our willpower and imagination all along was…REALITY.”

On smaller notes:

* Kelly Sue DeConnick and Robson Rocha are taking over Aquaman, with an opening arc that shows him washing up amnesiac on an isle of forgotten sea gods. DeConnick seems to be like the Jeffs Lemire and Parker where my appreciation of their work is limited to very, very specific slivers: none of her Marvel superhero stuff I’ve read did anything for me even if I could see the talent behind it, but her Lois story in the last issue of The Adventures of Superman was pitch-perfect (and also had a great Aquaman bit!). This gets at least an issue from me.

* DC announced new titles for DC Ink and DC Zoom, including Cassandra Cain, Oracle, Dick Grayson, Creeper, and Wonder Woman books, while also announcing some artists for the existing titles.

* Geoff Johns is doing (ugh) Shazam with Dave Eaglesham, who showed off a really great, fun cover suggesting the possibility of a tonal shift away from Johns writing the absolute worst version of that character imaginable. On the likelihood of said possibility though, I think @intergalactic-zoo put it best. I might just check it out in trade if word of mouth is overwhelmingly positive, but then, lots of otherwise rational people liked or at least saw merit in his original crack at it with Gary Frank, and you were all deliriously, impossibly wrong back then, too.

* And finally, speaking of Johns, he’s doing Batman: Three Jokers as a 3-issue mini with Jason Fabok, a smart move given that is precisely as much as I’m willing to invest in this out of morbid curiosity. What’s really baffling though is that it’s being released under Black Label. It would seem to destroy the stated purpose of the line by immediately releasing Very Important Continuity Comics under it, but maybe this means Batman’s gonna follow in his protege’s footsteps and say a fuck. Anyway, I’m mostly just hoping it isn’t revealed Fun Golden Age Joker is actually not the original in order to rub out the prospect that he was ever truly anything but a terrifying sidekick-butchering murder machine at the center of very serious stories, because that feels to be like a real possibility. And absolute no question one of the three is gonna turn out to be the lost child of Marionette and Mime in Doomsday Clock.

[choicesfanatic86]

TTS:  Part 14 (Liam x MC)

DISCLAIMER:  All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except characters unique to my story.  Those belong to me. ;)

PAIRINGS:  Riley (MC) x OC, Riley (MC) x Liam, Liam x Riley (MC) x OC, Olivia x Drake, Bertrand x Savannah, Maxwell x OC

SUMMARY:  Riley’s trying to deal with the aftermath of Liam’s arrival, and unfortunately she’s not handling it very well.

If you are new to the series and would like to catch up by reading previous parts, please check out my master fan fiction listing.  CATCH UP HERE

TAGS:  @herladyshipxx  @theroyalweisme @blackcatkita @devineinterventions2 @hopefulmoonobject @captainkingliam @pbchoicesobsessed @cocomaxley @queencatherynerhys @mfackenthal @boneandfur @spetstoof @bobasheebaby @grapefrults @pessimystic-fangirl @dralenamax @mspaigemoore @drakelover78 @kaitycole @jayjay879 @hhiggs @umccall71 @penguininapinktuxedo @topsyturvy-dream

If you want to be added to the tag list so that you an be notified when new parts of the series are released, please let me know, and I will add you to the above list.  Also, if the tags aren’t working for you, I can also message you when I post a new part.  Please request to be added to the “message” list and I’ll gladly shoot you a quick message of the new part’s posting.

Thank you everyone for being so patient while I worked on Part 14.  We’re back on the emotional roller-coaster this part, but I think it really serves the story to see Riley running through all of these different emotions.  As always, thank you for all of your kind words! I look forward to hearing what you think about it! :)

Part 15 will be released on Saturday.

Part 16 will be released on Sunday.

Part 14 - Secrets and the Lies We Tell Ourselves

It was well after midnight when Riley bid Liam a goodnight.  Their conversation had left her breathless.  She still had a difficult time believing that it wasn’t all a dream.  She contemplated pinching herself to be sure that she wasn’t dreaming.  She played with the tiny slip of paper that he had given her.  Its presence reassured her that she definitely hadn’t been dreaming.  She glanced down at it, unfolding it to see what he had scribbled.  It was a telephone number – his private line she assumed.  She bit her lip.  What was she getting herself into?  She felt herself going a bit crazy, wondering if she had made the right decision.  Did she really want to go down this path again? No, she reassured herself, it was just dinner.  He had said it himself, as friends, nothing more.  He knew she had a boyfriend, and he said he’d respect that relationship.  So then, why did she feel as if she couldn’t believe him?

Already having been restless before Liam arrived, she found herself even more agitated than before.  She thought that doing some bids and answering some emails would have calmed her non-stop thinking, but Liam’s unexpected arrival had thrown a wrench into that plan.  Instead, her body was pumped with adrenaline, causing her to linger on every single word he said.  She replayed their conversation over and over again.  She needed to stop.  This wasn’t healthy – it was obsessive.  She needed to get him out of her head.  Was Andy still up?  She had to be . . . she was just as thrown off by the time difference as she was.  Maybe Andy would be able to calm her nerves.  Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was almost one o’clock in the morning.  Did she dare wake her up at this hour?  Riley weighed her options.  Could she force herself to go to sleep in her current state of mind . . . it was doubtful.  Not with her mind going back and forth about her decision to go with him to dinner.  She wanted . . . no needed . . . to talk to Andy.  She was the only person she could trust to lay it all out on the table for her.  She had the least amount of bias in the situation because she had never met Liam.  Plus, this was technically Andy’s fault to begin with . . . she had been the one who told her she needed to come back to Cordonia . . . for closure . . . . to move on.  How ironic, when Riley knew after her meeting with Liam that closure was the farthest thing from Liam’s mind.  

She slowly snuck off toward Andy’s room, carefully knocking at the door.  She didn’t want to wake anyone else in the house up, especially Little Bartie.  She tapped lightly on the door for a second time, but there was still no answer.   She wondered if she should just call it a night and catch up with her in the morning, but her mind started to race again, and she realized that if she didn’t talk to someone, she was going to burst from the emotion overload she was facing.  She felt like if she didn’t talk to someone, she was going to go crazy.  She gently opened Andy’s door, tiptoeing inside, careful not to startle her.  As she stepped closer to the bed, she realized that while Andy was fast asleep snugly wrapped in the comforter . . . she was also not alone.  She saw Maxwell’s bare torso, his hippo tattoo slightly peaking out of the covers on the bed.  His arm was wrapped tightly around Andy’s waist.  

“I’ll be damned,” Riley muttered to herself.  Had Riley not felt so embarrassed, she would have felt a bit concerned about the predicament her two best friends had found themselves in.  She felt the blush rising from her cheeks to her ears, as she rushed to carefully back herself out of the room without waking them.  When she made it out, she lightly shut the door, and leaned herself up against it, breathing a sigh of relief.  “Well this is a very odd turn of events,” she sighed.  What had she just walked in on?  Was it love?  Or just a casual hook up?  It wasn’t like Andy to jump headfirst into something without a safety net . . . then again Cordonia made people do crazy things.  She was living proof of that.  She pushed all her thoughts on Maxwell and Andy’s relationship to the side.  It wasn’t her place to figure out what was going on; that was something that they had to do on their own, and on their own terms.  Who was she to judge if it was just two consenting adults having fun with no strings attached?  Riley slipped back to her bedroom, deciding not to think about anything else.  Her need to talk to someone was minimized by her embarrassment.   As her mind continued to race, her exhaustion ultimately won out and she drifted off to sleep.

Riley woke early the next morning feeling hung-over, which she found incredibly inconvenient considering that she had only had a few mimosas during the derby.  She knew it wasn’t the alcohol that made her feel so crummy.  She was drunk off Liam’s words from the previous night, drunk off the millions of thoughts that were still running through her head.  That was stronger than any alcohol she had ever consumed.  As she nursed her massive headache, she heard someone knocking on her bedroom door.  “Come in,” she yelled, “I’m just getting ready.”

Andy strolled in looking exceptionally happy.  “Morning, bestie.”

“Good morning, sunshine,” Riley yelled from the bathroom.  “You’re awfully chipper this morning,” Riley noted, as she walked toward the bed, sitting down to put on her socks.

“It’s a great day to be happy,” she explained.  “I came to escort my beautiful best friend to breakfast.”

“Great . . . I’m just about ready,” Riley said as she was tying her hair up in a short ponytail.  She looked at Andy for a moment, deciding that she needed to get the whole Liam debacle off of her chest before starting the rest of the day.  “Hey, do you have a minute before we go down for breakfast?” Riley asked anxiously.  There was a slight blush in her cheeks as she remembered seeing Maxwell lying next to her.  Even though she considered Andy her best friend, she was still felt a bit awkward about walking in on such an intimate moment between the two of them, especially when they hadn’t exclusively brought up the status of what was going on between them.  She knew they had gone out on a date, but she didn’t expect things to progress so quickly.  They probably didn’t even have a definition for their relationship yet.  She definitely wasn’t going to bring the subject up to her unless Andy decided she was ready to talk about it.

“For you, I have twenty minutes,” Andy smiled at her.  “What’s up?”

“So . . . I think I may have made a mistake last night,” Riley explained.

“What happened,” Andy asked concerned, sitting next to her on the bed.  “Did something happen with Paul,” she asked.

“Oh no, it’s nothing like that.  Paul’s fine,” she said, “I did finally get in touch with him, so that was a relief,” she smiled.  “He’s in Boston, that’s why I couldn’t reach him,” Riley explained.

“Work again?” Andy inquired.

“Yes, well, he’s thinking that the merger is going to be done by the end of the month, so he had to fly back to get the closing ready,” she explained.  “He thinks he might be able to make it to the wedding after all.”

“That’s great news,” Andy smiled, before a frown suddenly appeared on her face.  “Wait, does that mean I lose my plus one status?”

Riley smirked.  “I really don’t think you have to worry about being my plus one anymore, Andy,” she comforted.  “I’m pretty sure you’ve secured a plus one spot in Maxwell’s eyes.”

“Um yeah,” she blushed shyly.  “I actually need to talk to you about something later,” she said softly, “But after you tell me what’s going on with you first.”

Riley nodded, clearing her throat.  “So, I couldn’t sleep last night, and I figured maybe if I got some work done, I’d be tired enough to fall asleep.  I hadn’t been out there for more than half an hour, when I heard the sliding door open.” She recalled.  “I didn’t think too much of it, figuring it was Drake coming back late from the derby festivities, but then when he spoke . . . I realized it wasn’t Drake at all . . . it was Liam.”

“Liam?” Andy perked up, grabbing Riley’s leg in surprise, “As in the King?  As in your exboyfriend?  How on earth did he find out you were here?”  Andy gasped suddenly.  “Did he see you at the derby?”

“I’m not sure how he found out, honestly, and he wouldn’t tell me.  He said it didn’t matter.  That’s why I’m thinking it’s Drake . . . I bet he doesn’t want me reading him the riot act,” she said shaking her head.  “But trust me, the next time I see him he’s going to hear a word or two from me,” Riley fumed.  

Andy cringed, “Did it go that badly?  What happened?”

“Nothing really.  We just talked . . . well I yelled and he sort of just listened and then I cried . . . again” Riley sighed.  “But then the oddest thing happened.  He said he still wanted to be friends,” she shook her head in disbelief.  “After everything I said and how I ended things back then . . . for some strange reason he thinks we can rebuild our friendship.”  She shrugged her shoulders.  “He asked me to go to dinner with him.”

Andy squealed.  “Oh my goodness, are you going to do it?”

“I said I would . . . but now I’m sort of second-guessing it.  He did give me his number to call him if I was free tonight.”

“Oh Riley . . . this is big!” she exclaimed.  “Wait . . . what about Paul,” she said quietly.  “Oh my God, what about Paul!” She said much louder.  “Are you going to tell him?”

“I hadn’t even thought that far yet.” she laid back onto her bed, frustrated.  “Maybe I should just cancel the whole thing,” she said exasperated.

“Absolutely not,” Andy said.  “I’ve heard the whole back-story from Maxwell, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t at least have dinner with the guy.”

“What did Maxwell tell you?” Riley asked curiously, leaning back up.

“He told me enough to know that Liam is a decent guy who may have made a few wrong choices in life.  Maxwell told me he still cares a lot about you.  It was killing Maxwell not to tell him you were back,” she explained.  “But he didn’t!  He wasn’t the one that told him,” Andy clarified.

“Oh, Andy.” Riley sighed heavily.  “I think Maxwell has a romanticized idea of us.  He forgets all the not so great stuff that happened back then.  I wish I had as spotty of a memory,” she muttered.

“Well, I’m just saying, from what I heard, your relationship was damn near perfect.”

“Except for the whole being engaged and then married to another woman thing,” Riley rolled her eyes.

“Look, I say what the hell.  Go for it and see what happens.  Go tonight in fact.  The sooner you figure out what the heck it is you want, the sooner you can move on, right?”

Riley thought about it for a minute.  Maybe Andy was right.  She couldn’t deny that seeing Liam again had brought back all the feelings she had wanted to avoid.  It wouldn’t be fair to Paul if she didn’t at least try to get some closure with Liam and move on.  “You’re right.  I’m going to give him a call after breakfast,” Riley said decidedly.  “Moving on is a step in the right direction . . . especially if things with Paul are going to get serious,” Riley smiled, content with the decision she had made.  “So, how about that breakfast?”  She moved to head out of the bedroom.

“Hey . . . not so fast, I kind of have to talk to you about something, too.  After breakfast?” She asked.

Riley nodded.  “Of course . . . what would we do without each other?” Riley laughed.

“We’d have hefty therapy bills for one,” Andy laughed as she and Riley headed down the staircase.

As Andy and Riley walked into the dining room, Bertrand and Savannah were already seated eating breakfast.  Little Bartie was sitting in the corner of the room playing with some blocks.

“Lady Andy.  Lady Riley, you both look well-rested this morning,” Bertrand greeted them.

“Is that Bertrand speak for you look pretty happy?”  Andy asked.

“It’s as good as a compliment as you’ll probably get, so I’d take it,” Riley winked at her.

Riley, Andy, Bertrand and Savannah engaged in small talk as they ate breakfast, mostly catching up about the happenings at the derby.  Savannah and Bertrand recounted the spread of appetizers and beverages that were in the King’s tent, and Riley had talked about the view they had from the seats they had found.  Bertrand brought up how terribly he had lot with the bets he had made.  He blamed Maxwell and his gut feeling for causing him to lose so much money.  Mid-conversation, Drake came into the dining room, dragging his feet.  It looked like he had been through some sort of battle.  He had dark circles under his eyes, and looked absolutely drained.  Riley almost felt bad for him for a second, until she remembered that he was probably the culprit who told Liam she was back.  All sympathy faded as her temper started to flare.

