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kinktae · 4 years

Text

bitchin’ || pt. 8 (M)

The 80s were a time of choices. Which perm was right for you? What color neon would you wear next? None of these choices, however, were more questionable than a certain deal you made with Jeon Jungkook.

pairing: fratboy!jungkook x reader

word count: 4k

genre: 1980s au, eventual smut, e2l

warnings: sir kink, student/teacher roleplay, oral (f), fingering, hand job, overstimulation, another bussy slap, peepee in veevee, jk kind of uses y/n like a pocket pussy LMFAOOO, angst

A/N: This fic was inspired by To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Thank you to @junqkook for letting me use her likeness!

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10

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PART EIGHT

“Mom told you I was coming down for Christmas, right?” You chirped into your phone’s earpiece, pressing it between your cheek and shoulder as you needed both hands to slip on your socks.

You had just finished brushing your teeth when your phone began to ring; you were surprised but delighted to hear your sister Rosa greet you from the other end. It felt like ages since you had spoken to either of your sisters. Sure, you gave your parents a ring every weekend, but your siblings had their own lives to worry about, you assumed.

“Not even! You know, Sammy broke up with his girlfriend last month, so he’s spending it with us for once.” Your elder sister replied.

You stretch your legs out in front of you, still stiff from sleep.

“All of us on one couch again, huh. That hasn’t happened since the final episode of M.A.S.H premiered on TV.”

“God, I’ve never seen Dad cry as much as he did that night.” Rosa reminisced, pulling a giggle from you as you replied the memory on your head. Your entire family with their noses pressed to the television’s screen, bidding farewell to a story and cast you had loved since you were seven.

“So when are you coming down then? Has winter break started for you guys yet?”

“Not yet,” you told her, “and I still have to ask Jungkook if he’d want to drive down together.”

“Jungkook?”

You froze, the fact that your family had no idea about your fake boyfriend completely slipping your mind.

“H-He’s a friend. We went to the same high school and… yeah…” You trailed off pathetically, feeling extremely vulnerable talking to Rosa about a boy.

The last she knew about your love life was the proposal… and your rather hasty return of the ring.

“A friend.” She repeated knowingly. “And will I be meeting said friend sometime this Christmas?”

Two knocks against the dorm door rang out suddenly, momentarily distracting you.

Jungkook? Meeting your family?

The idea should have made you snicker, easily dismissible, but sat in your small dorm room, on the very bed you and Jungkook often hung out on, you couldn’t help but picture yourself sat at your family’s dinner table, a Christmas dinner laid out in front of you.

You couldn’t deny how easy it was to picture him sitting beside you, chatting happily with everyone. Jungkook was important to you, in more ways than you cared to admit, and the idea of your family knowing that made your stomach flood with butterflies.

“Um… maybe, actually. Yeah.”

You hardly heard your sister’s noise of excitement as another series of knocks pulled you from your thoughts, these louder in volume.

Alright, alright.

You sighed, “Hey, I’m sorry, someone’s at the door. I’ve got to go, Rosa. Tell Lia I said hi?”

“You got it, dude.” Was your sister’s cheeky reply, a soft clang ringing out as you hurriedly placed the earpiece back onto the rotary phone.

You wondered who was at the door? It couldn’t be Yara as she had left for her first class not even ten minutes ago. Maybe it was your dorm floor’s RA?

Yanking the door open, you meet the eyes of an anxious-looking Jungkook, his hands shoved into his pockets.

“Well, you’re up early.” You quirked up an eyebrow.

“Can I come in?” He ignored. You frowned.

“Of course.”

Jungkook stepped forward in an instant, shutting the door behind him.

“What’s wrong—”

His mouth found yours suddenly, hands gripping your waist as he pulled you into him. You let out a soft gasp at his sudden motions but returned the kiss quickly, mewing as he pushed you up against the nearest wall.

Your head felt like it was spinning, it had all happened so quickly; his hand holding a leg of yours up and around his waist so that he could slip a thigh between yours.

He always smelled great in the morning, like body wash and his shampoo. You intertwined your fingers into his freshly dried hair, his tongue already pushing past your lips.

You tasted like the mint of your favorite brand of toothpaste. He imagined if he had caught you any later then the mint would have been accompanied by the taste of coffee, knowing the way you rarely started a day without a cup.

God, he had missed the taste of you.

“Where’s Yara?” He broke the kiss lazily, redirecting his mouth onto the skin where your jaw met your neck.

You let out a soft whine, enjoying the way he was nipping and licking at your sensitive skin.

“S-She just left for class.”

“Perfect.”

Head cloudy, you watched as the handsome boy sunk to his knees, sitting on the back on his heels as he began to press kisses on your still bare thighs on show thanks to your pajama shorts. You were utterly enthralled by the sight of him, his eyes dark and ravenous as he nipped at your flesh.

You were jerked back into reality, however, when one of your legs were thrown over his shoulder, his intentions suddenly hitting you.

“W-Wait!” You panicked.

Jungkook’s eyes met yours curiously, pressing a kiss again your clothed center as he raised an eyebrow as if to ask you what was wrong.

You let out a squeal at the sight of Jungkook’s mouth against your most intimate parts. Bringing both hands to cover your face, you spoke through your fingers.

“You, um, don’t have to—“

“I want to.” He replied bluntly, pressing more kisses against you, your hips jerking into him consequently.

Your reaction told him everything you couldn’t. Erik had never gone down on you. So Jungkook was going fucking to relish every second in being the first man who would ever have you like this.

“I’ll be gentle, nerd. I promise. I’ll take care of you.”

He ran his thumb up and down against your clothed slit as he contemplated just exactly how he wanted you.

His decision was made for him, however, as a hand of yours came down timidly, pulling at the tied knot which kept your shorts up.

Jungkook was preening as he watched you peel the clothes off your body, a shy look on your face. He was rock hard in his sweats, too eager at the prospect of eating you out to wait for you to take off your underwear, his tongue running flat against the wet patch of your panties.

“Fucking beautiful.” He cursed as your breath spiked, fingers coming back down to finger his hair.

You felt like you were losing your god damn mind. The sight alone of Jungkook running his tongue against you was enough to bring you to climax, but it was his tongue’s discovery of your clit that finally had you moaning out. He ran the hot muscle around it, the fabric of your cotton underwear rubbing against it with just enough pressure to have you bring your hips into him.

You had this dozed off look on your face, he noticed, your jaw slightly ajar as your brows furrowed with every little movement his mouth made.

Cute.

You let out a cry, heading tilting back into the wall as two of his fingers pushed past your damp underwear up into you, not bothering to tease your sopping entrance.

“That feel good, little girl?“

"Y-Yes, sir.”

He could see the way your little fists clenched at your sides, craving purchase but unsure of what to grip onto as the wall offer no grip. If his mouth wasn’t so preoccupied, he would have pleaded for you to dig them into his hair, tugging at his scalp as you lost yourself on the feeling of his mouth.

He flattened his tongue over your clothed slit, reeling at how wet you were for him, tasting you through the cotton; the little noises you were making only edged his actions further.

“You’re so wet.” Jungkook groaned.

An involuntary jerk of your hips was his cue to curl his fingers into deeper than he had been previously, pulling his mouth away from you to press a kiss onto your thigh. He watched with a smug grin as you unraveled in front of him, his fingers hitting a spot that had your toes curling.

”Fuck.“

The word slipped from you, tangled with broken whines as you finally climaxed.

You hadn’t even managed a minute to yourself when Jungkook’s mouth found yours again, guided by the desperate need to feel you again.

Somehow you found yourself back in your room, Jungkook hovering above you as he kissed you slowly and deeply, hips rocking into yours mercilessly. The fabric of your panties tugged against your most intimate parts, and Jungkook swallowed your whimpers greedily.

It didn’t take long for his slim digits wrap around the sides of your panties, tugging down the ruined garment, sitting back on his heels to get a proper look at your exposed glistening cunt.

"Ah, fuck me already.” Your impatience caught up with you, eyebrows furrowing. You had managed to lose all articles of clothes, yet there was Jungkook, fully dressed, not an inch of his skin exposed.

A cry let you as his hand came down onto your already swollen clit, tucking a lip between your teeth to suppress back the moan that threatened to come out.

“What an indecent student I have.” He scoffed, despite the way he rubbed at your clit gently. "Maybe if you asked politely, you’d get what you want from me.“

You mewed, "Mm, I-I’m sorry, sir, please, need you inside of me. I can’t wait any longer.”

Jungkook abandoned your clit suddenly, tapping a finger against his chin as if pretending to contemplate your plea. You whimpered as he brought that same finger up to his mouth, wrapping his tongue around it decidedly.

“Hmm, I think I’ll take my time with you, actually.” He cooed once his fingers were well wet, pressing them back into you.

Your pussy welcomed his fingers greedily, velvety walls molding to the slender digits as they fucked into you, making a mess of you.

Frustration was pushed aside for a moment, eyes fluttering closed as you drowned yourself in the pleasure your pretend lover was giving you.

“Beautiful. So fucking gorgeous.” The dark-haired boy breathed, mostly to himself.

A surprised noise fell from him as one of your hands snuck it’s away over to his crotch, pulling down his sweats and wrapping itself around his hard cock.

“I want to make… you feel good, too.” You admitted through a hiccup, and if it weren’t for the feeling of your hand pumping his shaft, Jungkook would have leaned over and pressed a kiss to your nose.

He whined through his nose, jaw locked as he continued fingering you.

Pants filled the room, and you weren’t sure if you were groaning at the feeling of Jungkook’s hands on you or the noises he let out as you ran your thumb over the leaking red tip of his head. Probably a mixture of both.

He really was so irritating, even his sex noises were attractive.

Suddenly, his hand wrapped around yours, pulling it off his fat cock with a hiss. He pressed a kiss onto the top of your hands, breathing uneven.

“That’s enough, baby. You did so well for me.” He praised, earning a shy smile from you.

The smile was short-lived, however, as his insatiable mouth found your clit again, lapping at it as he sucked the bud into his mouth. A sob tumbled out, your thighs wrapping around his head as you were blinded by the stimulation.

You were so close, and you didn’t want to cum without having his cock inside you. The idea alone made you want to cry.

A desperate ramble of pleas for him to take you came rushing out of you, hand tugging at his hair to pull him away from you.

“Alright, alright.” Jungkook laughed, obliging you as he sat back up, hand leading his cock towards your dripping entrance. “God, you’re so fucking cute.”

Then something miraculous happened.

As his cock sunk into you, accompanied by the light circling of your clit, something inside you snapped, your orgasm hitting you hard and unexpectedly. Jungkook watched in awe as your back arched, your entire body shaking as you slowly came down.

“Baby, did you come?” He breathed incredulously once your eyes finally found him again.

“Yeah…” You whined, cheeks warm and chest rising sharply.

“Do you…” he swallowed, gripping the part of his cock that had yet to make its way inside you, “do you think you can come again for me?”

One of his hands was resting on your thigh, his palm burning against your skin. You flashed him a guilty look before shaking your head no.

Your body and head felt heavy and tired, and as much as you’d like to think you could spend forever intertwined with Jungkook, you had minimal experience with multiple orgasms.

Jungkook pressed a kiss to your mouth before nodding, moving to pull out of you, “That’s okay. I understand.”

“Jungkook.”

“Yeah?”

“…You don’t have to stop.” You muttered shyly.

“Hm? But I thought you—”

“It doesn’t matter, you can still… You can keep going. I don’t care if I don’t come.” You insisted. “You can use me until you get off. I don’t mind if it’s you.”

If it’s you.

Jungkook felt his ears grow red; you wanted him to use you to get himself off? And just like that, that familiar feeling rising in his chest. The feeling that everything was more than it was– that you were his, and he was yours.

You placed a hand onto of his, squeezing it. He blinked, thoughts vanishing the moment he saw your suggestive eyes.

A wolfish smirk crept onto his face.

“On your tummy, baby.”

A soft chirp fell from you, muffled slightly by the pillow your face was resting on as he slid into you from behind, this time bottoming out all the way like he wanted.

His grip on your hips tightened, a drawn-out groan sounding out.

“So tight for me.”

You held back your groans as he built up his rhythm, his cock hitting deep within you. Jungkook’s mouth was pressing kisses against your shoulder, his sharp breaths and soft groans flooding into your ears.

"You’re in so deep, fuck.” You gasped, burying your face into the pillow at a particularly hard thrust.

God, you were grateful that Yara wasn’t home, as there was no way she wouldn’t be able to hear how loud the two of you were being.

Sweat glistened where ever your bodies touched, leaving you feeling hot and overwhelmed, pussy on fire from waves of overstimulation.

Suddenly, Jungkook let out a low grunt, slowing down his thrusts, “Fuck, fuck, fuck, where do you want me to cum?”

With sluggish effort, you prompted yourself back up on your elbows, looking over your shoulder at him.

“Inside me.” You begged without hesitation. He let out a noise of regard, bitting down on the spot of your neck that he knew you were particularly fond of.

“Yeah? Want me to stuff you with it? Fill you up all nice?”

He couldn’t help himself. His hand found its way underneath you, fingertips brushing your clit lightly and in quick motions.

A broken wail accompanied your nod, head falling forward as your mind went blank beyond return.

“Hmph, y-yes, fuck, please!”

“Anything for my baby. Anything she wants. My pretty girl.” He cooed against your skin, panting and hips stilling.

You met your third and final climax alongside Jungkook, insides painted with layers of his hot cum. Jungkook worked himself through his orgasm, softly thrusting into your spazzing walls until he was milked entirely dry.

Pulling out of you, he flopped down beside you, hand coming up to run through his sweat-dampened hair. You rolled over with a huff, vision still spotty.

“How are you feeling?” Your meathead inquired.

“Radical. And you?”

“Bitchin’.” He grinned up at the ceiling.

He turned to face you suddenly, placing a hand on your cheek. For a second, you thought he was going to say something, but as he laid his head back down onto the pillow, you realized it was more a gesture of affection than a request for attention, his thumb rubbing against your cheekbone.

You ran your fingertips against his bicep, enjoying the way every trail of your touch left goosebumps against his skin.

The room was comfortably quiet, except for the ticking of that clock of yours– the one Jungkook told you time and time again that he hated.

“What are you doing for Christmas? Are you going home?” You asked suddenly, the question weighing on your mind for a while.

“Actually, my parents are out of town for Christmas.”

You felt disappointment crash over you, a small frown finding your lips.

“Oh. Bummer.”

Jungkook chuckled at your sour expression, leaning over suddenly to press a kiss against your pouting mouth.

“Nah, it’s okay. I still go down to visit friends and shit. I usually spend Christmas with one of them.” He reassured you, mouth finding your neck as he began to press kiss down it.

You let out a sigh, fingers gripping Jungkook’s shoulders.

Okay, it’s now or never. Spit it out already.

“Do you… What if you spend Christmas with me?” You finally managed to squeak out.

“You,” Jungkook pulled back from you, something indecipherable crossing his eyes, “want me to spend it with you?”

You turned away from his intense stare, heat creeping up your neck.

Part of you wondered if you should brush him off with a laugh, telling himself to check his ego before that big head of his exploded. That you only offered as an act of kindness.

“Yeah, I do.” Was your reply, however.

“Oh.”

His reply was immediate and disheartening. You brought your duvet up to cover your bare chest, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable.

“My mom’s Christmas pecan pie is kind of legendary, you know. And she always makes way too much. We have leftovers that last us the rest of the week.” You rambled awkwardly.

“Y/N–”

But it was too late. The nervous word vomit had already set in.

“You don’t have to, of course! I mean, that’s probably weird, right? Like, meeting the family, woah, intense! That’s something couples do and we’re… Anyway, I just thought maybe since we’re pretty close we could–”

“I have to tell you something.” He interrupted, sounding serious.

It wasn’t until then that you noticed the way his chest was rising irregularly, breaths shallow and ragged. He looked… uneasy.

“Okay. Tell me.” You replied gently, look at him inquisitively.

“Kiri came over last night.”

Your stomach dropped, “Oh?”

“She wants to get back together.” Jungkook swallowed dryly, eyes wavering between yours as if to gauge your reaction.

“…Oh.”

You shook your head.

“I mean, wow! That’s… That’s great!” You smiled, something tearing apart inside you as the words left your lips.

“Y/N–”

“Seriously! This means it worked, right? This is exactly what you wanted to happen.” You enthused, turning your head so that he couldn’t see way your eyes had welled up.

Jungkook’s heart was pounding in his ears, fighting the urge to wrap his arms around you.

“Yeah… yeah, no, you’re right. We did it.” He replied monotonously.

You blinked back the tears, refusing to let yourself cry over a boy you weren’t even dating.

“Yeah. We did.”

Silence fell over the room, the air swarming with uncomfortable tension. God, you didn’t want this. You didn’t want this at all. Things were so good just a second ago. You would do anything to go back to when Jungkook was on top of you and telling you how beautiful you were.

Clearing your throat, you rolled back over to face him.

“So tell me, meathead. How’d it go? We oughta go and buy champagne or something.“

Jungkook offered you a smile, and maybe it was you looking too far into it, but it certainly felt insincere.

"She came over to my room last night. Said she wanted to talk.”

“And what did she say?”

“Uh… not a lot, actually.”

“Huh? What did you guys do then?”

There was something guilty in the way Jungkook looked at you– something that had you feeling uneasy.

“…You slept with her.” You blinked.

Jungkook sat up in the bed, a hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck anxiously.

“She was saying how she missed me and then suddenly she was kissing me and I… I don’t know I kind of just reacted–"

“Wait.” You sat up straight, expression hard. “Let me get this straight. You fucked her last night. And this morning… you fucked me.”

You felt sick. To think that just a few hours ago, Jungkook’s dick was inside someone else. The mouth that was kissing you and telling you how much you meant to him, was doing the same for Kiri not even a full day ago.

So, what… were you just Jungkook’s to fuck around with whenever he wanted?

“Are you mad?” He called out cautiously, a heavy feeling falling onto his chest.

“Why would I be mad?” You quipped back sharply, causing Jungkook to flinch. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

“I just thought… I mean we’ve been fooling around a lot lately, so I didn’t know if—”

“If what? I had feelings for you?” You scoffed. “Please, as if I’d ever fall for you.”

And there it was— everything Jungkook already knew but had been so afraid to hear. Of course, you didn’t feel for him what he felt for you. How could he have expected anything different?

Fuck. What had he done?

Your mattress groaned as you slipped off the bed, beginning to hastily dress.

“You can go.” You continued, pulling your shirt over your head.

Jungkook’s heart sank, “What?”

“You got what you wanted from me, right? Mission accomplished.”

“Nerd, that’s not why—” His words were stopped by the impact of his shirt being thrown into his chest, your stare ice cold.

“Don’t fucking call—” You paused, attempting to calm yourself with a shaky breath. “I have class. Please just… go.”

Jungkook did nothing for a moment, staring at you with those guilty eyes that did nothing but hurt you further.

You were a smart girl. So how did you let someone like him make a complete fool out of you?

You wanted to scream, you wanted to cry, but you refused to let him see how small you felt right now. So you stood there unwaveringly as you faced the boy you had so stupidly let into your heart.

Jungkook could hear the way you struggled to steady your breaths as he dressed; he had never hated himself more than he did right now. There was so much he should be saying, yet he couldn’t find the words. Even as he was fully dressed and met your eyes one final time, he still remained voiceless, despite the way his insides screamed to say something that could take back what he had done. Something that would fix what he had just broken.

“Now.” You stated, tone void of emotion.

It was a front, of course, just a means of hiding the way you felt like you were crumbling. Even when Jungkook slipped past you wordlessly, you still held steady. And it wasn’t until you heard the click of the front door closing that you finally let yourself break, eyes wet as your lips parted, a small sob slipping past them.

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punkrock-writer · 3 years

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Space Cowboy- part 5

Never Fight a Man With a Perm

Pairing- Din Djarin x F!OC

Warnings- Swearing, Mentions Blood, Canon Typical Violence. The Gang from Chapter 6 are dicks.

A/N- Howdy!! I’m so sorry this took so long to come out. I had a bad case of brain rot this past week and did not want to type, but it’s here and I hope ya’ll like it! I’m kind of nervous about this chapter because this was the situation that inspired the entire story, so please let me know what you think!

I’m going to try to have the next chapter out quicker! Put who knows, I got worms in my brain!

Masterlist AO3

After almost taking another roll around the ship — thanks to Din's lack of a warning — Sedona was now aware of what hyperspace felt like. It was actually rather calm, quiet, and still. She wished she could see it, but she didn't really know if she should attempt to enter the cockpit. Instead, turning to face her bags, she figured it was a good time to get some real clothes on. The child cooed sadly when she set him down in the sleeping compartment, and though she hated to, she ignored him and knelt by her suitcase. Searching for something somewhat warm through the clothes that were packed for Florida was proving difficult. She settled on black leggings, an old grey Ron Jon Surf Shop hoodie, and a pair of soft crew socks. A sports bra and a fresh pair of underwear completed the 'look' and she gathered her things and headed to the shower room.

Not before quickly turning back and grabbing her deodorant, because, yuck.

With a deep breath, she decided it was finally time to look at herself.

Nothing was exciting or truly different to note about the person reflected back to her in the foggy mirror. It was the same girl, blue eyes, short brown hair, but now there was a brand new massive bruise on her left temple. Her dark circles were deeper, and her eyes were tired. But other than the wound there was nothing new. She discarded her pajamas, and slipped into the clean clothes, she never thought it would feel this good to be fully covered. Her arms all the way to her toes now concealed in comfortable fabric, and she was grateful. She quickly put her hair into a folded bun, and set to her second task, putting that extra bacta patch on her head.

Peli made it look much easier. Whatever it was, was slimy and hard to get a grip on, but once it was placed, it stuck. So now she had a slightly lopsided, oversized band-aid on her head. And she knew it was going to hurt like a bitch to yank out of her hair. Taking one last look in the mirror, she sighed.

Honestly, she looked like she was about to go take a plane trip back home, and it tugged her heart a little bit.

Shaking her head she picked her things back up and opened the door to exit into the hull. A shiny helmet of beskar startled her, he must've just jumped down from the cockpit, as he was facing her through the ladder. She tried not to think too much about the way he stared for a bit too long, most likely just assessing her change in appearance. Before she could say anything he turned sharply, stepping over to where the child pouted in the sleeping compartment. She scooted by them, heading to put her things back in her bag. And when she straightened up to see what he was doing, he was already halfway up the ladder, taking the child with him.

Sedona tried not to dwell on it too much, it's not like he knew her, he barely even trusted her. He didn't owe her any more kindness than he was already giving her. But it really didn't help when she felt like she knew him. She needed to get that idea out of her head, she didn't know jack shit about what went through his head. Seeing someone on screen is so much different than actually being around them, and Sedona had to make sure she didn't get too comfortable too fast— she couldn't afford any slip-ups. So for now she would take it slow, tiptoe around the Crest, and do what she needed to do when called.

In pursuit of being quiet, she decided now might be a good time to check her phone. She settled herself in the sleeping compartment, purse in her lap, and plucked it from the bag. The time read 10:34 am, and obviously, there was no way of telling if that was right. Her calendar read two days since she had been ripped from her hotel room, and she was pretty sure that would be reliable. As long as she had some way of knowing how long she'd been here, she could keep herself grounded.

It didn't even cross her mind that she should try to find some way to get back home.

Sedona dozed off after a while, curled around her purse in the sleeping compartment. Her circadian rhythm was thrown off, or maybe it was like some kind of space-sickness. She was just tired, and she didn't know what else to do. The plot was getting scrambled in her head, and until Din jogged her mind in some way, she wasn't going to risk getting a headache thinking about it.

So she slept, the soft hum of hyperspace lulling her into relaxation, no matter how uncomfortable the bed was.

~o~o~o~

That was how Din found her a few hours later. Curled like a lothcat around one of her smaller bags. The child gurgled in happiness at the sight of her— he was the reason they were down there, wailing incessantly at the ladder. He didn't understand why he liked her so much, but if he trusted anyone, it was the child. So he set him down next to her knees, a position they had just recently been in. The child began climbing up her legs, and Din could only look on in amusement as she grumbled something incoherent.

