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idontunderstandchemistry · 1 year

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Indecent Proposal (An academic rivals to lovers fanfic) - Tim Drake x Latina!Fem!Reader.

Sinopsis: Being a scholarship student at Gotham's most expensive school is not easy, especially when your academic rival, your nemesis, who coincidentally is the owner's son, decides to make you a rather usual proposition.

Tropes: Academic rivals-to-lovers, contract/bet, he loved her all this time, everyone else sees it except them, opposites attract, etc.

A/N: Is it just me or you guys also think that the baftamily has some weird abilities? Like, I can picture it very clearly in my mind: Tim is the master of voice imitation, no one can imitate Gordon or Bruce, or even Alfred, better than him (and he sometimes does it to make Damian laugh when the poor baby has to be stitched); Jason is abnormaly good at the kitchen (no wonder why he is the only one allowed in the Manor's kitchen, it also comes in handy at family hollidays); Dick can unwrapp sweets inside his mouth (It doesn't seemed very useful to him until he had his first kiss, obviously), etc. For those of you that want to read some chapters ahead, feel free to acess my AO3 account here.

Happy New Year's Eve, guys :)

Warnings: Non graphic oral sex (M receiving), sexting, etc.

Wordcount: 2222.

Chapter twelve

Chapter Thirteen: Batman is on the phone

It was a slow week. You decided not to think about Red Robin anymore. He was probably hurt and you couldn’t expect him to act like nothing happened. Yesterday, a package arrived at your house. A bouquet of purple delphiniums and a box with a red silk ribbon, and a note. You quickly hid the note and got inside with the package. Your mother was in the kitchen and saw you when you got inside with the flowers in hand.

— Hm… it seems like someone has an admirer — She said, leaning against the counter with a smile — What's his name, honey?

— I wish I knew — You said — No card.

— I don’t remember the last time your father bought me flowers. Enjoy this one, my love — She said and your father, who was sitting at the sofá watching football, lifted his head and looked at her — Yeah, I’m talking about you, Y/F/N. What are you gonna do about it?

He got up and got the car keys.

— Get you some damn flowers — He said, offended, as he put on his shoes.

— Remember, I like…

— Roses — He said, reaching the door — I’ve been married to you for 26 years, woman. I know you better than your parents at this point.

You laughed as you got upstairs.

When you got upstairs, you read Tim’s note.

“Purple delphiniums mean i’m thinking about you. Not that it is some kind of surprise. I’m always thinking about you. - Yours”

You kept the note in the middle of your book and took the Red Carnations off the vase, putting the delphiniums in their place. And the ribbon… you were using the ribbon he sent you. And, God, his glare was fixed on your back and it was so satisfactory that you couldn’t keep the smile off your face.

Unfortunately, history class was absolutely tedious today. Maybe it was the effect of the rainy atmosphere of the gothinamite Autumn, or because you've studied today's topic a million times already, but you were utterly bored. You only wished you were an applied student like Aly when it came to history.

Your boredom did not last long, though. Your phone vibrated under your skirt - you've always kept it there, in case of an emergency. And also, this is Gotham. If you were to be robbed, you would like at least to keep your phone so you could call an uber home.

You lifted the hem of your skirt discreetly so you could see the notification bar, and smiled as you realised who was texting you. Him.

Very carefully to not attract any undesired attention, you turned your head in his direction and saw him smiling at you. Damn.

You unlocked your phone and read the message.

Playboy: I see you got my present

Playboy: You look great in my colours, by the way

You: the package arrived yesterday. Thanks for the flowers, also. My mother is becoming a fan of yours.

You: your colours? I didn't realise you owned the colour red

Playboy: it's just my favourite colour... it suits you

You: I am gorgeous, tim. every colour suits me

Playboy: i can't say i disagree

Playboy: Also, I pla to make your mother love me. Just to let you know.

Playboy: So you hide your phone under your skirt... damn, i wish i was this phone so i could be that close to your legs all the time, too

You: Hm... we can solve that. Or kind of

Playboy: Wdym?

You: I'll give you one of my ribbons

You: Then you can wrap it around your wrist. or your thigh. or your cock, like a pretty gift for me

You: That's a package i'd like to unwrap

Playboy: I see... next time I want to give you a ribbon, i'll strap it to me, so i can get your hands all over my body

You: Its almost break time…

You: You've got something to do or would you like to go to the bathroom with me?

Playboy: Oh, i wish i could

Playboy: I'm leaving early today, Cass has a concert and all my family will gather to prestigiate her. She’s going to play Giselle

Playboy: I'd like to fuck you at the ballet's bathroom, though. That would be a really interesting experience. Almost a dream.

You: Tell me more about your dreams. They might come true

Before you could read the text that had just popped on your screen, Mr. Tanner exclaimed so the whole class could hear:

— What a shame, Mr. Wayne. Using your phone during class.

Surprisingly, no one thought it was weird that you bursted into laughter when Mr. Tanner commanded Tim to read out loud the messages he was exchanging, since they were so much more interesting than the actual class.

Little did they know it was, actually, a nervous laughter.

Tim tried to warn him that the content was inappropriate, however, Mr. Tanner's pride spoke louder. Then, Tim got up, cleared his throat, and started with a wild grin on his stupid pretty face.

— Last night i thought about you before going to bed — He started, confidently — About how pretty your hair is, how soft it is to touch your skin and, mostly, about how much i wanted to hold a handful of your hair as your pretty mouth went on sucking my coc...

— That is enough, thank you, Mr. Wayne, now go to the principal's office immediately.

***

Tuesday you went to Tim’s house. It was weird to call it a house, but he insisted, so you tried to accommodate.

— That was actually fun — You said, laying beside him.

�� Well, I have to admit, it really was — He said — Telling everyone what I wanted to do to you, even if they did not know I was talking about you. It felt amazing.

— Hm… seems exhibitionist to me — You teased,smiling with your eyes closed — The principal went through our messages?

— Briefly, yes — The boy said, looking at you like you were the only thing he has ever seen, even though you could not see the look in his eyes.

— And how did he react when he realised his best two students were the most naughty ones? — You asked, turning over your stomach so you could see his face.

His beautiful face.

— Oh, he didn't — He said, getting his face closer to yours — Your contact doesn't match your name on my phone, and he didn't go much behind to see me calling you by your name. Neither opened your profile's photo.

— How is it saved, then? — You asked, provocatively.

— I invoke the fifth amendment — He replied with your noses touching.

— A shame — You said.

— Why? I thought having a perfect report card and a reputation to match was your life plan — He stated, putting a lock of your hair behind your ear — Tired of pretending you don't have a wild side in front of others? Should I worry that you gonna tease me to fuck in public?

— No. Apparently, I’m the one who should worry about that, Mr. “I liked telling them what I wanted to do to you” — You replied, quickly, sitting back on your heels — Just thought it would be really funny to see Principal Farehd flustered whenever he looked at one of us.

— Silly me thinking you wanted to take us out of the shadows.

— There's nothing wrong with being discreet — You said, putting your hair up in a ponytail.

He arched an eyebrow.

— What are you doing? — He asked while you started to unbutton his pants.

— You said you wanted a fistful of my hair while my mouth was around your cock — You explained — I'm trying to make your wish come true.

— Seems more like you're trying to make me come — He said as you leaned over to his cock.

— Oh, that's just a plus.

Tim was so fucking vocal you were glad that Damian had a chess competition at school today and Bruce, Duke and Alfred went to cheer for him. It would be embarrassing to a 10 year old to hear his brother moaning like a whore on the end of the corridor, and you were sure that anyone could have heard it.

— Fuck — He said after he came in your mouth — That was so fucking loud Alfred must have heard from Damian’s competition.

You laughed.

— I like it — You said, laying beside him. Tim pulled you closer — My ex barely did any sound in bed. It was weird, like being fucked by a corpse.

— You never told me you had an ex — He said, caressing your waist with his thumb

— He isn’t worth talking about.

— Why not?

— Hm… — You said, thinking if Tim was trustful enough for you to tell him. It has been almost a month since you’ve started this agreement and apparently, not a soul knew about you guys. Maybe Duke, but it was Tim’s fault for not being able to hold his pretty moans back — Lets just say I don’t have good memories of him.

— None?

You shook your head negatively.

— Everything that was good about him was gone the moment he decided to be a jerk.

— What do you mean, Y/N?

— Let's not talk about him, please? — You asked, looking at him with sweet eyes, a glare you knew that had some power over his soul — He is in the past. I rather like the present.

Tim smiled.

— Why don’t you give me a present and sit that pretty pussy of yours on my face — He said, caressing your hips — I miss your taste.

— Your desire is an order, Mr. Drake — You said and he got really excited. As you took off your panties to sit on his face, as he demandes, your phone rang.

You were confused. It was 15h. Who the fuck would be calling you. You walked towards your phone and as you saw the name on your screen, you started to gather your things.

— What’s going on? — Tim asked, sitting on the bed.

— It’s Aly — You said, putting your panties on again — I had to meet them at Fabio’s studio to see something about our costumes and I forgot. Fuck, I’m the worst friend there is.

— Don’t say that about yourself — He said, getting up and dressed. You were so busy putting your shoes on that you simply couldn’t stop Tim from picking the phone up.

— No! — You exclaimed and he started to talk.

— Hello, Alysanne — Tim said, though his voice was pretty different, but at the same time, quite familiar to you. Where have you listened to that deep, cold voice before? He put the call on the speaker.

— Hm… Who is it? — They asked.

— You probably know me as “Playboy” — He said, winking to you as he spoke to Aly. You just wanted to find a hole to bury your head.

— Oh, so you’re the mysterious lucky man. Mind if we talk on a video call? Y/N is gatekeeping your face and I have an urge to judge her taste.

— You want to see my face?

— Do you have any hearing deficiency?

— I would rather stay mysterious for now.

— Hm… so you’re ugly?

— Oh, quite the opposite — He said, smirking — Well, how can I help such a worried person?

— Y/N was supposed to meet me ten minutes ago. I know she is probably taking some very well deserved dick, but I can’t reschedule our appointment. Would you mind borrowing her to me?— Aly asked after a laugh. You could see that they already liked the “Playboy” — I promise I won't require any of her private parts. I know you’re probably inside her right now. She was always silent and you know what they say about the quiet ones. They’re always the nastiest.

— Oh, they really are. That’s one of the things I like about her — Tim said and you threw one of your shoes on him, but he deflected impressively fast — I will take her to your meeting point, don’t worry. She’ll be there in ten minutes.

— Y/N, be prepared to be interrogated when you arrive — Aly said and then hung up.

— Why are you so red, my darling?

— Can you kill me? — You asked, hiding your face with your hands — I rather die than listen to Aly tell Fabio about how you were supposedly fucking me while you talked to them on a phone call.

— You know, that’s something we can try someday — He said, smiling, as he approached you with your shoe in hand. He left a peck on your pouted lips before helping you to put your shoe on — It would be fun.

— You say that like you can shut up when you’re inside me — You said — You’re more vocal than a fucking radio.

— Yeah, and you fucking love it — He said, helping you to get up — I’m really upset that I don’t get to taste you, though.

— You are a weird man — You said as you got out of his room — What was that voice?

— Hm… let's just say that the Waynes have pretty competitive game nights — He said holding your backpack with one hand and your hand with the other — And I had great opportunities to improve my imitation abilities.

— And who were you imitating? — You asked.

He laughed as you got closer to the garage door.

— Batman.

#tim drake #tim drake x reader #timothy drake #tim drake smut #red robin x y/n #red robin fanfic #red robin headcanon #red robin x reader #batboys x you #batboys fanfic #batboys x reader #Spotify

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pedros-mustache · 3 years

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fiddle

summary: you can’t help the fiddling. it’s become a habit ever since your wedding day. you just hope he doesn’t mind...

a/n: no official canon yet? that’s okay—i’ll make my own!

you do it without realizing. you do it completely unawares. at this point, it’s just muscle memory: the reach, the slip of your thumb and pointer finger around his left hand, the fiddling.

it starts on your honeymoon. you lie with your head against his chest, your body perpendicular to his, heavy white gown fanned out along the mattress. you’re tired, damn near exhausted. no one prepared you for how draining the happiest day of your life would be: the sore feet from standing so long, the aching cheeks from smiling too wide, the upset stomach from only managing to grab a tiny bite of cake and flute of champagne the whole afternoon. as much as you want to be railed into the following month by your new husband, it’s hard to keep your eyes open, even as marcus recounts the story of nearly losing the wedding bands before the ceremony.

there will be plenty of time for newlywed sex once you get to hawaii. for now, you just want to bask in the newness of it all: in the strength of your husband’s rising and falling chest beneath your head and the weight of a ring on your finger.

you reach for his left arm, drawing it away from where it lay draped over your stomach. you unfurl his relaxed hand and squeeze the wedding ring—wide and prominent—around his ring finger. you wiggle the piece of jewelry slightly, just to see how easily it would be slide over his knuckle. it remains snug, and you grin.

tilting your head back, you glance to the side, and you smile wider when you see marcus looking down at you. you smooth the pad of your finger over his wedding band again. “my husband,” you whisper.

he nods, drags the thumb of his free hand along the underside of your jaw. “your husband.”

now, over ten years later, it’s just a silly habit.

when you’re standing in the grocery store, waiting to line your items on the conveyor belt, you will reach for his hand and toy with his ring while he inspects the candy display.

when you’re sat beside one another at the movies, his left hand on your knee, his right arm slung around missy, you push and pull on the ring, tugging it back and forth across his knuckle.

at parent-teacher conferences, in the airport, at the post-office, or fancy restaurants—whenever the urge strikes, you twine your fingers around his and fiddle with the outward expression of his love for you and you alone.

he’s never really said anything about it, seemingly accepted it as a harmless coping mechanism or self-soothing strategy. still, you sometimes worry the habit makes you look possessive and maybe you are. but with a husband like marcus, who wouldn’t be just slightly territorial?

you confront him about it one evening after missy goes to bed. she’s a precocious little thing—like you, marcus says—so you hope she hasn’t slipped out of her room to listen to your conversation from the top of the stairs as she has done before. there are some things you’d prefer be kept between your husband and yourself.

you find marcus on the couch, a recent football game replaying on the television. his legs are spread wide, one arm flung backwards over the furniture. there’s a half-empty beer bottle on the coffee table, sat atop missy’s third grade christmas gift of a cork-board coaster decorated with puffy paints and plastic gems.

you approach from behind and slide your hands down his chest, tucking your face in the curve of his neck, peppering whatever exposed flesh you can find with soft kisses. he hums in amusement and drops his phone to hold one of the hands pressed against his cotton t-shirt.

“what’s this for?” he murmurs, twisting his head to try and catch your mouth with his.

you avoid him as you say, “just ‘cause i love you.”

his smile is lazy, domestic, as he squeezes your palm. “come here.” he cocks his head for you to walk around the couch, and you do with ease, slipping into his lap with practiced grace.

marcus kisses you square on the mouth, and you resist the urge to sigh into his touch. even after so long, he treats you like he’s just met you, like he can’t wait to discover you and your body with his entire being.

you pull away and press your palm to the space below his collarbone. “marcus, can i ask you something?”

“we aren’t getting a cat,” he says flatly.

you shake your head. “that’s not what i was gonna ask about, but i do think that would be a good opportunity for missy to learn some extra responsibility.”

he lifts an eyebrow from behind his glasses. “i thought we weren’t talking about that?”

you wave the topic away with a roll of your eyes. “whatever.” drawing in a breath, you bite your lower lip before lifting his hand, just as you always do, and fiddling with his wedding ring. he watches you intently, no sense of urgency or frustration in his gaze as you tarry. “does this—” you start. “does this bother you?”

“what? you in my lap?” he pats what part of your ass hangs off his thigh. “nah, baby. doesn’t bother me. i asked you here, didn’t i?”

“no, i mean this.” you lift his hand, his ring still caught between your thumb and pointer finger. “when i play with your ring.”

“oh.” his brow pinches as he considers, and your heart freezes, waiting for him to tell you that yes, it does bother him; yes, he’d like you to stop. finally, he just shrugs. “no, doesn’t bother me.”

“really?” you tilt your head like you don’t believe him. “i do it a lot.”

“yeah—and i smack your ass a lot.”

“it doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable? like i’m marking my territory or something?”

marcus’s face eases into a soft smile, and he lifts his hand to cradle your cheek. “i wear that ring because i want people to know that i’m yours. i kinda like it when you fiddle. reminds me of our wedding night...”

at a loss for words, you lean forward and press your lips to his. his tongue darts out, requesting permission, and you easily grant him access. how could you not? you curl your arm around his neck, pulling him closer, and he shifts so you can straddle his waist. you’re lost in him, in his love, in his hands skimming your waist, in knowing he is perfectly perfect for you in every way.

missy’s disembodied voice suddenly interrupts the heated moment. “hey! when you guys are done being gross, can we talk about that cat?”

marcus pulls away from your mouth with a groan, and you laugh.

“well, at least she’s persistent,” you whisper.

it’s marcus’s turn to roll his eyes as he shakes his head. his lips still brush yours when he speaks, and you giggle at the tickle of his mustache when he says, “sure hope that comes in handy one day.”

