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waitimcomingtoo · 4 years

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25 To Life

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Synopsis: Peter deals with the repercussions of his identity being revealed

Masterlist

It all happened so fast.

That's what Pepper and Tony’s legal team told to say.

That it all happened so fast.

You didn't see it. You didn't hear it. You can't make out a face. You have no idea who would do this, Officer.

It all happened so fast.

For you, it seemed more like slow motion. You weren’t there to witness Mysterio’s death. Peter had told you Mysterio tried to shot him but ended up shooting himself. That’s what you were told and that’s what you believed.

But the video told a different story.

It was all there: Mysterio saying Spiderman had gone crazy, Spiderman ordering everyone to be executed, and Mysterio dying. The video made it seem like the London drone attack was the work of Spiderman, but you knew the truth.

Right?

To the media, Spiderman had gone rogue following Tony’s death and killed Mysterio. To the media, Spiderman was a murderer.

And to the public, Spiderman was Peter Parker.

You watched the screen, paralyzed with shock, as your boyfriends identity was revealed. You dropped the remote, not bothering to look back as the batteries flew out and hit the ground, and ran to Peter’s apartment.

The cops arrived Peter’s apartment the same time you did, baracading the entrance with their cars. All the flashing lights and sirens made you sick to your stomach. There were officers everywhere, some talking amongst themselves and others turning the nosey public away. Did they really think your Peter did soemthing that warrrented that many officers? You dodged a few officers by the doorway and snuck up the fire escape to climb into Peters window. He and May were already in there, faces pale and haunted. May locked the window behind you and quickly drew the shades. You approached Peter slowly like he was a frightened animal, just in case he was skiddish. As soon as he saw you, Peter ran to you and threw himself into your arms in a desperate search for comfort. You combed your fingers through his hair to soothe him as his body shook with terror. He cried into your shoulder, his tears seeping through your shirt within seconds. You whispered comfort in his ear until his sobs became silent.

“You have to get out of here. I don’t want you to see this.” Peter sobbed as he cradled your face.

“I’m not going anywhere.” You shook your head. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But the video.” Peter whimpered. “It looks like I killed him. People are going to think I’m a murderer.”

You laid his head back on your chest and shushed him. You didn’t have to heart to tell him that people already thought he was a murderer. He didn’t need to hear that. He just needed comfort.

“My identity is out. They’re gonna arrest me.” Peter sobbed. Before you could respond, there was a heavy pounding on the door.

“NYPD. We have a warrant. Open up.”

Peter held you tighter and you backed up towards the closet together. You clung to him, hiding his face from view and looked at May for help.

“It’s all right, kids. I’ll go talk to the police. Stay here.” May said calmly. You shared a sympathetic look before she left the room. You held Peter tightly and kissed every part of him that you could reach as he shook with fear.

“It’s okay.” You whispered as you fought back tears of your own. “It’s going to be okay.”

You clamped your hands over his ears, not wanting him to hear what the police were saying and began to sing to him softly.

You knew Peter was innocent, but that video was incredibly convincing.

And incriminating.

How were you going to explain it to the cops? 'No sir, it wasn't Peter. Mysterio pretended to be a warrior soilder from another planet and gained Peters trust so he could pretend London was being attacked by a giant smoke monsters using special sunglasses called EDITH. Peter didn’t kill Mysterio, you see, Mysterio projected a fake version of himself using a drone and shot it on accident when he tried to shoot Peter. No, there’s no evidence of this. Yes, he was invisible when Peter grabbed the gun. He knew he was there because of his Peter Tingle, silly. Can't you tell?'

Is that what you were supposed to say? They would never believe it.

“Please, be gentle. His uncle was shot. He’s scared of guns, please.” May was hanging on the arm of one of the police officers as they burst into Peters room. You and Peter looked up fearfully as three police officers pointed their guns at you, clutching to each other for dear life.

“Peter Parker, you are under arrest for the murder of Quentin Beck.” An Officer stated as she pulled you and Peter apart. You and Peter reached for each other until only your hands could touch, crying out for each other the whole time. Peters hands were brought behind his back as an officer handcuffed him. You were restrained by an officer and squirmed in the his embrace, kicking and writhing to break free as you screamed Peters name. He was lead out of the room, locking eyes with you the whole time until he was out of sight. May followed them out as she wiped the tears from her face, pleading with them to be gentle. The room fell silent, the only sounds coming from the police sirens, slowing fading as they drove to the station.

You lost time from being at Peters house to arriving at the station. The car ride with May was silent as you tailed the police car Peter was in. Once inside, you were lead to a winess interrogation room and May was brought to the chief. You bounced your leg up and down as an officer went over the day Mysterio died, barely listening to what she was saying. The florescent lighting of the room made you feel nauseous as she questioned you.

"Can you tell me what happened?" The officer looked up from her notepad to look at you. You came back into yourself and blinked a few times.

“No, I'm sorry.” You said robotically as you smoothed your hand over your leg to keep it from bouncing. “It all happened so fast."

They held Peter in a cell until the day of his court hearing to determine his sentence. You sat next to May in the courtroom and tried to follow what the Judge was saying, a lot of legal jargon was spoken that frustrated you when you couldn’t understand it. Your eyes drifted to Peter, who looked exhausted and frightened in his baggy orange jumpsuit. He made eye contact with you gave you a weak smile, rasing his handcuffed hands to wave. You both jolted out of your gaze when the judge banged his gavel.

"I hereby sentence Peter Parker 25 years to life for the first degree murder of Quentin Beck.” The judge spoke. The silence in the room was so deafening that your ears buzzed and rang. Officers arrived to handcuff Peter and take him away as surprise murmurs emitted from the crowd. You felt paralyzed as Peters terrified eyes met yours.

And then everything happened so fast.

You remembered standing up and screaming.

You remembered saying he was innocent, that he was framed.

You remembered May putting her head in her hands and sobbing as she lost her last family member.

And you remembered Peter looking back at you and mouthing that he loved you before they lead him out of the room.

Everything else was a blur.

You visited Peter the first day you could.

“Inmates are allowed two hugs; one on arrival and one when leaving.” Rang over the loudspeaker every five minutes.

It took a few weeks to get your name added to his visitors list. The judge had tried Peter as an adult, so he was put in minimum security federal prison to serve his sentence. You sat and waited at the table for Peter to come, looking around at the other inmates to distract yourselves from your nerves. Everyone was separated by a small table, some people with little kids on their laps and some alone. You smoothed your skirt for the hundredth time and rubbed your lips together.

Peter was lead into the room by a guard, his face lighting up when he saw you. He walked over to you and threw his arms around you and you hugged him tightly. His orange scrubs were rough against your skin as you buried your face in his chest.

"No contact." A guard barked and he jumped out of your arms. You gave Peter a sympathetic smile and sat down.

"How are you?" You asked despite his appearance telling you that the answer wasn’t good. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, with his eyes sunken in and his skin pale. His uniform was ill fitting, unless he had lost a lot of weight.

"I'm getting by." Peter nodded, both of you knowing it was better if he kept the truth to himself.

"Are the people here nice?" You asked hopefully.

"This is a federal prison, darling." He said shortly. You realized it was a dumb question and gave him a tight smile. Your fingers twitched, desperate to hold his hand but not wanting to get him in trouble.

"I know. I just hoped you had found some friends to protect you." You nodded and looked down. Both of you could tell how awkward it was between you. Neither of you were your usual selves, as you were guilt ridden and Peter was exhausted.

"I'll be okay.” He said, and neither of you knew if it was true. An uncomfortable silence returned and you kept your eyes down.A small smile tugged on your lips as you got an idea.

“Excuse me, guard?” You piped up and looked at a correctional officer. “Could you tell me what time it is? I can read the clock from here.”

Peter looked at you in confusion as his eyes darted to the watch on your wrist. As soon as the guard turned around to look at the clock, you leaned across the table and gave Peter a quick kiss. He smiled shyly as you quickly sat back down, pretending nothing had happened.

“12:34.” The officer answered you and you gave her a tight smile. You cocked an eyebrow at Peter and he chuckled for the first time in weeks.

“How are you holding up?" He asked you and you shrugged.

"I haven't been sleeping well.” You answered honestly. “I'm just so worried about you."

"I know." He said simply. He had no way to assuage you, and you knew it.

"We’re doing everything we can to prove your innocence.” You assured him and Peter fake you a fake smile. “All of us. Scott, Rhodey, Sam, Banner, May, everyone. Even Bucky is trying to help. Maybe there's a way to tell the cops about your Peter Tingle without them thinking we're crazy."

You looked so hopeful that it pained Peter. He reached for your hands and took them in his before he did what he came to do.

“No contact.” The guard repeated and Peter stared at him for a long time. He retracted his hands and folded them on his lap, swallowing thickly as he composed himself.

"You don't have to do that, Y/n.” Peter said quietly. He knew what this was, what he was about to do.

This was the calm before the storm.

"Yes we do.” You blinked in confusion. “You're innocent, Peter. You shouldn't be in here."

"Maybe I should be.” Peters voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “Baby, I killed Beck. I moved the gun. That’s why it hit him. And I’m the one who gave him EDITH in the first place. Who knows what else he could've done. What if he killed you too?” Peter whispered in pain.

“This isn’t your fault, Peter.” You shook your head stubbornly. “And as soon as the police realize that, they’re gonna let you out of here. I promise, the second you’re free we can go right back to the way things were. We can be together and we’ll be happy again.” You smiled hopefully. “But until then, I'll visit you every single day, from the start of visiting hours to the end."

You thought he’d be happy, but Peter looked pained by your statement.

“Whats wrong?” You worried when he didn’t look like your plan.

"That's not a good idea, Y/n.” He said softly. “You can't spend everyday waiting for someone who isn't gonna come home. You need to get on with your life.” He said abruptly. You were taken back by his response and let out a nervous laugh.

"What are you saying?"

Peter looked at you for a moment and his bottom lip began to tremble.

"I'm saying you need to forget about me.” Peter stated as tears came to his eyes. “Go find another boy. Someone who isn't in prison can be there for you when you need him. Marry him and start a family with him. You can't wait for me to get out of here, Y/n. That day might never come." He cried. You looked at him in bewilderment and tried to process what he had said.

"What are you talking about? I don't want another boy. I want you.” You sputtered as you leaned forward on the table to really look at him. “Only you. I'm going to wait as long as I have to."

"I can't ask you to wait 25 years." Peter shook his head sadly.

"You're not asking. I'm making the decision by myself." You snapped.

"That means you'll have to wait 25 years to get married and have children. You probably won't even be able to have children at that time." Peter reasoned.

"So we'll adopt." You shrugged in dismissal.

"Is that really what you want?" Peter asked skeptically.

"No. But I want you.” You said definitively. “That's all that matters. If you can wait 25 years, so can I."

"But I don't have a choice." He reminded you.

"But I do.” You sniffled. “And I choose you.“

"Our only interaction will be these short meetings. I'm not even allowed to touch you.” Peter cried. “Don't you think you'll fall out of love with me?"

You reached out to wipe his face but a guard shook his head. You balled your hand into a fist and slammed it on the table.

"Of course not. How could I? It's you.” You laughed sadly. “Every single time, it's you. You’re the only one I’m ever gonna want, Peter.”

Peters face scrunched up as he cried and looked away. He couldn’t look at you when he knew he was hurting you.

"Y/n, you're making this impossible." He sobbed and sucked in a sharp breath.

"Please don't do this, Peter.” You begged.

"You know I love you. So much." He said sincerely.

"Then stop breaking me." You whispered.

"I'm so sorry, but I have to do this.” Peter protested as he slammed his fist on the table. “I can't have you wasting away while you wait for me to be free. I got 25 years to life, baby.” He whimpered. “That means I'll only get a chance for parole in 25 years. And even then, they could deny me and keep me in here. Everyone has seen that video of me. That’s enough evidence to keep me in here as long as they want, even if it’s fake. I'm never getting out of here.” He shook his head. “Just because my life is over doesn’t mean yours has to be over too. There’s still a chance for you, angel.”

“I could never be happy without you.” You cried, fingers twitching as you fought the urge to reach for him.

“Yes you can. And you will.” He decided. “I can’t let you die unloved. You need to forget about me. Guard!”

It all happened so fast.

You were escorted out of the visitation room, kicking and screaming Peter’s name. He was lead away by a correctional officer, mouthing that he loved you before he disappeared behind a wall.

For the next four years, you went to that prison every week.

And every week, Peter refused to see you.

The guards stopped asking for your name eventually and who you were there to see.

They knew why you were there.

It became somewhat of a routine. They'd call the guard outside Peter’s cell and ask if Peter wanted to see you, Peter would say no and you would go home. He thought that by not allowing you to visit him, you’d eventually move on.

He was wrong.

You never did move on. Even after Peter was killed in prison by Adrian Toomes after four years of being locked up, you didn't move on.

You asked the guard how an inmate could be killed in a prison full of guards. The guard answered simply, "it all happened so fast."

At least he's free now. At least you can visit him.

Even if all you were visiting was a grave.

Tag List 🏷

@maybemona @foreverxholland @damnyoudameron @lavender-writer @captainmandeestudent17 @whatareyouhidingpeter @takenbyheartstrings @ultrunning @imyourliquor-youremypoison @theolwebshooter @andreasworlsboring101 @guksmyfav @waiting-to-be-myself @letsloveimagines @peterparkoure @a-villain-vying-for-attention @justcallmehitgirl @averyfosterthoughts @jackiehollanderr @tiny-friggin-human @celestial-skylines @mara-twins @iamaunicorn4704 @spideygirl2003 @the-crazy-fanfictionist @maryjanee23 @spacebitch2 @geeksareunique @emmamarshmellow @jillanaholland @unbelievableholland @rebekkah4766 @flixndchill @sovereignparker @wendaiii @thisisthebiplace @spideydobrik @every-marveler-ever @undiadeestos @caelestii-e @eridanuswave @itscaminow @fiantomartell @solarxmoonchild @where-art-thau-romeo @canyouevencauseicant @illwritetomorrow @thehappygrungelife @saysomethingspiderman @parkerboop @smilexcaptainx @hes-amarillo @quaksonhehe @kelieah @silteplaittais-toi @kickingn-ames @purefluff @seasidecrowbar @lovelessdagger @love-sick-blues @electraheart-3174 @lou-la-lou @unbelievableholland @yourtypicalhotmess @ohnothezombies @spideyanakin @horanxholland @thesuitelifeofafangirl @anapocalypseinmymind @gninwodacrie @quacksonfics @marshxx @themmmelissa

#peter parker x reader #peter parker x y/n #peter parker x you #peter parker fanfiction #spiderman #peter parker angst #peter parker fluff #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #iron man #marvel #dan and phil #mysterio #spiderman far from home #spiderman: far from home

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omegatheunknown · 3 years

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AEW ALL OUT 2021

In which, not to get ahead of myself here, AEW puts on one of the best major wrestling shows in several years*, following the simple yet effective principle of giving the people what they want and sending everyone home happy and hungry for more.

- The incredibly 'Nitro' ending of the go-home Dynamite, which ran a little long on the 'heels beat everyone up and strut around like assholes almost too in desperate need of comeuppance' bit, short of garbage raining into the ring, did actually increase the heat for both promoted matches. Again, not rocket science, but executed perfectly. Catharsis was on the card, and catharsis went over several times Sunday. - Again, it's time to move on from the Casino theme, shuffling the deck and drawing suits really only detracted from the Battle Royale and seemingly always throws the production crew a curve. If they haven't hammered it by now, it's not going to happen. - Bit unhappy about the PAC/Andrade situation, but still over the moon with Andrade's promo style and Chavito being unhelpful at best.

*Pre-Card

Best Friends and Jurassic Express v The Hardy Family Office and The Hybrid 2 (**) - Not usually much to say about a loaded-up multiteam boondoggle, particularly when the show has yet to begin, but there were some moments worth sitting up to take notice -- there's a lot of talent in the ring, even if Jack Evans/Angelico aren't going to be more than mid-level mooks, little matchups with guys like Luchasaurus and Chuck Taylor are opportunities for innovative/weird spots. - Really this match exists to show-off Jungle Boy, play his theme song twice, and work him in to the aforementioned spots. I don't rightly know what Jungle Jack's ceiling is, but it sort of feels like he's plateauing, at least this version of himself. - Dan Lambert thing is interesting in that it doesn't seem to easily lead to something obvious... I mean who are Scorp and Ethan Page feuding with by proxy here, the concept of contemporary professional wrestling? Orange Cassidy and Kenny Omega?

*Main Card

Miro (C) v Eddie Kingston for the TNT Championship (***1/2) - 'Redeem Deez Nuts' T-shirts now available -- and made immediately redundant now that Miro has graciously redeemed Eddie's nuts. - Imagine looking at Miro, listening to Miro talk, and not really being able to figure out this guy is money. Also imagine panicking when he took a little while to find his groove in AEW. 'The Redeemer' is both entertaining and terrifying, and this match delivered heavily on the promise of two big fellas smacking together repeatedly. - Not only does Eddie's arsenal of power moves target Miro's neck, he may also be quite difficult to put in the full reclined camel clutch. Or he'd quite literally snap in half. It didn't come to that. - Weird heel turn by Bryce's attention span and the overall weirdness of the finish is all that kept this from being an excellent match, otherwise this was a tremendous curtain jerker and started off a dangerously fun run of pure adrenaline.

Jon Moxley v Satoshi Kojima (****) - The stakes were nebulous, the build was abrupt, yet this was a fantastic match and tremendous showcase for an underappreciated great who has been more or less just toiling for a bunch of years as a NJPW Dad. Same deal for Nagata, and I assume Tenzan is the same, Taka Michinoku even -- let's see it. - I have to assume the Cozy Lariat might have put Mox down, but Kojima otherwise played the hits (Koji Cutter, Piledriver, Brainbustaaaa) in a big way and Moxley once again proved he's become a very well-rounded wrestler who can match the intensity of just about any former IWGP champion. - More to the point-- KAZE NI NARE -- out of nowhere, too. Or out of nowhere to those not paying attention to the whereabouts of Minoru Suzuki (Right, he's just over here to fight Daniel Garcia and not Mox?), which I guess is to my own peril. Wow, though. Surprise Number 1- a complete surprise, and a welcome one. Let's have it.