The toddler reached his intended destination, her shoulder, and began to tap his tiny hands on her cheek. Din couldn't stop a small smile from breaking his features, thankful for the helmet once again. Her eyes popped open, panic clear on her features as she turned to look at what was tapping her face, and a smile overtook her.

"Hey little guy, how'd you get up there." Din pretended not to notice the roughness of her voice or the sleepy smile that turned to face him. "Oh I see now, you had an accomplice."

She slowly sat up, taking care to hold the child steady. She folded her legs in front of her, setting him in her lap. The child smiled up at him, and before he could stop himself, a gloved hand reached out and stroked his ear. Din wasn't used to showing affection in front of others, especially people he didn't fully trust. But the atmosphere was so relaxed, and it seems his body reacted before his mind could stop it.

"Did we stop somewhere?" Her quiet voice broke him out of his trance, his head snapped back up to meet hers. She looked worried, her eyes searched the helmet, and her teeth caught her bottom lip. Din told himself he was just observing a possible threat, analyzing her tells.

Subconsciously, that was a different story.

"No," he paused to clear his throat when it came out in a whisper. "I've picked up a job, I'm changing our course, and we'll be there in an hour... I just—" well Din didn't really know why exactly he felt the need to warn her. "I just wanted to know if you had... anything to tell me." Right, just trying to get information. Her eyes seemed to light up in recognition, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Who- or what is the job exactly." She looked confused still, her eyes zoned in on something in the distance, deep in thought.

"It's with an old... acquaintance of mine." His voice was rougher than he intended, still not really enjoying the idea of the job. But by the way her eyes darkened, he knew it was probably going to be a big mistake.

~o~o~o~

Sedona's mind instantly hooked onto the information and dragged it from the depths of the scramble. This situation, she knew well. This episode, she had watched, many times. For the plot... not for the way the red lights danced off beskar or the amazingly hot fight scenes.

No for the plot.

She knew what she needed to do.

"They betray you, they're going to try and shove you in a cell and leave you there... and a droid tries to shoot the baby— and they're all massive dicks, every one of them." Okay. That sounded crazy, she didn't mean for everything to tumble out like that. According to the way Din suddenly stood straight and alert, she probably didn't say the right things. "Wait... but you get out of it, no one gets hurt— except for the assholes— but they deserved it a-and you get money."

He just stood there, still as a rock. She couldn't imagine how all of that sounded to him. He probably didn't even know what the mission was supposed to be, and she had already informed him it was doomed from the start.

Yeah, I gotta work on the info delivery.

He let out a long sigh. His fingers twitched at his side, he probably would've rubbed his forehead in frustration if he could. She could feel herself shrinking in the silence, she unconsciously held onto the baby in her lap a little tighter. He cooed at her, seemingly sensing her anxiety. His little 3 clawed hands tapped at hers that held his waist.

"Well... like I said, an hour." He then turned and quickly made his way to the ladder. Climbing into the cockpit in almost record time. Sedona let a long sigh escape her, bringing one hand up to rub her eyes. She wasn't tired anymore, anxiety had squandered that quickly.

She had to either, A. Figure out some way to keep Din from being tricked and captured. Or B. Make sure Grogu doesn't alert the droid of his presence. For some reason, the situation felt wrong. She knew this mission was on course to go sour, but there was a bad feeling whispering at the edges of her mind.

Everything was feeling super, extra, bad and it was making her stomach hurt.

Or maybe she was just fucking starving.

Sedona realized she had never eaten the 'bar' Peli had given her. And an all-liquid diet the day before probably wasn't helping her whole, situation. Moving the child from her lap, she placed her feet on the ground. Thankful for her socks as the cold of the metal seeped through the fabric. She walked over to her suitcase— not really remembering where she had put the food— the entire evening leading up to her fight with Toro was a blur. When she didn't find it in her purse, she searched through her suitcase. Her hands touched the foil wrapping, and suddenly there was another presence at her side.

The little green gremlin was a bloodhound for food, it was like he read her mind and teleported to her. Letting out an excited squeal when she brought the bar into view, Sedona couldn't help but laugh with him. Sitting cross-legged in front of her suitcase she invited him to sit with her. And with more adorable grunts and snorts he sat down in between her legs, eyes never leaving the bar.

"Okay we can share, but don't tell your dad" she whispered, he made a soft coo in response. The bar looked like someone had put a granola bar through a grinder, and then reformed it back into a bar. Not exactly the most appetizing thing, but food was food, and the little guy seemed excited. She broke off a small piece— yes she had witnessed the child swallow a frog whole— but he was so little in front of her, so she went by baby rules and gave him something small. He grabbed it in his little hands, and then she broke off a piece for herself.

It was dry, and tasted kind of like a protein bar, but not at all like a protein bar. It was just different, but with the way the child inhaled it, she knew it was probably worth eating. They carried on like this till it was gone, Grogu munching happily, not minding the crumbs that fell into his lap. She was able to choke it down with the assistance of the water bottle that still sat in her purse. But eating didn't seem to help the way her stomach twisted in worry. When she wasn't distracting herself by watching the child, her mind wandered dangerously.

She couldn't tell if the walls her mind had put up the moment she dropped on the Crest were finally crumbling. Or if something was actually wrong. Her head was starting to hurt again, and now with a stomach ache, she felt like she was starting to break down. She needed another distraction.

Crumbling up the wrapper she turned to her suitcase. The child babbled a little, probably wondering if she had more food. Instead, she was just looking for anything; she moved through everything in the bag, toiletries, bras, a journal. And then she felt something solid. Her boots! She had honestly figured she didn't have any shoes here. Those had been the first thing to come out of her suitcase when she got to her hotel. But now, pulling her work boots from the depths, it was the first time she had actually been excited to see them. They were beat up hiking boots, with the perfect amount of ankle support and non-slip bottom to make it in space.

"Well, are you gonna let me put these on or what?" She said to the child in her lap, he tilted his head with a coo. She slowly started to straighten her legs, he made a squeal and then started to wiggle away from her. She laughed, helping him get off her lap and setting him to the side. He grunted, loudly, instantly very mad at her. She chuckled again, trying not to notice the way her hands shook as she began to lace up her boots.

Grogu toddled over to the ladder, reaching his arms up toward the cockpit. She couldn't help the smile, she finished tying her boots, standing, and headed over to the child. He was hanging from the 3rd rung of the ladder, obviously getting his speed from his father, she was able to catch him just as his 3 fingers slid off the metal. She rose and looked up with anticipation, obviously he wanted to go up there, and that meant she would have to... talk to Din.

She swallowed, but the baby in her arms let out an impatient squeal, reaching his arms up. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Um... D-Mando" she called, catching herself on the name quickly. "G-The kid wants to come up, i-is it alright if I bring him up." She hated the way she was stumbling through this, it shouldn't be that difficult to ask, but she almost shaking in fear at the prospect of being dropped off on the next planet. Her subconscious was telling her the Din she knew wouldn't do that, but this wasn't the Din she 'knew', this was a stranger. God, why did this have to be so complicated?

There was a long daunting pause. "Just don't touch anything." She let out a sigh of relief, and quickly attempted the climb to the cockpit. Proving to be much trickier with one hand. Her head breached the hole, and in front of her was something amazing. The cockpit of the Razor Crest lit up with the blue streaks of hyperspace. She stopped, awestruck at all of the buttons and levers, all of the details laid out before her. She didn't even notice the child wiggling out of her grasp.

It was beautiful, but also so terrifying. She watched the expanse of space whiz by, something her mind could've never been able to comprehend. And as she stared, she didn't notice when the pilot's chair slowly turned.

"You can come inside." She jumped at his voice, eyes meeting the helmet she didn't know was facing her. She quickly shut her mouth, just now realizing Grogu had made his way to Din's lap. Slowly, she finished the climb up the ladder and found herself at the door to the cockpit. Tentatively she stepped inside, eyes still wide in wonder, and made her way to the chair behind Din's left shoulder. He turned back to the controls, or more back to making sure the child didn't touch anything. She sat down slowly, still not entirely certain this was all real.

Swirling blue was constantly moving above and before her, it was mesmerizing, she felt herself getting lost in it. She could probably look at it for the rest of her life. It was the perfect distraction. Or until someone broke her from her daze, but she didn't expect that to happen anytime soon. Instead, she sat quietly, trying to take up as little space in the room as she could. Her thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind, she was allowed this brief moment of peace.

Sedona had held it together surprisingly well, though it was more likely she was in shock. Numb is what she would call it, seeing everything moving around her, but she didn't really feel it. A mild form of disassociation is probably what a therapist would tell her, her body was in survival mode while her brain just followed, screaming from the shadows. But at this current moment, her mind was quiet, the rolling blue was enough.

Comfortable silence, the baby sleeping, his snores being the only thing breaking through the hum of hyperspace. The pair sat quietly for what seemed to be a long time. It was the first moments of calm both had experienced at the same time, hopefully, it wouldn't be the last. In the past, the silence would have irked her, gnawed at her stomach. She probably would've started a conversation with anyone in the room. But now, it felt okay, her mind felt at ease for the first time since she'd got here. She ignored the voice that whispered, maybe it's him.

A sudden beeping broke through the serene atmosphere, Sedona jumped, while Din only moved his helmet. His hands reached out to flick some switches and punch some buttons.

She secretly wished she might be able to figure out what it all meant, but she wasn't going to get her hopes up.

"We're dropping out of hyperspace, hold on." It was an off-hand comment she realized because she didn't even have time to straighten in her spine when the ship seemed to lurch forward. Her hands flew to her sides, gripping the seat quickly. With the sudden movement, all of her anxieties flew into her throat. And as another giant space ship came into view, another emotion came forward.

Rage.

"Oh, those fuckers." The words were growled out before she even knew her mouth was open. Her eyes widening in surprise as a T-shaped visor snapped to face her. She could only shrug in response, it was the truth. Deep down, she was glad to know her shock-induced state hadn't taken everything from her, she could still talk some smack.

That was going to cause problems.

"You're staying on the ship, with the child." He had turned back to the controls, grasping the handles with gloved hands. The child in question had just woken up, cooing curiously at the scene change. "Make sure he doesn't cause any trouble, or whatever you said happens." She heard him and understood. But she was focused on trying to figure out how the hell she was going to hold her tongue when she knew what was about to happen. Din seemed to notice her unease, his helmet shifted slightly toward her, most likely confused by the white-knuckle grip she still had on the seat.

"You're going to have to gag me." The realization came suddenly, it was the only way, she did not trust herself to keep quiet. Din fully spun to face her now, even without seeing his face she could tell he was surprised and mad. She aimed for his eyes beneath the black visor, "It's the only way to shut me up." He let out a long sigh, that ended more in a frustrated growl.

"Are you serious?" His voice was sharp, serious disbelief. She nodded, it was ridiculous she knew, but with all the choice words swirling in her head, and the way she didn't have full control of herself, it really was the only way. With another growl-sigh he leaned down, ripping off a strip of material from his cape, and handed it to her, then he more or less shoved the child in her lap. "Just go— take him to the sleeping compartment, and... do it yourself."

She stood and left quickly, not wanting to anger him further. She staggered her way down the ladder, Grogu laughing at her struggles. She was panicking, her eyes darted over everything quickly, setting the child in the compartment she went over to her things. She zipped her suitcase closed, then hooked the handle to one of the nets that hung on the wall, hoping that would keep it out of way. Then with her purse, she made her way over to Grogu and climbed in after him. He babbled excitedly, not picking up on the frazzled emotions that were rolling off her in waves.

"We are going to have a totally chill time in here." She said to the child, though it was also mostly to herself. She adjusted till her back was against the wall, and allowed Grogu to clamber onto her lap. "It's gonna be totally cool and nothing bad is going to happen, alright?" Her voice had risen multiple octaves, and it seemed the gremlin had finally caught on to her panic. He tilted his head at her, making a much smaller, almost sadder sound. She instantly felt bad; making shushing noises, she rubbed his little back as he pouted up at her. The ship started to wobble, Din was maneuvering it into the bigger space ship, she held onto the little creature. And with a big thump, they were stopped.

Sedona let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Grogu's ears seemed to perk up at that, he settled down onto her lap. Listening carefully to the noises above her, she could hear Din moving around before steps began to descend on the ladder. He paused in front of the compartment, carefully observing the situation. Sedona could only stare back, doing her best not to let him know how scared she was, but he probably had a fear sensor on his helmet. Before he could turn away her voice betrayed her again.

"Di-Mando... could I have a weapon." It was a whisper, she was doing the best she could to hold herself together. But this was becoming more and more real by the second. He stared at her for much longer than she wanted, even Grogu made a small whine at the atmosphere. Then his hand moved to his wrist, tapping something, and a compartment opened adjacent to the one she was in. She peaked around the corner, eyes widening at all of the weapons laid out. And she almost laughed at the sight of her pink taser, placed there among all of the space gadgets. He grabbed that, setting it in front of her.

Without a word, he turned, fingers working at his wrist again. Almost simultaneously, the weapons doors and the door to her compartment shut. While the side ship door opened. She and Grogu were alone in the dimly lit compartment. He turned to look at her, head tilting in confusion. And she could only shrug in response.

There was silence on the ship for what felt like hours. Sedona and Grogu sat quietly, only the child breaking the silence with his babbles. She would shush him quickly; not really knowing when the crew would be joining the ship, and she didn't want their cover blown sooner than it needed to be. When his fussing became a bit more persistent, she gave him her keys that were still tucked in her purse. His big eyes widened further, entranced by the shiny metal and jingles.

Because how else do you calm a baby you don't know what to do with, you give it your keys. Fuck.

A heavy sigh passed through her as she leaned her head back against the wall. She's trying desperately to keep her emotions under control, obviously, Grogu could sense them, so if she was calm, he was calm. And that was most important right now. Her mind was constantly on edge, just waiting for something to happen. She didn't want to tie her mouth yet, fearing it would startle the child. Instead, she chewed on her lip, distracted by the soft tinkling of her keys.

The wait was soon over.

Metallic footsteps were making their way up the ramp. Thinking fast she tied the strip of fabric around her mouth, then held the child close. He cooed, moving his head up to face her before his ears flicked up in surprise. She tried to give him a smile.

It definitely looked absolutely horrifying.

His little features contorted into a frown, and a whimper was heard before the footsteps on the ship drew closer. They both snapped their heads to stare at the unmoving compartment door. Ears perked, listening closely as she heard someone ascend to the cockpit. There were noises outside of the ship, people were gathering, she felt her heart rate increase sharply. She squeezed them further into the corner of the compartment. The mattress creaked so loudly in the silence, but thankfully the noises coming from above them seemed to drown it out.

Her brain had ceased its flow of information. She wasn't sure who entered the ship first, it could be Din for all she knew. But she knew there were about to be a lot more people, and then shit was going to go down. Her mouth had gone dry thanks to the fabric, and the child had started to whine. She tried to shush him, but it came out more in weird hissing sounds. His eyes bugged out as he looked at her in fear, pushing his arms against her chest. She moved to set him down behind her, pretending her heart didn't break at the sight. She maneuvered herself more to the front of the compartment, leaving the keys behind for him.

She almost didn't notice the grumbling that followed the metallic clink of someone leaving the ship. The person was complaining, aggressively, but the voice was definitely not human.

Of course. That shitty droid.

The one emotion that had been hardest to keep at bay was rising up again. It coiled in her throat, sharpening her tongue with nasty thoughts. She hated this group, and all the shit they say to Din and the violent betrayal. She didn't know how she was going to be able to handle it if it happens right in front of her— the fabric in her mouth was going to be her saving grace. She really did not want to risk making this even worse for Din than it already would be.

And sure, she knows they get their due karma in the end. But the nagging pit in her stomach, the feeling of wrong, was eating her alive. She reached for the taser that sat at the front of the compartment and maneuvered her back to Grogu. If that compartment opens, she was going to fight like hell.

And that's how she waited.

And waited.

Back turned to the child as he jangled her keys around. She waited as voices crept closer to the Crest. As someone made their way up the ramp, then another. Until something was set down with a heavy thump, and a murmur of voices filled the hull. No one was really saying anything of importance, just fighting about who got to sit where. Sedona turned her head back to the child, who was now also listening attentively. His ears perked, owlish eyes met hers, the keys now forgotten in his little hands. He made a small 'ooo' sound and pointed to the compartment door, and she shrugged, holding her finger up to her mouth in a shushing motion.

Then there was the sound of the hatch closing, her head snapped back to the door. Trying to picture the scene behind the metal. She heard someone climbing the ladder, and then there was more grumbling. It wasn't long after, the ship began to move, she braced her hands behind her back as the compartment rocked. She looked back at the child, who was now back to jangling the keys around, she tried not to cringe at the sound, hoping they couldn't hear it.

She couldn't help thinking how insane this was. She was sitting in a space ship with a little green alien, gagged, and listening to other aliens argue. Her breath had started to quicken, and she could feel her pulse thumping in her neck.

This is so fucked up. What the hell am I even doing here. I'm going crazy-

Her spiraling thoughts were cut off when she felt a small hand on her back. She turned, blinking away a tear that had formed in her eye. Grogu made a tiny coo, his eyes wide. She instantly felt bad, he could sense her distress and it was making him feel bad. But she almost let out a sob when the little creature leaned forward, setting both his arms on her back in a tiny hug. A strangled noise tore through her throat, lifting one of her hands to pat his wrinkled little head. He made a snorting noise, one of the cutest things in the world, before plopping down and playing with the keys again. The interaction so small, but it had immediately calmed her down.

God, I can see why everyone loves this little shit.

She felt the atmosphere speed up, and the telltale feeling of hyperspace overtook the ship. A sound she recognized made her snap her head back to the door. The weapons hold adjacent to the sleeping compartment was open. She hadn't even heard their earlier conversations, too entranced by the little guy. She couldn't remember who had opened the door, but from the grumbling, it sounded like the one she hated most. Everything was happening much faster, but it felt as if time had slowed. She distantly registered the thump of someone jumping down the ladder, then the doors closing, and someone immediately hitting them.

"Hey, hey, hey. Okay. Okay. Okay, I get it. I'm a little particular about my personal space too." That voice, God she knew that voice. Her blood boiled as she listened further. "So let's just do this job. We get in, we get out, and you don't have to see our faces anymore."

How ironic, she almost rolled her eyes.

"Someone tell me why we even need a Mandalorian." The voice was much closer than she wanted it to be.

"Well, apparently they're the greatest warriors in the galaxy." There was a pause, Sedona gritted her teeth around the cloth. "So they say"

"Then why are they all dead"

And there was laughter. She heard a sharp giggle, the kind that makes your lip curl. And she felt herself shaking— she wanted to say something so fucking bad. She didn't know how Din could just take all of this.

"Well, you flew with him, Xi'an— Is he as good as they say?"

"Ask him about the job on Alzoc 111." Their voices grated her ears. Subconsciously she really did want to know what happened on Alzoc 111"

"I did what I had to." But this voice, with his calculated roughness, broke her heart. She didn't know how much more she could take before words started leaving her mouth. She heard a female voice, and her hands curled into fists behind her. She could hear what they were saying, but it wasn't fully registering anymore. Her ears rung with rage, the feeling of the child still leaning against her back was the only thing keeping her from ripping off the gag and screaming.

Her eyes narrowed at the continued jeering and insults. She tried to blink away the tears of anger that burned her eyes. Pressing all of her weight into her arms, her muscles tense. Ready for what was coming next.

The ringing in her ears didn't stop, even as a fistfight took place outside her door.

Only when she was suddenly faced by the people she did not want to see, did everything come crashing back to the surface.

The trio looked at her in shock, Din out of her view. She sees Mayfield's mouth moving as he walks closer to her, but she only picked up the last of his sentence.

"— you get lonely up here buddy? Huh." He stepped up to the compartment, Xi'an sauntered after him. Sedona tried not to focus on the way the other woman's gaze twisted into disgust. She turned her head to meet all 3 of their eyes, Burg looking even more devil-like up close.

"Why do you have your bed warmer tied up like that huh?" Din didn't answer Mayfield, she couldn't even see him, but with the way Burg had his arm locked out of view, he was probably being held back. "Is that how he kept you, huh, Xi'an? Is that how he likes 'em?" The woman in question hissed in response, and she settled herself against the door. Knife still held loosely in her hand.

"Didn't take you for the type." She snarled at Din, her eyes predatory as they shifted away from Sedona. "Maybe that code of yours has made you soft."

And suddenly there was another voice. Though not really a voice, instead it's sounded like an angry cat in the other room. Muffled, and full of rage.

It wasn't till she noticed the others were just staring at her in silence, that she realized it was her. She was snarling like a rabid dog, her mouth has developed a mind of its own. Thankfully all the words were swallowed by the cloth.

"Well let's see what she has to say," Xi'an said with a sickening smile, sharpened yellow teeth on full display. The next actions happened so quickly, Sedona honestly didn't realize what transpired. There was a flash of metal, as Xi'an's hand darted out like a snake. A searing pain appeared on her left cheek, and the cloth holding her words in fell away. She felt herself gasp, her hand instantly flying up to cradle her cheek. And then there was laughing, the trio laughed at her pain, and it only made her angrier.

"I said," She placed her hand, now sticky with blood, behind her back. Bracing herself. "I've got a penchant for smokes and kicking douches in the mouth. Sadly for you, my last cigarette's gone out."

And with that statement, her right foot flew out. Connecting with Burg's jaw, a sickening crack rang through the hull.

Then there was chaos.

The Devaronian stumbled back, his own hand coming up to clutch his jaw with a growl. Mayfield and Xi'an jumped for their weapons. But before anyone else could cross the threshold of the sleeping compartment, there was a blaster shot— and the metal door collapsed shut. Din had shot the control panel to the door, no one could get in, or get out without the use of his fancy wrist control. There was aggressive banging on the door, Sedona feared it might dent. She could hear swearing and shouting from the other side, but she wasn't done. She sat up on her knees, slamming her hands against the metal a few times. If Din wasn't going to say it, she would.

"Fuck you Xi'an! I wanted to be your friend so bad!" She could hear an aggressive snarl over the other commotion. Burg roared, and then there was a particularly loud thump against the door.

"Fuck you, Burg! Your breath fucking reeks!" Her voice had a heavy growl in it, all of the rage she could muster put behind her words.

"And fuck you, Mayfield! Prison is going to make you it's bitch!" Her voice had risen to a scream to counteract the noise. And with a few more slaps against the metal, she sat back down. Her hand coming up to the cut on her cheek. Xi'an's blades were so sharp, they cut deep and thin. A perfect slice, that was going to leave a nasty scar. It was then she realized the other creature in the room.

Grogu let out soft whimpers at the commotion, he was trying to hide behind her purse. Her stomach dropped at the sight, instantly letting out a soft coo of her own, she reached her hand out to him, trying to let him know it would be okay. But another voice broke through the pandemonium.

"Dropping out of hyperspace now." She scooped up Grogu, and he let out a small cry of protest. But she knew what was coming next. The ship lurched foreword suddenly. "Commencing final approach now."

"Cloaking signal now" Grogu let out a scream as they were suddenly airborne. Sedona's head crashed against the ceiling of the compartment with a thump. They slammed back down, the wind getting knocked out of her lungs. Trying to catch her breath she glanced down at the child, who was relatively fine. Just panicking by the way his massive eyes stared up at her. The ship stopped with a heavy crash, and she heard the droid speaking again. But she was far more distracted by the little green hand straining to reach her cheek.

"I'll be okay buddy" she whispered, bringing her hand up to gently grab his. He frowned, babbling urgently at her. She gave him as much of a smile she could muster, hoping he accepted it. "You don't have to heal me, I'm all right." Truthfully, she wasn't really all right. Her cheek was burning, and from what she could feel, the cut ran from just under her jaw bone, all the way up to her cheekbone. A neat slice, that was still steadily leaking blood. She set Grogu to the side and reached for her purse, fishing out the travel pack of tissues, and holding one to the cut. It wasn't stitches or magical healing space goo, but she hoped it would at least stop her from bleeding all over Din's bed. A loud smack interrupted their tentative peace. Mayfield's voice followed.