“Morning,” he yawned tiredly.  “Sorry about getting in so late last night,” he said as he sat down.  “I hope I didn’t wake anyone up.”

“Did you come back late because you were trying to avoid a run in with Liam?”  Riley said sarcastically.

“Huh?” Drake said, looking confused.  He rubbed at his eyes tiredly, still not really focusing on what she was saying.  “No, I was with Olivia . . .trying to diffuse our little situation at the derby,” he yawned again.  “What’s for breakfast, Savannah?”

“Don’t try to change the subject, Drake!” Rile spat out.  “You know what you did and you know exactly what happened last night.”  Riley was fuming.  Why couldn’t he just admit that he told Liam and be done with it?  She couldn’t possibly be angrier than she already was, so why pretend to not know anything about it?

Drake stared at her, still trying to gather his bearings.  “Me? What did I do?” he asked with what appeared to be a genuine look of confusion on his face.

The dining room grew quiet; Bertrand and Savannah shared a bewildered look between one another.  Riley stood up and walked across to where Drake was sitting on the other side of the table.  Little Bartie had even stopped playing with his blocks so that he could see what all the commotion was about.  

“You told Liam I came back after you explicitly told me you wouldn’t!  I trusted you” she moved to sock him in the shoulder.  Drake being all muscle in his upper arms, barely felt the hit, but it still caught him off guard.

“Hey, Lawson, watch it!” He yelled back.  “What are you going on about?  I didn’t even see Liam all that much yesterday.  What is wrong with people today?   First I have Olivia breathing down my neck, now I have you yelling at me about God knows what,” he seethed.  

Bertrand and Savannah shared another glance between one another, suddenly very uncomfortable.  Savannah cleared her throat, “Maybe – “

Riley ignored her.  “If it wasn’t you, then who was it then?  Olivia?”  Riley shrieked.

Maxwell walked into the dining room at that moment, and noticed the tension in the room.  He opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but decided against it when he saw how angry Riley was.  He made eye contact with Andy, who just motioned for him to sit next to her.  He hurriedly moved to sit down, clearly not wanting to place himself in the middle of whatever was happening between Drake and Riley.

“Olivia didn’t even see Liam after the derby.  She was too busy yelling her head off at me for the rest of the night!” He tried desperately to explain to Riley.

Bertrand suddenly cleared his throat.  “Perhaps I may intercede?”

“No,” Riley looked at him scornfully.  “I’m getting to the bottom of this right now, Bertrand.  I appreciate that you want to be a referee here, but this doesn’t concern you.”

Maxwell, gathering the gist of the conversation decided to chime in.  “Riley, is it really so bad that Liam knows you’re back?”  She turned to him, a look of betrayal on her face.  “What I mean is . . . now there’s no need for all the cloak and dagger.  You can freely wander about Cordonia without any worry about being spotted by him,” he explained, a hint of optimism in his tone.  “Maybe Drake did you a favor more than anything else,” he trailed off.

“But I didn’t do anything!” he persisted.

Riley hadn’t thought of that.  She briefly considered Maxwell’s line of reasoning.  It did take away one huge worry that had been plaguing her since her return.  The other had been dealing with the press, but after what Bertrand told her at the derby, that didn’t seem to be a problem anymore either.  Did she truly have nothing to worry about anymore?  She suddenly felt a bit foolish at her outburst.  She had let her emotions get the best of her, and she wanted to blame somebody . . . anybody for the lack of control she suddenly had with Liam knowing she was back.  She thoughtfully responded, “Well, that’s true . . . but it doesn’t change the fact that he – “Riley pointed at Drake “went behind my back and squealed to Liam that I was back.”

“For the last time, I didn’t tell Liam anything,” he said with irritation.

“I really do think I should interject,” Bertrand stated.

“Who asked you?” Andy narrowed her eyes at him.  “Let Riley and Drake work it out.”

Bertrand looked at her indignantly.  “No one asked me, you are correct, but I do happen to have something to add to the conversation,” he said boldly.

“And that is?” Maxwell questioned.

“I know for a fact that it wasn’t Drake or Olivia who informed King Liam about Lady Riley’s return to Cordonia.”

“How would you possibly know that, Bertrand?”  Andy asked doubtfully.

“I know because I was the one who told him she was back,” he said simply.  He gave Maxwell a pointed look before taking as sip from his teacup.  

“You what?” Maxwell yelled, suddenly sitting straighter in his chair.

Riley stood there in shock.  She reached for the chair next to Drake, trying to sit down.  She was stunned.  Of all the people she had thought would have broken down and told Liam about her being back, she had never imagined it would be Bertrand.  He was always so stoic and uninvolved with what he deemed frivolous antics.  Why on earth would he suddenly feel inclined to tell Liam she was back?  She sucked a breath in, feeling the heavy weight of the betrayal in her chest. “Bertrand?” Riley gasped.  “But why?”

Savannah shook her head disappointedly.  “Is that where you two went off to during the last race?” She asked.

Bertrand nodded slowly, only looking slightly abashed when Savannah had given him a stern look of disapproval.

“Bertrand,” Riley looked at him, a mix of anger and hurt in her eyes.  “I don’t understand why you would do this to me.  You knew how I felt about things.  Having him show up here late last night . . . it knocked me on my ass.  I’m sorry, I know that’s not exactly a ladylike expression, but I was caught completely off guard.  A little warning would have been nice or even a consultation with me before you decided to blab,” she said sadly.

“Lady Riley, I did not do anything to you,” he shrugged.  “I did this for you.” He stated.  “I simply informed his majesty that you were back in Cordonia and that you were having a bit of difficulty blending back into court life.  It was exhausting to see you question yourself and contemplate missing out on our wedding festivities out of a ridiculous fear of seeing King Liam.  You have spent every day since returning walking around disgraced, taking back entrances like some common riff-raff.  I will not have a member of House Beaumont slinking around the country as if they were a pariah.

“Maybe I would have told him I was back on my own terms.  Did you ever think of that?” She said softly.

“Lady Riley, do forgive me, but I believe that you had no intention of ever speaking with King Liam on your terms.  So, I decided to give you the necessary push to make amends,” he said simply.

“I just don’t understand why,” Riley said annoyed.

“Why?” He said, looking at her intensely.  “Because once, a short while ago, an American woman not so gracefully barged into our lives with her kind heart and captivating charm.  That same woman became a part of our family.  Without her . . . well, I might not have the two most important people in the world by my side today,” he gave a loving look to Savannah who now had Bartie seated on her lap.  “She gave me a push when I needed it the most, and I’ll be forever grateful to her for that.  Now, I’m giving her the push that she needs.  Maybe, she won’t find love as I have, but if she can at least find peace and happiness, then that will be enough for me,” He said thoughtfully.

Riley listened to his words, and suddenly she felt even more foolish than before.  She was constantly looking at reasons to fault her friends for trying to bring Liam back into her life, when really, they didn’t care about just Liam’s feelings, they were worried about her own.  Bertrand had seen how detached from things she had become – how fragile at the mere mention of Liam’s name.  He was trying to help her overcome her fears and worries by making it easier for her.  He didn’t do it out of spite or to get in Liam’s good graces . . . he did the only thing that Bertrand could do to show how much he cared . . . he tried to solve her problems for her.  He was a fixer.  His methods were often unconventional and maybe even a bit harsh at times, but the intent and his heart was in the right place.  “Oh, Bertrand, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, suddenly ashamed of everything she had said and done that morning.  “When you put it like that, I suddenly feel very grateful that you care enough to do something like that,” she said sadly.  “Although maybe not the right course of action, the sentiment behind it is very touching,” she explained.

“It’s quite alright, Lady Riley.  I am aware I crossed a line, but at the time, I just didn’t see any other way to help you and end this ridiculous charade,” he sighed.

Riley nodded, “You’re right . . . I was acting unreasonably.  I guess I was just scared about what would happen if I did see him again.  Now that we got that out of the way, I guess Maxwell’s right, I don’t really have anything left to worry about . . .” Except going to dinner with him, she thought to herself.  

Bertrand nodded acknowledging her explanation.  “Lady Riley, I’ve come to realize that life will never be smooth sailing with you around, but I do admit, as much as your crazy antics bewilder me, your heart is often in the right place as well,” He smiled.  “Well, Savannah, should we be off?  We wouldn’t want to be late for our portrait sitting.”  With that, the couple and their son left the dining room to prepare for their portraits.    

“Hey Lawson . . .” Drake said, disrupting the now quietness of the dining room.

“Yeah Drake?” She said softly, still overcome with emotion from Bertrand’s speech.

“’I’ll take that apology now,” he smirked.

She sighed heavily, she knew he was right.  She had accused him so harshly, and he was innocent, having kept all the secrets she had asked him to keep.  “I’m so sorry, Drake.  I was an idiot.”

“It’s okay, Lawson.  Glad you can finally admit it,” he joked.

“Ha, ha, ha,” she said sarcastically.  “I really thought it was you, considering you spent the morning with him at the derby . . . and how you told me that he and Madeline were divorced . . . I just thought you were trying to get us back together . . .” she trailed off.

“Give me a little more credit than that, Lawson” He nodded.  “Yeah, Liam’s my best friend, but I promised you I wouldn’t say anything.  I’m a man of my word,” he shrugged.  “Can’t break a promise to a pretty lady,” he laughed.

Maxwell seeing that all was well again smiled at his two friends.  “He wrapped his arms around Drake and Riley. “Isn’t it great to all be together again?” His voice filled with joy.  

“Stop hugging me,” Drake deadpanned.

Maxwell unclasped his arms from around the pair, “Now that we’ve had enough excitement for one morning, I was thinking that maybe we can all go down to the park, have a nice relaxing picnic?” he suggested.

“Actually, Maxwell, I was going to help Riley get ready for her date tonight,” Andy replied.

“Oh . . . okay . . .” he sounded disappointed.  “Wait, what date?”

“It’s not a date,” Riley said firmly.  “Liam asked me to join him for dinner, and I accepted.  As friends,” she emphasized.  “Oh my goodness, speaking of which, I need to call him and let him know that we can go out to dinner tonight,” she said.  Before rushing off, she turned to Andy, “Give me ten minutes and you can come up to my room and we can finish our chat from earlier, okay?”

“Got it,” Andy nodded.

Back in the safety of her own room, Riley found herself thinking about Bertrand’s words.  What were they all seeing that she was missing?  She admitted, she needed closure with Liam.  The way things were left between them . . . there was unfinished business.  Words that weren’t said, feelings that weren’t expressed . . . all of that needed to be resolved before she could jump back into her life in New York.  She fished in her pocket for the slip of paper that Liam had given her last night.  She looked at the number as she pulled out her cell phone.  She tentatively dialed each digit, her nerves kicking in.  The phone rang twice before she heard his raspy voice on the other end of the line.

“Hey, Liam?” she asked into the phone.

“Riley . . .” she heard murmuring on the other end of the line.  “Sorry, I had slept in.  Sundays are usually my days when I have a late start.”  

“Oh, I’m so sorry if I woke you.  I can call back later if it’s a bad time,” she started to say.

“No, it’s perfectly fine.  I’m up.”  He cleared his throat.  “I’m up now.  How are you?” He asked.

“Um, I’m good.  I, uh, thought about our conversation last night.”

He remained silent on the other line.  She wondered if his heart was in his throat, too.  “It seems like I’m free tonight to go to dinner with you.  If you still want to, that is.”

“That’s fantastic news.  Yes, I definitely still want to,” he said excitedly.  She could hear more movement on his side of the line, as if he started to dash around.  “I’ll send a car for you around six o’clock this evening, and we can meet at the restaurant, does that work out for you?”

“Yes, that’s perfect . . . oh and Liam . . .”

“Yes, Riley?”

“I’m going to try really hard to be your friend,” she said lightly.  “Maybe this will be a good thing, for both of us,” she added.

She wasn’t sure, but she thought she heard him give out a small chuckle.  “I’ll see you tonight,” he said as he ended the call.

Riley threw her cell phone on the bed, inhaling deeply.  “Well, I guess there’s no turning back now.”

[j0ebay]

Spiraling Ch 8

Warning(s): swearing, moderate angst, some fluff

Word Count: 2153

A/N:I’m really stoked this chapter is finally out so enjoy and feedback is deeply appreciated!! 💙💙

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chapter 7      chapter 9

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams” -Dr. Seuss

Friday morning was painfully long for Peter. Hours didn’t seem like minutes to him, but days as he kept his head down and avoided talking to anyone and everyone. All he wanted to do was be by her side, be with her when she wakes up, help her fight through unconsciousness.

Tony made sure to update Peter every hour, even if there wasn’t much to say. He stayed by his unconscious niece, sometimes holding a mirror under her nose to ensure she’s still breathing. He brushes the hair out of her face and flashes a sad smile. He knew she was only trying to help but he couldn’t help but become aggravated about the whole situation.

He turns his head away, not being able to see Geneva like this. Tony didn’t see her eyes flutter open, or her hands squeeze the blanket once all the memories of the previous night race back.

“I’m really sorry, Uncle Tony”

Tony’s head whips back to see Geneva, awake, laying there. His muscles react before he has any thoughts and instantly pulls her in for a hug.

“It’s okay, kid. I’m not mad. You scared the living shit outta me”

Peter looked at the clock for the 8th time in 3 minutes. 1:48. Just a few more minutes. He sat in Spanish class just waiting, thinking back to all the memories they shared.

“What do you mean you’ve never seen Brooklyn Nine-Nine before?” She asks, eyes widened in disbelief. They had been dating for a month and a half and were gearing up to have a marathon night at his house. She sat on his living room couch while he was standing, putting all the snacks on the coffee table in front of them.

“I dunno. I just- I haven’t gotten around to it. That’s all.”

He plops himself down next to her and she curls into his side, grabbing onto his arm and looking up at him with a playful smirk.

“Yeah, with you being Spiderman and all”

“Shhhh, May’s gonna hear you!”

She lets out a soft giggle, covering her mouth with her sweatshirt-covered hand

“Relax, Pete. You know I’m kidding.”

She lightly squeezes his bicep as her gaze turns towards the TV, now playing the opening credits to Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

“You are being safe though. Right?”

She looks up at him with eyes, wide with a hint of fear. He tightens his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

“Of course I do. I mean, May would kill me if I died again and now,” he pauses and squeezes her shoulder.

“I have a beautiful girlfriend to come back to and she’s amazing and supportive and I’m so lucky to have her.”

She buries her face in the crook of his neck to hide her blush, as per usual and he laughs. She reaches up and lightly pecks his cheek before turning her head back to the TV.

However, his eyes are still trained on her. How her hair falls perfectly on her shoulder, how the shades of blue in her eyes is brought out by the light of the tv and how content she looked whenever she’s around him

“Is that my sweatshirt?” Peter blurts out.