Dr Britt Baker, DMD (C) v Kris Statlander for the AEW Women's Championship (****) - I love Kris and her best friends but she didn't have a prayer of dethroning Britt. She got one promo, several weeks ago, and though she did make a meal of Hayter and Rebel, the chase has been abrupt and not given much discussion, other than Mark Henry and whomever else acknowledging what is extremely evident -- Statlander is stronger than she looks, and she looks really strong. They've got her doing Cesaro-level 'modify your grip while holding your opponent's entire weight' nonsense, and it's amazing and scary. - Even with the reign of the good doctor not being credibly threatened, this was an excellent match that demonstrated the continued growth of the competitors in the women's division, even as it underlined that their storylines remain undercooked and perfunctory: Orange Cassidy whipping off his shades to urge Stat to get up was a beautiful moment. Britt's Panama Sunrise, also, too sweet. Statlander eating shit on her 451 and her pendulum moonsault was properly brutal, as were Britt's curb stomps. Really great match between these two. - Again, if they had bothered to write anything into this story, such as Kris' alien physiology making her immune to the lockjaw or something... actually, maybe that's a terrible idea. it's an idea. Undefeated challenger is defeated, on to the next for Dr Britt. Statlander and OC should tag against some of the boys.

The Young Bucks (C) v The Lucha Bros for the AEW World Tag Team Championship(*****+) - Can't not mention the insane entrance lined up for Fenix and Penta. It was bewildering, it was enchanting, it was aggressive, it was hype. It also reminded everybody how very badly we all wanted the Lucha Bros to win. The crowd has been setting new peaks with their volume since Punk showed up, but things were absolutely thunderous and ecstatic at the end of this match. Absolutely valid response. I yelled on the couch. - Nick's facial hair was a bigger tell that it was time for the Bucks to lose than anything else about this build. There's literally nowhere to go from there -- they've done the hair, the bandanas, the kicks, the animal print, the dangly earrings -- peak visual heel for this time and place. - Sincerely thought this was going to be too much of a full sprint spot-fest (the PWG-esque circle of trading blows is not really 'my thing') but even so they kept finding gears, and ramping and ramping and adding blood and brutality along the way. Even a bit of levity, with the tacked up sneaker, followed by the sincerity of Penta throwing himself in harm's way to protect his brother. Immense match, I think you'd have to go back to the Bucks vs the Addiction and MCMGs Ladder War to find a more thrilling tag team gimmick match. - If there's a single flaw to be found it's in the production not really settling on wide angles for simultaneous action at the start of the match. They figured it out. - Rey Fenix is the best luchador in the world.

Women's Casino Battle Royale (**1/2) - If nothing else, this really shows off that they now have a surplus of women's wrestlers who deserve time to hang in the ring. Unsurprisingly, the match picked right up when Thunder Rosa and then Jamie Hayter got to the ring, with additional props to Tay Conti and Jade Cargill, who was dumped rather unceremoniously given her general booking... - Okay, there was something else. Welcome to the rechristened Ruby Soho, who I've not seen a lot of outside of her extremely limited showcase in WWE, but she has so many friends in the back and in the industry and that's never for nothing, not in wrestling, anyway. Intrigued to see where she fits, and if the women ever get more than a match per show. - Touched on this in the preamble but this was the roughest part of the night for the home viewer, just weird decisions on cutting away from various entrances to show... nothing in particular happening. Also while the commitment to not-kayfabing the countdown clock is... admirable? It makes the pacing hinky. - Almost everyone who got new gear for tonight was looking like the white ranger -- Nyla, Swole, Bunny, someone I'm missing. Except Anna Jay, whose stars and glitter gear looked great.

MJF v Chris Jericho for the fate of Jericho's in-ring career (***) - MJF's unauthorized homage to Y2J's entrance: good. Fozzy's guitarist going off tempo with the instrumental Judas: weak, and would've been sad if this were the end for Jericho. Especially as the build has felt... muted, somehow. - Props to the commentary for continuing to feed the red herring of 'in AEW,' as a caveat to stipulation, it did feel like... a remote possibility that MJF would win. - Credit to Aubrey for calling this one down the middle and not putting the fix in for her friend Jericho, and I guess the Dusty finish will give MJF plenty to gripe about. - MJF wrestles with a pure heel style, holds, chops, blocks, and Jericho is fifty years old, so the level of wrestling on exhibition in these matches is well beside the point. It was solid to good, and I was fighting burn out from the first half of the card's level of excitement.

CM Punk v Darby Allin (***1/2) - There are a couple benefits of Darby as a dance partner, and it's certainly better than having to watch Punk return against like, QT Marshall or Shawn Spears. Darby does make everyone look slow, but he can also be tossed around, and this raises his profile even in defeat, obviously. That said, the stakes here are... meta, at best, in that we want to see the man look good and justify the hype. It's a weird thing to root for. He certainly does look good. (Tights? Tights!) - It's fun to theorize about actually booking an angle where Punk is rusty and needs to regain his prowess, and maybe he'll stumble, but maybe the most we get out of that angle is hitting the GTS a little close to the ropes so Darby falls right out of the ring, in what was, for me, the spot that justified this whole match. - Sting's proud step-dad aura is still a hell of a thing, I really liked the end of the match kudos all around. - Match was good, hard to hang my emotions on. I wasn't watching WWE when Punk was in WWE. Definitely feeding off the excitement of others a bit here, and he sure can talk. I'd like to see him cultivate a stable, certainly.

Paul Wight v QT Marshall (n/r) - ...popcorn match? QT Marshall is like the anti-Daniel Garcia in that while his prominence and presence is just as inexplicable, I don't want it to continue, and he doesn't justify it in the process. - Match was two minutes longer than it needed to be.

Kenny Omega (c) v Christian Cage for the AEW World Championship (****1/2) - Crowd was both burnt out and more or less waiting for the post-match angle. Which I get. it's hard to cruise to the main event and having seen all the different things we've already seen on this card, even a singular performer like Kenny Omega and a legend with whom he (surprisingly? fittingly?) has superb chemistry with in Christian Cage were up against it to deliver something memorable. - Context dependent, I can definitely see rating this below their Rampage match, especially since... I mean Christian isn't winning the AEW title off Kenny at this or probably any other event. - But! It was really good! It was very good! They really do match-up well, and Kenny's v-trigger has rarely looked more devastating than when it knocks Christian flat. Christian got cut open in a novel and initially worrying way, and Kenny followed up a botched moonsault with a harder version of the same move off a rail, but it was a really great match and it deserved more energy than was available.

Post-Show - Calling back and inverting the end of Dynamite, The Elite strut about the ring, slightly less stoked than they were on Wednesday, but with the Bucks smiling through the pain, and Jungle Boy once again subjected to violence for his misguided heroism, Kenny 'not much a promo' Omega lays down a killer line about nobody being fit to challenge him who isn't unavailable, already tired or dead. - The Undertaker ADAM COLE, BAY BAY as Surprise #3 was a minor stroke of brilliance, and a fun swerve because while it's exciting to see him, his appearance at this point in the narrative does nothing to solve the problem of The Elite beating up Christian and Jungle Boy. Unless he's still sore about his unsolved murder, which he isn't. Storytime with Adam Cole is back and it's beautiful. Also Jungle Boy died for this. - Okay. But. Just. Okay. CM Punk and Bryan Danielson are All Elite. They will hopefully tag together. Bryan will head to NJPW, almost definitely. Minoru Suzuki just walked in and started slugging on Mox. The Forbidden Door is wide open. Will Kenny Omega one day return to Wrestle Kingdom? There are so many possibilities and they are all very exciting. This was a phenomenal show and it didn't have Hangman Page, Cody Rhodes, FTR, Santana and Ortiz, PAC, Andrade, Sammy Guevara, Team Taz, and the rest.

- Wrestling is good, actually. Imagine watching like five hours of wrestling and loving wrestling at the end of it.

*What competes- WK11, Dominion 2018, 2019, DoN 2019, 2021.. All-In, probably. Wrestlemania 30. A few Takeovers. Kris Wolf's retirement show...

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astrovian · 4 years

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the official ranking of Claude Becker outfits

the official ranking of Daniel Miller outfits here

the official ranking of Adam Price outfits here

all Claude Becker outfits & rankings under the cut

we all know RA looks good in a suit, blah, blah, blah

after two of these rankings, this outfit is the physical embodiment of a yawn

I do appreciate the patterned tie to change things up a tad even if I’m not into the pattern itself. the intent is there, just not the execution

I will give props to the team for giving Claude a patterned dress shirt here (you have to squint a bit on the second image - more on patterned dress shirts later), but they really should have upped the game a little - change the tie & be less subtle with the shirt pattern

and I ask you, does Claude Becker not strike you as a man who would insist on at least a pocket square with his suits?? dream bigger stylists

3/10

@whoever stores old movie props if these weren’t disposed of immediately after filming i will pay you for a copy of one of these

putting aside the hilarious social commentary and fucking literal writing on this magazine cover done by some poor prop designer at 2am (”How to starve artists and other capitalist things”, as well as ”Claude Becker rolls up his shirtsleeves and unties his tie and puts on a vest and casually hangs his hands from his pockets” etc.), this is a nice change-up that made me question why we don’t have RA in just a waistcoat and dress shirt more often

also that tie pattern? fab. I love it. that is how to do a patterned tie. I hope we all know RA looks good in a suit, blah, blah, blah is paying attention

that being said, minimal points because we don’t actually see Claude wearing it in real life

4/10

where, oh where is my polo shirt? oh look, it’s right there

is there any RA character who is not afflicted with a polo shirt? not recently, apparently

I genuinely thought that it was a dress shirt for a moment which had me disappointed at the banality but then that turned into utter devastation as I realised we actually are looking at a long sleeve zip up polo shirt

the draping of the coat? phenomenal and what really brings this entire thing together

the long/three-quarter sleeves? the zip-up rather than buttons? better than one can normally expect from a polo shirt... and then they went and added stripes to the collar and sleeves?? regret

could be a lot worse but could ultimately also not be a polo shirt as well 4.5/10

could have tried harder during lessons but was a pleasure to have in class

I’m sure you all know my long-sleeve shirt obsession with RA but I made a promise to be honest with myself on these lists. the only feeling this outfit evokes is a ‘eh’

the equivalent of a middle slider 5/10

the Claude you’d actually have a fun day with

there’s something about RA in a hoody that just bangs. good lord I also have a weakness for those forearms

I also thought for a good moment these were dark jeans, but they disappointingly turn out to be sweatpants? however, it has made me think that we need to see RA in some darker denim shades more often

this Claude is could have tried harder during lessons but was a pleasure to have in class but with just a little more fun and class to boost it *just* outside of the ‘eh’ zone

5.2/10

now this is how we do a long-sleeved shirt

I think it’s been fairly well-established by now that loose, long-sleeved RA is my ultimate weakness, so it’s nice to see that Ocean’s 8 is also making a concerted effort to murder me

also Claude’s obsession with sweatpants is giving me life

this is the Claude you make pasta with. and that pasta would be damn tasty, too

5.9/10

come hither

just-woken-up Claude is made 100x better by the bed head hair and the sleepy gaze

this man needs to get back into bed for a snuggle (preferably with me)

I can’t decide if I’m into the loose boxers or missing the tighter Adam Price undies. either way, it’s definitely not a bad aesthetic. and it reminds me, like dad chic Adam Price, that we don’t get enough of RA in shorts

I feel bad assigning numbers to a a shirtless one BUT Claude does transform into being fully-clothed in this scene so I’m going with it 6.4/10

you can kiss my hand anytime

the blessing of this film is not only the visual assault of attractive actors from all sides and genders, but it also instigates in me the thought that RA is wearing printed dress shirts and I can’t remember the last time I saw this?? I never even realised how much I need to see a lot more of this kind of look on RA until we were blessed with this vision

look at those lil’ elephants!! adorable. I hope Claude has a closet full of these with different animals on them

this outfit was so good, RA even wore it in his behind-the-scenes interview

7/10 for a printed, suited dream

the Claude you take home to mom & dad

god, it’s even better without the suit jacket

this is my honest appeal to the powers that may or may not be to put RA in more printed dress shirts

7.6/10

sometimes I think I should be more ashamed of myself

I feel like I need to preface this one thusly: okay, but like hear me out for real this time

I know this is ultimate hipster white-dude look and RA plays into that character so fantastically with Claude here. I mean just look at his expression. something about this whole look makes me want to simultaneously punch this man in the face and also take him home with me

this is a man who you know is a mistake before you make it, but choose to follow through anyway. he’s that last shot of tequila or the 5th glass of wine. you know you would go for him too. don’t even try to deny it

is the high ranking because of the novelty factor? is it because I’ve never seen RA wear a beanie like that and honestly the infamous running Daniel Miller could take notes? is it because I can’t take anyone who wears a beanie like that seriously?

all we do know is that I also can’t believe this is so high on the list

7.8/10

the moment we all learned Claude is 100% a bottom

one of the most iconic Claude moments in the film. RA plays the ‘dumb horny idiot’ character so well in this scene

not so into the pinstriped suit jacket but the hoodie peeking out from underneath combined with the thin scarf makes it for me

8/10

question: how may teeny-weeny scarves does Claude own, exactly?

who could forget the iconic moment when Sandra Bullock nearly shivs RA?

we have another printed dress shirt and I am HERE for it. it even has birds this time!! nice to see that Claude is not just a land mammal sort of man

I will concede that this is the sort of pattern that few men can pull off but RA is making it work and I am living

8.7/10

I’m not sure I can make a comment on this one that is even remotely appropriate except for “I told you Claude is a bottom”

safety first, buy some proper restraints for the bedroom please Claude/10

modern royalty au Thorin

this is the moment that every single Hobbit fan went “hell yeah, now I have the perfect new aesthetic for my modern royalty Hobbit AU” (as an avid lotr/hobbit fan, I am not joking here)

RA looks like royalty here because he should be. please sign my petition to have RA usurp the British Queen

for real though, that baby blue sash is the 1000% perfect added touch to this suit and we love RA in a baby blue. a decent (and clearly successful) effort to match the faux Met Gala theme: European royalty. however, it is also pretty accurate re: the imaginative effort that most men have with altering their Met Gala outfits to fit that year’s theme

we need more RA in ‘modern royal’ roles for the #aesthetic and also so that he can dress like this more often

9.3/10 for a princely (or dare I say kingly?) figure

James Corden looks so gleeful running after Claude that it makes me happy. I get it, James. I get it

there’s really nothing spectacular about the general outfit here - except for the swagger RA is giving this

pants? shirt? boring, meh

check scarf? a brilliant switch up from Claude’s normal thin scarves.

the popped coat? now we’re cooking

the sunglasses and wind-ruffled hair that screams “I’m hungover but I still look effortlessly handsome”? delectable

the dogs?? the best set dressing one could ask for

the attitude and ‘I’m too cool for you’ swagger? priceless and what makes this the second-best outfit of the whole film

9.6/10 this man could punch me and I would be grateful

hot diggity dog, someone get me Claude’s handcuffs

from the front view, it could be argued that this outfit (well, technically it may not really be a separate outfit as it’s the undone version of modern royalty au Thorin), while fairly exceptional, does not first place make

however, someone had the idea to shoot RA from a side angle in this and for that I am eternally in their debt

it’s all about the tease with this one. the glimpse of the suspenders (and holy shit, RA in suspenders was not a look I had thought about before). the way the waist coat hangs off Claude’s chest like that, just enough to make its presence obvious. the cufflinks. the delicate pocket watch chain.

if previous outfits on this list have been all sex and swagger, this is the foreplay. the subtle strip tease.

10/10

#thanks for the responses to my photoshoot query y'all I think that is next #though it might be a two-parter given the volume of photoshoots #then thinking lucas north after that #hoping to get photoshoots pt. 1 done next week sometime anyway #but who knows because good ol' Boris Johnson is sending me back into an unsafe environment to teach germ-riddled teens very shortly #so I need to spend some serious time doing prep work for that over the coming week #let's pray I don't catch covid from the kids until I can get vaccinated in summer!!!#based on previous experiences I give it 1 & 1/2 weeks before us teachers start dropping like flies #ANYWAY #richard armitage #claude becker #ocean's 8 #ocean's eight #oceans 8 #oceans eight

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slyttherins · 4 years

Text

Unexpected flame (part 2) | Fred Weasley x Sirius Black’s daughter

December 1994

Ginny had joined Juliet in Luna in their Ravenclaw dorm to get ready for the Yule ball together. Their ball gowns were neatly hanged on the wall to prevent creases or getting dirty while doing each other's hair and makeup. Luna was on hair duty and Juliet took charge of the makeup, not trusting Luna with it, being a bit too creative with the brushes and liners. There was nothing wrong with her creativity, but neither girls fancied overly colorful eyeshadows on their Yule ball pictures.

''I can't believe you got a date and not us!'' Juliet gushed as she applied a pink shadow to Ginny's eyes, the light shade complimenting her dress nicely. ''Neville will lose his words when he'll see you.''

Luna nodded in agreement. She looked like a pretty porcelain doll in her pink and mint dress. This style of dress could easily look childish, but Ginny wore it beautifully.

''It's platonic between Neville and I,'' the redhead reminded, having no feelings for the botanical lover. ''Besides, if he hadn't asked me to accompany him, I couldn't have come to the ball.''

''Does he know that it's platonic?'' Luna asked, lying down with her upper half hanging off her bed as she added more glitters to her look. Why was she always doing things upside down?

''Yeah... I mean, I didn't say-''

Juliet shook her head disapprovingly as she continued her work. ''You gotta tell him, Gin. Boys aren't good at guessing feelings, they need to be told what to do. Tell Neville or else he'll get ideas.''