"Don't think we forgot about you girl, we'll be back for you!" There was laughing, and for the first time since the door had opened, the wrongness flooded back to her stomach. She focused on taking deep even breaths, for the sake of the child who whimpered beside her. She heard a fast beeping, and then someone jumping from the ship. They were leaving, and her heart only seemed to race faster. She waited till she heard the particularly loud thump of Burg.

"Din," she cleared her throat, voice coming out raw. "Don't let them capture you." She wasn't sure if she was just talking to an empty hull, or if the Mandalorian could even hear her raspy voice.

She just hoped desperately if he had, he would listen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist-

I’ve never done this before! But please message me if you’d like to be tagged, and I’ll try to figure it out along the way!

@thekingofthegoats @cosmicbreathe @daddydjarinxx @gallowsjoker

#din djarin #din djarin fanfiction #din djarin x oc #the mandalorian #the mandalorian x oc #din djarin x f!oc #din djarin x sedona #grogu #space cowboy #the child #sedona #star wars #the mandalorian crack #mando x oc #mando

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somedrunkpirate · 4 years

Text

in the dark we travel (Geraskier Sci-fi au ficlet)

Rating: T | Wordcount: 3,4 | No major warnings | pre-slash, first meeting @geraskierfunday prompt: space

//let me know if you want of this because I have too much lore for a oneshot//

Read on ao3 or continue reading below

The stench of the holding bay almost makes Geralt turn on his heel.

It burns through his nose, coming in waves so overwhelming they should’ve been visible in the air. His senses are a dubious gift as he does not only smell it long before anyone else, but can distinguish individual notes within the cacophony of abomination. The acidic sharpness of cheap hovercraft fuel; the rot of biological waste; and then that sickly sweetness of pink oil, a byproduct from the favourite spirit boosters of all the rich kids and trip tourists partying up above. It’s the most prominent smell by far and it makes Geralt want to gag.

Intergalactic travel on this side of the Tenements is always a gamble.

Jackpot would be a merchant ship, where at least the conditions have to be sufficient for whatever cargo is on board. The fact that this usually results in better living environments for the stragglers sleeping between the boxes is entirely incidental. All in all, a good deal for everyone involved— except for Geralt, sometimes. Most merchants have no desire to have him on their ship. Luckily most are scared enough to let him anyway.

A draw— earning back your bet — would be a scavenger ship. Though sleeping among scavenged ship parts and stolen goods is less comfortable than proper cargo, the experience at least comes with a sense of adventure. Playing cards with pirates; fist fights between mercenaries; drinks with old timers. For many the opportunity would be once in a lifetime.

The drawback, of course, is becoming accessory to whatever crime the scavengers end up committing during your stay. And Enforcers don’t give one shit whether you sat in the cargo hold or shot the blast cannons yourself. Geralt has enough problems to keep track of to enjoy being blamed for other people’s crimes. Scavengers are insufferable, as a whole, but the most annoying are the ones that get caught.

So, in a sense, it is only fair Geralt loses the gamble. He’d been complaining about a win or a draw anyway, and the universe does so like to remind him there is no one smiling upon him. He ran out of luck years ago.

The smell only worsens when the great metal doors open to the loading dock, and the familiar bright orange of a Garbagecraft is revealed.

Various levels of frustration, despair and anger are voiced in groans and clicks. The crowd stops as a whole, yet unwilling to accept their collective fate. Roach’s ears flicker at the unrest, her two right front hooves scrape at the metal flooring in agitation.

Geralt pats her neck, careful not to get sliced by her sharp mane, and shushes her. “It’s alright. Shh. Good Girl.”

Some of the would-be travellers— two Pervuvians, a Human and a Sketh — push their way through the crowd and gang up around the dock boy who had led them here. They begin to chow him out in various languages, but Geralt catches enough to get the gist. Give me back my money or you will feel my wrath, insert threat specificities here.

As they become more and more creative, Geralt sighs and gives a quiet command to Roach to stay at the edge of the crowd. She makes a noise that Geralt chooses to interpret as agreement, rather than the frustration regarding her current situation that it probably was.

Geralt edges around the crowd to get a better look of the situation, his hand hovering above the hilt of his energy blade. The Pervuvians are part of a larger crew, seven total, standing off to the side with their limbs crossed. The Sketh is carrying a T-1 Blaster openly, which means she’s likely got something even more illegal under that travel robe of hers. The Human is an older man; his eyes almost folded away into his wrinkles. Not a threat at face value— which isn’t a whole lot, in Geralt’s experience. He’s proven right when he activates his perm-mod, focusing his vision, and the blue and white overlay lights up around the presence of an illusion.

He only has to strain his eyes a little before the glimmer dissipates and Geralt can see the true form of the being looming beside the dock boy. A Dizan, neon glyph tattoos and all.

Geralt suppresses a groan, and grabs the handle of his silver sword instead.

Even if he’d wanted to consider suffering teleportation in favour of two weeks sleeping among trash, the choice has now been made for him. The duration of the travel should be enough to see if this one dabbles with the ways of the Ancients, and how far they go if they do.

Though, if they’re willing to kill a kid out of frustration, Geralt has his answer too.

The shouting gets progressively louder and begins to attract more people. The whole of the Pervuvian crew has joined by the time Geralt manages to reach them.

It’s not that the crowd tries to block his path — the moment the flash of his eyes reaches theirs, most have the common sense to cover and step aside — there is just nowhere they can go. The whole platform has started to fill up as more travellers climb out of the drainage pipes. And the other half of the dock is claimed by the large containers, being loaded on one by one.

And yet, the immature show of aggression has managed to claim a small open clearing in the middle of the platform, as people press into each other trying to get outside of the blasting zone. Quite literally, as the moment Geralt breaches this unspoken border, the Sketh puts her hand on the trigger.

The boy goes pale. “Please! I do not have it. You must go to Kestra, the dock master, if you have a complaint.”

Geralt flickers a quick look to the Dizan — still frustrated, but passively so, eyes sparking with interest between the Sketh and the boy — and assesses his options. He grabs his energy blade and activates it.

It doesn’t make a sound, but the purple glow should be obvious enough to the Sketh once he—

“Friends! Please calm yourselves.”

A young man slides in front of the boy— in front of the blaster — hands held open in a placating gesture.

Geralt swears internally and deactivates his blade. The Sketh has her hand on the trigger, but hadn’t aimed the blaster. Even if she’d pulled while Geralt subdued her, it would’ve gone wide, cascading over his head.

But the man, standing taller and a step closer to her, has it pressed right against his heart.

He doesn’t seem to be aware of this fact, smiling brightly at the Sketh and then at the crowd at large. It seems so out of place— so confident, that even the Sketh is taken off guard and takes a step back reflexively. The barrel is no longer touching him, but the shot would be equally deadly.

The man is handsome, though garishly colourful compared to everyone in the vicinity. He looks like he’d gotten lost on his way to Erilisis Boulevard and somehow ended up in a sewage-cum-space station, of all places.

Despite his appearance, he carries himself with ease, even familiarity. There is no sign of an illusion to explain his reckless confidence— Geralt checked. If this is all an act, the only thing the man is playing is himself.

“I understand that the recent actions of our honourable Tin Men have us all on edge, as it is their overbearing application of the law that has many of us seeking out new sights in the first place!”

A few murmurs of agreement rumble over the crowd.

“I assume that most are not here out of free will, but rather out of necessity,” the man continues with sympathy. “We are leaving behind friends, family, business— life. No one should expect any of us to be happy, never mind calm.”

Nodding. Someone whistles, others hum. They’re listening.

The man’s face changes, his passionate expression becoming wry. “And look, I also am not eager to sleep among the left over drab of Zevos’ finest.” He pauses and then continues with a sly smile, “Never mind with all of you stinking up the place.”

Some smile, some even chuckle.

Geralt has to work to maintain an expression of neutrality.

The Sketh still has her hand on her blaster, but her finger has slackened, as if she’d forgotten that she was about to pull the trigger. The tension of the crowd at large is easing; the sharp border around the clearing is melting away. The man, with a few words, has them enthralled.

The man seems to be aware of this, because his attention slides off the crowd in a split second. His posture changes. From the wide and tall stance of a stage performer, he slackens slightly-- pulls in and leans forward, almost intimate. He’s looking at the Sketh, his voice low and almost gentle, but there is an order hidden under the kindness.

“Come, scivan. I know the stench is worse for you, but this might very well be the last ship of the day cycle. And with the Enforcers dogging the Magistrate’s tail, the whole operation could be shut down any moment. We cannot afford a delay, none of us can.”

And that is when Geralt realises the man does have a perm-mod after all. Not an illusion patch like the Dizan, but a rarer and much more volatile augmentation: a speech-mod.

Where temporary speech mods might translate your words for a day, or make your singing slightly more passable for single performance, a permanent speech mot does not add anything to the user. It just enhances what is already there.

If you’re good— if you are truly a master of tone, words and whatever fucking else comes with skilled communication, the Ancient Ways are nothing in comparison. Violence is obvious. Ancient crafting leaves traces of some sort behind, even if it is just merely the use of something else. But talking— speech, it takes nothing, it leaves nothing. It is as fleeting as a memory, an experience. Done well, you don’t even remember it, because you don’t know you’re being convinced in a manner more potent than normal interactions.

At least, the ones Geralt has come across prefer an art of subtlety. This man, quite clearly, is more like the ones who wear their speech mod openly, shimmering on the back of their necks, some curving down to their throat in graceful lines. Entertainers, singers, writers; all whose persuasion and manipulation is seen as harmless— made safe in the illusion of fiction.

And yet, despite the apparent taming of danger, they have been given the same title of a specialized class that once lived on the planet called Earth. Those who were able to leverage their seemingly frivolous talents to gain access into the highest courts; become confidants of Kings while serenading them to sleep.

Bards.

Geralt has always found it ironic. To expect these people to only use their powers for entertainment and laughter, named for a group that ostensibly did the same more than a millennium ago, while conveniently forgetting an important fact.

Most Bards were spies.

Gerat carefully sets his thoughts aside when the Bard moves. His focus returns fully to the situation at hand.

The Bard is reaching out to the Sketh, slowly, carefully-- recklessly, idiotically, completely careless of the danger, of setting her off.

She flinches when the Bard’s hand touches her fur covered arm— the one holding the gun.

Geralt takes a careful step closer. His hand hovering over the activation pad of his blade.

He’s quiet, but the Bard clocks him— a glance, eyes unwavering, before he focuses on the Sketh again and says, low, “Let this go.”

There is a breath. Geralt waits.

“Fine,” she spits out. “But I claim best bunk.”

She isn’t looking at the Bard’s face— doesn’t catch the relief before it's drowned out by a companionable smile and a hint of satisfaction. Geralt does. Geralt sees all of it.

The man’s expressions are as garish as his clothing. He is too animated-- too bright-- to belong in a place like this. Amongst people like this. These are people who lie through suppression, not misdirection. Even if it's all false, it is out of place. But it isn’t-- false. Parts of it are genuine, and Geralt doesn’t think it's a mistake. The Bard doesn’t mind people seeing him. It’s disconcerting.

The Bard claps his hands together and turns back to the crowd. “You heard her, the show is on the road!”

As if on cue, the platform shifts and rumbles. Walkways start to extend from the edges toward the sides of the ship. Doors shift open with heavy sighs of pressurised air. The dock boy takes the distraction to get the fuck out of dodge, though he throws a grateful gaze to the Bard as he slips away. The Bard’s smile goes incrementally brighter.

“Now,” he says, raising his voice, “Those with smell sensitivities should have priorities to the upper decks. Let’s show those fuckers we aren’t as inconsiderate as they make us out to be, eh? Behave and you might be treated with an entirely free performance of Craven Roses!”

At that, the Bard bows to a scattering of applause. The promise of potential entertainment brings a measure of good cheer among the passengers— any travel without warp-speed is an exercise in boredom regardless, but the trip between Zevos and the outer ring of Xadan is especially notorious for it. After the purple glow of the Zevos System is left behind, the following week of utter darkness is enough to drive anyone cabin-crazy. The appearance of Xadan eventually brings light. It isn’t pretty, but it's at least something. A measure of progress, watching Meteor Border come closer and closer.

The worst is never the dark, it's feeling like nothing is happening. That you’re moving, but will never arrive.

Geralt shakes his head to himself. He can deal with that. He’s used to it— whether he is in a spacecraft or walking on solid ground. But most people aren’t. Geralt would prefer not to suffer through thinly veiled innuendos posing as a passion play, but the alternative might be even more tedious. He has a sense that this won’t be the last time the Sketh will become a problem.

At least, for now, she isn’t his concern. He clicks his energy blade back on his utility belt and is about go back for Roach when a voice calls out—

“Witcher!”

The Bard.

Geralt stops. He doesn’t turn around. “Few know to call me that.”

The Bard circles him and grins. “Ancienthunter is a bit of a mouthful, if you ask me. Witcher is more of a statement— a strange word for a strange profession; as old as the beasts you’re hunting.”

Geralt snorts. “Funny you say that, Bard.”

“Jaskier, and thank you,” the Bard-- Jaskier says grandly, seemingly unaware of how very much Geralt did not intend it as a compliment. Or maybe he did and doesn’t care. “What a twist of fate, is it not? Two men out of time, on the edge of the universe.”

Geralt snorts and begins to walk.

Jaskier rushes after him, slipping deftly between people to keep up. “Wait!”

“I’m not here for your tales,” Geralt says. “Find another audience.”

Jaskier huffs and makes an affronted sound, but persists. When Geralt eventually breaches the edge of the crowd, he’s caught up, a little out of breath.

“Come on, Witcher. Let me just— I’ve heard of the adventure of people like you and I was wondering—“

His voice cuts out and his eyes go wide, when Roach comes out of the shadows. Mouth agape, he stares.

Geralt reaches out for her lead and turns his back on Jaskier. He’s not interested in seeing the inevitable terror— or, if Jaskier is as reckless as he seemed to be in front of a blaster, anger. Geralt puts a hand on Roach’s neck, knowing that one sign from him and Jaskier wouldn’t have a chance for either. Not that it would help his case.

It’s quiet for so long that Geralt almost thinks Jaskier managed to retreat in complete silence, but when he turns, he’s still standing there, mouth agape.

“I thought—“ he says, and there is no terror. “I thought they were extinct. I thought you— Witchers had hunted them all.”

He isn’t afraid. He is awed.

Geralt thinks of the busy stalls in Kae’r Mor, the gentle huffing, soft rumbling and kind eyes that follow you as you pass through the halls. Dozens of lives saved through secrecy, protecting a species deemed undeserving of existence, merely because some had used them in horrific ways.

He thinks of Vesemir, furious, as Geralt took Roach from her stall.

—selfish. Your actions put all of them in danger, and you know it.

But one survivor shouldn’t — can’t — be able to ruin it. He’s careful, he avoids the corners of the galaxies where they’re most known. Where they’re more than just a story. He can lay the blame all on himself: it shouldn’t be hard to understand one monstrous creature having bonded with another.

He just hadn’t been able to leave her behind. Not if he wasn’t certain he’d ever be back.

“Amaureen,” Jaskier says, quietly, startling Geralt out of his thoughts. To hear that word spoken in such a way— with wonder, is disorientating.

“Does she have a name?”

“Roach.”

There is a stunned silence, and then Jaskier laughs. “Not what I expected for a creature straight out of legend.”

Geralt shrugs. “She likes it.”

Jaskier smiles and then looks at Roach again, hesitating. “Can I—“

“You can try,” Geralt says, gruffly. But he centers himself, trying to project calm— not trust, he can’t lie in this, but he shows her what he saw. Jaskier talking down a crowd, levity cutting through a knife through the tension. Light in a moment of darkness.

Roach huffs and holds still as Jaskier’s fingers brush her snout. His eyes go impossibly bright, and his breath catches when Roach, unprompted, presses against his hand.

“She likes me,” Jaskier says, too surprised to be smug about it.

Geralt doesn’t respond— doesn’t disagree. He feels unbalanced, put off. None of this— none of this is going like it is supposed to go.

Roach responds to his distress, stepping back with a huff.

Jaskier takes his hand back, doesn’t press for more, and says, “Thank you.”

As if that is something people say after touching an Amaureen. Geralt feels a headache brewing.

“Hmm,” he says, and tugs on Roach’s lead. They begin their walk to the farthest end of the ship.

Jaskier doesn’t take the hint.

“How did you find her? Have you had her long?”

“None of your business, Bard.”

“Jaskier, or Dandel, on stage,” he says blithely, “and okay, fine, but you have to understand. This is momentous. I’ve always known there was something off about all those tales. How could a bond-species suddenly turn against their riders? Why all at the same time?”

Geralt makes a noise of warning. Roach’s mane bristles.

“Okay, have it your way. Something else then.” There is barely a pause before he asks, continues, rapid-fire and passionate: “Have you ever encountered a hag? I’ve been hearing about one running a spirit bar in the Dekolijn but that could be a myth. Do they have the intelligence to do such a thing or are they more beast-like?”

Geralt’s jaw tenses, glancing sideways to glare and growl— something, he doesn’t know what, because the moment he turns, he sees something else.

The Dizan, watching them with interest.

For a moment Geralt’s stomach drops— Vesemir was right. He should never have taken Roach with him.

But then he realises that the Dizan isn’t looking at Roach.

They’re looking at Jaskier with a considering look in their eye.

Resignation falls like a heavy cloak around Geralt’s shoulders. He forces his expression in a blank slate and allows Jaskier to follow him, giving occasional one word answers like breadcrumbs, that lead him into the ship— away from that pale white gaze.

As they walk through the bowels of the ship, bile in the back of Geralt’s throat, his nose burning, and a headache in full bloom, one thought circles around in the forefront of his mind, over and over:

He should’ve gone with teleportation after all.

#geraskier #geraskier fic #geralt of rivia #Jaskier #witcher #the witcher #geralt/jaskier #witcher fic #myfic #alternate universe scifi #in the dark we travel

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pickyperkypenguin · 4 years

Text

some reflections on dying hair with henna (lawsonia inermis)

i’ve had dyed my hair red with henna/lawsonia inermis (sometimes with added amla/emblica officinalis, and jatropha) for four years, since i was about sixteen year old ‘til i was about twenty. somewhere at the two or three year mark i roped up my mother into dying her hair with henna too. so, i’ve been dying my own and then my mother’s hair with herbs for the last ten years every month or two. i feel like i might have the right to talk about it just because i’ve done it so many times and got consistent results

it took me long enough to figure out my perfect recipe, but the amount of misinformation i see on the internet in regards to henna dying process is staggering. i thought, okay, maybe ten years ago it was relatively knew in the polish corner of the world wide web, but now? sure it should be more popular? and okay, i did manage to find some info faster than those years ago (boy, let me tell you it was some google-fu required to get into that information back then, and all was, like, crowd-sourced from experimentally-inclined hair bloggers - a sub-type of beauty bloggers - and wise, old and jaded women who knew henna as chna, because they’ve used it back in the socialist times, when it was still imported from the east, hence the different spelling). but still, it was not much, however, there were some more professional sources involved than cosmetics forums. i’ll check the anglophone side, i thought. sure it should be much better, yeah? no misinfo?

goddamn, was i wrong. like, on one hand it was much better, because you have those amazing sources from especially indian women, for whom it is very much a traditional thing so the technique was perfected for, like, millenia. they know what they’re doing. but - and here comes my surprise - there was much of the same simply wrong bullshit from other sources? and i was like, what the hell, why do you even do that, why do you spread information that is clearly wrong - and you’ve had the chance to cross-reference it with very good sources without learning a whole other language in the process? so, like, why? why do people do that? i do not understand.

*if you are curious and want some unsolicited advice from a person who is not an expert, then, here, have my completely unprofessional opinion that’s based solely on years of experience and observation of dying first never previously dyed hair, and then naturally grey hair, which was (is) also getting regularly permed, because my mother has never left the eighties:

the perfect recipe is this:

add sugar and lemon juice when using pure henna or when you combine it with amla and/or jatropha

don’t use acids when you add indigo/indigofera tinctoria, because it needs alkaline environment. you can add either some black tea or a bit of salt

but do not add that salt, to be honest, because it’s not good for your hair, it dries it out

i’m not sure if adding sugar would be bad when dying with indigo (idk about its acidity level - is this a thing in this case?), but sugar is generally a humectant, and really helps the dye to have a lot smoother consistency.

also, sugar might moisturise your hair, but i’m not entirely sure about that - even if one moisturises hair with something, the hair cuticles (is that the word in english?) should be then closed/smoothed down with something else, oil or silicone, to keep the moisture in? otherwise you’re just preparing your hair to be frizzy as hell, because porosity and different level of humidity in the air is a thing

the consistency of the dye should be adjusted to your own preferences and the thickness of the hair, don’t feel like you have to get that arbitrary greek yogurt thickness. that literally doesn’t matter, it’ll work anyway as long as you cover it and keep it moist. don’t let the dye dry, you might get uneven patches of colour. keep it covered with plastic wrap and put a towel on, herbal dyes like warmth to develop properly

speaking of warmth - about 80 C for henna, no more than 40-50 for indigo, maybe even less, around 30 C. never want the dye to be boiled

what also matters is not adding oil to the mixture. it will hinder the dying process. so, no fatty yogurt, no coconut oil. you can do it after, at least a day or two (for indigo at least two, maybe even three) days after

honey will not 'clog’ anything, i have no idea where did it come from. it’s not a fat, it shouldn’t do anything except for the same thing that sugar does

idk, you may add honey instead of sugar if you’re feeling extra, but no, it will not make the shade any different (i’ve seen stuff like adding honey will give you that honey-blond lustre. it will not. cassia might, for grey and very fair blonde hair. but won’t change much when you’re using something much stronger, like henna). and if you think it will give you some health benefits? i mean, i do think honey is healthy for you, but i very much prefer to eat it, simply as that

i have no idea how does that work, if it builds into your hair, if there is some magic with herbal proteins and hair proteins, but herbal dyes, henna especially, thickens your hair. which is marvellous. i believe that ridiculous statement only because i happened to be gross that one time and lost a hairbrush before i managed to clean it, and it was just after my first two or three henna dyes. i found that brush four years later, after consistent dying every single month, and i compared my hair from the brush with the ones in my head - and the ones on my head, despite comparing the very ends - you know, easily reachable when you have hair reaching your butt - and the ends of hair that long are thinner and split in my case - were still thicker (almost twice as thick!) as those from the brush. it was fucking wild

it builds up and darkens overtime, so your ends might be darker than your roots, if you dye the whole thing, as i did

i never dyed with indigo, but relaying on second-hand experience - if you have hair on the lighter side, do the two-step process and pre-dye with henna first. if you don’t, the blue of the indigo and the yellow that your hair contains combine, and you might end up with something green-ish on your head

although, you know, that’s basic colour theory, i don’t know what people expect when they do that and then act surprised - herbal dyes only cover what is already there, they don’t bleach or strip your natural colour before. that’s why henna ends up very bright on bleached or grey hair and yes, you should very much do the two-step thing, if you want your grey hair black not green

also, never understood what’s so wrong with green hair. go and be that nymph, live your true forest god life, eff society

a quick guide for colours:

henna - pure red

henna+jatropha - fox-red, as in warm, yellow-ish, brassy, beautiful for skin with warm and olive undertones

henna+amla - red but cooler, not exactly a cherry, but much different shade than pure henna or h+j, awesome for cooler and neutral skin tones

henna+amla+jatropha - idk what you’re trynna do, mate, but it’ll be somewhere in the red region, depends on proportions

henna+indigo - depending on proportions, anywhere from cooler brown to dark red-ish brown

indigo - black with blue-ish tinge, on lighter hair should be used on pre-dyed with henna hair

cassia - might give you warm, blonde-ish shade on grey or very fair hair, might do absolutely nothing, you can add it to henna mixes to ensure the warm tone

#henna #henna hair #henna treatement #whatever life #i tried to do the kristen stewart in underwater it did not work out #that's what sparked this whole rant anyway #first i dyed with theoretically platinum blonde chemical dye #which got my hair somewhere around ginger #then i decided to bleach it which got me the classic easter chick #then i thought of toning it but only had an old plum toner #which brought it to lilac #i was not happy because it got uneven - in some places more pink in some more blue #which - like - predictable - already had that experience #so i thought oh maybe i can bleach it the second time all those people who are dying white are doing this #yeah lady they do *before* the toner #and yeah it has got me - you guessed it - the famous green #not a very bad kind of green slightly blue-ish rather pastel #i guess some people probs dye it like this on purpose #but on me this shade looks horrible and i would keep it only if i had a turquoise toner on hand #i did not and so it came to henna #it's currently on my hair and i swear i have no idea what will happen when i take it off and if it will even work #if not well i have about a centimetre of hair on my head i can get it to zero or two milimetres

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ablogcalledrevenge · 4 years

Text

Never Really Over

(a Gabriel O’Malley x Reader Insert Multi-Chapter Fic, Rated M)

Chapter Four

You carefully open the door to your Zayde’s house, balancing a tray of roasted vegetables in your arms. Toeing off your shoes, you head towards the kitchen, calling out your hellos. You’re practically vibrating with excitement, you have big news to tell them.

