#ALSO BRAZILIAN COFFEE IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD SO I THINK HE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE A LITTLE LATIN

[thewardenisonthecase]

as a latin american myself, the urge to latinze lucanis is ever so tempting

[danielxricciardo]

Winner

Summary: You met Pierre at the Brazilian Grand Prix and for 3 months you couldn't get in touch.

Warnings: fluff, like 2 swear words

Word count: 2.3k

This one was requested by @jugasly and I know it is not exactly what she wanted but I really tried and I hope you liked it!

Avenida Paulista's Boulevard catches the eye especially through the skyscrapers similar to those in the big North American cities. Brazil's most modern city has much to offer tourists around the world. The most beautiful museums in South America can be found here, the shore is furrowed with lots of sunny beaches. And its nightlife has attracted many tourists.

The largest city in South America makes New York look small. The buses make an unbearable noise and black smoke spreads over the upper floors of the skyscrapers which, through the heat that maintains it during the day, turn the city into a real hell.

I felt myself waking up but I was determined to keep my eyes closed for a little longer but in a few seconds I was awakened violently by the sound of car engines. That's what I deserve for booking the hotel next to the Formula 1 circuit.

You reluctantly got out of bed and went to the window. I saw how the Formula 1 cars are brought on the circuit and I look at my watch. Fuck, it was pre-qualification practice, did I really sleep that much? Honestly, I arrived in the room at 5 o'clock and at 6 I fell asleep so I shouldn't have been so surprised that I slept in.

I was in Brazil with my two best friends to watch a Formula 1 race live and we chose Brazil because we needed a good reason to leave Europe and visit South America for a week, right?

I woke up my friends and in less than half an hour we were leaving the hotel, running, with a big cup of coffee in our hand.

We passed quickly through the front gate, all we needed now was to find our seats.

All around us could be heard the cars speeding on the circuit. My skin was goosebumps and I was looking at my friends who had the same smile on their faces that I think I had.

We find our seats and watch the last 15 minutes of training. We held in our hands the tickets that gave us access to the paddock. We were going to go there after the drivers returned to the garages.

My eyes were searching for Aston Martin Hospitality. I knew that if I returned home from this Grand Prix without an autograph from Sebastian Vettel for my father, I could very well stay in Brazil for the rest of my life.

Being so focused on looking for the green building, I didn't realize that someone was coming in front of me only when I hit a hard chest. I heard my girlfriends gasping. Fuck, I just hope I didn't run into Toto Wolff.

I open my eyes slightly and see a driver's suit, white and blue. Alpha Tauri?

I look up at the driver's face. To be damned. Pierre Gasly. With ruffled hair and a red face, Pierre Gasly was in front of me.

"I'm really, really sorry, I didn't look where I was going. Sorry!" I say and take a step back, stepping out of his personal space.

As I walked away from him, I saw that he was not alone but with Pyry.

"It's okay, I wasn't looking where I was going either," he says, running his hand through his hair, trying to fix it.

I smile at them and then I look at my friends giggling at our embarrassing date.

Pyry motions to Pierre to someone behind me and that makes him take his eyes off me.

"Oh, I have to go," he tells me. "Have fun."

I stood still for a few moments, unable to move. I just met my favorite driver and it couldn't be more embarrassed than that.

"The first meeting with your children's future father was very good." my best friend, Lila, tells me.

"Shut up."

The fact that I found Aston Martin Hospitality and managed to get the autograph for my father and I could take a few pictures with Sebastian Vettel erased the embarrassment caused by the disastrous meeting I had with Pierre Gasly.

For a little time.

As soon as we got out of Aston Martin Hospitality Lila pulled us to McLaren Hospitality, hoping to meet Lando Norris and take some pictures with him, about 100, but who's counting, right?

I was with my head on the phone, sending my father some pictures I took with Sebastian Vettel when I came across someone, this time I lost my balance and I was about to fall but two strong arms caught me. Pierre Gasly, again.

"Honestly, we should stop meeting like this, you could get hurt," he says and laughs. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," I say and bite my lip. "I should really start looking where I'm going."

My friends secretly took pictures of us.

"It's the second time we've met in less than 10 minutes, maybe the universe wants to tell us something, don't you think?" he says and holds out his hand. "Pierre."

I hold out my hand and smile wide. "Y/N."

I turn my gaze to Lila and Erica, presenting them to Pierre as well.

"I hope you feel good in the paddock. So far, the world has been nice to you and your friends?"

"Yes, everything has been good so far. We've only been to Aston Martin and they've all been very nice to us. Except for a few people who don't look where they're going, we haven't had any unexpected events." I say and laugh.

Pierre starts laughing too.

"Yes, I will try to look after you from now on and avoid you. I don't want to be the reason you fall. Although, if something happens, I know the medical team and you don't need medical insurance here."

I asked Pierre if he wanted to take some pictures with me and he accepted immediately. At least that's what I can do after I've run into you twice already.

For the next few hours, Lila and Erica, and I walked from one Hospitality to another, looking for drivers. They were all very nice to us and agreed to pose with us.

When it was time to start qualifying, we went to the room provided by McLaren for guests to watch.

I followed Pierre's position in the standings, Lila followed Lando's position and Erica followed Max's position. All three of us breathed a sigh of relief when the three boys passed into Q3.

Lando will leave from the seventh position tomorrow.

Pierre will start from the fourth position.

Max will start from pole position.

The three of us went to the hotel, ready to rest well for the next day.

If the atmosphere for qualifying had seemed charged to me, then the atmosphere before the race could not be described.

Yesterday everyone was behaving nicely and they were smiling. Now everyone was running past everyone, there were many screams and many curses could be heard. And everyone was frowning, not a smile in sight.

We didn't see any drivers, so we headed to McLaren Hospitality to get comfortable for the race. I unwittingly was disappointed. I wanted to see Pierre before the race to wish him good luck.

Although I hadn't wished him good luck, Pierre was lucky. He finished the race in second place, behind Max Verstappen. I was very happy and I wanted to go and congratulate him as soon as possible.

I watched the award from the window, filming and taking pictures which I was sure I would cherish for a long time to come.

"Congratulations!" I scream when I see him and he looks at me. "It was a very good race, congratulations!"

"Thank you!" he says and smiles at me.

I asked my friends to take some pictures with the trophy and champagne and then Pierre left, being shouted by someone from the team.

"Stay here, I'd like to see you one more time before you have to leave."

I could die then and there when I heard his words. Pierre Gasly wanted to see me again.

It's just that it hasn't happened before. We stayed there for another two hours and Pierre could not be found. It was getting late and everyone was starting to leave, so we left.

Monza is the most important economic, industrial and administrative center of the Brianza sub-region, being the third-largest city in Lombardy, with a population of about 120,000 inhabitants. When people think of Monza, the first thing that comes to mind is the famous Formula 1 Grand Prix that is held here every year.

Although many may think that Milan eclipses this smaller city, Monza should not be dismissed, having an absolutely sublime historical architecture, such as the Cathedral and the Leoni Bridge, but also features the huge Parco di Monza and of course the famous Formula 1 Autodromo.

The historic center of Monza stretches over a large area and in this area, you can find most historical sites and a guided tour of the history of cities.

Three months have passed since the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Three months since I first saw Pierre Gasly.

Although I have pictures of the two of us, I can't help but regret the fact that I didn't see him then; I will probably never see him again.

The exams passed and to relax completely my father and I got tickets to the Italian Grand Prix.

What I didn't know was that my father had taken VIP tickets.

That means we're going to the paddock.

Does that mean I can meet Pierre?

I tried not to have too many hopes, in the end, there are thousands of people there, I can't meet him, can I?

I didn't meet him on Friday. It had been the two practice sessions, everyone was as relaxed as possible, my father took pictures with everyone he saw, but Pierre was nowhere to be seen.

On Saturday we were late and did not catch the practice, but we saw the qualifications. Pierre starts from the tenth position. To be honest, I didn't have high expectations for tomorrow's race for Pierre.

And man I was wrong about that.

The whole race I was speechless. I heard my father from lap 23 and to the end cursing the accident that took Charles Leclerc out of the race.

My eyes were only on car number 10. I had the impression that I was blinking only when the camera moved to another car. I forgot to breathe when I saw the overtaking he was doing.

But he won.

Pierre Gasly won in Monza. His first ever Formula One career win and it was my home race.

Before we went out in the paddock looking for Pierre, after the premiere, I wiped away the tears I didn't know I had.

It wasn't hard for me to find him. Where there were a lot of people screaming and chanting, he must have been there too.

And I was right. He is enjoying his first victory with the whole team. Everyone wanted to hug and congratulate him.

As if he noticed my presence among the hundreds of people who were there, Pierre looked at me. I noticed his face light up and he came towards me.

"Y/N!" he says and hugs me.

I'm sure my father was shocked somewhere in the back. I hadn't told him that I had met Pierre, but after this hug, I will definitely have to explain to him what the situation is.

"Congratulations!" I tell him and I smile broadly. "First victory! Wow!"

He shrugs nonchalantly.

"I was lucky."

I laugh and hit him playfully in the shoulder.

"With Hamilton being penalized? You would have overtaken him without that penalty."

He looked into my eyes.

"I haven't found you after the race in Brazil."

The fact that he remembered had taken me by surprise. I was sure he couldn't remember the fact that he had proposed to me to stay on the circuit so that he could see me one more time.

I was sure that the second he left, he forgot what I looked like and forgot my name.

But no. He still knew me. He still knew my name and knew we had to see each other.

"I haven't seen you there before and I left after about two hours, it was getting late."

"I'm sorry, the teamwork had taken longer than I initially anticipated. When I went to look for you, no one was there. Then I realized I didn't even have your phone number. I tried to look for you on Instagram, but do you know how many girls are there with your name?"

I laughed.

"Well, I could give my phone number to the race winner now, if he wants it, of course. Do you think he would accept it?" you ask laughing.

Pierre blushes and bites his lip.

"I'm sure he would accept."

I take out of my bag the notebook and pen I was carrying with me to receive the drivers' autographs and write my phone number. I hand him the sheet just as Pierre is being taken by some engineers to the garage to celebrate the victory.

I laugh and wave at him.

I was at home with my father, watching a boring movie on Netflix. I've been looking at the phone constantly since last night, waiting for a message from Pierre but I haven't received anything.

"Ugh, this movie is so boring," I say and take my phone off the table. "Let me look for a more interesting one."

That's when I receive a message from a number I didn't save. I received a picture.

It was the picture with the prize Pierre received.

"The winner of the race has received your number and is wondering if you are free to dine with him."

I bit my lip, unable to control the smile on my face.

"If the winner of the race wants to go out on a date with me, who am I to say no?"

"8 o'clock?"

"I'll send you the address right away."

[justalost4girl]

" If anything can go wrong, it will."

Good night!! (Here it's still night :p )

A few weeks ago I said I would do a oneshot Lorraine Broughton x F! Reader, but it got too big so I decided to follow the initial idea and turn it into a mini series. I have two chapters written and I'm going to post them here and in Ao3, I think there will be 3 or 4 chapters in total, but I'm not sure yet.

English is not my first language, so all mistakes are mine.

Enjoy!!

warnings: mention of violence, R cursing, forgery of documents (?)

Words: 4573

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1989

Berlin, East Side

You feel in your bones, when you wake up, the consequences of last night and think that the famous Murphy's Law decided to test you. On this side of the wall few things go right, but having an order in your head two days after joining STASI's wanted list proves that nothing is so bad it can't get any worse. Courtesy of a dumb customer who messed with the wrong people and thought revealing where you find your customers would be enough information to escape death. The Local Gang (or Angels, as they call themselves) loves to eliminate competition from the market.

Now he's dead and you have to deal with the STASI AND the Local Gang (you refuse to call them Angels).

The local fucking gang that sent a team of idiots to break into your favorite bar and made you run out the back door before meeting a customer who was going to pay well. The local fucking gang who must be pissed that you shot the six dumbest members you've ever had to face in your life. No really fatal shots, but of course that won't matter as they do business with the KGB.

Sometimes you want to ignore the rules you've made for yourself, especially "never kill someone unless it's in defense of yourself or someone you love", but you think killing six agents who don't have the ability to set up an ambush of success would be a great waste of bullets. Now you know you're going to have to leave town soon and you have no idea how to break the news to your brother/partner, how do you honorably abandon a war before it's over?

Damn Murphy's Law

You know you need to sort this out, but you refuse to stay in bed crying over what's already written and decide to leave the wonderful Egyptian linen sheets you got from your favorite client last month to face the world and it's impossible to face the world without a good amount of coffee. After a quick shower with a cup of Blue Mountain in hand, your newest addiction, you sit in a robe in a nice armchair, look out the window at dying Berlin and thank heaven for the comfortable life you've earned by working with one of the greatest smugglers on this side of the wall, perhaps from all over Germany. Some desperate customers offer you valuable items from them in exchange for passports and unlike your idiot “brother”, you don't have a rule about only receiving cash. Almost everything here comes from gifts, from the sofa, pictures, bags, clothes and even some books on your shelf. You don't even remember buying that cup, or the coffee set, for gods' sake.

If he saw you now he'd complain about being soft with customers and say something about how items aren't a bargaining chip in the real world, you'd get into a tiresome discussion about enjoying the finer things in life and how bills don't compare in the importance of yours. silver chain with moon pendant that was once an amulet for more than three generations for a French family.

At the end of the day, Merkel has a large information network and an office that takes up half the block, where she keeps as much money as she has secrets, and you have a house decorated by other people where each object symbolizes someone you've helped.

Four walls don't make a house

The thought takes away some of the almost peace you feel and you decide to finish your coffee before it gets cold.

After a quick glance at the calendar you remember about the march that will take place in Alexanderplatz square and decide to go scream for Germany one last time, hopefully you'll be able to hide long enough to see the fall of the damn wall that divides this country. It's not your country, not really, you don't even like to remember how you got here, but the experiences you gained wouldn't be exchanged for anything, not even for an original Van Gogh. Also, Merkel asked you to go and bring a black umbrella, the reason was not explained and you didn't feel like asking, sometimes you think Gordon Merkel is not his name, but how to judge the man who is your only family in this end of the world? You smile when you remember that he shouldn't have an umbrella with a story as cool as his and decide to piss him off for it.

Your phone rings, and you notice you've lost track of time. Merkel was helping a blonde woman named L, he didn't give you more details other than a few stories about how she was a perfect and dangerous assassin that you should keep your distance, as few people know how to deal with her. You thought he overreacted, but you had to take over some business from him while she was in town. She seemed important considering the way he told you about her and you knew better than to deny help to the person who always supported you and declared himself a brother, you trusted him because not even the best agent in the world could fake so much sincerity and affection in claiming this title for himself.

You reach out, pick up the phone, and decide to answer it. “Hey little sister, how are you out there? I called to say that everything is fine for dinner today, but there was a mishap and the wine ran out, bring the best Bordeaux you have, I'll return the courtesy as soon as possible." A code, of course.

He needs your services ASAP. Wine is a passport, Bordeaux means two elements, courtesy involves a child.

You can combine business with pleasure "Hi brother. I'm looking forward to today, I'll take the best wine I have, don't worry. I already know how you can thank me. I need to clean the house and go to the office first, but I'll be there on time. wait for me." you say in a voice that oozes normalcy, you never know when someone's listening on the phone especially now that you're a fugitive, disgraced customer. Your body sinks into the armchair noticing the oncoming cloud of worry

Merkel now knows you need his help, as cleaning the house means getting away and going to the office shows you're in a hurry.

"Alright, do you want me to send the driver?" He asks like he's not freaking out and offering the bloody job of one of his mercenaries

“No, bro, thanks, I know the way.” You say as if you really have an escape plan besides getting a fake passport, emergency backpack and all the money you can find.

“See you later, don't forget the wine. Are you sure you don't want the driver?" You wonder if he has forgotten that knowing the way literally means everything is fine

“Relax, see you later” It takes a few seconds for him to hang up and you can hear his sigh.

He will be SO pissed.

You put the phone down as you get up to gather the passport forgery materials and put them in a briefcase. Your cookbook is already there along with some banknotes from different countries. As you pick up the black backpack of standard clothes and accessories that always waited for you in the corner of the door, you decide to wear the first jacket you bought, the dark blue jeans, the combat boots you got from a skinhead, the wristwatch you bought. you got for your brother's birthday, thick leather gloves and a thin white shirt that matches the rest of your outfit. After all, if you can die when you open the door, then die well dressed. Be sure to keep the Colt 1911 around your waist and the Russian dagger around your ankle, after yesterday you never know, Your pocket watch with the coat of arms of the Brazilian imperial family indicates that 15 minutes have passed since Merkel's phone call

You take one last look at the house you've been so proud of in recent years, snap a photo with the Polaroid you've won, and, with a bittersweet smile, close the door. One day when the wall comes down, the government changes and your face is forgotten, you can come back here, until then you will have to make do with the photo album you keep in your backpack and this photo.

Putting on your sunglasses, you arrive on the street and decide to take a taxi on the other corner, make sure you look around before leaving your home, no one knows your address, but you can't be sure the local gang is so stupid to the point of not following you after last night.

Getting a taxi was relatively easy. Neil, the driver, thanks to the boots, mistook you for a revolutionary and talked for 10 minutes about how he hoped he could take down the wall with his bare hands, you thought it was cool, but as you passed the big river that was just a few blocks away from the your brother's office, you couldn't hear a word from him.

A sign signaling that the river was closed to visitors made your eyes fill with tears. You used to go there when the day was bad, spread a blanket in a corner and watch the stars, or just laugh at the distinct reflection the water made of the moon and stars. Merkel accompanied you on anniversaries, justifying them as bonding experiences. After some freaks started swimming in the river and executions increased, STASI took over and you replaced the dark water for the restaurant's bright lights. But seeing it tightly closed gave him a feeling of anguish and rancor. You would silently curse the wall builders for the rest of the trip.

Neil seemed to notice but didn't comment on it, you thanked him, wiped your tears and left a good tip as you descended a block away from your final destination. This time you didn't need to look around because even though Merkel was super busy, he made sure to leave some security close to where your landing place was.

A tall man dressed in a red T-shirt approached you and hugged you as if he hadn't seen you in a long time. You've known him since the beginning of last year, when he arrived at Merkel's office begging for a job, and from the first moment the way he turned grief over his brother's death into a thirst for revolution made you admire the young man. The two of you walked through the great gate hand in hand as you asked about his life with genuine interest, and Klaus increasingly believed in Merkel's theory about you having such a pure heart that you didn't care about motivation or the number of lives they took, your explanation of the judgment not being your responsibility, crossed the man's head before he escorted you to the main office.

You thanked him with a smile, opened the door and stood in front of the table in the windowless room, where your brother was already waiting for you.

"What the hell happened? Are you okay? I was about to send J to get you, please tell me what happened"—he said hurriedly as he got up and pointed at the couch for you to sit on. J was one of the most dangerous women in the building and you were grateful for not wasting her time.

Putting your backpack and umbrella aside, you answered:

"I'll explain later, little brother, now let me help you. You need passports urgently, don't you?" Yes, you were stalling and postponing the conversation. He'd call you an idiot for going out on the street right after you got on the wanted list, and he'd feel guilty when he found out why you didn't tell him. Merkel wasn't going to understand that her fear of failing him was no one's fault but yourself.

Your sentence seemed to give him some responsibility back, but still, as he held out a glass of water for you, his eyes met yours with a glint that warned that this conversation was far from over.