''But I don't want to hurt his feelings or make it awkward between us.''

''If you wait, it'll get more awkward.''

Ginny sighed, knowing that Juliet was right. ''Boys are complicated.''

Juliet laughed and Luna agreed, getting up to go put on her dress. It was a delicate purple color with ruffles. Lots of ruffles. She did a twirl for the girls, showing off her whole look. She looked like a cute fairy.

''It was my mother's dress,'' Luna told them, smoothing the front of her skirt to tame the ruffles.

''It looks lovely, Luna,'' Ginny said, finally able to open her eyes.

The blonde thanked her. ''Shall we get to the dance?''

Parties were rare at Hogwarts, but the Yule Ball was a complete success.

The Weird Sisters were playing on the stage as students - and professors - danced, truly having fun and letting loose. Professors were battling to have a dance with Dumbledore while Professor Flitwick was crowd surfing and having the time of his life.

Juliet brought a hand to her mouth as Ginny did a wilder move, gasping and laughing before joining hands and going back to jumping together and moving their hips.

Beside them, Neville was trying his best, being better at proper ballroom dancing, and was accidently bumping into other students and apologizing every five minutes. He even managed to step on Luna's foot. Oh Neville...

''Hello girlies,'' Fred said, sneaking behind them. He had somehow become even taller and was now one headfull taller than both girls. ''Are you having a great night?''

''We were before you showed up,'' Ginny replied, making a face at her brother. ''I'm gonna get a drink. Do I get you one too?'' she asked Juliet.

''Please.''

''Where's your date?'' Juliet asked Fred, not seeing Angelina nearby.

''With her friends. Being someone's date doesn't mean being attached to each other's hip for the whole night. Where's your Romeo?''

Juliet almost rolled her eyes. It wasn't the first time someone used that reference for a joke. Although it was old and done, she wasn't bothered by it knowing Fred meant it in a soft teasing way.

''Over there,'' Juliet replied, pointing at the blonde girl in a soft lavender colored dress who was dancing by herself, moving her arms for some unique moves.

''Luna?''

She hummed. ''Best to go with your best friend than a random guy who might ruin your night.'' Juliet glanced at Harry and Ron who sat at the tables, sulking and being complete dicks to their dates. She felt bad for the Patil twins.

Fred followed her eyes and shook his head. ''They're idiots.''

A slower song started and the crowd dissipated a little, taking a break from dancing to grab drinks and snacks.

''Well, if you'd like, I could be your partner for one dance,'' Fred suggested with an inviting smile. He extended his hand like they had been shown in class and Juliet took it and followed him into the crowd of slow dancing people.

At first, it felt strange. Dancing with Fred. They started slow and formal, following the classic steps of a slow dance, until Fred decided to add some spices and made her twirl, the bottom of her dress flowing as she turned on herself.

They stood out amongst the other couples, but they didn't mind. They were having fun. Fred even attempted for a dip, but went too far down and almost caused Juliet to fall and topple on the floor. She bursted out laughing as she held onto the tall redhead, clutching to his white shirt to prevent another slip.

''Are you okay?'' he asked, truly feeling bad.

Juliet nodded. ''Yes, yes,'' she assured. ''I thought you asked me to dance, Weasley. Not kiss the bloody floor.''

Fred laughed and apologized again.

When the song ended, they noticed that some students had started to leave the great hall and had headed to their common room. Not feeling tired yet, they went to a table and sat down. They also got their own drinks seeing as Ginny had somehow forgot, now dancing with Neville.

''Crazy how we go to the same school, but haven't spoken since last Christmas,'' Fred stated, taking a sip of his drink. He had tried to steal one of the alcoholic beverages at the refreshment table, but Professor McGonagall was too close to said table to not get caught.

The raven haired girl frowned. Had it? Time fly so fast.

''So, tell me. What changed in a year, Juliet Lupin Black?''

''Well, I’ve met my father now.'' A smile formed on her lips without realizing it.

''You have?'' Fred asked with a grin, sounding genuinely happy for her.

Juliet nodded. ''Briefly.''

''How was it?''

''Emotional and...strange. I don't know how to describe it.'' She paused, smile falling as her mind going to the dark side effects of Sirius' time in Azkaban. ''Azkaban did a number on him. It changes people, it does things to their mind, but he's slowly becoming his old self again. Or, a new version of it.''

''That place is vile, it makes people go bonkers. I'm happy to know he's recovering.''

''According to Remus, being an animagus saved him. Dementors don't feel and recognise animal emotions in the same way as human emotions.''

''If you don’t mind me asking, where is he now? Hiding, I bet.''

She shrugged honestly. ''I don’t know. Remus knows. He’s with him as we are speaking. I wanted to come along, but they said it was safer for me to stay at school and that I shouldn't miss the Yule ball.''

As she spoke, Fred's eyes were on her, watching the way her glossy lips moved and how her hair cascaded on her shoulder and back. She looked beautiful tonight. Her dress was rather simple compared to everyone else's - a royal blue number with a slit on the leg -, but it was still beautiful. Simplicity is sometimes better.

''It would've been a shame to not wear that dress,'' he let slipped.

A light blush coated Juliet's cheeks, flattered by the easily swung compliment. She hadn't expected such compliment from Fred, but smiled and thanked him politely. ''You don't look bad yourself, Weasley,'' she returned, nodding at the slim black bow at the collar and the warm toned waist coat that matched his ginger hair. It was the first time she saw him wearing something else that his school robes or hand-knitted sweaters.

He grinned smugly.

From afar, Angelina's friends parted with their dates and regaining the dancefloor. She looked around, beautiful as always, most likely searching for her date. Weasleys usually weren't too hard to spot in a crowd.

Fred caught her in his peripheral vision and downed the last of his drink before standing. ''Ah, I gotta go. Angelina must be looking for me.''

As much as Juliet wished to talk longer with him, Fred had a date awaiting and she didn't want to take more time from Angelina. ''Don't let her kiss the floor,'' she teased, watching Fred leave.

He walked backward and chuckled. ''I'll try.''

#fred weasley #fred weasley fic #fred weasley x reader #Harry Potter #unexpected flame #idk if this part is good #the next one will be better

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atendersun-archived · 3 years

Note

“You’re really cute…when you let yourself talk about things you love.” Absent-mindedly Sullivan complimented him, leaning on his hand. Happily he has been listening to a passionate rant of information. Every little rabbit hole Muus brain brought to him, all the fun stories. It was really nice. To get to hear the real him. “I hope we can talk about things you like again. So I can see you that happy more often.”

Besides him rested numerous plastic containers with barriers that many used to store fishing lures in. His on he other hand were labeled with different initials and numbers that marked his uniquely thought out storing system. Inside many of them were a variety of miniature items made from materials such as polymer clay, felt, shrinkable plastic, and wood. Resting on his lap as he spoke freely on his most recent passion was a notebook that he had been doodling out ideas for additional items to be made later on.

Words also appeared to be etched in between sketches with great significance yet he managed to multitask in conversation so swiftly that none of them parted through his lips as he went on with his attempt at describing to the other what it was that he aimed to do with all of us uniquely made miniatures. Amongst the growing list of adjectives was the term 'passionate', which he would later find a tad bit of humor in due to the fact that he would then begin to speak openly about what he aimed to do with an idea that had only just recently popped into his head earlier in the week.

"Sully", he began, "Do you know what a diorama is? That is kind of like what I am making, but they are going to be more like how I think the inside of a Poké Ball, or a Polly Pocket shell would be."

How exactly he wanted to approach that idea was still being determined in his drawings. He hadn't yet decided if he wanted to store his ideas inside something as simply as a tiny house, or to up the difficulty by trying put his hand at making something akin to the inside of the brain instead. If he was willing to really do his research, and figure out how to even begin adding it in, he'd have pushed it even further by including in some sort of musical trait into it as if they were very unusual music boxes.

"I've been feeling very out of touch with myself. That's why.. I am making these little houses, I guess, for the parts of me that stand out the most. That way they have places to be that are not only of their own, but also that are safe to be in as well. That way I can kind only just focus on the parts of me that are here right now instead of feeling all of the feelings of all of me's at the same time."

Showing seemed easier than risking confusion with his long string of words, so he ceased moving the pen across paper long enough for him to switch out the pad entirely for the most filled of all of the bins with the marking of the number sixteen across the top. That had been the first one he wanted to work on out of reluctancy to really even begin thinking about what he would've used to describe himself during other core moments in his life, but also because he had been really weighed down the most by pings of jealousy and resentment that he knew were stirring from the loneliness and guilt that blossomed into fruition as a teenager.

"These one's are all the things that I see when I think of me at sixteen. This one is an itty bitty version of Aime Jr. Aime was my best friend that moved away to France, but b- before that, he gived me a hedgehog that I named after him. Once I even had a real hedgehog that I named Baby Aime, but I'll probably save him for later 'cause I got him when I was older. I still have him, by the way. The stuffed animal that is. He's very beat up looking from having gone to lots of things with me before I kind of out grew bringing him along, but.. I do still like to think back on when I still had Aime around all those many years ago."

From there, he very excitedly hopped from one item to another; explaining each one's individual meaning before immediately following it up with another. In his chatter, he went on to describe making miniature versions of the favorite books he used to beg his older brother to read to him since they always seemed to be easier to understand when he heard them in a voice other than his own. Or how he simply just did so to not so secretly trick his sibling into sharing the bed with him long enough for him to drift off to sleep with him at his side instead of alone.

Also happily presented were tiny versions of some standard looking Valentine's Day cards and some even tinier stickers he designed and cut out using an x-acto blade. Both were heavily enjoyed by him during that time in his life since he held such largely positive feelings towards things that were either cute, or were associated with love in any way. His dream back then had always been to experience a fairytale love like he watched in movies, or heard about in songs by Taylor Swift songs, as he knew that his chances of that were not necessarily as high as they may have been if not for his perceived sensitivity and slowness.

And while he was still somewhat still shifting through the hurt of his plan to make that kind of dream come true didn't work out as intended, that was not the only reason he purposely chose to keep his focus on making items he associated with himself instead of himself in association with the person he was dating at the time in his life. His decision to do so had not been made out of a lack of love for that individual, but rather because he wanted to keep the home he was making for the boy he once was be one crafted from as much self love as he possibly could have.

"There's still lots of other things I could maybe make to go into the home for the Muu that was the littlest, I guess. Like if I made things relevant to dating for the first time, since th- that was a very core thing for me when I was only sixteen. I don't.. really want to though, because I feel.. like that is where a lot of the guilt of being me comes from to begin with, an- and I don't want to stick him into the house for him right back into those feelings all over again. Of not.. loving in the right way, or of making things harder than they needed to be even if maybe I didn't mean for it to be that way. I'm.. making these little houses, or whatever they're gonna be, so these littler versions of me get to be tucked away into spots of healing. That's why I- I am maybe making all of these things, but not even use all of 'em, because I want to make sure the space is happy for them. I don't.. want them to cry because something doesn't feel safe."

Even in the seriousness of his words, he never strayed away from wanting to ramble on more regarding the thoughtfulness behind his intentions. What he was working on was obviously of great importance to him. Even more than that, he seemed to have been so caught up in his own motivation that he'd failed to even really notice how expressive his body language and facial features became when he shared on about even just the smallest of things that brought life into him at such a young, impressionable age.

Or at least he hadn't until receiving the compliment offered by the other male. Out of what seemed to be embarrassment, the blond instinctively pulled a hand away from sorting through his miscellaneous items to pull the fabric of his shirt up to protectively cover the lower half of his face. In reality, however, he was more so hiding away the surprisingly boyish grin that silenced his moving lips. As well as the growing shade of pink that existed around the nose that sat above them. He was still very much getting used to being spoken to as if his company was desired rather than being hypervigilant of the backhandedness that came from people spending time with him out of obligation or manipulation rather than genuine companionship. Unlike in the many months prior, though, he at least found himself really enjoying the affirming words of endearment offered by the raven.

"Oh, thank you.. I'm not very good at talking about myself a lot of the time. Or of even just.. knowing myself, but you.. you know, th- that is something we can at least, kind of.. learn together maybe?"

#sully i am sorry but you broke the man #also rip the dash for this #tw long post #tximidity

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trashboatprince · 5 years

Text

I spent all day coming up with drabble ideas for Nanny and Francis because I am a sucker for this version of the Ineffable Husbands, and there needs to be more content, so here we go. Actually, this one isn’t really a drabble, it’s a long one.

Summery: The cook quits after some problems and Nanny volunteers Francis to take over until the family can hire a new one, leaving the poor man frazzled. Don’t worry, angel, you come highly recommended.

Ship: Ineffable Husbands, Nanny and Gardener edition

Ashtoreth smelled something familiar in the air, stirring her from her sleep. The clock said it was two in the morning, ah, that makes sense. With a smirk, the demon got out of bed, heading towards the kitchen of the large Dowling home.

Crowley, rather than Ashtoreth, found the kitchen’s doors closed, but there was a light on from under the crack of them. He couldn’t hear a sound, but he knew why. As quietly as he could, he opened the doors and stepped inside, nearly chuckling at the sight.

Dressed in his old nightgown was Aziraphale, not Brother Francis, not a trace of that disguise anywhere, carefully folding something in a pan on the stove.

“Wanted to have a nibble of crepes, eh?” Crowley spoke up, startling the angel.

“M-My dear..! Don’t do that!” Aziraphale hissed, setting the pan aside. “And how did you know I was up? I made sure no sounds could come from the kitchen while I was cooking.”

“I can smell better than a human, angel.” Crowley replied, sticking out his tongue. “Crepes, huh?”

“Felt like having a treat! I made you some, put a bit of brandy in them, for flavor. I was going to serve you them in the morning, but since you’re up...” The blond smiled, gesturing his hand towards a plate full of them, before his newest one was put on top.

Crowley gave a shrug, approaching to grab one. “I really shouldn’t eat at night, heard it sticks to you worse.”

“That’s a load of bullocks if you ask me.” Aziraphale replied as he got himself one, happily taking a bite. “Just enjoy it, you’ve earned it! You’ve been working so hard lately, my dearest. Warlock is in his terrible twos, I’ve caught sight of him giving you trouble.”

The demon chuckled a little, taking a bite of his own. “Ah, yes, he’s taken to greatly giving me Hell. Things are looking up for the hellspawn.”

Aziraphale rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, but he’s also got the curiosity of someone who is happy to pet an animal with no desire to bring them harm. Ah, just today, a bird landed on my hand and he was so excited! He even tried to talk to it, such a good lad.”

“Hm.” Crowley took another bite, looking around the kitchen. “Heard the cook was gonna quit.”

“What? Really? I rather like Miss Birch, any reason why?”

“Says the idiot American guards keep trying to hit on her, and one grabbed her ass yesterday, she’s beyond pissed. If he does it again, she’s out.”

“I hope she doesn’t leave, I like that one soup she makes, you know, the one we had last week.”

Crowley shrugged. “We’ll see. If anything happens, I’m sure you can handle the kitchen.” He heard the angel choke on his bite of crepe. “What? Don’t like the idea?”

“I-I am meant to be the gardener here! As if the Dowlings would allow me to cook for them..!” Aziraphale stammered. “Heck, even the staff doesn’t like me eating with them, I doubt they’d like for me to cook for them.”

The redhead frowned deeply, the staff didn’t like Francis eating with them? Might explain why he always waits for them to finish before coming in to eat, or he simply eats outside. Sometimes he sits and eats with Ashtoreth when she is giving Warlock a bottle, or a snack.

“Well, if they give you trouble, they can deal with me.” He turned and kissed Aziraphale on the cheek. “Clean up and go to bed, got work tomorrow, Francis.” He winked and walked out, leaving the flustered man behind.

“Brother Francis.”

Francis paused as he stepped into the kitchen from the backyard door, looking away from the basket of fresh fruits he had picked to see the nanny who stood inside with Mrs. Dowling.

“Y-yes, ma’am?” He asked, confused. Ashtoreth’s face was calm, but Harriet looked a bit panicked.

“The cook left. Mrs. Birch said that Thomas touched her again, she then struck him with a ladle and walked out.” Ashtoreth spoke up, folding her hands on the island of the kitchen. He knew she was keeping a neutral expression, but six thousand years of knowing the demon let Francis know that she was clearly saying ‘I told you so’ in the tiniest twitches of her face.

“I’m terribly sorry to here that, Madam Dowlin’.” Francis frowned, turning to the American woman. “Anythin’ I can be of help with?”

“Yes,” Harriet spoke, glancing at the nanny before looking at the gardener, “Nanny Ashtoreth, uhh... she said that you were an excellent chef in your own right.”

Francis snapped his attention to the redhead, who had the most wicked of smirks on her face before it was gone in the blink of an eye. Snake in the grass!

“Yeeessss...” He started, turning his attention back to his ‘boss’. “I know a thing ‘er two around a kitchen, use to cook meself up some delights and treats all the time when livin’ alone. If you be needin’ someone to cook up some meals until you get new help, I’d be more then happy to do so fer you.”

“Oh great!” She smiled, looking and sounding so thankful. “We’ll even pay you a bit extra for this!” She headed out, saying she needed to make some calls, put in a new ad in the papers.

Once she was out of the room, Francis approached Ashtoreth. “My dear, you know darn well I ain’t one fer cookin’ for others.” She smirked again. “Except for you. You are mah exception.”

“Oh come now, Francis.” She leaned in close, touching his cheek with a gloved hand, and he couldn’t suppress the shudder he felt as she gently trailed a finger to his chin, gently lifting his head up to look at her. Damn her for being tall already, and now even more so with those heels. “Don’t you love doing good things for people? It’s an angel’s duty, right?”

“M-Ma’am..?” He wheezed before getting a kiss on the lips. Wow, normally he was the one who was starting the kissing, he had no problems when Ashtoreth did it though.

“If you do this, there will be more where that came from.” She spoke as she pulled back, lowering her shades to wink at him.

This snapped him to attention. “E-excuse me!? Are you trying to tempt me into cooking!?” Aziraphale exclaimed, getting a laugh from the demon.