#marcus moreno #marcus moreno x reader #we can be heroes #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal fanfiction #pm writes

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teacup-crow · 3 years

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Things That Make it Warm

Zombies Run Secret Santa fic for @whirly-wind! Thanks for organising @runnerzero, @goblinsharkz and @notforconsumption. Spoilers up to S5M24 below the cut :)

Hi Mystery! I was so so so excited to get you because you’re always lovely about my writing, especially my Tom/Jody stuff 😍 this is the story of them getting to know each other (with a Christmas involved, because Christmas is romantic right?)

Apologies that it starts off just a LITTLE bit angsty but it’s these two and angst just happens to them. A writer can only do so much. I promise there’s festive fluff in there!

I hope you enjoy this! Merry Christmas!

((Stole the title from a Cavetown song because I hate naming things!))

*****

“Jody’s running slowly, so she’ll give ‘em a good chase.”

She almost has to swallow a laugh at Sam’s sweet admiration. Jody’s running slowly because everything hurts, because this idea is crazy, because it might be the last run ever gazing at an Abel sunrise, orange and pink flecking the horizon, and she wants to see it before-

Boom. The explosion rattles her teeth, her bones, smoke rising behind her. She doesn’t look back. She knows better.

“Miss Marsh! To me!”

Tom grabs her hand and before she can process anything at all they’re sprinting. Her heart and lungs are burning; it’s been months since she ran like this, weeks since her muscles atrophied, and the pain shoots through her legs at every step until she feels nauseous. But they’re running. At some point, she lets the bundle fall from stiff arms, a pile of empty blankets. Tom whispers something, and vanishes into the dust he created.

***

“We are not leaving you here.”

“Ian won’t kill me. He knows I still have some useful things inside my broken noggin.” His smile is lopsided, his eyes slightly glittery. Jody doesn’t know him that well, really, but that look has never been a good one on him. She pats his arm, and it dulls a little. She leaves her hand there.

“Isn’t that a reason to get you out?”

He swallows. “I can’t… I can’t promise that I’ll…”

“You saved my life. You’re coming with us.”

She knows, even though his sister might protest out loud, that Janine is grateful to her for making the call. She knows her so well she can hear that the woman’s shoulders have dropped just a bit in relief.

***

Tom likes Noah Base.

It’s warm, and enclosed, and safe. He can feel the presence of walls around him at all times. When he whistles, it echoes. It’s familiar.

When he was younger, being inside used to bore him silly. Paperwork was the worst part of the job; as a boy, Jane did his homework more often than not. Back in Karachi, the memories warm and soft as parchment, he’d play football with the neighbourhood kids late into the night, everyone teasing but good-natured, curious about the white boy who spoke Urdu like a local. The calls of other boys’ mothers rang out as the day grew long until at last they’d scatter at the figure of his father, the ambassador cutting a long shadow across the evening, rumbling “Thomas? Thomas? Time to come home.”

A couple of years later, he lay out on the family’s broad flat roof, breathless - hiding from his sister so she wouldn’t see him crying about their parents, about being ripped away from everything and everyone they knew. Hiding from the men from the embassy, so he couldn’t hear the bad news. So they couldn’t take him to England. Outside there were birds soaring above him, the sun shining like any other day. He didn’t have to confront reality.

And after that, inside meant dull lessons at boarding school far away from Jane, where he actually had to concentrate to keep at the top of the class, and inside meant stuffy offices with stuffy bureaucrats who would never understand the realities of field work no matter how often they were explained, and then inside was three bare walls of concrete and agony and time.

When the open air was no longer a choice, when life became nothing but a cube, six by six, lights off more often than on, inside became more comforting. There, nobody could sneak up behind him. It was easy to keep one eye open. If you stay in the corner, you’re never surrounded. It’s outside where things go horribly wrong. Outside is where the crawling men eat human flesh. Outside is where Jane and the others left him behind.

And so, years later, England again, he’d slip off his cuffs in his new cell and finally manage to relax enough to rebuild some of his sanity. He knew now that inside isn’t the problem. Being trapped there is.

Noah Base is safe. He can map out the whole place in his head, learn fourteen different escape routes, ranked from worst to best.

Noah Base is better than safe.

Noah Base has Jody in it.

***

Jody, for one, feels cooped up.

It’s okay, at first. Things were worse than this right after the outbreak. She’d stayed in a Tube station for a couple of nights, only peeking her head above ground to try and get decent reception to call her mum. When her phone gave up the ghost, she trekked it out of London. But sometimes, especially now, she still thinks of the noise, the irrepressible heat, sickness already spreading like wildfire.

It’s okay, at first. She knits. She stretches. Builds up her core strength again. Takes lectures on strategy. Starts to actually read Janine’s notes, to Sam’s disgust. She keeps positive as morale begins to drop, until one morning she doesn’t get out of bed at all.

Tom arrives at her door with a plate of cold toast and strawberry jam.

“You weren’t at breakfast.”

Of course. He notices everything.

“I wasn’t hungry,” she replies, then bites her lip. If anything, the latest messages from Abel make her far too sick to eat. Steve, inexhaustibly flirtatious, convivial, suave Steve, had sounded shattered. Half-rations. Quarter-rations. Ian’s getting… more unbalanced. Kefi reckons half the town is anaemic.

“Come in if you like, I’m decent.”

“You need to eat something,” he insists, pushing the door ajar and handing the plate up to her. She sits up, back against the wall, and tries to give him a wobbly smile.

“What’s the matter, Miss Marsh?”

“I just… can’t believe we left them.”

And she bursts into tears. He pats her arm.

He doesn’t rationalise anything to her.

He thinks that, just maybe, it’s worse to be the leaver than the left.

***

She’s so strong.

He watches her with a bow and arrow hit one- two- three targets in the centre, more accurate and deadly than his own hand with a pistol. She swings up the climbing frame like a monkey, upside down and ten feet in the air. The gym in Noah Base is cramped - what isn’t? - but training is manageable with the lack of equipment to fill the space. Peter - the man who found them this place, the man with the silver tongue, the man who hurt his sister - is at the weights. He’s always in Tom’s peripheral vision; Jane only puts him there to keep an eye, he knows that.

“Whoop!” Jody swings down from the ropes triumphantly and rolls to a halt. He clicks the stopwatch.

“One-forty-seven. Your fastest time yet, Miss Marsh. That was excellent.”

“You can stop calling me that any time you like, you know.”

“Nonsense. What would I call you then?”

She looks up at him, quite serious. He’s maybe a foot taller than she is. He’s a madman. A murderer. But there’s not an ounce of fear in her gaze, not anymore. When her hair is tied back like that, he can see her face properly, the fading freckles, soft straight hair, her laughing eyes, the cleft in her chin, the birthmark on her cheek.

“...Jody’s fine, Tom.”

“I… yes.” He blinks away in embarrassment. “If you would prefer that name. Yes.”

“Not if it makes you uncomfortable. Anyway, I’m going to try that again. I just know I can beat you.”

“And then you’ll take a break?”

“We’ll see,” she grins, and jogs back to the start.

She’s not only physically strong; she’s been through so much and she hasn’t let it harden her. She looks at every new day like an opportunity, a sunrise, swallowing back the bitter pill of life with orange juice. Not like him. He’s so far past broken he doesn’t even remember what wholeness tastes like; some important part of his soul still lies in that cage, rotting. So how can he be falling in love?

***

It just doesn’t feel like Christmastime.

The last few Christmases have fallen into some kind of routine, at least. They were bare and hard but everyone was together, kids faces lighting up as they decorated the township, people working together to make it as okay as possible. A bit more frivolity, a bit more food.

It’s December already, and nobody has even mentioned it.

Steve hasn’t sent a message in a good while, and the radio silence is making all of them itchy. Five’s been gone for weeks; Cameo’s probably dead. Everyone she cares about is probably-

“Jodes? Can you help me with this?”

It’s Tom, sprawled on his stomach on her bedroom floor, attempting to darn a sock and failing miserably. She laughs.

“They didn’t have darning as a class at Harrow?”

“Not that I remember, but I can recite some Latin at you if you’d like.”

“That sounds extremely helpful.” She swings down from the bunk and looks closer. “Have you just been tying knots in this?”

“I was trying to…” he stares at the sock in his hands with a rueful expression. “It appears that yes, I have just been tying knots in it.”

“Okay,” she sits down cross-legged and takes it from him to start unpicking. “At least you’re honest.”

“Where did you learn to sew and knit?”

“Our church hall ran a youth club. They’d do snacks and activities after school most days, and Mum always liked us out doing something; there were four of us and she didn’t want us under her feet all afternoon. I was a big fan of the needlework table. Who knew it would come in so handy, hey?”

“I have underestimated it.”

He rests his chin on his hands, intently watching her work. Her fingers are so small and quick compared to his. Her gaze flits between the sock and his face. It’s weathered and worn but she still sees warmth and handsomeness there, between the cracks in his scarred armour. The way he’s kept an eye on her every day since that breakfast, just to make sure she’s holding up. She shakes her head, and passes it back to him.

She can’t fall in love with Janine’s brother.

***

It’s the day before Christmas Eve, and Sam hasn’t let Five out of his sight for more than two consecutive hours since they got back to Noah Base, his hand stuck to theirs with glue. They’d normally protest this, but yet another dusting of horror and shadow under their eyes has cut their counterargument short. They nod to Jody when they see her request, and make some excuse about going to ask Janine about work assignments, hobbling a little on a twisted ankle. She appreciates it.

“Sam! Finally got you alone for a minute!”

“Jody! What can I do for you?”

He’s almost himself again, grinning at her from the chaotic comms desk that he’s tacked a bit of tinsel to. She can nearly forget the sound of his screaming last week when Five practically died in that godforsaken maze. It turns out nobody is better at picking up and piecing back together than Sam Yao.

“How did you know that… how did you…”

She pushes the door closed, and clears her throat. “How did you know that you liked Five?”

His grin broadens. “Jody, you like someone?”

“Shut up.”

“I thought you didn’t have crushes!”

“I didn’t. I don’t. Well, maybe I do. I don’t know!”

“Well, describe it to me.”

“It’s like…” God, his smile is dopey. “Stop looking at me like that, Sam, you’re putting me off! It’s like… every time I look at him I feel warm, and the world feels a little bit softer, more yellow, and I just want to protect him. Like, I’d die happy if I knew he’d be safe. And his face. His jawline. I… you’re giggling!”

“Tell me more, tell me more!”

She lobs a stack of rotas at him half-heartedly. He ducks.

“He’s just… so clever and so kind. And he’s still hurting, and I wish he would stop.” She sighs, warming to her theme. “Janine will go mad with me if she hears about it.”

Sam’s face goes slack with shock. “Oh my God. You like Peter?”

“Jesus Christ, Sam, no! I like Tom!”

“Oh, that makes so much more sense!” He chuckles, and then adds: “You do know he’s still a bit...”

“And Five isn’t?”

It comes out defensive, and she immediately wishes she’d bit her tongue, but he doesn’t get annoyed. He shrugs.

“You’re right, Five isn’t well either. Both of them have been through… stuff we can’t even imagine. Done things that people maybe shouldn’t forgive.”

“Who hasn’t.” Jody says darkly.

“Exactly. Their hearts are in the right place, but… just be careful, Jodes.”

Lines like but he would never hurt me and things are different now are not lines she likes to have run through her head. She heard those lines often enough as a little girl, when her brother Cameron was still in nappies and she herself barely out of them but already knowing they were lies. Her mum’s taste in men had got better by the time she’d had the twins, but Jody didn’t forget. She’d vowed to never, ever need anyone that volatile that much.

And yet - here she is.

“So. How’d you know you liked Five?”

“I just,” he flushes. “One day I woke up and just knew. My heart belonged to them. I couldn’t get it back. When they’re not around… it hurts.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s it. Oh Sam, what am I going to do?”

“You could just tell him?”

“Yeah. No.” She swings around in the office chair as she talks. “What if he doesn’t feel the same? What if I make him uncomfortable? He’s going through a lot still, deep down, and I don’t want to add to it, or put him under any pressure.”

“He’s a six foot three MI6 Commander, Jodes, I somehow don’t think you’ll be pressuring him into anything.”

“I suppose... but you keep your mouth closed, no matter what, okay? I don’t want to hear this anywhere outside of this room.”

“Just tell him you like him!” Sam calls after her as she heads back down the corridor.

***

“You’re coming to me for advice about women?”

Tom’s already realised that this was probably a bad idea, but he can’t exactly back out now. “I mean? Jane likes you.”

“Janine’s Janine. She’s… well, I know she’s your sister but she’s not like other women.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, she’s…” he’s flustered. “She’s amazing.”

“And other women aren’t amazing?”

“Fair point, fair point,” he raises his hands.

Tom runs a hand through his hair. It’s thinning. When did he get old? So much of his youth was wasted.

“Jody is beautiful and talented and so good. She’s got this… hope about her. This luck. I feel like nothing could truly go wrong when I’m beside her.”

Peter nods. “And what does she think?”

“I have no idea, but she can do a lot better than me. She’s seen me ranting and raving out of my wits, and I’m ten years older, and… just look at me, Pete. I’m mostly scar tissue.”

Peter does, up and down.

“You’re very good looking to me, Colonel,” he winks at last. Tom snorts. Maybe the bloke isn’t so bad.

“You must have had relationships before, though? Surely? The way Janine always put it you’d think you were James Bond. A different person on your arm every day of the week.”

“I mean, I did. Of course. Lots of people. Nothing serious, but… that was so long ago. Before… before my head became a mess. When I could tell truth from lie as easy as up from down. These days, I’m not even sure if you’re in front of me. If I squint, I might lose you completely.”

Peter doesn’t know what to say to that. Tom’s introspective seriousness has always made him uncomfortable.

“Anyway, enough of all that rambling. I’m going to give her this.” He proffers a wicked-looking weapon. “For Christmas, I mean. Do you think she’ll like it?”

“An automatic crossbow?” Peter whistles. “Romantic. Right up her alley. She’ll love it.”

He nods in gratitude. “I appreciate you listening. Before you ask, Janey will love the ringbinder full of poetry you put together.”

“How did you know about that!” Peter is ashen, mortified.

“The name’s Bond, James Bond.” Tom throws the line over his shoulder as he wanders away.

***

Their Christmas is a quiet one, but perhaps more festive than anyone expected. Someone dims the base’s lights with crepe paper, and Amelia emerges from her quarters with a bottle of champagne. “Not as a gift, you understand,” she impresses firmly, “but as a service to myself. Being around you lot is making me bloody miserable. Put some smiles on, for once!”

Someone else has found a flock of wild geese and thanks to Jody’s crossbow the residents of Noah Base feast like Victorian paupers made kings. Janine taps her glass, makes a speech about times being tough and the importance of finding the things to celebrate. “I salute you all for your fortitude and bravery. This time next year, we will be with our friends and families again. It’s only a matter of time before we take our home back.” She’s got good at these at this point. They all raise a cheer, at least.

Tom and Jody talk long into the evening about everything they can think of that isn’t the last decade. Childhood stories, mostly: Tom and his football friends accidentally crashing a wedding and causing a minor diplomatic incident; the prank war with next door that Jody and her brothers got into one summer; Tom, Janine and General Bakari’s three-way chess matches; Jody nearly burning the house down attempting to make her mum breakfast in bed. Debates over Doctor Who episodes lead into arguments over the best Quality Street chocolate until they’re the last people still awake.

“D’you believe in God?” She asks, at some point, hazy under piles of blankets in front of the heater they’ve powered for the occasion. He’s wearing the new jumper she made him (“I’m sorry it’s bottle green, it was the only wool we had enough of but it’ll bring out your eyes, I reckon”) and leafing through the pamphlet of beginners knitting patterns she’d painstakingly copied out and tucked inside it.

He chews his lip, lost in thought, his mind straying back to Algeria even as he takes her hand in the present. “No. I used to. I was a chorister when I was a boy.”

“Seriously? One of those ones in Westminster Abbey? My mum always used to listen to them!”

“Yes! I loved it!” He laughs. “Only did the Christmas service once, though. I got bronchitis the next year, and after that my voice broke. But it was the first time I started enjoying life in England. When we stepped outside after the service, that was also the first time I saw snow. I thought it was a miracle. Janey told me not to be so ridiculous, so I put a snowball down the back of her coat.”

“I can’t get over how posh you are. Did you have to wear robes?” It’s the biggest he’s seen her smile in ages. He laughs again at the look on her face.

“Yes, I had to wear robes.”

“If there are no photos left of this, I’ll never forgive your sister.”

“What about you? Why did you ask about God?”

“I don’t know: I was just wondering. True meaning of Christmas, and all that. I used to think at the start of all this that if He did exist, he must have a pretty sick sense of humour. But I’m not sure, I don’t think it’s all that black and white anymore. Maybe He’s just tired of us.”

“Perhaps He’s on a long holiday. He’ll check in next millenia. Until then, we’ll have to figure it out for ourselves.”

She falls asleep not long after that, her head on his chest. He loves her so much his ribs ache.