"Yeah, I really do, but don't think I'm going to forget about it. Let's talk when this is all over. Even if it's the last thing I do today."

You accepted the glass with a bit of trepidation and stood up towards the large center table while opening the briefcase with the supplies you were going to need, if Merkel noticed the bills he didn't say anything. Once at the table, you made two passports for mother and daughter in record time. According to the clock, 10 minutes passed, faster than a car, this deserves a celebration. It would have been six if Merkel hadn't been so curious to make you waste time pulling your watch out of your pocket just for him to analyze.

Everything was going well and there was only one last detail for mother and daughter to be taken by one Percival to the other side of the wall. Percival, according to Merkel, was strange and fickle. Unreliable and extremely dangerous, you should also keep your distance from him, as this man had crucial contacts on both sides of the wall.

"He must have fewer contacts than you", you would answer

If a loud noise didn't break the silence

The annoying noise of the door creaking made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you almost missed the last signature, it made your body vibrate with irritation and your eyes follow to the offensive source of the sound. A tall man with short hair and blue eyes was holding the doorknob with a military posture and before you could release your anger and explain something about how people shouldn't be violent inside Merkel's office you noticed he was accompanied by a woman.

AND WHAT A WOMAN!

Your eyes connected to a pair of fierce, intent green eyes, surrounded by a pale skin tone and hair so blond it looked like snow. The barely perceptible frown showed she was surprised to find someone other than Merkel there, yet she looked ready for a battle. You looked into her eyes again and nodded in acknowledgment, this must be L, the woman he was talking about.

She looked at you suspiciously, but also as if she could see into your soul, and what must have been frightening, you found endearing. A few stories of murders orchestrated by her crossed your mind, but all you could imagine is how beautiful she must be when she's mad.

They say green eyes darken when we're high on adrenaline, does that happen to her?

Her analysis of the intriguing blonde ends when she notices that the man accompanying her has raised his voice and from his furious expression, it's not the first time he's repeated the question. You interrupt him before you hear him and make sure to direct the ghost of anger before him:

"Have you lost your mind? Who walks into the office without knocking? Surely you should be here asking about passports, but if it weren't for my experience and steady hands, they would be in the trash by now. Learn to be civilized. You're under two paws not four, so act human and not animal" you say in an explosive but articulate tone to make sure he understands what you say. Sometimes when you speak fast, you are betrayed by faulty diction. Not today. Today you want this man to feel every fiber of irritation that went through his body.

Hearing Merkel holding a nervous laugh, you try to relax, but judging by the cold, almost murderous look of the man in the doorway, you've definitely gotten yourself in trouble. Looking at the organized clothes, you notice it's an old police uniform, probably taken by your brother, and unless Merkel has hired new employees, you've never seen it around here. His eyes snap back to his and something inside you warns that this must be Percival. He probably wants to kill you.

Damn Murphy's Law

A brief silence settles in the room and you shake off the fear and turn away, refusing to play the glaring game with a man who almost spoils your art. On other days you might look at him at a party, but today you want to make him swallow the ink on the stamp in his hands and invite the blonde to dinner

And it's her voice that breaks the silence.

You're flipping through the two passports for failures when she says

"Sorry, miss. My friend is an unprecedented idiot. Shall I close the door and knock again? Perhaps your highness too--"

You turn her body towards her when you hear the slightest hint of irony in her tone and interrupt her with a fake smile as you look into her eyes.

"It's not necessary, I accept your apology, Miss. I always said that Merkel should have someone armed at the door to remind everyone of the need to knock on the door. Anyone who didn't knock would lose his mind as the law of my reign says. Perhaps I should start. for him, since the top head is the last thing he wears lately" you joke look at Merkel who doesn't seem offended by the statement, shrugging you look at those blue eyes again and say "the passports are ready. Let's get out of here."

You close the passports, reach for your backpack and umbrella and start moving towards the door, both agents let you lead the way and judging by the blonde's expression, she's not used to being interrupted, nor is she used to seeing someone talking like that with Merkel, but today it was acceptable. You really think she's adorable, but you know better than to let someone make fun of you, especially in front of your brother who wouldn't let you forget about it. Either she doesn't care, or she's a great actress. Anyway, that idiot is still by her side and you refuse to be the reason for his possible laugh.

Her friend probably didn't have the same acting classes and his resemblance to the local gang members, like he's going to kill you in the blink of an eye in a cowardly way, is almost frightening. If Merkel hadn't said L is a woman, you'd be scared. It makes you shiver a little and look for Merkel, but he's not following you. Looking over his shoulder you see him putting a few more piles of dollars and euros into your briefcase. With a snap of your fingers you get his attention and before you walk out the door, you hear the briefcase click closing.

Once out of the room, you look around and realize that nothing has really changed, all faces are familiar, except for three people: a couple talking to a child. After a brief analysis you find yourself facing the passport clients, mother and daughter. The man doesn't look older than 60 and has kind eyes, almost as if he doesn't live on this side of the wall.

They don't seem to notice you

Your observation is interrupted by Merkel's loud, proud voice, right behind you. Here it comes

"This is Elizabeth Loyd and Percival, two trusted clients. Elizabeth and Percival, this is my little sister, she will be on the march today, if you need anything in the future you can talk to her."

Hearing her name, you notice that Merkel really wasn't creative at all. Who would use the initial letter of a surname as a symbol? Anyone who heard the stories about L and met a loyde who knows a Merkel would make the connection. As you turn around, you swallow your nervousness and try to put on your best smile as you say your name to them. The blonde woman who finally has a name, Elizabeth, leans closer, her eyes never leaving yours, and you wonder if she can feel the jumble of emotions that is unraveling inside you.

She smiles a smile that makes you sure she does and reaches out and greets you with a firm grip, if she noticed the sweat on your hands, she didn't let on. She also looks a little more comfortable.

Maybe because she noticed you said her real name, idiot.

You hate yourself for one second and the next you want to be without gloves because it feels soft and warm.

The man, Percival, comes next and looks at you suspiciously and the smile fades from your face, you wonder if no one else can smell the strong smell he gives off, a smell of cheap whiskey and arrogance. Still, he holds out his hand and this time you thank the gods for the gloves. Make sure you don't bow your head or fail in your posture. He still looks at you like you killed his son. Useless even to pretend, for God's sake.

Merkel watches the exchange from afar and nods to Elizabeth, she responds and Percival walks away looking uneasy. You look around uncomprehendingly, feel a little left out, and wonder which computer must have Tetris installed.

You would kill for a distraction right now.

Going out on the street in a crowded march while being chased by two groups still makes you sick.

Your brother approaches and extends his hands around you. You've missed him for the past few weeks. He still wears the perfume you gave him for his birthday and it makes you sink deeper into the hug. You know he's going to be mad when he finds out what happened so you enjoy as much affection as you can

"Little sister, in addition to our conversation I need to tell you something" his voice is low in tone and you doubt you would understand the words if you weren't so close to him "but I can't do that until the march is over. Meet me at usual table at the restaurant where we celebrate our achievements, It's very important"

His even low voice is charged with strong emotion and you are genuinely worried, Merkel has never been like this before.

"I'll do it, brother, I promise. Whatever it is, we can work it out together" you say with all the certainty you can muster in your voice, because you need him to understand that this is true.

You feel eyes on you and as you look up you notice that Elizabeth keeps an eye on your exchange with Merkel while talking to the little girl's father, from the distance she probably can't understand anything and you don't know if she celebrates or cares with so much attention received. A little further away is a Percival who pretends to be busy with the coat he's wearing. He also pays attention to your exchange, but his talent for discretion is as effective as his ability to open doors.

Your eyes return to the concentrated blue eyes that are in front of you and Merkel speaks in an almost inaudible way:

"When I whistle, I need you to raise your open umbrella and stay alert. The three people we're going to cross are very important, nothing can go wrong. But if it does, I'll be at the restaurant, whatever happens find me there."

Noticing the proximity of Percival and Elizabeth, you place your hand on your brother's shoulder and smile as you speak a little louder:

"Don't worry man, it's always a pleasure to help you. I'll leave my briefcase here, then meet you to get it. Good march."

Merkel shows that she understands his strange move and smiles, you greet some friends of his that you haven't seen in a while and as you head towards the exit, you meet a pair of deep green eyes. Elizabeth is gleaming in the cold lights that are refracted by the mosaic of the gate, she looks into your eyes, ever alert, looks at the object in your hands and nods her head with a half smile, do you think the guard's idea black rain was hers.

As you wave back, you can feel that a pair of eyes haven't left your back since the moment of your brother's embrace, as the old man is saying goodbye to the family, you know who they belong to and decide not to look for them. If the STASI, KGB or local gang find you, he doesn't own the pair of eyes you want to remember before you die.

Taking a deep breath, you walk through the gate and blend into the crowd.

..........................................................................................................................

After leaving Merkel's office block, you take a hat out of your backpack and wear your sunglasses as you look around, not that a local gang member is here but because if he sees you in disguise he will ask a series of questions and he has enough problems already, plus STASI must be monitoring this area and the last thing you want is to be arrested. You decide to tuck your coat into your backpack to change your look, and while internally debating your ability to ignore the cold, your eyes catch the almost snowy blond hair in the crowd.

This signals that they are already on the march and you decide to get a little closer to them, but make sure you do this without drawing attention to yourself since the nasty man is still there. Elizabeth is on your diagonal absorbing all the extraneous details that might be a possible threat, she seems so focused on the job of passing the owner's gentle eyes in a safe way that it makes you wonder how important he is and if she's noticed you.

A few meters later a familiar noise floats through the march and you open the umbrella almost instantly, as do other protesters.

Out of the corner of your eye you can see Percival taking the man's family across and sometime later Elizabeth does the same. You notice that her posture has changed and when she decides to stop for a better look, the crowd drags her and you can no longer locate her.

Her feet continue forward and as some signs are raised by the protesters, you try to find your brother. Unsuccessfully. You decide to trust their ability and hope that you can meet him again at the restaurant.

You also want Elizabeth to be okay.

Continuing on the march, after two or three long blocks you notice the familiar silhouette of one of the STASI bosses, he is watching the crowd as if looking for someone, but he doesn't seem to notice you. You notice observers on top of buildings and decide to leave the streets. Whether it's the Local Gang, KGB or STASI itself you don't know and decide you don't want to know.

Your brain tries to design routes to escape and your body mimics the movements of the closest protesters so as not to draw attention to you, but when some agents in black point in your direction and make space in the crowd, you run between people to seek shelter in somewhere you know and at every step you are sure that the day will be worse than you thought.

Damn Murphy's Law

[orbemnews]

Uprooting Colonialism From the Fossil-Finding Field In 2019, Mohamad Bazzi, a doctoral student at Uppsala University in Sweden, launched an expedition to Tunisia in search of fossils. He and his colleagues traveled to the phosphate mines around the city of Gafsa, where 56 million-year-old rocks record a time of rapidly warming oceans and mass extinctions, particularly of apex predators like sharks. Mr. Bazzi made some distinctive choices for this paleontological expedition. For starters, his team hired Tunisians to help dig, rather than bringing students from his university. Mr. Bazzi and his colleagues also chose to reach out to the residents of Gafsa wherever possible, holding impromptu lectures on the area’s fossil history to interested onlookers. This was a contrast with the secretiveness of many paleontologists in the field, who might worry about their sites being raided for the fossil black market. The fossils the team collected from Gafsa are important for learning more about how animals adapted to the hothouse world of the Eocene, a period that may foretell what’s in store for the planet in coming years if carbon emissions don’t slow. But while Mr. Bazzi’s team removed the fossils from Tunisia, they did so under an agreement with local institutions that Mr. Bazzi himself insisted on: After he finished his research, the remains would be returned. Historically, these specimens are seldom returned, and locals may never see them again. But Mr. Bazzi and his colleagues are part of a movement among the next generation of paleontological researchers, one attempting to change scientific practices that descend directly from 19th century colonialism, which exploited native peoples and their natural histories. Over the last few decades, multiple countries have demanded the return of looted art, antiquities, cultural treasures and human remains from museum collections in North America and Europe. Countries such as Mongolia and Chile have likewise demanded the return of collected fossils, from tyrannosaur bones to the preserved remains of giant ground sloths. “There’s a consistent pattern with these specimens of high scientific or aesthetic value, where they’re taken out of the developing world and shipped abroad to be displayed and shown to a wider audience elsewhere,” Mr. Bazzi said. “There should be some balance so that local parties have a say in what happens to them.” Many countries with less money to spend on funding their own scientists are home to important fossil deposits that could drive major advances of our understanding of the prehistoric world. If the field of paleontology is to move forward, these researchers say, it’s important to figure out how to study specimens in these places without extending colonial legacies. That will take the development of a different approach to the field, more like the ones being tried by Mr. Bazzi and other scientists that rely less on extraction and more on collaboration with and the development of local institutions. While many cultures throughout human history have long traditions around collecting or studying fossil remains, the discipline of scientific paleontology — as well as the formation of modern natural history museums — arose in the 18th century, when European powers were actively colonizing large swaths of the globe. According to Emma Dunne, an Irish paleontologist at University of Birmingham in England, European scientists were part of a colonial network that sucked natural wealth — including fossils — into imperial capitals. In the 20th century, some countries pushed back. Brazil and Argentina provide government funding of paleontology. Those countries and others, such as Mongolia, established laws forbidding the export of fossils from within their borders. The two South American countries also mandate that foreign researchers work with local paleontologists for research on fossils found in the country. “You still do have non-Argentinian researchers working with local ones, for example,” said Nussaibah Raja-Schoob, a Mauritian paleontologist based at Germany’s University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. “But you definitely see that there is a bigger local influence.” Even in the aftermath of colonialism, however, fossils from across the globe still tend to end up in American and European museums. Some are collected through approved scientific expeditions. But because fossils are also traded privately, fossil-rich countries with fewer resources and legal protections often see interesting and potentially valuable finds put up for auction in Western markets. Questions about where fossils belong and who is best suited to work on them have sparked sharp controversies in recent years. In some cases, researchers have raised concerns about the ethics of working on such privately collected fossils — particularly those which may have been exported illegally. At the same time, paleontologists in Western countries have bristled at the rules required by countries like Brazil. In one case in 2015, David Martill, a paleobiologist at the University of Portsmouth in England, dismissed questions about his team’s lack of collaboration with Brazilian researchers on a specimen found there. “I mean, do you want me also to have a Black person on the team for ethnicity reasons, and a cripple and a woman, and maybe a homosexual too just for a bit of all round balance?” he said in an interview at the time with Herton Escobar, a Brazilian science journalist. Dr. Martill said in an interview in December that he chose his words poorly. But he said he remains opposed to laws that dictate where fossils go. In 2020, he was a co-author of a paper on another find exported from Brazil and described without a Brazilian co-author. “I do not think governments should dictate who works on fossils,” he said. “I think scientists should be able to choose who they work with.” These sorts of controversies are one example of the way the discipline’s colonial history lingers, Ms. Raja-Schoob says. But there are others. Much of global paleontology is still conducted in languages like English, German and French. And according to an ongoing research project by Ms. Raja-Schoob and Dr. Dunne, countries with higher G.D.P.s — places like the United States, France, Germany and China — tend to report more fossil data, in part because they have the money to invest in academic paleontology programs. Many institutions around the world have neither the tools nor enough government support for sophisticated studies of fossils. But that is something scientific institutions from wealthier countries can help with. “We have to ask why we’re bringing this knowledge to the centers, rather than spreading it out,” Dr. Dunne said. “We can work with things like 3-D scans of fossils, we can work with digital data sets. The problem obviously is getting funding for museums to do this for themselves.” Ms. Raja-Schoob said that academic funding could promote geology and paleontology in more countries. “Why not put that money into local people doing something?” she asked. “At the end of the day we are all going to be using that data. So why should they not also benefit?” While the fossil riches present in the rocks of North Africa and the Levant have long drawn fossil hunters and scientists, Mr. Bazzi said, the majority of fieldwork has resulted in fossils being exported to European or American institutions. Mr. Bazzi’s parents are from Lebanon, while his colleague Yara Haridy — a doctoral student at Berlin’s Museum für Naturkunde — was born in Egypt. Because of the lack of opportunities, neither can find steady academic work in paleontology in the Middle East. As part of their trip to Gafsa, both wanted to try to start building up paleontological resources instead of just removing them. That was part of what led Mr. Bazzi and Ms. Haridy — after many careful conversations with local participants over coffee and tea — to the ruins of a museum in the small mining town of Métlaoui. The museum had been burned down during the protests of the 2011 Jasmine Revolution that helped trigger the Arab Spring. It had not been restored, and on their third day in Tunisia, a mining engineer told them it might be worth visiting. Stepping carefully through the ruins, they found an unexpected wealth of fossil material: immense turtle shells, crocodile jawbones, dinosaur vertebrae and even ancient human remains, all scattered across dusty floors and charred rubble. The collection had to be salvaged, the team decided, but not taken out of the country. “Every other question we got was, ‘Oh, are you guys going to take this stuff?,’” Ms. Haridy said. “And we told them, no, it’s yours. It should stay here. It’s part of this region’s story.” Instead, they partnered with the people of Métlaoui to help them save the remains. Within a day, the town’s mayor and other community authorities had assembled local workers and students from Gafsa University. Mr. Bazzi’s team handed out gloves and masks and a stream of Métlaoui residents went to work pulling fossils from the ruins. “It was a pretty big operation,” Ms. Haridy said. “Everyone got really excited.” The team cataloged the bones before boxing and sending them to a government facility in Gafsa. The hope is that the museum remains will provide the nucleus for an ongoing paleontology program at Gafsa University; Mr. Bazzi has been helping to supervise interested students. One such student, Mohammed Messai, said that he didn’t know much about paleontology before meeting Mr. Bazzi, but that he’s now made identifying the fossils recovered from the museum part of the research for his master’s degree in science. It’s important for paleontologists to build genuine partnerships with local researchers, Ms. Haridy said. Not only does this create community engagement and prompt people to regard fossils as worth protecting, it also helps ensure that specimens are properly studied when they are returned to their country of origin. “There’s this problem where even if a country demands fossils back, like Egypt did for a long time, a lot of the paleontological knowledge doesn’t necessarily return with it,” she said. Without investing in independent paleontology programs in the countries in question, fossils can end up “consigned to a dusty room, where nobody knows what to do with it.” But efforts to create more inclusive and distributed paleontological networks face considerable headwinds. “Funders don’t necessarily put any emphasis on the ethical side of the research,” Dr. Dunne said. “We do rely a lot on other countries for their data. Fossils are worldwide, they’re global, they don’t respect political boundaries. But we should be identifying these patterns of colonial bias in our research and stopping them.” To some extent, the presence of these conversations is itself a sign of change. “When I began paleontology some 45 years ago these issues were of no concern,” Dr. Martill said. “Today, they seem to be dominating paleontological discussions. Perhaps it is me who is now out of touch.” He added that, “a fantastic new generation of paleontologists emerging and they are flexing their muscles and demanding different things.” For now, Mr. Bazzi’s team hopes to drive funding toward local paleontology in Tunisia. “Ideally, the Tunisian government would just believe these people on their own and agree that their fossils are important and worthy of preservation, and is of international interest,” Ms. Haridy said. “But they tend to get interested once scientists are actually actively trying to visit and actively trying to work with people.” “You now have local people starting to drive this themselves,” Mr. Bazzi said. “Eventually there will be no need for others to come and do it.” Source link Orbem News #Colonialism #field #FossilFinding #Uprooting

[themusicplayedherlife]

Of Warmth and Growth

pairing: dick grayson x f!reader characters: reader, the team, dick grayson word count: 7.7k+ warnings: angst, self doubt, and boat load of fluff summary: dealing with a broken heart isn’t easy, but your friend megan is hoping to get you out of that fink by inviting you to her holiday party where you meet someone that might help you move on. a/n: there’s a whole story behind this--originally this was started as a requested oneshot, but i couldn’t bring myself to finish it, so i revamped it and wrote a different story that i posted some time ago. fast forward to november, i made it my goal to finish this before the new year, and i was so close, too, but family took priority. there might also be a disconnect, but I really tried smoothing it over, hopefully I did well. anyway, better late than never, though?