“I think I’ve been letting you have too much fun with all the tempting you’ve done to me lately since we’ve been here, angel. Besides, I know you love to cook, and I was thinking you and I could go out to the store with Warlock, get some things for dinner. I’ll even pay.”

He looked at the redhead suspiciously. “And what shall I be making?”

“I was thinking... sushi? Maybe even some ginger chicken on rice?”

Aziraphale perked up. “Let me go get changed then!”

Ashtoreth wanted to kick herself.

She had suggested Francis to Harriet because she knew the man could cook, his love for food was borderline a fetish of sorts for him, no angel loved food and cooking like Aziraphale did. He was always quick to study up on new treats and meals he had eaten at places, something he’d love to try at home with his own hands.

What sleep was to Crowley, cooking was to Aziraphale.

The same was for Ashtoreth and Francis, you can’t give up old habits just because you’re pretending to be human to watch over the Antichrist.

She had made the suggestion simply because she didn’t trust anyone else in the house, hell, she didn’t even know if she could trust a new cook to make food for her. Mrs. Birch was nice, but her meals were nothing like what Aziraphale could create when he had whatever he needed for whatever thing he was craving.

She had went to the store with him, letting him happily grab up everything needed, along with things for the rest of the week as he was going to be making dinner and breakfast for the household. Once he got himself into the element, into the mindset of experimenting and being in an element that he was much more familiar with (since gardening was never his strong point), he had relaxed.

Sure, Francis would be stuck cooking for more people than just the usual one or two, but Ashtoreth told him that they didn’t have to eat in the staff dining room, they could just eat in the kitchen together, just them.

And she even said she’d help him, which is why she wanted to kick herself.

Francis was out of the stupid smock of his, he was dressed more like Aziraphale. Snake eyes, hidden behind shades, watched him as he worked on sticky rice with hands that could do it simply from muscle memory, studying his body in clothes much more familiar to him.

Dark brown pants hugged him in all the right places, his belt held the angel’s signature tartan pattern, as the poor fool couldn’t bare to part with it for the sake of a disguise. His shirt was cream, buttoned up, with the top two undone, revealing his neck, strange to see him without something around his neck, and it almost seemed scandalous to her.

Even more so was the fact that his sleeves were rolled up too, showing more skin than Ashtoreth had seen in years from him.

Francis had forgone his buck teeth, his muttonchops were still there, but looked so much tamer. He looked good, really good, her angel looked like a man who had been working outside all day, deciding to step inside to help her out with dinner.

She slapped her cheek, stop that, idiot! Just cause the two of you are more open in a home where Heaven and Hell have no eyes on you, doesn’t mean you can get soft with thoughts of a domestic lifestyle!

Still... would be nice, Crowley couldn’t deny that, it was a bit of a dream to live out life in a nice home with Aziraphale. Even demons were allowed cheesy, dumb thoughts like this, right?

If not, fuck those who say know, Crowley deserved this!

“I think it’s ready.” Francis spoke, catching Ashtoreth’s attention as he gently set a bit of sushi on a tray. He smiled brightly at her. “Darling, could you alert the waitstaff to take things out to them? I’ll finish up in here, I do believe Warlock needs his dinner.”

“Ah, r-right, yes.” She huffed, straightening up as she grabbed the meal she prepared for the hellspawn and stepped from the kitchen.

After the meals were brought to the family and the staff, and Warlock was fed, Ashtoreth returned to the kitchen to check up on Francis, surprised by what she found inside.

At the breakfast table, a beautiful meal had been set up, and Francis stood at one end, filling a glass of white wine. He looked up, smiling. “My dear, dinner is served.”

Ashtoreth blinked, before laughing a bit, moving over to him. “You weren’t excited about making sushi or cooking again, you just wanted a date night!”

“That might be a reason, yes.” Francis smile, pulling out the chair for the nanny, who sat down. He then kissed her on the cheek. “Sure, we could go to the Ritz on our day off, or even to that one place you like in Soho, but where’s the fun of it when I can just make you a delicious dinner in here? Prepared just the way my favorite snake likes it?”

“Bites that can be swallowed in one go and lots of alcohol?” She asked, her lips curving up.

“Oh, of course!” Francis spoke up before he took his seat. “I know exactly how my dear enjoys her meals!” He held up his glass, taking a sip.

“Oh, and Ashtoreth?” He continued, looking at her. “Next time you suggest me for something, please actually discuss it with me first.”

“Ha! Then where’s the fun in that, angel? I’m a demon! I do gotta give you some trouble, right?”

“Just for that, I’m taking your salmon roll.”

“Hey! No, that’s mine, you thief!”

END

I think this has become a whole au, where Aziraphale and Crowley are being dumb and in love with each other like this cause they can get away with more openly. Everything I write for them is dumb and lovey-dovey and I can’t stop.

Thanks for reading!

#good omens #ineffable husbands #anthony j crowley #nanny ashtoreth #aziraphale #brother francis #john's drabbles

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roastingyaoigirl13 · 4 years

Text

Story Idea ADDED ON AS WELL AS EDITED

Title: The Song We Heard That Day.

Loosely Based on Mermaid Melody

Summary: After her kingdom is destroyed, Princess Marion of the Red Pearl has no other choice but to walk on land and take on the identity of Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Marinette:

Princess of the Red Pearl as well as the North Atlantic Ocean (Which is the Ocean Near France). She is about 20 years old and her name in the mermaid world is Marion, however, in the human world, it translates to Marinette. In both human and mermaid forms, she has her regular hair color-black with blue hues. In her mermaid form, her hair is long and loose, having long rose red ribbons in her hair. She wears her princess red shell pendant, which holds her red magical pearl. Her eyes are a light red when in mermaid form and blue when in human form. In mermaid form, her tail is crimson like her ladybug suit, wine-colored pearl bangles are wrapped around the end of her tail. She also wears a light red seashell bra and has a red bracelet around her right upper arm. She wears orange-red conch shell earrings in her mermaid form, while in human form she wears ladybug themed earrings. In her idol form, she wears a long dark red halter neck dress with a slit on the right side. She wears a light red sash around her waist neatly tied into a large ribbon. She wears a rose gold opal ring on her left hand and a red pearl bracelet. She wears short strapless scarlet heels with frills on the top. Her long black hair is tied into two long thick pigtails by two red pearled scrunchies. Idol Marinette holds a white and blue microphone which holds her red pearl. In her Aqua Regin form, she wears a long sweetheart neckline white dress that hugs her figure just right. She holds a gold staff and wears white heels. Her hair is completely down cascading around her feet. Her eyes are blue like her human form.

Reason for coming on land:

She comes onto land due to her castle being attacked. She is accompanied by Tikki, basically her lady in waiting.

Songs:

Promise Land ( Mermaid Melody)

Missing You ( Kana Nishino)

Legend of the Mermaid ( Mermaid Melody, AmaLee version)

More will be added eventually

Traits: Since she's a mermaid, they are quite smart and know all the land languages. She speaks mermaid, however, can speak every other language.

She’s great at making things as well as designing things, She’s a fast learner which is great since there’s a lot for her to learn on Land.

She met Adrien when she was 8 years old by a lagoon ( maybe)

She met Adrien after she saves him(too cliche)

Adrian: Age 21

Panthalassa ( Meaning “All Sea” in Greek) origin

Adrian and Felix are twin boys that were born on the day of the Great Sea War. Out of desperation to keep the bloodline and power of the Panthalassa alive, the people of the Panthalassa gave their remaining strength to the twin boys, giving them the power, as long as they were united, to destroy the world and everything on it. When the Aqua Regina found out, she separated the boys and their powers. Felix held the power of Darkness and was locked away in the Panthalassa castle, while his younger brother was given the power of light and was washed up on the shore, where Emile and Gabriel raised him. Both his parents died due to Bridgette unlocking Felix, which caused a horrible storm.

Adrian has no idea about where he comes from ( He finds a letter from his parents explaining he’s adopted, shortly after their death) but suffers from, what he thinks are “nightmares”, when in actuality he is seeing things from Felix’s perspective. Adrian has the power of light and will often faint when he overexerts himself. He uses his powers often to save Marion (Marinette) from danger. His personality is a mixture of chat noir and his normal personality in the show, however, due to him feeling lied to by his parents and having lost them, he does have some destructive behavior. Adrian has a tendency to drink and party hard. He can be quiet flirtatious and cheeky, but at the same time, he can be an ass at times due to his hurting in the inside. Like his brother, Adrian feels alone in the world, however, he prefers to suffer alone about it. It would be interesting to write him this way. Adrian wears different outfits every day and is very well off due to inheriting all of his parent’s assets. Since his parents died out in the sea he has developed a hate for it, though this is only apparent when drunk. Before his parent’s death, he would often play by the beach by the summer house his parents owned, which is where he met Marion (Marinette). He heard her singing one day and since that day they played every day until his parent’s death. After his parents died and since they were extremely famous, Adrian left France to live in the summer house in order to never be found by the press. This story takes place in a distant town that is completely made up that is on a remote island by France. Adrian doesn’t talk much about his parents and is very protective of his past. He was 8 years old when he met Marion and thought he had made her up but one night when he was walking by the beach he heard her singing, that’s when they were reunited again. Before Marion / Marinette showed up again, Adrian has an on and off-again relationship with Kagami.

Felix: Age 22

Panthalassa Clan

Felix was cursed with the powers of darkness, which made him get the shorthand of the stick, in terms of fate. He was cursed to live all alone, having only the deep-sea animals around him as companions. He wears a black Victorian style dress shirt, black leather pants, as well as black pointy shoes. His hair is like PV Chat Noir trailer, wild and untamed. He talks softly only to Bridgette and is very impatient, in regards to his servants. He met Bridgette when he was just a small boy and would dream visit her. At first, he thought Bridgette was a figment of his imagination, but later figured out she was real. They were linked due to their lonely hearts and found comfort in each other. He loves Bridgette and would do anything to make her happy, which is why he is trying to capture all the mermaid princesses and his twin brother in order for them to be together. Felix’s biggest fear is to lose Bridgette. They have a very physical relationship.

Bridgette: Age 20

Once the kind and caring indigo princess, Bridgette now lives in the dark. She has a cold exterior when talking to anyone who isn’t Felix. Her hair that was once Periwinkle, has now turned completely black, while her eyes remain blue. She wears a long black strapless silk dress and covers her hair with a black cloth making it hard to see her face at times. Felix is the only one that knows she’s in the castle, keeping the sea demons in the dark of her presence. She cares deeply for Felix and very much loves him. She turned her back on her kingdom when she stole the key that locked away Felix in his castle and released him. They have a very physical relationship. She betrayed her kingdom when she found out the sad fate that Felix had to live. At a young age, she would have constant dreams about Felix, thinking they were just part of her imagination. Bridgette has always felt lonely in life due to her kingdom keeping her locked away from others. She felt suffocated in her own kingdom, finding peace with Felix. Wanting to give him the freedom he deserved and the chance to be together, Bridgette stole the Panthalassa key and freed him. Her hopes are to capture the other princesses and find Felix’s brother in order for them to rule the world together.

Alya: Age 21

In Slavonic, "Alya" means "beautiful" or "scarlet", possibly a reference to her red-brown hair. In Arabic, "Alya" means "sky," "heaven", or "loftiness".

She is the Princess of the Indian Ocean and the holder of the orange pearl. She is the only Princess to use her Ocean name on Land. Alya’s kingdom was attacked before Marinette, therefore she has been on land for a while.On land, Alya has her original hair color and length ( wavy reddish-brown Ombre hair). When she is in her mermaid form her hair is much longer and thicker and is tied into a high ponytail with an orange pearl covered scrunchies. She wears an orange-gold pearl headband crown, a treasure in the Indian Ocean Kingdom. Her hair turns into a red-orange, while her eyes turn from hazel to pale orange-yellow (Apricot). In her mermaid form, her tail is orange. Wrapped around the end of her tail are gold bangles. She wears an orange choker which is connected to a sheer orange shawl that stops midriff and parts in the middle of her chest. Like Marinette, she wears a bracelet around her upper right arm, expect its pumpkin color. She wears a vivid red-orange ( Coral) seashell bra and of course her princess orange shell pendant. In her idol form, she wears something that can only be described as a belly dancing outfit similar to Princess Jazmin. Alaya’s crown now has a sheer orange veil that covers her now loose red-orange hair. She wears a strong orange (orange peel color ) off-shoulder short sleeve crop top. The crop top is decorated with different shades of orange beads. Alya also wears a simple orange pearl belly chain.She wears sheer orange harem pants with an orange-yellow high street lace-up gladiator styled sandals that are tied onto the pants. She has an orange studded nose piercing and wears orange bangles on both her wrist. She also holds a white and blue microphone that holds her pearl as well.

When it comes to her songs for some reason I really was living for Alya having a style like Doja Cat in Say So. I don’t know why I went for that but honestly, it felt like it fir her. I would love to give her an Arabic song to sing as her mains song but I need help for that.

The songs I have her singing in the story so far:

Say So

Plastic Love Cover by Caitlin Myers

Tikki owns a club where Alya performs under the name “Rena Rouge”. She dances and sings. I picture her being very flirtatious and alluring, which is a trait all mermaids have. She’s a vixen when performing at the club. It’s at the club that she meets Nino. Alya plays hard to get, making sure to tease Nino until he begs for more.

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almondharry · 5 years

Text

you look so good : two

you look so good [9.1k]

“Let’s get some pasta, green beans, kidney beans, and some lentils.”

Genevieve’s nose scrunched. “I don’t even know what to do with lentils.”

“I have a great recipe for a dal curry. I’ll teach you, it’ll be perfect. We can make a whole day out of it.”

A whole day? For lentils? Genevieve opened and closed her mouth shut, no words came out.

Arnold’s Singularity Theory

October 26, 2019

Her back was hunched over the wooden desk beside her bed. The high pitched ringing of her alarm snapped her eyes open at six in the morning. The sky was a navy blue; she could make out the few dog walkers on the street. It was her only day off, but the piled work on her table argued otherwise.

Genevieve was alone in her freezing apartment. The heating was broken and when she told Mr. Goldwin, her landlord, he didn’t have his hearing aid on. She had a routine for Sundays: Wake up. Do practice problems. Make a cup of tea. Sleep.

A dull ache prodded between her shoulder blades, her spine was sorely unaligned. Her face was all sunken cheeks and shades of grey. The sweater bought last month suddenly became a few sizes too big.

The sun created hues of orange and reds. The blue that slowly peeked out at the sides made it seem like a bowl of dirty paint water being stirred. The evening stillness in her flat was interrupted by the sudden roar of an engine. As she looked out the window, a car zoomed down the road with a blaring radio. An animated lightning bolt was left behind, its speed meant it was gone within a blink. An unsettling feeling made itself a home in the pit of her stomach. She pictured it as swirls, starting off as small slow circles, and eventually growing into sharp hurried edges.

It was probably nothing, maybe university kids having a laugh, but she didn’t have the time to mull over it because the swinging of her front door and jingling of a bundle of keys sounded loudly.

Meena opened the door to her refrigerator and the only thing there was a flickering light bulb and an empty box of orange juice. A high pitched shrill followed.

“Gen!”

Genevieve was out of milk, eggs, and cereal.

She wouldn’t have given it another thought and might’ve ordered take out or popped in at the Smalls’ to split a pizza with Jonah, the neighbour’s kid who she tutored every once in a while. He was the only child of a single dad who worked too many hours at the construction site to make rent. He wasn’t home often and they had a silent understanding of popping in every couple days to keep an eye on him, much like Meena liked to keep tabs on Genevieve. Except, Genevieve wasn’t a scrawny teenage boy who needed to be looked after, something which Meena would refute without a shadow of doubt. At the current state of Genevieve’s flat, the jury would easily side with Meena Ahmed.

Meena had a hand on her hip, her lips pressed in a firm line. She took a deep breath, pinching the carton between her thumb and index finger. “Gen-e-vieve!”

Meena put her foot down and opened the trash can only to find it overflowing. She held back a gag.

“Genevieve!”

After some rustling and movement on the other side of the wall, her feet stumbled out of her bedroom. An unimpressed snarl on her face, Genevieve’s body leaned against the doorway.

“I think by now everyone in this bloody building knows my name,” she said with a textbook in one hand and a pen in the other. She had not looked away from the pages. She hurriedly scratched an answer to her practice problems before it could float away from her brain. “That’s exactly the information they need to kick me out.”

Meena was in her work out clothes, a bright pink neon top with matching trainers. She looked straight out of a healthy living ad. She had glossy black hair, almond shaped eyes, and always smelled of fresh daisies. She had that all American smile and pearly whites that were blinding. She was into juicing, kale, and art history.

“What is this?”

“What’s what?” Genevieve inquired, her eyes glued on the next problem.

When a moment of silence went by and no response was given, her head shot up.

Her eyes flickered from the trash can—she thought she saw something move in there— to the open door of her empty refrigerator. Her lips fell into an O shape.

“When you told me you went to the shops on Tuesday, I didn’t know you were talking about two bloody weeks ago,” Meena huffed as she bent down to tie a knot on the black bag, her nose scrunched up. It was atypical to hear her accent try out British sayings, but amusing nonetheless. “Have you been eating?”

“Don’t be so dramatic. I do have instant noodles on the shelf. And I mainly eat at the diner.” Genevieve shrugged, her attention migrated back to her pages. What at first glance looked like to be ten simple problems turned out to be a mess of numbers and formulas that weren’t making any sense.

“That God awful place serves nothing but heart disease! It takes a whole stack of napkins to soak up that grease!” Meena scoffed as she replaced the bin with a fresh bag. On multiple occasions, she had cornered a frightened Walter to discuss his technique and may have even manipulated him to add a vegan alternative to his infamous pancakes. Thanks to Meena, Flo’s now served gluten-free, vegetarian, and no sugar added options. Genevieve firmly believed Walter did it out of fear, but he won’t admit it. “And instant noodles are not a meal, we have talked about this.”