She looks up at him and her lips curl into a smile.

“Maybe” She mumbles, being sure to drag out the ’a’.

All he can do is laugh and shake his head.

“You’re adorable” He mumbles into her hair before pressing a light kiss to her forehead.

He’s snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of his phone buzzing on his desk

Tony Stark Hey kid I said I’d tell you when she wakes up and she did about 5 minutes ago… She’s a little fuzzy as expected and we’re all a little shaken up but she’s fine with you staying the weekend. Well in her words “I really need to see him and i honestly don’t give two shits if anyone gives us crap I just need to be around him”. You did good kid

Peter lets out a sigh of relief and cracks a smile. His phone buzzes again

Geneva Stark✨ Hey you! Don’t worry about me cause I’m good, I’m awake now. So focus on your Spanish cause I’m fine. Well, Tony and literally everyone else won’t let me leave my bed and I’m starting to doubt my legs functioning once I do end up walking around but IT DOESN’T MATTER CAUSE I’M OKAY!!! I can’t wait to see you! ❤❤

Peter texts her back first

Peter Parker🕷 Glad to hear you’re awake! You had all of us so worried! As far as you staying in bed, I have to say I agree with Tony and everyone else on this one 🤨 I can’t wait to see you as well and I’m so ready to be the overprotective boyfriend and take care of you! See you later Gee ❤

And then texting Tony

Peter Parker Thanks for keeping me posted Mr.Stark you have no idea how much this means to me. Aunt May said it was cool if I stay with you guys this weekend if it’s okay with you so I guess you’re putting up with Gee and I in “teen rom com mode” for the weekend sorry.

Geneva smiles at her phone screen and types back a quick response

Geneva Stark✨ Sometimes I lay awake at night and think to myself “wow, my boyfriend will stop at literally nothing to make my uncle happy it’s almost scary. I wonder if that’s the real reason he’s dating me?”

Her phone buzzes immediately

Peter Parker🕷 That’s only 95% true and you know it

She lets out a chuckle, wincing in pain and clutching her rib cage. The image of her crashing to the ground flashes in her mind, along with the memory of Peter she took from Tony. Tears escape her eyes at the mere words echoing in her mind

“I don’t wanna go”

Geneva hears someone enter the room and quickly wipes the tears away. She looks up and sees Loki there with a hurt and remorseful look on his face as he realizes that he’s ultimately powerless in this situation.

“Stop being all depressing ‘n shit” she mumbles.

“I’m fine, really”

“Geneva,”

“Loki, I swear to you I’m fine”

“Really? Cause people who are fine don’t cry”

Gee can’t say anything to counter that, she just sits there with her mouth agape. Loki sits next to her on the bed.

“I brought you some tea”

She gives a sad smile and sips it with shaky hands.

“I’m afraid my limbs are still trying to figure out how to work”

They both smile before she says

“Before you ask, I was just worried about Peter. I’m scared it’s gonna really hurt him seeing me like this and knowing him, he’s probably gonna start blaming himself and I don’t wanna put him through that”

She feels the tears flow down her cheeks and her chest start to tighten.

“Hey, hey, hey Geneva look at me.”

She slowly looks up at him.

“It might sting a little for him cause it did for us-”

She puts a hand up to her mouth

“-Oh god what did I do?” She sobs even more

“Hey, Geneva you know what? We all know you were doing the right thing in your mind. You just gave us a little scare, that’s all”

“Oh my god I look like a mess” She says laughing a bit, while letting out a yawn

“Get some sleep, Gee” he says.

She nods while closing her eyes and Loki slowly gets up and walks out.

The elevator brings Peter up to the living space of Avengers tower as slowly as possible it seems. Once he gets to their floor, he sees Tony and drops his bag on a barstool.

“She’s in her room, kid. Just a fair warning, she’s still a little fuzzy on some stuff and she’s been sleeping a lot but other than that she’s been talking about you since she woke up”

Peter gives a soft smile before walking down the hallway to her room and lightly knocking on her door. When there was no response, worry started to grow in the pit of his stomach. He opens the door to see her, fast asleep with puffy eyes. He could’ve sworn he felt his heart break into a million pieces but still, he sat down on her bed and lightly brushed some stray hairs away from her face.

Geneva’s eyes flutter open and she sees Peter sitting above her.

“Hey, beautiful”

She looks away and smiles

“Hey, you. What time is it?”

Peter looks at his phone

“About 3ish”

She nods.

“How are you feeling?” He asks, carefully holding onto her hand and she lets out a light chuckle.

“I haven’t really seen myself and I know I probably look like complete and utter garbage right now but if I told you it’s not as bad as it looks, would that make you feel better?”

Peter cracks a sad smile.

“How bad is it?”

“Nothing terrible, I’m just pretty weak from being in bed all day and my limbs kinda feel like cotton candy right now cause I fainted, but other than that, my throat hurts a little bit but that’s it. I’m fine, really”

She squeezes his hand for reassurance.

“I have a surprise for you” he says.

She raises her eyebrows as he gets up and goes to the corner of her room, picking up a plastic bag and pulling out the items. Geneva loudly gasps.

“YOU BOUGHT ME CREAM SODA AND SOUR GUMMY WORMS?”

He laughs at her excitement and nods.

“How did you know?” She asks with eyes wide with excitement.

“Remember that one time I skipped school to walk you home and we stopped at that gas station? Maggie says she wants you to make a speedy recovery. She needs your big presence of light and energy around there”

Geneva laughs again and clutches her ribs and after seeing a puzzled expression on Peter’s face, says

“I fell on my side”

His eyebrows furrow and he grabs her hand again.

“What happened anyway?”

Gee sighs.

“So when I was five and I was discovering my abilities and stuff, I found out that along with moving things and reading people’s minds, I could also take away people’s memories if I really wanted to. So one night, I was woken up by my foster brother having some form of nightmare. So I took that memory out of him, ended up discovering that after doing that kind of thing, it would drain me so much that I would faint, scaring the hell out of my foster parents and eventually getting myself kicked out of the best foster home I would ever have. You ever read The Giver? It’s kinda like that.”

“Gee,” Peter starts.

“So,” she continues

“I get up from my couch to get some tea and see feel Tony in some kind of bad dream or I guess flashback or something and I do the same thing. I was only out for a few hours though, the first time it was like half a day or something like that.”

“Geneva, why?” “I thought it would help okay? I hate seeing people hurt and knowing I could do something to stop it.”

Peter lets out a heavy sigh. She was so heartless and that’s one of the many things he adored about her.

“What was the flashback you took? Just out of curiosity?”

Geneva tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat while looking away to try and hide the tears forming in her eyes.

“Hey,” Peter says putting his hand on her cheek and turning her head to face him.

“Look at me. Whatever it was, it can’t hurt you. It was the past and everything’s okay now alright?” She nods, tears streaming down her face

“It was awful, Pete.”

He wipes her tears away with his thumbs.

“It can’t get to you. It’s gone now.”

After describing the new memory to Peter, all he could do is hold her while she cried.

“I’m not going anywhere, Gee. You got that? It’s not gonna happen again. I promise. You know I’m being safe when I’m doing patrols and when I’m fighting people like that? I have you in mind and not only does that make me fight extra hard but it also reminds me to be extra careful because I have more people waiting for me to get back alright?”

She nods and mumbles

“You’re amazing you know that?”

He leans in and presses a kiss to her lips

“I know, beautiful.”

He slides into bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close to him.

“Let’s watch something yeah?” Peter smiles down at her.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

TAGLIST

EVERYTHING: @og-baby-ob14 @were-all-gay-down-here @softiespidey @saturn-aka-six @theasexualbunny

SPIRALING: @upsidedownparker @baglebites @spidergirl192327@nerdofthehighestcalibre @james1730

[willxcapulet]

on a wing and a prayer

Parties: Lord Montague, Ginny Montague and Will Capulet

Location: Lord Montague’s office

Date: Sunday June 17th

Summary: Will and Ginny ask for permission to claim and they come away with less than they wanted.

mentions of Lady Bea @lady-beatrice and Posey Capulet @theposeycapulet

@ginnymontague

@ozmontague

Ginny knew now more than ever, after speaking with Bea and attending Cade's ceremony with Will, that it was finally time to confront Oz again. This time with Will by her side. Will was it for her, he was the one whose collar she wanted to wear. She wanted to share her life with him and have his babies and be with him for the rest of her life. And with the clock ticking every day closer to the deadline of the decree, she knew they needed to do this. So with her hand securely in Will's she led him through the front lobby of the Tower and to the elevator, looking to him once they were inside, "No matter what he says...I'm yours. And I'm not giving up on us. I promise."

Will was nervous. So nervous that he was having a hard time remembering to breathe. He knew that the Dark Lord was not a fan. Wait. He should probably stop calling him that, even just in his head. "I know Ginny. You've told me like 20 times." He replied softly, giving her hand a squeeze. "I will wear them down. Don't you worry but no matter what, this is your family. I don't want a feud or any more running away. We are going to convince them we are meant to be. Okay?"

Ginny rolled her lips into her mouth and just nodded, "I know...sorry." She knew she was probably getting annoying with her reassurances, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to make sure everyone knew that she was never going to give up. When Will spoke and said no more running away she let out a breath and nodded, "No more running away." She promised, squeezing his hand back before leaning in to kiss his cheek softly, "You're my family too. For the record." She told him with a little smile, knowing he already knew how important he was to her life, as was Posey, and that they were stuck with her for life. The elevator dinged to a stop and opened, the guards immediately zeroing in on Will but she just squeezed his hand a bit tighter, giving him a reassuring look before leading the way to Oz's door and knocking.

Will smiled at her. Gods but she was so cute. How was this girl his? It defied all logic and common sense. "That's right. We are going to wage war out of pure stubbornness if we have to." He leaned into the kiss, "No. I am your boyfriend and your lover ... I'm vying for the official family title but I don't have it yet." He took a breath as he realized where they were. He felt like he was under a microscope as he walked across the floor toward the imposing looking office.

Oz had a feeling this was coming. And he was not pleased. Damn tattooed boy child was clinging on to his damn Ginny. The worst part of all is that he couldn't fault the boy. He was supportive. Nice. Showed up when he said he would but also didn't stick his nose into family busy. Since Ginny had met him, she was confident, focused and showing real ambition for the first time. It was a bitter taste in his mouth to credit the Capulet. "Come in." he called out crisply. "Please. Have a seat."

Ginny nodded, giving him a smile, "And you should know by now just how stubborn I am." She smiled lightly as she said it, teasing, and she let out a slow breath as he spoke, ultimately just nodding; alright...he wasn't her family yet, but he would be. One day. He and Posey. She didn't care how long it'd take. She kissed his cheek once more, giving his hand a squeeze. "I love you." She told him softly, looking to him for a second before hearing the voice on the other side and she opened the door with her free hand, eyes immediately moving to the man on the other side of the room. "Hi Uncle Oz." She greeted softly, waiting for Will to walk in as well before she closed the door behind them and walked in, finally letting go of Will's hand and taking one of the two seats in front of the man's desk, trying to ignore the racing of her heart as she glanced to Will and then to Oz, "Than you for seeing us today on short notice."

Will whispered, "I love you too." Then he felt a rush of nerves at the sound of the man's voice. He escorted Ginny in and made sure she was seated before he did the same. He focussed on keeping his hands still and not letting his nerves show in the face of such an intimidating man. Under his cold gaze, Will compulsively wanted to straighten the neckline of his button-down and bounce one foot. Forced stillness was hard to maintain. "Hello Lord Montague. I hope you are well today."

Oz sighed internally. "Hello Ginny. Of course. It is always lovely to see you. Hello Mr. Capulet." He threw a little extra emphasis on the 'you' since he wasn't particularly thrilled with the Capulet boy. Look at him there. Ridiculous. He wasn't even in Ginny's league with his irritating flopping hair and stupid glasses. Now he knew he was being unreasonable but it took all his effort not to just glower at the boy. "So what brings you here today Ginny?"

Ginny didn’t miss the emphasis. She didn’t miss the way his eyes narrowed in Will’s direction, how his demeanour changed (and how Will in response looked like he was trying not to look tense) and she let out a breath before reaching over again, taking Will’s hand in hers “We came here to talk to you today about....about us. And about the future of our relationship.”

Oz didn't bother to answer Will's implied question. He leaned back in his chair and regarded both of them with a cold stare. Alas, Ginny was rather immune to it and had been ever since he taught her how to drive. Damn it. He held up a hand to forestall whatever idiocy came out of the Capulet's mouth. "What future are you foreseeing Ginny?" he knew what the tattooed idiot wanted - Ginny. Couldn't blame him there, even though the boy was punching far above his weight.

Ginny wasn't fazed by his stare, or by any of it really. Sure, Oz could be intimidating (and downright terrifying) when he wanted to be, but Ginny only ever saw him as her uncle, as the man who'd helped raise her. She could never in her wildest dreams be scared of him--which he figured was something he was probably irked about in times like this. She pursed her lips a bit when he rose his hand and cut Will off before he could even speak but she let out a slow, even breath through her nose, telling herself to remain calm and respectful, and when questioned again she looked over to Will before back to Oz, "One where I'm his claim. Where I'm wearing his collar and...and where he's my Dominant. Officially."

Will cleared his throat after Ginny spoke, "Lord Montague. I love Ginny very much and I think we have a good and strong relationship." He smiled at Ginny, gaze softening as he looked over at the beautiful submissive. "I would very much like to offer her a claim. I am financially stable, with a good job and prospects for taking over the business in the future. I know Ginny feels very strongly about this but I do not want to disconnect her from her family. It is really important to me that she is happy and secure. I'm not perfect but I love her. And she loves me. So .... please?"

Oz 's gaze flicked to Will as he spoke. He was so fucking polite. Gods, why did that annoy him so much. It really did though. "Ginny you are accustomed to a certain standard which Mr. Capulet, despite all of your good intentions, will never be able to meet. I doubt this relationship will survive the course so I can see no point in perpetuating a farce. I'm sorry Ginny."

Ginny looked back to Will when he looked her way, smiling back at him, feeling love for him swelling through her--so much so that she knew this was right and he was it for her. She couldn't imagine ever in a million years feeling this way for anyone else. And more over, she didn't want to. Still, her breath caught when he continued, and when he asked Oz permission outright. And then she felt her heart drop altogether when he denied them. She knew she promised Will no confrontation, but... "Uncle Oz, please. I love you...and I know you're only doing this because you want what's best for me but...Will iswhat's best. Posey has similar tastes to myself, and Will has no problem in keeping up with her. And I fully intend on having my own money as well. ...I've been with Will for six months now...which..I mean nothing negative in saying it, but is longer than some of the other current claims had been together before their ceremonies." Oz himself being one of them went unsaid. "Will makes more than enough to keep us comfortable. And he makes me feel safe, and loved. He makes me feel valued and wanted....shouldn't that account for more than the state of his bank account?"