Maybe there is a God, if a feeling like this can exist. If the two of them can find each other, despite everything. If he can leave so much behind, and lose so much, and still be so happy.

#zombies run #zr #tom de luca #Jody Marsh #zrs5 #zrs5 spoilers #zr secret santa #Noah base Christmas and Christmas 2020 have the same energy #zr secret santa 2020

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kenmoorman · 3 years

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Champions League Predictions and Betting Tips - Free Super Tips

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ohwereusingourmadeupnames · 4 years

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Go Play Your Video Games

Pairing: Peter Parker/Tony Stark Rating: Teen (T) Word Count: ~5k Notes: This came from the prompt “You beat my high score? You... beat my high score?” from my anonymous pal. I went the high school au route - it turned into something a little more interesting than I anticipated. Might follow this one up if you guys are interested! Warnings: Steve Rogers is kind of a tool & there’s a bit of “violence”. Summary:

Tony grew up in a small town where everyone knows everyone and nothing ever changes. Then a new kid comes to town and flips everything upside down. Peter is everything Tony’s usual is not and he’s a big fan of that.

do the thing - send in all the prompts.

In Littleton, things still moved pretty slow. Not that progression didn’t happen – it was 2020, after all. Yet, there were many things that existed from the “past”; drive-in theaters, record stores, and most importantly – an arcade. For most of the youth in the town, nightly hangouts met up at the record store and finished the night off at the arcade. At least, that’s how things were for Tony.

Spending time at home really wasn’t an option – despite being insanely intelligent and successful in his athletic endeavors, Tony’s father hated him. He wasn’t sure of the reason, it felt innate from the time Tony could remember trying to gain his approval. The older he got, the easier it was to ignore it – not being in the house was one of the best ways to do that.

Because of that, the arcade quickly became a place that Tony could disappear into for hours on end. Whether he was meeting the guys there later in the evening or only had a couple of hours between school and football, Tony spent all of his free time there. It astounded him, how long he could play on one quarter – how each of the games on his row had AES in the high scorer column. Regardless of the way his father felt about him, the arcade never let him down.

Then, Peter Parker moved to town.

The fact that a new family was moving into Littleton had the rumor mill running. In all of the years of Tony’s life, he only saw a couple of new additions to the small town. Most of the families within it, including his own, were old and had rich roots in the businesses that kept the small community running. Stark Industries was over 100 years old and stood as a looming reminder of the next disappointment he planned to add to the pile of shit his family already disliked about him.

When Tony first heard about it, they were starting football training camp. They were a small 2A school, but the team and the 5 straight state titles the school brought home were important – so, most of the parents and friends of the people on the field were crowded around the sidelines. Ever since Tony could remember, practice was a social affair just as much as the athletic gathering that it should have been.

He and Clint were doing running drills when Steve ran over, a new sort of look on his face. “Have you guys heard about the new kid coming to town? Peggy told me that he was a senior just like us and smart as hell,” Steve babbled, excitement and a certain kind of fear lacing his voice. Tony knew that Steve hated changed the most out of them all – always had.

Stopping himself, Tony turned his full attention to the conversation, his aversion to change not anywhere close to Steve’s. The small-town life wasn’t for him, he secretly had a calendar that he crossed off the days left until graduation (only 297 to go!) A new person brought something different and that was more intriguing than anything else – even the football being chucked at his head.

Tony turned just in time, his hands coming up to stop the ball from hitting him square in the face. “Hey, fuck off, Barnes. Your boyfriend is telling us about the new blood coming to town,” Tony hollered across the field, a smirk slipping across his face at the blush that immediately pooled in Bucky’s cheeks. Things between him and Steve were still newer, and Tony loved to give them shit for it.

A throat clearing had Tony turning back to Clint and Steve, both of them looking a little worse for wear. “As I was saying – this new kid is supposed to not only be smart, but good at sports, too – “

Try as he might, Tony couldn’t get the thought of newness and what came from that out of his head. Last year, he started to get chatters from several different universities wanting to sign him to play football. Though his father wanted nothing to do with it, Maria took Tony to a couple of different overnight stays to see what the college athletics thing was all about; he fell in love with it instantly.

The thought of getting to appreciate something shiny and new before heading off to whatever school he could convince to take him made his heart beat a little faster. Littleton needed something to spark a little fire in the mundaneness of scheduled and unmoving life.

Steve’s pointed look and the repeated question of “what do you think about this, Tony?” brought him away from the daydreams, his eyes blinking for a second.

Running a hand through his sweaty hair, Tony shrugged his shoulders. It wouldn’t do him any good to go gushing or anything. “I haven’t thought about it,” he decided to reply, instead. “It’ll be nice to have some uniqueness in this godforsaken place.” Tony shot Steve a wink and reached across the way, his hand giving his friend’s shoulder a squeeze. “Just keep your fingers crossed he doesn’t have a better arm than you.”

Practice went off without a hitch after that – Fury called them in for a huddle and they got to work. Luckily, Tony spent a bunch of time with the rest of the guys working out, so the drills and running felt like a piece of cake. It was good to be back to some semblance of a routine, even if that meant spending less time surrounded by his beloved video games. They’d still be there when he was done sweating for the day.

And they were – still standing there when he walked into Munchies later that day. It took him a while to shower and get away from the rest of the group, which meant he hit the games when the floor wasn’t busy. Changing in $5 for quarters, Tony headed to his most favorite game – Galaga. Most of his attention was usually spent on the dark screen with ships and missiles flying across it.

Tony set down the lot of quarters on the ledge of the game by the player 2 joystick, one of them already in his hand to slip into the coin slot. Yet, he stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the top score screen flash in front of him. Instead of AES as usual, the initials PBP were sitting above his, the score more than a 1000 points better than his. Sucking in a breath, Tony felt his hand clench into a fist. 2 things ran across his mind in that instant – how the fuck was he going to score another 1000 points and who the hell was PBP?

----

He didn’t have to wait long to put a face to the initials.

The very next day at practice, the collective was staring over at the far end of the field – the bespoken new kid was putting his cleats on; it was obvious that everyone was staring, so it looked like he was trying not to stare back. When he looked up, Tony got the air knocked out of him. Whatever shit the other guys were saying completely blew past him. Getting up, Tony started over in his direction.

Not only did he look well built, which would come in handy on the field, this new kid had pale skin that seemed to go on for miles. His sleeveless shirt did nothing to hide the tight bundles of muscle covering his arms and upper chest. As if the long, lean limbs weren’t enough, Tony noticed that the stranger wore his hair longer, the curls at the back of his neck barely grazing the surface of his shirt. The longer bits in the front were pulled back by a gray headband to complete the look.

More than anything, Tony instantly wanted to know more about the beautiful person confidently striding over to him. Since things ended between him and Beck the year before, Tony hadn’t even thought about going after someone new. Yet, his eyes glazed over a little bit when the guy started to jog, his muscles clenched with every step and the sway of his hair was slightly hypnotic.

Tony forced himself to suck in a couple of gulps of air before the new guy was standing right in front of him, a smile on his face. “Hey man, I’m Pete.” He spoke without preamble and stuck his hand out between them like there wasn’t a group of 50 dudes staring the two of them down.

Thinking fast, Tony grabbed his hand and squeeze, the gentle up and down of their shake just as distracting as the movement of Peter’s hair in the wind. He probably held on much longer than necessary before reining himself in. “You must be the coveted new kid. Nice to meet you, Pete. I’m Tony,” he replied lightly, his head turning a bit. “I’m not sure you’re going to get anything other than that from those guys. Want to warm up with me?”

The ease in which Peter accepted brought a grin to his face – Tony caught Steve staring at him as the moved further onto the field, but he simply shot him the middle finger, put his head down, and jogged after Peter.

Leather flew across the air at him with a sharp snap – his warmup toss seemed to be more accurate than any of Tony’s best throws. Tony caught the ball a couple more times before turning his focus back to Peter. “So, where are you from, Pete? We don’t get a lot of transplants.” Though Tony didn’t really give a shit, the rest of the guys would be breathing down his neck for answers later on.

“I’m from Queens, actually. My aunt got a job at SI, so here we are,” Peter replied, his throwing mechanics never faltering as he spoke. “You can tell them my last name is Parker and I’ll be trying to play quarterback.” Peter smirked at him; the ball still held tightly in his hands. Tony watched his eyes move passed his shoulder to the group that was still looking at the two of them intently.

A laugh fell from his lips before he could stop it. Tony rested his hands on his hips and let the feeling wash over him. It was refreshing, to be around someone that didn’t have to think for 2 days before putting all of the pieces together. “I think I’d rather let them find out by themselves.” Then, because it also took Tony a second to piece things together, he realized he was talking to PBP – the Galaga genius.

“Have you been to Munchies?” Tony asked, his smile growing a bit wider when a look of recognition rolled across Peter’s face.

Peter threw the ball at Tony before responding – his hands were quick, the whole vision of it almost distracting enough to not put his own hands up in time. “You mean the arcade? Yeah, I went when we got in last night. I love all of those old games.”

Shaking his head, Tony let his fingers curl over the laces of the ball, the feeling comforting. “You beat my high score? You… beat my high score? You’re PBP! How the hell did you get to be so good?” Tony let the surprise roll off of him, the soft look on his face hopefully enough to make Peter understand the sarcasm of the words.

“Ah, so you’re AES. I wondered who had the top dog spot. Don’t worry – I’ll only beat your high score on a couple of those games. My real talent is skee-ball. Coney Island isn’t too far from where I grew up – I learned everything I know there,” Peter remarked, his eyes shining brightly at the exchange.

Chucking the ball back, Tony forced himself not to beam – this new kid was already an interesting addition to the masses, and he knew him for less than 20 minutes. “You’ll have to show me some time,” Tony said right before the whistle blew. He caught the ball one last time and closed the distance between them. “You’re going to be a good addition around here, Peter Parker.”

----

Despite how enamored Tony felt with Peter and his presence, the rest of his friend group did not share the same opinion. For one thing, Peter was gunning for Steve’s spot and that didn’t sit well with either him or Bucky. Peter didn’t help himself when he came out and blew them all away in sprints – he was fast and strong; a combination that not a lot of people could cop to. His knowledge of the game became apparent when he took to the plays like he ran them constantly, not just once before. Like everyone else feared – the new kid brought change, and not a single person around Littleton liked change.

A few weeks after Peter’s arrival, Tony convinced him to head to Munchies with him – they talked frequently about it and like he predicted, Peter took over his highest score spot on a couple more games. It was about time Tony saw the master in his element. After practice, Tony opened Peter’s door for him as they climbed into the black Mustang Tony restored himself the previous summer.

“The customization you did to this thing is incredible, Tony,” Peter mentioned when Tony climbed in and started to get settled. “You said you did a lot of work, but I didn’t think you meant – this much.” His eyes widened a little as he took in all the shiny things Tony added around the car.

His favorite thing, the new sound system in the dash, pulled his Spotify up and started to play the more recent Kings of Leon album – the deep sounds of Caleb Followill’s voice swarming around them. Smiling, he turned the volume down a bit; his father didn’t understand his obsession with creating things, but it felt good to sit in something he brought back from the dead. The car was just the first step in a long journey of creation – Tony wouldn’t settle for anything less.

Shaking his head, he turned his attention to getting the car on and into traffic before he thought to respond. “It was basically just a rusty frame and a couple of axels when I bought it. I redid the engine, transmission, brake system – all the fun stuff under the hood. Steve, Bucky, and I did the exterior – Buck’s an artist, so the paint job is all him.”

Peter shifted a little in his seat, Tony caught the movement out of the corner of his eye as he stopped at the light. When he looked over, he was facing Tony. “So, you’re into engineering and stuff, then? Engine restoration isn’t rookie work,” Peter said softly, the cutest smile on his face. He seemed relaxed, which made Tony feel at ease, too.

The comfortability that existed in the small space between them was unlike anything Tony ever experienced.

“I am, yeah. The family business is so far outside of that scope that I kind of keep it to myself. I’m almost done with an Associate’s of Science so I can start into a Mechanical Engineering program wherever I decide to go to college. Littleton Community College does this degree transfer thing with the high school, so I’ve been using the garage there since my freshman year.” Tony blinked, the thought of saying that much in one breath pulling a blush to the surface of his skin.

“You’re smart, too?” Peter questioned, a hand coming up to his chest in fake exasperation. In the days since getting to know each other, Tony brought up many topics of conversation that were well beyond his other friends, but not Peter – it was clear that as intellectuals, there was a mutual appreciation of the other’s mind.

“Jokes aside, that’s really cool. Seems like we’re going to be competing for highest scorer in school, too.” As he spoke, he reached a hand out and grazed Tony’s extended arm, the touch like a scorch of fire against his skin. It lingered, the heat of it. Then, Peter dropped his hand and let it rest lightly on the edge of Tony’s thigh.

Before Tony could stop it, a hearty laugh left his lips – Peter brought competition into everything and set out challenges for them both to overcome; even in the few short weeks of knowing him, Tony understood that. It felt a different kind of good, being with him – he loved his friends, but like all things about Peter, his feelings towards him were completely unique. It felt easy to reach down and wrap his fingers around Peter’s – their hands resting on his leg.

“I feel like there’s no competition, though. I’ve never gotten anything less than an A in my life,” Tony remarked proudly, his fingers giving Peter’s a squeeze.

The snort he heard on the other side of the car made his heart pang – another point in the bank of things he liked about Peter. It was getting rather full, between his smarts and the quippy shit he had to say to any of the guys that ragged on him – it was hard to not be adding things to it on a daily basis. So when they drove by the arcade, Tony kept driving; Peter’s nod as they met eyes for a second made it easy to do.

Instead, Tony drove them out of Littleton and across the miles of empty space between there and the next town over. They talked about everything – Peter’s want to do Biomedical Engineering and the multiple sport talents he’d be showing off throughout the year. Tony learned about his uncle Ben and the unfortunate death that brought Peter and his aunt there to begin with.

In return, Tony told him a little bit about growing up in a small town and the immense pressure that came with being a Stark when he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the name or anything that came with it. When he talked about his dad, Peter let their fingers tangle together, the anchor of his touch making it a little easier to gush some of the details that he never thought to tell another soul.

It was so easy to lean across the center console and press his lips to Peter’s when they pulled up outside of the small house the Parker’s now lived in. The hand that was tangled with Peter’s all night reached up to cup his cheek lightly, the skin there soft and smooth under his fingertips. Tony let himself linger for a couple of minutes before pulling back, a shy smile slipping across his lips as he did.

“I had a good time, Tony,” Peter mumbled, his cheeks just as flushed as Tony’s felt. “Let’s actually go to the arcade sometime – I’ll cash out the first round.” With that, he leaned over and gave Tony a kiss on the cheek, then got out – all of it happening before Tony could even think to reply or give back or even say goodbye.

Blinking, Tony shook his head – the haze of being with Peter overwhelming him, making him lose himself for a second. The sound of On Call hit his ears when he resurfaced – the music pulling him back down to where gravity had ahold of him again. Before pulling away from the curb, Tony ducked down to see Peter leaned up against the door frame, eyes on Tony.

He didn’t look away until Peter was no longer in his sight. A goofy smile settled on his lips, the feeling of happiness settling in and taking hold.

----

The inevitable blow up Tony expected from day one finally happened right after the 1st game of the season.

Despite Steve being the starting quarterback for 3 years, Fury trusted his gut and put Peter in. It paid off, too – between his throwing abilities and the collective talent of the offense, Littleton was up by 30 at the end of the first half. It was obvious that a few people were upset by the change, but the juice the team got from the squeeze of Peter’s efforts was more important than hurt feelings (so was a win by 50 points, but who was counting?)

Tony met Peter at the edge of the field when the last seconds of the 4th quarter trickled down, his arms wrapping around the large pads that covered both their shoulders. The chemistry between them extended to the field, Tony went for 4 touchdowns that night.

Excitement was not the feeling that Tony walked into the locker room to, however – after Fury gave his post-game speech and hyped them up for post-game walk through the next day, the tangible tension came to a head. Tony got out of his gear, into the shower, and changed as fast as he possibly could. Grabbing Peter when he noticed he was ready, Tony directed them out of the locker room and into fresh air that wasn’t tainted with misplaced anger.

“Me playing is really that big of a deal? We won – the team played great. I don’t see what the issue is,” Peter said as they walked towards Tony’s Mustang. During the last couple of weeks of practice, the reality of Peter starting started to sink in for everyone – including Steve, who already felt the need to keep the grudge he formed before ever even meeting Peter.

“You know the answer to that question, Pete. This is a small town. Steve and his family and all of the people that know his family have seen him play all game every game for the past 3 years. There’s no getting around that dynamic, Pete – that’s why I want out so bad. It’s toxic and leaves no room for new or change or anything other than the usual. You have to understand that, at least,” Tony replied.

Peter sighed deeply, his shoulder bumping into Tony’s in silent agreement. “Okay, I do get that. I do – it’s just nothing personal. I know that’s not the fucking point, but it seems like it should be.”