“‘Course they are! An efficient one too.”

“What happened to ‘We’re gonna change things this year, Meena! Real changes! You won’t recognize me by the time I’m done’?”

If there was one thing Meena Ahmed took seriously, it was New Year’s resolutions. She kept every one ever since she was old enough to make them. She hadn’t missed a gym day for the past three years. When she said she would take on meditation, she actually did. When her mind became set on studying abroad in London, on January first, she was boarding a plane.

So when the following December 31st hit and Genevieve was one too many drinks in with Meena, she found herself making empty promises of eating better and taking care of herself. Little did Meena know that to Genevieve, resolutions were much like a two-week free trial. As soon as that time frame was up, you could up and go.

“I put in a solid effort for a week, and that’s what counts!”

“We need to go to the shops. You have nothing here. You need a list.” The pen between Genevieve’s fingers was swiped and the tearing of paper was quick from her notebook. She was also very much into being intrusive. “Let’s start off with the basics. Eggs, milk, bread. Do you want tea?”

“I can do my own groceries! I’m not a child, Meena!”

“Could’ve fooled me. By the looks of it, you’ve been living off frosted flakes. Do you even know where the closest store is?”

Genevieve scoffed and propped herself on the counter with the back of her elbows. “Of course I do, I am very much capable of taking care of myself.”

Meena paused. Her body turned towards Genevieve with her full, utmost attention. Her eyes scanned her from head to toe, Genevieve was being appraised.

She didn’t put effort to hide the worried crinkle forming between her brows. “Have you showered today? Changed your clothes?”

Genevieve wasn’t a slob, but she did let herself go at times. It was something that Meena, who religiously went to get fresh manicures every two weeks, couldn’t quite grasp.

“Oh, sod off! I was just about to run myself a bath before you came barreling in.”

She wasn’t, but Meena didn’t need to know that.

“Hm, what type of tea?” Meena asked after rolling her eyes dismissively.

“Green, please.”

“Let’s get some pasta, green beans, kidney beans, and some lentils.”

Genevieve’s nose scrunched. “I don’t even know what to do with lentils.”

“I have a great recipe for a dal curry. I’ll teach you, it’ll be perfect. We can make a whole day out of it.”

A whole day? For lentils? Genevieve opened and closed her mouth shut, no words came out. She sighed, getting Meena to budge was a faraway dream. She rubbed her strained eyes as Meena listed off something about the lack of vitamins in her diet. She was now on a tangent explaining how an increase in omega-3 and healthy fats in her diet could be beneficial when Genevieve's front door knob jiggled. There was a grunt and a strategic kick to the door, and it flew open.

“Gen!” he panted, his tongue slipped out unintentionally like a dog. His cheeks were flushed a cherry red, probably from the trek up the stairs. Jonah’s backpack was twice the size of him. He wore a shirt with his favourite comic book character, its armpits a shade darker than the rest of his shirt.

He had a ghost white face and his left eye twitched. “Hey, bud, you alright?” Genevieve raised a brow.

Little lungs took in a heavy breath, quite like pulling the handles of a bicycle air pump up.

“I don’t get the trigonometric equations! I have a test tomorrow! Mrs. Hansuld was going over the review in class and it looked like she was speaking Russian— and I know I should’ve been studying last week but they just released the new version of Triton Galaxy X and it was just so beyond cool, Gen. I am already on level twelve, and, well, now I have a test and I don’t know any of it. Nothing. Zero. I don’t think I can even add numbers anymore.”

Genevieve looked at Meena. Her mouth was parted from shock as she blinked at the frazzled boy in front of them. “You’re so tiny… but you, you speak so much and so fast.”

“Um, actually, you’re mistaken.” He raised an accusing finger. His height was a sensitive topic. He was at the stage where all his friends were getting growth spurts and growing like weeds, whereas he had yet to experience his own. “I am almost five foot and that is within the normal height range on WebMD, Docs4You and according to my pediatrician.”

Genevieve found it amusing that his voice reached a higher pitch the more defensive he got. He was a whistle by the end of his sentence. It also didn’t help that his last name was Smalls and kids in school could be cruel.

“‘Course, yeah, I’m sorry. My bad.” Meena nodded quickly. She knew she hit a nerve as she backed up slowly. She scratched the back of her neck. “Um, well, Gen and I were planning on picking up groceries, but I’ll go grab ‘em.”

“Great, I’ll go take my books out.” Jonah dragged his bag like a potato sack into the living room.

“You really don’t have to, Meena.”

“Gen, it’s no big deal,” she brushed off. “Anyway, I don’t think your pal wants me around much. I need an escape and maybe a magazine too.”

When Meena gulped uncomfortably, Genevieve shook her head. She pushed herself off the counter.

“Here take my card.” Genevieve shoved the plastic rectangle into Meena’s hand. A comforting squeeze was given. “If you get him one of those milk chocolate bars, he will forgive you in ten minutes tops.”

“Right,” Meena laughed. “I’ll be back in no time.”

***

October 27, 2019

There was a buzzing.

The room was swallowed in darkness, the crescent moon that hung behind the window didn’t provide enough light to warrant a quick search. It was enough of a reason for Genevieve to shut her half opened lids.

Except that the buzzing began again.

Genevieve groaned into her pillow until the nuisance came to a full stop. Whoever was beckoning her attention could do without it until the sun came up. There was an ache in her neck from the poor posture that her body folded in. To top it off, she had an 8:00 a.m. class. There were not enough hours in the night so she was clinging on to any thread of peace. She tossed and turned until she got the sheets pooled around her in just the right way.

Just when Genevieve was about to slip into the blissful state of unconsciousness, the aggravating buzz started once more. The less than pleased frown on her lips could surely make fresh flowers wilt. Her limbs were heavy with sleep as she moved her duvet to find the pesky device. Genevieve lived in a shithole. Labelling her room a shoe box would be bordering glamorous. Although, it did make it easier to find things.

It took a couple of shuffles and twists to hear the thud of a screen colliding against the floorboard. The damn thing was still ringing. The brightness on the unknown caller screen made her face glow blue and the back of her eyes burn; she shut them while blindly hitting the green circle.

“Hm?” Her voice croaked.

“You know the time I got you out of a thing?”

Their words were slurred and the glowing digits on her windowsill read 5:26 a.m. This meant one thing only. “No, sorry. Wrong number.”

Genevieve brought the phone away from her face, and just as her finger hovered over the red circle, a needy yelp cried out.

“Gen! Don’t hang up!”

Her eyes rolled with an aggravated sigh, fingers reluctantly pressing the device to the side of her head. There was sleep crusted in the corners of her eyes and she had to blink a couple of times to adjust to the darkness.“What do you want, Niall?”

“You see, I’m in this predicament… and I might need someone sober and with a car.”

“Then call a bloody Uber. Who do you think I am?”

“Look, I thought that. But—”

There was rustling on the other side. After some bickering, another voice spoke through the line.

“Gen, come get this tosser or else he will pass out on my floor. I swear, I’ll lock up with him inside.”

“How bad is he?” Genevieve was already pushing aside textbooks on her floor in search of a pair of trousers. With one leg inside and the receiver pressed between her cheek and shoulder, she hopped on her bedroom floor.

“Not good. He is a right mess.”

“I’ll be there in ten. Just keep giving him water, please? Thanks for the ring, Ted.” She knew Niall well enough to know that this wasn’t his bright and shiny idea. If it were up to him, he would pass out on a park bench.

“Got your number scratched on the wall for a reason.” The click sounded on the other side, then the line dropped afterwards.

It was true. If you looked hard enough you could make out the chicken scratched scribbles right under the faux payphone mounted inside The Cabinet, where the beers were cheap and Niall Horan was reachable at the slightest inconvenience that struck his life. Last week, it was because he had failed his mid-term. This week, the problem was blonde and walking across campus and shared one too many of his courses.

“No, Gen, she’s just too gorgeous, it’s unbelievable. I think I am in love.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how it’s supposed to happen, but congrats.”

Ted adored Niall immensely when he was bringing more business to the pub and getting the word out, not when he was a blubbering mess on the sticky countertops. He sipped his drinks like water to the point that Ted would morph into a psychiatrist. This happened so often that it had become a ritual. The day Niall stopped burdening him with his problems was a day that failed to exist.

Much like her room, the small flat didn’t have the lights on. Genevieve didn’t need them to navigate her path, her fingers haphazardly pulled on her boots and plucked the bundle of keys from a mug.

Her car, a well-loved hand-me-down, was nothing lavish. It got her from point A to B without much resistance on good days. Her foot eased on the gas, with the route was well versed and memorized. After a couple of stop signs, her destination would be reached. The streets were empty and not one car was spotted at any intersections.

A light breeze roamed around and brought goosebumps to the surface of her skin. She should’ve brought a sweater, she thought, as her teeth began to chatter. Her dark hair was haphazardly twisted into a bun and rested on the top of her head. The car door shut behind her as she quickly jogged across the street to where the pub was located.

The street was lonely.

There were only a handful of people that would be up at this hour. This subgroup of people definitely did not include her. She thought she was still partly asleep when there was a familiar figure pacing down the sidewalk towards her. Maybe it was the dark, but even after she rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palms, the slope of the person remained familiar. As they got closer, the once blurred image sharpened, and she felt her stomach flip.

A slight panic arose in Genevieve’s eyes. He was too close of a distance for her to dash through the doors, and it would’ve been clear that she was making a run from him. She doesn’t recall when exactly their encounters began to turn dreadful. But the reality of the situation wasn’t how, it was the fact that they had. This was the second time he stood across from her. The rate of their reunions was at an all time high after years spent apart. It made a heavy weight rest on her chest, her own personal Sisyphus boulder.

Tiptoeing and maneuvering their way around each other was the hardest part. There wasn’t a book in the world that taught you how to stand across someone that you once spoke to every day. There was a time Genevieve could tell what each tilt, rise, and fall of Harry’s face meant. How do you go from sharing friends, laughter, a life, to becoming nothing short of hollow strangers? As they stood across from each other on an empty street, they only shared blank stares.

“Hi.” His breathing was a bit uneven, and Genevieve saw the beginnings of roses bloom on his cheek under the streetlights. His moose coloured hair was tucked under a beanie and there was a slight stubble on his chin.

“You are running?” Genevieve squinted at him. Navy gym shorts hung off his hips and a full sleeve athletic shirt was on top. “At five in the morning?”

Genevieve hated how Harry looked brand new. In the midst of a mountain worth of chaos and hurt, how he managed to look shiny, pre-packaged, and unopened was well beyond her. She had to hold herself together with her bare arms when her seems unravelled. Harry was happier before Genevieve and it was something she had to be okay with. There was no specific reason why. It was just how reality worked.

“By the time I’m done, it will be six. I’ll have to get up anyway.” His shoulders rose and fell in a mindless shrug. Genevieve brought her arms to fold across her chest, her fists cuddled under her armpits to trap heat.

“You’re insane.” Genevieve shook her head. The neon trainers he had on rivalled the brightness of the open sign hung on the doors of The Cabinet. When Genevieve thought she had made enough of an effort at a civil conversation, she turned around to push the heavy glass door. There was nothing else to say to him.

Conversation with Harry wasn’t always a chore. She was able to speak without having to think twice or second guess herself. Now, it seemed like every word led to a dead end of an inescapable maze.

Genevieve accepted that Harry was no longer the person she came to with her favourite songs, books and a cup of tea. She wondered if whatever reminiscent memoir she had in her memory of him served true till today. Her Harry was never the sober driver or the early bird runner. She did not expect him to stay the same. No, that would be cruel. But a small part of her wanted to know if she had known him at all.

Before her weight gave to the door, his voice chimed up.

“You’re drinking?”

“God no, I’m, um—No. I’m here for a friend.” Genevieve paused, a deep breath circled her lungs and helped her string some words together. “He’s gone a bit over the top.” She chuckled. It wasn’t soft and light, but rather felt like sandpaper.

“Oh, right. ‘Course.” Harry rubbed at the back of his neck with his fingers. He blinked to the ground, the cracked concrete suddenly became much more of an interest. “I wasn’t— it’s just, I run this route every morning and I never see you and maybe I thought—”

“It’s okay, Harry.” He began to run his fingers through his hair, the beanie scrunched in his left hand. “I really need to help my friend, yeah?”

“Right, I’ll see you around?”

Genevieve left his question hung in the air like forgotten laundry on a washing line. She thought it was better than saying I hope not. She didn’t want to mention that she tried to avoid him to the best of her ability. Genevieve knew his habits, his patterns. She had knowledge about places he went to, so, naturally, she didn’t. It was a triumph for her to go without months of seeing him. But there was only so much she could do. Juggling probabilities of his whereabouts would never assign her a one hundred percent assurance of erasing him, even with a ninety-nine percent confidence interval.

“Genny?” he called out again. The rational part of her wanted to pretend she didn’t hear him and walk through the door. Instead, she took a breath through her nose and turned around slowly. She wrapped her arms tighter together as the temperature dropped by the second. “Um, do you think we could talk sometime?”

There was a frailness to his voice. He was nervous. Genevieve knew this because he had made a mess of his hair with the number of times his fingers combed it back.

The next words off her tongue painted a sad smile on his raspberry chapped lips. He looked exhausted, the grey shadows under his eyes beckoned her to not beat around the bush.

“We are talking, Harry.”

Confrontation was a foreign concept to Genevieve. Brushing it under the rug and forgetting about it seemed the best way for her. If it is out of sight, it will be out of mind. But Harry had other plans. He wanted to strip the house down and uncover every corner Genevieve thought to be her hiding spot. It was an intrusion and she didn’t want him to come knocking down doors.

“No, I mean—”

“It was nice seeing you,” she said, her mouth set into a thin, straight line as she held eye contact. They were still the same deep green with golden flecks. She had seen them angry, hopeful, teary, but right now they were desperate.

The slight tilt to her head told Harry not to push it. To leave things as they were. He served as a walking reminder of loss and all the things she wanted to forget. Their situation did not have to go back to a normal distribution; their data was skewed, and the standard deviation was large enough to wedge a significant distance from their past to present.

Change was good, even if it was different. Over time, the further apart she was from him the better it was for her. And she hoped it was the same for him.

No one warned Genevieve that holding a grudge required discipline and so much energy. She felt drained, her bones became weak enough they could snap in half. There was no brochure that outlined the ins and out of the process. Your brain worked overtime to disguise clenched jaws and tight fists without any compensation.

On the surface, everything appeared smooth and stonelike. Beneath, lied the hot white anger. That type of anger was something no one wanted to intentionally claim; it was an orphan. It builds and builds and builds until you cannot see through it. You’re blinded, you’re revengeful.

“Yeah.” Harry swallowed a lump in his throat. He teetered on the balls of his feet and toes with his bottom lip caged between his teeth. He was debating on what to say next, and Genevieve wished it would be something short and quick. She wanted him to say a casual goodbye that was heard between strangers in a coffee shop or book store. Something that didn’t make her want to burst into a river of tears. “One more thing.”

“Hm?”

“Nice shirt.” There was a quirk to one side of his mouth where a dimple had coined itself on his cheek. It was an innocent compliment. Something a friend might say to another. Before she could give a reply, he had turned around and broken into a light jog.

Genevieve watched his figure become muddy until the darkness hid him completely. It was an odd thing to say, her appearance was something she could give less of a shit about at five in the morning. She had literally gotten out in the clothes she slept in.

Genevieve brushed his words off. She wanted a dry goodbye and he delivered. It was nothing more.

Without thinking twice, she pushed the doors open and warmth from inside greeted her. The pub remained looking the same since she had walked in with her two best mates three years before. It was a hole in the wall, fixed in between a thrifting and convenience store. It littered with mismatched chairs and alcohol stains, a pool table and dart boards lined the further corner, and a random sports channel glowed on the box TV. Niall’s blond hair was easily spotted; it laid on the century old cherry wood bar. The posture his back was slumped on the stool insured neck cramps.

The doors behind the bar came swinging open as the bells above chimed of her entrance. A rag rested on his shoulder and he wore a well loved band shirt from his touring days. For someone who was found frowning on most days, Ted beamed a smile at Genevieve.

“Good! You’re here!” His shoulders dropped in relief as she made her way closer to her friend. “He’s been miserable.”

“Gen? Is that you?” Niall grumbled from his position. “Oh, shut it, Ted. You’re giving me no option but to take my money elsewhere,” Niall slurred as he lifted his head off the wood. There were lines indented on his cheek from his possible snooze.

“Those are empty words.” Ted rolled his eyes easily and used his rag to clean up the surface that Niall previously occupied.

“You know what else is empty, Theodore? This glass!” It rattled against the countertop when Niall dramatically set it down.

Ted’s shoulders shook as he chuckled, crinkles lining the corners of his eyes. “I’m not pouring you another drop, mate.”

“Who said it was for me? Have you seen Gen? She looks proper in need of a few.”

With a deep sigh, Genevieve took the stool beside Niall. Her head slowly turned to scan the pub. A place that was the heart of loud laughter and cheers was dimmed down since they were the only ones. With her elbows propped up on the counter, she pressed her index fingers to her temples.

“You do look a bit poorly. Under the weather?”

“No, not at the moment,” she sighed.

“Well, you look like shit,” Niall blurted.

“Thanks, Niall, really.” Genevieve glared with a frown. “Remind me to never do a kind thing for you ever again. Sorry I wasn’t in full glam when you called at ass crack of dawn.”

“Did you see a ghost or something? You look sick.” Niall squinted his eyes and pinched her cheek between his thumb and index finger. It was rather quickly slapped away with a snarl. “Ouch!”

“Nothing a pint can’t cure.” A tall glass slid in front of Genevieve. Condensation dripped and pooled on the counter. The frothy foam rested on top and sat at the rim without tipping over. “On the house.”

A Stella didn’t sound like a bad idea to Genevieve. She felt like she deserved one. After all, two encounters with the person she disliked the most was beginning to become exhausting. The car keys weighed down in her pocket, her bones ached and her temples pulsed. A tired yawn stretched her face as the drink laid rested on the cherry wood.