Oz looked at the girl, "And we were not just barely a year past their designation. I'm in my 40s and Megan was in her 30s. It changes the complexion of your argument seriously when you take into account your ages." Then he sighed. He hated distressing Ginny and it was irritating that the tattooed boy's worst flaw was being a Capulet who would never be wealthy.

Will let Ginny and Oz speak before stepping in, "Lord Montague. I understand your concerns. I really do. I know that I am never going to be as well off as some of my relatives or pretty much any member of the Montague family. But we will always have enough. I've been working since I was 15. I don't just sit on my hands, and there Ginny will always have what she needs. But most of all, if I thought she would be happier with someone else, I would walk away. I would ... because her being happy means everything. I just don't think she would. I think she needs me as much as I need her in my life. But I don't want to mess things up for her with her family either. You and her dad are the two more important people in the world to her. I don't want to cause a rift or a fight or make things weird. I want her to have all the people she loves."

Ginny bit her lip, frowning, "And Ava?" She countered softly, frowning still. "Her birthday is after mine, making her younger than me--and yet she was the very first claim of the decree. And I believe Rosaline is the same age as us as well. And how about Evie? It was announced this week that she'd be claimed too and she's my age. I....I'm sorry Uncle Oz..but all things considered? My age shouldn't be a viable reason to be against this..it's not fair." Her words were quiet all the while, not arguing, just stating a point--one she considered quite valid. "And as for the standard I've grown up with? I'd rather never buy anything new or fancy again if it meant getting to be with Will. Nothing materialistically could even come close to how important he is to me. How important our relationship is to me. And if getting to be with him means I would need to limit my spending? Then it's no question about it. I'd do it in a heartbeat. I just...I just want to be with him, Uncle Oz.." Her emotions were starting to mount a bit, a lump forming in her throat that she tried to swallow down, her hand tightening in Will's. "It's at the point that it hurts not being able to wear his collar......to go to all these ceremonies and seeing everyone so happy and....and I can't have that.."

Oz sighed, "That's different ... they are all joining the Montague family. Where ... as even you ..." he nodded at Will, "pointed out that financial stability is not a concern. They were getting, not giving up." He could hear Ginny getting emotional, which he hated, and he blamed Will. Fairly or not, the stupid boy put them in this position in his opinion. Why couldn't he be a nasty piece of work like all the rest of Ginny's boyfriends? No. He had to be /nice/. How fucking tedious was this kid? Where his greatest quality was being nice. For fucks sake. He loathed the stupid boy on principle. Bad enough it looked like Valeria wasn't giving up her fucking hold on that stupid Capulet. But now Ginny? To this pup? It was beyond irritating. Oz wanted to growl and throw things. It was all just too ridiculous. "Causing you pain is not my intention Ginny and I am sorry you feel that way. However ...." Oz looked sharply at Will, "I am not really persuaded this would be a good match for you. I will concede this much. I will talk to your father and Lady Capulet and gather their views on the subject matter. I will consider what you have said today. That is all I can promise at this time. I will also not bar you from seeing one another."

Will had to nod in agreement, reluctantly. Joining the Montague family was like going up a tax bracket or two or ten. Claiming with him would take Ginny down several notches. He sighed to himself but tried not to get discouraged. "Thank you Lord Montague." he gave Ginny's hand an encouraging squeeze. He was sure his Lady was on their side. So if they could get Dante to agree. Maybe they had a shot? Maybe? It was worth trying at least.Ginny let out another little huff, shaking her head, "I'm not leaving the family. I'm a Montague by birth and that will always be a part of me. I'd never want to give up the name...and I know Will wouldn't want me to either. ...And I don't consider it giving up of anything." When she heard the 'however' her heart sank further and she looked down, her hair falling over her shoulders, shielding her a bit as tears of frustration started gathering in her eyes. "I spoke with Lady Beatrice too. Last week." She looked up at him again then through her lashes, not backing down just yet. She'd learned her defiance from him after all. "I..--we're not giving up on this. Will is the only match I want. And he's the one I'm choosing to be with for the rest of my life.....no matter what anyone says. He's the one I'm choosing to give myself to. The one whose collar I want to wear and children I want to have and whom I'm choosing to spend my life with. ....Even if that life is outside of Verona."

Will looked over in surprise when she said she wasn't taking his name. Okay. So that stung a tiny bit. It made sense but it still stung. He knew Megan hadn't given up Capulet either. Did that sting for Lord Montague too he had to wonder. He seemed like a man with a lot of pride. How did it feel to know he wasn't that important to his own claim? Still her words heartened him a great deal. Wait? Were they leaving Verona? He certainly had zero intentions of /that/.

Oz couldn't help but note the look. So maybe there was more backbone to this kid than he expected. That made him like him a tiny bit better he had to (reluctantly) admit. "You spoke to Lady Capulet." Oz's jaw clenched and his eyes flashed in cold anger before being sealed behind the wall again. His gaze grew stony, wondering where exactly he had gone wrong that the submissives of his family were so defiant and rude. "Careful Ginny. You are treading perilously close to the line right now."

Ginny paused at the look Will had given her, a bit of confusion coloring her own expression. Had she said the wrong thing? She didn't see becoming his claim and becoming a Capulet as meaning her being a Montague would disappear. Ava and Rosaline and Terran and now Drew were all still Capulets, even if they didn't have the name anymore.....it would be the same thing. ..Right? She'd have to talk to him about it after. For now though as she looked back to Oz she saw the flash of anger in his face and she swallowed, her shoulders dropping, her whole demeanor deflating a bit as he spoke, "Sorry, Sir." She murmured softly, biting her lip before nodding, "I..did speak with her though, last week. I.....I just needed to see if she'd be so against us claiming as you are. But she didn't give me an outright answer. It was a quick meeting." She explained, voice still as quiet. She looked to Will then, sighing as she nodded, "I'll wait for you to talk to Daddy and Lady Capulet and....thank you. For letting us still see each other. And for at least being willing to having some cosideration to let us be claimed in the future. And thank you for seeing us today."

Will gave her hand a squeeze as her Head of family seemed to scold her. It seemed like a really bad idea to mention his own lady to the stern man but hell if he knew how to handle anyone like Lord Oz. This was certainly a unique situation for him. "Thank you Lord Montague. I am still hopeful. I know ... this is a hard thing to consider and I understand why you would be reluctant to give her up. I hope you see why I feel like I couldn't possibly give her up myself. But ... I love her. I was wondering if maybe talking to Posey may also give you some assistance. I've been taking care of her for a few years now. She ... could speak about me better than anyone and the one thing Posey never does is lie ... frankly even when she probably should."

Ginny listened as Will spoke, letting out a slow breath to try and calm herself some more. She never imagined she could have anyone loving her and talking about her in the way Will did- and yet here he was, saying all these things to one of the most powerful men in the city without hesitation. That had to account for /something/.... when Will mentioned Posey she bit her lip, not wanting to smile because honestly? She knew Posey was having an effect on Oz, she knew Posey was not at all the person Oz had thought she was...maybe that could work in their favor.

Oz gaze narrowed as Ginny spoke but he had to admit, deep under it all, it was nice to see Ginny get the love and affection she so richly deserved. A smile reluctantly quirked his lips as he thought of the impetuous Posey. Damn it. "I'll give it some thought." he conceded quietly. "Thank you for coming by today." he dismissed and then nodded toward the door.

Ginny definitely noticed the smile and she felt something akin to hope flutter inside herself. They still had a little less than two months til the deadline of the decree...she should had a chance to sway him. “Thank you.” She saw him nod towards the door and she hesitated before moving, letting go of Will’s hand to get up and walk around to the other side of the table. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Oz’s cheek, “I love you, Uncle Oz.” She told him softly, because despite it all, she did. She knew he wouldn’t fight this hard if he didn’t love her too and want what was best for her. She just needed to prove to him that Will was best. She went back to the other side then, offering g her hand to Will with a smile.

Oz wanted to growl at Ginny's clear defiance. She really was quite determined about this boy. Damn him. He tipped his head up to accept the kiss and then nodded. "I love you too Ginny." He sighed softly though as she then returned to Will's side and took his hand. "Have a good day. Both of you."

Will felt the interview had gone about as well as expected. He wasn't banned from seeing Ginny so bonus. But it felt like they were as far from a claim as ever. All he wanted was to build a life with her. Would he ever measure up? He doubted it. It was beyond disheartening. The final goodbye was the most acknowledgement he had gotten all meeting. "Thank you Lord Montague. I really appreciate your time today."

[a-splash-of-stucky]

Operation Soulmate | Four

Pairings: Steve x Reader || Steve x Bucky || Bucky x Natasha

Summary: Natasha gives you some news that throws a spanner in the works, putting you in a rather difficult position.

Warnings: Mild language. Implied sex (like, if you squint and tilt your head to the side).

A/N: For @marvelous-fvcks writing challenge, with the prompt ‘Heart’. Sorry guys, this series couldn’t go by without a lil’ bit (a lot of) angst 😉

Operation Soulmate Masterlist

Steve had ended up crashing in your room the night before, because the two of you had stayed up into the wee hours of the morning, researching and planning out more things for him to do with Bucky. When you wake up, you discover that Steve’s already left. A glance at the alarm clock on your bedside table tells you that it’s 7.08am, which in turn leads you to conclude that he’s probably out on a morning run with Sam.

With a groan, you roll yourself out of bed, slide your feet into your Captain America slippers (courtesy of Nat last Christmas) and shuffle out of your room, intending to head to the shared kitchen to make yourself some coffee, because your own kitchenette is out of supplies.

When you open your bedroom, you’re surprised to see Natasha stepping out of her room. She normally doesn’t wake up until around eight, unless someone hauls her ass out of bed.

Wait—that’s not Nat’s room. Her room is on the other end of the corridor.

That’s Bucky’s room.

Your still-groggy brain finally registers her outfit, realising that she’s dressed in nothing but Bucky’s red henley, the garment draping loosely over her petite frame. She would look innocent and possibly even cute, if it weren’t for the positively murderous look on her face.

“Morning, Y/N,” Natasha says coolly.

“N-nat? Wha—what are you…?” your voice trails off in confusion, your sleep-fogged mind struggling to make sense of the situation.

Nat swiftly crosses the hallway and shoves you back into your room, slamming the door shut behind her. “It seems like we need to have a little talk, honey,” she purrs ominously, pushing you to sit on your couch.

“Nat—I’m so confused,” you breathe, looking blankly at her.

“Barnes and I—we’re together,”, she states simply, hands on her hips and expression utterly neutral.

A sickening feeling settles in your gut, and it takes all your focus to force your own expression to remain stoic. Your heart is pounding rapidly, threatening to hammer its way out of your ribcage as your mind races — how is Steve going to deal with this? Oh god, you’re going to have to break it to him, how can you do that?

“I’d really appreciate it if you kept it under wraps, Y/N,” Natasha says softly, finally dropping her defensive stance and coming to sit beside you. She takes your hands in hers and levels you with a pleading gaze, “James and I…neither of us are ready to tell the team, yet. You’re the only person who knows, and I’d like to keep it that way, if that’s okay?”.

Well.

This puts you in an awkward position.

How can you say no to your best friend? Especially when it’s clear that this means a lot to her?

As much as it pains you to say it, you force your mouth to shape the words, “Yes, of course,”, nodding your head stiffly along with the statement.

“Swear it,” Nat growls, narrowing her eyes at you threateningly.

You swallow, nervous under the intensity of her piercing gaze. “I swear that I won’t make a peep about you and Bucky. I don’t wanna get on your bad side, Nat,”, you say hastily.

“Good,” she says, smiling devilishly at you. “Smart move,”.

“And Bucky doesn’t know that I know?” you ask.

Natasha shakes her head. “Nope. So you’re gonna have to act like you don’t know anything about us. Don’t tell him, by the way — it might freak him out,”.

“Gotcha,” you murmur, chewing your bottom lip as you ponder over Nat’s confession. You fiddle with the hem of your sleep shirt, purposely keeping your eyes downcast so that Nat can’t see your expression. You’re sure that it’d be a dead giveaway for the million and one thoughts rocketing through your mind. Nat’s relationship with Bucky will certainly dampen Steve’s chances at life-long happiness, but there’s nothing you can do about that.

Except.

Could you tell Nat about Steve’s feelings?

No! protests the voice inside your head. You groan internally; in your heart of hearts, you know that telling Nat his secret would be the ultimate betrayal of Steve’s trust.

Natasha’s voice draws you out of your thoughts. “Y/N?” she says.

“Hmm?”

“I just asked you if you’re okay,” Nat replies. You can feel her eyes roaming over you, trying to read your body language and get a feel for what’s going on inside your head.

You know that if you don’t say something soon, she’ll think that something is up, so you make yourself to swallow around the lump in your throat and speak. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just shocked, is all,”, you tell her, voice coming out hoarse and raspy. “H-how long have you guys been together?”

“A few weeks,” she responds smoothly.

“You…love him?” you ask, hesitantly looking at her through your lashes.

Natasha smiles, her features going uncharacteristically soft. When she next speaks, there’s a hint of tenderness in her voice that causes a twinge of pain in your heart, as if someone is driving a shard of glass through it. “I care for him, Y/N,” Nat murmurs, “I really do. He’s a nice guy. We’re…happy together, I guess you could say,”.

“I’d like you to be happy,” you mumble.

“Thank you,” Nat says, sincerity dripping in her tone. “But that means you and Steve are gonna have to stop,”.

“Stop what?” you echo, heart leaping to your throat as you whip your head up to look at her. You do your best to plaster a perplexed look on your face, but Nat is a master spy, and it’s clear that she’s not falling for it in the slightest.

“Look, Y/N, I can tell that you and Steve are up to something with Barnes,” Natasha says.

“We’re not—,” you cut yourself off when Natasha smirks knowingly and arches an eyebrow, as if tempting you to spin a lie. You sigh resignedly; there’s no way you can bluff your way around this one.

“Okay, fine,” you grumble.

“Can you just…lay off, for a bit?” she asks, “I actually really like Barnes, Y/N, and I’d appreciate it if you kept Steve out of our business for a while,”.

It would be so easy for you to tell her about Steve’s feelings towards Bucky; the words are right there, balancing on the tip of your tongue. But, though your heart is telling you to do otherwise, you keep your lips sealed. Besides, it’s not your secret to give away — Steve has repeatedly told you that he is unwilling to discuss his feelings about Bucky with anyone apart from you, and you have to respect his wishes by staying true to your word.