Getting to the car, Tony dropped his bag by the passenger side door and let his arm trap Peter between himself and the car. He let a palm drift to Peter’s cheek, Tony’s thumb brushing over the seam of plush lips. “It should be, Pete. It doesn’t mean that it is.” Tony said truthfully, his own knowledge of being stuck in the box of the people around him fresh in his mind. “You just keep doing what you’re doing. I like it, at least.”

Their lips met in a soft kiss, Peter leaning forward to seal their lips together. Tony smiled into it and let his hand move into the still wet locks of Peter’s hair. The idea of getting away quickly vaguely registered – Tony broke the kiss and took a step away from him to break the spell Peter’s presence put him under. “Want to actually go to Munchies?”

It didn’t take anything other than Peter’s slight nod to have Tony opening his door, and walking around to his own side of the car, his bag getting tossed in the backseat as he got in. Tony made quick work of backing out and getting them on the road towards the arcade. It was a little more crowded than usual, but it was a Friday night – the crowds were inevitable.

As promised, Peter cashed out a $10 bill and split the quarters between them. Tony directed them towards the skee-ball immediately, his curiosity in Peter’s talent wining out over the need to kick some ass in Street Fighter. The way Peter’s eyes lit up said he made the right choice and for a solid 20 minutes, Tony watched in awe.

“The trick is to aim the ball high on the side so that when it banks, it catches the lip of the double bonus,” Peter muttered, his arm swinging gracefully, the ball doing exactly what he described. Ticket after ticket came barreling out of the game. The thought of having the skee-ball machines turned off because of too much prize distribution was quickly becoming a reality.

Unable to contain himself after Peter’s 8th game and the smiles that came with every play, Tony placed a hand on the other’s hip. The touch was enough for him to turn around, Peter’s hands wrapping around his shoulders tightly. They didn’t need to be making out in the arcade, but a kiss or two wouldn’t hurt anyone. Meeting in the middle, their lips met in a soft kiss – the shockingly familiar feeling of Peter against his front overtaking him.

The sudden shout of his name had him pulling back – the sound of Steve’s voice unmistakable. Tony thought about letting his lips linger, the forceful tone of his friend’s shriek one he didn’t like very much. Deciding against that, Tony detached from Peter completely, his hands drifting to settle into the depths of his pockets.

“Stevie – surprised to see you here,” Tony answered, his eyebrows quirking. Since he started to hang out with Peter, the rest of his friend group didn’t go out of their way to spend too much time with him. The usual nights of hanging out with a big group were reduced to Peter and Tony – something he actually wasn’t upset about at all.

Steve settled in front of him, Bucky and Clint on his flanks. “What did he do to gain your loyalty like this? Everyone else is pissed about tonight and you’re here making out with the person wreaking havoc.” Steve’s voice sounded petulant, the cross of his arms adding to the effect.

“Wreaking havoc? Steve, can you hear yourself? Peter is here living his life – which happens to include playing football on the same team that you do. What’s happening here has nothing to do with loyalty. He’s better than you, that’s all there is to it,” Tony stated bluntly – his heart pounding in his chest. He wasn’t sure if that was the right approach to take – but there wasn’t much to be done about it now.

His friend looked taken aback for a second, the blue of his eyes darkening. “How could you choose him over us? We’ve been your friends since birth, Tony.” The words were cutting and by the barely withheld smile on his face, Steve knew it, too.

“The fact that you’re playing that card is exactly why I’ll gladly stand by Peter. You’re too wrapped up in your own shit to realize that the team did well tonight – no matter how bad you felt about standing on the sideline, you should know how important that is. My friendship with you should not depend on my relationship with Peter. You’re my best friend, Steve – but I’m not going to let you make that sort of decision for me.”

In retrospect, he should have seen the punch coming – Steve got angrier with every one of Tony’s words. Throughout their life, Steve had been known to speak with his hands before thinking it through. It still stung, though – the throb of the punch and the fact that Steve delivered it at all. His hand shot up to cradle his cheek, a bruise already starting to form there.

It looked like Peter was going to try and retaliate, so Tony moved in front of him quickly. “It’s not worth it,” Tony whispered before Peter could protest or try and move him out of the way. He could do it, they both knew that; the sound of his voice must have reached something in him – Peter stopped in his tracks.

“I think you’re going to really regret doing that, Steve. Not because I’m going to hold it against you, but because you’re going to feel like a total asshole when I don’t.” Tony flashed him a smirk, his cheek smarting at the movement. Softening his voice, Tony spoke again. “Please get the fuck out of here, man. I think we’re done for the night.”

Despite the stupidity he just showed, Steve nodded stiffly and turned around to walk out the door. He shot a remorseful look over his shoulder, but Tony ignored it, his attention shifting back to Peter, instead. He let out a soft moan when the coolness of Peter’s hand touched his cheek, the other’s grip there locking their gazes. “Thanks for not letting me beat the shit out of him,” Peter whispered, his nose brushing against Tony’s.

Soaking up the touch, Tony felt himself smiling. “That’d make him right. The key is to always be one step ahead.”

Peter let him go then, his eyes drifting towards the entrance. “Want to get out of here?” he asked, the adrenaline of the situation obviously sucking the fun out of the great time they were having right before it.

Without thought, Tony nodded, his eye throbbing as he did. Grinning, he grabbed for Peter’s hand and twined their fingers together, his grip tight. “Yeah, I really do,” Tony answered, the feeling of how right that was on so many levels washing over him.

Between the contentment and the big grin Peter kept on shooting his way, Tony figured a punch in the face wasn’t the worst thing to take in the name of love.

#starker #ironspider #bobbie writes #nonnie #anonymous #go play your video games

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originalravager · 4 years

Photo

“YOU KEEP STORING UP ALL THAT ANGER AND GRIEF. EVENTUALLY IT SPILLS OVER. OR YOU DROWN IN IT.”

— LEIGH BARDUGO

basics —

NAME: grant slade wilson ALIAS: ravager AFFILIATION: h.i.v.e. FACECLAIM: luke pasqualino AGE: 30 AGE OF DEATH: 19 FAMILY: slade wilson (father), adeline kane (mother, deceased), joseph wilson (younger brother), rose wilson (younger half-sister) MBTI: istp-a OCCUPATION: personal trainer, mercenary HAIR COLOR: dark brown EYE COLOR: blue HEIGHT: 6’2” SPECIES: metahuman

powers and special abilities —

ENHANCED MIND: able to utilize nine times more than a human’s full brain capacity for information processing and sorting, making his mind is virtually a computer built for strategy and problem-solving, one that works at optimal ability even when under stress and fatigue. using his superior problem-solving skills, grant can work out a battle ahead of time for many possibilities and predict enemy movements and tactics after the battle has engaged by recalling and utilizing memorized mannerisms acquired through past experience on a moment’s notice. he is also ingenious in devising solutions against superior aspects of opponents, can observe and exploit, and can calculate distance, speed, and time at lightning speeds; his sense of timing is superb, bordering on perfection.

ENHANCED REFLEXES: possesses enhanced reflexes. the speed at which he reacts allows him to dodge fast-moving projectiles such as arrows and bullets. he can usually out-react even the fastest humans, no matter how well-trained.

ENHANCED STRENGTH: his entire muscular system was hardened and strengthened, allowing grant to be “as strong as ten men”.

ENHANCED SPEED: able to run at speeds over 30mph.

ENHANCED STAMINA: can exert himself at peak capacity greater than any human could.

ENHANCED SENSES: his senses have been augmented to higher levels of ability. he can hear, see, and smell things better than a normal human.

REGENERATIVE HEALING: with an enhanced ability to heal damaged tissue, the rate at which grant’s body recovers from injury and capable of being repaired before death. as such, his body can take a tremendous amount of punishment before succumbing to death. simple gunshot and stab wounds, cuts, and broken bones can heal faster then normal. he was once impaled clean through his chest, and it did nothing but slow him down and cause great pain.

TOXIC IMMUNITY: his regenerative abilities have some affect on his body’s ability to process through harmful, foreign substances and he has become naturally immune to deadly poisons and illnesses.

HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT.

MASTER SWORDSMAN.

MASTER MARKSMAN.

TACTICAL ANALYSIS.

three headcanons —

i. grant was on the hockey team at his school growing up. he has always loved sports, becoming passionate about being out there on the ice. he ended up being great, rewarded with trophies and ribbons that his mother adeline proudly displayed in their living room. while his younger brother had been interested in art, grant was more on the athletic side. he loves watching football too, becoming a cincinnati bengals fan. adeline used to take him to games when they could afford it. these are childhood memories grant cherishes very much.

ii. many bones were broken while grant was a child. he was always getting into trouble such as jumping off of places he had no business climbing up on. grant would be sitting there with a smile on his face after getting a cast on his arm, while adeline would be stressing out about the fact he did this again, and joey asking him to stop hurting himself because he doesn’t like seeing him like that. once getting his powers less bones would get broken at the very least. sometimes grant would dig holes in their yard, and try to do dangerous stunts over them which also caused him to hurt himself. but he was just a kid, one who loves the outdoors a lot.

iii. grant taught himself how to pick locks! he practiced on their front door, tinkering with it for hours until making sense of the skill. he accidentally locked himself out once while trying to learn, and needed to master it before dinner. this became useful in adulthood when starting to be ravager more often than he thought it would. you never know when you’ll need to pick some locks.

four personality traits —

- vicious (grant enjoys violence and isn’t afraid to threaten someone he feels deserves it. in the past when allowed to carry weapons would be quick to pull a knife on someone who triggers him. now? he has to use his fists, but the cruel intentions are still there. this all stems from his short-temper. he has a soft side too, but this violent side is part of him too.)

- unstable (he could be described as being unbalanced, troubled, and deranged. grant is aware of this, but has always embraced it.)

+ confident (grant isn’t afraid to speak his mind, always preferring honesty over keeping secrets from those in his life. he likes public a speaking too, which might have to do with playing sports from such a young age. it made him unafraid and relaxed around large crowds.)

+ adaptable (he’s always able to adjust to new conditions placed in. this skill comes in handy when fighting is concerned — able to modify his techniques for any opponent.)

history —

grant slade wilson was the first born for slade wilson and adeline kane, making him the oldest of his siblings. he very fond of the outdoors as a child, always getting into something if you left him out there long enough to dig a hole or two. his parents shortly after this would being his younger brother joseph into the world — and despite being polar opposites there isn’t anything grant wouldn’t do for him. he would protect him when they were growing up and even does now too. he takes his role of being a big brother very seriously!

he pretty much idolizes his father, always preaching about how slade is the best dad there is to anyone that would listen. he loves his mother too, no doubt about being close to both of his parents, but always tried to spend as much time with his father when possible — who taught him how to shoot his first gun even!

the criminal organization known as H.I.V.E. offered to amplify grant’s abilities artificially. grant received powers and a costume reminiscent of his father’s and named himself the ravager. this all happened to him before the ban when grant was only fourteen.

he felt invincible due to his powers and started to live a proud life as a mercenary, wanting to make his father proud. grant was heading down the path of becoming a supervillain with each life that he took. this is what h.i.v.e. wanted all along from their creation. they keep an eye on him over the years, maintaining an interest in the boy.

he will end up dying while fighting the teen titans. he dies in his father’s arms after one of the tougher battles has been fought with the group of heroes. (keeping it vague to avoid god modding when it comes to who was there!) he was nineteen when all life left his body.

fast forward more than a decade to a few months ago.

his body is exhumed out of the grave his mother and father buried him in. this is done illegally.

brother blood resurrected the boy, making him appear the age he should have been if nothing ever happened to him — thirty years old. the priest held hopes to be able to control him to do what he requests. grant took the first opportunity to get out, grabbing his gear and running. he has a chance to reunite with his family and live again. he just hopes brother blood doesn’t come after him for betraying him with threats of taking away the life that was given back to him.

he has been dead for eleven years. which means he had been long gone when the ban was first introduced. he didn’t know about it until coming back to life and doing his own research. there is a lot of catching up to so on what has been missed the past eleven years. not just with politics, but with pop culture too and life in general. grant is going to do his best trying to follow the guidelines set in place by everything that is established now that there’s a second chance. who knows how well that will work out for him though being a wilson and all.

#starcintro #ɪғ ɪ ɢᴇᴛ sʜᴏᴛ ᴅᴏ ɪ ᴏᴡɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜʟʟᴇᴛ? [ MUSE ]#death tw #gun tw

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mapulaski-blog · 4 years

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shattbigbang · 5 years

Text

Shatt Big Bang 2019 Master Post

Almost all works have now been posted so we’ve put together this handy-dandy master post for your convenience.

Thank you to everyone that participated in this bang. We really appreciate you sticking with it and we know it was a lot of work. Please know that your work was not in vain because everything posted was absolutely fantastic.

Please don’t hesitate to check out any fics/art you haven’t yet had a chance to look at!

Thank you again from the bottom of our Shatt-loving hearts. <3

@brittysauce and @pastellipastels

Fic: Teachings of the Heart

ART

Rating: G

Summary: Altea High is the home of the lions, famous for being a startup school taking over the boards. For more than a decade the school went under the radar, in every aspect. Funding, academia, extracurricular achievements, student accomplishments. They were all outmatched by the number one school in the state, Galra High. After Allura took over as Principal, her and her friends take the school and flip it upside down, so now they reign supreme among the districts.

These five people have left their high school years behind them five-fold at the least, but now a new High School challenge begins.

Shiro and Matt, high school friends, teachers and hardcore crushers on each other. Both too oblivious and self conscious to make the first move, so their friends and family have decided to finally step in on their behalf. It’s up to them to get these two starry eyed men to stop being so dense towards each other once and for all. However, that is not to say that Shiro and Matt exactly make things easier in any way, because they don’t.

They make it harder and more annoying and painful than stepping on a lego.

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@spazzcat and @luddlestons

Fic: Dragon Love

ART

Rating: T

Summary: Shiro never expected to be assigned to guard the crown prince on his annual inspection tour of the kingdom. And he definitely did not expect the prince to drag him up into the mountains, territory of the feared and deadly dragons. But as it turns out, Prince Matthew has a lot to teach him about dragons--and about his own heart.

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Not submitted.

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@luddlestons and @coogarajasmine and @leolikesromance

Fic: Found: Lost Dog

ART and ART

Rating: T

Summary: Extremely fluffy, approximately four pounds, will eat all of your cheese and none of your dog treats.On second thought, may be a human in a dog's body.Matt is a werewolf, an extremely ferocious beast who just happens to look exactly like a Pomeranian. Running away from Sendak's pack has left him injured and weakened, and he's unable to turn back into a human, which leaves him vulnerable to being unwittingly adopted by a handsome man who finds Matt hiding underneath his car.

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@silverineontherun and @dailycolleenholt

Fic: Because Summer Will Come

ART

Rating: T

Summary: Matthew Holt is a young and enthusiastic editor for Altea Publishing House, a renowned editorial company. After working on a few successful novels, Matt is more than ready for his newest challenge: when Coran is promoted to editor-in-chief, he entrusts him with his favorite writer, T.K. Kuron. Being a fan of his work, Matt is delighted to finally meet the idol he imagines as an old, kind gentleman… but Mr. Kuron, A.K.A. Takashi Shirogane, is not what he expected at all, and his wish to make him write a bestseller at any cost could be the biggest challenge of his career... and also his personal life.

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@velocitytimes2 and @seaglass-sunsets

Fic: To Reach the Top

ART - not submitted

Rating: T

Summary: Takashi Shirogane liked keeping the two most important facets of his life perfectly separate. At school he was senior varsity football captain and star quarterback. Football had been his dad’s dream for him, especially when Shiro ended up going to the same high school as his father. After school, he’d get in his hand-me-down Honda and drive forty five minutes, don a bright teal and white t-shirt and blindingly white shoes and become someone who would be unrecognizable to anyone who knew him at school. He’d become cheerleader Shiro, the Shiro who could do a layout-stepout-double and toss a flyer twenty feet into the air. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of that part of his life, just that he knew his teammates would use it as a way to undermine his football accomplishments, even though he left cheer even more tired than a football game.

So, he kept the two sides of himself completely separate from one another, kept his two things in their own corners. It worked, and he was happy. Until Matt Holt shows up and threatens to tear down the carefully crafted separation between high school and all star cheer, that is.

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@lureavi and @matesparkles

Fic: Heat of the Moment

ART

Rating: T

Summary: Shiro is a professional firefighter, back in the line of duty after an accident in his previous town left him with more than his fair share of physical and mental scars. Matt is a chemistry professor, who aims to take playing with fire to a new level. They can’t help but take an interest in one another.

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@shiroganetakashi and Kopescetic

Fic: Kiss Me Under the Moonlight

ART

Rating: T

Summary: Matt Holt has been quietly in love with his best friend for as long as he can remember, and had to watch as he fell in love with someone else. He can deal with that. Shiro’s happiness is most important, after all.

When they’re both selected for the Kerberos Mission, it’s a dream come true. Then Adam leaves Shiro, and it’s like that dream has fractured. Matt’s there for his friend – he always will be – but six months in space with broken hearts leads to a lot of spilling emotions.

It’s there, in the void of the cosmos, that Matt discovers his feelings may not be as unrequited as he’d thought.