Happy Harbour

December 7, 2019

“Sometimes it’s very hard to move on, but once you move on, you’ll realize it was the best decision you’ve ever made. You’ll see.”

You want to laugh bitterly at Megan’s words, but her sympathetic smile and warm gaze are holding you back from doing so. She’s only trying to help, you’re reminded by your conscious as she continues to spew words of healing and bullshit. Utter bullshit. 

Your bitterness wins and you say, “I know,” wanting nothing more than for her to shut up. 

Her smile turns sheepish and she pats your hand affectionately before excusing herself to get more coffee, or to get away from you. You wouldn’t blame her if it was the latter, you haven’t exactly been good company to keep around since your break up.

Sighing, your eyes trail to the world on the other side of the small cafe’s window. It’s bustling and full of people with shopping bags, all of them preparing for the holidays. It really is a different world outside, you muse. Everything inside the coffee shop is warmer and cozier—quieter compared to the outside. It almost, almost makes you forget about your broken heart that was ripped and stomped on by the person you thought loved and cared for you, things that you still, unfortunately, feel for them.

Your red-haired friend comes back with two styrofoam cups instead of one, and she sets one down in front of you, taking her seat across from you once more. “I got you another earl grey.”

You pick up the warm styrofoam, enjoying the heat against your palm. “Thank you.”

Megan doesn’t say anything for once, instead she watches the world with you, letting only the soft jazz of the cafe to envelop you. You can tell she’s going over something in her mind, she’s never this quiet unless she’s thinking, and that’s—usually—never a good thing, at least not when it pertains to you. 

It’s not until you’re halfway done with your drink that she finally speaks, having grown restless with her thinking. She’s looking at you, her eyes narrowed and a little shaky, never really making contact with your own, but still facing your direction. “Sooo, I was thinking,” she drawls, “Conner and I are inviting some of our old friends over for a little get together this weekend and I thought, hey, maybe I can convince my best friend in the whole universe to finally meet my other friends, you know, I want us all to be friends and—“

“You’re rambling.”

“Right; sorry. It’s not going to be a huge thing, just a few of us watching crappy movies and drinking spiked eggnog, maybe play some games or something.” She reaches for your hand holding your drink and finally meets your eyes. “And I really want you to be there. What do you say, huh?”

“Megan,” you start warningly.

She raises a hand as a peace sign. “I know, I know! You said you wanted to keep a low profile this holiday season, but I really want to introduce you. They’re really nice people, a little odd, but so am I and you’re still my friend!”

You purse your lips, mulling over the idea. “Are the girls going to be there?”

“Yes! Well, Karen will be, I’m not sure about Wendy, yet. Should probably ask her tonight.”

Again, you think it over. Not only will you be in a small, confined space with a lot of people (she might have said it wasn’t going to be huge, but you and her have different definitions for small and huge), you’re going to be stuck in a confined space with strangers. It doesn’t sound very pleasing, but then again, you haven’t been very pleasant and there’s no denying that you always dodged her past intents to get you and her friends to hang out, and yet, she’s still here, trying to cheer you up. 

You owe it to her. 

“Okay, I’ll go.” She immediately squeals. Loudly. Blushing, you look around the cafe, and just as you feared, everyone in the small cafe is looking at you. You sigh, lifting a hand to stop her from over exerting herself—and from embarrassing you any further. “Just don’t expect me to bring anything.”

“That’s fine! That’s fine! As long as you bring yourself, I’m content.”

You’re going to regret it, you just know it.

Happy Harbour

December 14, 2019

You tug at the hem of your outfit, uncomfortable. You could hear the loud laughter of the people inside accompanied by the soft hum of Megan’s holiday playlist. In your hand is a Tupperware full of brigadeiro, a Brazilian dessert your grandma used to make for the holidays before she completely quit eating sweet things (in front of your mom anyway).

Fingers tighten around the container. Maybe you should go... You could always deal with an angry Megan later. 

“Are you going to go in or are you just going to stare at the wreath all night?” A deep, amused voice registers in your mind and your body jerks in response, almost making you drop the Tupperware if it weren’t for the steady hand holding you against their strong, chest. “Whoa, there!” he exclaims, warm air fanning over your neck. “You all right?”

He doesn’t allow you to pull away until he steadies you, making sure you’re upright before letting you go. “Yeah, I’m fine,” you breathe out. “Thank you.”

He chuckles and you whirl around to meet your assailant and savior—and holy fuck is he gorgeous. They were gorgeous, too, but in that average kind of way. Nothing about them stood out to people, but to you? They were the most beautiful person you had ever seen. But this man in front of you, you had to be stupid not to notice how gorgeous he is. Striking blue eyes peering into you, a mischievous glint in them and matched by the lopsided smirk adorning his face; unruly black locks in waves and falling to one side as he runs his fingers through his hair. There’s something distinctly boyish and alluring about him that it renders you speechless.

“Megan never told me she had such a gorgeous friend,” he suddenly says. Or maybe not so suddenly because you’re sure his mouth had been moving before you allowed yourself to fall under his spell.

Hold on. 

Wait a second.

Gorgeous?

Did he really just call you gorgeous, too?

Your throat closes and your eyes widen, hopefully not comically or at all because holy shit. A really gorgeous man just called you gorgeous. The last person to ever compliment was your mom. But she’s your mom. She’s supposed to think you’re pretty good looking. And before that it was them. And realizing it now, they probably never even meant it. So this? This is new and weird and what the fuck are you supposed to say to something like that to someone like him. “I—“ 

A draft of air hits your back as the door is swung open behind you. The Christmas music that Megan has been preparing since June is louder than before without the door closed.

“You’re here,” she squeals, wrapping her arms from behind you, her chin settling on your shoulder. “I’m so happy you came!” She kisses your cheek messily and something sweet and alcoholic fills your nostrils. “And you brought something!”

“Yeah, yeah! Don’t make it a thing.” You laugh, pulling away as she makes a show of having to let you go. “How much eggnog have you had?” 

“Not too much.” Her eyes turn to the other guest and her eyes brighten. “Dick!” Dick? What kind of name is Dick? Was his mom angry at his dad? Noticing your stare, he smiles down at you, amusement never leaving his face before he turns to Megan. “You’re here! Wally and the others are already here.” She moves away from the door to let you both in.

Dick gestures to the inside of her apartment. “After you.”

Blinking owlishly, you thank him and enter the loud apartment full of people you don’t recognize—well, mostly of people you don’t recognize. There’s Karen and Mal by the Christmas tree talking to a redhead and a blonde, who Dick makes his way over to after excusing himself. Wendy is with Marvin by the snack table, the two arguing—really it's Marvin arguing—about which dessert is the best for the holidays, and a few other really gorgeous and fit people. Why are all of her friends ridiculously good looking?

“You okay?” Megan asks, her hand settling on your shoulder and squeezing lightly.

Your head swivels in her direction. “What?”

“You were frowning,” she says softly. “Hey, if I forced you to be here—“

“No,” you interrupt her quickly. “No, I’m glad you invited me, I just—I’ll be okay. I promise. You were right about me having to move on. I can’t avoid society forever because of a broken heart. I just need to get used to… this,” you say, moving your eyes around the party of people that seemed to already be coupled off.

She smiles gently but doesn’t seem all that convinced. “I’m right here if you need me, okay?” She takes the Tupperware from your hands. “Come on, let's say hi to everyone.” When you bristle, as you take off your coat, she laughs. “In moderation.”

An hour into the party and you’ve already become acquainted with mostly everyone at the party. You meet Wally and Artemis, the couple who were with Karen and Mal when you first arrived; Raquel and her baby boy, Amistad. Cassie and Tim; Jaime and Bart; Gar and some really weird guy who keeps glaring at Conner; Kaldur, who looks strangely familiar—and only smiles when you mention it before being pulled away by Megan—and Barbara, who eyes you momentarily before flashing you a warm smile. She’s a little intimidating, if you’re being honest.

There are still a few more people you have yet to meet, but you seriously need a break, and you say as much to Megan.

“You said a little party,” you say accusingly, as if you hadn’t known this was her definition of small.

She laughs, her arm hooked around yours as she pulls you towards the spread of food and drinks. “It is little!” She lets go of you, opens the treats you made and places them between all the others. She then grabs a clean cup to fill it with eggnog before handing it to you. “Here! Conner and I made it, so it might not be… good.”

You take a tentative sip of the thick liquid made out of egg and spices and doused with alcohol and holy fuck do you regret it. “You and Conner made this?” you sputter, the taste of bourbon lingering strongly on your tongue.

She pouts. “The recipe called for a ton of bourbon to counteract the sweetness!”

You pull the cup away and eye the liquid with scrutiny. “Did you put a whole bottle of Bourbon from Costco in here?”

“Yes?” she answers, a little unsure. “Probably. I don’t actually remember.”

Conner comes up from behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. “Enjoying yourselves?” 

She tilts her head to kiss him on his cheek continuously and smiles. “Always.” 

You avert your gaze. 

“It’s good to see you again,” Conner addresses you after they’ve had their fill of small pecks. Honestly, you don’t blame them for being so affectionate and in love. It wasn’t that long ago that the two finally decided to give each other another chance after a falling out that Megan still doesn’t want to talk about. And again, you don’t blame her. You don’t want to talk about the reason why you and your ex broke up either, let alone think about it. 

You hum and reluctantly move your gaze back to their interlocked embrace. You manage a smile. “Same to you. Been a while hasn’t it?” 

Before he can reply, Gar interrupts with a call of their names. He’s standing near the fireplace with Bart, leaning over something. “Come check this out!”

Megan wiggles out of Conner’s hold and instead grabs his hand to lead him towards the boys. “Don’t go anywhere!”

Conner flashes an exasperated glance at you over his shoulder, which you return, before he wraps his arms around Megan again—the two laughing and joking about who knows what as they close the distance between them and the boys.

Sighing, you take another sip of the eggnog and your face scrunches in response to the liquid coating your tongue. “Bleh.”

“Fell victim to the spiked eggnog, I see,” a voice cuts through your thoughts as you wipe your mouth with the back of your hand.

Eyes snap up to meet the familiar, amused gaze of Dick. “Uh, yeah.”

He offers you a different mug and you eye it suspiciously. He chuckles. “It’s just apple cider, I promise.”

You reluctantly relent, taking the mug he offers as he takes the one you had been drinking. You take a sip, and surprisingly enough, it really is apple cider, no alcohol at all. “Oh, god, thank you.”

He flashes you a pearly smile, and takes a sip of the eggnog without grimacing. “So, how did you meet Megan and Conner?”

“Oh, um, from school. We went to the same high school.” He quirks an eyebrow. “I was a year below them, but I became friends with Megan when she joined the cheerleading team. My friendship with Conner just followed naturally after that.”

His eyes brighten, as if what you’re saying is actually interesting. “Really?”

You curl a piece of loose hair behind your ear. “Uh, yeah. What about you? How did you meet them?”

“Oh, through our families,” he supplies, a little detached, as if it weren’t really important. “Most of us met like that.”

You frown, but try to hide it behind the rim of the mug. “Wow. Then you must’ve known Megan for quite some time, then?”

His eyes flicker to your lips and his turn upwards. “Actually, I’ve probably known her for about the same amount of time as you.”

Wait. If that's true…“Does that mean you went to the Halloween disaster of 2016?” You remember Megan telling you she would be inviting her friends to the dance, and you heard that she did. Maybe he was among them?

He snorts. “Is that what they’re calling it?” You nod eagerly, hoping to hear his side of what happened that night.

“No.” You deflate, and he huffs a laugh. “I wasn’t able to go, had plans that night. Did you?”

You pout, the disappointment you felt at missing that night coming to mind. “Unfortunately, no. I was sick, but I heard from Marvin and the others that it was a night to remember.”

You don’t get to ask him more questions because as soon as you open your mouth, the front door opens to reveal a beautiful girl with dark, raven hair in delicate waves and bright blue eyes entering the room. Immediately, everyone (excluding you, Marvin and Wendy—wtf Karen?) recognizes her and greet her with a loud exclaim of her name, “Zatanna!”

Dick turns to you and you already know that he’s about to excuse himself. “Do you mind if—“ 

You shake your head interrupting him with, “No, no, go ahead.”

Surprisingly, he reaches for your arm and squeezes gently. “I’ll be right back.”

You blink after him and mutter, “Yeah. Okay.”

“Be right back” doesn’t happen. He stays by the pretty girl’s side, the two of them being overly familiar with one another—tight hugs, continuous small touches, long eye contact, leaning against one another. You wouldn’t be surprised if they dated at some point, to be honest; or maybe they are dating—ugh. Why does the thought of it bother you?

“You all right?” Wendy softly asks, her kind eyes full of worry and briefly moving to Karen by the entrance.

What’s that about?

You try to keep from frowning. “I think I just need some fresh air,” you assure her.

“Do you want me to come with you?” 

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll just be out for a moment, besides—“ you flick your eyes to Marvin by the dessert table stuffing his face with walnut bread—“I think you’d better stay to make sure Marvin doesn’t eat all the walnut bread.”

“Oh—damn it, Marvin!” She sighs ready to chastise her boyfriend, but she pauses to look at you. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

You hum in agreement and watch as she saunters over to Marvin before turning on your heels and stepping out through the sliding doors leading to the balcony.

The cold winter air bites your skin, your long sleeved turtleneck not enough to combat the cold, but just thinking about going back inside makes you try to suck it up. You cover your mouth with your sleeve as you lean against the railing—Happy Harbor lights glinting brightly in the dark. 

Maybe you should leave. You’ve been here a good amount of time to deem acceptable, right? You’ve met some of Megan’s friends and even talked to a few of them for a while, and you didn’t show an ounce of disgruntlement—as far as you know—so you should be good right?

An ache fills your chest, pulsing slowly as you let out a long sigh. God, what happened to you? You weren’t always like this. So closed off and unwilling to spend time with your friends. You’ve practically been unconsciously ignoring Karen and Mal, attaching yourself to Megan when she is alone, or staying with Marvin and Wendy because they act least like a couple compared to your old classmates. And the moment the one person you’ve talked to for an extended period of time at the party joins his pretty friend, you become bitter about it! 

You need help.

Something heavy lands on your shoulders and back, strong cologne filling your nostrils and making you jump.

“Woah, easy, it’s just me.”

Startling blue eyes twinkle with mischief and your shoulders drop, heat combatting the cold air. “Anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on people?”

He just grins and settles in the space beside you, eyes sweeping over the town you grew up in. “My job kind of requires that I do.”

You slip your arms through the sleeves of his coat, ignoring the fact that it’s not exactly your size. It’s warm anyway. “Thank you.” You lean forward, tightening the coat to fit you snuggly. “What kind of job requires you to have ninja like stealth?”

He chuckles, meeting your gaze. “I’m an officer at Bludhaven PD, trying to become detective.”

Your eyebrows furrow. “Bludhaven? Really?”

He hums, elbow resting on the railing and cupping his cheek.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Gotham has its norierty, but so does Bludhaven. It was basically untapped, scandals and crimes hidden behind a veil created by corrupt officials, until a couple of years ago when it all came to light with Nightwing’s arrival.

“Yeah,” he drawls, mulling it over, “but what isn’t? Anything can be dangerous if you think about it.” He leans closer to you. “Where do you work?”

“Happy Harbour Times, Opinions.”

“Then you must have to deal with a lot of angry readers when you write about something they don’t agree with, right? Threats and angry phone calls and letters. Those can be dangerous, too, right?” he asks cheekily.

You laugh, ducking your head. “I guess you’re right.” There’s still no comparing writing articles to police work, no matter how light of a situation Dick is trying to make it. “Why police work, though? It’s not many people’s first choice. Especially in Bludhaven.”

He shrugs. “Always been interested, I guess.” He leans back, hands holding onto the railing and causing his blue cable knit sweater to wrap tightly around his arm muscles. “My guardian…” Now, that’s an interesting choice of words. “He was—is a fan of mysteries.” His voice is far off, stuck in his jar of memories. “When he took me in, we’d used to solve cases together, most of them taking place in Gotham, where I was raised.” He chuckles. “And I guess from there I just… I just decided I wanted to be a cop.”

“I see... And you decided not to become a cop in Gotham?”

“Gotham has good people looking out for her already.”

“She could always use more.” He cracks a smile, blue eyes twinkling with the city lights as they find yours, and you return it shyly. “But I get it. Bludhaven has become yours, in a way. Separate from your… guardian.”

“In a way,” he repeats, and you have to look away from or else your heart will stop. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

He nudged your shoulder with his. “Happy Harbour Times?”

“Ah.” Your breath comes out in a puff, the night air still growing colder by the hour, but you don’t mind it. Dick doesn’t seem to mind either. “Well, when I was a kid, my third grade teacher told my parents I was a really good writer. So, they got me into workshops and short story competitions,” you recall, remembering the constant competitions your parents would sign you up for without your knowledge sometimes. They did it with good intentions, hoping to help hone your skill, but it was too much sometimes. “Truth is, I hated it. Never really liked… fiction, I guess? Don’t get me wrong, give me a good fiction novel and I will read it for days, but… it… it just wasn’t me,” you confess locking your fingers in place. 

“I was about ready to give up on writing when my tenth grade English teacher assigned us a topic to write about and I guess I fell in love with the research and being able to go out and interview people.”

“Yeah? And what was it that you wrote about?”

You bite your lip and find Dick staring at you, a curious glimmer in his eyes. “Don’t laugh?” He promises he won’t. “Robin.”

He chokes on his saliva, eyes growing in disbelief. “As in Batman’s Robin?”

You tuck strands of hair behind your ear, refusing to meet his gaze. “Yeah, um, the prompt was about vigilantes and I chose to write about him instead of the Flash, Batman, Wonder Woman and whoever else everyone wrote about.”

“Why?”

You shrug, trying your best to mask your embarrassment with a blase attitude. “Fighting crime with Batman? That was pretty cool, you know? He was living every kid’s dream.”

“Was he?” he asks, voice soft.

“He was!” you confess, smile blooming on your face as a memory of you and your friends playing as the superhero sidekicks comes to mind. It’s some of your best memories from elementary school. “But I didn’t want to just write about the good. He was a kid seeing some fucked up shit, after all.” You pause to look at him, only to find he’s not looking at you, but at the city lights. There’s something… wistful and forlorn in those blue eyes of his, and you wonder if he’s thinking back on his time in Gotham, seeing Boy Wonder up close and personal. “Being Robin must’ve taken its toll on him, both mentally and physically. 

“And I wanted to write about that. Even had my parents drive up to Gotham for the weekend so I could do some snooping, maybe even find Boy Wonder myself.”

Finally he reacts, lips twitching as he turns to look at you. “And how’d that go?”