Niall scoffed as Genevieve stared at the drink for a moment too long. “If you don’t take it, I will!”

His fingers crept to grasp the glass, and Genevieve batted his greedy hands away. “Paws off, Niall.”

A cold drink couldn’t hurt, she decided. The first sip eased the tense muscles in her shoulders. Niall found a basket of chips to pick at in the meantime. He probably ordered them to soak up his alcohol intake.

Genevieve could hear Ted in the kitchen. The shifting of pots and pans meant that he was officially closing up for the night. She thought the least she could do was flip the remaining barstools on the counter.

In the two seconds that she had abandoned her glass, she had turned to see Niall gulping like fish.

“No more!” He made a strangled sound as the rim was pulled from his lips. “Don’t need your puke in my car.”

Genevieve threw back what was left of the drink. “You could just pull the window down and I’ll mind me business.”

Genevieve squinted her eyes to catch a better look at Niall and she noticed he was turning a few shades greener. He had on a dopey grin and his eyes were almost shut. Niall became whiny when he got sick, and if Genevieve were to let that happen in the pub there would be no chance of him leaving.

“How about we get you to an actual sink, yeah?”

With an arm thrown over her shoulder and Niall almost near collapsing on her, she yelled a farewell to Ted. He was more preoccupied with rubbing the stove clean but he got the message, yelling muffled goodbye of his own.

The car parked across the street never felt further away. Niall was in his own world, mumbling some drunk words into her hair. Genevieve caught some that thanked her for taking care of him. She took each step slowly.

Getting Niall into the passenger seat was a process, one she thought she had got down pat. She had done everything as planned, put his head to the right, made sure he had enough room to stretch his legs and of course, double checked to see if he had his phone and wallet on him. Apparently, this was taking too long and Niall reached over to slam the door shut.

Genevieve had jumped back just in time that no fingers were caught between doors. She sighed in relief before shooting a glare at Niall. He looked at the fabric that stretched from her stomach. “Oops?”

Genevieve rolled her eyes at Niall, who burst into giggles because it turned out everything was more hilarious at 5:00 a.m. She tugged at the material.

It was old and ratty. It was two sizes too big and hung off her frame, there were stains, holes, some she never remembered putting in herself. It took her a moment, with the fabric bunched between her digits, the gears in her brain set into place. The sharp intake of breath hit the back of her throat and the air on the street suddenly froze.

***

October 27, 2019

“It’s stupid, Gen.” The clicking of a game controller didn’t halt. The animated character on the screen ran towards a glowing torch. Jonah adjusted the headpiece he had on over his ears, probably muting himself so the other kids wouldn’t hear Genevieve lecture him. Beside him sat a bowl of finished popcorn on the sofa, like his player two, and unpopped kernels rattled every time he enthusiastically surged towards the TV screen.

“This is due in two days, Jonah,” Genevieve emphasized. She had unzipped his backpack. His agenda was hard to read, his chicken scratch writing almost made Genevieve mistake a significant date for scribbles. It was for his English class, something that he had yet to mention, which Genevieve found odd because he always told her about his school work. Okay, it was more like Genevieve made sure he told her, but same thing regardless. “How are you planning on starting and editing and finishing it?”

She knew better than to talk to boys in the middle of a game. There was no use. Her experience regarding it only went one way, everything went in one ear and out the other. It was fascinating, really; their eyes would glaze over and for a short ten minutes the real world wouldn’t exist. They would become so immersed in whatever universe was in front of them. It had been once explained to Genevieve as almost the same thing as reading a good book, but with the exception that the player was put in charge of the main character’s decisions.

His tongue poked out at the side and the Playstation keys were innocent victims to his quick jabs. His shoulders deflated when the message on the screen informed him of the scoreboard. He grumbled something under his breath before his miniature joystick highlighted the option to opt for another round. “I’ll edit it while I’m writing it.” He shrugged mindlessly.

“I’m being serious.”

“I am too.”

“What’s up with you? You usually love finishing your assignments for Mrs. Yu’s class.”

“Look how stupid the prompt is,” Jonah grumbled. Genevieve’s fingers were already pulling out a crumpled rubric and pressing it flat so it stayed without folding in on itself. Eyes scanned the short blurb of instructions which Jonah soon summarized. “Pick a month and personify it. What type of pretentious—”

“I think it’s very neat. Creative. Have you selected a month yet?”

“Sure.” His flat tone said otherwise.

Genevieve rolled her eyes at his antics. “If you don’t spend enough time on this, she will give you an easy fifty. That will bring down your average and universities look at that. What will you do then?”

She reached over to the table to take a sip from her water bottle.

The Smalls residence was the same layout when compared to her flat, so it didn’t take long to get familiar to it. Granted, it was more furnished and had Jonah’s gaming consoles already hooked up to use. The latter being the deciding factor of Jonah’s executive decision to procrastinate his work for another week. Usually, Jonah would pop in after school to Genevieve’s, but she had just returned from a shift at the diner and his door was cracked ajar.

Like many days, his father left for the construction site and wouldn’t be back until after dinner, and the only appliance Jonah knew how to use was a microwave. Genevieve had some food which Walter packed for her and it was more than enough to share with a growing boy. His diet was worse than hers. He could go weeks on Pop Tarts and Twizzlers from his cafeteria vending machine. Plus, he wasn’t bad company to have around.

“Easy. Play the dead mum card. Works like a charm.”

Genevieve spluttered the water out, coughing since it had gone down the wrong tube.

“Jonah!”

Her jaw went slack and her eyes widened, a slight worry arose. She wasn’t well versed on the ins and outs of parenting—she preferred to see him as a younger sibling— or child trauma, but even she had a hunch that there was something troubling and incredibly off about the way he had referred to the passing of his mother so nonchalantly.

“What?” Jonah asked, dumbfounded.

“You can’t just say stuff like that!”

“‘Course I can. You have no idea the amount of pity and sympathy they throw at your feet. At first, I despised it, because obviously I wasn’t a knocked over puppy like they were making me out to be.” His character on the screen jumped to deflect an obstacle. A triumph smile was the direct result. “But then, I was like what the hell, you know? Like if it’s there already, why not play my cards right and score some sort of advantage from it?”

Genevieve blinked. She tilted her head to attempt understanding his analogy.

“Well, that sure is one way to look at it,” she said after a short pause. “But I am not gonna let you do that to Mrs. Yu. Something tells me you’ve already done it one too many times.”

He paused his game and finally turned to her, giving her more than his side profile at last. A hellish grin split his face. “How else do you think I got a month extension on that book report and a perfect score on our last quiz?”

“I don’t know… I had assumed hard work and honesty?”

“Wake up, Gen! This is the real world and the rules are different in this game!”

“Alright, bud, you’re cut off from this game.” Genevieve pushed the power button on the TV remote that laid limply to her right. The screen became black with a click. Jonah’s back hit the backrest of the sofa, the bouncy cushion slightly propelled him further before absorbing his weight. “Let’s at least get started on a rough copy, how does that sound?”

He groaned with his head tilted back and eyes shut. “Excruciating, torturous, maybe illegal.”

“I’m asking you to get a start on your project, not abducting you.” His pace to grab the rest of his belongings from the table two meters away from him could rival a snail. “Now, do you have a month in mind?”

“I was thinking maybe like February, December, or even October.” He opened an empty page in his notebook and clicked the top of his mechanical pencil to give away some lead. “Because, like, it will be easy to build a character off them because they all have some sort of festive holiday thing to them.”

“That’s a great start. But don’t you think it’s a bit expected? It is a creative piece, so let’s maybe brainstorm something out of the box. Try picking a month that doesn’t have a holiday attached to it.”

He sighed deeply through his nose. The thought of putting in a smidge bit of effort was like pulling teeth.

Jonah had started to doodle in the margins. He drew three tallies, evenly spread, and added another row of them. He then connected them in a way which Genevieve recognizes to be the symbol on a superhero’s chest.

“August?”

Genevieve swallowed a bug.

“Why did you pick that? What significance does it have to you?” Genevieve doesn’t miss a beat, it aided to mask her surprise.

“Well, I don’t know!” He throws his hands up exasperatedly. “You said pick one, so I did.” He pointed out, his tone reminded Genevieve of how a middle schooler says “duh”.

“Come on. Think a bit.”

“It’s like... sort of like the last month of summer and it brings in fall. Which is the season where we witness life slip away, but barely because it happens so slowly.”

Genevieve’s heart swells for two reasons. Jonah was a bright kid, well beyond his age. It was something he hid and purposefully tried his utmost best not to let shine through. Genevieve had guessed the reason behind his reluctance was mainly because Jonah was at that age where he just wanted to fit in and not stand out like a sore thumb. But every once in a blue moon, he would slip up. When he allowed himself to think out loud, his ideas lined in a way where it wasn’t just the tip of the iceberg anymore. The depth gave away his brilliance.

The first time Genevieve was left speechless by him was when he analyzed one of his favourite comic book characters with an intensity that put the burning sun to shame. Then again when he asked her to edit his essay on a world issue. And once more when he asked her how to approach a girl in his science class that he clearly fancied. Genevieve tried to define this tendency of his as a recurring variable in Jonah’s equation.

In many more ways than one, August held an importance like no other to Genevieve. It was a month that was easily overlooked because it was caught in a war for attention between the summer months and upcoming winter holidays. Its propinquity to strong competition was something that made it easy to forget. If it was a person, she was sure it would be a quiet boy around her age. Probably with a penchant for befriending girls and breaking hearts so slowly that you don’t even know it’s happening.

Genevieve hummed in agreement with Jonah.

“Go on.”

“Let’s say if I were to go with this month, I wouldn’t focus on death because that would be something colder, like December or January or like the first snowfall.” His pencil sounded against his notebook. A string of notes were effortlessly coming together as Jonah continued. He suddenly stopped writing and his face scrunched in thought as he stared at the blank TV screen with as much focus that could convince you it was on. “I think August is knowing you’re losing someone or something without the assurance of finding them again... and letting it deliberately happen.”

“Isn’t that almost death?” Genevieve raised a brow.

“Almost, but not quite.” He tapped his pencil to the metal like coils that ran down the side. “August is loss, parting away. You know, something along the lines of donating old clothes, a friend becoming a stranger, even placing car keys somewhere different.”

Genevieve knew exactly what he was talking about. She couldn’t really describe the feeling of losing a friend in words with sharp precision. It was the same as repeating a word again and again until it came to the point you deluded yourself into thinking it belongs to another language completely.

Jonah peered up, awaiting a response or another prompt to further his development. Instead, Genevieve smiled sadly and shakes her head.

“What?!”

“Nothing.” She laughed softly, a bit winded.

There was just something about him that was light years ahead. Something so pure and good and applaudable that made you think about the character that so many adults lacked and how it was sitting in front of you in a corked up bottle of a preteen boy. He had lost his mother, his father wasn’t around, he didn’t have many friends at school, and he picked the month of August. He had hit the nail on what it was so eloquently that Genevieve could burst into tears. But she refrained, instead opted to narrow her eyes jokingly his way.

“You’re just too smart for your own good, is all.”

That night she went to sleep thinking about August.

How he probably wore wrinkled shirts so effortlessly, with his hair in a gentle disarray. People would make a note to comment on his ridiculously long eyelashes, but she favoured his eyes. They were round and shiny and reminded her of a cloudy marble, the colour of slate. He was charming but had an air of coyness about him that was inviting and deliberate. With skin the colour of oat and a smile like rain, it came or it didn't, he was a knockout. She hypothesized the variable that contributed to his allure had less to do with his looks and more with how he made you feel.

He made you feel wanted, he made you feel like you were someone.

***

October 31, 2016

It didn’t take long for Genevieve to spot him, his back was slouched against the red brick wall of a tall building. A pair of old wayfarers sat on the bridge of his nose and his arms pretzeled over his chest easily. His jaw went slack then tight, this pattern repeated like clockwork until Genevieve got close enough to notice he was working a piece of gum lazily. With his head tilted to the sky and one leg crossed over the other, he was imitating textbook boredom.

“Do you have it?” Dried leaves crunched beneath the sole of his boots as he unravelled his legs and stood up straighter than before as Genevieve’s figure approached near. She could tell he was raising his brows, but they didn’t make an appearance, still hidden behind his frames.

“Yeah.” Genevieve dipped her index finger and thumb to the front right side pocket of her jeans. It took some wiggling to pluck out a piece of metal, smooth on one side and teeth jagged on the other. The metal was warm when dropped into his open palm. “Why the sudden need for it? Have you finally taken up my advice on actually locking your doors yet?”

It was natural for him to give Genevieve a spare key, a strategy that had served him well on multiple occasions. He had lost his more than once within the span of the first two months of getting his flat. This habit had come to a point that recovery was not an option; he preferred to keep his door unlocked anyway. Genevieve pointed out it was a safety hazard, but he liked to call it being efficient. In between locking himself out or forgetting his own key, Genevieve was a dependable solution.

“Not quite, don’t get too ahead of yourself.” She had seen his long black eyelashes hit the inside of his sunglasses, a clear indicator of him rolling his eyes. “I need it for a friend. He doesn’t have a place to stay for a while, and I offered the couch. Are you done with your lectures for the day?”

“I’m afraid not. Got one more and I’m free,” Genevieve sighed defeatedly. She shifted her bag from her right shoulder to the left. Today, she only had her laptop and one textbook, but the strap of her bag still created red dents on her shoulders from the weight. “Did you end up going to your tutorial?”

He gave her a look that was enough of an answer. His glasses rose on his face as a result of him scrunching his nose up in disgust. The tips of his mouth pulled downwards as sourness glazed his features.

“If it’s before noon, I’m not going; you know this, Genny.” He rubbed his nose with the back of his finger. “Can I tempt you to skip by offering the first round at The Cabinet?”

“It’s like…” Genevieve glanced at her wrist watch. “One.”

“I’m not hearing a no.” He grinned, a smile pressed deeply into his face. “Come on, Gen! You’ll get to meet my pal too. I think you’ll get along really well. And Ted is offering half off today. It’s a win-win. What could be more important than good company?”

“Dynamic Systems Differential Equations, unfortunately.” The course name was a mouthful and her dull tone was enough insight into what it was like.

“That sounds like a migraine.”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it.” She laughed sans humour already picturing the formulas needed for her practice problems. “Speaking of migraines, what are we doing as costumes for Hannah Morton’s party?”

He squinted his eyes and paused for a moment. Migraine Morton was a nickname that stuck onto the bottom of your sneaker like chewing gum. “Is that tonight?”

“Well it is the thirty-first of October.” Her arms stretched to gesture towards the building she had exited from. “Do the carved pumpkins and the stick on ghost figures not make that obvious enough?”

“Fuck, I don’t know.” He winced in reply to her previous question. A fingernail scratched at the corner of his forehead. “I was thinking of piggybacking off whatever you’re dressed as.”

Genevieve’s brows creased and her head tilted. “What do you mean?”

“If you’re Frankenstein, I’ll be the doctor.” He pointed to Genevieve and then to himself. “Bonnie, Clyde. Sherlock, Watson.”

“You want to go coordinating? Isn’t that a bit…”

“What?” He prompted with a laugh spluttering from his lips. It was fresh and bright, and Genevieve didn’t know exactly when it would stop sounding like this. He had amusement glittering in his gaze, there was a youthfulness about him that was so prominent and bold. He leaned closer. “Are you too cool to go coordinating now? Don’t tell me you can’t sit beside me at the lunch table too.”

It was ironic because they both knew Genevieve had always chose him to split her fruit roll-up candy since pre-school. In return, he would never pick up the red smarties whenever they shared a pack because those were her favourite, despite the number of times you told her the colour doesn’t affect the taste.

“I don’t know, a bit coupley? I mean, it worked well when we were eight. Would you think Hannah would mind?”

To this, he scoffed.

“Of course not, don’t be ridiculous. Why would she?”

“She’s clearly into you, like a lot, and I don’t want to get in the middle of that. And I hear she’s going around saying that she’s your girlfriend.”

He closed his eyes gently and breathes out a sigh. “She’s not my—”

“I know that! You know that! But does she?”

His phone buzzed and the question hung in the air until his fingers stopped their dance on the screen. He looked over her shoulder as if waiting for someone.

“Doesn’t matter, she will soon enough.” He shrugged, his voice was distracted and far away. And that was one thing about him that Genevieve couldn’t shake off no matter how hard she tried. He broke hearts knowingly, and did it anyway. “What time do you want me to come pick you up?”

“I’m done with class at five. I’ll have to stop by Party City at six, then do my modules so that will take me till nine, then I—” Rolling tires sounded loudly against the pavement as they approached behind her. The closer they got, the less time she had to finish her train of thought. The radio was a few notches down from its max setting.

“Be ready at nine. No later.” He gripped her shoulders with both hands, brought her close and pressed a messy kiss against her hair. He smelled of cigarettes and toothpaste and beer.

“No, I won’t be, I have to do my laundry and—”

“Great. Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

And he was gone. He opened and shut the passenger side of the beat up Honda Civic in two seconds. The driver was familiar to Genevieve, it was another blonde, not Hannah, with thick eyeliner. She was a regular turn up at every monotonous party thrown each weekend. She had seen her get too close to him on more than one instance. He convinced Genevieve to poke in at a few, but the scene was like a broken record and her lack of interest dwindled in them too quickly.

It once even prompted her to bring her textbook to do practice problems to keep her from falling asleep as drunk students lit up a joint around her. Every once in a while he would trap grey smoke in his cheeks and blow it directly on her face to elicit a scowl, something he found beyond hilarious when his inhibitions weren’t intact.

The girl’s hair was knotted and she had a less than pleased demeanour, probably nursing a hangover of her own. She stomped her foot down on the gas. He didn’t even have his seatbelt done before their bodies lurched backwards and the car zoomed out from the parking lot of the mathematical sciences department building. The radio became only a faint sound away the longer Genevieve stood there.