“Bubbeleh hello! Let me take that.” Your Bubbe says, kissing your cheek and taking your dish from you. Ever since you were a little girl, Saturday nights were for dinner at your Bubbe’s house with everyone. Even after you moved out of your parent’s house, you still came like clockwork every week.

“So how’s work?” She asks, checking on the brisket. It smells amazing and your stomach rumbles in response. Maybe it’s unfair; but you didn’t get your grandma’s, or your mother’s, gift for cooking. No, that had passed over to your sister. You certainly got their appetite though.

“Work’s good, nothing too crazy but I have super exciting news. Where’s mom?” You say, searching through the drawers for a corkscrew. You’ve worked at the bank for almost three years now, and you enjoy being a teller. It’s not the most glamorous job, or the most challenging, but it keeps you busy and you get to work with your uncle and cousin. If the bank also happens to help launder money and hide suspicious checks, well, that’s just a coincidence. At your sound of triumph, both your mother and Mrs. Petrillo enter the kitchen.

“What exciting news?” Your mom asks, grabbing wine glasses for everyone. You give each woman a hug, complimenting Mrs. P on her perm.

You help the women bring the food out to the dining room, talking as you go. There’s a lot more food than normal which makes sense when you see the Godfather and his wife sitting at the table next to your father and Zayde. Despite it being Zayde’s house, the Don sits at the head of the table. He always sits at the head of the table. More people are coming in through the door yelling hellos and giving kisses.

“Well today was a pretty quiet day, no big deposits or anything and then the craziest thing happened. Who should walk up to my window but Al Pacino! Al Pacino!! Can you believe it? He needed change to get lunch at the deli next door. He was super nice too, and we just started talking because the bank was basically empty.” You gush as you place drinks on the table.

“Oh I just love him, he’s so handsome.” Mrs. Petrillo adds as more people come to the table.

“Yeah, but he’s so short.” Tony pipes up, opening a beer. You shoot him a glare; he’s 5’6 so he has no room to talk.

“He’s not that short, he’s taller than you! And even so, who cares? I’m shorter than him and he’s a talented actor.” You shoot back as Gabriel joins him at the table. You don’t acknowledge him even though he says hello. Ever since the incident at the beach, you’ve been avoiding Gabe. It doesn’t help that your dreams for the past week have been of him and only him, replaying the way your bodies moved together in your Cadillac. You grip your wine glass tightly and push those feelings down.

“So what happened next? What did you talk about?” Your Bubbe asks you as everyone sits down to eat. Even though it’s your family’s house, no one starts to eat until the Godfather does, then the sound of scraping silverware and clinking glasses fills the air.

“Well we were just talking about nothing really. Chatting about movies that were coming out and the like when he asked me out to dinner. Can you believe it? Al Pacino, the actor, asked me out on a date! We’re going to Dan Tana’s! Like how fancy, right?” You continue, taking a sip of wine. Everyone around you oohs and awws appropriately and you beam.

“I like that,” The Godfather says, wiping at his mouth, “he’s a nice Italian boy. He makes good money.” Zayde shrugs and eats another piece of brisket.

“Eh, let’s see what happens. One date doesn’t equal marriage. Just because he played a gangster doesn’t mean he’d be good for our little shaina maideleh.” He says, pointing his fork at you and moving it around in a playful way.

“Don’t worry Zayde, it’s just one date. Hopefully it’ll become more, he’s so handsome in person, but this is just a date.” You reassure him and the conversations around you continue and shift as people eat.

Ben and Lisa are back from their honeymoon, apparently she got beautiful color in Miami. Your sister is in the process of moving out of your parent’s house so she’s stressed about it. Thankfully she has a roommate to split costs with but you feel bad that she’s going through a rough patch. Moving out is never easy, both in the physical and emotional sense. Mrs. Petrillo brings up her perm. All in all, it’s a very normal dinner.

Everyone has just about finished dinner, you’re pleased to see your roasted vegetables are gone, when Gabriel suddenly speaks. He spoke very little during dinner, polite as always, but quiet.

“You can’t go out with him!” He tells you, his beer bottle thudding down on the table. There’s an awkward silence as everyone tries to figure out what he’s referring to. When you realize he’s talking about your date, you purse your lips.

“Says who? We’re both adults and he asked me out.” You reply breezily, eyes narrowing. Gabriel flushes a little when he realizes everyone is watching you but he carries on.

“He’s so much older than you. Like that’s a little weird right? He’s famous, like he could have anybody! Why’s he asking out a bank teller? What if he’s using you for a good time?” Gabe rushes out looking almost panicked. It’s actually a little unsettling, you’ve never seen him like this before. But his insult stings and your father glares at him from across the table. Still, no one speaks up for you. They know you’re capable of handling this yourself.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? What, just because I’m not Jane Fonda, suddenly I’m not good enough for a Hollywood actor? Screw you, I’m wonderful! He thought I was nice and pretty and he asked me out! His age has nothing to do with and he’s not that much older than me. You have no say over whether or not I go out with anybody. It’s just a date and I’m going to go on it.”

“I’m just saying, it seems a little weird. I don’t want to see you get hurt but some Hollywood asshole.” Gabe mumbles out, looking embarrassed.

“Oh bullshit! You’re just upset because you realized I’m not waiting around for you. You left me and just because you’ve come back with your tail between your legs doesn’t mean I’m going to open mine.” The again goes unspoken. “You don’t own me Gabe, I can do whatever I want!” You scoff, pushing away from the table. Before you leave the dining room, you lean across the wood table into his face.

“I’m going to fuck Al Pacino and there’s nothing you can do about it.” With that, you leave the room, absolutely furious.

“Oh patatino, that was not the right thing to do.” Mrs. Petrillo sighs out. Zayde shakes his head and Gabriel just lays his head on the table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He’s been parked outside the restaurant for 20 minutes, just chain smoking and watching people enter and leave the little Italian restaurant. He saw you walk in with Pacino, arms linked together. Pacino looked good and you looked beautiful. He wondered if you still wore the same perfume you used to for date nights. You weren’t wearing it at the wedding and Gabe wondered if you stopped wearing it all together. He liked the scent.

Gabe rubs at his eyes and sighs. What the fuck is he doing? He’s waiting outside the restaurant like a creep and a loser. He doesn’t think anything bad is going to happen to you, but some pathetic little part of him wants to be there in case Pacino is a jerk. Gabe wants to rush into the restaurant and sweep you into his arms and save the day. It’s really mean and selfish, but he’s been trying to come up with a reason to break up your date this whole time. He could rush in, say that he saw you being followed and take you home to hide. He could say that your Bubbe needed you for some kind of cooking emergency. Gabe snorts and flicks some ash off his cigarette. That one probably wouldn’t work considering how shit you were at cooking. It was one of the many things he loved about you.

He looks back at the door, laughter pouring out as a couple opens the door. It makes his insides twist with jealousy. He imagines you’re snuggled into a booth with Pacino, drinking wine and talking. It’s fairly ridiculous but he can’t help but picture the two of you sharing spaghetti like in Lady and the Tramp. He knows he has no claim over you, he knows he’s the one who messed up. But the additional image of him striding in there and punching the actor in the face makes him feel too good. Which kind of stinks, because he likes Pacino. He liked him in that bank heist movie.

He’s contemplating just starting the car and going back to Mrs. Petrillo’s house when someone knocks on his window. He rolls it down to reveal Benjamin, your cousin back from his honeymoon. The smile Gabe was sporting at him quickly slides away when he sees the pale color of Ben’s face.

“Ben? What happened? Are you okay?” He asks, opening his door and stepping out of the car. Ben sets his mouth in a grim line.

“We knew (Y/N) was on a date but we couldn’t find you and then Tony mentioned that you were stalking her date like an asshole so I came to find you,” Ben coughs out, like he’s been running, like he’s out of breath, “It’s Zayde.”

Gabe grabs Ben by the shoulders like a lifeline. So many horrible things flash into his brain.

“What happened? Is he okay? I know those Chinese gangs have been getting bigger, did they…” He sputters out as Ben shakes his head.

“It’s not that. He had a heart attack. He’s in the hospital. He’s okay for right now, but it might not stay that way. It took awhile to get him stable. You should relax and head over, I’ll get (Y/N).” Ben explains and Gabe doesn’t relax, he can’t relax, but he does let go off his friend’s shoulders.

“No, let me do it. She’s going to get mad and upset and I’d rather her feel that way towards me than you. You go, we’ll meet you there. Thanks for finding me Ben.” Gabe says resolutely, shaking his head. Ben nods and walks back to his car, lurching away from the sidewalk and speeding away. Gabe sighs again and heads towards the restaurant.

He opens the door, smoke and music and small talk pounding in his ear drums. It’s a nice place, dark and intimate with brick walls and cozy booths. Maybe in a different life where he didn’t screw up, he could’ve taken you here. A pretty blonde at the maitre’d station asks him if he has a reservation but he shakes his head, walking past without a glance. She calls after him but the only thing he hears is his heartbeat.

He sees you before you see him and you look so beautiful. Shit, he feels like a schmuck bothering you like this. Your head is thrown back in a laugh and your cheeks have turned light pink from the wine on the table. Waiters brush his shoulders carrying steaming plates of pasta and veal and he hates what he’s about to do. Then you see him as he approaches the table and it’s like every good thought inside you disappears. First you’re shocked, mouth open in a little ‘O’ shape, then it morphs into anger. Which, considering what he’s done, is fair.

“Gabe! What the fuck are you doing here? I can’t believe you would show your face… what’s wrong?” You start, foaming at the mouth. But then you see the tremor in his hands and the expression on his face and you stop.

He opens his mouth and closes it, unable to ruin your night. Even Pacino looks concerned. You get up and grab his shoulders like he did to Ben. You shake Gabe and the words come.

“It’s Zayde. He’s in the hospital. He had a heart attack. He wants to see you.” He forces out and the lovely pink flush you had instantly vanishes. Your hands squeeze painfully at his shoulders and he wonders if you even realize you’ve done it.

You nod and grab your bag, opening it and throwing down some bills. Pacino gets up, probably to go with you, but you shake your head. Gabe steps back and decides to wait by the door. He feels like the worst human being on the planet. There he was, sitting in his car, wishing he had a reason to end your date. Now that he has it, he wishes that the earth would open up and swallow him instead.

You meet him at the front door, looking pained but you’re not crying or anything. He opens his mouth to ask about Pacino but you shake your head, grabbing his wrist and pulling him out the door towards his car. You don’t say a word as he starts the car and takes you to the hospital. You don’t say anything as he weaves through traffic, going faster than the speed limit. At least you weren’t stopped by cops or anything, though Gabe was prepared to point his gun right in their face if any tried.

He wants to tell you how amazing you look, the neon signs bouncing off your skin and settling in the hollow between your breasts. It’s not the right time though, your face is tight and your hands are bunched up in your lap.

It was a nice hospital and they let you in with no problem. There were guys at the door of Zayde’s room and that calms the both of you down. Most people wouldn’t go after a consigliere, but being alone in a hospital was still risky.

It’s quiet in the room, nothing but the sound of steady beeping and light breathing. Bubbe is in the room, as well as your dad, but your eyes go straight to the hospital bed where Zayde lays. You track him and Gabe tracks you. Your grandpa’s awake and breathing steady but the amount of wires and tubes going around him and inside him is unsettling.

“There’s my shaina.” Zayde says hoarsely and that’s when Gabe sees you cry. You rush over to the bed and fling your arms around your grandfather. Bubbe starts up to stop you, afraid for the wires maybe, but your father stops her. Zayde gives a weak chuckle and pets your head, making shushing sounds.

“Oh Zayde, what happened? How are you feeling? I was so scared in the car. I came as soon as I could. Zayde, I’m so glad you’re okay!” You cry, practically getting onto the bed. He wipes away your tears and shakes his head.

“Relax shaina, I’m alright. I’m old and I had a heart attack. Too many pieces of pie and not enough running after you. The doctors say that as long as I’m careful about what I eat, I should be fine. I know you were scared, but I’m okay now. They just want to keep me overnight.” He says and you nod slowly. Gabe lets out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Sure, Zayde wasn’t related to him, but he loved the crazy old man. He would’ve been devastated if he lost him. But you, Gabe didn’t even want to think about how you’d react. He was glad he got to avoid it now.

Zayde looks up and sees him, standing awkwardly in the corner. He looks confused and then he swivels his head back to you.

“Did you leave your date? You didn’t have to do that. I thought I was gonna meet Pacino!” He says, in what would be a pout in a less scary man.

“I did but it’s okay. I wanted to see you. I’ll call Al later and explain everything. You should focus on getting better.” You kiss his cheek and Gabe smiles at the little tableau in front of him. You get off the bed and go over to your dad and Bubbe, speaking quietly. Zayde turns his gaze to Gabriel and he swallows dryly.

“I’d like to talk to Gabriel alone. Everyone out.” He says, eyes only on Gabe. Everyone grumbles a bit, but with a wave of Zayde’s hand, they all leave. Approaching his consigliere’s bedside, Gabe gives a tight smile. A hand extends to him and he takes it gladly.

“Thank you for bringing her here. I appreciate it. You’re a good boy Gabey. I’ve always thought that. Take care of her.” Zayde whispers, forcing Gabe to lean in a little.

“I will Zayde, you know how I feel about her.” There’s nothing more to say. The older man nods and pats Gabe’s hand before turning back to his family.

“Alright, so tell me everything about this date? How was the veal?” He booms out, face bright and open.

You give a watery chuckle quickly launch into a story about your date and Gabe decides to leave and give you privacy. He doesn’t want to hear about how amazing Pacino is, not when his heart practically broke seeing you cry. He’s already intruded enough in your life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About an hour later, your grandpa is sleeping peacefully and your dad has gone home. There’s a payphone in the hallway and you call Al, letting him know what’s going on. He’s surprisingly sweet about it and you make plans to see each other in a few days. He’s a nice guy, but not the one you want to be with right now. You find Gabe outside, sitting on the floor next to a vending machine. He’s not smoking but you can tell he wants to. The hospital lights wash him out but you still think he looks handsome. Grabbing your skirt, you sit down next to him.

“Thanks for bringing me here. Thanks for letting me know.” You whisper, when the silence between you gets too heavy. Gabe shakes his head.

“I shouldn’t have though; I shoulda just left you to your date. You looked like you were having a really good time. I ruined your night out.” He admits with a grimace. You rest your head on his shoulder. He’s bony but you don’t mind. You never did.

“No, I’m glad you did. I would’ve hated to not know. What if something happened and Zayde got worse? I woulda been drunk with Pacino while my grandpa was… well it doesn’t matter because he’s fine. But I’m glad you told me.” You say, feeling a strange mix of emotions welling up inside your chest. You’re relieved that Zayde is okay, but you were so scared and some of that fear is still in you, skating up your spine and to the tips of your fingers. You also can’t help but be annoyed because you were having a really nice time on your date and now you didn’t know if you’d have another chance. Then you feel unbelievably shitty and guilty for thinking that when your grandpa was in the hospital.

“There'll be other chances to go out with Al Pacino.” You admit with finality. Gabe shrugs his shoulders under your head.

“He’d be an asshole to say no to you. You’re amazing (Y/N). Fuck, you’re the best girl around. Any guy would be lucky to have you. Trust me, I know.” There’s a note of bitterness and resignation in his voice and you lift your head. He’s been crying too, his eyes red.

Your hand comes up to pet lightly at his cheek and you give a small smile. Leaning forward you kiss him softly. It feels like opening the door to a warm apartment on a cold winter’s day. It feels like the first ray of sun after a week of pouring rain. It feels like coming home. The kiss is simple and short but it was the first time you’d done that since Gabe left. All of your fear and sadness leaves you in those brief moments and the anger you had at Gabe, the hurt over his leaving faded away like fog. Things weren’t back to the way they were, but life was so short. The thought was cliche, you knew this, but you also wanted him more than you wanted pride. Maybe it was pathetic and stupid but you still loved Gabriel and you had never stopped. It was clear you needed him but also, he needed you. Pulling away, you bite your lip. He looks like he was just hit over the head and you giggle a little at how ridiculous your life is, before getting up.

“Take me home?” You ask, holding out your hand for him to take and he nods, brushing off his slacks and walking out of the hospital, hand in hand with you. You imagine a little gold ball of light and warmth growing in between your palms and spreading up your arms to fill you with happiness. You glance at Gabe under the dark night sky, streetlights bouncing off his hair. He smiles and you think he feels it too.

The Final Chapter Coming Soon...

Tagging: @babbushka, @theold-ultraviolence, @stylelovechild, @niniita-ah, @distinguishedsaladoperawinner and please let me know if you’d like to be tagged!

#never really over #gabriel o'malley x reader #gabriel o'malley #my writing #reader insert fanfiction #self insert fanfiction #the kitchen #the kitchen movie #fanfiction #not beta'd

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thelittleredheadedmusician · 4 years

Text

Holiday Cheer?

For @newsies-secret-santa I got @radioactivepigeons which is kinda funny and I thought was totally rad so please enjoy this silly fic! Words: 4,637 Rating: PG Summary: Blink got a job at Target and has to work Black Friday in the electronics department. Really things can only go up from here. AO3

Blink wanted to die. Well not literally. But if the choices were death and this? At least he wouldn’t have been miserable with the former.

He’d needed the extra cash, even though he despised the holiday season and the capitalist hellscape that it created with a deep burning passion, Blink’s laptop was about to die and there was just no way he could buy a new one and pay rent for the month. Thus, the seasonal hours he was picking up at a Target out on Long Island. Which meant working Black Friday. Joy to the ducking world.

It was now almost three hours into his shift and he was being screamed at by his fourth Suburban Mom With Bad Highlights. Honestly? Blink was kinda numb to it at this point. In some not so distant aisle a baby wailed. Soccer Mom took a breath and Blink seized his opportunity before she could continue yelling at him.

“I’m sorry ma’am but we are sold out. Our system says that there’s three left at our West Orange location though.”

She huffed but grabbed her cart and shoved her way out of the electronics department.

In the aftermath, Blink allowed his faux charming smile to falter for just a second. He hadn’t been able to let it drop so far since his manager had informed him that the costumers might find his eye patch “off putting” which he would normally reply a “fuck you” to but he really needed this job.

If Blink’s ancient laptop finally bit the dust, then he wouldn’t be able to use the text to speech program that he needed to complete his readings. Because after a day full of classes, meetings, essays, research, and TA-ing he was tired. Reading was just. Not an option. He was lucky his vision held out until he got home. If his laptop died, he could kiss his long dreamt of PhD in English Lit goodbye. And Blink was one stubborn son of a bitch so that was not happening. He’d gotten this far; he could get through December.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

He had to get through today first though. And damn these people were sure making that hard.

The baby stopped crying abruptly and a John Mulaney quote sprung to Blink’s mind. He didn’t mean to, but he mumbled it anyway, “You hope it was a miracle… but probably not.”

A muffled snort sounded from in front of Blink and he felt himself flush with embarrassment when he looked up to see a guy standing there on the other side of the counter. A very good-looking guy. A downright hot guy with a mess of curls and what appeared to be dimples as he laughed at Blink. And oh duck. He was laughing at Blink.

“Please tell me you were consciously aware of the fact that you were quoting John Mulaney about a baby,” Hot Guy was saying now. And god it was shitty of Blink to just completely objectify him like that but damn it was internal, barely six a.m., and what else was he supposed to call him?

Blink smiled, for real this time, and gave a shrug. Which actually felt kinda good after having not moved from this spot since the store opened. “Can you blame me? It’s true.”

Hot Guy laughed again, louder and longer this time and throwing his head back as he did so. It gave Blink a perfect view of his smooth, dark throat, his skin just a few shades lighter than his curls. He’d started to nod as he chuckled. “It’s true,” he was saying between laughs. And Blink couldn’t tell if he was agreeing with Blink or repeating what he’d said.

Blink knew he was just grinning dopily him, but he really couldn’t help himself. He was practically dead on his feet and he hadn’t even had “lunch” yet here stood Blink’s dream partner. Cute, laughed at his stupid comments, knew John Mulaney quotes. Look, Blink knew it was a low bar, but you’d be surprised how few people managed to cross it. Normally it was the second point that tripped them up.

Finally, Blink managed to come back to where and more importantly when he was. “Sorry, uh, is there anything I can help you with?”

Th guy shook his head, his hands were shoved deep in his coat pockets and when he made a sweeping motion it pulled his unzipped coat into a sail. “Honestly? I’m just biding my time while my mom guilts my aunt into giving her the last of whatever toy my cousin desperately wants so that she can be the hero come Christmas morning.”

“Wow,” Blink said with a low whistle. “That is some next level family drama.”

Hot Guy rolled his eyes but that smile never slipped. And thank god, Blink was pretty sure that looking at that smile for the rest of the holiday shopping season would keep him from wanting to commit a felony.

“They’re so competitive,” he was saying, “that now they have to come up with new ways to be competitive. It’s a mess. But can’t say that it makes for a dull holiday.”

He was buffeted by an overlarge man, pushing him closer to Blink’s counter and causing him to stumble. Instinctively, Blink reached out to steady him and managed to grab his upper arm. What felt like his very toned upper arm. Oh duck. Blink was so dead. He didn’t even know this guy’s name and he was already gone on him.

“Thanks,” Hot Guy said once he was steadied. He glanced to Blink’s nametag before looking back up at him with that brilliant smile. “Louis. Thanks Louis.”

“No problem,” Blink heard himself saying because that was it. Wherever Blink was now it wasn’t this plane of existence. He had no clue what he was doing or saying because internally he was just a mess of giddy screams. Pretty people just should not exist because this is what happened to Blink when they talked to him. “It’s insane in here, not your fault.” Oh duck. Had he been rambling? Man, he hoped he hadn’t been rambling.

The smile never slipped though so whatever nonsense was coming out of Blink’s mouth Hot Guy didn’t seem to mind.

Suddenly a voice cut through the chaos. “MIKEY! WE’RE LEAVING!”

His smile twisted into an apologetic wince. “That’s my mom,” Hot Guy told him and Blink was pulled none too gently back to reality. “I’ve gotta go or I will be left here. You always on electronics?” he asked quickly as he started backing away.

“Um, no just today.”

Hot Guy had reached the main aisle and was nodding. “Ok. Um, I’ll find you then?”

Blink nodded and raised his hand in a wave. Hot Guy, well apparently his name was Mikey, flashed him one last smile before sprinting towards the front of the store.

Blink meant to watch him as he walked away but a little old lady’s perm had filled his vision and when he looked down she was rather urgently holding out a stack of coupons and a flyer opened to the new iPhone. He had a few thoughts – who thought it was a good idea to let an octogenarian out Black Friday shopping at the peak of the crazy, there was no way those coupons were actually going to be accepted today, he was not authorized to sell iPhones, he did not have the patience to explain that he was not authorized to sell iPhones to her – but they all were shoved down as she started talking at him.

Two p.m. and the end of Blink’s shift did not come soon enough. He was due back bright and early tomorrow at seven, but luckily he was just stocking shelves the first few hours and wouldn’t have to properly think again until he had to work a register after lunch.