“I learned that the citizens of Gotham really hate being asked questions.” He chuckles and you smile. “But those who did answer... you can tell they were grateful for him and worried about him. The kid really touched people’s hearts, whether they agreed with his nightly activities with Batman or not.” You tilt your head, watching his eyes light up with your words. “It’s just a shame I didn’t get to interview Robin himself.” You grab hold of the railing and lean forward. “But I’d doubt he’d have given me the time of day if I had gotten the chance to ask him. Probably too busy saving babies and punching villains with Batman.”

“I’m sure he would have made time for you.” Your fingers slip from the metal to turn to look at him, unsure of his sincerity. “How could he not?” His cheeks have become flushed with the cold, nose bright and blue eyes stark against his skin.

You smile, but you’re sure it looks more like an awkward grimace. “You’re just saying that.” 

“I’m not.” He frowns, sincere eyes knocking your breath away. “I know if he knew someone as sincere as you wanted to ask him some questions for their article, he would have dropped whatever he was doing to help you.”

You don’t know why you stand there, waiting for him to laugh in your face and say his punchline. You don’t know why he just stands there and stares back at you, quiet and shining with sincerity that he’s trying to penetrate into your being. It’s weird and totally unnecessary, but maybe a part of you is desperate to know if he’s really being sincere and a part of him is desperate for you to know he is.

“Hey!” Megan’s voice break through the trance you’re both in. Her head barely poking out into the cold and green eyes narrowing. “Get in here before you both catch something!”

Dick chuckles, attention moving from her to you. “Should we head in?”

You nod mutely, smiling tight lipped.

As you follow Megan inside, the only thing on your mind is that you might have already caught something.

Bludhaven

December 15, 2020

“You’re really not coming home for the Holidays this year?”

Megan is pouting on your computer screen, but you hardly pay her any attention. You have an article on Bludhaven’s growing homelessness due in the morning and you still have some revisions to do. Your little mishap earlier today took time that you were reserving for this article and now you’re running behind.

“‘Fraid not,” you tell her, your voice accompanied by the clicking of your keyboard. “I’ve been overloaded with a ridiculous amount of work this month and I need to get it done before the end of the year.”

From the corner of your eye, you can see her scavenging through boxes of decorations. “Won’t your mom be disappointed you won’t be coming home?”

“Nope,” you pop the “p” as you rewrite a fragment. “She’s coming down to see me instead.”

She stops, head lifting like a prairie dog on alert. “So it’s just going to be you two this year?”

“Maybe. Dick said he might stop by, but he’s not sure.”

“Ooh,” her teasing rings through your quiet bedroom and you roll your eyes.

“It’s not like that, Megan.” You wished it were like that, but it’s not, and maybe it’s for the best. Dick became one of your good friends since the party last year and one of your best friends after you volunteered for a transfer to Bludhaven’s Times earlier this year. You don’t want to mess with what you have, not right now when your life feels perfectly balanced.

“Don't let the person who didn't love you keep you from the person who will,” she says, sounding serious as hell and making you snort and pause in your typing. “Hey! Don’t laugh at my words of wisdom!”

“This has nothing to do with them, Megan. When I said I was finally over them, I meant it.” The moment you were able to look at an old tagged picture of you and them on their friends’ Instagram and you felt nothing, no numbness, no anger nor sadness, just a strange vagueness as if they were a stranger, you knew you were over them. “Dick and I… we like where we are.”

“Boo.”

Conner appear on screen and shakes his head as he wraps his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t listen to her. I respect your decision.”

She rolls her eyes, playfully pushing his head out of the screen. “I respect your decision too, doesn’t mean I agree with it.”

“Heckling does not equate respect, babe.”

You laugh at their antics, their displays of affections no longer bothering you. Now, when you see them you just feel happy, happy for them and for you. Bitterness long gone from your bones, and there’s one person you can thank for that.

Your phone on your desk dings.

Dick 🥳🤩: Chinese food 2nite?

You: only if you promise to get extra egg rolls 

Dick 🥳🤩: Got’chu, omw.

“You’re smiling! Why are you smiling? It’s Dick, isn’t it? It’s totally Dick.”

You roll your eyes, trying to keep your face neutral but knowing you’re doing horribly at it. “I have to go, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Wait, is he coming over?” She gushes, and Conner is back on screen, trying to wrestle the phone out of her grip.

You laugh when you hear a curse from Conner. “I have an article to finish, Megan.”

“You can’t just leave me hanging like this—“

All right, you’ve had enough. “Bye, Megan!”

Megan🧡: 😨 You hung up on me?

Megan🧡: ��😡

Megan🧡: Expecting deets tomorrow ❤️

You: goodnight, megan!

It doesn’t take long for Dick to arrive and for you to shove your article aside—you’re almost done with it anyway, nothing wrong with a little break.

The door jingles and as you begin to clear your coffee table—where you and Dick usually eat dinner—of your paperwork, it opens to reveal Dick still wearing his uniform. You smile up at him briefly, gathering everything and taking it over to your round, small dining table that could probably fit four people if you really tried to squeeze them in. “Hey! Let me just grab some plates and we can—“

Before you can finish your sentence, or head into the kitchen, a hand wraps around your wrist, worried crystallized blue eyes staring into you. “Why didn’t you tell me you were almost mugged?”

Ah, hell. 

The crack in his voice makes your heart drop to your stomach and your eyes fall down to his ugly black shoes that you make fun of every chance you get just to hear his laugh. “I’m sorry,” you mumble. “I didn’t want to worry you.”

Which isn’t a lie. Since you moved to Bludhaven, Dick has been checking up on you more often and even picking you up from work if he has the chance—“Bludhaven isn’t like Happy Harbor. It’s… tougher and harder,” he had said after offering to teach you some self defense moves. You had laughed and said you could handle yourself, but accepted it anyway if it meant spending more time with him.

Today was just bad luck, he was on the other side of the city and you had chosen to take the bus to work that day and hadn’t been paying attention. Next thing you know, you’re being threatened to give your purse up.

His warm fingers leave your wrist and instead they find your chin. Gingerly, he lifts your head to force you to meet his gaze. “When Rohrbach called me on my way here to check up on you because she was worried, I swear my heart almost stopped.” His eyes shine with worry and there’s a twisting in your gut. “What if Louie hadn’t been nearby, huh?”

“I’m okay, Dick,” you reassure him, wanting nothing more than to lean against him, maybe have his lips press a kiss on your forehead. “I handled him pretty well. Used those self defense moves you taught me.” It was why you were able to shake him off and run to the nearest officer for help. Dick inadvertently saved you.

He finally smiles. “Yeah, Rohrbach said you left him pretty bruised up.” His hand under your chin moves to smooth out your hair before cupping the back of your head and pressing you against him. “I need you to be more careful, sweetheart. Need you to be safe.”

Your heart bursts in your chest at the pet-name and you wrap your arms around his waist, fisting the jacket of his uniform tightly. His cologne makes you dizzy—ginger and spices for the holiday. “Only if you promise to stay safe, too.”

“I’ll do my best.” His soft lips land on your forehead briefly before he’s pulling away and you restrain yourself from chasing after him. “Let’s eat? You must be starving.”

“A little,” you admit, and let him pull you toward the couch. “Eating out of the cartons today?”

He flashes you a grin. “Why not?”

As you both settle next to each other on the floor, back being supported by your old couch and you turn on your television as he pulls out the food he bought, you can’t help but think that even if your relationship stay like this with Dick, you wouldn’t mind it.

Bludhaven

December 31, 2020

You check your watch for the umptenth time.

He’s late.

Everyone around you is celebrating, filling the bar with laughter and talk, most of it incoherent over the loud music and the inebriated state most of them are in. You’re only a few hours away from the New Year and people are already drunk out of their minds—this doesn’t spell trouble for the night whatsoever.

Dick 🥳🤩 (7)

7 outgoing calls, all unanswered and completely unlike him. Sure, sometimes he doesn’t answer your calls when he’s busy, that’s a given, but he always sends you a message if he’s going to be late or apologizes for not being able to answer your call. This just not like Dick. 

You try calling one more time, covering one ear with your palm  to hear the ringing, but just like before, you get sent to voicemail. Worry begins to over take your annoyance. You grab your bag and quickly make your way out of the crowded bar, not caring about the warm bodies complaining.

Driving to his place takes you about thirty minutes with traffic, and you occasionally find yourself cursing at other drivers and yourself. It’s a miracle you don’t get into an accident or pulled over. With his garage key that he gave you, you open the gate and make your way to the space that has become yours over the last couple of months with how much you visit him. 

Locking your car with a simple click of the key fob, you power walk to the elevator. One last time, you try calling him, hoping he’ll answer and apologize for being late, but once again it sends you to voicemail just as the elevator doors open on his floor. 

“Please be okay,” you whisper to yourself.

Taking out your copy of the key, you slowly insert it and tentatively call out to him as you open the door.

No answer.

You strain your hearing as you swear you hear some shuffling and thumping, but that noise could just be coming from down the hall. He does have some noisy neighbors. 

You enter the apartment and close the door behind you. “Dick?”

There’s a crash and you jump, your heart in your throat, but the familiar string of curses eases your fear. You follow the noise and come face to face with a wide eyed Dick shirtless covered in nasty forming bruises in the middle of his bathroom.

A whimper escapes your lips and you rush forward, cupping his face in your hand. “What the hell happened to you? I thought you managed to get the night off?” You turn his head this way and that, and then push him back by grabbing his shoulder to look at his torso and back. Only letting go when he winces at a particularly hard tug. “Oh shit! I’m sorry!”

He grabs your wrists not allowing you to give him space. “You’re not blushing,” he says cheekily, his eyes twinkling even with the slowly forming bruise.

Your eyebrows furrow. “Why would I be—“ Your eyes drag down to his naked torso peppered with old wounds and spanking brand new bruises and you immediately feel a wave of heat spreading through your body. “Oh.”

He laughs softly, chuckling almost, low and a sweet timbre. 

But when your eyes fall lower, you’re doused in cold water, black, almost skin tight material—unitard?—and a black holster wrapped around his right leg greeting you. This isn’t his police uniform! What is he wearing? And why does it look like kevlar? “Why are you—“

You’re not allowed a moment to ask because Dick pulls you towards him with a tug of your wrists and you fall against his chest, barely bracing yourself as he wraps his arms around your waist, large hands flat against your back.

“Dick?”

“I’m okay,” he murmurs airily into your hair and you don’t know what to do, you’re pretty sure he can feel and hear your pacing heart. 

You repeat his name, trying to pull away from him to look into his eyes. He doesn’t let you. 

He inhales. “Just give me a moment and I’ll answer any questions you might have.”

You sigh, warm air brushing against his bare skin, and the hands that braced yourself on the kitchen sink wrap around his torso loosely. “What happened?”

Circles are traced on your shirt, one hand climbing higher to cradle the back of your head. “Remember the guy who tried to rob you?” You nod and hum, remembering that crooked nosed, pale skin idiot who thought you’d be an easy target. “He escaped during transfer today with the help of some of his friends, and I went after them. Off record.”

You pull away from him and look up at him with wide eyes and slack jaw to find his serious gaze on you, lips pulled down into a thin line. “What do you mean off record?” Your throat closes and the back of your nose stings—he went after them ‘cause that man tried hurting you? “Dick, what if something happened—”

His eyes bore into you and his thumb find purchase on your face, tracing the curve of your cheekbone. “It's just a couple of scratches and bruises. I’m okay. I promise.”

You blink back your tears and lean into his touch. “You still shouldn’t have gone by yourself!”

“I didn’t,” he says softly. “I went with a friend.”

Your nose scrunches, your eyes still watery. “Rohrbach?”

He shakes his head. “No. Better, Robin.”

“Robin?” You try to remember if he’s ever mentioned anyone named Robin at the precinct, but you’re pretty sure he hasn’t—“Wait. Robin? As in Batman’s Robin?” His gaze doesn’t change, it remains serious and your heart leaps in your chest. “You really know Robin?”

He finally cracks a smile and you’re half expecting him to say he’s joking (you don’t know which is worse, him joking about knowing Robin when he’s aware how much admiration teen you had for him or finding out that he really went after that thug and his friends on his own!), but instead he answers with a simple, “Yeah.”

“Dick, if you’re—“

He chuckles, his thumb that had been tracing your cheekbone dragging down to your bottom lip, slowly tracing the swell. You would have melted if there weren’t more pressing matters at hand. “I’m not playing with you, sweetheart.”

Your eyes fall to his torso and down to his pants and the hanging arms of his unitard and they snap back up, alarmed. “Are you—does this mean you’re also a—“ you can’t even form a proper sentence, the rushing of your blood flowing through your head and ears drown out your thoughts and voice.

His hands drop from your frame and you take a step back as he adjusts the unitard, slipping into it only to have you gasping at the familiar symbol on his chest—Nightwing.

Without waiting for his permission, your fingers trace the symbol, the material under your fingers soft and somehow firm. A deep ache blooms in your chest, your nose wrinkling and Dick reacts quickly, cupping your face with his now covered hands, and you’d laugh any other time at the fact that his suit is falling forward and down his arms, but you’re too busy trying to keep yourself from crying.

It all makes sense now! His double shifts and all the injuries—gods. How could you have been so blind?

He rubs the corner of your eyes and coos gently, worry swimming in his eyes and honestly, that’s not fair! You’re the only one allowed to be worried right now! “Hey, hey, why are you crying, huh? What’s wrong?”

Your head falls forward and Dick leans down to press his forehead against yours. “This isn’t going to make me worry less about you, Dick.” Your fingers wrap around his thick forearms. “You promised you were going to try staying safe and this,” you pause to sigh, refusing to meet his eyes, ”this isn’t going to keep you safe.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispers into the space between you. “I’m sorry I’m going to make you worry. I’m sorry I’m making you cry. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”

“That doesn’t matter,” you say with a sniffle, because it doesn’t. You don’t care that he didn’t tell you he was Nightwing or that he allowed you to gush about Robin when he’s always known who that is. What matters is that now you know Dick is out every night as Nightwing risking his life and you’re not happy about that. That’s what matters.

“But I won’t break my promise.” You squeeze his arm. “I promised you I would try, and ever since that night, I’ve done my best to keep to that, and I always will.” His nose bumps against yours, trying to get you to look at you and you do, suddenly aware of the lack of space between you. “I have someone to come home to now.”

Your eyebrows furrow, and your heart pounds against your rib cage. You’re no longer okay being just friends with Dick, not when he says things like that and when he’s looking at you like this either—like you’re the only thing that matters and all he wants is to keep you trapped in his arms (you wouldn’t fight him if he tried).

Before you can voice anything, coherent or incoherent, your mouth is sealed shut by a paid of chapped lips. It’s a small peck, but it’s enough to send a tumble of acrobats into a frenzy. And all you want is to feel his lips against yours again, and so you meet him halfway after a shallow collection of breath.

Lips move in tandem, heads tilting this way and that and it’s all very much like the passionate romcom movie kisses you’ve seen over the years, the kind you’d dream about every time Dick would kiss different parts of your face and never your lips. It’s all fire and sweetness, like fireworks on a hot summers’ day and watermelon juice dripping down your chin.

A loud boom echoes in the quiet night and you jerk away from Dick, eyes snapping to his bedroom entrance, the windows covered with blinds allowing the bright flashes of light to filter in.

“Did we miss the countdown?” you find yourself asking dumbly, a little breathless and mind still reeling from his intense kiss.

He presses another one to your temple, chuckling. “Does it matter?”

“It’s the New Year!” 

“Could really care less,” he grumbles, voice coming from deep in his chest as his lips dragging from the corner of your eyes to your lips, pulling you away from the firework show outside. “Too busy trying to make out with my gorgeous girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend, huh?” you tease in between kisses.

“Mhmm, have been trying to make her mine for a couple of months now, but she’s pretty clueless. ‘S supposed to be one of the best reporters in all of the tri state area, too.”

“Should’ve said something, Dick. I’m not a mind reader.”

He chuckles, pulling away from your lips for just a moment. “There’s something else you should know.”

“What?” you ask, a little hazily.

“I was Robin.”

And before you can ask him to elaborate on that or you’re allowed to be embarrassed, he closes the distance between you once more and kisses you senseless.

To think you thought you’d regret going to Megan’s a little over a year ago; if only the you from then could see you now, happy and moved on.

[spampistefania]

stefania spampinato & volver transcripted livestream

Interviewer — Going to the USA is a dream for many actors, not everyone succeed in it, it’s a pipe dream. But our guest did it and it wasn’t even her main goal. Let’s hear it from her. Today we have Stefania Spampinato!

I — Hi Stefania, you’re beautiful!

Stefania – Good Morning!

I – How are you?

S – I’m fine! What about you?

I – So, why did I start with this song? I read a lot about you. We barely know each other, but I read about you because I wanted to know everything apart from the things you’ve already told me... So I found out that Brazilian songs make you happy. So I was thinking, what could I sing? I’m so bad at English, I tried every song..., “My way”, but then no, I wanted something happy, so I wanted to dedicate this song to you.

S – You did the right thing! It’s an happy song, and it’s Brazilian. It’s evening there now, and here it’s morning but that’s still good.

I – It’s morning there, but you look amazing. You look relaxed!

S - Yeah, I had my coffee, I woke up...

I – There are so many people in the comments who are sending the Brazilian flag. Because there are people from all over the world. There are so many questions!

S – I receive lot of questions from young actors who want to start this career, so it gets hard to answer to all of them. So... this is a great opportunity, doing it in Italian. I really liked this idea!

I – So let’s start with this. Explain what they ask you.

S – "How can I get to the USA?" All I can do is telling my experience but everyone has their own story. I also started doing the dance thing, I went to London first and from London I came to LA to still dance and then I ended up doing something different. But I studied dancing, singing and acting in Italy with the intention of doing musicals. Then I focused most on the dancing thing and once in LA I started studying acting. But I paid my dues, it’s not like I arrived and I said “Here I am”... no. The most difficult part in the USA is getting a visa, it’s really hard to get because you need to have a solid resumè, so if you didn’t work before it’s hard to arrive to the USA. My advice is to study in Italy or England or in France.

I – They ask if you can suggest some schools?

S – (I didn't understand this part, sorry!)

I – What are you doing during this time? What are you doing since you can’t act?

S – Before the pandemic, during the movie with Siani I saw him directing, I was close with the editor and I got passionate about directing, so in the USA I asked to the GA & the S19 showrunner if I could be a shadow to the director. So I was there 14 hours just to see him directing and then I started working on my short film... but during this pandemic I tried to end this idea of the short film.

I – There are so many English people here, do you want to say hi in English? There are so many people who want to learn Italian because of you!

S – I'm so sorry this one is in italian and a lot of you are not gonna understand much, but [...] (she talks about sending questions in english). There are lots of Brazilian, Argentinian fans!

I – Even from Chile! So, many people are asking what are the differences between USA and Italy?

S – Honestly, in the USA there are more money. But I’m part of two famous tv series. The thing that is better is that on Italian set you feel like a family. In Italy the assistant would come with some pizza and say “it is right out of the oven, eat it before shooting the scene”. In America this wouldn’t happen. In the morning in Italy you would have espresso all together and so the atmosphere is more familiar. Even behind the scenes, in the USA is the place where there are the director and the writer, the actors are not allowed. Instead in Italy you can talk to the director, you can participate more.

I – Did you have difficulties during auditions, because you were Italian?

S – For the foreign people are all the same. There is no difference between Spanish, Italian. Then if you are a good-looking guy or girl they may think “he was a model and and now he wants to be an actor”. So that’s the vibe when you get into the audition room. So you have to work harder to prove yourself, and to show that you deserve it.