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T12

@black-paladin-babes and @allarica

Fic: The Dancing King, Only Seventeen Million Miles Away

ART and ART

Rating: T

Summary: Heavy Metal.Singing in front of crowds of thousands.The bass thundering in his eardrums.It made adrenaline course and pump through Matt Holt’s veins.It made his heart race in his chest.He loved doing this.The stage raised itself as Matt readied himself in front of the microphone.He could hear the fans chanting their name just above them, sounding loud enough to come from all around them.It was their time to shine.Their hour to sing.

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@eilera-chan and @skydarko

Fic: Make A Little Magic

ART

Rating: M

Summary: “Oh, but where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself, gentlemen. My name is Matt Holt, and I'm a Circle mage for her Majesty Queen Allura Altea, Second of Her Name, Lady of the Sea, Breaker of Stuff, Mother of All, and a bunch of other titles I'm too tired to think of right now. It's my job to keep the peace and you,” he paused, looking them over. “you are not being very peaceful.”

(In which Matt is a mage of considerable power working for the Queen and Shiro is his partner, a werewolf stuck in his wolf form with no memories of his past.)

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@giraffvinu and @hydraxx

Fic: Blooming Into You (Or Under You, Maybe Over You, It’s All Good)

ART

Rating: M

Summary: A story of how Matt and Shiro finally get together after losing each other multiple times during the years they spent in space.

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@velocitytimes2 and @esshieru

Fic: Hidden Scars

ART

Rating: M

Summary:Matthew Holt’s intention had never been to be placed within the hard confines of a mental ward. His intention had been to, well, die.

Takashi Shirogane didn’t have any intentions. If he had any prior to the crash, he didn’t remember them. Neither boy had planned to spend the beginnings of their respective senior years admitted into the bright white and teal hallways of the “esteemed and recommend Altean Rehabilitation Center.”

After a horrific car crash coming home from his last summer vacation with his family, Shiro is left without them, a home, and only two friends. He has memories of none of them.

Matt has had demons living inside the confines of his mind for as long as he can remember conscious thoughts. A particularly bad spell has him on a bathroom floor with a stomach that needed pumping and gashes that needed stitching.

Both incidents lead to Altea in August, right as the leaves start their slow change over and a new season begins with the promise of healing. But sometimes healing isn’t a straight-lined process. Sometimes you need a hand to guide you, or maybe just one to clutch onto. To know you’re not alone.

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@professionalmess and @kuuskidi

Fic: he loves me, he loves me not

ART - not submitted

Rating: M

Summary: "Ever since he was a little kid, he wanted to explore the ocean. Since his family had lived close to the beach and went as often as they could, the ocean had been one of the first things to capture Matt’s attention and one of the only things to hold it. He was fascinated with the possibilities, amazed by all the things humans didn’t know, enraptured by all the secrets just waiting to be discovered. He wanted to be someone who made a discovery, a person that came to the surface with a breakthrough, and he’d been waiting his entire life for the chance to do it.

And now, a fresh college graduate with a shiny diploma that dubbed him an official marine biologist among other things Matt didn’t find himself rushing into the field."

--aka a soulmate au where everyone has a tattoo of their soulmate's favorite thing and some kind of way the universe leads them to each other

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@chestnutpatronus and @skydarko

Fic: Demons need saving too: this time, it's personal

ART

Rating: M

Summary: The Holt family has run the bar for years, unlike other places, the bar welcomes creatures of all sorts, demons, monsters, beyond your wildest imagination. Shiro has been a frequent patron of the bar, a sort of warden for the region that helps defend the humans in it from the creatures who step a bit too far out of line. When Pidge, Matt’s younger sibling, is kidnapped as a way to force the Holt family to turn over those patrons who are of the demonic sort, Shiro volunteers to help, bringing him closer to Matt than ever before.

#voltron #vld #shatt #shiro #matt #shatt big bang #sbb2019 #master post

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hellofutbol · 5 years

Text

Babysitting

Request: Hi! I just read your dele imagine and since I am currently obsessed with him, could you please write one of him and reader spending a day babysitting a friend’s kid? Like dele being so cute and actually really comfortable with kids around! It would be amazing and you write perfectly x (Anon)

“I think I might have to cancel today’s plan. I’m really sorry, Dele. My friend called me at the last minute and told me she needed a baby sitter. Actually it was more like she begged me.”

You could hear your boyfriend chuckling on the other side of the phone. You and Dele had been dating for about four months now. Because of both your busy schedules the two of you didn’t really get much of a chance to spend time together. Most of your interactions were through the phone or computer. The time that you would get off, he would be busy and vice versa. It was rare that the two of you had time off at the same time. Because you did today, you had wanted to spend the time together. However, that was when your friend had called.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

Despite his words, you couldn’t help but feel bad. You were just about to say so when the sound of the doorbell cut you off.

“I’ll call you later. My friend and her son probably just got here. You know what, I’ll text you once their gone and if it isn’t too late then maybe we could hang out.”

Hanging up the phone, you rushed to go and answer the door. Opening, you saw your best friend standing with her son. When her son saw you, he flung himself into your arms. You could help but smile. The little child barely reached your waist and you could tell that he was happy to see you. Likewise, you had missed your godson. It had been a few days since you last saw him.

“He’s already had his dinner so you don’t have to worry about feeding him. I’m really sorry for asking you this at the last minute.” Your friends words sounded so sincere you couldn’t help but smile and shake your head.

“Don’t worry about it. You and Danny haven’t had any time to yourselves in months now. Have fun. Don’t worry about this little guy. I have a lot of fun things planned for us. I’ll tire him out and have him in bed by bedtime. Have fun and enjoy yourself. Just, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” You couldn’t keep the teasing tone out of your voice or control the wink that you sent your friend.

A slight blush formed on her cheeks but she was smiling widely at you. After giving you the number of the place that her and her husband were going to for dinner, just in case, she left, leaving you with your godson.

“So, what should we do first, little man?” You lifted him up in your arms and carried him into the house.

“FSH!!!”

Like all other times that your godson had come over to your house, the first thing his focus went to was your fish tank. It wasn’t a super big fish tank but it was decent sized. You had three fishes in there and usually when Sam came over you would allow him to feed the fish. This morning you had already fed them, you hadn’t known at that time that he would be coming over. However, since you usually fed them twice a day, you decided to let him do the second feeding.

Samuel squirmed in your arms letting you know that he wanted to be put down. You set him on the ground and he set of running towards the fish tank. You followed after him.

“I didn’t feed them their dinner yet. You want to do it?”

He vigorously nodded his head up and down. With a smile on your face, you pulled out the fish food from the cabinet below the fish tank. Handing it to him, you watched as he took a bit of the fish food and put it in the tank. Afterwards he watched with intent as the fish swam towards the food. Despite how many times he had seen this act, he always found it to be a wonder. His eyes were always full of such innocent awe.

He quickly got bored of that, however, as his eyes moved back to you who had been watching him with a smile on your face. When you saw him look over, you knew that he wanted to move onto the next activity. Standing up you gave him your hand, which he grabbed, and led him over to the sofa in your living room.

“What say you and I watch a movie? You can pick which one we watch.”

When he nodded, you walked over to the case in which you kept all your children’s movies. You had started building this case when your little brother had been born and had added to it ever since. It always came in handy whenever you babysat one of your friends kids.

When Samuel picked out a movie that he liked, one that you had seen a couple times before, you put the movie in the DVD player. Moving back over to the couch, you pulled up the blanket and wrapped it around you and Sam, who had cuddled up to you. His attention was focused entirely on the movie that the two of you were watching.

About fifteen minutes into the movie, you heard the doorbell ring once again. No one else was supposed to be coming over tonight and you doubted that your friends date was going to be that short so you wondered who it could possibly be. Samuel looked up at you with a frown on his face and you knew that he was curious as to who it could be as well. Pulling yourself away from him, you told him to keep watching the movie while you went to go answer the door.

When you opened the door, you almost couldn’t believe who was on the other side. “What are you doing here?”

Dele stood outside with a huge smile on his face. He was dressed in blue jeans, a t-shirt, a white athletic sweatshirt, and trainers. “Well, since you and I couldn’t go out tonight because you were babysitting, I figured that I would come and visit you. At least we could spend some time together.”

Your heart melted slightly at his words. You felt really happy that even thought you said that you couldn’t meet him that he came to meet you. It meant a lot to you that he made that effort.

“Come on in. Sam and I are watching a movie. I’ll introduce you to him.”

Grabbing Dele by the hand, you lead him over to the living room where once again Sam was fully immersed into the film. When he heard you come in, however, he looked up at you. His eyes didn’t stay on you for long. The quickly looked past you and landed on Dele. Being a football fan, Samuel’s eyes became huge when he saw your boyfriend. The movie long forgotten, you could tell that your godson was slightly star struck by your boyfriend.

“Y/N, Th-that’s…”

Dele let go of your hand and walked over to where Samuel stood staring at him wide eyed. Kneeling down to be eye to eye with the six year old, he held out his hand for a handshake, a pleasant smile on his face the whole time.

“You must be Samuel. I’ve heard a lot about you from Y/N. I’m Dele. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Dele’s words seemed to snap your godson out of the trance that he had fallen into. With a huge smile on his face, he also held out his hand and placed it into Dele’s much larger ones. You couldn’t help but slightly smile at the sight. You had always had a soft spot for men who could get along with children and so at the sight in front of you something melted within you.

“So, what movie are you watching Samuel?”

At Dele’s words Samuel’s attention went back to the movie that was still playing but had been forgotten about. Because he still had Dele’s hand in his he pulled your boyfriend onto the couch.

“Me and Y/N were watching The Incredibles. You should watch with us.”

When the both of them were seated on the couch, you decided to join them. Taking a seat on the left side of Samuel, because Dele was seated on the right, you once more picked up the blanket and put it over you guys. However, this time in stead of draping it over two people, you draped it over three.

Your eyes met Dele’s over Samuel’s head and you both smiled at one another. Even if you were babysitting and Dele was just here to give you company, it felt nice just being able to spend time together.

When the movie was over you looked over and realized that both Samuel and Dele had fallen asleep. Samuel, who had previously been cuddled up with you was now halfway sprawled across Dele’s body who was holding onto him so that he didn’t fall over. The pair of them made quite the sight and you couldn’t help the smile that formed on your face when you saw them together. Usually, it took Samuel a while to warm up to someone that he just met, he was a shy boy, but he seemed to be get along with Dele almost instantly. You were glad. They were both very important people in your life and so you were glad that they liked one another.

Removing the cover from yourself you decided that it would probably be best if you took Samuel into the bed in the guest room. He would be more comfortable there and also there was less chance of him falling and hurting himself. You moved over to where Samuel was laying, almost on top of Dele and tried to carefully pry him out of your boyfriend’s arms without waking either of them. You succeeded only half way. Sam remained asleep, however, Dele woke up.

“Wh-What’s going on?” His words were slightly slurred but that was to be expected of someone just waking up.

“I’m going to put Sam to bed.” Dele simply nodded in response to your question.

Picking up your grandson, you carefully carried him from the living room into the guest bedroom where he always stayed whenever he came over. Leaving a nightlight on in the room, you closed the door part way. If he called out for you in the middle of the night, you would be able to hear him.

Walking back into the living room, you noticed that Dele seemed much more awake now then he was before. He was sipping on a cup of what you could only assume to be tea. While you were putting Sam to bed, he must have made a cup for himself. Hearing you walk back into the living room, he looked up and smiled when he saw you. He picked up the extra cup that was on the living room table and held it out to you as you walked back over to the sofa.

“Here, I made you a cup as well. Figured it would help keep you awake. You look exhausted.”

You couldn’t help but smile at his words. It was true, you were exhausted. You hadn’t quite realized how exhausted until he mentioned it to you. Thanking him, you took the cup from him and carefully took a sip. The warm liquid did it’s job miraculously and warmed your whole body. It also helped you feel much more relaxed but alert.

“How was the rest of the movie? I didn’t even realize that I dozed off.” Dele’s words cut through the silence that had formed as you were drinking your beverage.

“It was good. I’d already seen it before. I was really only watching it for Sam. He seems to really like the movie.”

At the mention of Sam, you saw a smile form on Dele’s face. “He’s a good kid.”

You couldn’t help but nod in agreement. You might be a bit biased but to you, Sam was one of the best kids you knew. To hear Dele say that, you couldn’t help but feel slightly like a proud parent. Even if he wasn’t biologically related to you.

“He is. I’m surprised he warmed up to you so quickly. Generally it takes him a while to like someone.”

Dele seemed proud of the fact that he could get your godson to like him. “Well, what can I say? I guess I just have a way with kids.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the overconfidence in his voice. You knew he was just joking but you also knew that what he said was true. There was just something about his presence that put people at ease around him. You had felt it when the two of you first met and you knew that your godson felt it as well this night.

Moving closer to Dele you placed a small kiss on his lips. It was a simple peck but you hoped that it was enough to convey to him how much him coming over tonight meant to you. You cuddled close to your boyfriend but before you knew it, you had joined Sam in the land of dreams. It might not have been the grand date night that Dele and you had had planned, but it had been a great night nonetheless.

A/N: I hope you like it.

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reesealani-blog · 5 years

Photo

I am 6′7, I know that’s really tall but I come from some pretty tall and big and wide folks and I’m not even the tallest.

I didn’t have a very conventional upbringing, my parents were very nomadic and we didn’t sit still long enough for me to go to a public school until I was twelve. Up until then my dad home schooled me. Smartest man I know.

I don’t have a middle name, my dad was meant to pick one but he felt my first name was so strong a middle name would just be underwhelming.

My first name is Solaareese, my mother and newborn me communed with the earth for four days after I was born so my name could be revealed to her.

My favorite color is orange, which might have been destined since my last name means orange tree in Hawaiian.

I was in the military for eighteen years, from when I was eighteen all the way up until four years ago.

The last eight of those years I was a Navy SEAL.

I have a scar through my right eyebrow, I got it in combat.

I was married for ten years, long before IHQ and even though the marriage is over I still care very deeply for her.

I have a daughter, she is the child of my ex wife from a previous relationship but I think the universe always intended for her to be my kin and nothing brings me more hope and joy.

I live in an RV, because I grew up in one and nothing feels more like home than a house on wheels. I also like that I can move it around the campus. Keep everyone on their toes; where’s the big man gonna turn up next?

I learned how to cook from my dad, he could make something so mouth wateringly good out of anything and it was something we did together.

I learned how to build and repair most things from my mom, which comes in real handy when you live in a mobile home.

I’m an extrovert, so much so that there might be a picture of me next to it in the dictionary.

No matter what, be kind, that’s my motto. No matter how someone else treats me I will always treat them with kindness, compassion and understanding because putting more love into the world can only make it better.

My big ass does surf, you don’t call O’ahu, Hawaii your hometown and not surf.

I played football in school, and truthfully it wasn’t my favorite but I loved being part of a team so I stuck it out and I’m glad I did.

Cooking is my passion, I love the work I do with security and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, keeping people safe is something I take very seriously but I love coming home and setting up the grill and fire pit and making a feast for twelve.

I enjoy the idea that I’m the dad of IHQ, I always wanted at least six kids and now it feels like I’ve got fifty and I wouldn’t turn another fifty away.

I do know how to play the Ukulele, and it is funny to see a giant with a tiny guitar.

Alexi Murdoch is my favorite musician, I enjoy anything that I can listen to and just sit outside and enjoy the warmth of the sun.

I talk to my parents almost everyday, and recently they have gotten very into memes and my dad’s been known to make a few of his own, they’re pretty funny.

I was born in New Mexico

Hawaiian Shaved Ice is my favorite treat and it’s probably a good thing I can’t really get it here.

I believe that people are good, I have seen people do some truly horrible, even evil things, but in my forty years the number of people I have seen do the right thing and fight for what is right and good and fair far outweigh the ambitions of the wicked.

I have been part of a flash mob before flash mobs were even a thing, my best friend was getting married and everyone except his bride danced to an original piece of his. She cried and so did I.

I’m a crier in fact I cried earlier today giving someone a hug, sometimes they are just so filled with love it’s overwhelming.

I genuinely love and care about everyone I meet, if I ask you questions about yourself it’s because I want to know, I want to know your story, I want to learn about you and from you.

I am always trying to be a better person, I know I’m never going to be perfect and I don’t want to be, but I do want to be a good person and I think good people are good to people.

I loved school, even though I was always around people even being home schooled, it was awesome to be around kids my own age when I finally went to public school

I was a short chunky kid.

I didn’t reach my full height until I was seventeen, I had two growth spurts which is odd apparently, but I guess my growth plates just didn’t want to fuse.

I have six tattoos, they all means something personal to me, but I can say I have a rendition of the first thing my daughter ever drew me over my heart.

Until I was about fourteen every time I saw the words khaki spelled out I pronounced it as kahiki, all I know is my dad laughed for twenty minutes and to this day he calls me Reesy Kahiki.

I have lived in five of the seven continents, all but Oceania and Antarctica although I’ve been to Australia.