By the time she got to Party City, the student working behind the counter gave her an apologetic look. All the decent costumes were sold out. He led her to the back of the store where the remaining costumes were kept. Being a university student meant she couldn’t break the bank for something so trivial. In the plastic bin lied a pair of fangs and a deflated witches hat that had a tear near the rim. There were masks, but she would be better off by taking a paintbrush to her face.

She sighed deeply, her lips pursing in thought. It was obvious her plans of coordinating were a dream far away. That was until she turned around.

A long hat cowered in the corner. It had thick red and white stripes, she pictured it with eyeliner drawn whiskers and a cat ear headband from last year. Maybe even a red bow around her neck. What really sealed the deal for her was the red shirt hung on a hanger right above it. It had a white circle right in the dead centre. The font within the circle was a recognizable outfit from a famous children’s book character. Bonnie and Clyde, Sherlock and Watson, and now Cat in the Hat and Thing 1.

The relief that came along with not trying to maneuver creating an outfit at home was enough to get Genevieve to run to the till. Arts and crafts were not her strongest suits.

The same guy’s eyebrows shot up, surprised at her quick decision making. He shut his latest issue of Men’s Healthy Living and leaned his weight off his elbow. He scanned the items and Genevieve handed him the crisp bill. Before he could finalize the sale, Genevieve thought back to the couch friend that would be accompanying them tonight. Did he have a costume? Inferring from the fact that he didn’t have a roof of his own, a lousy Halloween costume was the least of his worries. But Genevieve found her feet trailing back towards the shop and grabbing the shirt that said Thing 2. The guy added it to her final bill and packed her belongings in a black plastic bag.

He was late and Genevieve was thankful that her laundry was dry and folded neatly.

---

Okay, I think I’m done introducing the main characters. We have quite the cast list, don’t we?

Let me know what u think! I’d love to hear your favourite parts and predictions!

Thank you eriza @booksncoffee for the banner!

Thank you so much to my wonderful betas @adoremp3 @haaaaaaarrry @drivingmekiwi @at-least-im-1 Ayesha and Hamna! Without them, this would be a jumble of fucked up grammar bc I write at 3am. If you want to beta, shoot me a message!

Tag list: @infinitiae @sortaanonymous @sydneysuit @wonderonrepeat @confusedkiwifan @mylifeisatoilet @awomanindeniall @guccikingstyles @verorax @stylesfics-xx @stylishmuser @at-least-im-1 @mellamolayla @thursday-iminlove @kizsyou @brassharry @kizsyou @thursday-iminlove @blue-eyes-freckles-and-a-smile @Hollydays @la-peonia

#1dff #1dff au #harry styles fanfic #harry styles x ofc #harry styles fanfiction #writing #ylsg2 #pls lmk what yall thought of this??

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lovemesomesurveys · 2 years

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Have you ever seen a leech in person? Gah, nooo.

What's the last rebellious thing you done? Uhhh, I don't know. I'm not the most rebellious type of person.

What's the most important lesson you've learned in the past year? You would think it would be not to ignore or neglect things and take better care of myself before shit gets really bad, which yes, I have been making some changes, but for some things it's a lesson learned a little too late and has caused major setbacks. There's also things I should/could be doing but aren't because I just can't seem to get my shit together. It's a real struggle right now to say the least. I can't seem to do enough. It's scary.

Do you own any tiny versions of larger things? Yeah. I love that kind of stuff, it's so cute.

What are 2 things you'd tell your child self that you wish you would've known then? Just take care of yourself. A lot of things could have easily been done to prevent some of what led up to this. I was just negligent and stubborn and lazy. I thought I could ignore some things and they'd just go away or that they weren't that important and I'd be fine.

Did you used to play hopscotch? No.

Have you ever seen a musician live? Yeah, I've been to a few concerts.

What's the first letter of your best friends name? Y.

Do you have anything monogrammed? Yes.

Did you sleep well last night? I never do. That would be nice, though.

Do you ever remember your dreams? Very rarely.

When is the last time you checked your mail? I'm not the one who gets the mail, one of my parents or my brother takes care of that. Anyway, the last time I received something in the mail was a couple days ago.

Do you have strong opinions about religion? Yes.

Are there any popular dance moves you are good at? Ha, no. I can't dance.

Have you ever seen a flash mob in person? No, but that is something I'd like to see some time.

Do you ever attend protests? No.

Have you ever struggled with acne? Yeah, during high school and a bit during my first few years of college. It kinda just sizzled out, thankfully, and now I get like a couple here and there once in awhile.

Did you enjoy High School Musical when it was a thing? Yes.

What's the last thing you threw away? Food wrappers.

Do you enjoy staying in hotels? I love it.

Have you ever ran down a hotel hallway? Yes. That was back when I had energy and strength to do that.

Have you ever shot a gun? Once. I went to a shooting range with some friends several years ago and gave it a try.

Are you from the south region of your country? I'm on the west coast.

What color is the shirt you wear most often? In general, majority of my clothes are black.

Do you enjoy going on walks? No.

Do you know anyone who has a crush on you? Haaaa. No.

When was the last time you rode a carnival ride or roller coaster? During our Disneyland trip back in February 2020. It was just a couple weeks before the world shutdown and everything changed.

What's your favorite shade of green? I like various shades of green.

Do you have any outdoor allergies? I do.

What did you last break? I don't recall.

Have you ever joined a moshpit? Nooo. Nothing about a mosh pit sounds like a good idea for me.

Do you consider yourself to be old-fashioned? In some ways, yes.

What cover do you think is better than the original song? Hmm.

Would you ever like to learn belly dancing? No.

How is your day going? It's only 3:35AM, but today is doctor appointment day and right now with how things are going these days just brings added stress, depression, and anxiety. Why do I need to go again? I already know what will be said, which is the same thing as the past few weeks. I need to muster up the energy for that? Nah, I'd like to just stay home. Sigh.

Are there words you struggle pronouncing? Yeah.

What's one of your favorite memories related to an animal? Memories with my doggos growing up and currently. My little Leia has been extra sweet during this time. She's been spending more time in my room with me. It's also a bit worrisome because dogs sense things, so my anxiety-ridden self can't help but think like, "are you just being loving and comforting or do you know something I don't? …."

How many people have you been around today? So far, I've just been around my mom. Later on I'll be around her, my dad, my brother, my doctor, my nurse, likely a couple people in the waiting room, and people at the store if I feel up to going.

Do you suffer from any mental illnesses? Yes.

Have you ever had to have a tooth cut out? I've had teeth pulled, yes.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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lardosundercut · 6 years

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Assorted Instances of Justin Oluransi’s Regularly Scheduled Impulsivity

Ransom Week Day Four:

cacoethes - “an urge to do something inadvisable”

"I have a theory about you," Lardo said slowly.

Ransom rolled his eyes fondly, reaching out to take the pipe out of her hand. They were up in the reading room, taking a much-needed study break to smoke and pretend that graduation isn't just two weeks away. Lardo had stretched herself out like a cat in the sun, her legs across his and one arm cushioning her own head.

She didn't seem bothered by the eye-rolling or the joint snatch. No, Lardo watched him with warm and affectionate eyes as Ransom relit the bowl and inhaled. To be honest, he didn't smoke nearly as much as some of the other guys on the team and it was still a heady experience. Lardo kept watching and, when Ransom finally exhaled, she continued.

"Every now and then," she explained slowly, "Your spreadsheet instinct hits its max, bro. That's why once a calendar year you do something that's fucking nuts. No shade intended, of course."

"None taken," Ransom replied easily.

Then, when his brain caught up with what Lards just said, he added, "And I so don't go nuts on a schedule."

"Brooo," Lardo said in a tone that demanded introspection, "Know thyself."

The summer after his freshman year, Ransom was pretty bored. His older sister was on a summer study abroad and his baby sister acquired a girlfriend sometime while Ransom was at Samwell, so they were both gone. His parents were thrilled to have him back, but that didn't mean they could quit their jobs for the summer just to hang out with him. Hell, even the majority of his high school friends were busy either with jobs back home or decided to stay at their respective college campuses for the break.

A month in and Ransom has already perfected his summer workout routine, read a half-dozen books, and debated whether or not the rest of the team would hate him if he brought a dog back to the Haus next year. (Those sad animal shelter commercials get to him, okay?) He was bemoaning this fact to Holster via text message. Holster, the tru-est bro, returned the favor by waxing rhapsodic about how much fun they'd be having if they could only be together. And, suddenly, things slid into place in Ransom's mind.

Grabbing his laptop, he did about five minutes of solid googling and another ten of throwing stuff together before calling Holster.

"Bro, did you realize you're only like thirty minutes away from Niagra Falls?" Ransom said, putting the call onto speaker as he sent out a quick series of texts to his family. "And that you can get a Holiday Inn room for less than eighty bucks?"

"Uh, yeah?" Holster said, then underwhelmingly, "And what?"

Ransom scrolled through his spotify quickly, selecting the playlist he typically reserved for roadies. Checking his mirrors, he realized this was one on those rare moments that he and Holster had not immediately been on the same page since they met last year. As he tapped the address into his GPS, he explained, "I'm driving to the Falls. You're going to meet me and we're going to have a 'swawesome weekend. I'll be there in like two hours."

"Oh," Holster replied, "Fuckin' sweet."

And thus, a tradition was born.

Despite the stress levels that meant he'd probably go grey by thirty, he'd managed to get through the MCATs with decent scores.

Well. More than decent really. He wasn't boasting the elusive 528 or even in the 520 range, he'd still past the bell curve. Scores that meant he'd get into pretty much any of the med schools on his list to complete preliminary apps for. Which meant now was the time to start working on his personal statements and deciding if his roadie suit was good enough for interviews and talking to Hall and Murray about how he was supposed to work interviews into the schedule while he's co-captain. Plus, there's figuring out if the list of schools he put down as potentials for preliminary applications are even good fits anymore. He wanted to stay on the east coast because it's where so many of his friends are. But a lot of east coast schools are super competitive and he isn't sure what he wants to specialize in yet and, ergo, he isn't sure if the program he wants to joinn is even on the coast.

It's a lot and, to be honest, Ransom's brain went a little numb whenever he thought about it. Sure, he's gone into coral reef mode a ton of times and someone has had to lure him out from under a library table with food. But even with that, Samwell has been fun. Med school is real and, from all the message boards he's scoured, it's less fun and more coral reef mode 24/7.

"I don't want to do it," Ransom grumbled as he began to pack his stuff up for the semester.

Then don't, a voice in the back of his head replied.

Ransom paused, a bundle of underwear still clutched to his chest. MCAT scores were good for, like, three years. Everyone was going to be either in Boston or Samwell or Providence in the next three years. Holster has pretty much talked non-stop about how much bank he was going to make in consulting since he declared Econ partway through their sophomore year. It could be easy and fun for another two years - three if he really pushed it.

He doesn't dare to tell a soul about his decision to defer - not when he's only just got his scores back. Still, as Ransom turned back to his packing, it was with a delighted zeal because he was so not getting into med school next year.

"Don't freak out," Ransom warned, tugging the hem of his shirt up halfway so his navel his visible.

On the bed (technically Holster's, but it was a bitch for them both to get up to the top bunk), Nursey snorted and set down the book he was reading. Things between them aren't really defined - not yet at least - and that made all of this seem a little crazy, in retrospect. Still, Ransom figured it would be best for Nursey to find out now than during a semi-drunk hook up after the keagster. Turning around to face the wall, Ransom pulled off his shirt and stood, half-dressed in his bedroom.

Nursey made a soft sound of appreciation, followed by, "Not saying you're not gorgeous, but I don't see the point in freaking out about something I've already seen up close and personal."

"Dude, you were so not chill about the same sight a few nights ago," Ransom chirped back.

Still, warmth spread through him at being called gorgeous (a word not usually reserved for big, bad D-men) and he turned around. It didn't take long for Nursey to spot it. He jerked up in order to get a closer look, hand flying to reach out for Ransom's chest. The tattoo wasn't huge or anything - just the two simple, crossed hockey sticks that made up the Samwell Hockey logo. Except, instead of a puck in the middle, there was a single, neatly printed number: 28.

It had seemed like a really good idea when he and Lardo had all gone in to get not-quite-matching tattoos. Both of them based there's off the Samwell logo, though Lardo had sketched up an appropriately artsy-fartsy version for her own tattoo. Ransom decided that his own minor tweak would suffice. And Holster, never to be left out of a senior outing, declined to get his own tattoo but held both their hands while they got inked, muttering about "b'tzelem Elohim".

It hasn't even been a full week that Ransom has had the tattoo, but the anticipation of waiting to show Nursey had already gotten to be too much. He delicately evicted Holster from the attic for the express purpose of showing Nursey the tattoo and now, standing with his shirt off and the other man's hand hovering over his pec, Ransom began to wonder if he should have asked first. This was his first tattoo and, to be honest, he hadn't thought to consider the etiquette beforehand.

"It's 'swawesome," Nursey finally said. "Do you want me to get a matching one? But, like, with your number?"

Ransom hadn't considered that being a possibility. Though, the idea of having a matching tattoo with Nursey - something that would undeniably link them forever - made the warm feeling rush over him again. He leaned in, pressing a light kiss to Nursey's temple. It's a benefit of not-officially-dating-but-not-seeing-other-people with someone who's the same height as him: minimal neck craning or back bending required for optimal smooches. Trying not to sound too sappy, Ransom replied, "I want you to do whatever you want, dude. Just let me come along for the ride."

Nursey smiled at that, face flushing as he finally pressed his hands against Ransom's chest, carefully avoiding the fresh tattoo. He kissed Ransom this time, aiming for the mouth and delivering something much hotter and deeper.

"Tattoo talk later," he said into Ransom's neck, "Kissing now?"

Ransom wasn't going to argue with that.

"Shit," Ransom said, sitting up quickly enough to jostle Lardo's feet. "You're right. Even my impulsivity has a pattern to it. Who does that?"

On his side, Lardo just readjusted her feet and blew a little smoke into his face. She smiled and patted his hand comfortingly and passed back the pipe. She'd never say it when they were both lazy and content from the weed, but she got an enormous amount of satisfaction from being right.

#omgcp fic #ransom week #ransom x nursey

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spablomars · 4 years

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Skull Illustration and process

Review:

I believe that my skull Illustration is a really strong outcome because I added quite a few details to it and I followed some of Patrick Seymour’s art to have an art reference. My final outcome of the black and white Illustration had a lot of shadow work and contrast and I really liked it that way because it made it more intricate and somehow looks semi-realistic. Although, I could somehow added the cracks from the skull to the illustration, it would definitely make the Illustration a lot more intricate. I personally loved the last outcome of the colour gradient experiment I did because it was split into 4 separate colours. Patrick Seymour kind of did this concept but he also changed the colour background into a split image, I did not like that concept but I did my own by just separating different colours together.

There some ideas that I could’ve added or some stuff that can be changed, I could explored with different colours more and could possibly animate my skull illustration with different colours and make it into a GIF. I could also add more shapes surrounding the skull but it doesn’t link up with Patrick Seymour’s art style. In addition, I could also possibly make mock up with this illustration as t-shirt designs or a tattoo design for future reference and for showing how we can show our product and be able to make business out of it.

Colour Gradient experiment:

I had some complications went it came to colour gradient because the colour slide in the gradient tool is very temperamental because I have to keep clicking it until I get the colour choices. I kept the same colour scheme from my typography work because I somehow wanted it to be consistent, for the first experiment was a purple and pink combination, it honestly looks simplistic but its still a nice combination together. The second colours are just the purple and blue I used from the same typography work. The third one I really liked because It’s slightly different from others, its a light blue and white colour gradient, it would go really well with the black background like I ‘ve shown down below, I did that by just selecting the rectangle tool in illustrator and I right clicked it and go to arrange and arranged it at the back so we can see the Illustration.

By far my favourite colour combination is the last one because there are several colours that goes really well together, I did this by colour gradient it with pink and purple first and then selected the other half and changed the colour gradient with purple and blue.

Process of creating the Illustration:

I firstly selected my favourite animal skull and I went for a horse skull because it looks interesting to be illustrated. I then placed it in a new document in illustrator, locked the first layer and then created a new layer dedicated to everything else of the process in making my skull illustration. I chose an A3 document that is portrait because it wouldn’t fit with the landscape since the picture is elongated.

I started by the bottom because I wanted to work my way up when I’m drawing, I started where the hole of the nose is, I did the drawing by drawing the outline on a piece of the skull with the pencil tool in Illustrator and I used the blend tool to be able to add the lines created in-between the two lines, you can change the amount of lines created in-between the skull by clicking on blend tool and it should pop up an option of colour changing just make sure to go to specified steps and put the amount you want, the more strokes/lines you add, the darker the part will be. For instance, the hole of the nose is dark because it has some shadows to it, so I added more specified steps to it. To activate to make the lines you just click on the highlighted line to the other line you created, make sure that the two lines doesn’t connect together since it would mess up with the specified steps and would create a weird shape.

I preferred to draw section by section because it created some interesting dimensions which I thought would be a good contrast and shadow works because if I did it by one go It’ll look simple and not intricate enough for me. I also preferred to draw the dark shadows first so that I can visualise the lighter shades with how many specified steps I should do for them.

Sometimes it creates weird shaped lines but it can look sometimes better, if it doesn’t look too great you can simply undo it and select from a different point to another until you’re satisfied with the layout, although I take advantage of it since it looks interesting. I keep continuing to keep sectioning the drawings so that you can see the details of the work.

After finishing one side of the skull, you can simply copy it by selecting the whole thing and go to object - transform - reflect - 90 degrees - copy. This will allow you to copy the exact drawing and it will flip the drawing for you to use for the other side.

I had come across a problem where it left a massive space in-between to make it symmetrical, although I moved the copied version around to see if I can make it work and what I did was rotated the second one slightly and connected it from the top and it leaves it from being slightly crossed over each other but it didn’t look too bad so I decided to go for that, it then left some gaps at the bottom where the teeth are but I just quickly filled it in to make it more symmetrical looking.