I – I mean just thinking about the green card, I mean I didn’t came here for fun, I earned it.

S – Well, about the green card... there are people who can obtain the green card easily, because they want to do the acting thing just to become famous, not because they are passionate about it. And to them they say “no, no”. They give you the opportunity to show them that you are worth it.

I – What was you reaction when you got the part for Carina? Your reaction and your family’s reaction?

S – The night before the audition I was at my acting class and I was crying because of my Italian accent. With the accent I could have just Italian roles. So I was crying. The next day I arrived, and when I got into the room the casting director was like “let’s see another one” but then during the audition they asked me a question, they made me do the scene another time, they made me improvise. And they told me "don’t’ go back to Italy". The next morning, they told me “see you at the table read!” So, I laughed, I cried. My neighbors wanted to call the police. I didn’t tell anything to my family until 2 weeks later because I heard about people who were fired after the table read, so I was scared. When the news were officially out I told everyone. My best friend is a huge Grey's Anatomy fan, so I was really excited to tell her.

I – Having Giacomo there helped? I mean, someone you could speak Italian with...

S – Yes!

I – How did you feel when you got on the set of GA?

S – It was unreal. Ellen Pompeo is the one who says hi to you. I couldn’t believe it!

I – What did you like about playing an LGBT character? And how much Stefania there is in Carina?

S – I really like playing an LGBT character, because it doesn’t happen a lot that an Italian is chosen to represent this community, so it was a new thing. Also because lot of Italian teenagers don't have a person who can represent them in that way. So being an European girl, bisexual, without limits. I was so happy.

I – Yeah, because you are a doctor who studies women’s brain during orgasms, right? Does it really exist this kind of doctor? Do you guys prepare for these things?

S – Yes, these people exist. In fact, I talked to an Italian doctor who was doing this study in London... I read some books, “The multiorgasmic woman” is what is called.

I – I didn’t know that. I thought it was fictional!

S – GA is based on real things, and about the second question... Carina taught me so much. Because I’m Sicilian, I grew up in a small town and despite the fact that my mom was super open-minded, I grew up in a conservative world. So Carina taught me to be more relaxed, to not be afraid of saying things.

I – She is the one who taught you something! And between Arizona and Maya, which one is the story couple you would like to live? (I don’t know if this is right!)

S – Maya! As soon as we read the script – we say this a lot – everyone got quiet and there were 5 seconds of silence, because everyone was surprised by the chemistry that was there.

I – Were you on Station 19?

S – Yes!

I – What if they told you that you became an important character on S19 and you had to choose between S19 and GA?

S – Well... S19 is a show that talks about firefighters so I don’t know how an OB could fit in it.

I – Now that Arizona is gone, why they don’t write a storyline about Carina? But everything's stopped there, you are not shooting, right?

S – No, we are not. GA didn’t finish the last 4 episode. They told it would have started again this week but I don’t think it has. What about Italy?

I – We should start “phase 3” on the 3rd of June. So they would like to start again from mid June/July. We hope it won’t be in September. Also, many people want you back in Italy. Speaking about Italy... you were in (Alessandro) Siani’s movie. You were Flavia, a scientist, a good one. Then there’s a love story with him. How was working with him? Is he really selfless?

S – He was super busy because he was the writer, the director and the actor. There were scripted scenes, but we improvised a lot and that was very funny. I liked how the love story was written because it was fresh and not so much romantic.

I – It's a really great movie. There are people here saying "you’re beautiful", "ti amo", "English please!"...

S – Most of my live are in english so...

I – Do you dream in Italian or in English? Do you feel uncomfortable with the actors on set?

S – I don’t know... For example, I had some builder who were speaking Spanish and I started speaking Spanish and dreaming in Spanish.

I – Which role of a movie you saw that you would have liked to play?

S – Rosario Dowson’s role in “Sette Anime” di Gabriele Muccino!

I – And a director you would like to work with?

S – It’s not easy. Because maybe some of them do great thing but you don’t get along with them. But the director of S19... he tells you a specific thing and it changes everything. And I didn’t expect that a person with so much experience would dedicate so much time to an actor.

I – It’s hard to create empathy...

S – That’s why I decided to start directing. I had some scenes with Danielle, and she had to cry, and on TV Shows the director usually don’t give you so much time, so we, as actors, help each other. So it’s beautiful to tell an actor to say “do that”.

I – What kind of movies would you like to direct? Horror, action?

S – No, horror no! They make me anxious. I like romantic comedies, but also dramatic movies.

I – Do you live love with yearning?

S – (I didn't understand this part, sorry!)

I – Can I tell you something? Thank God. If you have the passion about directing you have to protect it. Can you say something in Sicilian?

S – I’ll tell you something that my mom always said and that my sister and I want to tattoo on our ankle: “zita sempre maritata mai” (always in a relationship but never married).

I – She's right! The problem is that we always fall for it. As women, we are always romatic, the prince charming arrives with his white horse. Do you know what a Brazilian friend of mine say? My prince charming’s horse is a little bit hurt (I don’t know how to translate it). At the beginning the prince is perfect and then… Apart your relationship with you boyfriend or husband or whatever, can you say that your job is your second love? I don’t want to put it first.

S – When you work harder for something you want to do, it’s amazing!

I – A Brazilian asked “did she talked about an husband?” I don’t know, I just said boyfriend, husband and we don’t care. We also have to say goodbye. I’m happy we had you here in this live. Thank you, bye!

S - Bye!

——————————————

special thanks to the queen paola for translating it from italian to english! 💜

[textmybizinc]

How To Organize Your Financial Life

We all seek a quality of life for our families, and that includes making some consumer dreams come true. In addition, we also need to think about the future, in our retirement, when it is time to rest and enjoy the best of life. But how to organize your financial life to achieve your goals?

How to grow in life to achieve all your goals? It takes discipline and education to achieve a stable life; no one has any doubt about that. But how to do it? How to have an organized financial company life without any hassles? If you also ask yourself these questions, this content prepared by our experts is sure to interest you! The best solution would be to use Los Angeles factoring companies for easy financial life. Find out how to plan and get access to tips on how to organize your financial life.

How Important Is It To Take Care Of My Financial Life?

Did you know that no less than 66.2% of Brazilians have some debt, according to data from the National Confederation of Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC)? Many people are paying interest to go back to the blue or have their name negated in credit protection agencies, such as Serasa, for example.

Another very important survey, this time promoted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), reveals that six out of ten companies close their doors before completing five years of activities. The reason? The lack of financial planning is one of them.

Both statistics clearly reveal that this question - how important is it to take care of my financial life - is not so simple to answer. Or, at least, to be put into practice. After all, running away from debt is the number one commandment of an organized, stable and disciplined financial life.

Taking care of your finances is the first step to avoiding cash problems and problems. Of course, life brings us surprises and unforeseen events, nobody escapes it. However, when we take care of our resources, organize ourselves and plan, we are able to lead a more peaceful and stable life and, if that were not enough, we could face the challenges and inclement weather of everyday life.

When organizing your financial life, you can grow in life, make your dreams come true, achieve your life project and all your goals, in addition to ensuring a smooth and quality old age. In short, taking care of our finances is vital and only benefits us and our families.

But What Is This Finance Organization?

If everyone knew how to answer such a simple question, the debt figures would not be so significant, would they? Shopping in instalments or even getting a loan to make an investment or a consumer dream can be predictable and harmless, as long as there are education and discipline. It is necessary to plan!

Organized finance starts from a principle that must be strictly followed: we should never spend more than we earn. This goes for our personal and business life. Of course, unforeseen events happen, consumption dreams must be realized (and this is very good!). However, it takes awareness to contract a debt. It is very important that this is studied and that it fits into our planning.

To organize is to control; it is to plan. The organization allows us to be clear about our finances and, thus, we know how far we can go or not. The realization of our life project depends on it. In short, we need to know how much we have, how much we spend and, of course, how we spend it and certainly take that control into our daily lives. In other words, it is a matter of education and learning.

Financial Re-Education

What is financial re-education? It means re-educating yourself, that is, adopting new habits in the face of your finances. Have you ever asked yourself, "what do I want for my life"? Indeed so, but have you ever stopped to think about how to achieve this and how to grow in life?

Financial re-education is the attitude that we must all have to achieve our goals. It is necessary to change standards, adopt new behaviours and look at money in a different way. Money is a means of achieving our dreams, not an end in itself.

How To Get Organized Financially

It does not hurt to repeat, like a real mantra, that we should not spend more than we have received. On the contrary, it is necessary to save a little bit every month to solve unexpected problems, such as repairing the car or infiltrating the bathroom at home. After all, unforeseen events happen, and when we least expect it, it is, therefore, important to have a reserve fund.

The first step in getting organized is to be aware of all your finances. You need to know exactly how much you earn and how much you spend. From this very well aligned information, it becomes much easier to organize your financial life. But how to do it? How to plan?

You must make a spreadsheet with all your monthly expenses. Several free applications can make your task easier, but this can be done even on a simple sheet of paper, without any problem! The important thing is to list everything you spend. Still, everything: a coffee on the counter of a bar, i.e., needs to be counted (of course, this daily expense makes a difference and will be classified as "snacks" or something).

Knowing how much you earn and how much you spend is much easier to organize. From this panorama, you will be able to plan, cut costs, save, save and even make credit cards to make consumption dreams come true.

In time: this spreadsheet must be repeated monthly because control is the foundation of the organization. Do not forget that!

Personal Financial Life Vs Business Financial Life

One of the most common mistakes made by entrepreneurs is to mix their personal finances with the company's finances. These entrepreneurs - and not a few - tend to use the company's account as if it were their own, taking money from there for their daily expenses, without any organization.

But what's the harm in that? It is huge because, without control, we are one step away from making a fool of ourselves. Imagine that there is a lot of money in the bank where your company has an account, and you have been flirting with a washer and dryer for a long time. If there is a lot of money, the purchase can be made without scares, right? Maybe not: the company has commitments to settle, and it is precisely that money that it will use to settle accounts that are due.

This is just an illustrative example of what can happen. The fact is that we know that we should spend a little less than we have so that we can save some money for eventualities and unforeseen circumstances. How can I do this if I don't know how much is mine and how much is from the company? How can I control my expenses and those of the company from a single account?

The entrepreneur has his pro-labore and the distribution of profits. With this money, he must pay his personal bills. The money available at the company's cash register serves to pay the company's bills. Anything other than that is a mistake that can have disastrous consequences due to lack of control and consequent financial disorganization.

Tips On How To Organize Your Finances

The expense spreadsheet must be redone monthly. After all, spending may be higher or not, depending on the month. In summer, for example, the electricity bill tends to double due to the use of air conditioning.

Never shop for the month without a pre-defined list. The tendency is to give in to gluttony, buy unnecessary items, and buy products that you still have at home and do not need to be replaced. Another good tip is to go shopping fueled: hunger is a trigger for bigger purchases.

Missing the day of expiration of any ticket is strictly prohibited. Fines and interest should be avoided.

Avoid waste. Know how to use food better. Are you going to buy fruit? Prefer the seasonal ones because they are healthier and cheaper.

Search prices. There are free apps that do this for you, and the savings can be very good.

Set goals and priorities. Have discipline in your spending, respecting exactly the goals and priorities established.

If you have a debt, search for a financial institution that charges lower interest and switch creditors. This will make it much easier to pay what you owe. The interest charged by the credit card, for example, is the highest in the world.

Learn to invest and learn how to multiply your money. The internet offers countless financial education tutorials.

Let's Summarize

You need to re-educate yourself to achieve your goals. First of all, you need to know your expenses very well, knowing exactly what your expenses are and how they happen. From there, it will be much easier to organize and take advantage of it.

[hope-for-olicity]

Fabulous Olicity Fanfic Friday - April 5th, 2019

Happy Friday! So this is my attempt to both thank awesome fanfic writers for their amazing work and offer my recommendations to anyone who is interested. Here are the fantastic fanfic stories I read this week! They are posted in the order I read them. This and all previous Fabulous Olicity Fanfic posts can be found on my blog.

2 + 2 Equals a Family multi-chapter Complete by @mogirl97 - When Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak both reach for the last Lego Batman set on the shelf at the same time one December night while holiday present shopping for their kids, they have no idea that their chance encounter is going to change their lives. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11853030/chapters/26760468

Can We Stay Here? by @laxit21 - Have some fluff and implied smut. https://laxit21.tumblr.com/post/183799849291/can-we-stay-here

Time for a Story multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances. YOU NEED THIS STORY IN YOUR LIFE. https://archiveofourown.org/works/3912157/chapters/8757172

| ONE | (Oliver the Footballer) multi-chapter WIP @someonesaidcake - Felicity Smoak had a plan; to save enough money to kick her monotonous job and start up the company of her dreams. She made good plans, solid plans, attainable plans. He was never part of her plan. His name was Oliver Queen, the reclusive Brazilian football star with a broken smile and a story to tell. He'd never planned on her either. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15005402/chapters/34779542

The Fan multi-chapter WIP by @leuska - For the past couple of months, Felicity Smoak, previous child star known to the world through her alter ego Lisy the Tech Whiz, who ended her career and her growing popularity at the age of thirteen rather abruptly, has sporadically received disturbing notes and gifts in her mail. Police believe the notes to be just little tokens of appreciation by a former fan. Despite having left the spotlight over a decade ago and living in anonymity since, the fan mail keeps coming, increasing in frequency as well as intensity. The last drop is when Felicity receives another letter with a love note. A scary, ominous note. A note written in human blood.FBI director Amanda Waller tasks her best Agent to the case. Oliver Queen, a criminal profiler, is currently working on a special task force formed between SCPD and FBI to catch a man dubbed the Start City Slasher, who has murdered at least three young women in the past nine months. Agent Queen is not thrilled with the prospect of holding a former princess’ hand through her problem with a simple stalker while a serial killer is still at large. However, once meeting her, Oliver finds there is nothing easy or simple about Felicity Smoak as their worlds start to intertwine. https://archiveofourown.org/works/17726573/chapters/41820368

Do You Remember multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - Eight years after Oliver and Felicity became teenage parents, they have everything they could have ever hoped for and more. They have a good life in a nice house. Their marriage is happy, and a second baby is on its way. The calm they have settled in is interrupted abruptly when a stalker starts terrorizing Felicity. https://archiveofourown.org/works/17409059/chapters/40978307

To Sacrifice the Sun multi-chapter WIP by @emmilynestill - Oliver and Felicity are ARGUS agents working on a mission in Mexico, the two share some very important history. http://archiveofourown.org/works/7510744/chapters/22505918

If I Tremble multi-chapter WIP by @smoaking-greenarrow - A collection of prompts and ficlets, with all the smut! Olicity sexy times are the best times. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15409122/chapters/35762643

Curious Transformations multi-chapter WIP by CharlotteCordelier - From the Department of I-didn't-think-this-all-the-way-through, a season 2 AU. Felicity comes to in a train station, missing some time. And that's only the beginning of the weirdness. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14161659/chapters/32641764

Overwatch multi-chapter WIP by @it-was-a-red-heeler - A burglary attempt convinces the Mayor of Starling City to hire Smoak Technologies to strengthen his security. But between the sassy AI watching him 24/7 and the personal trainer with his own reasons to kill him, Oliver may wish he’d stuck with his baseball bat for protection. https://archiveofourown.org/works/17500640/chapters/41221793

Providence multi-chapter WIP by @so-caffeinated - Will Queen has struggled in silence in the year since he was shot. But when a shadowy crime lord known as Domino targets the only woman Will’s ever truly loved, fate forces him to confront his demons in ways he never could have imagined… Whether he wants to or not. Amelia Prescott has fought to take control of her life since learning two years ago that her personal and professional worlds were manipulated by others. But nothing can prepare her for just how hard she'll have to fight to set her own course, especially when her heart belongs to a damaged man and a crime lord threatens her every professional move... And her life. Destiny brings them together, but as chaos reigns and personal demons haunt Will and Amelia both, it may also threaten to tear them apart. https://archiveofourown.org/works/17919056/chapters/42308753

And So The Adventure Begins multi-chapter WIP by @mindramblingsfics - Felicity spent her first year of college focused solely on her studies. In year two, with the convincing of her best friends Iris and Sara, she lets her hair down a bit. Oliver spent his first year partying with his wingman Tommy and living up to the status that came with his last name. He realizes he should buckle down focus on the most important part: actual school. Oliver and Felicity meet, and even though they are on different ends of the spectrum, they don't realize that they can each bring out hidden parts of one another. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15800025/chapters/36771018

You Can't Afford Him multi-chapter WIP by @quiveringbunny - Oliver and Felicity, still strained after returning from Lian Yu following the takedown of Slade Wilson, take on roles that challenge their buried feelings when they go undercover to investigate a dangerous arms dealer. A Macau casino. A luxury suite. Suspenders. Lucky red panties. What could go wrong? https://archiveofourown.org/works/18338246/chapters/43413185

seemingly impossible (but not untrue) multi-chapter WIP by @alexiablackbriar13 - Young genius historian Dr Felicity Smoak unknowingly and accidentally calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript within the Oxford Bodleian Libraries - a book that has been lost for centuries. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Felicity wants nothing to do with magic, despite her unruly and powerful abilities. But her discovery of Ashmole 782 sets the world of creatures stirring; with a mystery afoot and new, dangerous magical abilities manifesting for her to navigate, she is approached by the enigmatic vampire biochemist Professor Oliver Queen, who seems to have a deep interest in both the manuscript… and her. Based on A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16224353/chapters/37923743

Coffee for Girl Wednesday by @mindramblingsfics - Every week he sees her when she sets up her painting station across the street from his coffee shop. She sells her paintings just as fast as he makes coffee orders. He dubs her his “Girl Wednesday” and waits for her to show up each week. With her unique style and aura, he quickly develops a crush on her, but doesn’t quite have the courage to ask her out yet. https://archiveofourown.org/works/18350798

The Emerald Umbrella multi-chapter WIP by @arrowgirl20 - All it took was a little rain and a emerald umbrella for Oliver and Felicity to take their relationship to the next level.http://archiveofourown.org/works/8752441/chapters/22096217

One Step Ahead multi-chapter WIP by @stephswims - Felicity Acerbi is married to esteemed Italian mob boss. Married after a failed business deal with her father, she is forced into a life decided for her. That is until a new bodyguard is hired. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16959333/chapters/39855036

// @emmaamelia95 // @mel-loves-all // @oliverfel4 // @green-arrows-of-karamel // @coal000 // @miriam1779 // @memcjo// @captainolicitysbedroom // @tdgal1 // @spaztronautwriter // @lalawo1// @quiveringbunny // @wrongshipper // @thebookjumper // @vaelisamaza // @myhauntedblacksoul // @lovelycssefan // @laurabelle2930 // @laxit21 //

[americasmarauders]

Flowers and Iemanjá - Chapter 3

Iemanjá: considered as the “Brazilian Aphrodite”, the goddess of love to whom lovers go to in case of trouble in love.

title inspired by the song Meu Abrigo (by Melim).

word count: 3,8k (a big one she is)

Summary: in which a girl is having a shitty day and Spider-Man saves her. Alternetively, the day a Father expalins it all. 