But! says the voice in your head — though you promised that you wouldn’t say anything, surely, this is an extreme circumstance? Surely, if you decide to tell Natasha the truth now, Steve’d find a way to forgive you?

It’s not a risk you’re willing to take.

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll see what I can do,” you say meekly, giving her your best attempt at a smile.

“Thanks Y/N, you’re the best!” Nat chirps, squeezing your hand in thanks as she gets off the couch and bounds out of your room. The door clicks shut, leaving you alone with your thoughts at last.

What the fuck am I supposed to do? you think.

Your mind is split into two. On the one hand, you want to help Steve find happiness with Bucky; that’s the whole reason why you broke up with him, in the first place. Operation Soulmate has somewhat consumed your lives in the last couple of weeks — it’d be a shame for all that effort to go to waste. But, on the other hand, you’re also fiercely loyal to Natasha, as she is one of your closest friends. Your position on the team is all thanks to her.

You’ve really been dealt the short end of the stick here, trapped between a rock and a hard place. You can’t tell Natasha about Steve’s feelings for Bucky, nor can you tell Steve about Bucky and Nat’s relationship, because you’ve been sworn into secrecy by both parties. More importantly, you don’t know how to break the news to either of them without severely damaging ties within the team, thereby jeopardising everyone’s safety on missions.

Steve will be devastated when he finds out, you think. You know that it’s a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’, because at some point, Natasha and Bucky are going to announce their relationship to the rest of the team. You can’t really warn Steve ahead of time, nor can you prepare him for the inevitable disappointment that will follow without outright revealing Bucky’s relationship with Nat in the process, thereby breaking your promise to her. And, since you don’t want to end up in Natasha’s bad books, that option immediately goes out the window.

Oh, how you wish that life could be simpler.

For the rest of the day, you hide yourself away in Tony’s lab so as to avoid any kind of confrontation with Steve, or Natasha, or even Bucky. You’re helping Tony work on a new suit for you to wear. It’s something he’s been meaning to make for a long time. Your current suit is great, but it covers up too much of your skin, rendering you less sensitive to the atmosphere around you. The more skin-contact you have with the air, the better your wind-manipulation powers work. You and Tony spend the day testing and tweaking various materials to use in your suit, trying to figure out the right balance between skin exposure and vital organ protection.Tony’s incessant science-chatter is exactly the distraction you need after today’s revolutionary discovery.

But, you can’t hole yourself up in here with him forever, so once your stomach starts growling insistently around dinner time, you force yourself to leave the relative safety of his lab and retreat to your room. You fix yourself a simple dinner of soup and bread, your mind too pre-occupied to prepare something anymore elaborate.

You’re pulled out of your self-pitying state of mind when Steve comes sauntering into your room, a small grin on his face. “Hey, babe,” he says, ruffling your hair fondly, “Missed you today. Where’ve you been?”

“Helping Tony out with my new suit,” you reply, trying to force a smile onto your face so that Steve doesn’t suspect that anything is wrong. If luck is on your side (which it probably isn’t), he won’t notice that anything is amiss and your evening can pass by without incident.

“Yeah? How’s that going?” Steve asks, going over to your fruit basket and plucking out an apple, which he bites into immediately.

You shrug indifferently. “Good, I guess. Tony’s trying to make all these new materials. I’m not sure I understand him, half the time,”, you reply, chuckling dryly.

Steve laughs. “Yep. That sounds like Tony,”. He takes another bite out of the apple and leans casually against the counter, a smile starting to creep across his lips. “So, I was thinking about new things for me to do with Bucky—,”.

Your stomach flips unsettlingly at the name, knowing that you’ll probably have to spend the whole evening lying through the skin of your teeth. As if the day hasn’t been emotionally draining enough. You stare at Steve, watching his face light up and his hands gesture animatedly as he outlines whatever plan he’s come up with — you find yourself tuning his voice out, because you can’t bear the thought of having to disobey Natasha’s instructions to you.

I’d appreciate it if you kept Steve out of our business for a while, echoes hollowly inside your skull.

“Hey, are you okay?” Steve asks anxiously, pulling you out of your reverie. Perhaps your expression let on more than you wanted it to. Steve slides into the seat across the table. “You seem off tonight. Something the matter?”

You hesitate. It would be so easy to tell him what’s on your mind. You’re reluctant to string him along with the false hope that he has a chance at a fairytale happily-ever-after with Bucky, knowing that ultimately, you’ll only be delaying the inevitable. The longer he goes on believing that he and Bucky will be together one day, the harder he’s going to fall when reality sets in.

“Y/N?” Steve says softly, reaching out to touch your wrist, “Talk to me. What’s going on?”. As you look into his eyes, you can’t help but recall how bright they were just seconds ago, as he was talking about Bucky. He’s so happy, so excited by the thought of spending the rest of his life with his teenage love.

You can’t take that happiness away from him — it’s quite possibly the only thing that gets him through each day. Without hope, Steve will probably crumble into a shrivelled-up version of his old self.

He doesn’t deserve that.

“Just a little tired, I guess,” you murmur, using all your energy to contort your face into a smile that looks semi-genuine. Steve’s brows are still drawn together, concern etched in his features. You twist your hand around so that it’s palm up and use your thumb to rub the back of his hand soothingly. “Really Steve, I’m okay. Now, tell me again, what is this new plan of yours?”

A lopsided grin tugs at his mouth as he launches into an outline of his plan. Steve’s excitement is contagious, and soon enough, you find yourself smiling along with him, adding suggestions to his plan of taking Bucky on a picnic in Central Park.

If lying to him is what it takes to make him happy, then that’s what you’re going to do. Operation Soulmate might never come to fruition, but if you can buy yourself some time, maybe, just maybe, you can come up with a solution to satisfy everyone involved.

----------------------------- Tagging: @hollycornish @rda1989  @awinterloveuniverse  @aquabrie @onceuponahiddleston @bi-diana-prince @after-avenging-hours @patzammit @braelyn250 @theoutlinez @toc1985 @girlyfandomfighter13 @winchester-smut

Permanent tags: @feelmyroarrrr 

[komahinasecretexchange]

Title: Side Hope: Aftermath

Author: @deliriousgummi

Rating/ Warnings: T for mention of things in game and DR3 Side: Despair

For: @pearltoroses

Prompt: Set after DR3 Hope Arc where they just kind of talk about despair

Author’s note: Hey! I apologise for how late this is! Komahina is my ultimate OTP so I hope I did it justice :). I took ‘despair’ in the prompt as the events that took place in the game. I really enjoyed writing this so i hope you’ll like reading this too. Thanks for reading! :D

The summer heat still hung in the air despite being mostly washed out by the serenity of the night. A peaceful atmosphere drifted through, leaving the brown haired teen with a sense of calm. The pale yellow orb glowed in the starry night above, radiating its soft light upon the quarterdeck. Hinata laid back on a makeshift bed – just a bench covered with a piece of cloth – , soaking in the constant sounds of the whirring fan and the lapping waves.

He made no sign of movement, just the occasional rise and fall of the chest as he gazed up blankly at the ceiling. His mind stayed empty other than the reviewing and replaying of past events, letting them pass by with no particular thought. It was rather strange to remain in this happy dreamlike ending after everything, almost too perfect. He let out a sigh; he of all people should know nothing horribly tragic would occur. Just as he was swinging his legs to the side about to return to the cabin, the faint tap of footsteps alerted him to another’s presence.

“Hm? You’re still awake out here?”

Hinata changed to a sitting position, turning to face his new companion with a warm smile.  “And you? We’re only reaching Jabberwock Island by dawn, Komaeda.”

A brief chuckle reverberated through the air before settling back to its usual raspy voice that Hinata so became fond of, “True, sleep is something we’ve all been lacking. May I sit?”

“Yeah. Come on, there’s plenty of room on the bench.”

The messy, white-haired teen beamed, his smile reaching his eyes signalling its genuity. He leaned against the wall, taking Hinata’s right as the other scooted over to give him more space. The two stared at the nothing in front of them, indulging in the placidity that was so hard to obtain nowadays.

Hinata turned his head yet again, this time fixing his eyes on the steadily ticking clock situated on the paper white wall, rocking in turn with the ship.

tick

“So why are you awake anyway?” He started. Might as well begin their inevitable conversation and enjoy his friend’s company while it lasted.

“Ah, I was just cleaning. Since I couldn’t sleep I thought I should just clean up. I do have experience in that regard after all.”

“Hm, this place is becoming a bit of a sty. Though I did mention earlier we were arriving in the morning, it wouldn’t do to leave this place so dirty. When was the last time we mopped the decks? The party?”

“Yeah,” Komaeda stated, returning a light-hearted smile. “So what about you? Can’t sleep? Such brilliant hopes like you should get adequate rest.”

Hinata nodded, unable to find the energy to dissuade another of Komaeda’s rambles. He thought back to Hope’s Peak Academy and the events that transpired there. He thought back to his time as Kamukura and the scientist’s excited murmurs. He thought back to the Steering Committee and the nameless student council and Junko. He thought back to despair, hope, his fascination, his boredom, everything and the galaga clip…

“Do you want to head to the deck? There’s a pretty nice view right now.” The auburn haired boy took a look at Komaeda’s grey-green optics, noticing their underlying concern.

“Sure.”

tock

Komaeda wasn’t kidding about the view. Millions of sparkling stars shone bright in the seemingly endless abyss of night, shades of purples and blues and blacks gleaming through the clouds. It was the simple depiction of nocturne.

They took a seat on the ground, feeling the ruffle of plastic fake grass.

Hinata sucked in a breath, “Can we talk?” He paused, bracing himself for all the memories he carefully hid  behind lock and key. “About the killing game that is.”

Komaeda stared at him, most likely in puzzlement though he couldn’t pinpoint the exact emotion, “Are you sure?”

He couldn’t exactly blame the other for his hesitation. There has not been a night where he himself have not woken up in cold sweat, the events of the past flashing vividly in his mind, haunting him from their grave. He had to remind himself: they all experienced this. If anything, Komaeda was the most numb to this, given his past experiences that Hinata determined as the truth. Giving him a nod, he began his talking, “I need to. If not, I would never be able to move past it.”

“Shall I start then?” Hinata gave a sign of approval as Komaeda proceeded, “I must say it’s still a shock that I wasn’t killed that day at the party. I planned everything to become a stepping stone to hope but I guess I’m just trash.”

“Don’t talk like that.” Hinata sighed as Komaeda gave a slight laugh. He would be unable to stop his self loathing but he could at least try. “You know you really are headstrong. I wish you would be able to see the good in you that I do.”

At that, Komaeda gave a blank stare.

“Anyway, I really wish you didn’t plan that murder. You have no idea how heartbreaking it was for us to see Toga- I mean Sagishi like that…” Stumbling across his words, Hinata made a mental note to not call his classmate that. It was a habit he had yet to correct and while Imposter was still unwilling to share his name, it was at least a sign that trust was slowly growing between them as he now refused to don his masks. The name still had negative implications but they would bridge the gap. They surely would.

“Haha, yeah. I will let you know that you cannot change my beliefs but please do know I will never endanger anyone here again. Moving past that, Monokuma’s punishment for Teruteru was really cruel… To turn such a brilliant hope’s talent against himself, it really is despairing.”

Hinata winced, recalling the painful screams that echoed through the screen as he saw his friend go through inexplicable torture. It was there and then that he was reminded of the cruel reality that awaited them at that island. But now after that simulation, they are now each other’s pillars of support, slowly building up each other and be their source of comfort.

We will always be there for each other

tick

“The motive that Monokuma prepared for the second trial really was a low blow. I can never forgive Junko for that. Such despair like that is unforgivable.”

The reminder of that trial still exists in the form of Fuyuhiko’s scar across his eye though it was obtained from a previous, different event. It was difficult to remember that the cause was something else however, They all still blame themselves for it; it’s so painfully evident in their eyes.

“Yeah. And to learn that Twilight Syndrome was actually real. That really hurt Fuyuhiko and Peko and Mahiru.” And our whole class too by extension. Hinata continued, afraid of the sudden influx of images that will surface in his mind when he stops, “I was actually growing closer to Natsumi during that time. She really was a great friend even if others didn’t see it. It definitely would help if she stopped bullying and picking on Mahiru and Sato, I wish she did in fact but… her desire to be with her big brother. I have to say she was one of the influences in my decision to turn to Kamukura. And I can’t say I was ever close to Sato but her devotion to Mahiru was undeniable. It’s just wishful thinking but there are days where I just hope they were both still alive and breathing and living here with us.”

It wasn’t just them. Hinata dearly missed his family despite their terrible decision to let him sign on for the project. He missed that he would never again see their faces and kind smiles as they led him through the harsh depths of reality.

None of them would ever. Not Akane and her seven siblings, not Ibuki and her ex bandmates, not Sonia and her beloved subjects, not Gundham and his mother, not Souda and his parents, not anyone…

“You know, it really is hard to recall Hiyoko’s reaction to Mahiru’s death. It’s also really heartbreaking for the execution too,” Hinata carried on speaking, desperate to change the topic, even to one that might be equally bad. Komaeda offered a look of understanding and silence to allow him to vent. “When we reach the island, let’s offer them all a shrine. Taking after Hiyoko’s idea, that may be the best way for us to grieve and remember them.”

“That is a wonderful idea. I’m sure the others will appreciate it dearly.”

“Don’t forget about your parents and dog too. We need to make one for them too.”

Komaeda stared, stunned and shocked. Slowly, he gave a small laugh, expressing all of his gratefulness and muttered, “Thank you.”

They might be gone physically from this world but they will still remain in Class 77’s hearts and minds. Forever.

tock

“Actually, you were quite sick during the Despair Disease weren’t you. I mean your current illnesses probably made it worst. What was it again? Stage 3 malignant lymphoma and frontotemporal dementia?”

“You’re right. I’m surprised you remembered that, especially since I told you that it was a lie. That’s quite a bit of trust that you are willing to place in trash like me.”

“I told you to quit that. You never listen to do,” Hinata mumbled, shaking his head as he started again in a louder tone of voice, “I really am glad you’re better now. It was quite a scare.”  

“I apologise for that.” Komaeda provided a carefree smile, though it was immediately noticeable to someone close that it hid sadness deep underneath.

“You know you can talk to me right? Even anyone here. We told that to Mikan and that applies to you too.”

“This much be such amazing luck that you’re taking such interest in me. I can’t begin to imagine the bad luck that will befall me later.” He tugged at his jacket and pulled it closer, an action that did not go unnoticed by his partner and spoke again before he could object, “Mikan is a surprisingly good actress when it comes to it. Well, that could be debated by the despair she was under.”