Elephants are my favorite animal, I feel an unexplained connection to them.

I don’t drink soda, even on my cheat days I don’t, I’d rather spend those calories on pie.

I think it’s safe to say I spend most of my time with no shirt on, I am not a fan of shoes or socks either.

I sleep with my windows cracked and no blanket, I use a sheet and I think it’s because I’ve never really had AC in my life, which I am only just now realizing.

I would like to have another kid, I’m not concerned about them being biologically mine but I would love to find someone to raise a kid or two with.

#ihq:reesespieces #ihq:headcanon #ihq:edit #ihq:donate #ihq:vlogwars

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peckhampeculiar · 5 years

Text

Straight to the sauce

SALES OF HOT SAUCE ARE SOARING, WITH MOUTHWATERING VARIETIES FLYING OFF THE SHELVES LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

Three producers from Peckham and Camberwell talk about their homegrown recipes and why so many people do indeed like it hot

WORDS: HELEN GRAVES PHOTO: LIMA CHARLIE

Chillies are loved around the world for their unique flavour, wide-ranging heat levels and the buzz they give us as we add ever-increasing amounts to our food. The hot sauce business is booming, with lots of independent producers simmering, fermenting and blending chillies before funnelling them into handy, shakeable bottles.

Jen Ferguson, co-founder of Hop Burns & Black, said her business is enjoying a bumper year for hot sauce, with revenue from hot sauce sales in the East Dulwich Road shop alone up by 54% in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2018.

From the mild, everyday cayenne-based sauces to those made with the beautiful but serious scotch bonnets we see every day on Rye Lane, people can’t get enough of these spicy additions.

Now, three local brands – Peckham Sauce Co, Disco Hot Sauce and Slow Richie’s – are making names for themselves with their addictive homegrown recipes. Exactly how does one end up in the hot sauce business?

Archie Woodward of Peckham Sauce Co got into it through his love of fermentation, originally just making gifts for friends and family. A combination of “trial and error mixed with serendipity” led him to “create a unique fermented hot sauce that was like nothing [he’d] ever tasted”.

After doing some research and finding there were very few other fermented sauces on the market, he decided to use his background in marketing to launch a new business and has “never looked back”.

Just down the road in Camberwell, Jen Katan and Oli Kissick-Jones of Disco Hot Sauce were inspired by the scotch bonnet bounty so freely available in this corner of south-east London. “We were walking home from a night out and decided we wanted a late-night snack with some decent hot sauce but knew we were out of our usual fridge stock,” Oli explains.

“There’s always the opportunity to buy scotch bonnets from any of the late-night convenience stores so at 2am we embarked on making some of our own. We both have a lot of energy so we figured, what better time to knock some up?”

For brothers Richie and Alex Calver of Slow Richie’s it was a case of developing their established street-food brand, loved for their giant, juicy burgers and now their “hog kitchen” at Brick Brewery.

“Having had a career as a chef before starting Slow Richie’s, I believe in making food from scratch using fresh ingredients, not just opening a packet or jar,” explains Richie. “We were raised on spicy foods, so all our hot sauces contain a hefty amount of chillies.”

This includes that ever-present scotch bonnet, which they blend into their “Blenheim Black” with Brick Brewery’s Blenheim Black ale, where its fruitiness balances well with the bitter hops.

In fact, all three producers are huge fans of the chilli so familiar to residents of this part of London, with the Peckham Sauce Co fermenting their Batch One hot sauce with the bobbly, lantern-shaped bonnets as well as Dutch chillies, paprika, coriander, mustard seeds and garlic. This produces a sauce that is fresh and hot but aromatic too. “Some people say it’s quite similar to ’nduja [the spicy Calabrian sausage], which I can kind of see,” Archie muses.

Jen and Oli make their Disco Hot Sauce with a heavy dose of turmeric in addition to the scotch bonnets, inspired by a trip Jen took to Panama, where she fell in love with a “scotch bonnet-based hot sauce with mustard, fresh vegetables and herbs like onion, garlic and lots of turmeric. They serve it everywhere and keep it in recycled whiskey bottles.”

She resolved to come back and make a version of the sauce, albeit with a special “London twist” that includes English mustard.

With the hot sauce market crammed full of products, these cooks focus on small batches produced with high quality ingredients. “All of our chillies come from Rwanda,” explains Archie.

“We work closely with a few farms out there because the quality is second to none and it’s less than 24 hours from picking to landing at Gatwick. From there they get chopped down to a mash, then we chuck in salt along with our favourite herbs and spices. We then seal up the barrel and let it sit for at least one month but it can be up to three. Once that’s complete all we do is blend down the barrel and throw in some vinegar.”

At Slow Richie’s, all sauces are handmade in the kitchen at Dulwich Hamlet football club and they often take things one step further by working with high quality local producers.

In addition to their collaborations with Brick Brewery, they’ve made sauces with Gosnells mead (a green cayenne number) and Kanpai sake (roasted chilli and horseradish). Richie also cultivates some of the chillies at home for “small batch sauces”, including the fearsome Carolina Reaper, which currently holds the Guinness World Record for the hottest chilli pepper on the planet (it has been claimed that other chillies are spicier but this has not been confirmed by Guinness).

So what’s the best way to enjoy these sauces? Slow Richie’s, unsurprisingly, suggests trying it on their swine-based sandwiches at the brewery. Their behemoth Black Hog sandwich is made with slow-roast pork, black pudding and their Original Hot Sauce, while the Classic Hog comes with an impressive shard of crackling and their sweet-spicy chilli apple sauce (see their Instagram page @slowrichies for incredible photos that should come with a trigger warning for the hungry). Diners can then buy a bottle to take away and douse their sandwiches for ever more.

For Archie at Peckham Sauce Co, a bacon sandwich is number one. “It’s my favourite thing about the weekend,” he says. “I also made a Batch One braised short rib, which was pretty mind-blowing and the recipe for that is over on our Instagram [@peckhamsauceco] if you want to check it out. Batch Two [their habanero, yellow pepper and peach sauce] is pretty decent on tacos because you get a good hit of sweet, tangy spice.”

Jen and Oli are less specific, saying: “We eat it on literally everything! We also experiment with recipes and post the creations on our Instagram [@discohotsauce]. Last Saturday we made a spicy cod and fried egg ‘disco bap’ for breakfast and drenched that with Disco Hot Sauce. We add it to mayo for a spicy mayonnaise.

“It can also be used in salad dressings to add a kick, or as a flavour enhancer in a stew. We’ve also been experimenting with drinks too – a Disco Michelada went down a treat during the summer and the Disco Mary was on the drinks menu at the Montpelier pub last summer. We’re hoping to introduce it to the White Horse menu very soon.”

All the producers clearly have strong ties to Peckham’s creative community. “Being a local in south-east London has been brilliant for discovering food entrepreneurialism and connecting our favourite dance haunts and music networks with the sauce,” Jen enthuses.

It turns out the name Disco Hot Sauce comes from a combined passion for music and chillies. “I’ve worked in the music industry most of my life for labels such as Universal and currently Kobalt’s AWAL,” explains Oli. “I still DJ regularly and spent my early London days running dance parties and hanging out in late-night discotheques.”

“So much has changed in the six years Peckham has been home,” Richie says. “In that time the food and drink scene has grown massively and it’s been great being a part of it. There’s a real festival feeling in the area throughout the summer months; from the rooftops to Peckham Rye Park, everyone is having a great time. There’s very little reason to leave the area these days, with so much going on.”

Archie agrees: “I live in Peckham and it’s the best place in London – there’s literally no other place I’d rather be. There’s always so much going on, with new places popping up and exciting events. There’s very few places where you have it all and I think Peckham is one of them. The day I have to leave will be a very sad day.”

#featuredpost

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kimnamjooonz · 5 years

Text

Blank Space - Episode 2.

‘’Look what you made me do

Second episode of this.... fictional work.

Songs used in this Episode:

Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift

Change - Taylor Swift

I’m A Mess - Bebe Rexha

‘’But I got harder I got smarter with the nick of time, baby I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time’’

Amanda and Taylor arrived at King's Cross station in very different states of mind. Taylor was looking fresh, ready to start the day while Amanda even though her make up and clothes were flawless, looked sleep deprived and annoyed. She had eaten all the food that Clint had given her in Cardiff but she was still hungry. To make things worse for Amanda, the day was pretty hot and was making her head hurt. And also Taylor was completely into the role of Amanda's agent/manager/mum and was keeping her under close watch. She had confiscated Amanda's phone as the last thing she needed was her protegee getting upset over that insanity of Sebastian Stan dating someone. Who even cared about that? Well, apparently Amanda, judging by her whole sleepless night listing to Beyonce's revenge songs probably imagining that she hit Stan with a baseball bat. Even though Taylor was just a couple of months older than Amanda, she was a lot more emotionally mature. She had been in an stable relationship for months, unlike Amanda, who didn't even try to make this a reality. If Amanda Ward-Prowse was obsessed with something, it was acting and she spent all of her free time perfecting her craft, dedicating only one night a week to go out with Taylor. That was why Sebastian Stan was the perfect man for her: he didn't know she existed, he didn't waste her precious time like a real boyfriend would do and he was a sort of a motivation for her. He was just the object of Amanda's affection. Both girls knew London pretty well as they've been there quite often in the last months thanks to Amanda's auditions. They stopped to eat something before making their way to the hotel, that was in Greenwich, a bit far away from where they were but it was one of the few places that wasn't so pricey and was quite nice. ''I still have no idea how can you climb stairs with those heels of yours'' said Taylor with admiration. ''Years of practice, pain and injuries. Now I can even run with heels'' Amanda had a self sufficient smile on her face.

Only when they were at the hotel Amanda noticed how tired she was. She threw herself on the bed, kicking her heels away. Taylor was in the bathroom so she took advantage of that to get back her phone. She needed to see Twitter to see what the hell was going on with Sebastian. She was about to tap on the blue bird on the screen of her phone with her pointy finger when she had it taken away by Taylor, who tapped something on the screen and put it back in her purse before Amanda could complain. ''Before you say anything...'' Taylor warned her. ''I logged you out of Twitter and you're not logging in after your audition tomorrow.'' ''What was that for?'' Amanda was a bit annoyed. ''You're not spending another sleepless night stalking Sebastian Stan's love life.'' Amanda had the decency of looking confused. Any person that wasn't Taylor would have believed that she truly had no intention of doing exactly that. But Taylor knew her too well. ''Taylor! I was not going to do that! I don't even care about it... how can you even think of that? Sebastian is just someone I truly admire.'' she said with a conviction that was truly believable. ''I was going to see if I had any notifications.'' ''Amanda, you have a fan account. What notifications aren't you expecting to get that are not related to that guy?'' Amanda didn't have any explanation so she just sulked. ''Okay, you win. For the last time'' If there was something Amanda hated with a burning passion was losing. From a card game to her favourite team's football match. That was one of the reasons she was upset about the Sebastian Stan situation: someone else had won his heart even though she had absolutely no say in this. She didn't even know the guy in person, to begin with. ''You have everything ready for tomorrow?'' Taylor asked and Amanda just nodded. In her mind she was planning the audition again and again. But she was confident as she had had the audition planned for months. Amanda fell asleep almost immediately and she had to thank the previous sleepless night for that. She was so tired that there wasn't room for feeling nervous or anxious but the next morning those feelings kicked hard. She was trying to convince herself that even if she didn't make it into the RADA it was not the end of the world and she could audition again next year. But she couldn't lie to herself, she wanted to get into that school more than she'd ever wanted anything. It could be the beginning of a nice career in acting. Taylor tried to make her eat something with little success as Amanda seemed to be completely immersed in what was going to happen in the next few hours. ''Are you ready?'' Taylor asked and Amanda just nodded. They were in complete silence during the whole underground ride. Both of them were nervous: they knew that this was the end of the process, the now or never, the final audition. ''Here we are'' Amanda mumbled to herself when she and Taylor crossed the doors of the giant and imposing building that was the RADA. So many successful people had been exactly in the place she was right then. She could almost see a young Gemma Artenton or Tom Hiddleston being nervous wrecks just as she was right now. There were other auditionees at the place and no one was talking or even glancing at each other. There were limited places (only 14 men and 14 women) so it was natural to see the other as competition and no one really wanted to know against who they were competing. At least Amanda didn't want to. Them both took seats, far apart from anyone. Amanda immediately stood up. ''I need to go to the bathroom.'' Amanda basically ran there and locked the door immediately after getting in. Sorry if someone needed to get in but she needed to be alone and think for a second. And she was convinced that it wasn't the first time that someone had locked themselves in there. It was the RADA after all, full of dramatic people. ''You got this'' she said to herself, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She looked beautiful even if she was paler than death. This time she was not going to be defeated because she was in charge of the result. This was no football match or the Sebastian Stan situation in which she could do nothing about the outcome. She remembered the lyrics of one of her favourite Taylor Swift songs, Change. ''And it's a sad picture, the final blow hits you, somebody else gets what you wanted again, and you know it's all the same, in another time and place, repeating history and you're getting sick of it.'' But not this time. She smiled at her reflection. She wanted a place at the RADA and no one was going to take it from her. She had to laugh at the irony of it all. 24 hours ago she had been listening to Beyonce's Sorry, imagining that she was dedicating it to Sebastian Stan. Now she couldn't care less even though those emotions were going to come in handy for the audition. A little wound in the heart (and her ego) was enough to get extra motivation. Thank you very much, Sebastian. She had to laugh again, remember the next lines of Taylor's Change: ''Because these things will change, can you feel it now? The walls that the put up to hold us back will fall down, it's a revolution, the time will come for us to finally win.'' With much more confidence she left the bathroom.

''Better?'' Taylor asked her when Amanda got back to the seats. ''Yeah. I was having an epiphany.'' Taylor tried not to laugh. She was used to Amanda coming up with the weirder stuff. Like that time when they were twelve years old and Amanda hadn't got the lead role in the school's winter musical and she had tried to jinx the girl who had got the part with a pentagram. It had been a total coincidence that the girl had caught an stomach bug and couldn't do the play, Amanda ended up doing it (and shining) and to put the icing to the cake, a talent agent from the Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama discovered and invited her to get acting lessons there for the next four summers. At that time Taylor had been totally on Amanda's side because the girl who had originally got the part only got it because she was the daughter of the school's principal, not because she was more talented than Amanda. And she really wasn't. ''You don't need epiphanies to ace this. You're a triple threat, you can act, dance and even sing. You have training and experience. You've got this.'' ''Yeah... but all of this people have training and experience too. Some of them more than me. Never underestimate them. They're here for a reason.'' Amanda looked around for the first time. Everyone there looked nervous, some were rereading their lines, other were praying and just a few were talking to whoever that had accompanied them. ''Do you know the order in which they are calling you all?'' Taylor asked. ''No. But they like to torture us so I guess the order is just random.'' She had just finished saying this when a formal looking woman that Amanda had seen before in the previous auditions, approached the room. ''Hello, people'' no one greeted her back. Everyone was just too nervous to speak. ''The order of today's audition was especially arranged by the examiners. They have their reasons, I suppose. More details will be given to you soon.'' she looked at the list. ''Amanda Ward-Prowse, you go first.'' ''Damn'' she cursed. ''Better first than last'' Taylor whispered. ''Go! You got this.'' Feeling in a sort of daze, Amanda followed the woman. ''There'' the woman pointed to a room and Amanda got in. The thing that surprised her the most was that there were five examiners instead of the usual two she already knew, that luckily were there. Maybe it was like that in the last stage of the auditions. ''Miss Ward-Prowse. You can take a seat. You probably remember us, Edward Branton and Sylvia Smith for the RADA panel of admitions.'' Amanda nodded. They were the ones she knew. ''And this is Katherine Mellows from The Juilliard School in New York...'' he pointed to a middle aged woman who greeted her with a smile. ''Christine Gilbert, a casting director...'' he pointed to an strict looking woman. ''...and Damien Chazelle, a director.'' Amanda thought she had heard that name before but she couldn't picture where. ''Miss Ward-Prowse'' said Sylvia Smith. ''I don't want to put pressure on you but these three people came all the way from New York City just to see you.'' Amanda didn't believe that for a second but she had to admit it was a nice way to make the auditionees work under pressure. Nice one there, RADA. ''I'm honoured'' she just said. ''They want to ask you a couple of things'' said Mrs. Smith. ''Do you mind?'' ''Not at all.'' she said. She wanted to start with her audition but if these people wanted to know more about her training in Cardiff and her experience at the Globe Theatre or in the Royal Shakespeare Company, better for her. ''Your resume says that you started doing summer courses at the Royal Welsh College Of Music and Drama at just twelve years old.'' said Mrs. Mellows and Amanda nodded. ''Impressive. And you've been in numerous Shakespeare plays at the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre since 2010, some minor roles in television and three plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. '' ''Exactly'' that was her favourite story to tell. ''I was Lady Anne in Richard III, Anne Boleyn in Henry VIII and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.'' she tried to look humble and too proud of herself. Gilbert and Chazelle just looked at each other, as if they were sharing a secret message. ''And you shared the stage with Ian McKellen in Macbeth'' stated Mrs. Mellows. Amanda had no idea how she knew that. That information wasn't in her resume. ''Yes. It was a fantastic experience'' she was being humble again and with great difficulty. Mrs. Gilbert nodded and Chazelle looked impressed. ''That's fantastic'' he said. ''Even I want to work with Ian McKellen. You're really lucky, Miss Ward-Prowse.'' Amanda had no idea of what to say so she was relieved when Mellows started to talk again. ''There were strong rumours of a possible nomination to a Laurence Olivier award for your role as Lady Macbeth.'' This time Amanda was genuinely surprised. She had had no idea about those rumours. She had never read the critics of her performance as back on May 2016 she had been too busy planning how she could get to the Captain America: Civil War premiere to see the actors walking the red carpet and with good luck get Sebastian Stan's autograph. Of course that never happened as the night of the premiere she was on the stage being Lady Macbeth. She was cursing herself for being distracted with Sebastian's beautiful blue eyes and not noticing a possible nomination to a bloody Laurence Olivier. Maybe it was for the best as she hadn't got the nomination after all. ''They were just rumours.'' she said after a long pause. ''I wonder why you're not famous yet'' said Chazelle with admiration in his voice. ''One more question'' this time it was Mrs. Gilbert who spoke. ''If you could choose a dream role in a play, a movie and TV show, which one you chose?'' ''I'd like to be in one of those movies that become modern classics and no one ever forgets. I'd love to lead a movie like that'' she answered and by some reason the five examiners looked content. ''I'd love to play Elphaba Thropp in Wicked and... in TV, I'd love to be the fourteenth Doctor.'' ''So... if it's everything said... let's start with your audition'' said Mrs. Smith. ''What did you chose for the monologue? Classical of contemporary?'' ''Classical'' Amanda had decided to play it safe and do one of her best rehearsed monologues. ''Lady Macbeth Damned Spot from Macbeth. Act 5 Scene 1.'' Smith and Branton smiled at each other. ''I've been waiting to see this for months'' said Mellows with an excited voice. Chazelle clapped a little and smiled. ''Smart girl'' said Gilbert with an smile, knowing that Amanda had done that scene numerous times in the past with a bigger audience than five examiners. All this reactions sparkled Amanda's curiosity but she immediately took it out of her mind. ''Whenever you're ready'' said Branton. She stood up and with confidence walked to the centre of the room. She had done that scene so many times that it was natural to be under Lady Macbeth's skin again. And very relieving. When she ended her monologue she felt a mixture of relief with triumph. She knew she had aced it and judging by the examiner's faces she was not wrong. Damien Chazelle and the woman from Juilliard were not even trying to hide it. Both of them were clapping. The examiners whispered between themselves for a couple of minutes and Amanda stood there, waiting for instructions. ''Okay...'' it was Chazelle who spoke. ''We're going to chance the second part of the audition to something that you'd maybe like. Can you read this?'' he handed her a sheet of paper. ''It's a monologue from a movie that, of course, you don't know. Imagine that you're auditioning for it.'' She started reading, too concentrated to feel intimidated or overwhelmed. There was a whole paragraph explaining the settling of the scene.