(see end of the chapter for notes)

mild notes: grammarly called this chapter bland, I’m sorry. 

tagging my fave @hollandsosterfield​ I love you Jen S2

people who favorited the masterlist and now i’m flooding their notifications with my writing:  @marvel-lock @ughdaddywise @allurekengi @emeraldrhee-grimes @hcllxnds @bocauhl @seniorrogers @used-avocado @ximaginx @dr-tardis-who @thismightbemypage @rafaellannery7 @sweetobservationstudent77 @lilcura1209 @taylorswiftforever13 @cheenyeelove @theyoutubedork @sweetdarlingholland @ciannemar83 @notsobasik  @spideybrie @glowunderthemoon

When Y/N thought of how her day was going to turn out, she never ever would have thought that she would run into freaking Peter Parker in her Uncle’s place, of all places. 

              She knew that he was an intern for her Uncle. She knew that she had a chance of running into him. But she was hardly ever upstate during the weekdays – supposedly when Peter worked for Uncle Tony—and quite frankly she just didn’t believe that it was ever going to happen. Especially when she was building her suit. 

              Come to think of it, it is suspicious that Peter—a mere intern—had permission and access to the Compound. The most secure facility in the country, that housed the people that stood between humanity and chaos, and interns had access to it. It smelled fishy to Y/N. 

She was certain that her Uncle wouldn’t let just anyone in his facility. So that meant Peter was someone. Who was he, then? 

A couple of days had passed between the awkward encounter between Peter and Y/N. Nothing was spoken about it. Peter hadn’t questioned why she had kept her family a secret from him and Y/N hadn’t explained herself either. Both were in a state between denial and the ethereal bliss of embarrassment. 

              Y/N was on to Peter. She started realizing certain patterns about him that had once flown completely over her head. The anxious bouncing of the leg. The constant looking at clocks. The sudden physical prowess at P.E. Something had happened to him and she couldn’t help but feel guilty that she hadn’t noticed those changes on her best friend before. 

              ‘He has to be a mutant,’ she thought, projecting. ‘How else would have he gotten through all of those changes?’ she finished her thought. No, that was not it. Most mutations manifest at puberty, yes, but they don’t cause radical changes to your body and extreme anxiety like Peter was showing, do they? She would have to research that later. 

              It was all so confusing. At first, she was sure that her best friend was like her, and she got caught up in the euphoria of not being the weird one out that she couldn’t see rationally the situation. If Peter hadn’t told her about whatever he did with her Uncle in the so-called internship, it was for a reason. And she should respect that. Even if it felt like she was being left out from a huge part of his life. 

              ‘But I guess it wouldn’t hurt if I knew about it,’ she thought. ‘It would make me feel better and when he decides to tell me I would already know and it would save us a lot of crying, right?’. No, it wouldn’t. She tried to drop it. But the increasing insecurity inside her almost made her continue to pursue this road of heartbreak and trust issues. Her friendship was worth more than her insecurities, she convinced herself. 

              She slammed her locker and looked just across the hall to Peter. He was putting his things on his locker. His blue sweater hugged his arms just right, clearly at least a size smaller than it should have been. In truth, in Y/N’s head, she was merely watching her best friends putting his things in his locker. The reality was very different. She was gawking at Peter. She was lovingly watching her supposedly best friend put things in his locker like he was the only human in the world for her. 

              Taking him all in, she didn’t realize she had been using her powers. She suddenly felt like every eye was on her. She started to sweat, and her hands stuck to the notebooks she was carrying. All the noise was too loud, and her head started to pound with a migraine that had spurted on her brain. Every little breathing was a warning sign on her brain. She started to breathe heavily. Why? Why? Why? ‘Is this a new power?’ she thought, panicking. 

              “Hey, Y/N,” Peter said. She looked at him terrified. He frowned in concern. “Is everything okay? What happened?”

              “I—I—” she tried to say something, but nothing came out. Peter started to soothe her. That when it hit her. That was not her power. It was Peter’s. She steadied her breathing and blocked out his powers. And relief washed over her. The migraine that pounded on her head disappeared and her senses went back to normal. It was like opening her eyes for the first time. She didn’t notice Peter had engulfed her in a big protective hug and that he kept whispering sweet things in her ear. She broke the hug and looked at him. 

              She honestly could swear the world had stopped at that moment. And she had absolute certainty that she didn’t use her powers that moment. It was like she was looking at him – really looking at him – for the first time. 

              His eyes were a different shade of brown than the rest of the brown eyes she had ever seen. They were special, and she couldn’t for the life of her put into one word what they were like exactly because she knew she would never do justice to the real deal. He had freckles that dotted his nose and cheeks like the stars dotted the night sky on a clear night. It was only there to make him even more beautiful. His slightly crooked nose was the only flaw that he had, and Y/N wouldn’t even consider it a flaw per se. It was a part of him, and how could something that was a part of Peter be a flaw? It just didn’t make sense in her head. 

              His face screamed worry. A curl was dangling over his forehead, that was now adorned with lines of concern. His breath was slightly shallower than it should have been, and Y/N was certain that she was the cause of those sudden changes at his behavior. She leaned into his hug again and rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel his heart beating fast, faster than it should have been. She contemplated the thought of being because of her presence and not the fright she just gave him. Her heart did an unfamiliar flutter just at the mere consideration of her making him nervous. 

              “Are you okay?” Peter breathed in her ear. “Do you want me to call your Dad? Or Mr. Stark?”

              “No, there’s no need,” Y/N responded. “I’m always better when I’m with you, Pete.”

              Peter smiled brightly. His stomach did flip-flops, and he didn’t know a heart could beat as fast as his was without giving the person a heart attack. Not that Y/N was aware of any of this. 

              “Um, could you stay close today?” Y/n whispered in his ear. “Please.”

              Peter broke the hug. He looked into his best friend’s eyes and smiled. It was the prettiest smile Y/N had ever seen. “Of course, love.”

  Peter had no idea what happened to Y/N. He just knew that one minute, she was panicking and all he did was hug her and soothe her. Next thing he knows, he is walking her to her classes and holding her hand and whispering calming things to her because she needed it. The why was yet to be determined. 

              He tried to care about the why. But he couldn’t help himself to be happy about the whole situation. Not that his best friend had an anxiety attack in the shitty hallways of Midtown Tech, but that she needed him to stay close to her and hold her hand. It was exactly how he imagined it would be. Her hands fit perfectly on his like they were tailored to be together forever. They were softer than his calloused hands, just like he predicted they would be. 

              As he swung around New York his heart fluttered. Thankfully he wore a full mask, he would be so embarrassed if the bad guys saw him flustered over a girl. 

  Y/N’s day had been extremely weird. And only judging by the fact that when she got home, her Dad was sitting in the living room, pajamas on and a book in his hand, waiting for her. 

              She put her backpack on the ground. “I didn’t think you’d be here,” Y/N said, put a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. “You’re usually working,” she completed softly. 

              He closed his book and put it on the coffee table. He took his glasses off and rested them on top of his book and then got up. “Well, Tony thought it was time for me to take a vacation,” he brushed passed his daughter and went towards the kitchen. She followed him. He opened a cabinet and pulled out a coffee mug that Y/N had made in art class when she was 5. He poured himself some coffee and finally looked at his daughter for the first time that evening. “He also came to me with a very important piece of information,” he took a sip of his mug.

              “I knew he would want your help with his nano-te—” she started.

              “Since when have you been running around Queens vigilanting?” he questioned her, a serene look on his eyes, as the mug reached his lips and he took another sip of his coffee.

              Y/N was taken back by his bluntness. Just like Uncle Tony, she expected him to be mad, and even yell at her for being stupid and putting herself in harm’s way. Hell, she would go as far as to say they would argue she was being selfish by endangering herself when there were people who cared about her and that had lost someone close to them already. Her face paled as she answered quietly, “About two months.”

              “Wow,” he said. “And you didn’t get caught once.”

              “I didn’t get caught by you,” she corrected him, embarrassed by the situation. 

              He sighed loudly. He rested his mug on the kitchen counter and ran his hands through his hair. He looked truly disheartened and Y/N felt bad for being the cause of it. “I know I haven’t been around all that much since your Mom died. And I’m sorry, I truly am. But you can’t go around Queens showcasing your powers like it’s no big deal. You know there are some people out there that don’t like people like you,” he reasoned. 

              “So, your solution is for me to hide,” she raised her voice. “Pretend that I’m not special in any way. Or treat my mutation as an inconvenience and just ignore it altogether. Like you do with me, Dad?” 

              “I don’t ignore you, Y/N, that is no way to—” he started to get worked up. 

              “Yes, you do!” Y/N yelled. “You can even look at me properly without feeling sad because I remind you too much of Mom. Newsflash, Dad, she’s been gone for years now, and you have been doing her memory a shitty job.”

              It was her Dad’s turn to be taken back. He had never seen his daughter so angry and hurt. When it came to her emotions, she could hide it decently well. She never had bursts of anger or breakdowns where she would cry endlessly. She wore her heart on her sleeve, yes, but she showed her emotions more in waves than in floods. For her to truly yell at him, she must have been pushed too far. He had pushed her too far. To a point of neglect. “I—I—” he tried to articulate something, but the words never came. 

              “You what?” she sniffed; her voice now quieter. “You’re sorry? I know. But I just really wanted my Dad and you were never there,” she dried a couple of tears that fell from her eyes. “I’m going on a walk,” she headed towards the door, picked up her bag and disappeared from her Father’s sight. 

              He had some thinking to do, and so did she. 

               She ended up walking aimlessly around Queens for a couple of hours. The sun was already setting, and New York was getting chilly. Thankfully she had a coat on her. 

              Y/N had thought about a lot. Her brain was a mess of thoughts and feelings and she tried to untangle it just a bit. She could say she had been somewhat unsuccessful. Sure, the issues she had before were resolved, she could affirm. The problem was other issues had resurfaced. 

              Unconsciously, she had wandered towards all the places she had met Spider-Man, all the rooftops, all the alleyways. Somewhere in the middle of the afternoon—somewhere in between, feeling really sad about yelling at her dad, sensing the enormous amount of guilt building inside of her, and definitely deciding she may or may not have developed a crush on Peter—she had caught herself looking up towards the roofs and hoping to see just a flash of red. 

              At first, she questioned what that strange urge was she was feeling to see Spider-Man all so much. Perhaps, Spider-Man symbolized safety and hope, both things that felt foreign to her at the moment. Spider-Man was familiar and warm, and she was feeling particularly weird and distant. She was anxious, and everything was uncertain. She was feeling terrible, all in all. And somehow, she knew Spider-Man could fix her. 

              Then again, it was rather odd for her to feel that way. But nothing about her day had been ordinary, hell she wasn’t ordinary, so maybe odd was her normal. Even if that didn’t make any sense. 

              Arguably, Spider-Man was familiar to her. His hyper activeness and how his voice would go high pitched when he was nervous (she could tell every little nuance on his voice even with the weird robotic disguise he put on). His heartily chuckles when she made a bad joke, or when she was being silly. It all reminded her of Peter, for some reason. They gave off the same energy, and Y/N thought it was just the kind of person she attracted. She didn’t realize that they had more in common than just little perks. 

              Taking a shortcut towards her home, she hadn’t realized that she was being followed. She gripped her bag tightly and sniffed a bit. The cold breeze ruffled her hair, and Y/N wondered if she would get sick if she stayed that long out in the cold. She turned left towards the familiar alley that she passed on every day when a hand gripped her wrist tightly. She turned to face who it was. 

              The guy was, to say the least, scary. He had a rugged look about him, his clothes were old and dirty, and he had a look in his eyes that made Y/N feel like a prey about to be eaten. Just when she didn’t need anything else happening to her, everything happened. 

              “What a pretty girl like you doing in a shithole like this?” he said, his voice raspy and threatening. 

              Y/N tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he only gripped tighter. “I’m just trying to go home,” she said, scared. If only she could have the courage that she had every single day while being Noire she would have gotten out of this situation fast. But she was having a rotten day, and all she wanted was to go home, and this pervert was holding her back. 

              “Let me take you there, pretty girl,” he said, breathing down her neck. “It’s not safe for girls like you to be out at this time of night.”

              “No, thank you,” she gulped. 

              “Aw, c’mon I could protect you,” the predator said. She didn’t want to be protected; in fact, she didn’t need it. She needed to go home. 

              “The lady said no, Mr. Pedophile,” a voice from above said. Y/N snapped her head to see Spider-Man hanging on the wall, his red suit like a beacon of hope in the dark of the evening. He proceeded to web the pervert up, a web right in his mouth and his hands glued to the wall. Spider-Man turned to her then, the eyes in his mask widened. He then cleared his throat and said in a funny and fake voice. “Ma’am, are you alright?” Now on the ground, he guided her towards the other end of the alley, getting away from the weird criminal. 

              She gulped again and shivered under the cold air. “I am now,” she hugged herself, trying to warm her, her coat was unfortunately not enough for the cold evening. “Thank you for what you did back there. I would have handled it myself, but he caught me on a bad day.”

              Spider-Man continued to walk beside her calmly, maintaining a safe distance from her. “Would you like me to walk you home?” he asked, his voice still funny. 

              Y/N shrugged. She knew she could trust him, and the difference in approach was abysmal. “Yes, please, I would like that very much.”

              “Lead the way,” He said as if he didn’t know the path to her home like the back of his hand. 

              They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, a nervous feeling rising in the pit of Y/N’s stomach. She fidgeted with a loose string from her coat, looking down at her feet while she walked. She was just so tired. She wished she could go back in time and restart her day. Maybe she would have avoided discovering Peter’s weird powers, a fight with her Dad and a weird pervert harassing her on the street. She sighed heavily. 

              “Do you want to talk, Miss?” Spider-Man quizzed her, his funny voice bothering her more and more. 

              “I’m afraid that, if I start, I will burst into tears,” she laughed quietly at her silliness.

              Spider-Man shrugged, “It’s okay, we can just walk in silence.”

              At that moment, Y/N could swear Spider-Man sounded like Peter Parker. 

  Y/N walked through the front door of her apartment, and she felt a strange sense of déjà-vu when she saw her Dad sitting on the sofa, a mug on hand and still wearing his pajamas. 

              She quietly closed the door behind her, then took off her shoes and gently hanged her coat. She turned to her Father, who motioned for her to sit next to him on the couch. She shoved her hands on the pocket of her jeans and walked towards him. She sat down and he released a long and relieved sigh. 

              He took a sip of his tea before he spoke. “I never told you this story that I’m about to tell you. Mostly because I already had forgotten about it,” he said sheepishly, “but I thought it wasn’t too important that demanded anyone but mine or your Mom’s knowledge. But I found this,” he picked up a piece of paper off the coffee table and gave it to Y/N. It was small, and it had a beautiful drawing of a woman floating above a beautiful blue ocean. The woman had long brown hair and wore all white. She had a glowing energy about her, and Y/N didn’t know why, but she immediately felt a bit calmer. She looked up at her Father again, as he continued to speak. “And I remembered a promise I made before you were born.”

              “My Grandma used to tell me stories about a woman, a queen, that lived on the seas. Through the years I’ve heard different stories about this goddess if you will, but what sticks out the most to me is Grandma’s. She used to say that this woman, Iemanjá, was a warrior, the Mother of all. She was fierce and kind, smart. She was the saint of fertility and intelligence, and I don’t know why, but she was always in the back of my mind. 

              “On New Year’s, my Grandma decided to do an offering for her. She said it was to ask for a blessed year and she said I could ask for anything else. I remembered hearing that Iemanjá was also considered the goddess of love, or whatnot. So, I asked if I could meet the love of my life. Call it fate, destiny, Iemanjá or just a coincidence, but two months later, I met your Mom. 

              “Years later, I had already forgotten about all of this,” he looked for the right word, “journey I had dabbling with the mystic. I was already working with your Mom at the family business,” he said like Stark Industries was some small deli her family owned, “but that’s not important. At the time, we were trying to have kids of our own for months, but every time we thought we had it, we were going to have a kid, it slipped through our fingers. We were looking into adopting when I remembered that one time I made an offering to a goddess my Grandma told me stories about, and it worked. So, I buy the same flowers my Grandma bought for that offering, prepared everything and headed to the beach. I wished for a kid, more specifically a girl. And I can remember clearly that I asked for the most extraordinary girl, even if she was the most ordinary girl the world had ever seen, she would be amazing to me,” he cupped his daughter’s cheek and caressed it. 

              “When you were born, I made a promise to myself. Something along the lines of I would always look out for you, honor you and guide towards the right path, even if it was the hardest path for me to guide you to. You made me see that I was not honoring that, and most of all I was not honoring you,” he dried a single tear that rolled down Y/N’s cheek. She didn’t mean to start crying. “I’m truly and utterly sorry for that. I’m fully aware that I cannot undo all the hurt I’ve caused you, all the loneliness I’ve made you go through. But I can promise I’ll be here for you more. And if I’m not here, you will be with me, if you want, of course, working on the amazing stuff your Uncle send my way. I’m sure you will thrive in it,” he then hugged her, and she let out a sigh of relief. 

              After a few beats of silence, she quietly asked him. “Does that mean it’s okay for me to, you know, follow Uncle’s footsteps?”

              Her Dad let out an airy chuckle. “Of course not, I would be a terrible father if I approved of that, even more terrible than the one I’ve been. But it does mean that I won’t stop you from doing it, and I’ll be there when you get hurt to patch you up.”

              She smiled, still in his embrace. Things were in the right place again. 

 important note: so I have some explaining to do. 

First of all, it has been over a month of waiting for this chapter. Sincerely, I don’t think anyone cares about this story other than me. I’m doing this for fun. Also, if you happen to read it (I thank you for that), I had life to do, meaning college got in the way and was being a bitch demanding attention. 

Okay, now to the important stuff. I know many of you are not aware of the culture down here in Brazil so I’m gonna explain it to you, (something I probably would have done better last year with all my knowledge for the admissions tests for college). 

Brazil was a colonized country. By Portugual, especifically (I’m going to ignore the fact that there are some parts in Brazil that were colonized briefly by France and the Netherlands because it is not important to this point i’m stalling to make). And just like any other country in the 1500′s-ish, Portugual was very keen on making this vast land into an exploration colony. If you don’t know what an exploration colony is, here it is: basically the colonizer explores everything the colonized land has to offer, in our case, it was land, and many many natural riches, like gold, coffee, sugar, and a tree called Pau-Brasil, that was used to color fabric back then and gives nothing back to the colonized except years of social inequality and racism. And, again, just like any other colonizer, Portugual after killing most of our natives, brought here millions of African Slaves to work on our crops (especifically sugar and coffee, although later on the slaves were replaced by white europeans that the Crown brought to whiten the people but that’s another story). 

Now, you may wonder, why am I telling this story, when this is a peter parker fanfic? Well, dear reader, here is why. Afirican culture is very much insitlled in Brazilian culture. It is a part of the foundations of our country. And judging by the amount of enslaved people Portugual and later on our own Goverment (although it was still a part of the prtuguese Crown, but again another story) brought --I think it was 4 million people but I may be mistaken-- it is a massive part of the day to day lives of millions of brazilians. That being said, Iemanjá is a real myth, and to some people who follow the religion of Candomblé (one of the many things Africans from all over left as their legacy) she is a real goddess (technically not a goddess but agin another story). It is a real thing here to a lot of people. 

Okay, now a little bit more explaining. Candomblé is basically a mix between Catholicism and many African religions. The slaves pretended to pray for Catholic saints when they were in fact praying for their own so they wouldn’t get tortured and etc. Centuries of this habit created a new religion. So, Iemanjá’s story, because of the way the religion was created, varies a lot. I have  read a bit about it, but I am far from an expert on the subject. 