Hinata nodded; no one had really suspected her of the brutal murders of Hiyoko and Ibuki before the trial. It added onto the hopelessness with the sudden disruption of Hiyoko’s and Fuyuhiko’s working towards a change of attitude towards the group plus the the interruption of Ibuki’s concert. It added on to Nekomaru’s presence in the hospital, in the battle of life and death and the appearance of the Despair Disease.

“Thinking back on it, that’s where we first learnt about Junko. Or at least alerted to her existence,” Hinata hummed. Komaeda only nodded in response, clearly deep in his own mind.

It hurt to think of Mikan’s ranting, to learn that their friend, no, their whole class was capable of such terrible deeds after Junko’s brainwashing. It could be said that wasn’t and was them.

But… that is their past. The future is what they look to for a better them. The future is why they keep walking despite all the pain. The future is… where they are now.

tick

“Nekomaru’s and Gundham’s trial, huh?” Komaeda put up a hand to his chin, hand brushing against his off-white hair strands.

“That had been one of the bigger shocks in my opinion. Murder directly conflicted with Gundham’s morals at the island,” his thoughts immediately flew to the animal breeder, the bicoloured haired teen’s chuunibyou nature masking a kind soul for both humans and animals alike. “I’m glad his Four Dark Devas of destruction are still safe, multiplied even.”

“And Nekomaru is back to his regular state too. I can’t say that I ever got used to his robotic form. It was just downright strange.”

“You got that right.”

Hinata reflected back to each of their awakenings. They were all out of order from the killings, dependent on the victim's’ mental state and how they died. Gundham and Nekomaru were quite close to each other in terms of when they woke: Gundham first, celebrated by being surrounded by his animal partners and Souda’s thankful sigh and Sonia’s tears of relief and Nekomaru about two people after, accompanied by Akane’s immediate declaration of a challenge as a sign of a weight being pulled from her shoulders. They all had their closest somebody’s back to them.

Recovery would be slow but it is definitely there.

tock

“If there was a ranking of how shit these trials were, the fifth one has to be at the top. You don’t know how hard it was…”

“I apologise but I cannot say that I regret my decision. I simply did what I thought would best fit the situation. At that time, Chiaki really was the only hope left there,” Komaeda said, a small but understanding smile lingering on his face.

“You really are a weird enigma. To be honest I’m not sure if I should but I forgive you. That’s what I want at least,” Hinata uttered, soft but powerful words echoing it’s meaning. “One thing I regret though, is not getting to know Chiaki further.”

He had no idea why he mumbled that but he needs to get it out, to let someone know.

“She.. she was practically my guiding light before I met all of you. Before all of this bullshit ever happened in the first place. I miss playing games with her, getting to know her. In the simulation even, she kept guiding me. She was probably my closest friend there after you stopped talking with me and being friends with me. And in both lifes, I pretty much condemned her to death…”

Komaeda glanced, a worried look plastered on his face. His hand hung in midair, probably unsure whether stopping or letting it continue was the best choice. Hinata paid no heed to it and continued.

“When I was Izuru, I let everything happen. I never stopped Junko or protect all of you. I just… watched her bleed out in front of me. And even as myself, even if it was forced, I had to pick her as the culprit. I just watched again, watched her be crushed by that by that stupid bear!”

At this point, small teardrops started dripping down from his eyes. They fell onto his clenched hands, blending in with the sweat that had started to gather. At this point, he didn’t care. He just needed to cry.

“I’m sorry… I don’t exactly know how to respond in this situation. I think maybe this would help though.”

Before he could understand Komaeda’s words, Hinata was pulled into an embrace. He felt the comforting warmth of his companion. He leaned in, desperate to find support from within his close friend, burying his face in the cotton of the now soaked t-shirt.

“Thank you,” Hinata managed to get those words out under his increasing sobs. Komaeda’s hands delicately caressed the side of his face and that action continued until the the other raised his head and muttered.

“Let me ask of you one more request.”

Hinata pressed his lips against Komaeda’s smooth one. He could taste the vague taste of mint, most likely from his toothpaste, as he eased in, taking in a sense of both solace and pleasure.

As he was satisfied getting what he wanted, he pulled away, leaving Komaeda with a stunned look and a inscrutable stare.

Then, Komaeda laughed. It was full with joy and so genuine.

“I really do love the hope within you from the bottom of my heart,” he beamed, twinkling with such a brightness.

The two of them moved closer to each other, enjoying the company of the other as the seagulls start calling in a rhythmic beat. A sweetened honey atmosphere rested over the two, covering them like a blanket of security.

tick

“We’re here.”

[thesinglesjukebox]

KATY PERRY FT. SKIP MARLEY - CHAINED TO THE RHYTHM [3.77] Maybe Katy should take her Jamaican Guy and go back to the Private Life.

Thomas Inskeep: Full disclosure: I came into this not expecting to like it, but trying to keep an open mind. But then Katy decided to show off how "woke" she thinks she is. Ooh, we're "all chained to the rhythm," but clearly should be doing more to change the world, just like Katy Perry. Some of us, however, still haven't forgotten the likes of "Ur So Gay." She can claim she's progressive etc. all she wants, but I don't buy it for a minute; Perry will do whatever she thinks will sell sell sell her records. Bizarrely, she seems to think that a cod-reggae beat is the answer in 2017? (Or more accurately, that could be the fault of co-writer Sia, who's predisposed to such notions.) Because you know what's awesome? When white artists show you how much they know about "rhythm" by featuring -- oh, I know! Let's get a member of the Marley family in here! Great idea! Perry's screechy, barely-in-tune voice doesn't help matters, of course. Here's hoping this is the beginning of the end of her career: she's like the Paula Abdul of the '00s/'10s, only without the half-decent songs and pleasant personality. There is no pop star today worse than Katy Perry, full stop. [0]

Cédric Le Merrer: Katy Perry is my mainstream barometer. When she made "I Kissed a Girl," showy but defensive female bisexuality was totally where people were at. When she made trap-pop, it became the new normal. Now Katy Perry is confusedly woke, and you can't tell me that's not the norm in 2017. Her terribly heavy-footed scansion even works in her favor thematically, as she's completely chained to that stomping rhythm. Incapable of taking any liberty from the beat, she moves around like Link wearing his iron boots. So as usual, it's a bit terrible but it also makes things easy for us weak singers wanting an easy song for karaoke, and whatever my reservations, in the end Katy and Max Martin always win me over. [8]

Megan Harrington: Who but Katy Perry would turn three minutes of arena pop into a very, very, extremely literal call for wokeness? Even her obviousness is obvious. Of course she's pivoted away from the lusty pleasure of her early hits and toward a crude attempt at "real" meaning. "Chained to the Rhythm" is, ultimately, not a very good song, but Perry is familiar, even comfortable, in her clunky movements. We'll never know that utopian future but Perry would be there, no matter the sleight of fate's hand. And "Chained to the Rhythm" in a good year is -- unsurprisingly -- the exact same song as "Chained to the Rhythm" in a bad year. She is a coin with only one side. [7]

Claire Biddles: Like a latterday Daft Punk song that's been cloned over and over again until its defining features are completely flattened out, "Chained to the Rhythm" is so insubstantial that I swear it stops existing after it finishes playing. The lyrics are full of self-drags -- she MUST have known asking "Are we tone deaf?" would be used against her in a review -- and there's something particularly desp about the way she references "your favourite song" knowing that this could never be it. [2]

Maxwell Cavaseno: The inexplicable pivot of the cheesiest, most banal to trying to edge upon wokeness is certainly not the career move you'd expect from Katy Perry off-hand but at the same time, it's been brewing. She's moved from the goofiness into a sea of power-ballads of vague ambition and motivation, so to create an anthem meant to parse through a sea of bullshit by feeding vague lines about utopia and what have you is not improbable. And not for nothing, for all Sia's weird reggae mining and her bullshit fake patois voice she built for playing Trojan RiRi, she's only just recently bothered to put an actual Jamaican on a record or get them writers' credit. And so the awkward promo-featuring of Tuff Gong's grandson is maybe a weird gesture for authenticity from someone so unlikely, but I can't be too upset given this surprisingly rare accommodation. If there's anything to say about this in particular that's a flaw, it's that in many ways it feels too calculated, in a way that Katy Perry used to never bother with. As unflattering or at times infuriating as her lack of foresight could be sometimes, there was something to be said for being so brash. [6]

Anthony Easton: When your entire genre is founded, and continually plays, with notions of black authenticity, does it mean anything that Perry plays with patois, and if it doesn't--why does she have Skip Marley, and if it does, does it mean anything that she doesn't fully commit (rhythm instead of riddim). Minus a point for talking about distortion without having any of it at all, plus a point for sneaking the word empire in. [4]

Alfred Soto: My delight at the "distortion" in a dance pop tune is mitigated by Katy Perry's odd stresses; in this case they land on the last syllable, which has the effect of howling when someone digs a high heel into your big toe. A similar travesty happens in the phrase "to the rhy-THM, to the rhy-THM." Still, the gloss suits her: if any performer would revel in being chained to a rhythm, it's Perry, who in some bars sounds like Toni Braxton. [6]

William John: She did not get away with the grating elongation of "unconditionally", so I have no idea how Katy Perry has been permitted to transgress again with such klutzy abandon; once again, we are faced with an extreme case of the wrong emphasis on the wrong syllable. As to the song's alleged "woke-ness", I proffer no comment save that it's unlikely any slumbering apoliticals will be roused by a track with empty platitudes and such narrow dynamic range. [2]

Will Adams: The trendification of aligning with social justice causes has made it easier than ever for people like Katy "Artist. Activist. Conscious." Perry to market themselves as woke with just a modicum of effort (all while continuing to act as shitty as they always have). The idea that "Chained to the Rhythm" and its vague politics have any potential for significant impact is one of the more insulting concepts the pop machine has lobbed at us in recent memory. But even if Perry had any insight, we'd still have to contend with this torpid mess of recycled Weeknd disco, indulgent Sia-isms, and Perry outdoing the awful scansion on "Unconditionally" a million times over. There's no bite to this, no feeling, and no reason to dandandance. [1]

Katie Gill: American pop music can't be THIS starved for bangers, can it? [3]

Mo Kim: Katy Perry is so bad at being radical that she needed to hire a black reggae artist as a temp for this. [3]

Scott Mildenhall: After all that apocalyptopop a few years ago it's weird that now, with the Doomsday Clock actually closer to midnight than at any point since 1953, Katy Perry doesn't sound that arsed about the walking daymare she's describing. It's not like she's known for her subtlety -- if anything it's like she's trying to undersell the hugely unsubtle "makes you think"-type statements in the lyrics. Weirder still is that "Wide Awake" already did all this without any obvious allusions to infer (and thus better), but at the very least it avoids the weirdest possibility: being completely terrible. As it's akin to an inessential Sébastien Tellier remix, it really isn't that, but it is strangely bloodless. [6]

Katherine St Asaph: One point for every point I'm not giving this: 1. I did not expect Melanie Martinez to be where Katy Perry was positioning herself. 2. If you told me Katy Perry was doing Pleasantville, I would have expected a pinup theme. 2a. Though it's remarkable that the cover art doesn't show her face, and yet still manages to showcase her boobs. 2b. I'm sure Vigilant Citizen is on that photo. God, for the days of obscure cranks. 3. Sia still doesn't do subtext, at all. If she feels zombified, the lyric will have shambling goddamn zombies. 4. Or maybe she does, because this is a subtext-free "Chandelier," down to the isolatable "dance, dance, dance!" and "DRINK!" interjections. 4a. Someone get those ornaments out of her picket fence. Get the lens out too. 4b. Disco balls-and-chains aside, I actually don't think anyone involved was trying to avoid "Slave to the Rhythm." This is the exact kind of tweak-a-word that's Sia's main writing trick, and besides, Katy Perry did "E.T.," she doesn't care. 5. How is Katy Perry one of the few singers who doesn't sound exactly like Sia's demo vocals? Is this a sign of her being a distinctive singer, or too limited to try? 6. I blame Max Martin for the Swedish reggae. Ali Payami probably did the prechorus. 6a. Because they just had to get the funk guitar in somewhere, didn't they? This sounded much better at the Grammys, where it sounded like a more straight-ahead Martin/Payami track. 6b. With a line like "dance to the distortion," would some distortion be too much to ask? 7. I have no idea what Skip Marley is doing here and neither does anyone else. 8. Why does Woke Katy Perry just sound like the late '90s, the time of Fight Club and The Matrix and endless plaints by landfill alternative bands about the pathetic emptiness of our meaningless, consumer-driven lives? Sia was also a product of the '90s; I bet if she released "Chandelier" today that would be called political too. 9. In these days of our Pigmask Putin we're going to see a lot more of these political-shaped but anodyne "protest" songs, aren't we? Please extradite me to wherever it is that I did whatever it was to deserve this. [1]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

[timobook]