It was odd walking out into the bright afternoon sun after having gone into the liminal space that he now called his place of employment in total darkness. The parking lot was still full, and he squinted against the light as he searched for Sarah’s silver Toyota in a sea of silver sedans.

He finally found her at the back of the lot, seemingly talking to herself and waving her hands around as she did so. He knocked on the passenger window and she turned to beam at him before unlocking the car and continuing her conversation.

“I mean, I stand by what I said.”

“Oh, I know you do,” Katherine’s voice came out of the speakers, obviously on the other end of the call. “But that doesn’t mean it’s a viable option.”

“What are we talking about?” Blink asked. He rubbed his hands and held them up to the vent where Sarah was blasting warm air. The walk wasn’t that far but the wind had been killer.

“Murder,” Sarah said cheerily at the same time that Katherine said, “My family.”

“Ah, holidays,” Blink said with sarcasm laced cheer. The girls laughed and Blink sank further back into the seat, exhaustion finally hitting him full force.

“Ok, well I’ll let you two go. See you soon!” There was the sound of raised voices somewhere in the background and Blink guessed that Kath wasn’t just hanging up to let Blink and Sarah talk.

“Bye Kath’rine,” he mumbled.

“Bye Kath!” Sarah said brightly and then there was the weird boop of the call disconnecting. She turned to Blink – or at least he assumed she turned to him but Blink had enough seeing for one day thank you very much and so had pushed his eye patch up onto his forehead and had his eyes closed with his hands pressed over them – and started talking to him with the same enthusiasm. Which was refreshing from the faux happy of his coworkers and the misery of the shoppers but like Blink was not on that level. “So how was work?”

“I hate capitalism. And middle-aged white women. And Christmas.”

Sarah hummed as she put the car in drive and began to back out of the spot. “Yeah, best part of being Jewish? Not doing all that.”

Blink laughed. He hadn’t really done Christmas growing up, after his dad died it’d just been his mom and his brothers and him and his mom really tried but money was tight. Normally they each got a new book and just watched A Christmas Story. Which Blink really didn’t mind and he loved reading and well, he still uses the whole “You’ll shoot your eye out!” thing as his excuse when people ask him about the patch. Just says, “Ralphie was lucky, he was wearing glasses. Me… well I used to have 20/20 vision.” It made people laugh and he didn’t actually have to answer the question.

But all this Black Friday nonsense? All this “buying the perfect gift” and making it the “best Christmas ever” and trying to be a picture-perfect Norman Rockwell family just for the one day a year even though everyone knew it was a sham? Yeah, that was bullshit and a load of bullshit Blink really didn’t need in his life. But damn he needed that new laptop.

“Well thanks,” Blink said after a short silence.

“For what?” Sarah asked. They were good friends, thanks to Jack being one of Blink’s buddies from high school and Jack and Davey meeting in college and being, well, Jack and Davey and then Sarah being Dave’s sister it only made sense that they’d crossed paths freshman year and hit it off. Though they were probably the most surprised of anybody when they’d gotten so close over the next couple of years. Even then, Sarah wasn’t a mind reader and Blink had a habit of non sequiturs.

“Driving me to and from work. Especially today what with the hours. And then being willing to bring me out here every weekend for the next month,” Blink explained.

Sarah scoffed but Blink kept talking before she could start telling him how little she minded. He needed to get it off his chest.

“And for inviting me to Thanksgiving and letting me stay with you and your folks. I already thanked ‘em yesterday for it and for letting me stay the weekends but you’re driving and I’ll pay you for some of the gas once I get my first paycheck and-”

“Louis!” She cut him off and Sarah only ever called him Louis if she really needed his attention. “It’s fine! You don’t have to thank me or pay for gas! Jeez. I’m helping Les prep for his SATs and coming out every weekend anyway, it’s literally not a problem. Besides, my parents love you and since they moved out here they have the spare room. On top of all that, you’re one of my best friends, you’re always welcome at the Jacobs Family Thanksgiving, with all its insanity, and I’m more than happy to help you out in any way I can. We all are.”

Blink sighed and sat up to look at her. Sarah was glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to gauge his reaction. “You’re too good.”

She just smirked and shrugged. “I mean, I’m going to make you help me help Les so really you might want to rethink that.”

Blink laughed and he could tell that Sarah was pleased with herself. She let him sit in silence for a little while longer as she turned into the development that her parents had moved to when the twins were in high school. Mr. Jacobs had gotten injured at work due to the company cutting corners and not following the proper safety protocols. They’d sued and managed to win enough that they covered the medical bills and moved to the family out of their cramped apartment in Lower Manhattan to the nice house in suburban Long Island. Now, Mr. Jacobs served on the town council and worked as a safety inspector and the house had become a weekend refuge for their children’s ragtag group of friends.

“So,” Sarah said as they neared her parents’ house, “anything that you need to curse about from today before we get home?”

Groaning and throwing his hands up in the air made her laugh but the look Sarah gave him said she wasn’t going to accept that as an answer. Blink sighed. “If I never hear a thick Long Island accent again it’ll be too soon.”

That got him a snort. “You’re friends with Spot Conlon-”

“Who has a Brooklyn accent and yes there is a difference!”

Sarah scoffed, obviously not buying it but Blink was willing to die on this hill.

“I really don’t understand what everyone needs a seventy-five-inch tv for. Honestly. And now I officially cringe anytime I see a woman with a ‘Can I Speak to Your Manager’ haircut.”

Sarah turned into her driveway and parked but didn’t turn off the car yet. “That it?”

Blink shrugged and began to nod before freezing. “Oh my god. I can’t believe I nearly forgot.”

Sarah looked concerned and he knew he must have a horrified expression.

He turned to her and looked at her seriously. “Sarah.”

“Blink?”

“I met the love of my life this morning.”

“Really.” She sounded incredulous.

“I swear to you. I am in ducking love.”

“Uh huh. You get their number?”

Blink winced, remembering his mistake from being dead on his feet when he met the guy. “No…”

“Blink!”

“Look! It was early! Like before sunrise! And I was on the electronics counter! I’m lucky I was able to speak coherent English!”

Sarah snorted but remained silent, giving him the opportunity to redeem himself.

“I got his name,” Blink told her and was rewarded with an impressed raise of the brows. “And he said he’s gonna come back another day when it’s not crazy to see me so…”

With a sigh and a shake of the head Sarah showed that he’d lost any points he got by getting the guy’s name. “So? Who is he?”

“Uh, Mikey.”

“Mikey…? What. What’s his last name.”

Blink winced. “I just know his name’s Mikey.”

Sarah gave him a blank look and turned to shut off the car and get out. Blink resettled his eye patch and hurried to follow her. “You’re hopeless,” Sarah called over her shoulder as she walked to the door.

Blink sighed and followed. “I know.”

Saturday passed in a blur. Thankfully it was significantly less busy and Blink actually knew the answers to all the questions he was asked but it still drained him. He practically collapsed when he got in Sarah’s car.

“Mystery Mikey show up?” she teased but Blink knew there was genuine interest in there too.

Blink sighed. “No.”

“Well you’ve got time.”

Blink just shrugged and allowed himself to doze off as they drove.

Sunday afternoon saw Blink climbing out of Sarah’s car so he could get his bag and climb back into Sarah’s car so she, Blink, and Davey could all get back to the city. He felt absolutely wiped from his first weekend working at Target but knew it was all because of the sales. Some not so distant part of him said that he should just get used to this though because he was working weekends all holiday season and this was just going to be his life now.

He thanked Mr. Jacobs again and gave Mrs. Jacobs one last hug and Les’s hair one last ruffle before following Davey out the door. They both threw their bags in the trunk and Dave shot him a quizzical look.

“You even pack anything? You only needed red shirts and khakis,” he deadpanned.

Blink stared at him for a few seconds. “Wow. That joke? It was so funny I forgot to laugh.”

Davey snorted and Blink responded with an eyeroll. Normally he’d have smiled but he was too tired to do much else than turn to get back in the car.

He stopped as he caught sight of the next-door neighbors’ driveway. Next to a blue Honda was a mother hugging her adult son tightly. The guy had his eyes turned skyward and seemed to be enduring her public display of affection. It looked like he was gearing up to say something to her when he saw Blink though.

That was when Blink knew. He’d thought it was Mikey, his mystery crush from Friday, but when he froze Blink knew it was him.

Mikey’s mother could be heard asking him what was wrong as he stiffly released her and then she was turning to watch him cross over the grass dividing the two driveways and walk up to Blink.

They stood there staring at each other in shock. Sarah had come out and distantly Blink heard her ask Davey what was going on and Davey mumbling something back. But Blink didn’t care because what’re the odds that he’d actually meet the guy he’d decided he’d fallen in love with again?

“What’re you doing at the Jacobs?” Mikey finally asked in awe.

“Uh, spending the holiday? They’re letting me stay here while I work too cause I live in the city. And Sarah likes me for some reason so she’s driving me around.” Blink didn’t know where the blatant honesty word vomit had come from, but he blamed the shock.

Mikey laughed. Blink could do little else but stare.

“Blink!” Sarah finally called from where she stood at the driver’s door. “What is going on?”

“This is him!” Blink gestured towards the man in front of him, hoping desperately that Sarah would understand.

“Mush? Mush is who?” Sarah obviously did not understand.

“Him! Him,” Blink implored. “The guy from Black Friday!”

“What’re you talking about?” Davey sounded tired. But Davey always sounded tired. Blink elected to ignore him and go back to grinning dumbly at Mikey.

“Hold up,” Sarah said, drawing everyone’s attention. “Your Mystery Mikey is Mush from Next Door?”

“Apparently!” Mikey, or was it Mush? Did he have a preference? Or did Blink have to earn that? Was it an inside joke?

“I’m so lost,” Davey informed them and went to sit in the car.

“Why didn’t you just say that it was Mush?” Sarah sighed. “It could’ve saved so many melodramatic sighs.”

Blink felt his cheeks heat and glanced to see that Mush had bit his lip to try and keep from laughing. Duck that was adorable.

“Um, in Louis’s defense I never actually said my name,” Mikey/Mush finally spoke up. “If I’d have thought to properly introduce myself it would’ve been as Mush Meyers but I’m guessing you and the entire store heard my mom call me Mikey so…” He trailed off with a shrug.

Sarah snorted before Blink could reply. “You actually said your name was Louis?”

“It’s what’s on my nametag! No way I’m gonna run around telling random costumers to call me Blink. And it was busy and I was distracted,” here he gestured vaguely at Mush, “so I didn’t get the chance to say that I go by Kid Blink but most of my friends just call me Blink. Only people who don’t are my mom, my professors – with the exception of Jackson but he’s my advisor – and now my coworkers.”

“And me when I’m annoyed with you or want your attention,” Sarah added.

“And Sarah when she’s annoyed with me or wants my attention,” Blink corrected.

Mush nodded, that easy smile Blink had called to mind so many times in the past couple days was back. “Ok, let’s try this again.” He held out his hand, “Hi, name’s Mush.”

Blink beamed at him and shook his hand. “Kid Blink, but you can just call me Blink.”

“I think you’re really cute and funny and I’d love to get to know you better, want to get coffee some time?”

He didn’t think he could smile any wider after a six-hour shift as a cashier but somehow Blink managed it. “I would love that.”

“Awww, cute,” Sarah interrupted.

Blink turned to glare at her, but he caught Mush biting his lip again out of the corner of his eye. He was going to make sure that Mush always stood on his good side because Blink wasn’t ever going to miss a glimpse of that face if he could help it.

“Can you exchange numbers and plan this date that way?” She continued. “Not to be pushy but I really don’t want to get stuck in traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge.”

“Brooklyn,” Blink muttered in annoyance and was surprised to hear Mush do so too.

At Blink’s raised brows Mush shrugged. “It’s this guy I know, Spot Conlon, it’s his turf.”

“You know Spot?” Blink had to pause a second. How was it this guy lived next door to the Jacobs, or his mom obviously did, and he knew Spot Conlon and Blink had met him on the worst day of the year in a ducking Target electronics department.

“Yes, yes, and I’m sure it’s a thrilling story and I’m sure you’ll discover a million more little connections because Long Island and New York City are the biggest small town in the world and everybody knows somebody who knows somebody who knows you but traffic is not going to get any better the longer we stand here in the cold,” Sarah huffed.

Dave rolled down his window. “She’s right and will only get meaner.”

“Thank you,” Sarah said primly. Davey just nodded and the window went back up.

Blink turned back to Mush to see he already had his phone out and a new contact page pulled up. He took it and put in “Kid Blink” and in the company line “Alex from Target 2.0” before typing his number and sending himself a text.

Mush laughed when he took it back and Blink smiled in triumph. “I’ll text you,” Mush said firmly and he slid it back in his coat pocket.

“Uh, actually can I call you when I get home? It’s uh, it’s um-”

“Absolutely,” Mush cut him off and kept smiling. “Whatever you prefer.”

Blink smiled back and nodded. “Ok. Cool. Thanks.”

They both stood there grinning stupidly at each other until Sarah honked the horn, obviously having gotten cold and impatient. Blink waved as he got in and Sarah backed out of the driveway, watching Mush wave back until he disappeared.

The next Friday when Blink slid into Sarah’s car where she pulled up outside of his apartment building, he was met with a “Hello” and a surprise hug from the backseat. Blink turned to see Mush sitting back there and grinning wildly. They’d talked nearly every day this week and had gone on their first official date on Wednesday.

“What’re you doing here?” Blink asked in awe.

“My mom wants me to help put up the Christmas lights and I remembered you saying Sarah was taking you out with her on the weekends, so I texted her and asked if she’d mind if I tagged along.”

“Obviously I said no he couldn’t,” Sarah said dryly. “He’s also been recruited into the ‘Les Jacobs SAT Prep Squad.’” She looked at him seriously in the rearview mirror and Blink knew she wasn’t joking about that. Mush just laughed and shrugged.

“If I were a better friend and a worse sister, I’d have left him drive you,” she told Blink softly.

He looked back over the seat to Mush before turning back to Sarah. “Nah, this is perfect.”

They all chatted as they neared the Brooklyn Bridge before Sarah started grumbling about rush hour traffic.

“You know,” Blink said suddenly. “You never did say how you know Spot.”

Mush started laughing and launched into the story. Blink was so swept up in it, and most importantly Mush animatedly telling it, that he hardly even noticed as Sarah cursed up a storm.

Blink might still hate the holiday season. And really hate working retail. And especially hate working retail during the holiday season. And need a new laptop. But, with meeting Mush he thought that it was all more than worth it.

#newsies #newsies secret santa 2019 #kid blink #mush meyers #sarah jacobs #david jacobs #92sies #my fic #writing #own writing

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spencergill-blog · 4 years

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Best duvet covers, Bed comforter sets and Pillow case for fantastic to sleep

Get The Best Duvet Covers For A Great Night's Sleep

Sleep is the ultimate solution to all of the world's problems. It is also the perfect tonic and evaluating opportunities. It is why people say "sleep over it" when an out-of-the-box idea is proposed or a brave decision needs to be made.

Of course, they don't mean it literally, but even if they did, it would work. It wouldn't work of course if you don't get a good night's sleep. How are you to make a positive decision the next day if you had an unpleasant experience sleeping over it? Egyptian duvet covers will make sure that you sleep like a king and help you to make decisions like one if that's what you need to do.

Your bedroom is your sanctuary. It's where you go at the end of each day to wind down and charge yourself up for another day in this crazy, hectic world. You may have a good duvet to tuck yourself under, but if the fabric that covers it isn't good enough, then you may feel like you're sleeping on a rough patch of grass.

Duvet cover not only provides safety for bed it also protecting them from dust and wear and tear but also adds a considerable level of comfort to them. When it comes to comfort, there's nothing better than Egyptian duvet covers as they are made of a very breathable fabric.

Unlike other materials that shrink when you wash them or become harsh, Egyptian duvet covers become softer and do not shed out any threads when you put them in the dryer.

When it comes to design and comfort, the standard set by these duvet covers is unparalleled. They are among the finest and are certainly worth the investment. If you've never spent the night in a five-star hotel, now's your chance to experience it for yourself.

And if you have, then you have even more reason to get Egyptian cotton duvet covers and all other bedding products for your home. Ensure that you get a sufficient amount of sleep each night and that you sleep well. It will make you a morning person, even if you're not.

Your productivity will improve considerably too. Duvet covers were designed to redefine comfort. Once you sleep in them, you will never be able to go back to anything else. Try duvet covers once and you will use them for life.

Benefits of duvet covers

Comforters are an excellent choice of sheeting in the home. They are delicate, warm, and provide a great deal of cushioning. Nonetheless, comforters are over the top expensive, hard to clean, and are just one shading. All of this can be a huge problem when it comes to designing the look of a room and maintaining the quality of bedding sheets.

Therefore, duvet covers are a useful and keen expansion to any bed, which has a sofa. These items are easy to utilize and give an incredible number of advantages without costing a colossal sum.

Probably the most serious issue with beds is cleaning them. They often need to be dry cleaned, which can be very expensive and time-consuming. In spite of the fact that obviously, this should be done every once in a while, a duvet spread can significantly lessen the number of cases this is essential.

These products slip over a standard comforter and provide protection against the usual wear and tear that can dirty a comforter. Rather than having to normally wash a sofa, a proprietor can rather wash the duvet spread as routinely as their different sheets. This will make dozing considerably more agreeable and clean inclination.

Duvet covers likewise permit more prominent adaptability when planning the design and look of a room. Regularly property holders will change out the shades of their sheets or change the vibe of their room. Notwithstanding, sheets regularly have a lot shorter life expectancy than a bed so proprietors are frequently hitched to the look and shade of their bed.

Not so with a duvet cover. These covers can make it possible to change out the color of the comforter anytime as needed to match with changing styles and tastes in terms of color and design. This cheap, effective, and allows anyone to decorate as they like rather than making decisions based on the color a comforter bought years before.

Lastly, duvet covers are also practical as a sheet as well. During the hot summer months, a comforter is more of a burden than a benefit. As of now numerous individuals expel their bed and simply utilize their under sheets for bedding.

Rather, with a duvet spread, the sofa itself can be evacuated, leaving a similar look to a room without a similar degree of warmth. The spread itself will likewise give a negligible degree of warmth too and will likewise give the client a similar inclination when they utilize the bed.

The Best in Bed Comforter Sets

Bed Comforter Sets are one of the best things that ever happen to the bedroom. They add style to any room and solace to any bed. Comforter sets come in many styles and various sizes including King, Queen, twin, and even cribs.

There are even bed comforters sets made for kids which have themes such as sports for boys or flowers for girls and many more. Sets usually come with a bed Comforter 2 pillowcases and skirts for the trimming of the bed.

For some situations, for example, a Bed in a Bag will even incorporate bed sheets. You can likewise purchase various adornments, for example, toss cushion and coordinating window hangings. One of the beautiful things about comforters is that they have a wide price range. The value run especially relies upon the quality and stuffing/filling in the sofa. On the off chance that you pick an extremely top of the line sofa-bed set, there is an awesome possibility your sofa-bed will be loaded down with goose down quills.

There will be a feathery delicate inclination laying over your body as you rest. This keeps me warm and comfortable on those virus winter evenings. The planting of each piece in these top of the line sets will be of a high caliber and commonly hand planted.

The care is very important to the longevity of the comforter. So read and follow carefully! Most times you will be instructed to take to a dry cleaner. It will be your best choice and the easiest choice but not always the cheapest choice.

Then again, one could, in any case, get an excellent set that is particularly reasonable and very jazzy. The thing that matters is the filling and now and again the nature of the sewing. Much of the time your sofa will be loaded up with cotton and maybe not as cushy.

Be that as it may rest guaranteed you will at present get numerous great years from a cotton filled sofa set and it will include the specific style you need your room to reflect. One preferred position is that the consideration for your cotton filled sofa is a lot simpler and much more affordable. Just drop it in your washing machine and dry it.

Regardless of which value go you pick Bed Comforter Sets will consistently be more cost full of feeling whenever got a set as opposed to piece by piece. On the off chance that you need affirmation of coordinating style and reasonableness go with the set. A set will accompany each piece coordinating your style and shading decisions.

On the off chance that you decide to purchase each piece independently, at that point you risk style as well as shading decision stumbles. Bed Comforter Sets can make. or then again break the style and look of your room. Recall the principal thing individuals see when they come into your room is your bed. What lays on your bed?

I feel the bedroom is one of the most important rooms in the home for many reasons. By extension, the Bed Comforter Set is just as important because it lays on the bed. The bed is where we go to get well when we are sick.

We come here to just relax. It is here we start and end our day just to name a few. I have look at many many kinds of comforter sets and trust me it can be confusing. We would like to explore the many ways one can use the Bed Comforter Set to add style and comfort to your bedroom. There are plenty of styles, choices, and prices to choose from. So I tell you to serve the cheshiirebedding.com.uk for buying the comforters.

Silk Pillow Cases: Fantastic To Sleep

For some, individuals, resting on a silk pad case is the most wonderful approach to spend their valuable long periods of rest. They think, in the same way as other others around the globe, that silk is a standout amongst other potential materials they can use to lay their exhausted head against around evening time. For those individuals, there is no preferable method to rest over with their faces against a silk pad case.

Because of the absence of overabundance space between the strings that make up the silk texture, there is no place for allergens to hold up themselves. Despite the fact that not ready to keep them absolutely out, the sum that will discover their way into the profound opening of the texture will be significantly not exactly with cotton or other ordinarily accessible textures.

Furthermore, due to the smoothness of the texture, things that may get captured on cotton just slide directly off. This implies your eyes, nose, and skin will have a lot simpler time during the night when you rest and soon after you get up in the first part of the day.

One of the characterizing highlights of cotton is it absorbs of water. While that's great for some things, like a pillow case it makes for a terrible material. Silk doesn't have that problem. Silk naturally absorbs only about 11% of its weight in water. This implies your face will remain increasingly hydrated during the night, conceivably decreasing or if nothing else skin wrinkles.

Continued handling of one's hair (perms, shading, fixing, and so on.) can leave hair rather harmed. Silk cushion cases help forestall further benefit to hair during rest since they permit the hair to just float over the outside of the texture. Cotton can be somewhat grating to hair during rest, causing significantly more harm. Silk cushion cases work with you to enable your hair to rest when you do.

Sleeping on cotton pillowcases is normal and most people don't think of them as rough. Truth be told, most people don't think much about them at all. But after sleeping on silk for any length of time, the differences between the two are quite stark.

The coolness and smoothness of a silk pillow case is something that, although difficult to describe, once experienced is unlikely to be forgotten. While certain weaves of cotton, percale, for example, have a reputation for being crisp and smooth, nothing competes with silk for smoothness. The phrase is "smooth as silk" not "smooth as cotton percale" for a reason.

https://cheshirebedding.co.uk/

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thelightofdelight · 5 years

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Lessons Of My Father’s Death Ep. 2: Be In This World As A Traveler

My father had a lot of losses to deal with in the course of his life. I believe that this, along with an existential fear which derived from the generation he grew up in as well as his immigrant background, was the very start of his compulsive hoarding disorder since in this way he had the utmost power of keeping stuff rather than letting go of it without a choice. In other words: he suddenly saw an opportunity to stuff the holes inside his soul.

His unhealthy habit to hoard and collect the most different things definitely had pros and cons for us as his family members. In my childhood I was pretty much known for my father, the Dad who would always pull out and parade a cool gadget when picking me up from kindergarden.

Also, as a teen and later on as an adult, I knew that in case I wanted to get or was looking for something specific or even extraordinary - it could be really just anything - I had to ask Dad first. Or even if something broke there was not a single time I sent said thing to a repair shop, but my Dad was my personal repair service.

However, it didn’t stop at hoarding and repairing things, he went even beyond that. He tried building new stuff from it, based off a know-how he acquired all by himself. He was such a self-taught in many different fields and didn't went to school for it, let alone got a degree (if I would talk about my Dad I always used to say that he’s that kind of person you could leave behind in the jungle and, with the permission of God ofc, he legit would know how to survive). My father was an inventor, but unfortunately he didn’t come up with a solution to his abnormal behavior.