That being said, the little story that I told about Iemanjá in this chapter SHOULD NOT be considered all true. Although I have put pieces on it that are aboslutely true (she does live in the sea, she is the goddess of love in some versions, and she is the patron of the human inteligence in others, and the offerings do happen, for sure in a more complicated way than I described), it is NOT the whole truth. It is a very complicated piece of culture, and I am far from completly understanding it. 

If it interested you, I recommend looking on it. It is a beautiful part of the Brazilian culture not a lot of people in the world know. There are more to us than samba and football, believe me. We have a very complicated history, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Although I am not an expert, I do love History and I remember a lot of things from the 12 years I spent on the school system learning about this type of stuff in  HIstory classes. 

P.S.: am I really tagging the people? I think it is not working some one help, if you are on the little list and you are not being tagged please let me know.

[veganminimalistblog-blog]

My Daily Morning Rituals

5AM

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I start my morning at 5am A lot of people think that i’m crazy and/or insane but, I want to get up earlier in order to get the stuff that I love to do done before my day actually begins. There isn’t anything worse than either pushing that snooze button, laying in bed until 12 or being late for work. I know as this was me before my life changed dramatically for the better. Those days are long gone and I’m only 30 years old but it took me over 3 years to get where I am now. 

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MAKE THE BED

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As soon as I get out of bed the first thing I do is make my bed, this is pretty obvious to a lot of you, and it may not make any sense why i’m even mentioning it now. For those who don’t make their bed’s in the morning, think of it this way, everybody has a spare 2 minuets of their time, so put that 2 minuets to great use and make that bed. The truth to me personally is; if you wake up early and go to work with you’re bed unmade you return to unsatisfactory, but if you return home to a made bed, you feel that sense of achievement. 

(Success comes from accomplishing a simple task that will form into a habit and a positive momentum.)

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HYDRATION 

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After making my bed I will go to my kitchen and drink a tall glass of Fresh Orange Juice and a tall glass of Water to have my supplements with, which are Halo Beauty Brain & Body Boosters. Everybody dehydrates while they sleep so the most important thing you can do is drink that water was soon as you wake up. You may not think it makes any difference but if you give this one a try, you will notice all sorts of good things happening. Not only by feeling how healthy you are but you’re body on the inside and out will love you back for it.  The Orange Juice in the morning, evening and night routines have become an essential part of my well-being. the reason is Fresh Orange Juice is obviously from a fruit, and when you drink fruit juices like this, well you know what happens there, it also tastes really refreshing and tasty. 

While I drink my tall glass of water I stand and breath in the morning air, I like to then check and document my heart rate from my Apple iWatch 

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MEDITATION

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I use the Insight Timer App on my iPad Pro, On the Insight Timer App you can choose how long you wish to Meditate for, which is perfect for me as in the mornings that i’m due at work, I sometimes do 5 or 10 minuets and the days when i’m not at work I Meditate for 10 to 15 minuets. The Insight Timer App is excellent because it features over 27,000 free guided Meditations and over 4,700 Meditating Teachers.

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COLD SHOWER

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A lot of people have warm or hot shower in the morning after waking up or at night before they go to bed and wouldn’t even contemplate trying it if you mentioned it. I once came across this method from Matt D’Avella on his YouTube Channel called “I Took Cold Showers For 30 Days”. Matt has also done other Challenges but my favourites are “What I Learned By Journaling For 30 Days”, “I Woke Up At 5am For 30 Days” and “Simple Steps To Financial Freedom”. 

After trying my own Cold Showers Challenge for 30 days in the beginning just like Matt did, I did some research and came across Wim Hoff, also known as the Iceman. He’s a  Guinness World Record holder and known for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures, after doing my research and finding out the benefits of the Cold Shower’s I decided to keep it going and a few years later i’m still doing them.

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DEDTOX

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After the Cold Shower I will make my Brain CoffeeTox, CoffeeTox is from the same company BooTea that created The TeaTox. CoffeeTox is Coffee Bags but the only difference is, it’s a Herbal Brazilian Coffee. They have a lot of authentic natural ingredients and antioxidants. The best part is, their Vegan. There are so many benefits that come with this Coffee such as Energy Boosting, Brain Development, Helps with Weight-loss along with a healthy diet and so much more!

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JOURNALING

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While I drink my CoffeeTox I will write in my Journal for the morning, “The Best 3 Things I Want To Achieve For Work” and “The Best 3 Things I Want To Achieve Personally”. I also write down my To Feel List. Journaling has became my go to ever since I started using it, it has helped me to become more motivated by adding in my own quotes, pay off existing debt with trackers, helps me to focus on my dreams for potential future work and helped me with my current work by adding in my shifts. I have also planned out holidays in my Journal and even documented my expenses and savings. I think everybody should have one of these as it will change you’re life. I do believe that if we write down what we “need to feel” as apposed to “wishing” or “hoping to feel”, it may not happen right away or at all, I also believe that if you write down the words “I wish to feel” or “i’m hoping to feel”, you’re not being honest with yourself, you don’t trust yourself to make that change. It doesn’t seem authentic like you want to change you’re feelings. Make it a Challenge, for example: “I need to feel happy, talkative, to have a positive mindset”, Or whatever you’re To Feel List consists of every day for 30 days.

I also create a To Be List, who do I want to be today? this list may be better as a long term goal, for some this could could be a daily goal. Everybody is difference in what age we are, where we live, where we’ve come from, what job we have. So make those lists personal to you.

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READING

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I do about 20 to 30 minuets of reading, this might listening to an Audio Book from Audible, at the moment my favourites are “Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind” - T Harv. Eker and “The Best Of Les Brown” - Les Brown. Or I will read a Newspaper. I like to reflect on what’s happening around me

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BRAIN TRAINING

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I’ll first grab a Naked Green Machine Smoothie and focus on my Brain Training, I use the website Kwik Learning to learn how to Read faster, Work smarter and Think better, all by the man that invented it, Jim Kwik.

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | Q&A with TRIPPER DUNGAN (PDX)

Artist Tripper Dungan creates cartoony, psychedelic, and surreal art, from personified 3D sculptures of cassette tapes and toast to paintings of ice cream cones and succulents. Dungan has been creating non stop artwork since high school, and doesn’t just stick to one medium. From painting, sculptures, to building octahedron geodesic domes, Dungan’s art blurs real objects with his imaginative world where everything is always bright, fun and super weird. We’re excited to chat with Tripper about his art, influences, and learn about his journey in this round of Art School.

Photographs courtesy of the artist

Who are you and what do you do? I’m Tripper Dungan. I paint 3D paintings and whittle little donut buddies and whatnot.

How would you describe yourself and your art? I’d say I’m pretty driven and like to make things every day. I try to be kind, and I’m pretty fuzzy (physically). My art is pretty cartoony and leans toward the psychedelic and surreal. I’ve been painting a lot of personified tapes lately. I like to use art as a vehicle for learning. I recently learned how to make an octahedron geodesic dome for an installation I currently have up at True Measure gallery in Portland. Also black panthers and cougars are the same animal; black panthers just have melanism. It’s like albinism but too much pigment.

Who were some of your early artistic influences? Chuck Jones, Hanna & Barbera, Ub Iwerks. All of the animators that were making cartoons before they were just for kids. It may sound like a throw away answer, but it’s not. There was so much put into those masterpieces. Some of the backgrounds in those old Popeye cartoon gets a guy like me a little choked up. I also really loved Bill Waterson of Calvin and Hobbs. I wrote him a letter when I was 12 and he sent me back a print of one of his comic strips and a form letter saying he didn’t read my letter.

How did you make the leap from making art to showing art to living as an artist? For me it was less of a leap and more of searching for and taking opportunities to show at whatever coffee shop, bar, or gallery that I could get into. It was a constant hustle and still is. My cousin Hilary Pfeifer is an artist as well and it’s been super helpful being close to someone that is able to make a living with her creativity since she was a teenager. I could ask her what she thought about an approach I was taking or just look over and say “ok, this can work. It’s hard, but it can work.”

What are your favorite things to work with? Paints, pens? I love old wood and pulling that acrylic paint across it. Wood readily available and holds so much character. It’s so versatile too. I tend to travel with my art, and the wood can get knocked around a bit too. Acrylic is a nice time saver too. I use a craft acrylic too, so it dries flat. I don’t like a lot of tooth in my paint. Not only do you just draw and paint, but you’ve been making some amazing sculptures. 

Is there a medium you’ve yet to try or are currently working with? I’d love to do some larger fiberglass sculptures. One of my life goals is to have an outsider art sort of theme park.

What was the first show you ever exhibited in? What was your last show? It might have been at the library in Las Vegas, when I was in high school.  I did a color pencil drawing of a tortoise. I got best in show [brushes shoulder off]. Actually it might have been at the boys and girls club in Santa Barbara when I was 5. I wrote my name backwards in Popsicle sticks. I have mild dyslexia. I’m good though.  

How do you approach a day in the studio? What is your process for getting stuff made? I tend to sketch stuff out first unless I’m making tapes. The tapes are a lot more improvisational, and studies of color and form. After I sketch it out I’ll find the appropriate piece of wood or else I’ll shape a new one. Then I lay down the background. While that’s drying I’ll tend to other projects or start five more. Then I’ll spray black where my foreground is going to be. This helps the 3D effect and makes it pop whether you’re wearing the glasses or not. Then I finish my character up, put on my 3D glasses and enjoy the ride.

What type of music do you listen to when creating? Do you find it helps motivate you or just have it for  background noise? My brain is pretty active when I’m painting or sketching. I’ve been listening to a lot of Brazilian and African psychedelic rock and soul, but I also listen to a lot of podcasts. Painting can be a very solitary act as you know, so it’s nice to have some verbal stimulation. I also throw on everything from MF Doom to Shannon and the Clams to older Beck to the Avalanches new stuff.

What are your favorite Vans? I’m wearing my black slip-ons right now, but I have a super comfy all gray (even the sole) Sk8 hi that I’m stoked on right now.

Best advice you’ve gotten as an artist? Worst advice? I think the best advice is “don’t stop”. It wasn’t going to anyway, but you have to keep moving in this racket. The worst advice I’m sure is something someone said at a craft fare. People are apt to say some dumb things to perfect strangers. “You should make hats for dogs”. “You should paint Hello Kitty in a raincoat”. I probably should, I guess. Give the people what they want, right?

What’s next for you? I have some craft fares coming up. One here (Portland) and one up in Seattle. I get to hang with my art buddies Jesse Hibert and Snaggs.

Follow Tripper  Website | http://numberstar.com Instagram | @tripperdungan Tumblr | @tripperdungan

[n0resistance]

Rome

    What was interesting with where we were in Rome was that a lot of locals spoke English. Most cities are like this. We had a Counselor that said all major cities usually speak English,  and the authentic places are in the villages. She was right. I tried to speak Italian after all my lessons to our waiter, and he felt uncomfortable that I wasn't very fluent and asked me to speak English! They also get offended when you ask for extra salt, or ketchup, anything that changes the dish. They think you're insulting their food.     

    The food is amazing. Veal, rabbit, pasta, melon con prosciutto, and bruschetta. The wine is excellent. Anything sweet is excellent. I found my favorite wine was from Piedmonti called Gavi di Gavi. Which is in the North. My favorite restaurant in Campo De Fiori  is a chain! This wine and cheese bar called Obica. Which is in New York and LA. Our apartment was walking distance from the Colosseum. It was far from school. I always had to take the bus. Which was honesty policy when it came to payment. So people didn't really pay. When the cops came to check we would just jump off. That's why there were transportation strikes in Rome all the time. The honesty policy system did not work.     

    It took me forever to get to know my area where my apartment was because I always stayed with my friend who lived near Piazza Navona. Which had this amazing fountain of the four major rivers and their Gods. A Brazilian consulate, the best gelato, and our school. My friend and I would go running. One time, since we don't really have phones, and you have to pay per call, we ran to each other's houses without knowing it. I got lost and I finally got to her house and her roommate said she was running to see me. 

    We connected with people through facebook and if we set a time we would meet there. If we weren't there we would wait. It was awesome not having a phone. I had my camera, my journal, and some food vouchers. Our program was awesome because rent was paid for as well as food vouchers to restaurants and the only thing I had to worry about was travel. My dad sent me $150 a week from what I saved over the summer, and that's how I lived. 

     In Rome, I felt like I didn't really have any money, and I felt like I had too much free time. So I had journals and photos and eventually started taking videos. I set intentions. I wanted a tattoo of my mother's signature. It was a card she gave to my father "Happy 3 month anniversary" in 1985. Finding that was really special to me and I brought it with me to Italy to get the tattoo. I wanted to learn Italian, speak to people. Make friends. I decided to do a video project. For Italy, and film everything I was experiencing. 

    I focused and did really well in school. Watch Italian films and got a real Italian education, or as close as you can going to an American school in Rome. My last intention was to see all that Italy has to offer. People in my program went all over Europe. Spain, Morocco, France, and Croatia. I couldn't afford trips like that, so I backpacked every weekend with my friend from New York and my other friend from LA, and went to the beaches or villages and saw Italy.     

     My classes included Italian, Philosophy, Art History, and my favorite History of Italian Cinema. Art History was amazing because every class was at the actual site. It was included in the program so we learned about Michel Angelo and then went to the Vatican to see the Sistine Chapel. Dates were the hardest to remember. We also saw this amazing Duomo  and the art  in Orvietto. We learned about Luca Signorelli and his painting called The Last Judgement. When hell comes on earth and takes everyone who was a sinner. Basically the end of the world. It's graphic and disturbing. I carved my initials with a permanent marker at the bottom of one of the paintings. Orvietto was my favorite because it was a place I could speak to people in Italian, since people didn't know English.     

    One time we brought our friends' parents and we were famished for lunch during Siesta. All the restaurants were closed but this little old lady went inside and cooked us a meal from scratch. I had pasta fagioli, which is my absolute favorite. My friend’s parents asked for ice for their white wine, which is uncommon in Italy. She had to make it from scratch and by the time it was ready, we finished all the wine. 

    We had amazing day trips. Our trip to Napoli we saw Pompeii, Mt Vesuvius, and the Island of Capri. They make the best limoncello in Capri. You see all the people who were preserved from the volcano eruption in Pompeii. As well as the brothels there. We did a day trip on our own when everyone went to Oktober fest to Sperlonga. We rented a pedal boat with a slide. Went swimming topless. Had a freak out because we realized we left our passports and all our money at the beach and nobody was watching it. We had fresh fish. Felt like we got robbed because they didn't tell us how much the fish was until we left.     

    For our film class we had a field trip to CInecitta studios. We saw the original set for Gangs of New York. The set for this one film called Roman Empire. I loved that class. I learned a lot about fascism, neorealism, and realism, and discovered my favorite director Fellini, as well as actress Sophia Loren. Who was the first sex icon in Italy and was one of the first to make it to Hollywood. Italians impress me with the food, culture, and art.  Living there made me want to become a filmmaker. 

    My Italy video project consumed me. I would film and edit it everyday after school. I was obsessed. I wanted to include everything. My friend was so supportive of that. I was upset about this new realization because I already spent 3 years studying business, hotel management, and had this epiphany that I should be an artist. I knew I had to go home and finish my degree. I knew I needed to make money. I knew I wanted to be an artist and express myself through storytelling because most of our entertainment during dinner was my crazy stories from college or my suburban town in New Jersey. 

  So I used Italy as my outlet, I never knew when I was going to come back, or have an opportunity to not work, and be this inspired. That I just ran with it with my camera and my journal. I filmed everything. Car rides, night life, the beach, cinecitta studios,  Pompeii, and all of Rome. It was my first movie. I got terribly homesick and my friends missed me too. I especially missed my dog. He ate brownie batter and had to get his stomach pumped which was $500.00. I felt like I missed out a lot of the sorority events, I just joined. I wrote out a speech to be pledge mom and sent the video to them in a beautiful place in Rome. It was so loud because in the middle of my speech an ambulance came. My sister came to Rome. I got to show her the new life I was living and my apartment. We had aperitivo and wine. It was special to show her.    

     I became close with my roommate, and got close with the barista Luca who made my coffee every morning. I got into cappuccinos because I had to go to the coffee shop to get wifi. I would write all day. He was a ballerina. I also made friends with one of our professors. He would come out with my friend and I, he was always talking philosophy. A friend of mine from Pace was studying in Barcelona and came to Rome. We went to the Jewish area where the holocaust happened. It was pretty sad. Any piece of home was nice. We went to a soccer game and soccer is like religion in Italy. My favorite player was Totti, they call him Il Capitano. We were the only people that drank at the soccer stadium. Everything is closed for soccer. People are very focused and into the game. I got a jersey I wore all the time.

    My favorite area was Trastevere. They call it the Brooklyn of Italy. Not too busy, a lot of creatives, I even prefer the bars and food there. There was a University in New York stationed there called St. John's. When you cross the Tiber River, you end up there. Also, my area was really awesome. I didn't realize it til the end of our study abroad. Since I spent most of my time near the center. I remember hearing Vampire Weekend for the first time at a bar there. I also remember all the live music, burlesque shows, and piazzas near me were amazing.      

    Our school was sweet. They even hosted a Thanksgiving for us and celebrated Halloween, so we wouldn't feel homesick. There's a lot of Irish pubs in Rome where American students hang out. Scholars, The Abbey, The Drunken ship was where you went to turn up. We even went on a pub crawl with wrist bands. You have to stay close to your friends the entire time. Rule#1 never get in a car with strangers.

       I learned a lot about myself in Italy. I found freedom, community, and a desire to be an artist there. I found independence. I learned to cook. A lot better than I've ever cooked before. A different part of my brain would work when I spoke Italian. I developed this big dream to be in an Italian movie. The movies I watched demonstrated the hardships Italy overcame. I spent time on myself and even though I loved New York I didn't have time to breathe. Italy will always be a second home to me. I thank that experience and that calling to go there because it made me who I am.