Learn Raspberry Pi With Linux

Learn Raspberry Pi With Linux Download Introduction Despite sounding like something Grandma would bake on Sunday afternoons or a noise that would make people glare and tut, the Raspberry Pi is in fact a computer. That much you probably knew (although, let’s be honest, the name and logo don’t really give much away) but the Raspberry Pi promises more than that. An awful lot more. The venerable Commodore 64 was released in 1982, and with sales reaching upwards of 17 million, it is often considered the best-selling computer of all time. More importantly (at least from my perspective), it was also my first computer. For Christmas, just before my ninth birthday (when the C64 was nearly a decade old) I received the new model (C64C), which was identical to the classic machine in all but cosmetics. It arrived all set up and attached to a nice new 14-inch television (it even had a remote control!). I suspect my dad had hatched what he believed to be a most cunning plan; if he could sneak in and set everything up while I was asleep, come Christmas morning, I would be so busy playing with the computer that my parents might get an extra few minutes of sleep. Sadly, things did not go quite according to plan. Although everything was set up, and even though the television was tuned to the computer’s signal, one simple but key thing had been forgotten: it hadn’t occurred to anyone to tell me how to actually load a game. Needless to say, a lie in was not forthcoming . . . Games came on cassette tape. This was before CDs, and at least on the C64 had to be played in a special tape recorder called a datasette. (What do you mean what’s a CD?) Sadly, the datasette spent more time in the shop than being attached to my computer and as it was the only way to load anything into it, I had no choice but to occupy myself with the manual. This I used to great effect and taught myself how to program good old BASIC (Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code—can you believe I actually remembered that?). While I’m sure this story is very gripping, you could be forgiven for wondering why I am boring you with it. Those events happened more than two decades ago, so what possible relevance could they have today? Well tinkering with that machine and then the Amiga that followed it (still my favorite machine of all time) gave me a real appreciation for what a computer could do. The Amiga was severely underpowered compared with PCs of the same era, yet it consistently beat them with better graphics, better reliability, and better sound. It was able to do all of this because the hardware was exquisitely designed. Amiga enthusiasts were some of the most resourceful people I’ve ever seen. Who’d have thought you could turn a real–time clock port into a connector for high-speed storage? All of this was only possible because people really understood how all the parts fit together. They knew how to get the best out of the machine because they really knew how the machine worked. These days, I spend my working day trying to make fast things go faster. To have any hope of success, I too need to know how everything works. Companies need people like me to push things forward, but they’re coming across a bit of a problem. People who really know computers inside out are getting much harder to find—we are a dying breed, and this is the situation that the Raspberry Pi Foundation is desperately trying to reverse. So what happened? Well, things changed. Computers went from being the curiosity in the corner to being a basic part of everyone’s lives. They evolved to the point where they just work and everyone knows how to use them. This is similar to the family car. Everyone has a rough idea how a car works, but few people are very interested. The car takes them from place to place, and that capability is what is interesting, not how the car achieves it. Computers are generally seen in the same light. People have a rough idea about turning them on, installing software and so forth, but how they actually work at a low level isn’t really seen as relevant or interesting. This in turn means that not only are fewer people getting excited by computing itself but even fewer people think that there’s more to it than doubleclicking an icon This problem has drifted up through schools and into universities. Teaching programming is a relatively challenging task. It requires a certain way of thinking that for many people is tough to get a handle on. Traditionally, universities would start a computer science course by teaching about logic gates, how memory works, and how to program a CPU. Only once you understood what the bare metal was doing would you try to learn C because although C is a higher language, it reflects the hardware it runs on. Understanding the hardware makes understanding C that much easier. But with larger class sizes, more limited teaching time, and students arriving with less and less knowledge of computing fundamentals, universities have had to adapt. Rather than teaching all that low-level stuff, now they teach Java and other scripting languages. Because these languages handle all of the “fiddly bits” for you, you can effectively pretend that they don’t exist (although this can cause some issues; see “The Infinite Memory Myth”). This is simply fantastic from a productivity point of view, but when you do want to take it to the next level (maybe you’re processing data and your script is just too slow), you have no idea where to turn. Worse, when someone tells you the technique for improving that performance, you have no idea what they’re talking about. Of course not all universities have taken this route. I’m studying at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and its course on Computer Architecture is very detailed and covers a lot of ground. If you want to get the top grade, you will need to implement a CPU cache for the CPU simulator program. Needless to say, there is a lot to learn for everyone on this course. That said, we need more than this. It’s too late to capture people’s interest when they’re starting graduate studies. I taught seven-year-olds how to program BBC BASIC when I was in my last year of primary school (they even got presented certificates by the school) and they loved it. Computing lets you create a virtual world with your mind (the children liked to create little text–based adventure games) and ultimate power rested in their hands. They got creative; they added spells, new roads, secret entrances, and much more. Okay, they needed a helping hand (they were only seven) but they had the desire to create and to build cool new things Via TimoBook

[fadingpersoncollectorstuff-blog]

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Alright, so I'm 16, living in Ontario, but haven't decided what bike imma get yet, so can anyone give me a range of what it'll cost? Thanks in advance.""

Car crash and keeping insurance out of it.?

I have caught the back of a car whilst parking up. I have offered to pay for the repair whilst not involving our insurance companies. The third party accepted this, I have found a company who can repair the damage at a decent price but the third party are saying they wish to get other quotes. Who's decision is it ultimately to where the vehicle gets repaired?""

I know nothing about car insurance. Help?

I'm 18 y.o. and I have no idea what to do first- buy a car or get insurance..I've heard that you cant buy a car without insurance, but when i went to buy insurance it asked me what kind of car I wanted it for. ?? What to do first-?""

Monthly car insurance?

Hi I own a 2004 Saab in New Jersey. I am returning to NJ next month and would like to drive it. I own the car, but I need a car insurance plan for one month. I am 18...Is this possible to do? Or is there a rental car option for 18 year olds?""

Insurance school in noth california?

Insurance school in noth california?

Where can I find cheap car insurance? ?

I live in Cleveland, OH... im 18""

Car insurance prices?

i just got a 1993 BMW 325i for my 17th birthday. Can anyone tell me how much car insurance is going to be on it? i have a 2.5gpa so the discount doesn't apply. and i live in florida. Also how much does it cost to get your license plate and registration

How much would car insurance go up if...?

My family and I are just trying to get a ballpark idea of how much my sister's car insurance would go up if we made a claim on an accident she had. She was in a mall parking lot and pulled out to make a left turn. I think she didn't really see a car coming, but I also think the car was zipping around the lot at a too-fast speed. My sister got hit in her driver's door and needs a new door and the frame of the car needs pulled out. There are no witnesses to really show who's fault it is, and I think it's a little of both judging by how much damage there is on her car (the other driver had to be going fast). There is no damage on the other person's car. It costs about $1500 to get it fixed (just the bare minimum - a new door from a junkyard and fixing the frame, just to make it safe and sealed, there will still be some dents). We're debating on claiming it or not because there is a $500 deductible. She is 25 years old and hasn't had an accident before. How much do you think the insurance would go up and how long would it stay up? Would it be worth it to claim it or should she just pay cash for the damages? Thanks!""

Will my parents' insurance rates go up?

I recently got 2 traffic tickets (1 for speeding and 1 for disobeying a traffic control device). However, the car I am driving is registered under my parents' policy and I am not the primary driver for it. Will my parent's insurance rates go up because of this, or will this only affect my driving record?""

How much does car insurance for a 17 years old cost in UK ?

How much does car insurance for a 17 years old cost in UK ?

Fake/Edited Car Insurance certificate?

My insurance is fully comp on my own car. but i can ONLY drive this car, not anyone else's car. on the insurance certficate, i edited a section to make it state can drive any motor vehicle with owners permission . Would this work if i were pulled over?? in someone else's car which is also insured to the owner of it? ALSO What usually happens when you are pulled over driving someone else's car and you have insurance on your own car?""

How much is car insurance on two vehicles in hawaii?

We need full coverage due to still paying off cars. Plus about how much to send 2 vehicles over?

What is the difference between PIP and Medical Coverage?

I am trying to educate myself on how car insurance works and I found these 2 different kinds of coverage, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and regular Medical Coverage. The way I have seen them both defined is almost identical. What are the differences between these 2, can you get them both, and if so what benefits would having both policies have? Thanks!""

What other affordable insurance could i get for my kids for them to be able to get braces as needed?

im currently unemployed and have the medical cARD AND MY CHILDREN NEED BRACES WHAT OTHER LOW COST INSURANCE COULD or should i get for them to be able to get the braces they need

allied renters insurance quote

allied renters insurance quote

Can't find cheap nissan figaro car insurance. i need help?

i really want to buy a nissan figaro as my first car. however i'm 18 and have only passed my test for 2 months. i can't find insurance for less that 4000. any tips?

What if I can't afford my car insurance payments?

I think I do my car insurance a little different than most people. My family goes through a company who pays the insurance people in full. We then pay that company back. I got a new car in January and my insurance went from $25/mo with the '77 Ford Granada I had to over $200/mo with the 2001 Chevy Cavalier. Sad thing is my insurance per month is more than my car payment. Now I can't even afford to pay my insurance. The really bad thing is that I've only paid my car insurance once since January and now my 6 months is coming up and I still owe $1230....I have no idea what to do. Think any of you could help me?

Insurance in Singapore?

I am an expat in Singapore and looking for insurance. Can I get insurance being an expat? I have a plan to stay here for next 10 years

AFFORDABLE auto insurance?

I'm 19 and I really need some car insurance. Everywhere I get a quote from requires that I pay an arm, a leg, and my first born son. Is there anywhere that won't do that? I'm currently unemployed, and I need a car to get a job, but I need a job to get insurance (this expensive insurance) for the car that I can't drive (legally) until I have the insurance. Somebody freakin' help me.""

Will a cell phone ticket effect my car insurance rate?

I got a cell phone ticket that might go on my driving record. Wil it effect my insurance rate? I have 21 century with a great low rate. Will that change?

If I show proof of insurance?

I was driving my car on the clock. I use my vehicle as a work vehicle. Anyways I was sent to the store to purchase sodas. when I tapped a vehicle on the rear bumper. We pulled over and exchanged information. And later found out that my own insurance was expired. Am I covered. By work or can I purchase insurance after the fact. And still be okay?

How much will it cost a month to finance a 20K car?

I am making around 2K a month .... I want to finance a mercedes CL600 used like year 2000-2003 .... They go for about 15K-20K now .... What I am wondering is how much it will cost a month plus insurance .... I am 19 years old by the way

Car insurance question?????

me and my husband both have a car and have full no claims on both of them however we went to france for a year now we have returned but our uk insurance company are saying our no claims is no good as last year we were in france and they can't read whether we had a claim or not as our policy is in french!! the french company wont translate it to english as it's a french legal document!! so now although we have full no claims we are being penalised for leaving the country for a year!!!! we feel this is discrimination!!!!! we can translate it for them and the english lady in the french office has said it is ok for the uk company to call but of course this is not good enough!! any advice would be great!!!

Financing a car & insurance?

I'm 21 and I'm located in NYC the insurance over here is sky rocket high. I paid 1600+ for liability insurance for a old lexus from GEICO. I am asking my uncle to help me finance a 2006 bmw 530i which is about 32k and I already check if I finance under my name how much it would be. It is 10k for insurance a year lol... So I want to know if my uncle finance the car for me and I make the payments does he have to add my name under the insurance ? I don't need my name to be the co signer. I just want to know incase I do get into an accident what will happen ? Most people use their parent's insurance so I just want to make sure and get some facts before I ask my uncle. Thanks

How many point is taking off on my license when I get point on driving without insurance?

I was wondering on how many point do i get off from my driver license when I driving without insurance on my car

I am a new contractor in California (concrete) where do I get liability insurance cheep?

I am a new contractor in California (concrete) where do I get liability insurance cheep?

Why is car insurance so expensive?

Im 20 and i pay 63 a month for just the very basic essentials to not get a ticket, ive never needed my insurance nor has it done me any good. My parents pay for a whole bunch of different coverage and when they got into an accident with a drunk driver, the insurance company didnt pay for anything and they hired a lawyer to protect them from having to pay my parents anything. Why do we need insurance in the first place and why is it so costly? I think its really just a scam.""

What is the easiest and most profitable insurance to sell?

Is life and health a harder sell than p&c? Also what company is best to work for, Aflac, Farmers, Allstate, etc.?""

How can we make health care insurance work like car insurance?

Everyone is familiar with how car insurance works. Its available to all. Its pretty cheap. They can't drop you from coverage even if you are a drunk driver. Once you have a accident they dont raise you rates too much. Why can't health care be more like Geico (insurance) and your local car repair man (doctor) and the DMV (government help)?

What is Secondary Auto Insurance?

I do not have auto insurance so When I rent a car is Secondary insurance a replacment for insurance I do not have?

Will I need SR 22 insurance?

Almost five years ago I got my license suspended in Ohio for a wreckless endangerment. As soon as it got suspended I did the classes I was required to take and paid my court fees. It took me a few years to pay all of my fines and the only thing keeping my license from being re-instated was the need for SR22 insurance. I never got the insurance. I'm now in California and looking to get my license back and I heard somewhere that three years after the suspension the need for the SR 22 bond drops, but I'm not sure if that's true or not? Does anyone know the laws for this situation in Ohio and will I still need to get the insurance in order to get my license unsuspended?""

""For a new driver 21 or younger, how much did your monthly car insurance decrease every six months? Every year?""

If you are 21 or younger, and pay for your own car insurance. If you have not had any accidents, or ticket violations applied to your driver's license....How much did your monthly car insurance decrease each year? What was your monthly payment from 16-21 years of age if you did NOT drive a sports car? Please list the state you reside in, and whether you live in the city or suburbs. Thanks.""

Why did my car insurance rates suddenly double?

I am almost 40, have a spotless driving record, have the same car, haven't changed the policy, and haven't moved. So how can my insurance agent just up my rates all of the sudden and not give me an answer why. He just says that things change. Is there an industry standard or can agents just screw with us at will? I have been with this WELL known insurance company for 4 years. This isn't some guy working out of his garage. Any experts out there that can shed some light on this for me. I am shopping around for new insurance as i type.""

MetLife Dental Insurance...?

Does anyone know how this insurance actually works? I got this insurance through my employer (haven't had insurance in a LONG time!!), and from what I'm reading...it sounds like you have to pay for services up front, and then they reimburse you?? Is this how it works, or am I mistaken? I'm so confused, and really want to go get a general cleaning and exam....but don't have the money to pay for it when I go!""

Insurance estimate for 16 yr. old driving BMW?

About how much will full coverage insurance cost for a 16 year old driving a 2007 BMW 530i mostly to school & work? Just an estimate. Thanks

Where can I find cheap roofing insurance?

I am looking to start a roofing repair company (residential only at this time) . What I am going to do is secure the jobs, draw the contracts, purchase material and collect payment. I have 3 crews that will do the labor and they each provide liability as well as worker comp on their crews. What I looking for is a company that will insure me with liability (1 million) for my protection. What I am running into is that every company that I talk to says that you have to be in business for 2 years or greater or they are quoting me 7 to 9k a year. I have over 10 years experience in quoting, selling and installing, can anyone help out in finding affordable liability insurance? Thanks""

Which would be cheaper- my university insurance or insurance from the exchanges (obamacare)?

The deadline to enroll in my university insurance is before September, but I don't know if I should wait until October to see what options from the exchanges there are? Also, are all the insurance programs from the exchanges required to cover pre-existing conditions?""

Is it true if i am driving my dads car and he has insurance on it but I also had insurance on my own car......?

Wouldnt that mean my own insurance would of had to cover me in my dads car when my dads car got into a small accident even if my policy did not have his car on my policy or dose that ...show more

Insurance on newly bought car?

When you buy a car, you kind of have to drive it home without insurance. What happens if you get in an accident or get pulled over? I'm talking about buying a used car, if that makes any difference.""

How much does it cost to insure a landrover defender at 17?

im 17 soon and am looking to learn to drive, i was considering a landrover defender for my first car, any ideas as to how much it would cost to insure? i would by an oldish model. the reason i am considering this car is because we have land and live stock etc so it would be practical. i live in the UK also. and can it be insured cheaper if im a member of the NFU or anything. Thanks for your help in advance :)""

allied renters insurance quote

allied renters insurance quote

I hit a fence with my car will my insurance rates go up if I make a calim?

The other day I was driving my 2000 honda accord and out of no place came a deer that ran out in the street from the woods.I turned my wheel hard to the right not to hit the deer and I hit a woodin fence at an abandoned house.My car is dented up pretty bad .I have full coverage I know the car is 12 years old but it was in excelllent shape before this.if I file a claim will my insurince rates go up?