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kitto-toberu-sa · 7 years

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Naruto Spectacular

Seating/Glasses

Second back row, almost right at the wall. Awful seating, but I could still see things clearly. Some people had binoculars ;; This year I decided not to go with the translator glasses – I’m sure they have a proper name, but they’re these cool glasses you wear when watching the performance and as the characters speak, subtitles come up. I believe they’re available in English and Chinese. Something like Naruto is easy for me to understand without subtitles, and last year I felt like only the main points were being subbed, instead of everything (maybe a fear people couldn’t read fast enough?) so I’d probably only recommend them if your Japanese is lacking. I’m not sure if they’d work properly sitting so far away either – maybe they’d overlap on the actors too much? I think they’re better if you use them up close tbh.

The Show I apologise for skipping between musical, spectacular, play, spectacle and show ;;; We start off with Konohamaru fighting bad guys. Personally I don’t care for him, and it was really an excuse to put an actor in the audience and for Naruto to look cool when he saved Konohamaru. Unnecessary scene, and from my spot, hard to see.

Essentially everything up to the ‘find Sasuke’ arc is ignored. So if you’re hoping for Sakura screen time, you’d best go back to the source material. In saying that, Sakura’s fight with Sasori is mentioned a few times, and she explains Sasori’s mannerisms to Yamato when they do the whole ‘Kabuto is Sasori’s spy’ scene. I can understand why they skipped it, as while it was hella cool to watch her kick ass, it’d be difficult to do in a stage play and you’d need to get the Suna Three back for such small scenes etc etc. Maybe if they do this play again next year, they can add that in. Tsunade gets a song as she kinda explains the mission, but honestly, you could give her lines to literally any other character. She’s not that influential. I think she looks like Tsunade, but her speaking voice feels too harsh to me.

Sai is golden. He looks fine, he looks like Sai, sounds like Sai. Like, y’all, I realise that’s what acting is, but not everyone can do it well. After the show, and in the break, numerous people went and bought Sai goods. (Also Itachi goods) He was a perfect Sai. When they’re finding Sasuke in Orochimaru’s lair, Naruto and Sai have a song and it’s pretty touching… until Sai tries to sing about Naruto’s dick. Naruto has the most perfect ‘dude, for real?’ look and I can’t wait to see it on dvd.

Speaking of new team 7 – Yamato’s scary face is done so so well! They end up putting it on a large screen behind him. It looks mostly like someone with a torch on their face, so it’s a little cheesy, but it works really well in the scenes it’s done in (two or three times?). Sakura also did her ‘meeting Sai’ scene, when she hits both Naruto and Sai, incredibly well. Not only is she insanely cute, she’s the perfect Sakura. Enough cool and enough cute. If they continue to do musicals until the completion of the show, I’m a little worried how Sasuke-obsessed they’ll make her, but so far it’s been toned down, which I appreciate.

Unfortunately Sai doesn’t try to capture Sasuke in his sleep. I can understand why (unnecessary stage props and all), but Sasuke being such a moody bitch when he wakes up that he blows up the base will forever be one of my favourite things. The whole meeting Naruto and co scene is kind of a let down too. It was nice, but considering how that’s how Shippuden opened and the build up to get there, the play didn’t have the same feel. This play was rushed a little, and this scene suffered for it.

Sasuke killing Orochimaru was great tho. Orochimaru’s voice will always be amazing, speaking or singing, so I’ll probably never say an Orochimaru scene is bad lol It was sufficiently creepy (though again, a little too fast) and gave Sasuke and Orochimaru equal voices.

Another scene that suffered was collecting Taka. This one I mostly grumble at due to my Taka-bias tho. Obviously they can’t spend episodes gathering the three of them, and to be fair, they did get a song. Karin was a little overly sexual, but considering they only showed her being ott twice? I won’t complain (especially in that outfit – she can honestly do what she wants and I’ll agree ;;;) Sometimes it was actually kind of cute. Another scene cut was finding Zabuza’s sword. Considering the time it took in the anime, and all the scene changes, it makes sense, but I enjoyed seeing Sasuke actually test his team – here, we have him just believing they’ll be suitable instead of confirming it. Juugo’s whole ‘male female’ scene was good too, and Karin egging Juugo on in his fight against Suigetsu was a good touch too.

In between scenes we often have Akatsuki stuff – Itachi generally barges in on Sasuke’s songs to tell him he’s weak af, and wherever Itachi goes, Kisame goes too. Naruto and Taka sometimes join as well, same for Deidara.

I really liked Deidara. Unfortunately his character was greatly reduced, but considering he isn’t insanely plot relevant, I guess it doesn’t make much of a difference… (Un?)fortunately, when he creates the giant Deidara, it’s a blow up. I was trying really hard not to cackle. It’s ridiculous. I lowkey hate it, lowkey love it’s cheesiness. Also, from where I was sitting, the tongue that is in his chest looks a little like something else. It just kinda… sprung free and I couldn’t take it seriously at all =.= I guess this scene was gold for all the wrong reasons lol

The search team is sent out for Sasuke and them running looks so stupid. I understand how hard it is to run around, since the space is so limited, but maybe instead of such a long running scene, have some of it just be talking? Maybe it looked good from the centre of the audience, but from my spot, it looked really lame. Kurenai’s team makes an appearance, but get a line or two each. Karin still gets Juugo to help her scatter Sasuke’s stuff, but I don’t believe it’s explicitly said what her plan is, so unless you’ve seen the show/read the manga (safe to say most audience members would – but sometimes people come to these things just because (shout out to the 80 year old couple at the Digimon play), or are accompanying a friend), you wouldn’t know what her plan was.

Next is the Itachi vs Sasuke scene and it was so good. Like, idk how to explain it. They had doubles for clones, it was spot on with lines and emotions. The audience got really involved in it, and it sucks that you know what’s coming because it hurts that much more… I’d say this is probably the highlight of the play. Obviously they’re two popular characters and their actions, since even before their introductions, have been the driving force of some plot incidents (Itachi killing the clan motivates Sasuke to be strong, goes to Orochimaru) and other character’s motivation (Sasuke’s abscence motivates Team 7), not to mention how emotional this scene is, so I think a lot of time and effort was placed into this scene. It worked really well and I wish I could explain it better ;;;

Taka becomes Hebi, and Tobi is done really well. Tobi interacts with Pein and Konan as well, but mostly with the Uchiha brothers. I’m biased toward Tobi as he ran up to us in the finale and I could high five him, but shush. Those gloves are real nice but in this heat I can’t imagine they’d be super comfortable… The ending song is the same (and I really hope we get a cast version soon – honestly last year’s Gaara/Oro duet part was ICONIC). Naruto also had some hella cool rad sticks and when he spun them, it made a Naruto face and stuff. Rad af.

In the comments, Sasuke just kept cackling, while Yamato and Sai were minor low key throwing shade at Deidara and Tobi who were actually speaking. They were dorks so there was plenty of time to laugh at them lol This team works together so well and you can see they’re good friends – sometimes you don’t feel that but in a series that is based on, partly at least, the power of friendship and love, that’s super important.

Honestly, while this year lacked the jumping around action of last year’s, I think it kinda showed how they characters matured? As soon as it ended I wanted to see it again! While I wanted to see last years again too, I was more serious about seeing this years again, but this late in the season makes it way too difficult Guess I just have to wait for next year!

How does it compare to last year? I saw last year’s performance as well. Personally, I liked this year’s better. I am hugely Taka-biased tho. Even though my seats weren’t as good this year (were as bad as you could get tbh – last year I was in the second block, if I had been one row closer I could have high touched the actors), I feel more touched by this year’s performance – partly because it was more emotional to a lot of characters I guess? More interesting scenes too – the Lee/Naruto wake up scene last year was cute (and everything with InoShikaCho was amazing, and this musical didn’t have anything on that type of team bond/audience interaction feel, which was kinda sad), but this year had things like Orochimaru dying, so I guess it had less time for ‘filler’. Also, while I don’t hate Naruto, he’s not even in the top five of my fave Naruto characters ;; If anything, I felt like he was unnecessarily added in some scenes in this performance.

Also, while I didn’t talk to the fans (lots of people come by themselves, don’t want to talk to others and that’s ok! And I’m sure some of them are confused by the foreigner and worry about their English/my level of Japanese so don’t strike up a conversation and I’m too shy to do start one), when I was trying to organise the stupid amount of merch I bought, one girl offered to hold my coffee and someone else helped me when I dropped something. Also, the girls really brought their a-game this year and were splendidly dressed. I… wore a Naruto shirt and was underdressed in comparison ;;;

I felt like the girls around me were more emotional as well. Maybe some of the crowd last year had already seen the previous year’s performance and therefore knew what was coming, but more people were crying this year. This year felt a lot more fast paced, so everything happened faster and there were more intense moments, and I guess it was more than likely mostly Uchiha fans in the audience, which probably had something to do with it, but still, I think this audience was more involved than last year’s was.

There were some people waiting for the actors to leave (so they could wave them off in their taxis) but security practically pushed me out. Considering they weren’t doing the same to anyone else, I do feel it was race motivated – maybe they thought I wouldn’t fight back due to lacking Japanese, or something? Either way it was hella rude as I was getting my phone, train pass etc out of my bag and everyone was pretty far from where the taxis were going to be driving anyway. If someone spends 7000 yen on a ticket and then more than that on goods and preorders the bluray, while I don’t necessarily want respect, I think the least I deserve, the least type of customer service I should receive, is not being shoved.

I’d recommend the stage performances regardless. Seeing them live is so much more fun than watching them on a dvd! Obviously it isn’t realistic for everyone to do that, but try to at least support the official release in some way.

#Naruto #Naruto Live Stage #Naruto Live Spectacular #Naruto Stage Play

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wp-yahoo-style-1042-yahoopa-blog · 5 years

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Your plus-size shopping guide to wearing bold prints and colors this spring

Plus-size influencer and writer, Margie Ashcroft models spring's boldest looks from Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

Fitting in can be boring, and this season is all about standing out! As a plus-size fashion editor and street-style maven, one of my favorite things to do is find out-of- the-box ways to style extended sizes with a new fashion-forward approach. Since most publications rarely feature clothing above a size 16, I wanted to supply a stylish edit of bold pieces that will have you looking like a street style star in no time...no matter your waist size!

You know those brands that actually get you excited about fashion? To me, that’s Asos. I’ve been shopping the site for years and consistently find next-level pieces that fit my curves and personality. As a size 18 woman growing up in a small conservative town, finding fashionable clothing was nearly impossible! So when the new extended size division of Asos launched back in 2010, I instantly tried it out and have been a die-hard fan ever since.

The online shopping destination not only goes up to a size 26, but offers a fashionable assortment of designs that are affordably priced between $5 and $250.

This spring, we are not only seeing vibrant pops of color, but versatile animal prints which have slithered their way onto the scene. I know that styling plus-size clothing in cool and forward thinking ways can be tricky, so I am going to walk you through 5 street style outfits with a bold POV that will have you looking stellar this spring.

Take a walk on the wild side and keep scrolling to shop my favorite spring favorites from asos.com.

For more style inspiration follow my instagram @margieplus and my style blog www.margieplus.com

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Plaid Power Suit

Margie Ashcroft in Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

There is nothing that says “boss” more than a power fashion suit. I am obsessed with this flawless set because between the fit and the plaid print, the entire look is a home run. Plaid is one of those timeless prints with built-in sophistication, and I was beyond excited to refresh and update for spring. For this Kate Moss-worthy suit, I wanted to add a retro ‘80s vibe and and pair it with a multi chain waist belt and clear mules for a futuristic touch.

Since I knew the look was made of a woven material and the brand runs pretty true to size, I chose a size 18 in the pants and sized up to a 20 in the blazer. The pants are snug at the waist and have a comfortable slouch fit throughout to account for movement. I prefer my blazers to be worn a little oversized to accommodate my bust and layering. I feel like this size fits everything just as planned!

Margie Ashcroft in Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

Plaid Blazer

This blazer doesn't have to just be worn as a set. It looks great paired with everything from skinny jeans to a skirt and a knee high boot combo.

Shop it: $79

Plaid Pants

Try dressing the pants down by pairing it with a white fitted tee shirt and sneakers for a perfect Saturday daytime look.

Shop it: $45

Chain Belt

Although the exact belt I used is out of stock, I found a great alternative that goes up to a size 26, so rest assured it will fit a range of curvy figures.

Shop it: $29

Clear Mules

These modern clear mules give me a Cinderella vibe and can easily complement any outfit.

Shop it: $45 (was $56)

Skinny Cat Eye Glasses

These sunglasses are my go-to shades with their sleek, edgy look.

Shop it: $13

Zebra Tea Dress

Margie Ashcroft in Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

Nothing says spring quite like a cute, bold printed frock, and I am absolutely loving the retro vibe of this zebra print tea dress! Even though the print is already adventurous, I wanted to take it to the next level by combining it with some unexpected styling.

Since the print is loud, yet minimal all at the same time, it is easy to pair it with a classic black heel. However, the bright accessories help elevate the look. As soon as I tried on this fearless and comfortable printed number, I was totally in love with the fit of the garment.

The dress is made of a super comfortable stretch material so I opted for the size 16 to assure a curve-hugging fit. I love the subtle romantic puff sleeve detail and V-neckline that leads down to the flirty side slit at the hem. The waist has a separate diamond front panel that cinches your frame and creates a flattering bust shape.

To refresh the look with more edge, I paired it with red and pink statement accessories.

Margie Ashcroft in Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

Dress

Fits like a glove and can literally be worn comfortably 24/7. I’m in love.

Shop it: $45 (was $56)

Statement Belt

A statement waist belt can take an outfit a long way! Since Asos doesn't carry the pink vintage one I used, this black version will still give you the same statement effect you want, and it’s easily adjustable.

Shop it: $19

Pink Socks

Wear this neon pink sock with everything from sneakers to heels.

Shop it: $7

Heels

A killer red shoe is a wardrobe must-have for any woman. This pair in particular is great not only because it has a wide fit, but also a strong sturdy block heel for added support.

Shop it: $45

Head-to-Toe Python

Margie Ashcroft in Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

I am officially obsessed with python prints this season. Some people are even claiming it’s the new leopard. Slowly but surely, this print has been taking over and I am going full Vogue on the styling, showing you how easy it is to rock this print-on-print look IRL.

The snake print can easily be classified as a neutral so it looks great paired with the same pattern. Since both the top and leggings are both stretchy, I opted to go for a size 16 because I know the garments ease up a bit after being worn.

For the jacket, I opted to size up to size 20 so I had enough room for layering (and I especially love the oversized jacket look at the moment). To top it off, I paired the outfit with a matching python heel. I promise this look will have people turning heads all night long.

Margie Ashcroft in Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

Jacket

This jacket is beyond fab! It also looks great paired with a LBD or jeans and trainers for a more casual slay.

Shop it: $111

Top

I can’t discuss the fit of this top enough! The bust darts and neckline create a romantic and super flattering silhouette that will have you rocking your curves.

Shop it: $22 (was $29)

Leggings

These lightweight leggings are great worn on their own or as a layering piece. Try styling it with a black moto jacket and booties for an edgy look for going out on the town.

Shop it: $26

Shoes

These heels look incredible paired with everything from a LBD to bold leggings.

Shop it: $40

Yellow Frame Glasses

I literally throw these bold sunnies on with any outfit for an instant pop of color.

Shop it: $16

Neon Two-Piece Set

Margie Ashcroft in Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

Fluorescent shades are a major fashion trend that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Ever since Prada debuted their 2018 neon collection, the bright colored trend has been popping up all around. This was confirmed during my recent trip to Coachella where the color was being rocked by the masses.

This season, don't be afraid to go a little bold, adding a pop of neon to your look to give off the ultimate cool girl vibe. If you are looking for a beginner’s guide on how to style these daring hues, start with casual street wear and tone it down with a light colored overcoat.

For this look, I went for a size 16 and sized up in the jacket to a size 20 (for an oversized look). You can easily transform this look by belting the jacket and adding heels.

Margie Ashcroft in Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

Crepe Coat

This coat has a midi length retro vibe and looks chic thrown on top of just about everything.

Shop it: $63 (was $79)

Neon Set

This cotton lounge set is super comfortable, yet it makes a statement all at the same time. Try dressing it up by adding a black moto jacket and matching black heels.

Shop it: $23 (top)

Shop it: $23 (shorts)

Neon Ankle Socks

Colored socks are a fun and easy way to add a little spunk to any outfit.

Shop it: $6 (was $8)

Multicolor Sneakers

Sneakers have been all the rage this year and these rainbow colored soles are next level!

Shop it: $60

Tiger Blouse

Margie Ashcroft in Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

Quickly cast your animal print fears aside and get up close and personal with your wild side with this tiger print blouse. For those of you who want to test the waters with an animal print, this is the look for you.

I love the combination of a breezy cropped blouse and skinny jeans. I opted for super stretch black skinny jeans in a size 18 and sized up to a size 20 in the top for an extra relaxed fit. Again I paired the outfit with my favorite multi chain waist belt to dress it up.

For shoes I wanted to pick a comfortable, yet bold pair and found these amazing kelly green mules, which are instant statement pieces themselves. If you are looking for a more casual twist, try pairing the look with a bomber jacket and a fresh pair of white sneakers.

Margie Ashcroft in Asos (Photo: Harald Austad)

Top

This lightweight printed blouse can be worn loose or tucked into high waist pants or a skirt for a more refined look.

Shop it: $40

Cropped Jeans

These super stretch sculpt capri-length jeans are not only comfortable, but the high waist looks amazing on your curves.

Shop it: $40

Chain Belt

Like I mentioned before, a chain belt can give an instant refresh to any look and its adjustable sizing allows for wear in a multitude of ways.

Shop it: $29

Green Mules

It was love at first sight with these kitten heel mules. The wide fit of the shoes allow for extra comfort.

Shop it: $45

Vintage Cat Eye Shades

Every girl needs at least one pair of cat eye sunglasses in her closet. Trust me, these will always add a touch of glamour to your life.

Shop it: $32