More than 20 years of flea market visits, crossing bulk garbages or just having random walks outside where he’d find and pick up things from the ground which you, as a normal person, would consider as useless trash eventually lead to not only both a basement and attic stuffed with all of his belongings from literal floor-to-ceiling, but it also ended in my older brother’s old child’s room conquered and occupied by my Dad as his new headquarter as soon as my brother moved out. Over time, it became as severe as not being able to open the door properly no more. I want to spare you pictures, but just have a look at Google images when browsing ‘hoarding disorder’ or ‘compulsive hoarding’.

Now, imagine having someone in your family with a behavioral pattern like this, and then he dies, leaving behind a legacy which is close to a dumping grounds. Well, I have to admit that it’s actually both frustrating and fun to slash yourself a way in this jungle of wires and everything that lies hidden underneath as it feels like my Dad has left a puzzle behind which Mom and I are ought to solve, a labyrinth which we’re supposed to cross, not knowing what kind of treasures it holds exactly at the dead ends.

Considering the stuff we have found so far, Mom and I have been in tears and laughter equally. It’s an emotional rollercoaster ride. With way too many loops.

Amongst other things, meanwhile we have found VR glasses worth 450€, a suitcase that held tools to give yourself a perm, boxes packed with purses and glasses each, a very scary robot thingy which probably has been a BABY born in another life and a skull made of glass.

Honestly speaking, I know my father always had good intentions and carried a mindset which viewed literally everything as potentially valuable and coming in handy one day. To be fair enough, us as his family had benefitted a lot from it as I said before, in particular my son whom was gifted the coolest toys such as a stunning wooden pirate ship whereby Dad only shortly before his death found its components on the street and put them back together. I even remember that it was my Dad who got me my first carry cot when my son was born, but I mean.. for how long had he stored this..probably since I was a child!?

So because I know that my father in fact suffered from a disorder and he always had the purest intentions, I really wasn’t sure whether it’s fair to entitle this episode with one of the most famous narrations of our Prophet, peace be upon him:

"Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a traveler/wayfarer." (Bukhari)

This narration mainly gives warning of an unhealthy way of life which is amassing wealth and getting lost in other luxuries, also being wasteful with your money, thinking we’re gonna live forever in this deceiving world. But my beloved father did not amass objects for this reason. Quite the contrast, as he would stay away from new purchases 99 percent of the time and instead would patch together the things he had. He hoarded things for the sake of repairing, reusing and recycling them in hopes they come in handy one day. My father use to see a value in everything, and if I think about it, I realize what a noble virtue and character trait this is, subhanAllah!

On the other side of the coin, this specific hadith holds many more lessons as in contrast to the obvious. It not only teaches us the reality of this life and how we should view it overall - merely as a stopover with all its tests and trials - but it also indicates between the lines that we should prepare for what’s to come, quite ironically. Let me add another hadith right here which in fact has been perfectly added by Ibn Umar to the one I have just stated already:

"When evening comes, do not expect (to live till) morning, and when morning comes, do not expect (to live till) evening. Take from your health (a preparation) for your illness, and from your life for your death." (Bukhari: 6416)

Didn’t my father do exactly that..well, at least kind of? Preparing for possible scenarios. It’s all just a huge mesh of making sense and contradicting.

At the end of the day, whether it’s fair to exploit my Dad’s disorder to make us learn or not, that one hadith about the traveler was what came to my mind first when I was standing right in front of his legacy next to my Mom. He left her, non-mischievously though, on a gigantic materialistic heritage which she has to sort out now, literally, but for what? For what?

I see and feel her suffering, and frankly speaking his compulsive hoarding disorder was the #1 argument between my parents whereby my Dad even use to say “I don’t know what you’re getting angry at. You can throw all of it away just like that once I die.”

Little did he know. I think at one point he himself lost track over his potpourri. What my mother and I are currently doing is trying to get an overview at least and sort out the things which we can still use or donate and once we’re done there’s no other option for us than to call a professional agency to help us throwing away all the rest!

So I guess..what I would like for us to learn is that we should try our best to make our way through this life as light as a feather, both referring to a burden of sins and a burden of worldly goods.

I will close this episode with a reminder of no one other but Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who slept on a mattress made of palm fiber so that he would have marks on his back while he was offered a kingdom of luxuries! Let’s try to live a life equally minimalistic, simple as well as sustainable. May Allah help us achieve that!

#LOMFD #islam #naseeha #reminder #life #death #dunya #akhira

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butiaintgonnaloveem · 6 years

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Tiff’s WTF*ck Challenge

Hey friends!

I’ve been feeling pretty disconnected - less reading, less reblogging, less interaction - since my job change and having less time to spend around here, so why not fix that with a writing challenge?! Yes? Yay!

One of my old favorite sources of internet humor is Sleep Talkin’ Man. And your assumption is correct, he talks in his sleep. His wife started recording him and posting the clips online and it’s hilarious.

SO - for this challenge, I’ve collected some of the absurd, inappropriate, foul, and funny quotes from that delightful fella and now challenge you to incorporate it into your SPN fanfic.

Rules:

Send your quote request as an ASK ONLY please so that I can keep track.

You can write for any SPN character, my preference is Sam and Dean, but you do what feels right.

Any genre/pairing/trope is welcome, just make sure you tag it appropriately!

One writer per prompt.

Fics will be due by July 1. I’ll post the masterlist just before I go to ChiCon.

Use the tag Tiff’s WTF Challenge to help me track your fic

Yes, you can combine it with another challenge, yes, you can have an extension if you ask for one, yes, it can be part of a series.

No, there is no word limit or max. However, you must use the “read more” feature if longer than 500 words.

Ready? Okay.

“This is my story. It starts with me. And it ends with me. And everything in the middle is about me. Greatest fucking story ever written.” @acreativelydifferentlove

“You really are life’s wet patch. An embarrassing little stain that no one wants to admit to...or sleep on.”

“I shit gold, piss silver, and puke bronze. I don’t need a medal to tell me how fucking awesome I am. Got that, bitches?” @ellawinchester1993

“I’d rather peel off my skin and bathe my weeping raw flesh in a bath of vinegar than spend any time with you. But that’s just my opinion. Don’t take it personally.” @torn-and-frayed

“You’re gonna have to shave your pubes. It’s like fighting an army of permed spider legs down there, and I’m gonna lose. I’m gonna lose.” @deansbabygirl01

“Fuck! If I don’t get to the motherfucking flower show, I’m gonna fucking kill someone!” @frejahertziswritingthistime

“Why don’t you call back later, and we’ll see whether we can get the world to revolve around you.” @whispersandwhiskerburn

“I’m gonna have a great day...Don’t you fuck it up.” @roxy-davenport

“This little tampon went out, this little tampon stayed home. This little tampon had an applicator, this little tampon had none. This little tampon’s covered in...poop. WRONG HOLE, PEOPLE! Wrong hole.”

“Oh! It’s a poltergoat. A poltergoat! You can’t see em, but you find all your clothes chewed. If you listen carefully, you may hear a ghostly baaaahhhhh. Poltergoat! Baaaahhhhh.”

“Ghosts going bump in the night. Clumsy fuckers.” @quiddy-writes

“I’m like a vulnerable fawn in the woods. One that happens to carry an uzi, ninja throwing stars, and a motherfucking bazooka.” @winchesterprincessbride

“Now I’m going to ask really nicely for you to un-fuck this situation.” @mandilion76

“There was so much blood! Oh, there must have been at least five llamas. Totally unprovoked attack by those puffins. I managed to clip their wings. This is llama turf.”

“Well that’s just great. Peanut butter in my crack. Goddamn it.” @saxxxology

“I’ve written your epitaph. Yup. I did it early. You wanna read it? ‘Here you are, lying dead. Ha ha ha ha ha.’” @sixtysevenandwhiskey

“It’s growling. Shhh, it’s growling closer...It’s an angry thing, a big angry thing. It likes cabbage, though.” @helloimsensitive

“Hey! You killed my velociraptor, dickhead. That’s so unfair. You do realize how hard it is to find one of those ‘round here, don’t you?”

“Sure you can have my phone number. It’s like having a direct line to God. But better. Because I answer.” @internationalmusicteacher

“How do blind people know they’re done wiping? How?” @mrsbatesmotel53

“I’m sorry, I can’t come to the phone right now. But if you’re not my mother, you can leave a message. Beeeep.” *Bonus points for not using Crowley* @soullessdemontrap

“If she sends me one more fucking smiley face emoticon, I’m gonna shove that keyboard so far up her ass, she’s gonna have to tweak her nipples to force quit.” @kayteonline

“I need someone else to help me catch ghosts. Cause we’re going out to kick seven shades of spiritual shit. Yeaaaah. Ghose kickers! Free floating vapor? Free floating fucker, more like. Come on, let’s get em!” @ravengirl94

“I wanted a shark with laser beams, and I got a manatee with a Maglite. For fuck’s sake, get back in your hole and get it right.”

“If honesty’s the best policy, and the truth hurts, then you’d better call an ambulance, cause you’re not gonna like the stuff I’m gonna fucking say.” @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog

“Goddammit! Where’s my bazooka? I put it on the ground, expecting it to be there when I come back. Have you been tidying up again, cause I really would like my bazooka back. I don’t know where you put things. Jesus! Cannot just leave anything alone, can you?” @atc74

“It’s Captain Fluffer! Hero to teenage boys.”

“You’re right, elephants in thongs are not something you see every day. Enjoy it.”

“Back off Robin. Batman is my bitch now. You’re just a bitch’s bitch, bitch.” @seenashwrite

“OK, so that’s your weekend homework. Go home and slap grandma.”

“Your singing can wake the dead. So shut the fuck up. I don’t want any zombies dropping their jazz hands all over the fucking place. Alright? Just shut it.” @just-a-touch-of-sass-and-fandoms

“Just put the fucking cow’s head on the pavement and walk away. Leave it alone, stop playing with it. It’s just a head. Ooooh, it’s got it’s eyeballs in still.”

“Happy Birthday! It’s a dead puppy!...Now listen, you: You didn’t specify a live puppy, you just said you wanted a fucking puppy! Jesus you’re spoiled. Now go take it for a drag.”

“I’m losing faith in humanity, one faked orgasm at a time.” @lipstickandwhiskey

“I’m sorry, but not knowing what a horcrux is is a deal-breaker to me. Deal with it, muggle-fucker.” *Bonus points for not using Charlie* @notnaturalanahi

“Vampire penguins? Zombie guinea pigs? We’re done for...done for.”

“It’s amazing how you can smell so bad, but still be alive.”

“Harder is NOT a good safe word.” @lifelovelaughangell123

“Buffalo wings? Are you insane? Those cows can’t fly. It’s a lie, I tell you. A fucking lie.”

“Scales. Must have scales. And razor claws. I want some feathers. And a goggly thing on its head. Yeahhh. Dinochicken. Awesome! I feel like a god. All right, what’s next? Guineapigasaurus. Bring it on!”

“Garlic cheese! Double death to you, you lactose intolerant vamp man!”

“God, you whine like whale song. But a lot less eerie and beautiful and more, well, fucking annoying.” @silencethroughwords

“Dance for me, go on. Oh, you were! I thought you were having a spaz attack...Doofus.”

“Leave my gnomes alone. They’re MY gnomes, living in MY house, doing MY gardening, and they’re happy. Look at their fucking smiley faces. Can’t you see how frickin’ happy they are? Who are you to judge me?! Go on, gnome, cut the grass. Good gnome. Good gnome.” @the-winchester-gospels-and-cas

“You can’t drop them. You can’t set them on fire. You can’t feed them to crocodiles. You can’t let them play with fireworks. I mean...kids: what the fuck?!” @ellen-reincarnated1967

“You know, with you you you, it’s all me me me. Well fuck fuck fuck fuck you you you.” @rizlow1

TAGS: For participation and signal boostage!

@mogaruke @feelmyroarrrr @kayteonline @seenashwrite @notnaturalanahi @mrswhozeewhatsis @deathtonormalcy56 @kittenofdoomage @jpadjackles @supernatural-jackles @luci-in-leather @babypieandwhiskey @idreamofhazel @impala-dreamer @sis-tafics @littlegreenplasticsoldier @ultimatecin73 @mrsjohnsmith @mandilion76 @boxywrites @sherrybaby14 @sylverminx @there-must-be-a-lock @deandoesthingstome @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog @ceeceewinchester @kathaswings @dr-dean @roxy-davenport @avasmommy224 @moonlitskinwalker @docharleythegeekqueen @is-this-you-manning-up-sammy @quick-act-supernatural @frick-you-im-a-princes @charliebradbury1104 @blacktithe7updates @klaineaholic @ilsawasanacrobat @ayeeitsemry @hexparker @quiddy-writes @ravengirl94 @donnaintx @rubynationwins @someday-once @winchesterprincessbride @manawhaat @anotherwinchesterfangirl @acreativelydifferentlove @luci-in-trenchcoats @whispersandwhiskerburn @lipstickandwhiskey

#Tiff's WTF Challenge #spn writing challenge #spn fanfiction #writing prompts #spn writing prompts

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emilywickershamfans · 6 years

Photo

By: Samantha Sutton Photography: Tristan Kallas

It’s entirely possible that mid-NCIS binge, you’ve paused for a second and thought, “Wait, that girl has *really* great eyebrows!” If not, we present the evidence here. Emily Wickersham—who has been on the show for the past five years playing agent Eleanor Bishop—pulls off that light hair, bold, dark brow combo pretty perfectly…and we’re dying to know her secrets.

So as the show kicks off its 15th (yes, 15th!) season, we got a chance to ask Emily to spill and list all the products she uses on a regular basis, plus how she managed to clear her adult acne.

What’s your brow routine like?

“I’ve always had pretty bold eyebrows. I’ve never had them done much, and then I met [brow expert] Kristie Streicher. She has amazing eyebrows, and she’s so good at her job. Before I was going to her, I was going to someone else and [my eyebrows] were on the thinner side. Kristie was able to bring them back to what they [were] when [I was] younger. They’re kind of wild now, and feathery and full, which is what I’ve been hoping they would get back to.”

Were you an over-plucker when you were younger?

“When I was around 16 I was for sure. Looking back at pictures of people in the ’90s, eyebrows were so tiny. There’s something about an untouched brow; I feel like it just frames the face better. It makes your eyes pop, and it just overall looks more natural and complementary. I guess less is always more.”

Did you ever hate your bold eyebrows?

“I’m a strawberry blonde, and I highlight my hair so that it’ll be a little bit more blonde, but I always had light hair and dark eyebrows. I kind of enjoyed that, especially growing up. I feel like it’s more common now—a lot of people have blonde hair and dark eyebrows—but growing up, I felt like it was a little more unique.”

Do you fill them in at all?

“I love Glossier brow gel. It’s tinted, so it just kind of fills in where it needs to. I’m not the best with makeup, so I stick to the little tinted brow gels.”

What’s your skin-care routine like? Do you wear a lot of makeup off-screen?

“I would like to not wear any makeup, but I have uneven skin like everyone else—a little redness, and I have a little melasma above my lip. So I wear Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer pretty much every day, [which has] SPF in it, a little lip tint, and I’m also really into a lash lift. It’s like a little perm for your eyelashes so you don’t have to wear mascara, which is kind of amazing. But if I haven’t done that, I usually just curl my lashes and go.”

What would be the one beauty product you would run out and buy if you forgot it?

“Five years ago, I had acne; it just popped up. My skin is better now, but when little things pop up, I feel like it brings back those memories all over. So, I think coverup, like NARS creamy concealer, is my necessary beauty product to have around.”

How did you get back to having acne-free skin? Did you change your diet at all?

“I’m a pretty clean eater, but at the time, that didn’t help much. I think it’s really connected to hormones. I went on medication for it, I even did a very light treatment of Accutane for a short period of time. After trying everything else, that was the thing that helped the most, and since then, I’ve been able to maintain it with topical treatments, or just being really diligent about cleaning my face and doing masks every week. I have breakouts, obviously, but a lot less.

“I’m pretty simple with my regimen because I also have this thing called perioral dermatitis, and it is aggravated by using too many types of products. I get a layer of patches on my face, and honestly, it’s just very strange. I have a little topical medication that will take it down, but I didn’t know what it was for so long. They’re slightly elevated bumps, and they itch. I’ve been told it’s from using too many products at one time on your face, so I keep very simple regimens.”

[Source]

#Emily Wickersham #cov17

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kinktae · 5 years

Text

bitchin’ || pt. 2 (M)

↳ PART OF MY REWIND SERIES

pairing: fratboy!jungkook x reader

word count: 4.4k

genre: 1980s au, eventual smut, e2l

warnings: multiple smut scenes, science talk, banter, jealousy, alcohol & LOTS of colorful 80s slang lmao

A/N: Bitchin’ is a multichapter fic, surprise!! This fic was inspired by To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Thank you to @junqkook for letting me use her likeness and helping me with Yara’s character overall. Hope you appreciate the easter egg based on her!

OFFICIAL PLAYLIST

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10

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PART TWO

"Yara!"

The eyes belonging to the girl in question, flashed your way, widening in alarm.

"Oh, yikes." Was her automatic response, her bag of cool ranch Doritos falling onto her lap.

You were angry, that much was evident to her. Yara was sat in your shared dorm's living room, a thick blanket engulfing her small frame. You briefly glanced towards the TV, it was tuned into MTV, the familiar music video of Every Breath You Take by The Police playing, before directing your glare back onto the copper-haired girl.

"Before you say anything," Yara began, swallowing down whatever remaining food was in her mouth, "you should know they were having a rerun of the VMAs – which I missed last night – at the same time as the lab."

"You left me alone! You said you would go to the lab yesterday!" You griped, crossing your arms over your chest.

"Yes, yes that is true but I would also like to point out the fact that Madonna performed, so it wasn't like I even had a choice when you really think about it." She countered, tone pitching comically.

"You absolutely had a choice!" You laughed, shaking your head.

"Mm... I could argue that it is a subjective opinion."

You walked over to your best friend, sighing as you slumped down beside her, placing your backpack onto the floor.

You offered Yara a sideways glance.

"Did Duran Duran at least win something?" You asked begrudgingly.

"Nothing. They were robbed!" She squinted, shaking a fist in the air angrily.

A small chuckle escaped you despite yourself.

"You really should have gone to the lab, you know." You reasoned, reaching into the bag of chips.

"And smell like frog insides for the rest of the day? Grody to the max." She responded, before flashing you a look. "No offense."

"None taken." You grumbled, her observation fully noted though.

"Besides the makeup lab is next week. What could I have possibly missed this class?" Yara dismissed you absentmindedly, turning back towards the television as she reached for another chip.

"Well." You chuckled nervously. "For one, I have a boyfriend now."

At your words, Yara froze, a chip still in her hand as she paused mid-bite.

"You what?!" She all but shrieked, causing you to jump.

"Who? How? When? Tell me everything!" Her hands found your shoulders, shaking you slightly. You shoved her off with a laugh.

"Uh, well, his name is Jungkook–"

"The Jeon Jungkook?! From our lab?" Yara interrupted, eyes wide and shining with interest.

"Um... yes?" You responded cautiously.

Yara let out a scoff, leaning back further into the couch.

"Unbelievable. I leave you alone for one day and you get a boyfriend! And a fine one at that. This is so bogus."

"Mine and Jungkook's whole relationship is bogus, Yara." You rolled your eyes.

At your words, your best friend raised an eyebrow and you took that as an invitation to continue speaking.

"I'm only pretending to date him to make his ex-girlfriend jealous."

A sharp laugh from Yara caused you to pause, watching the way her amusement was short-lived, her smile fell as she took in your serious expression.

"Oh, you're serious." She deadpanned.

You nodded, "When you didn't show up Jungkook ended up being my partner and... well, I'm still not sure how it happened but he basically offered to fund my STEM event in exchange for helping him making his girlfriend jealous."

"They are the weirdest couple." You breathed out, shoving another chip in your mouth.

"Wait... he's gonna fund your event?! Y/N, you've been planning that thing since we got to university!"

A smile found your face, your excitement once again seeing you.

"I know! I wouldn't usually get involved in someone's love life like this but was too good of an opportunity to turn down."

"Man, I'm so happy for you! Still kind of disappointed but happy nonetheless." Yara smiled, causing you to frown.

"Disappointed? Why are you disappointed?" You pressed.

Yara clicked her tongue at you, looking at you as if the reason should be obvious.

"What do you mean why am I disappointed? Here I was ecstatic to hear that my best friend has gotten a boyfriend only to find that it's got a contract behind it!"

You giggled, nudging your knee into hers. "Think of this as a smart business venture I'm embarking on."

Yara stared at you for a moment, something clearly weighing on her mind as her lips fell into a subtle pout.

"What?" You mused.

She fluttered her eyelashes, "Does this mean you aren't going to fuck him?"

Your eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yara!" You gaped.

"Because, if you want to get technical, you kind of have to so I can live vicariously through you. It's girl code." She continued, reaching over and popping another chip into her mouth.

You frowned. "That is gross and also not a thing."

"I'm serious, I'm not accepting anything less than, like, third base." Yara pressed with a wag of a finger.

"Why don't you worry about your own sexual escapades instead of worrying about mine." You paused before continuing. "Which won't be happening, for your information."

The snacking girl let out a deep groan, throwing her blanket off of her as she stood up, taking the bag of chips with her much to your dismay.

"Well, it's not my fault I'm not getting any, okay! So do us both a favor and freak his shit." She called out, walking over to the kitchen.

"Can you stop emphasizing your lack of dick for one second?" You chuckled. "If you're that desperate for dick go back to Eunwoo."

Eunwoo was a boy Yara messed around with last semester. The relationship was short-lived, Yara quick to cut things off as soon as she realized Eunwoo was looking for something more than just a brief fling. Because ironically, despite how Yara crowed about being lonely, there was nothing that sent that girl running faster than actual feelings.

"Sweetie, I'm desperate for good dick." Yara scoffed, having had emerged back into the room, her auburn hair now let down, her trusty scrunchy back around her wrist.

"Was Eunwoo really that bad in bed?" You wondered, eyeing your best friend curiously as she moved to turn off the TV that had gone neglected the moment you stepped into the room.

Yara shrugged. "No, he was fine."

"So...?"

An enthusiastic pound against the poor television box rang out, the soft side of Yara's fist having had slammed down dramatically.

"I don't want just fine, Y/N! I want dick so totally tubular that I feel it in my guts." She declared.

A sputtering cough fell from your lips as you choked on your inhale of air.

Yara looked at you with mild concern, suppressing her laughter as she walked over and began to pat your back.

"I seriously question how you wiggled your way into being my best friend." You breathed through your coughs,.

"Eat my shorts, Y/N. You love me and you know it." She dismissed easily.

You merely grinned, unable to dispute your best friend's claim.

"Now go shower." Yara ordered, using one hand to point in the direction of the bathroom, and the other to pinch her nose shut dramatically.

Sighing, you heaved yourself off the couch. You doubted you smelled as bad as Yara made you out to, but you couldn't deny that a shower sounded terrific right now.

"Yes, sir." You sent her a salute cheekily before turning to head to the bathroom, shaking your head as she called out after you.

"And when you come out I need to know every single word you and Jungkook exchanged. If you're dating him then so am I, bitch!"

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The weekend had breezed by quickly, homework and the newest Cyndi Lauper album occupying all your free time. You hardly had time to contemplate your new role as Jeon Jungkook's new girlfriend.

You and Yara had been in the midst of a conversation about what exactly she should get her little sister for her 13th birthday when you first spoke to Jungkook again.

"Cabbage patch kid?" Yara offered, causing your nose to scrunch up.

"How old do you think your sister is?"

"Hey, don't sass me. For your information, Lyanna still has all her Care Bear tapes. She threw a hissy fit when my mom tried to give them away last Christmas." Yara recalled.

"Still, she's becoming a teenager. I vote no on the cabbage patch kid."

"I'm with you, babe." Jungkook spoke up suddenly, lips pressed together as if in contemplative thought.

You hadn't even noticed him enter the classroom, much less approach and listen in onto your conversation.

"Jungkook!" You breathed out in surprise, stomach fluttering slightly as you realized what he had just called you.