Car Insurance Help Please?

So do you have to pay for insurance even if you don't own a car but have a license?

How much for Health Insurance?

I am turning 18 in 4 months. I am most likely going to be moving back with my father. I am currently under my mother's health insurance but it's only for certain doctors and I will be living in a different state as her, so I will need to get my own health insurance. How much would it be for Health Insurance for me. I have diabetes so I need to get it. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.""

Do i need insurance to clean a church?

do i need insurance to clean a church?

Does the color actually make your insurance higher??

I have heard this is true...red cars make your insurance higher...I don't think it is true but my husband does. What do you all think? I have looked up quotes and none of them ask for the color of the vehicle just make/model/year...

Why have all the cheap car insurance companies disappeared from go compare?

I've finally got a car sorted and logged back into go compare for a quote and all the cheap insurers like elephant and admiral aren't there. The quotes are horrendous, any idea why?""

How would this type of crash effect car insurance premium?

If your car was insured under third party and you crashed into a Ferrari and wrote it off, would the insurance company really have to pay the entire amount? More importantly would this effect your premium significantly even if you switched companies? Obviously it hasn't happened, just wondering thanks.""

What is the best place to get cheap insurance on a large van?

What is the best place to get cheap insurance on a large van?

Insurance then registration? or Registration and then insurance?

Buying a used car privately, Gonna work on it for a bit to get it up and running, Wanna know if you buy insurance and then get it registered or get it registered and then buy insurance. Oh by the way, do I get it saftied and e-tested after I get it registered? or what's the order plaese help.""

Car insurance cost in UK... seems too expensive?

I was planning to buy a car in UK. Initially I was planning to buy a high end car but a friend of mine suggested to get a small engine car to get cheap insurance. I am new to UK - have been driving cars in India for over 10 years but the insurance was in dad's name so dun have any no claim bonus. When I compare insurance cost online I don't find much difference between a small car and a big one. Even the cheapest car costs about 2000/= to insure for the first year (for a new driver with no NCB). I don't quite understand it - are theses quote real? Any suggestion for me? New or used? Big or Small? My top concern is cost of insurance.

No proof of insurance ticket california?

I got pulled over for speeding. Got a ticket for no proof of insurance. I do have insurance for the car but I forgot to put it in my car the day I got pulled over. If i show prove of insurance during the fine date, how much does it cost.. and what the judge gonna do ? like how is she gonna look at the papers ? and do i take my insurance to the Judge or the car insurance pealse help :)""

Collector Car insuance for 17 year old? Possible?

My 17 year old son wants collector car insurance for his 67 Chevelle that he heavily modified and uses it only for hobby and pleasure. He puts 4,000-4,300 miles a year. We live in California and were wondering if there was a collector car insurance like hagerty, american car collector, etc. that would cover a 18 year old or younger? Any Possible plans? Thanks. PS. He locks it up in our secure garage.""

What is the best affordable health insurance plans?

I am 20 years old and do not have health insurance and I need to get my wisdom teeth pulled! So i'm looking for an affordable health insurance.I've already applied for Medicaid and was denied.I need help please!

I got car insurance and it allows me to drive other peoples cars on my insurance?

if i were to buy another car, 2nd car will i be able to drive that without registering to any insruance company? i wont be selling my 1st car, it will still have the insruance, and the insruance it has allows me to drive other cars, but im not sure if the other cars also need insurance from a company""

""With regards to auto insurance, what does having a deductable mean?""

For example, if I have a $500 deductable, what exactly does that mean when claiming from insurance?""

Question for any car insurance agents...?

When sitting at a red light, how much distance is required in between cars? I ask because I was in a 3 car accident when I was rear ended and the impact caused me to be pushed into the car in front of me. Who is responsible for the damage to the last car?""

My dentist wants me to pay up front and have my insurance company reimburse ME?

I just went to the dentist today and had a filling. I have dental insurance, but the dentist wanted payment up front for the services. The receptionist said they require payment in full for the services on the day of service, and then they will send the insurance claim in to the company and eventually I will receive a reimbursement check. Isn't that what INSURANCE IS FOR??? So you DON'T have to pay????? I don't handle the cash in my family, so after much arguing about requiring payment up front, the receptionist agreed to let me walk out withouth paying, but expects me to have my husband pay by tomorrow. It just doesn't seem right that the dentist gets cash up front for the work, and then makes ME wait to get reimbursed by the insurance company... what the heck?""

""For Americans, How do you feel about your current health system?""

Reason I ask, I saw a segment on television of people in the states lining up in a showground to receive basic health care, instead of clinics, I was horrified, is this the norm? In Australia we have Medicare & Private health insurance, the main difference is one is a bit more comfortable than the other, I would really like to hear your views.""

Im going to buy a car and insure it under my parents name..is a camaro a cheap car to insure?

what are some cars that are cheap on insurance

How much will the auto insurance be? ?

Ok so my dad wanted to get an 06 chevy Cobalt SS supercharged but is wondering how much it will cost... He is 53 years old has a good driving record, the car is Black and of course supercharged. He has dairyland auto insurance.. Is there anyway we can check online or can anybody give me estimates? Thanks""

""Need a guesstimation on how much this car will cost to fix, any experienced mechanics wanna give it a try?""

Its a 2001 Chrysler Sebring. Shes a good car but these last two months have been a little something from the depths of hell. Anything that could go wrong did and I want to fix her up but I want a ball park estimation. -Total Windshield replacement -Front quarter panel replacement -Headlamp and turn signal replacement -Trasmition seals replaced and flushed -Shocks and Struts replaced front -Starter replaced -2 new tires for back -Alignment fixed -brakes replaced -oil changed -labor what do you think each could cost and what the total over all will be? Seriously the I take great care of my car but all things that possibly could happen... did. We had a hail storm, my 16 year old nephew took with out permission and had a joy ride, then a week later backed into it with a farm truck while he was doing chores, and all the other things were on the verge already but didnt have the money to fix at the time. only have liability insurance. Thanks for the help""

Will my auto insurance rate be raised if I have liability only and my car got stolen?

My car got stolen. Will my rates go up? I won't have another car for a few weeks and i'm going to have to get comprehensive. I just wonder if my comprehensive rates will be now more expensive.

How much for motorcycle insurance??

I've tried goind to ceico and progressive but no luck. I just want a ball park quote for a 19yr old. I want the 2008 kawasaki ninja 250r since its a good first bike to start with and its cheap. I am planning on taking the safety class course so hopefully it won't be that much and I'm only going to ride it on the weekends for fun, not as a daily driver. what would be a good estimate for a 1 year insurance?? I want one year so I won't have to pay every month and worry about not being able to pay my truck as well. thanks for your experience.""

Car insurance problems.?

I've been in a car accident a week ago and I haven't received any phone calls about anything. I sent my police report and my insurance still has not send someone to look at the damage. I want to get this fixed asap. How long does it take before they send someone to look at it. And who looks at it my insurer or the insurer of the other guy?

Do i need insurance to be under my name when taking my drivers test?

so im taking my drivers test soon and i need to know if i have to get insurance under my name on the car..my mom does have insurance on the car i will be using but only under her name..so will i have to add my name to the insurance just to take the drivers test? i live in california

allied renters insurance quote

allied renters insurance quote

Car insurance and change of address?

I rent a room in a flat near my university, which is only 10 minutes away, but my car licence is registered on my old address. I've been living in this address for over a year, but coming back on holidays to my parents home (25 miles away). I have no proof of this address as everything is still registered on my parents home. I am trying to get insurance and i want to put the address of the place i live in now (comes cheaper), but like i said, my car licence is registered elsewhere. Should i inform DVLA of address change? i've been reading on google for the past hour that it is illegal to be registered on a different adddress than it says on insurance/car licence. As in, both have to be the same, but if police stops me, would they fine me or something? Thanks in advance and sorry about my English, not a first language.""

Can someone explain heath insurance language to me?

Im trying to find heath insurance for my fiance and myself, but I do not understand insurance. Can someone explain it?""

Cheap UK car insurance for 22yr old?

Hi everyone, I'm looking for cheap UK car insurance for a 22 year old, who has had his license for 4 years, but with no NCB (been driving under company insurance). Any help would be greatly appreciated? Thanks, Matt""

How much do you think my car insurance might cost? HELP PLEASE!?

I'm a new driver. I'm 26 years old. I want full coverage. I live in New Jersey. The amount of the might be 8,000 and Nissan 2007-2010. If anyone have any advice for me, that will help me choice the best car insurance. It would be appreciated. I'm still open to a different car.""

Bad Faith Auto Insurance?

Should I hire an attorney for this?, I purchased a policy online a few months ago within the first few days that i had this insurance I had a storm and damaged my vehicle (minor) with hail damaged I submitted out a claim, appraiser was sent they covered the loss sent a check to me, now i take it to the bodyshop and try to have it fixed but they need a supplement, they contact insurance co. but insurance co, makes many excuses over this they state I dont have full coverage which I do, and it was verfied with them that i do, the next few weeks pass and then I finally get a call from a manager at the insurance company stating that they mistakenly sent me out a check because I made a false claim report, they said that they can tell by my pictures before policy was bought that vehicle had damaged (which is an excuse of denying supplement) and stated the the adjuster overlooked everything point here is that insurance co, cancelled my policy by stating underwriting issues, so now Im without insurance coverage, the manager also stated she reported this to the texas state but mentioned she could not put a stop payment on the check and that I could still use it to fix the car or cashout the check... I am really dissapointed at how all this was handelled, Im thinking about getting an attorney, I already discussed and this issue with the Insurance company and Im basicly told that I lied about the claim and they end my call... Should I wait to get an attorney or should I just get one and go from there? I believe this is bad faith insurance coverage, What should I do? I mean I still have the check it is not cashed out, I cant really do much with this check everyone charges an arm and a leg, can they file insurance fraud charges and if so even though I know I did everything right should I get an attorney?""

Will my insurance go up if I file a claim but then not need it?

A guy ran into me. All he did was pull off a side mirror. I can't get his insurance to replace it directly. They said he has to file the claim. He has yet to do so and the contact number I have for him is bad. So I was told if I go through my insurance they can file the claim to his insurance for me to get it paid. But if somehow they can't file it through his insurance ill just pay out of pocket and have my husband do the work so it's cheap. But if I do that will my insurance still go up? The accidentwas entirely his fault.

How long does a stolen car have to be gone for the insurance to pay for you for it?

My neighbor told me the other day that their car was stolen on New Years. It was found yesterday at an apartment complex down the street. It left me wondering how long your car has to be gone before the insurance will pay you the value of the car? I assume they will pay for a rental car but you can't assume that your car will be found right away and if it is gone for a long time (3 weeks or more) will they pay for a rental that long?

Will my insurance cover all my mole removals?

I know my insurance covers mole removal, but I have quite a few on my face and neck that I want removed. I'm talking to a dermatologist next week. I was just curious if they would cover multiple at a time. I'm talking like 20-30.""

Paying car insurance semiannually?

If I buy car insurance for the first time and set up to pay semiannually, do I pay immediately, or do you pay at the end of the 6 months for the 6 months you've had it?""

""This is the time to renewal of my auto insurance, but do not want to continue the same company.?""

So I purchase a new policy from other company, but my previous insurance company sending me e-mail and mail me, that insurance gap will u cost and it might harm me financially. But as I already purchased new policy and will start as soon as previous one expire. so do I need to worry? ( is the current insurance company doing their job to aware me or they to threat me so I go back to them)""

18 want car insurance?

right looked online all compare sites give sh*t results, i got quoted 14k for a suzuki alto 23k for a fiat cinciquento (whatever its called) ive rang i kube and got quoted 9k for the suzuki alto thats with the curfew, passed my test on the 22nd of march 2011, wheres good for cheap insurance, ill have curfew if needs be so please shed some light""

Volvo- insurance costs and maintenance?

I'm thinking of buying a used Volvo. Anyone know anything about maintenance costs or the insurance costs?

What's the average price for car insurance?

i'm turning seventeen soon and i need to get enough money together for a year's worth of insurance.

Motorcycle insurance cost?

I am 17 years old and I live in CT. I am getting a street bike. How much would insurance cost a year/month?

Anyone know of cheap health insurance?

I am always in the ER but I have no insurance so I would really want to stop paying those expensive bills...

""Cheap car insurance for a 17 year old, impossible?""

I need insurance for a job & i can't afford insurance.. So expensive atm, last year was about 1700 now its 4000 for 1L? What they playing at, anyone insured anyone recently with cheap car insurance at 17, i don't want to know why it is expensive thanks!""

How much is AAA insurance?

I'm 17 I live in California. I have a license already I drive when my parent's are in it. But I need the car for school. I was wondering how much does it cost to be added into my parent's insurance to be listed as an authorized driver?

Where can I go for the best and cheapest classic car insurance?

We have a 1965 classic mustang and want to insure it for it's restored value.

Can your parents pay your car insurance?

Keep in mind, they don't have a car!! I know i sounds crazy""

17 year old auto insurance? new york?

okay so my parents don't drive...(my bro does tho...except he moved to LA for business for the next year :( ) so my parents want to get me a car...you know so i can chauffeur them places and stuff. thing is i'm 16 and i have a class DJ license (i was able to take the road test because i took drivers ed. ) i'll be 17 pretty soon and i'll have a regular class D license. So i wanted to know even thought my parents don't have licenses and don't drive can they legally buy me a car and auto insurance? please answer! can't find anything online! :)

""How much would a $1,000,000 liability insurance policy cost?

I'm planning events at several different venues and this is required. Each event is 4 hours.

What are cars that don't cost much for insurance?

Im turning 16 soon and a lot of cars I've wanted are vintage so they don't cost much, like the chevy vega but of course the insurance for them would be ridiculous, so my dad is suggesting junker cars but of course i don't want a junker (im paying for the car) what are some cars that are affordable without having to spend a fortune on insurance?""

Normal Insurance on the Dodge Charger?

I'm looking to buy the dodge charger 2011, I want a car that's good on gas and insurance. I have a Grand Prix right now and i'm fine with my insurance on that but I can't find out how much insurance is on a charger because I don't have one could someone tell me the about the amount of insurance I don't need and exact number.""

Car insurance for 16 year old in Seattle?

I am a male. The car i would be driving is a 2000 BMW 323i sedan. I would have USAA insurance. does anybody know roughly how much this would cost?

How does car insurance work?

My boyfriend and i were talking after we saw an accident on the highway it was clearly the older mans fault. My boyfriend was saying how it sucked that even though he hit the lady she still had to pay her deductible (usually around $500) to get her car fixed. I was always under the impression that the reason we had insurance was to insure that we didnt get stuck paying for someone elses dumb *** mistake. anyone know how this actually works?

allied renters insurance quote

allied renters insurance quote

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