New York City, 1985. Young Meredith Hathaway finds herself walking down under the icy rain of New York's winter, frustrated by another failed attempt of having just a little success of Broadway. She wondered if the best thing was to pack her things and go back to her country of origin. She had lost once again and she was tired about everything being so unattainable. At the front of Broadway's most famous theatre she vents out every single one of her feelings.

Amanda almost laughed. She could relate to Meredith Hathaway in so many ways... well, fifteen minutes before the audition she was almost having a breakdown in a bathroom singing Taylor Swift songs in her head. It was more or less the same. ''I think I got it'' she said with a smile. ''Go ahead'' said Chazelle who, by some reason looked very happy. ''By the way, can you read it with your original Welsh accent? I think that'd go perfect'' the other four nodded and Amanda wondered what was this all about. Not that she cared, she was probably scoring extra points. Amanda took what she could about Meredith Hathaway's and started reading the monologue. The piece of writing was very witty and painful at the same time. Amanda could feel Meredith Hathaway's anger and frustration in those words. She could relate to it and at the same time go and shake Meredith's shoulder and help her to make her dreams come true. Of the whole paragraph the phrase ''It's not the first public breakdown people have seen in New York City'' got stuck in her mind. Playing Meredith Hathaway in a play or in a movie was what Amanda considered a dream role. When she finished the five examiners looked at her with unreadable smiles. ''Okay Miss Ward-Prowse, you finally finished your audition process'' said Mr. Branton. ''We'll call you back in twenty minutes to tell you the result.'' Amanda was more confused than ever. ''But aren't the results given to us in a month via email?'' she asked. ''Change of policy'' said Mrs. Smith. Amanda just nodded and left the room, still confused. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts was the most traditionalist place in the world, it was hard to imagine that they were changing the policy from one year to the other. As long as she made it she didn't care about that at all. She found Taylor waiting at the same place she had left her. ''How did it go?'' she asked. Amanda thought about that for a second. ''It went well. Like, really well. But it was weird. There weren't just Smith and Branton, as usual. There was a woman from Juilliard and couple of directors. One of them a casting director. All of them from New York.'' Taylor covered his face with her hands. ''Oh my God, maybe they want you for Broadway!'' Amanda laughed. ''Don't make hyperventilate, Taylor. Just the thought of it its overwhelming. Damn, being on the West End would be a dream, I can't even imagine Broadway.'' ''But what was a woman from Juilliard doing at your audition?'' Taylor was thinking. ''For God's sake, maybe they want you there! Just imagine the RADA and Juilliard fighting for you!' Amanda laughed again. ''That'd be like having Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan fighting for my hand in marriage'' she rolled her eyes. ''I mean, I have some talent but I'm not Meryl Streep. Still... if that were the case, I'd choose the RADA. Yeah, I know that getting into Juilliard is harder than getting into Harvard but... I can't sustain myself in New York, I have no money for that. At least here in London I'm just two hours away from home. By the way, did you know that I almost got a Laurence Olivier nom for Lady Macbeth?'' Taylor almost choked. ''WHAT? I know you were good but... an award.'' ''Well, you're supposed to check on that, you're my agent after all. Anyway, I would have lost against Judi bloody Dench. You know that I hate losing but I wouldn't have minded losing against Dame Judi!'' Taylor suddenly imagined Amanda in the award ceremony pulling a Kanye West and interrupting Dame Judi Dench mid speech stating that it was her who deserved the award. Not that Amanda was capable of doing that as Judi was among the people she absolutely admired. ''I was thinking about inventing that stage name'' Amanda suddenly said. ''Now?'' ''Yeah, you never now what may happen next, God knows I had enough surprises today. I want a name that stands out, something that people will remember.'' Both of them cracked their skulls for five minutes. ''A witch name'' Amanda suddenly said. Taylor didn't question anything. She found the idea a bit insane but all of Amanda's insanities ended up being good ideas after all. She just started looking for witch names in her phone. ''You have Agnes...'' Taylor started reading and didn't look convinced at all. ''...Cerys... Glinda... Lily... Minerva... Morgan Le Fey...'' ''This one'' Amanda almost jumped from the seat. ''It's perfect'' ''Morgan Le Fey?'' Taylor was more lost than ever. ''Just Morgan'' Amanda kept thinking out loud. ''In the legend she was King Arthur's sister and a bloody powerful witch. And she was sort of an antihero, I mean, she wanted to see Arthur's dead body but at the end wants to save him.'' That was the image she wanted to give to the world: someone who trustworthy and nice but also powerful. Someone you didn't want to mess with. Taylor found funny Amanda's interpretation of the character. Of course that she was justifying the villains. ''Amanda, Morgan Le Fey was a villain. She betrayed King Arthur multiple times; fell in love with Lancelot and, as he was in love with Guinivere, she kidnapped him and not once but many times; sent one of her minions to seduce Merlin and steal his powers; exposed Lancelot and Guinivere; made everyone fight each other and only at the end when Arthur was dying she tried to save him. She was responsible for the destruction of the kingdom. She's the root of all evil! Yeah, that kind of fits you. You'll rock the name and make justice to it.'' Part of that rant was just Taylor roasting her friend. But she also knew that Amanda Ward-Prowse was a damn difficult person. She wasn't a goody-two-shoes, kind and humble girl. She was ambitious, had a big ego and could be manipulative if she needed. But that was just her dark side She had many good qualities too. ''I love it, I love it, I love it!'' Amanda started pacing up and down the hall. ''Now I need a last name. Something Welsh.'' Taylor started looking on her phone. ''I guess you want something with a meaning...'' Amanda nodded. ''You should use Llewellyn, that means 'leader' and was the name of several kings, including Llewellyn the Great that was the king of Gwynedd, the county we both come from.'' ''Taylor, you're a genius! 'Leader' has the word 'Lead' in it. Good omen. I love it.'' She kept repeating the name in her mind. Morgan Llewellyn. It had ring that she liked. She was silently clapping like a seal when the formal looking woman that had called her to the audition interrupted her. ''Miss Ward-Prowse, the examiners want to see you.'' With a nervous face, she looked at Taylor and followed the woman. At least she was going to have an answer, she just hoped it was a positive one. The five of them were talking with a more relaxed look than twenty minutes ago. It seemed that the only one that was tense in that room was Amanda. ''Miss Ward-Prowse!'' Chazelle looked absolutely thrilled for something she didn't know. ''Take a seat.'' Amanda sat down and looked at Branton and Smith. Her future depended from their answer. How nice was this. ''And...'' she shyly asked. Sylvia Smith smiled. ''Well... before Edward and I say something I think you need to hear something else. These two...'' she pointed at Chazelle and Christine, the casting director. ''...want to make you an offer I'm sure you won't reject.'' Amanda tried not to freak out. Maybe Taylor was right and they wanted her for Broadway. No, stop. She shouldn't get her hopes up because maybe they wanted her just for a Tesco publicity spot. Not that it was bad. Then she remembered that these people were from New York. Well, maybe it was a Target publicity spot. That wasn't bad at all. She just knew that nothing made sense anymore. ''I don't know from where to start'' said Chazelle, excitedly. ''I talk'' said Mellows, who surprisingly had managed to remain quiet for ten minutes. Amanda still didn't know what was her exact role in this mess but she guessed that the woman was the connection between the directors and the RADA. Somehow Amanda was in the middle of it all and she didn't know why. ''You may have noticed, Miss Ward-Prowse that this wasn't a normal audition. And you're still probably confused about what a woman from Juilliard, a C.D and the director of La La Land were doing at your audition.'' Amanda almost fell off the chair. That was why the name rang a bell. She had been standing in front of a goddamned Oscar winner without noticing. Add it to the list of the times Amanda Ward-Prowse had been an absolute idiot. It seemed that between the audition, the Sebastian Stan drama and being in the border of a breakdown, her brain had decided not to recognise Oscar winning directors. And then she remembered that Damien Chazelle had looked quite impressed with her audition. And he probably was not going to direct a miserable publicity spot for Target. It was something bigger than that. Damn. ''Yeah, I was wondering that'' Amanda decided to play it cool. ''It's a honour, Mr. Chazelle.'' ''The honour is mine, Miss Ward-Prowse. Soon you'll know why.'' he motioned Mellows to keep talking. ''It all starts with Ian McKellen. You see, he's a friend of mine and we get together to talk. One of this times he talked to me of an incredibly talented young woman from Wales that had starred with him in Macbeth. That was you.'' the fact that Ian McKellen had mentioned her name to influential people from the acting industry in New York City made Amanda feel a bit dizzy. ''He was the one who told me about your almost nomination to the Laurence Olivier. What is more, he seemed quite bothered that you hadn't got it. Then Christine and Damien enter the story.'' ''The thing is...'' Damien started. ''...I've been looking for the lead of my next movie, literally everywhere for the last two years. The lead character is a foreigner and I don't want an A-List American actress pulling an accent. I've met many people, well known and people who were just starting. But no one seemed to be the right person. Until my search led me to Juilliard and Katherine here who told me the story of a talented Welsh young woman that Ian McKellen swore that she was good. And I trust Ian's word. As I had nothing to lose, me, Katherine and Christine decided to find out more about you and learned that you were in the process of auditioning to the RADA. We called the director and asked if we could come and see your last audition and here we are. We also saw the tapes of your two previous auditions. We really came all the way from New York for you and let me tell you we're not disappointed at all.'' Amanda was speechless. What they had said didn't make any sense at all. Since when she was so important that the goddamned director of La La Land wanted to see her in person? She hadn't done anything remarkable yet, apart of working with Ian McKellen. Apparently that was enough. ''I'm making this shorter'' said Christine, looking at Katherine and Damien as if she was reprimanding them for extending the story too much. ''Remember the monologue we asked you to read before?'' Amanda nodded. ''That was Meredith Hathaway, the lead of The American Dream, Damien's next movie. And we want you to play her.'' Amanda wanted to laugh hysterically. That couldn't be happening to her, it was too good to be true. ''But... why me?'' she managed to mumble. Of all the questions she had in her head that was the only thing she could say. ''To be honest, I don't know'' Damien looked at her with sincerity in his eyes. ''But you're perfect for the role. During this journey I met incredibly talented people but all of them lacked something that you have: the star factor. You are a star, Amanda. You're absolutely mesmerizing when you act, and damn girl, you're going to melt the screen. You'll go far in this business and if you take good decisions, you can be one of the greatest.'' Amanda was still waiting for the moment when she had to inevitably wake up from the dream. She had had dreams before of being cast for the role of her dreams or even some minor role for Marvel. But this seemed to be very real. And she still couldn't believe it. ''Well...'' said Christine snapping her fingers. ''...now we have to wait for your answer.'' Deciding that this was very real and not one of her dreams or an hallucination caused by heat mixed with lack of sleep, Amanda didn't need to think too much to get the answer. ''Of course, I'm in.'' Katherine clapped and both Christine and Damien looked incredibly relieved. ''I knew you were going to say yes.'' said Sylvia with an smile. ''Fantastic...'' Damien clapped like an excited kid. ''Now, the overall details... we'll be talking about the more the more complicated stuff with your agent.'' Amanda thought of Taylor. She was probably going to flip herself to the sun. ''We'll start filming in the middle of September in New York.'' Damn, New York. Amanda wanted to laugh out loud. ''I want you there the last week of August so you can settle there, then we'll have the read through and the rehearsals. We'll be premiering this movie at Cannes next year.'' ''Wait a second... am I going to Cannes?'' this was one surprise after the other. ''Yes you are.'' Amanda wanted to jump with joy. Goodbye peace and quiet, say hello to the star treatment. ''This is incredible'' she said with all the calm she could muster. Now she had the doubt of who on were the rest of the cast for this movie. Thankfully Damien seemed to be reading her mind. ''You're probably wondering about the rest of the cast. I won't tell you yet, I'll leave the surprise for later. What I can say is that I still haven't found your male co-star. I have a couple of names around. I want someone quite known but not a Leo DiCaprio or a Ryan Gosling...'' Leo and Ryan. That was too much. ''Someone like Tom Holland?'' she said without thinking. ''Yeah, that's a good idea! Thank you Amanda! Christine, write it down. We have to talk with his agent tomorrow.'' Tom Holland. One of Amanda's golden boys. Now he was a potential co-star. The world had gone mad. ''Another name, Damien? Remember we're still in talks with Timothee. And are you still considering Sebastian?'' ''Absolutely. The problem with him is his goddamned agenda. The guy is booked, believe me.'' Amanda was on the verge of having another mental breakdown. If that Sebastian was Sebastian Stan, she could start considering herself a dead woman because for sure she was not going to make it. She would melt into a puddle at the sight of him. He had been his celebrity crush for years and working with him was stuff right from her wildest dreams that Amanda seriously thought that was never going to happen. ''Let's talk about this later, Damien. Now we have to talk to Amanda's agent.'' Christine reprimanded him. ''Can I use my stage name?'' Amanda asked before standing up from the chair. Damien smiled. ''Of course. Vin Diesel didn't make himself famous with the name of Mark Sinclair. You're really smart, Amanda. You probably have a remarkable name planned, I don't doubt that.'' With a wide smile she stood up, ready to go and find Taylor. ''One more thing...'' this time she looked at Sylvia and Edward. ''Would I have made it into the RADA?'' ''You were in since the first audition'' said Edward. ''You'd have made it into Juilliard in the blink of an eye.'' added Katherine. ''So, I suffered in vain'' ''Maybe...'' Damien looked at her, apologetically. ''But everything happens for a reason.'' She left the room, trying not to jump, followed by the serious assistant. Taylor, just had one glimpse at Amanda's smiley face and knew that she had good news. ''Taylor! They want to talk to you.'' Amanda was literally glowing. ''Why?'' she wondered what was going on. ''I may have been offered the lead role in a big movie... so, they want to talk to the agent'' she explained as if it was no big thing. ''That is you.'' ''What the hell?'' ''What I just said, Taylor. Oh, and remember that my stage name is Morgan Llewellyn. We'll get used to it sooner or later.'' With the most confused face in history, Taylor followed the assistant. The next twenty minutes were the longest in Amanda's life. She was waiting for Taylor to confirm that what had just happened was real and not her mind playing games. But she felt incredibly relieved and excited. Her life was going to change for the best. She'd have to say goodbye to the peace and quiet of Caernarfon and say hello to New York, the city that never sleeps. Everything was happening too fast. She didn't even dare to daydream yet. When Taylor got back she had the most stunned expression ever. ''I don't know how you did it. But you did it.'' she looked at her with her eyes shining. Amanda's triumph was in part Taylor's too as they were in this together. ''Are you a witch? Did you make a pentagram again? How did you do this?'' ''I have no idea'' finally, everything was starting to sink in. She was going to be in a movie. Her dreams were a reality. They left the place in silence, still processing what had happened. Taylor was starting to plan the next steps in Amanda's career because in less than a month she was going to be in New York City. They ended up at an Starbucks. Taylor was still thinking and Amanda couldn't stop talking. Suddenly, Taylor remembered something that darkened a bit her mood. ''What about Josh?'' she asked. Josh was her long time boyfriend, an accountant from Caernarfon that Amanda found horribly mundane. ''Who cares about Josh?'' Amanda seemed to be more focused on her pink frapuccino than on her friend's inner turmoil. ''I do care! He's my boyfriend! I can't leave him alone for God knows how many months!'' ''Of course you can. You're going to New York with a future celebrity and you'll meet dozens of people, all of them from the jet set of the acting industry, that are a thousand times more interesting than Josh Barrowman from Caernarfon.'' ''You can't be serious! I'm sure you won't be saying this if you'd have to leave your beloved Sebastian Stan for months.'' Amanda almost choked with the frapuccino. ''I'd leave Sebastian or any other person for a chance like this in a heartbeat.'' She didn't mention to Taylor that there was a chance that Sebastian himself was going to be her potential co star. And Taylor didn't want to admit that Amanda was right. Settling down with Josh in Caernarfon at just twenty five years old was mediocre, at its best. Going to New York with Amanda sounded much more tempting. ''Can you give me my phone back? There's no danger now.'' Taylor had forgotten that she had taken Amanda's phone over the Sebastian Stan drama. She gave it back. Taylor doubted that Amanda cared for that anymore. Amanda was about to log in her Twitter account to update herself on the drama but at the last moment decided that it was not necessary. Sebastian Stan wasn't not her unreachable celebrity crush anymore. Now she was in the same league as him. She was his colleague and she was convinced that they'll eventually cross paths something. And she couldn't wait for that day. Taylor noticed the sly smile crossing her friend's face and it was unsettling, to say the least.