"Why don't you get her a pair of roller skates?" He ignored you, placing a hand on the table and leaning onto it. You tried your hardest to ignore the way the muscles in his arm flexed with the movement.

You cleared your throat, "Roller skates?"

"Yeah. Every kid has to get a pair of roller skates. It's like a rite of passage."

"I never got roller skates…" You muttered.

"And you were robbed of a childhood." Jungkook informed you solemnly, causing you to roll your eyes.

"Sup." He said suddenly, eyes flickering to Yara as he offered her a casual nod.

You watched in amusement as a pink hue made its way onto your best friend's face, nodding back at him.

Seeing as Yara had remained silent this entire time, you realized it was probably best you introduce the two.

"Uh, Jungkook this is Yara, my best friend. Yara this is Jungkook, my... "

Business partner?

Temporary acquaintance?

"Her boyfriend." Jungkook finished for you cheekily, sending you a wink.

"Fake boyfriend." You reminded, causing Jungkook's eyes to widen.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He stated bluntly, eyes gesturing to Yara forcibly.

Oh. He thought you wouldn't tell your best friend about him? Hah.

"She already knows we're not actually dating–"

An angry shush came from the messy-haired boy, preventing you from talking further.

He hunched closer, eyes flickering across the classroom, "Keep it down, would ya? There are eyes everywhere."

"Sorry, jeez." You apologized dryly, raising a brow as you mimicked his motions.

"Bold of you to assume I won't be guiding Y/N throughout this entire arrangement." Yara spoke finally, her nose turned up slightly.

"Is that so?" Jungkook looked at her in surprise.

"Yep. In fact, I've self-appointed myself manager of your entire relationship." She replied smoothly.

Jungkook grinned, clearly finding humor in her words, "Well, then. With that kind of assertiveness, I'm sure we're in good hands. Nice to meet you, Yara."

"Likewise."

You frowned as your best friend and Jungkook shook hands.

"Anyway, as your manager, my first bit of advice for really selling this whole fake relationship thing is for the two of you to sit together. So if you'll just excuse me..."

At the sight of Yara reaching for her notebook and pen, alarm ran through you.

"Wha– Excuse me, what are you doing?" You protested immediately.

Jungkook, on the other hand, simply grinned. "Great advice!"

"Why thank you, I accept payment in cash and Annie Lennox cassette tapes."

"Yara, where are you even going?" You whined, watching as your best friend chucked her things into her bag.

"To sit at another table. Who am I to keep people in love apart? Jungkook you can take my seat."

Your shoulders slumped miserably as you watched as the smirking boy replaced Yara's spot on the stool beside you.

"Have fun, kids." She teased, waving the two of you off with a hand as she walked over to another table.

"I like her." Jungkook smiled cheesily.

"She's not kidding, you know." You warned. "If she says she's our manager then you better believe it. Whether you like it or not, she's gonna accomplish what she's set out to do."

"Reminds me of you." He replied with a hum.

You blinked in surprise.

"Was that... a compliment?"

"Was it?" His eyes went wide, voice pitched in feigned surprise.

A small laugh escaped you and before you could retort with your own sarcastic comment, your professor began to speak.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you all had a good weekend." Mr. Kim greeted, his usual coffee mug in hand. He looked somewhat worse for wear, you noted. "I did. And as I sat here and reflected the choices I made Sunday night, I came to the conclusion that I will be sparing you the boring lecture this class and putting on a movie.

Widespread chatter of relief fell over the class, everyone elated to hear that this specific class would require minimal effort.

Mr. Kim had just sunk into the chair by his desk when a hand of a student shot up.

"Yes?" He answered.

The owner of the hand spoke up, "Should we take notes?"

Mr. Kim stared at the student with subtle bewilderment.

"I mean if you want? Guys, I'm gonna be honest with you all, I'm hungover as all hell. As long as you watch quietly and keep the lights off, I don't care what you do."

And with that, all the students turned back to chat amongst themselves.

It was funny, Jungkook thought, how easy you were to read when you thought no one was looking. He had been watching you through the corner of his eye, watching the way you hung onto the professor's every word and how disappointment washed over you when you realized there was no learning to be done today.

"Cute." He muttered to himself.

"What was that?" You replied absentmindedly, reaching for a sheet of paper.

Jungkook straightened in his seat, unaware he had said that out loud.

"Nothing."

You paid his reply no mind, however, pencil in hand as you began to write something onto a sheet of loose-leaf paper. Jungkook's head tilted in mild curiosity as he watched, wondering what it was you were doing.

To his surprise, the very paper of interest was then thrust his way, a soft sound ringing out as it rubbed against the cold surface of the lab table.

"What am I looking at?" Jungkook deadpanned. You shifted in your seat before responding.

"I think it's about time we talked seriously about this... relationship of ours. We need to establish rules."

Jungkook glanced back down at the paper.

"I see."

Suddenly, Jungkook's hand reached out for the zipper of his bag. You watched in silence as he pulled out the first writing utensil he could find – a blue marker – and jotted something down quickly.

You frowned, scooting your stool cautiously closer to him to get a proper look at the paper he had just written on.

"What is this?" You frowned.

"I believe it referred to legally as an amendment." He informed, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Jungkook, I'm not going to kiss you."

Despite your seriousness, a smile nearly escape your lips at the sight of Jungkook's mouth falling into a pout.

"Why not?" He asked.

You raised a brow, "Um, we're not actually dating? Did you forget that?"

Jungkook let out a small noise of what you could only assume was indignation.

"Not to sound like a total douchebag but the fact that you don't want to kiss me is, like, totally insulting."

"I agreed to be your girlfriend, not some disposable pair of lips you're allowed to use whenever you need your ego stroked. Do I need to remind you that I hardly even know you?" You hissed lowly in case someone was listening in on your conversation.

For a moment it was just you and Jungkook glaring at each other. Neither of you was going to budge, he realized. He let out a sigh.

"Look, I see your point and what this is looking like but I promise you I'm not being creepy here. No one is gonna believe we're together if we don't kiss each other. To anyone that looks, you could just be my friend if we don't show some kind of affection towards each other."

Your arms crossed over your chest, your hard expression not letting up.

"One kiss. That's all I'm asking for. Just a peck, if that's all your comfortable with." He continued, causing you to hum.

He was certainly going to a lot of trouble just for one peck.

Maybe he did have a point. One kiss wouldn't kill you, would it?

"When?" Was your response, taking him by surprise.

"Uh... whenever? Preferably somewhere people will see. Maybe at the Halloween party this weekend?"

You frowned, a thought crossing your mind.

"You want me to kiss you at a party? In front of a bunch of people?"

"Well... not if you really don't want to..." Jungkook replied, suddenly feeling bad that you might really not be all that comfortable with this whole thing.

You shook your head, "No, it's not that."

Kissing Jungkook wasn't as daunting as the idea of doing it in front of a lot of people. It wasn't that you were socially awkward, per se, but the possibility of stage fright was undoubtedly a real one.

You let your thoughts run for a while before you finally came upon a slightly annoying solution. An audible sigh left you as you grabbed your pencil and reached for the paper.

"I don't want to embarrass myself." You told Jungkook bluntly as he read the contract's newest addition, your eyes fixated on the sheet as you couldn't find the courage to meet his eyes.

"So I want our first kiss to be somewhere private where I can make sure I know what I'm doing. Familiarize with... how you kiss... and stuff..." You trailed off, the warmth in your face suddenly too distracting to let you think intelligent thoughts.

Jungkook's eyes were as wide as saucers, glued to the side of your face as if trying to decipher whether or not you were being serious. He assumed you must be as the tone in your voice wasn't mocking in the slightest.

"Oh. Yeah, sure." He nodded quickly, still noticing the way you couldn't look him in the face.

A shit-eating grin found his face, "Y/N, are you embarrassed right now?"

"No." You stressed quickly, looking over at him defensively. Your eyes fell onto his lips against your better judgment and once again you turned away from his stare, heat rocketing through you. "I just don't want you thinking anything weird like this is me wanting to kiss you."

The dark-haired boy pressed his lips together.

"Trust me, you've made your opposition against kissing me abundantly clear." He told you pointedly before reaching for the contract. You watched him gratefully, thankful for the shift in interest.

"I'm serious about there being eyes everywhere. If Kiri finds out the truth, it's game over. I'd look like a total wastoid. Not to mention I'll never hear the end of it from my brothers." Jungkook told you, pushing the paper over for you to read. Tapping the end of your pencil against the table, you pondered something before scribbling else onto the rules.

"Fair." Jungkook expressed. "As long as you can guarantee she won't tell anyone."

"Yara is lonelier than Henry David Thoreau, you have nothing to worry about." You shrugged easily.

"I... have no idea who that is."

"He's a transcendentalist writer who spent two years in isolation–"

"Oh, so you're not just a science freak. You're a well-rounded nerd." Jungkook teased, causing you to scowl.

You grabbed your pencil. You could feel Jungkook lean to peer over your shoulder, laughing lightly as he took in what you wrote. No sooner had you finished, the paper was yanked from underneath your palm, your pretend lover quick to scribble back a response.

And that was how the two of you spent the next twenty minutes, discussing rules and filling the rest of the page, muffled exchanges of giggles catching the attention of students near you as they began to wonder could possibly be on that sheet of paper that had the two of you blushing and whispering like that.

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"Can I put my hand in your pocket?"

The request came seemingly out of nowhere. The class had just finished and Yara had passed by your table briefly only to insist that Jungkook walked you to your dorm, promptly informing you that she and you would not be walking back together as usual, before she left the room altogether.

You sent Jungkook a pointed look as the two of you exited the classroom and walked out into the hallway.

"What like in Sixteen Candles?" You presumed, throwing your bag over your shoulder. "Nice try scumbag, I'm not letting you cop a feel of my ass."

"Why do you assume everything I say has some sort of hidden motive behind it?" Jungkook scoffed. "I was trying to be romantic."

"Oh, really?" You asked, sounding skeptical.

"I mean, sure, getting to touch your ass would've been a nice perk..."

A pleasant laugh escaped you and Jungkook felt something in his chest tightened, and before he could think to warn you, his hand found yours.

You glanced down at the gesture, a shy expression finding you suddenly as you look back up Jungkook, eyes wide and face warm as he offered you a small smile.

"It's no hand in your back pocket but... this should still get the message across to everyone." Jungkook's fingers laced between yours and you tried your hardest to appear nonchalant as if your heart wasn't in your throat right now.

You simply nodded, continuing to walk alongside him as the two of you began your journey towards your dorm building.

It wasn't entirely awful, you found.

Jungkook's hand felt nice in yours. It was warm and soft– your ex wasn't one for PDA so you had always wondered what it might be like to walk around with someone you liked like this.

Shame your first time had to be with your fake boyfriend.

You hadn't realized how social Jungkook was until just now, however. It hadn't been more than a seven-minute walk but more than a handful of people had called out to Jungkook, offering him a greeting and a wave as they went about their days.

You had brought up his apparent popularity to Jungkook but he merely laughed the statement off, saying that it just came with the territory of being in a fraternity.

"Yara's gonna be so proud when she finds out we thought to hold hands all on our own." You brought up on the elevator ride up to your dorm.

The romantic embrace had been severed the moment the metal doors had closed on you two, no longer having an audience to perform for.

"She's quite the character that Yara girl." He noted.

You shrugged, "She's not too bad once you get used to her."

Jungkook shook his head as if you had miss understood him.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing. You're a lot like her, you know."

"Am I?" You raised an eyebrow.

Jungkook nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Headstrong... passionate... won't take no for an answer... seems like the only person you two would listen to is each other."

You were surprised. Once again, it was a seemingly genuine compliment that had come out of nowhere and you weren't entirely sure how to respond. You clasped your hands behind your back, a grin washing onto you.

"Pretty sure you've got bigger balls than I do." He finished his thought, causing you to snort.

"Sorry if we challenge your manhood." You joked, nudging your shoulder into his just as the elevator door open. You slipped out onto the floor, Jungkook following behind you.

"Oh don't worry about that, babe. You two can test my manhood whenever you want." He told you greasily, a suggestive smirk on his face.

"If I weren't contractually obligated to be nice to you, I would smack you."

You reached the door of your dorm a few moments later, turning to Jungkook awkwardly.

"Well, thanks for walking me." You said.

Jungkook tucked his hand into the pocket of his jacket, shrugging coolly.

"I'll see you in class on Wednesday then."

As if on cue, the door of your dorm unlocked, swinging open enthusiastically, revealing a smiling Yara.

"Wrong. You'll be seeing her tomorrow." She stated matter-of-factly.

"I will?"

"He will?"

You and Jungkook both expressed your confusion in unison. An amused expression fell over Yara.

"I did some thinking on the walk back from class and decided that Jungkook is taking you out on a date tomorrow." She explained before turning towards the man in question. "When do you finish class tomorrow?"

"Uh... three o'clock?" He answered slowly, eyes flickering to yours to see if you had any idea what your best friend was talking about. You didn't, of course.

Yara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Perfect, Y/N's last class is at two. Come pick her up here around four."

"Oh, uh, sure." Jungkook nodded, looking somewhat scared of the small but authoritative girl standing before him.

As if snapping back into reality, you shook your head. "Hold on, I didn't agree to this. Don't I get a say in this?"

Yara's eyes flickered towards yours dully, "No."

She clapped her hands together suddenly, directing her attention back to your pretend lover.

"Thanks for walking her over. We'll see you tomorrow at four. Don't be late, bye!" Yara sang sweetly, hand reaching out to wrap around your forearm.

You let out a yelp as you were tugged into the dorm, door slamming shut as you left behind a perplexed looking Jungkook.

"What the hell was that?! Why am I going on a date with him?"

Jungkook could hear your voice through the closed door, pitched angrily and clearly directed at Yara.

"Third base, Y/N. Don't make me say it again."

"I literally can't stand you."

A small laugh fell from the boy as he stood in his place in the hallway, eyebrows furrowing in amused bewilderment as he wondered how he ended up with not just one but two stubborn fake girlfriends.

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carliejeanmakingperformance · 4 years

Text

Blog 1 - Paines Plough & National Theatre of Scotland

Describe briefly in a few sentences what each of the Paines Plough monologues were about.

Chris Thorpe - Manchester:

There are 8 people plus our protagonist in a living room in Manchester. The protagonist is lying on the floor as there were no seats left, while the other guests are ‘laughing like fucking monkeys.’ (Thorpe C, Paines Plough 2018) a man is hovered over him with his ‘boxers down around his knees’ (abid) and balls drooping over his mouth. Everyone is ‘a bit drunk’ (abid) and as he struggles to get up from the floor the rest of the room begins laughing more. On the 3rd attempt he is successful and stammers home upset and angered. He argues that ‘its not happening because who i am, its happening because where i am in the room’. (abid) His attempts to calm himself fail as when he gets home he grabs an iron golf club and marches back to his friends house. On arrival there are now only 6 people left in the party ‘all fucked’ (abid) and asleep, taking this opportunity he ‘I bring[s the club] round fast and hard right under his [friends] eye.’ (abid) Surprised as the force made ‘more of a splash’(abid) than a crack or snap as expected, he is then reminded that his hands and head often work separately. Reminiscent memories of his school days flashback seeing his now wife watching him smoke, and the intriguing nature of his hands doing ‘what they want’, (abid) bringing the realisation of his actions back to the now as she can no longer watch their actions pan out ‘forever.’ (Thorpe C, Paines Plough 2018)

Hannah Silva - Plymouth:

A girl watches as her father's aggressive ‘blood clot’ (Silva H, Paines Plough 2018) distorts his memories and makes him see things less clearly. Clouding over his memories of war, there is confusion over a letter, a French lady, and childhood memories where father and daughter would play Bach on piano together, despite his comments on her ‘tiny hands’ (abid) . His dreams and memories become warped as he forgets his daughters name and the horrors of war become more than just past experiences as the loving daughter longs for her father to remember that ‘he was a poet and she was a musician.’ (Silva H, Paines Plough 2018)

Chloe Moss - Liverpool:

It is 1988 in a Liverpudlian town overlooking north Wales, A girl is perched in a toilet cubicle on breaktime, trying to overcome her generalized panic disorder with her knees ‘bent against [her] chest.’ (Moss C, Paines Plough 2018) She feels the only way to help would be to leave school as not even her mantra is working on easing her anxiety. She is ‘the last person anyone expects to be bunking off school’ (abid) as she tells herself ‘I'm a good girl, I don't do things like this.’ (abid) Sneaking out and convincing herself and an older girl that she must leave for the dentist. Her only wish throughout is to have the ‘ability to enter a room of people without feeling puse.’ (abid) The protagonist finds herself on the beach where due to her teachers description of quick sand she has grown scared of the possibilities that there are ‘bodys underneath the dunes.’’ (abid) finding a place to hide a lady with ‘binky the dog’ approaches and starts talking about her dead son whose death can loosely be blamed on Margaret Thatcher, ‘the witch in charge.’ (abid) The girl awkwardly tries to get out of the convocation by going to retrieve a ball for the lady's dog, running as if ‘this is a parallel world which ordinary girls fly.’ (abid) This act allows her to realise that she was not saying her mantra while walking over the sand and that while focusing on other things she had moved passed the point of being scared. (Moss C, Paines Plough 2018)

Zia Ahmed - London:

The protagonist and their partner Broke up due to race differences and issues surrounding racism. He speaks of how he feels he always has to apologize for people of colour's mistakes. He repeats ‘i love you’ (Ahmed Z, Paines Plough 2018) throughout the story highlighting how even although they are no longer together he longs for them to be a part of their life. Using popular culture he explains how ‘where i come from bond looks like the bond villains and the bond villains look like bond’. (Abid) This monologue highlights how someone of a Pakistani background ‘feel most coloured when [they] get thrown against a sharp white background’, (Abid) which isn't helped by popular culture, and racism, where people of colour then feel they have to ‘go back to where they came from’ despite them being from that area, and not allowing them to stick up for themselves and having the right to say ‘I ain't English i ain't Pakistany, im London.’ (abid) This story is key in pointing out how racism, it’s behind you, no it's around you.’ (Ahmed Z, Paines Plough 2018)

Alan Harris - Cardiff:

A boy from Tonteg, Pontypridd was used to getting into trouble, he wore the right clothes and wanted to be the first to do everything such as getting ‘the top of their hair permed.’ (Harris A, Paines Plough 2018) It is who he became, drinking with ‘no consequences.’ (abid) The first time he ‘got arrested as an adult was in Caerphilly,’ (abid) he stole a push bike left in a ‘front garden’ (abid) and a police man caught him and threw him in a cell. In the corner of there cell there was a duck, he claimed that ‘the duck is staring at me, and it says ‘‘alright.’’’ (abid) The protagonist goes and touches the duck on his shoulder, stating ‘i can see the world from the eyes of the duck’. (abid) He then becomes the duck and has both his and the ducks memories. Using the toilet in his cell to get his feet wet, which made him ‘happy.’ (abid) He professed ‘they let me go, out of my way’ with wet feet at 5am, he sees some ducks and ponders on the thought that they are ‘Maybe looking for a new patch of water to call home.’ (Harris A, Paines Plough 2018)

What images/ characters / moments particularly stuck out for you in any of the Paines plough monologues and why?

Chloe Moss’ performance particularly stuck out to me as it reminded me of how stressful childhood is, it showed me how being young the smallest things seem to be magnified and heightened causing things to be larger than initially thought. The scene with the lady reinforced the initial panic of quick sand, yet as it developed it showed the value of listening and lending an ear to someone in need. This touched me as I felt the lady chose to see how much the girl needed someone and instead of prying, ofered convocation and elevated the girls fear.

The monologue set In Tonteg remainder me of vivid memories from home. The power of the strong welsh accent combined with a detail account of what a ‘valleys’ man feels although they should do to prove themselves to their friends was a clear and accurate reresentIon of my home town Pontypridd where this monologue is set.

Hearing how emotional Hannah Silva’s monologue was really helped paint the picture of a piano and how much music can effect an individual. The description of the piano accompanied by visuals on the ‘treble clef shaped blood clot’ not only created a connection between the writing and song but also the bloody and sanding reality that the protagonist father has a blood clot causing him to forget and muddy the past resting this beautiful sound of uncertainty.

How were the National Theatre Scotland monologues using the frame ( screen) to successfully tell a story?

Space was an important part of both monologues. The first has dark background, and the use of cinematography overlaying the monologue gives set and historical context to the scene, you could see the ‘monkey dung men’ (Poet F, cited by Watson J 2020) who worked there, as well as visually seeing the asbestos dust in which they were told too ‘breathe it in son’ - ‘there's men welding over there and your worried about a bit of dust.’ (abid) The monologue is delivered in interview style as he's talking to the camera, and you can see the raw emotion clearly as he's talking about how he ‘thought [he’d] dodged the bullet’ (abid) and chose to change trade to an electrician. ‘Jimmy read, that man could speak’ (abid) is visually captured through video aid showing Jimmy historically speaking to a crowd, allowing the audience to feel connected to the historic context being told within the story. Coughing is used to move between frames and it shows the effects of the asbestos, foreshadowing the context of the story ‘cough - pardon me - cough’ (Poet F, cited by Watson J 2020)

The second monologue differs as it is set in a Messy bedroom, which allows people to connect with the frame due to the set being universally recognised as well as the personal nature of the setting. Timeless is being captured within the frame as everyone has experienced being ill, with it jumping back to the main set of the messy room allowing the audience to feel as trapped as she is. ‘this room is a box i can’t get out of’ (Fagan J, cited by Dickie K 2020) allows for the story to not only be successful within the room she has chosen to set it in, but also within the box it is captured in on the website and even further onto the device its getting viewed from, this then makes the issues captured in the story magnified and much more significant than initially thought. Due to the video being recorded out of the normal format the frame is malleable and can be distorted allowing different angles such as the pacing and washing of hands through sanitisers and bathroom scrubbing to be more intimate and almost 1st person, as it is filmed as though we are looking as the protagonist and doing these things ourselves, really putting us into the mindset of the character. Having the frame watch her from the end of her bed reinforces the intimate feeling as if we were perched on the end of her bed and allowing her to talk to us, allowing us to move from sympathising with her in the main bedroom set, to then almost being her in the overlaid scenes. (Fagan J, cited by Dickie K 2020)

Bibliography

Ahmed Z, cited in Paines Plough (2018) Come to Where I’m From (2.0.3) [Mobile App] (Accessed:05/10/2020)

Fagan J, Cited by Dickie K 2020. Scenes For Survival Launch Collection | National Theatre Of Scotland. [online] Available at: <https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/latest/scenes-for-survival-launch-collection> [Accessed 4 October 2020].

Harris A, cited in Paines Plough (2018) Come to Where I’m From (2.0.3) [Mobile App] (Accessed:05/10/2020)

Moss C, cited in Paines Plough (2018) Come to Where I’m From (2.0.3) [Mobile App] (Accessed:05/10/2020)

National Theatre of Scotland. 2020. Scenes For Survival Launch Collection | National Theatre Of Scotland. [online] Available at: <https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/latest/scenes-for-survival-launch-collection> [Accessed 4 October 2020].

Paines Plough (2018) Come to Where I’m From (2.0.3) [Mobile App] (Accessed:05/10/2020)

Poet F, Cited by Watson J 2020. Scenes For Survival Launch Collection | National Theatre Of Scotland. [online] Available at: <https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/latest/scenes-for-survival-launch-collection> [Accessed 4 October 2020].

Silva H, cited in Paines Plough (2018) Come to Where I’m From (2.0.3) [Mobile App] (Accessed:05/10/2020)

Thorpe C, cited in Paines Plough (2018) Come to Where I’m From (2.0.3) [Mobile App] (Accessed:05/10/2020)

#makingperformance #painesplough #nationaltheatrescotland #drama

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zambie-trashart · 4 years

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Unholy JonxAdrien

yes, another one cause the first one was sort of short so I decided to write an entire story or this.

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@loveswifi

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@wannajointhecrabcult

there are mentions of child abuse, homophobia, and taking the Bible way too seriously

Summary: Jon was always good at three things: missions, helping the sinful, and loving his family. When someone in his church comes out as gay, Jon’s mission from his father is to fix the misguided soul. Will Jon see the error of his ways, or be trapped with his abusive family forever?

...................................

Conner knew right from wrong. Kara knew right from wrong. Jon knew right from wrong. So how did everything go so wrong?

They were clean and polished siblings each with glasses, black bottoms, with a tucked in dress shirt and sweater. They were the children of a priest named Clark Kent who sent his children to do his bidding. The town of Smallville was sinless and Conner, the eldest, made sure of that.

They were close but would betray another in a moments notice or their father. Kara had a hard time submitting to her father and would much rather sacrifice one of her brothers. They were flawless on the outside. Jon was always thrown under the bus or his siblings, he was punished more times than he could count. He was always told that he would never be like his siblings.

...................................

Gabriel, Nathalie, and Adrien walked up to the large church building, it was their first time in a church in years. They were new to the town and it was clear since people came up to greet them with southern accents. Adrien had come out as gay to his father and step mother months ago and they accepted him with open arms.

Three kids, two with black hair and a girl with blonde, stood by the door greeting people and when they saw the Agreste’s, they called out to a woman who came over to greet them with the kids.

“Welcome to the Church and obviously to Smallville. I’m Lois and these are my kids Conner, Kara, and Jon. My husband Clark is inside getting ready for the service,” Lois said and the kids plastered smiles on their faces, their bruises hidden by makeup but clear behind emotionless eyes.

“I’m Gabriel, this is my wife Nathalie and son Adrien,” Gabriel said smiling at Lois, “I do however have a question for you.”

“Please, ask away,” Lois said and the kids relaxed slightly. Adrien watched Jon’s posture and his slight wince when he breathed.

“What are your thoughts on homosexuality?” Gabriel asked making sure to not include his son just in case. The kids looked up in horror slightly panicked. Their mother scoffed.

“Monsters, abominations and not God’s plan, they are sinners and have no place in this world!” Lois seethed. “Kids, go inside, your father is starting soon.”

The children walked inside. “Conner, is mother going to try and fix them?” Jon asked and Kara rolled her eyes.

“There is no way to fix one of them, not unless father gets involved,” Kara said and Conner nodded silently.

“He fixed the others, now he will fix this one too,” Conner said before opening the doors to the hall and they walked in and took their seats.

Jon couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen to Adrien is his father got his hands on him. He would be beaten and his father would proclaim it as the will of God.

...................................

The service ended and the Kents went home. Once they stepped into the house, Kara and Conner were taken to their rooms and Jon was told to wait in the living room for his father.

“I have a mission for you Jonathan. You are to change this new boy back to the holy one he was before he became a heathen and slept beside another man,” Clark said pouring himself a glass of wine.

“Father, how will I...” Jon was cut off by his father hitting him with the glass.

“You will do as I say boy. It is God’s will and you will carry it out, understood?” Clark asked eyes burning with rage.

“Yes father,” Jon said tears building up in his eyes.

“Good, now go change your clothes and come down or dinner in ten minutes.”

Conner and Kara watched their brother walk up the stairs picking glass from his head.

“You deserved it,” they said together.

“I deserved it.”

...................................

Adrien looked at his father in shock when he said that one of the kids from the church was there to show him around the town. The was the small boy with dark black curls and uneven breathing.

When they walked together, Adrien felt at peace. Jon didn’t look at him as evil or an abomination like Lois did. Jon looked at Adrien like he was just like him.

They continued their meet ups for a month and Jon began to forget about his mission. He began to forget that it was wrong to be gay in the first place and found himself falling for the blonde.

...................................

“Are you making any progress with Adrien, Jonathan?” Lois asked one night over dinner.

“Sort of, but mother, I have a question?” Jon asked and his siblings looked up and they knew what he was going to ask. Their eyes pleaded with him not to do it. They would surely all be punished for his transgression.

“Why are gay people so bad in the first place? Why do we not accept them?” Jon asked and his father pounded on the table.

“He has tainted you! He is infecting you! You will not be like them, I forbid it!” Clark yelled grabbing Jon by his wrist and dragging him to the basement.

Clark hit him and tied him down to a chair.

“You will forget that you ever felt anything for that boy!” Clark roared picking up small patches that attached to wires. The wires led to a large device that administered shocks.

Clark shocked him and hit him until Jon was repeating that being gay was unholy and man should not lay with another man.

...................................

Adrien and Jon went out again because Clark was convinced that Jon would no longer wish to be with him but to just complete his mission.

Jon repressed everything that had to do with Adrien being gay in the first place and focused on being his friend.

The boys were sitting together.

“Why do your parents let you hang out with me?” Adrien asked Jon.

“What do you mean by that?” Jon asked confused at his friend’s behavior.

“Well, I’m gay and your parents...” Adrien was cut off by Jon running away as fast as his legs could carry him.

Jon sat in his room rocking back and forth on the floor hugging his knees and tears rolled down his face. His siblings stood outside the door, they were feeling something different. They wanted to help their brother, he had never cried during punishments, none of them had but Jon was sobbing.

“He’s not praying Conner, there’s something wrong,” Kara looked at her brother eyes wide.

There was a knock at the door and Conner rushed down since his mother and father weren’t home because of a church meeting.

“Hi, I’m Adrien, you must be Conner and Kara. Listen I just need to talk to Jon alone for a couple of minutes.” The siblings looked at each other and back to Adrien.

“Two minutes, make it quick,” Conner said and Adrien ran up the stairs and to the room that had Jon’s name printed on it.

Adrien kneeled down in front of the sobbing boy.

“Jon, are you alright?” Adrien asked and Jon looked up at him with red ringed eyes and his arms wrapped around Adrien’s shoulders as he hugged him. Adrien just held him as the sad boy just sobbed harder and harder into his shoulder. “It’s going to be ok Jon,” Adrien said rubbing his back.

“I love you,” Jon said softly before tensing up and pulling away.

“Hey, it’s ok Jon, I love you too,” Adrien teased making Jon look up. Adrien cupped Jon’s face with one hand and held him around the waist with the other. “Can I kiss you?” he asked and Jon nodded.

They inched closer but a car locking broke them apart. Jon looked around worriedly.

“I’m getting you out of here Jon,” Adrien said and went over to the closet and grabbed some clothes and a backpack. He started packing and the front door opened as Conner and Kara greeted their parents and distracted them.

In another year, Conner would be eighteen and out of the house where he would take Kara with him so they didn’t care about being punished if it meant getting Jon out of there. One more punishment in exchange for freedom.

Adrien and Jon opened up the window which was on the second story and held hands.

“We’re going to be free Jon,” Adrien said kissing his knuckles.

“Let’s go.”

...................................

Gabriel was shocked when a Kent was on his doorstep with his son.

“Father, the Kents are beating their kids, Jon has bruises all over his body and the others probably do too, Clark used electroids on his son to try and convince him that he’s not gay,” Adrien was yelling at his father and Nathalie was holding Jon close and the tears flowed and she searched through his scalp for cuts.

“Enough Adrien, I’m already filing a police report out of state. There’s no way that the Smallville police will take this seriously. Until this is handled, Jon would you like to stay with some old friends of Adrien’s, we leave tomorrow?” Gabriel asked and Jon nodded.

The next day, they were on a privet jet on their way to Paris and Adrien told a bunch of stories about Marinette and her boyfriend Damian.

...................................

A month later was the court case, Lois and Clark were being convicted either way and Sabine and Tom were going to win custody of all three Kent children.

The three told of the horrible things that they were forced to do to get out of “punishment” which in court was called abuse or an abusive situation even if that meant pushing someone else under the bus. Clark and Lois were silent the entire time looking at their kids in shock.

They claimed that their children needed God in their lives.

The two adults were being taken back to their cells when Jon called out to them from next to Adrien. They looked over and Jon grabbed Adrien’s face and kissed him. Adrien was shocked but wrapped his arms around Jon’s waist.

The parents screamed out in horror about how they were going to kill Adrien because he was a disgrace for turning their child.

Living well is the best revenge.

...................................

I hope that wasn’t too bad cause holy shit! I might do a ghost au next.

#catholic au #alternate universe #jon x adrien #jon kent #kara kent #conner kent #clark kent #lois lane #abuse #adrien agreste #protective adrien agreste #gay adrien agreste #gabriel is a good dad

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funface2 · 5 years

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Troop Beverly Hills: 10 Of Phyllis Nefler’s Most Hilarious Quotes – Screen Rant

Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long) is an inspirational character and role model in the 1989 film Troop Beverly Hills. She dedicates herself to being the best leader for the troop and she goes above and beyond to fulfill the call of duty. She’s got a black belt in shopping, great taste in fashion, high standards of living and creates her own patches to give to her troop. She’s not exactly the traditional troop leader, which is exactly what we love about her.

RELATED: 10 Most Memorable Quotes From The Sandlot

Her quotes are timeless, and 30 years later, here we are utilizing her words. This time, we’re lining up 10 of her most hilarious quotes for you to enjoy.

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10 “I am the log. I am the ravine. I am scared.”

Sure, Phyllis throws off her own moment of zen, but at least she tried to get into the mindset. When faced with a roadblock, Phyllis steps up to the plate to find a way to the other side of the ravine to finish the Jamboree, braving her fear of heights to do so. Her zen is honest and straightforward, something we can appreciate and relate to.

Next time that you’re faced with something debilitating (preferably something that’s not a ravine), take a page out of Phyllis’s book and find your zen. Maybe admitting you’re scared will help you. Maybe not. The point is to try.

9 “My troop and I were busy describing the fall fashions to the blind.”

Community service comes in all sorts of forms. For Troop Beverly Hills, it’s describing fashion to the blind. Apparently they have an aptitude for it, as one of their peers commented that they could “feel the colors.” When you love fashion as much as these girls do, it resonates with their audience.

RELATED: Doctor Who: 10 Funniest Quotes From The Tenth Doctor

For the girls to be so vivid and descriptive is especially thoughtful for the blind who unfortunately can’t experience the fall fashions in quite the same manner. If ever there was a reason to be late to court, this would be it.

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8 “I started my new meaningful life today, and I bought a whole new meaningful wardrobe to go with it.”

Chapters come and go throughout life. With her impending divorce, Phyllis decides to change things up. Her way of doing that is pretty much buying out every store on Rodeo Drive. As the movie progresses, she adds some flair to her troop leader uniform (that to this day is still stylish).

Her style is unique and definitely reflective of the 1980s, but it’s still beloved. While we may not have the same flair or endless stream of money, we all have moments where we need a wardrobe to match our new meaningful lives too. And we love this, making it one of her most hilarious quotes.

7 “He permed me!”

Only in Beverly Hills could this “campfire” story be horrific. As they are rained out of their original campsite and end up in a suite at the famed Beverly Hills Hotel, Phyllis and her troop sit together and she tells them the story of how her hairdresser messed up her hair.

RELATED: Hocus Pocus: 10 Most Badass Sanderson Sisters Quotes

Not getting your regular hairstylist can be bad, that’s given. They don’t know your hair like your own personal maestro. The girls’ horrified reactions sum it up. Beware the dooming perm!

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6 “Yep, it’s a beast all right.”

Hearing Velda shout isn’t pleasant. Hearing her shout while injured and in the woods? That’s a beast of a different nature. Phyllis says this to her troop to ease their concerns as they trek through the woods, and they end up rescuing Velda when her own troop abandons her. Oh, the insane irony there.

It’s memorable because Phyllis’s quiet tone is such a big contrast to Velda’s banshee nature and it always makes us laugh as Phyllis casually calls Velda a “beast.” She’s not wrong.

5 “I may be a beginner at some things, but I’ve got a black belt in shopping.”

Isn’t this the truth? Phyllis knows her way around Rodeo Drive and can identify a well-cut diamond no problem. She’s thrifty in her own divine way (“You know, it’s missing a bead.”). We all envy her shopping budget, too. To be able to buy anything you want that possesses the utmost quality, and then buy even more if you so please? Sign us up!

RELATED: Joker: 10 Quotes That Will Stick With Us Forever

This quote is memorable because shopping is one of the best things Troop Beverly Hills does best, something they picked up from their savvy leader.

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4 “Don’t worry, silicone is buoyant.”

This is one of Phyllis’s more savage quotes, if you will. Her husband, whom she’s separated from, is dating another woman named Lisa. When Lisa freaks because Freddy accidentally kisses Phyllis, she winds up overboard.

Phyllis points out the fact that because Lisa possesses fake breasts, she’s got a built-in lifesaver. Speaking of lifesavers, Phyllis has some if you need them: “butterscotch or wintergreen?”

3 “She can pull into the garage and wait with the motor running.”

Phyllis is joking, we promise. Well, mostly. Freddy drops off their daughter in the midst of a meeting with the other parents regarding the upcoming sale of cookies, and Lisa impatiently honks her horn as she waits outside for him.

RELATED: 10 Of The Best Quotes In Total Recall

Phyllis encourages Freddy to stay for the meeting, but Lisa’s insistent nature doesn’t allow that, even though Phyllis offered her a lovely spot in the garage. Her comment even got Freddy to laugh (and us, too). She’s a very kind and sweet person, but she has her moments of viciousness.

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2 “In the wilderness of life, we can never be too prepared.”

Next time someone complains about the amount of stuff you’re bringing on a trip, totally throw them this quote with a smile in Phyllis fashion. Sure, she may have a few bags too many for an overnight trip, but if you’re going to be out in the wilderness (or away from home), it’s better to have everything you need instead of having to use leaves for toilet paper or having to run to a CVS in the middle of the night for deodorant and toothpaste.

It’s that simple. Life throws unexpected curveballs. Be like Phyllis and pack ahead of the game.

1 “It really frosts my cookies that we have worked so hard and we have come so far and now we have to stop.”

When initially faced with a ravine during the Jamboree, Phyllis is ready to give up. She grieves for how close they’ve come, but her determination is renewed by the troop’s positive spirit and their resolve inspires her to continue. Though, Phyllis’s moment of despair produced this adorable quote that we just have to use for future reference.

Didn’t it frost your cookies every time Velda tried to destroy Troop Beverly Hills? With their victory and her new job at Kmart, it looks like Velda’s the one whose cookies have been frosted. Evil never wins.

NEXT: Hocus Pocus: The 10 Most Hilarious Quotes

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Bài viết Troop Beverly Hills: 10 Of Phyllis Nefler’s Most Hilarious Quotes – Screen Rant đã xuất hiện đầu tiên vào ngày Funface.

from Funface https://funface.net/funny-quotes/troop-beverly-hills-10-of-phyllis-neflers-most-hilarious-quotes-screen-rant/

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airoasis · 5 years

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Eyelash Extensions 101 | Full Tutorial on Application

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/eyelash-extensions-101-full-tutorial-on-application-2/

Eyelash Extensions 101 | Full Tutorial on Application

Hey guys! Welcome again to my channel thank you for tuning in today. We’re gonna go over eyelash extensions 101 so the consumer i’m gonna demonstrate on, she wanted a very usual eyelash set… That is the patron’s very first time of ever getting eyelash extensions so i am going to illustrate how I explain and how I advisor them via the procedure so they are not scared and they’re relaxed in the course of it so i will cover the prepping, the applying, what I do with them it should be the full-on procedure and i’m going to reply suggestions and tricks as i go so it can be style of a long video so if it is if unique constituents that you believe like you don’t maintain or you recognize the best way to do i’ll put a breakdown of the time of which question I reply and what time of the video and which you can simply pass through and get your questions answered but truly let me learn you the list of the questions i’m gonna answer a while i’m doing the whole set of basic natural look on this client.K so on this video i will go over find out how to tape down the bottom lashes or use underneath eye patches for those who opt for to where to situation the eyelash extension so you can location it or apply it to the client’s ordinary eyelashes and the reasoning at the back of that and how I decide upon the curl and the length founded on what the consumer needs on this video she wants an awfully typical seem so and it is her very first time of ever getting eyelash extensions so i am gonna go over how I prefer the lashes to make sure it is not gonna be too dramatic for anyone who’s under no circumstances had eyelash extensions. I will also go over the options of customers who’ve very straight eyelashes how one can investigate for those who will have to do the eyelash extensions what curl to choose for them or if it’s a better choice to do a raise after which do the eyelash extensions on high of them i’m going to also cover what what to do in the approach if the patron is establishing to consider uncomfortable or if the tape underneath eye patches sort of moved and it’s itching them or find out how to isolate and observe the eyelash extension on top of the typical lashes.I will additionally reply the question of what to do with youngster lashes if it is k to apply an extension on there or not and tips on how to assess that how much glue to use and where to select up the eyelash from… I quit! So very first thing we’re gonna do is tape down your bottom eyelashes to look after them from sticking to the highest okay so um it’s a bit weird but it’s no longer uncomfortable or it would not damage so it can be just a bit weird when your eyes are open however once you shut them you do not really consider anything okay so open for me k I know it’s super bizarre ok there we go and this is to guard them from touching the highest ok i’ll offer you a break k try opening again or let your eyes unfastened variety of close them but let them loose and i’m going to just carry there with out opening them k commonly that is more at ease okay that used to be the worst section I promise is that okay k it’s now not a nasty one that’s cool don’t worry about your eyes twitching slightly preserve it closed they will come down once they trust me.I’m just gonna put somewhat additional layer of clear tape on high of that tape identical method and this is typically to have a smoother floor just in case if any of the lashes get caught we will conveniently just peel them off without detrimental or hurting your usual lashes ok Worse than surgical procedure? I do know the primary-time so it is super bizarre but I promise. So now i am gonna simply put this tissue on your forehead ok only a tissue i’m gonna gently tape it down this is what i’m gonna use to position the extension so one can practice it to your usual eyelashes okay and to additionally not have my palms stick with your brow.Only a tiny bit longer than yours looks like So i’m gonna do a D curl which is a little bit bit extra curly due to the fact your traditional eyelashes are so straight this curl will aid it have more curl so what it is, simply, the extension itself is curlier so the bottom of the extension is connected to your average eyelash after which the relaxation of it is going to curl up. It won’t curl your average eyelashes but the way it sits on there it look curly total and i’m going to style of additionally maybe create somewhat little bit of a double layer influence for your ordinary eyelashes when you consider that they’re a bit of bit straighter and it would supply it, it gives it a relatively fine appear. So a different option with straight eyelashes is we have now a elevate or a perm system so if you want your typical eyelashes to stay completely curly for 2 months then we can just do that and we will curl them and it stays like that for two months and then if you want it extra dramatic than we can add extensions so a number of instances men and women are ok with just having the curlier extensions, normally humans that want them particularly curly then they’d curl their normal eyelashes if they have them really particularly straight after which put the extensions on the top but due to the fact that you wish to have a usual this should be best you don’t have got to memorize that we will be able to write it down and your system so should you like it or if we need to prepare something to vary in case your gonna get them filled we will always we will normally have a starting point and keep making minor changes to get that superb look you need however I feel you’ll be able to be joyful with this in view that also in case you open your eye when the glue’s not thoroughly dry, it kinda stings or tingles so anytime you are gonna open or gonna alter some thing I need to make sure we fully dry it earlier than we repair or we organize the tape otherwise you open okay so don’t open until I let you know truly.Yeah it’s the tape that is it Yeah preserve it closed okay it is the interior corner or each? Did that aid? Generally it sneaks up at the same time it is closed, it simply wiggles up. Is that better overall? Okay if it kind of strikes up again and it’s itching you let me understand ok Do you mind if I do like a little speaking for the video? K so I zoomed in the video so that you guys can see how i am keeping apart making certain that there is just one usual eyelash in between my tweezers earlier than I practice the extension k and it’s very predominant to do that and no longer stick whatever together on account that that is when which you could reason damage to the natural eyelash for the reason that each eyelash has a further growth fee so if too many matters are stuck together like that and one is making an attempt to grow out and the one subsequent to it is not ready to grow or yeah grow yet it can be gonna be pulling, pulling the eyelash that’s now not in a position to grow.. Does that make sense? I hope it is smart! Ok, if it doesn’t make experience remark below, i will give an explanation for more but clearly very very most important for you to make certain nothing’s caught collectively and you are best applying one extension on one of the most common eyelashes ok and also if you will find how far i am applying them from the common growth of the eyelash line there it can be only one or two millimeters faraway from it ok you don’t want it to contact the epidermis due to the fact that that is when that you would be able to rationale infection or close the pore of hair follicle but you also do not want it too a long way so it would not appear humorous okay so about one to 2 millimeters correct there and i want to exhibit you guys you see how there’s all these little little one hairs round this one eyelash if they’re very very tiny do not observe it on these however for example this one’s just a little bit thicker we can nonetheless apply a shorter lash on it given that the extra we apply the longer they’re gonna final.On account that customers or because all people loses 1 to 5 hairs a day, you want to attempt to place it on nearly every single eyelash unless they may be very very tiny little one hairs and the guideline of thumb is you under no circumstances need to practice more than double the amount of extension as the typical eyelash so if the natural eyelash is ready that thick I in no way want to put anything more than double the thickness of that ok or else it’s gonna be too heavy and it’s not gonna support it.I additionally need to exhibit you how to dip the eyelash extension in the glue in view that some people put too much glue or have no idea what’s enough to be certain it can be gonna be appropriate so what I do what my trick is in the event you guys can see my little glue ring over here after I take hold of the eyelash and you can find I seize it from almost on top of the place the hair is and that i dip it in more close to all the way unless it is no longer touching my tweezers and then I style of wipe it on the rim of the glue ring and then I practice it so like that i am getting adequate disbursed all over the place the eyelash but i am not losing time into you recognize removing any excess over right here or yeah i’m hoping that is sensible.I’m gonna attempt to focal point on the glue ring so you guys can see k so grab an eyelash i am grabbing it virtually from the highest and i am dipping it in nearly the place my tweezers are and i am wiping on the rim and then it goes on the traditional eyelash. See there may be a baby hair attaching to it so i’ll gently peel that off to make certain nothing’s stuck collectively. Sorry there it wasn’t specializing in this so there used to be this little child hair that was connected to my eyelash extension all I did used to be form of peel it off from it to make certain nothing’s stuck to nothing’s stuck collectively alright to protect the health of the normal eyelash.Now they’re getting beautiful full so it is more difficult for me to seek out to any extent further empty typical eyelashes to apply on however i am gonna are trying my fine to look and make certain, make sure that we’re placing on almost or each single considered one of her ordinary lashes. See once I went again and appeared for it once more I located one other one so i am gonna go forward and practice an extra one i am gonna maintain searching. Oh look there’s another one so continuously double double assess to ensure you received each single eyelash if you wish to have a good full set i guess given that for those who don’t put ample they won’t final as lengthy given that we do lose one to five a day k it should seem just right at first however they will not last so you wish to have to make certain that you are double-checking despite the fact that it looks relatively full now that it looks like I put it on each single eyelash i am nonetheless gonna go in there and variety of lift them and seem round to look if there may be anything that I would have overlooked the primary time around appear there is a different so do the due diligence and take additional five minutes to do this and that’s what’s going to set you apart compared to anyone who would not take their time to do that for his or her consumers and of direction that’s what makes a loyal patron or a joyful patron and you that’s your purpose to ensure everyone’s blissful.I need to dry them particularly well so it doesn’t burn while you open i’m gonna go forward and untape this section. We are going to assess to make certain nothing is caught we’re excellent. So hold it close i am gonna gently take the tape out I might pull a bit, should now not be too unhealthy however we’re gonna try to dry a little bit extra and i’ll also need to tape this part so you could open *BLOOPERS* She also asks the question in there hi guys welcome again to my channel Yegi right here I want to go over… In a few days i’m going to go forward and submit one other video so that what happened with this consumer used to be clearly once we have been accomplished along with her very first time ever doing eyelash extensions she inspiration they looked means too traditional ok so plenty of occasions it is higher and it is safer to go extra natural for a purchaser who’s under no circumstances had them before considering the fact that if they’re now not used to it many times they suppose oh my god is too dramatic it is too much and it can be more difficult to dispose of them then add a couple of additional k so what I so in few days i’m going to post a video of how I control that situation and the way I became it right into a hybrid seem to give her a little bit fuller look and maintain her blissful and yes that is i am carried out for at present.Bye! .

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