P.S. I’m trying hard to cast someone as Amanda but I really don’t know someone that’d fit with the character’s personality.

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastian stan x ofc #marvel #mcu #the avengers #bucky barnes

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tkmedia · 3 years

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South African rugby caught between a rock and a hard place

11:48pm, 28 September 2021 South African rugby is very much caught between a rock and a hard place.ADVERTISEMENTFive professional teams took to the field over the weekend and just one emerged victorious.In Australia, the Springboks came up against an All Blacks side that put out their worst performance of the year – the worst of Ian Foster’s tenure – and the world champions still fell to defeat for the third time in as many weeks.

Jordie Barrett was the top performer in the All Blacks’ nail-biting win over the Springboks.

Jordie Barrett was the top performer in the All Blacks’ nail-biting win over the Springboks.Over in Europe, three of South Africa’s four United Rugby Championship sides came out empty-handed against European opposition in the inaugural weekend of the new competition with just the Lions tasting victory – over Zebre, who have finished bottom in six of their eight PRO Rugby seasons to date.The URC, when unveiled, was trumpeted as a new era for European rugby. The press releases widely gloated of how the competition would not overlap with the Six Nations or other test windows – because the fans wanted to see their teams at their best throughout the season.Of course, one quarter of the 16 sides aren’t tied to the Six Nations. With the Springboks still playing in the Rugby Championship, the South African URC competitors are playing with one hand tied behind their back, despite their inclusion being touted as one of the major coups for the league.While it’s not quite on the same level as hosting a photoshoot with only three-quarters of your participating sides in attendance, it’s certainly not the greatest way to welcome a new nation into your midst.ADVERTISEMENTWhile the Bulls of 2007 or the Lions of 2017 may be able to cope without their top players available, such was their depth, those days are long gone. It’s not just the top-tier of players that have left South Africa’s shores to understandably seek greater earnings elsewhere, it’s the second, third and fourth tiers of players that have realised there pros of shifting away from the Republic far outweigh the cons.There’s a handy smattering on non-Springboks propping up other URC sides at present and in all likelihood, those numbers are likely to rise thanks to the new competition which, in due time, will see South African nationals given a free trip home every season when their adopted squad travel back to South Africa to take on the local teams.But, for the here and now, the only saving grace for the likes of Stormers and Sharks is that bar the odd exception, the URC teams scattered throughout Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy all have their own struggles."This year the Springboks have adopted a playing style that is foreign to themselves." – @bensmithrugby on why this current game plan by South Africa isn't 'DNA' and never was. #NZLvRSA #RSAvNZL #RugbyChampionship https://t.co/71ayuUyZUv— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 28, 2021ADVERTISEMENTUnfortunately, the biggest gripe with the PRO14, or the PRO12 before it, wasn’t that there weren’t enough middle-of-the-range sides, it was that there were few teams who could challenge the likes of Leinster and Munster, even when they chose to rest their top internationals.Eight of the past 20 seasons have seen Leinster crowned champions, with Munster, Ulster and Connact amassing five further titles between them.Had those superb South African Super Rugby sides of yesteryear joined the Celtic nations (and Italy) to form the URC, the competition would potentially be competing for the title of best in the world – but no matter the slick coat of paint the tournament has received, you can’t polish a turd.While it’s difficult to envisage a situation where the lesser sides rise to meet those in the top echelon – although Benetton had admittedly done a mighty fine job over the past few seasons to finally give Italy some hope of silverware – the situation can’t get any easier for South Africa unless something major changes.While the Bulls and Sharks were getting put to the sword by Leinster and Munster, the Springboks were halfway across the world playing perhaps their least expansive game of all time.The Springboks are a top five international side. Their abilities were unfairly pumped up by the media following their World Cup win in 2019 and there’s been criticism dished out to them by the very same media for the side not living up to their lofty expectations since they came crashing back down to Earth against the Wallabies, but they’re still a team with enough talent in their ranks to challenge the best in the business, wherever they sit amongst that highest tier.But they’re using a strategy that’s best described as rugby’s equivalent of parking the bus in football.When a minnow fights their way into a Football World Cup and comes up against a titan of the sport, like Germany or Spain, parking the bus is a legitimate strategy. You know there’s no way you can compete and it’s admirable to come within a whisker of besting your opposition (or going one better), no matter how you achieve that success.But if Portugal or Uruguay, with the talents of Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez, were to play an all-out defensive game, their fans – and fans of the sport in general – would rightly be up in arms.With devastating backs at their disposal like Makazola Mapimpi, Damian de Allende and Willie le Roux, the Springboks have the firepower to win and win well without resorting to the dire tactics that they’re currently employing."We had an internal look at that breakdown…" #Springboks #RugbyChampionship #TRC2021 #RSAvNZLhttps://t.co/XNxbsTVWoh— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 28, 2021Unlike a football minnow defying the odds, there’s nothing admirable about the World Champions coming close to beating their opposition – they should be hugely frustrated with any loss, no matter the circumstances.Against a better-performing All Blacks side – like the one we’ve seen most weekends throughout the test season – the Springboks would have been cut to ribbons. And while NZ made a huge number of errors on Saturday (some of which were absolutely the product of the pressure applied by their opposition), you suspect they won’t be quite as terrible in the upcoming fixture. Looking at the Springboks, however, are there any areas where they can seriously improve, except for completely flipping their game plan?Their strangling strategy might work against some of the Northern Hemisphere sides when they go through their seasonal lulls and revert to relatively kick-heavy rugby, but against teams willing to play expansively – which is basically every top international side at present, regardless of what hemisphere you look to – it’s destined to fail.A move to the Six Nations would at least allow their United Rugby Championship sides to play with their full contingent throughout the season, but in the swamps of European winters, the Springboks’ rugby would shift even further towards the ‘kick and hope’ strategy they’re currently content to employ.The Springboks, at their best, bring something different to the Rugby Championship. They’re physical, they’re aggressive, they do tend towards slightly more forward-oriented play, but they’re also not afraid to call on their dangerous talents out wide. Bryan Habana, playing in the current Springboks side, would not have had his name etched in history as one of the greatest wings of all time.The Springboks aren’t at their best, at present, and unless there’s a mindset change, they likely never will be.South African fans – and the rugby world in general – are being robbed of top quality South African rugby, whether it’s at test level or in the club game, and with the nation partially in the Northern Hemisphere camp and partially in the Southern, it’s hard to see a situation where we’ll ever see the country as a whole back to its best.

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Four commits in three days ain’t bad at all.

Auburn’s 2021 class entered Friday with 4 commits and ranked #50 overall by 247 Composite. By noon on Sunday, it had doubled in number and moved up 29 spots to #21 overall. Not a bad weekend at all.

Commit Recap

It all got started Friday morning when speedy athlete Tar’varish Dawson announced his commitment to the Tigers.

1000%Committed #WDE @AuburnFootball @AuburnTigers @Lehigh_football pic.twitter.com/yFu0W7lRfc

— Tarvarish Dawson5️⃣ (@TarvarishD) May 15, 2020

Dawson is rated a 4* by both 247 and ESPN but Rivals is much lower on him which is why he sits just outside of blue chip status on 247 Composite. He’s a fascinating prospect whose position of the future is still to be determined. When initially watching his tape I assumed he would end up at defensive back, which is still completely possibly, but his lead recruiter was actually new Auburn offensive coordinator Chad Morris who wants to give him a look on offense as well. After signing a wide receiver class loaded with size in 2020, Auburn is hard after some speedsters this cycle and got one in Dawson. I still think long term his future is at cornerback but he will at least get a look at wideout when he gets to campus.

A few hours after Dawson’s announcement, another boom emanated from the Plains when offensive tackle Caleb Johnson went public with his commitment.

WAR EAGLE‼️@AuburnMade @AuburnFootball @AuburnU @AUAlumniAssoc @CoachBicknell @CoachGusMalzahn @LangloGarner pic.twitter.com/Fxiic6yp2f

— Caleb Johnson (@CalebJohnson70) May 15, 2020

You could make the case Johnson’s commitment Friday afternoon is the biggest to date in the 2021 class. Yes Auburn has more highly rated prospects currently committed but Johnson checks a box the Tigers have left empty for quite awhile in that he’s an offensive tackle prospect out of the high school ranks rated a 4* or higher. The Tigers haven’t signed one of those since the 2017 class when they landed a pair in Calvin Ashley and Austin Troxell. Johnson’s stock has been on the rise this spring landing offers from about everyone in the country. He’s got tremendous upside and will have a chance to compete for a starting spot pretty quickly in his career.

But it didn’t just end there. An hour later, Johnson’s teammate, Garner Langlo, decided to jump on board too giving the Tigers 3 commitments in a single day, two from offensive tackle prospects.

WAR DAMN EAGLE pic.twitter.com/G26YTp8yiO

— Garner langlo (@LangloGarner) May 15, 2020

Langlo’s recruitment has taken off in recent months with programs like Auburn, Florida State and Mississippi State all turning up the heat on the Florida native. I am interested to watch Langlo’s development over the coming years as his frame screams offensive tackle but his tape shows an SEC quality guard. That versatility will likely come in handy for Langlo as he fights for playing time down the road. It’s pretty clear Jack Bicknell has a type and that type is BIG DUDES.

The final boom happened Sunday and it was big one. After being hired as Auburn’s offensive coordinator, Chad Morris parted ways with former Auburn, turned NC State commit 4* QB Aaron McClaughlin and turned the heat up on a number of signal callers from the Lone Star State. #1 on that list? 4* Dematrius Davis who at the time was committed to Virginia Tech. But a couple of weeks ago he backed off that pledge. Sunday, Davis announced that Morris got his man.

Committed. pic.twitter.com/oWOpYOr5uk

— Dee (@Dematrius09) May 17, 2020

I plan to do a deeper dive on Davis next week but suffice to say this is a massive pickup for the Tigers. In my opinion, Davis is a perfect fit for Auburn’s scheme, which has been a struggle for the Tigers in the past when signing QB prospects from the high school ranks. Davis is a pass first, dual threat QB with a history of winning. He’s not afraid of the big moments and can do everything needed to get the most out of Malzahn and Morris’s system.

Even more important though is the impact Davis could have on the trail for the Tigers with other top prospects. He’s well known in Texas due to his success helping lead North Shore to two straight state titles. Apparently he had already begun working behind the scenes for Auburn on a number of prospects and it wouldn’t be surprising to see some booms in the not too distant because of it.

List Season

#AGTG I’m down to 6! pic.twitter.com/1GJ9ep605b

— Lake McRee (@lake_mcree) May 16, 2020

Top 8 I will be focusing on these schools moving forward. I am very grateful to every college and coach that has recruited me up to this point.@MizzouFootball @kstatefootball @HuskerFBNation @OU_Football @UKFootball @AuburnFootball @GeorgiaFootball @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/7Q8T70Kn5p

— Tobechi Okoli (@OkoliTobechi) May 16, 2020

What’s Next?

Obviously after a weekend like this the first thought many fans have is who will commit next, so here’s a quick rundown of Auburn targets who are likely to make a decision by the end of June. This is recruiting so everything can change at any moment but these are the names to keep an eye in the coming weeks.

5* CB Ga’Quincy McKinstry - Auburn’s top cornerback target dropped a top 5 Sunday evening that featured Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and LSU. Truthfully, the man that goes by “Kool-Aid” is likely down to the trio of Auburn, Alabama and LSU all who like where they sit right now. Of those three, Auburn appears to be selling the two sport angle more than any other program. McKinstry is also an outstanding basketball player and would like to play at the next level if possible. He’s gotten the green light from Malzahn and Bruce Pearl that he will get that opportunity if he were to sign with Auburn. He hasn’t set a date for a commitment yet but there’s buzz he could be close to ending his recruitment in the not too distant future.

ᒪᗴTᔕ ᗪO IT !!! ( ) :@Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/CDBUiYg8sQ

— GaQuincy “Koolaid Glizxzy” McKinstry (@GaQMcK1) May 17, 2020

5* LB Smael Mondon - Mondon sent out a cryptic tweet last week hinting that a commitment could be coming in the month of June. For many months now, the nation’s #2 ranked OLB has appeared to be a lock to the instate Dawgs. But that could be changing. Mondon has repeatedly stated that of all the coaches recruiting him, he’s closest to Auburn’s linebacker coach Travis Williams. The buzz around this recruitment feels eerily similar to Owen Pappoe’s recruitment. UGA is unquestionably the team to beat but this is race that is still very winnable for the Tigers.

Sooner than later.. pic.twitter.com/i6k4WdhOg1

— Smael Mondon Jr (@SmaelJr) May 5, 2020

4* LB Barrett Carter - A race that does not appear winnable is Carter’s recruitment. This was at one point believed to be an Auburn-Georgia battle but the Clemson Tigers have surged ahead and it would be a shock at this point if he did not pick Dabo’s squad later today.

4* Buck Jeremiah Williams - Aubun’s Buck recruiting suffered a major setback when 5* Dylan Brooks committed to Tennessee. While I don’t think that recruitment is over, Auburn has turned the heat up in a big way on their other top Buck target, Jeremiah Williams. The state’s 5th ranked player has been a frequent visitor to the Plains in recent seasons and the Tigers reportedly feel good about where they sit right now. But they face some stiff competition. Alabama LOVES Williams as well and out of state programs Oklahoma and Florida are pursuing Williams heavily too. He hasn’t set a commit date either but there seems to be some belief that an announcement could come sooner, rather than later.

4* LB Ian Jackson - The state’s top ranked linebacker is reportedly closing in on a decision thought that’s likely bad news for the Tigers. Alabama has made the Prattville standout a top priority in recent weeks and that effort could soon pay off. I should note that while the Tigers like Jackson, spots are few in this class for that position and the Tigers have made Mondon the priority. We will see if that gamble pays off.

3* WR Latrell Neville (Virginia Tech) - This is an interesting recruitment to track in the coming days. Neville is very close with recent Auburn commit and former VT pledge Dematrius Davis. Since Auburn’s pursuit of Davis picked up so did their recruitment of Neville. Could AU steal another stud from Justin Fuente’s class?

3* TE Lake McRee - Auburn all of a sudden REALLY wants tight ends these days. After signing two talented ones in the 2020 class, Auburn has offered 17 this class. One to keep an eye on is former Longhorn commit Lake McRee. The Lake Travis standout missed his junior season due to a torn ACL but Auburn is reportedly high on his potential. He’s also good friends with Davis. He told AuburnUndercover that a decision could come soon.

War Eagle!

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#IFTTT #Blogger #auburn #auburn fast #wareagle #AuburnFamilyNews #war eagle #sec #football news #aubu

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