[orbemnews]

Uprooting Colonialism From the Fossil Finding Field In 2019, Mohamad Bazzi, a doctoral student at Uppsala University in Sweden, launched an expedition to Tunisia in search of fossils. He and his colleagues traveled to the phosphate mines around the city of Gafsa, where 56 million-year-old rocks record a time of rapidly warming oceans and mass extinctions, particularly of apex predators like sharks. Mr. Bazzi made some distinctive choices for this paleontological expedition. For starters, his team hired Tunisians to help dig, rather than bringing students from his university. Mr. Bazzi and his colleagues also chose to reach out to the residents of Gafsa wherever possible, holding impromptu lectures on the area’s fossil history to interested onlookers. This was a contrast with the secretiveness of many paleontologists in the field, who might worry about their sites being raided for the fossil black market. The fossils the team collected from Gafsa are important for learning more about how animals adapted to the hothouse world of the Eocene, a period that may foretell what’s in store for the planet in coming years if carbon emissions don’t slow. But while Mr. Bazzi’s team removed the fossils from Tunisia, they did so under an agreement with local institutions that Mr. Bazzi himself insisted on: After he finished his research, the remains would be returned. Historically, these specimens are seldom returned, and locals may never see them again. But Mr. Bazzi and his colleagues are part of a movement among the next generation of paleontological researchers, one attempting to change scientific practices that descend directly from 19th century colonialism, which exploited native peoples and their natural histories. Over the last few decades, multiple countries have demanded the return of looted art, antiquities, cultural treasures and human remains from museum collections in North America and Europe. Countries such as Mongolia and Chile have likewise demanded the return of collected fossils, from tyrannosaur bones to the preserved remains of giant ground sloths. “There’s a consistent pattern with these specimens of high scientific or aesthetic value, where they’re taken out of the developing world and shipped abroad to be displayed and shown to a wider audience elsewhere,” Mr. Bazzi said. “There should be some balance so that local parties have a say in what happens to them.” Many countries with less money to spend on funding their own scientists are home to important fossil deposits that could drive major advances of our understanding of the prehistoric world. If the field of paleontology is to move forward, these researchers say, it’s important to figure out how to study specimens in these places without extending colonial legacies. That will take the development of a different approach to the field, more like the ones being tried by Mr. Bazzi and other scientists that rely less on extraction and more on collaboration with and the development of local institutions. While many cultures throughout human history have long traditions around collecting or studying fossil remains, the discipline of scientific paleontology — as well as the formation of modern natural history museums — arose in the 18th century, when European powers were actively colonizing large swaths of the globe. According to Emma Dunne, an Irish paleontologist at University of Birmingham in England, European scientists were part of a colonial network that sucked natural wealth — including fossils — into imperial capitals. In the 20th century, some countries pushed back. Brazil and Argentina provide government funding of paleontology. Those countries and others, such as Mongolia, established laws forbidding the export of fossils from within their borders. The two South American countries also mandate that foreign researchers work with local paleontologists for research on fossils found in the country. “You still do have non-Argentinian researchers working with local ones, for example,” said Nussaibah Raja-Schoob, a Mauritian paleontologist based at Germany’s University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. “But you definitely see that there is a bigger local influence.” Even in the aftermath of colonialism, however, fossils from across the globe still tend to end up in American and European museums. Some are collected through approved scientific expeditions. But because fossils are also traded privately, fossil-rich countries with fewer resources and legal protections often see interesting and potentially valuable finds put up for auction in Western markets. Questions about where fossils belong and who is best suited to work on them have sparked sharp controversies in recent years. In some cases, researchers have raised concerns about the ethics of working on such privately collected fossils — particularly those which may have been exported illegally. At the same time, paleontologists in Western countries have bristled at the rules required by countries like Brazil. In one case in 2015, David Martill, a paleobiologist at the University of Portsmouth in England, dismissed questions about his team’s lack of collaboration with Brazilian researchers on a specimen found there. “I mean, do you want me also to have a Black person on the team for ethnicity reasons, and a cripple and a woman, and maybe a homosexual too just for a bit of all round balance?” he said in an interview at the time with Herton Escobar, a Brazilian science journalist. Dr. Martill said in an interview in December that he chose his words poorly. But he said he remains opposed to laws that dictate where fossils go. In 2020, he was a co-author of a paper on another find exported from Brazil and described without a Brazilian co-author. “I do not think governments should dictate who works on fossils,” he said. “I think scientists should be able to choose who they work with.” These sorts of controversies are one example of the way the discipline’s colonial history lingers, Ms. Raja-Schoob says. But there are others. Much of global paleontology is still conducted in languages like English, German and French. And according to an ongoing research project by Ms. Raja-Schoob and Dr. Dunne, countries with higher G.D.P.s — places like the United States, France, Germany and China — tend to report more fossil data, in part because they have the money to invest in academic paleontology programs. Many institutions around the world have neither the tools nor enough government support for sophisticated studies of fossils. But that is something scientific institutions from wealthier countries can help with. “We have to ask why we’re bringing this knowledge to the centers, rather than spreading it out,” Dr. Dunne said. “We can work with things like 3-D scans of fossils, we can work with digital data sets. The problem obviously is getting funding for museums to do this for themselves.” Ms. Raja-Schoob said that academic funding could promote geology and paleontology in more countries. “Why not put that money into local people doing something?” she asked. “At the end of the day we are all going to be using that data. So why should they not also benefit?” While the fossil riches present in the rocks of North Africa and the Levant have long drawn fossil hunters and scientists, Mr. Bazzi said, the majority of fieldwork has resulted in fossils being exported to European or American institutions. Mr. Bazzi’s parents are from Lebanon, while his colleague Yara Haridy — a doctoral student at Berlin’s Museum für Naturkunde — was born in Egypt. Because of the lack of opportunities, neither can find steady academic work in paleontology in the Middle East. As part of their trip to Gafsa, both wanted to try to start building up paleontological resources instead of just removing them. That was part of what led Mr. Bazzi and Ms. Haridy — after many careful conversations with local participants over coffee and tea — to the ruins of a museum in the small mining town of Métlaoui. The museum had been burned down during the protests of the 2011 Jasmine Revolution that helped trigger the Arab Spring. It had not been restored, and on their third day in Tunisia, a mining engineer told them it might be worth visiting. Stepping carefully through the ruins, they found an unexpected wealth of fossil material: immense turtle shells, crocodile jawbones, dinosaur vertebrae and even ancient human remains, all scattered across dusty floors and charred rubble. The collection had to be salvaged, the team decided, but not taken out of the country. “Every other question we got was, ‘Oh, are you guys going to take this stuff?,’” Ms. Haridy said. “And we told them, no, it’s yours. It should stay here. It’s part of this region’s story.” Instead, they partnered with the people of Métlaoui to help them save the remains. Within a day, the town’s mayor and other community authorities had assembled local workers and students from Gafsa University. Mr. Bazzi’s team handed out gloves and masks and a stream of Métlaoui residents went to work pulling fossils from the ruins. “It was a pretty big operation,” Ms. Haridy said. “Everyone got really excited.” The team cataloged the bones before boxing and sending them to a government facility in Gafsa. The hope is that the museum remains will provide the nucleus for an ongoing paleontology program at Gafsa University; Mr. Bazzi has been helping to supervise interested students. One such student, Mohammed Messai, said that he didn’t know much about paleontology before meeting Mr. Bazzi, but that he’s now made identifying the fossils recovered from the museum part of the research for his master’s degree in science. It’s important for paleontologists to build genuine partnerships with local researchers, Ms. Haridy said. Not only does this create community engagement and prompt people to regard fossils as worth protecting, it also helps ensure that specimens are properly studied when they are returned to their country of origin. “There’s this problem where even if a country demands fossils back, like Egypt did for a long time, a lot of the paleontological knowledge doesn’t necessarily return with it,” she said. Without investing in independent paleontology programs in the countries in question, fossils can end up “consigned to a dusty room, where nobody knows what to do with it.” But efforts to create more inclusive and distributed paleontological networks face considerable headwinds. “Funders don’t necessarily put any emphasis on the ethical side of the research,” Dr. Dunne said. “We do rely a lot on other countries for their data. Fossils are worldwide, they’re global, they don’t respect political boundaries. But we should be identifying these patterns of colonial bias in our research and stopping them.” To some extent, the presence of these conversations is itself a sign of change. “When I began paleontology some 45 years ago these issues were of no concern,” Dr. Martill said. “Today, they seem to be dominating paleontological discussions. Perhaps it is me who is now out of touch.” He added that, “a fantastic new generation of paleontologists emerging and they are flexing their muscles and demanding different things.” For now, Mr. Bazzi’s team hopes to drive funding toward local paleontology in Tunisia. “Ideally, the Tunisian government would just believe these people on their own and agree that their fossils are important and worthy of preservation, and is of international interest,” Ms. Haridy said. “But they tend to get interested once scientists are actually actively trying to visit and actively trying to work with people.” “You now have local people starting to drive this themselves,” Mr. Bazzi said. “Eventually there will be no need for others to come and do it.” Source link Orbem News #Colonialism #field #finding #fossil #Uprooting

[i-r-a]

October Favorites

Sex and the city -  The American romantic comedy every girl should watch at least once. Funny as it may seem to some, I adore this tv show. It's obviously not a "heavy", full of educational facts tv show, but it's exactly what you need when you have 20 minutes of free time and need a cheer-me-up fest. It's funny, smart and changes your perception on a lot of things you wouldn't expect it to. I do have to want that it's a very sexual tv show meant for adults and therefore if you're under 18 I don't recommend this for you..yet.  Stranger Things-  Also known as the show everyone has been blabbing about for the past 4 days. Season 2 came out October 27th and I had watched all of it by October 28th. Although this season starts slow, it definitely reaches its peak later on. I adore the characters and their personalities, the cinematography and above all the way so many values like those of true friendship, trust, family and love are displayed in such a beautiful way, and the actors are all incredible [especially the kids] The Deep Skin YT channel- I discovered this channel thanks to Orion and Britenelle's video on it and since then I can fearlessly say it has been one of my favourite channels on Youtube. Their videos are so raw and beautiful and they show how messy and complicated humans are and how complicated their relationships are. It's so refreshing to see people express their feelings to someone else so honestly in front of a camera and you can very often see yourself in someone else and recognise your habits, mistakes and behavioural patterns in general. 

The way he looks-  A 2014 Brazilian coming-of-age romantic drama film I've recommended to more than 10 friends this past month. The story is so beautiful and not your typical kind of romance at all. The cinematography is ideal for the vibe of the film overall and the portrayal of the character's emotions is so refreshing. Out of the numerous movies I've watched this month, this one definitely belonged to those that stood out. 

You are a badass- I bought this book last summer but hadn't bothered reading it till this month. It only took me two days to read the whole thing because if there's one thing this book will do to you it's make you thirsty for improvement. It really does motivate you to change the way you view life and your perception on a lot of things. If you're going to chose one book out of all the books in this section, I insist it should be this one. 

The class by Eric Segal- I'm not going to lie; I'm only halfway through this book. I bought this book on a market for 1€ and picked it up a few days ago and I find myself unable to put it down. It's witty, smart and so well-written. The depiction of the characters' personalities, the contrast in their way of thinking as well as the differences in their background, all come together to create one of those novels you wish you could finish in one sitting. 

Licor 43 and milk- My friend Antonia is the one to blame for my addiction to this combo. I stayed over at her place one night and we had this while having a long 5 a.m conversation at the balcony about the mess in our heads, the weight of our thoughts and consciousness, the universe and so on and.... that's when my addiction was born. If you're under the legal drinking age this is definitely not for you but for all my fellow responsible adults here, this is heaven. The milk can either be hot or cold; it tastes amazing either way. But since winter is around the corner, warm up the (soy or other non-dairy) milk for the perfect warm drink on a cold fall/winter night.

Soy Milk cappuccino- Since I bought a Nespresso coffee machine, this has become part of my daily morning routine along-sides washing my face and brushing my teeth. I live in Italy so I obviously drink way more coffee than I should and you might think I'm exaggerating when I say this but I can't leave the house if I haven't had my soy cap. If you don't have a coffee machine at home, it's time to explore your neighbourhood to discover the best coffee place that can provide you with your daily coffee-intake at any moment because nothing screams productive evening more than a cup of hot coffee.

Broke girl breakfast- Bred with ricotta and raspberries ; aka the "broke girl" breakfast. Buy a fresh baguette and some toppings like jam, (vegan) butter, fruit and share it with your friends. We all know what being young and broke is and we all get that sometimes your budget just doesn't support fancy brunch in "instagram-looking" cafes, and that's okay! Go to the supermarket with your friends, put some change together and treat yourselves to a "broke-girl" breakfast at the park. 

 @lisasaysgah - LSG is a clothing brand I discovered through Instagram. Feminine, carefully crafted and stylish, this is definitely one of my favourite brands at the moment. The focus they give to creativity and to giving new designers and independent voices a place to express is beautiful. Definitely a brand to check out! [ their stories a lot of times show behind- the- scenes clips that are very interesting]  @francescodaprile - I love surrounding myself with people that inspire me, and my friend Francesco is definitely one of them. He went through one of those crises everyone goes through at some point and deleted a lot of stuff from his Instagram but his account is still very inspiring. He's one of the people that really have an eye for art and that value true aesthetics and find beauty in everything they see. 

@paigemaccready - Where do I begin with this amazing lady. She's the girl behind many of the beautiful photos you guys might have seen on the Messy Heads mag and she's the girl with one of my favourite Instagram accounts at the moment. Her photos, in contrast to the majority of photos prevailing on social media at the moment, are very raw, natural and truly capture a moment with all its emotions. Definitely someone to check out if you feel like you need an inspiration boost for your photos. 

Hoops- An obsession that started in August and has carried on till now for me has been hoops. I initially didn't want to invest in a good pair because I didn't know if I'll be feeling the vibe but I think it's time I bought some quality ones cause this is definitely not a short phase. I adore the sexy, feminine but still sassy vibe they give to every look. 

Plaid pants/skirts/jackets- If I hadn't disappeared from social media, this would be one of the things you'd know about; my newfound love for plaid pants, skirts and blazers. Plaid pants, leather jacket, red lips and messy hair has been my October uniform and will probably continue to be. A pattern that can be worn in so many different ways, so many different styles and so many different occasions, I definitely recommend you bring some plaid in your life. 

Red-  my colour of the year in all aspects and definitely my colour of the month when it comes to outfits. A couple weeks back I thrifted this red blazer I can't get enough of and before that I bought this red mini skirt that's the definition of sexy and before that I got this red sweater and so on. Nothing screams classy, sexy and cool more than a red blazer with matching pants or skirt and nothing screams more Ira than red lips and bed head all day long. 

Monochrome outfits- All red (see previous point), all yellow (pastel yellow), all nudes, all white and all pink have been my go-to look for this month. I've even done some almost total plaid looks but I always break those down with a white tee to avoid crossing the line. Monochrome looks are the easiest way to look classy, stylish and still not cry in front of your wardrobe to put them together. The easy solution to when you're running late but still need to look cool and you know.. somewhat presentable. 

Disposable film cameras- I've been shooting film for quite a while now and if you couldn't tell, I adore it. Since I got my first film camera and learned how to use it, I can't remember what life was like without it. Disposable cameras are a different feeling however. Besides them being perfect for parties, trips and generally occasions when you don't feel like carrying your camera around, their built in flash and unique vibe makes them irreplaceable and very fun to play around with. 

Bullet journals- I've been bullet journaling for more than a year now and I adore it. You can obviously buy a journal that's already prepared for you but there's something really soothing and satisfying about making it yourself. You can add doodles, customise it to any special needs and channel your creativity while being productive and organising your life at the same time. Just be careful not to fall for the "fake sense of organisation" trap and focus too much on making your task lists look pretty and not focus enough on actually getting stuff  done. 

L’Enfant Visionnaire Stickers - If you live in Milan here's a challenge: find the L'Enfant Visionnaire stickers around town and dm us a photo; we are taking over the city. After so many of you requested it, you will soon be able to find them on our online store and order them with free international shipping! 

Photo albums- Three words: magic of print. I've never been the person to print photos before but after a small project I did this summer I decided I would print photos more often and start keeping photo albums. It might sound really lame and maybe a bit pretentious but belonging in a generation that has everything available at its fingertips - only with a touch of a screen- you really start appreciating things like photo albums, vinyls, magazines and books. Maybe our world is still not ready to give up on the smell of books, the glossy printed pictures that decorate our rooms and are hidden in journals and memory boxes, and the crackling sound of a vinyl. Not yet. 

Learning how to use software on your own - Last month I gave myself InDesign classes and this month I’m focusing on video editing! Stop making excuses for yourself and go learn the things you’ve been wanting to learn for forever. You don’t need someone to teach you how to use photoshop, you just need will to learn and the program installed on your laptop.

Duolingo - Living with people from all over the world sparks your interest for a lot of things, one of which is definitely languages. Living in a foreign country Duolingo is certainly a way to practice and improve the country's language (which in my case is Italian) but it's also an amazing way to learn the basics of a new language and improve your vocabulary. Not only am I using this to train my long-gone french, I'm also starting to learn some Turkish and German on it. 

Walking everywhere - As someone living in Milan without a car (or a driving license for that matter) I have to renew my public transport card every month. This month, I decided I wouldn't.  I obviously bought tickets a couple of times, when I had to go places that were too far to walk to or I just needed to save time, but on an every-day basis, I decided my only form of transport would be walking - and sometimes biking-. Putting your headphones on and walking around is one feeling but walking around and actually paying attention to what is happening in your surroundings is another. Next time you walk somewhere leave your headphones at home and try to be present at the moment. 

[hope-for-olicity]

Fabulous Olicity Fanfic Friday - August 3rd, 2018

Happy Friday! So this is my attempt to both thank awesome fanfic writers for their amazing work and offer my recommendations to anyone who is interested. Here are the fantastic fanfic stories I read this week! They are posted in the order I read them. 

Please Note: I’ve been struggling trying to avoid Season 7 spoilers, I’ve failed a few times - so I have to stay away from just glancing at what is new AO3. Sadly, this will prevent me from seeing stories that aren’t shared on Tumblr. I am also avoiding spec stories, that I haven’t already started. I sad. Stupid spoilers ruin all my fun.

My Arms, They Will Hold You by @olicityaddicted - Oliver is back home from prison, but something happens when he has a nightmare. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15404745

If I Tremble by @smoaking-greenarrow - A collection of prompts and ficlets, with all the smut! Olicity sexy times are the best times. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15409122/chapters/35762643

I'll Try to Behave by who_seeks_shall_find - William is excited to meet Ray and Sara. When William, Ray and Felicity start talking about science, Oliver feels a bit left out. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15403056

Visit to Gotham by @cruzrogue - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon - Prompt: Unfinished - Felicity and William move to outskirts of Gotham City. Before Felicity and William move back to Star City after their adventure in Gotham where William finds his step-mom is helping Batman and he thinks she could possibly cheat on his dad with Bruce Wayne. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15421605

Hidden Talents: Work in Progress by @laureningall - Olicity Hiatus Fic-a-thon - Prompt: Unfinished - After a perfect evening with Felicity, Oliver is anxious to bring her breakfast in bed, starting with coffee. Fate has other plans. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15038072/chapters/35818332

The Queen's Mage multi-chapter WIP by @the-shy-and-anxious-fangirl - Words have power, and mages, those with the aptitude to draw on that power, are few in number. Thus, their services are highly sought after by anyone who has exhausted all mundane means of solving whatever problem is plaguing them. Felicity is reminded of this fact the hard way when she is hired by Moira Queen, the Lady Starling, to find and return to her son Oliver, who fled his family home five years ago following the death of his father. With a threat hanging over her should she return without Robert Queen's heir, Felicity begins her search. When she finds Oliver, and ends up joining his vigilante crusade while she waits for him to decide whether to return home, the last thing she expects to do is fall in love with him. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14617068/chapters/33781269 | ONE | (Oliver the Footballer) multi-chapter WIP @someonesaidcake - Felicity Smoak had a plan; to save enough money to kick her monotonous job and start up the company of her dreams. She made good plans, solid plans, attainable plans. He was never part of her plan. His name was Oliver Queen, the reclusive Brazilian football star with a broken smile and a story to tell. He'd never planned on her either. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15005402/chapters/34779542 Deep Water multi-chapter WIP by @it-was-a-red-heeler - A Season 7 Speculation fic. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15081917/chapters/34968092

The Ring by @spaztronautwriter - The 4th prompt for @olicityficchallenge is: A stuck elevator, a dead cell phone, and a ring. https://spaztronautwriter.tumblr.com/post/143048602908/olicity-fic-challenge-4-the-ring

Love and Little Cupcakes multi-chapter WIP by @christinabeggs - Felicity loved sweets so much that she paid no attention to her lovelife. Until Thea Queen came into her store wanting fabulous cupcakes for her sixteenth birthday. SO ADORABLE! http://archiveofourown.org/works/12400539/chapters/28216053 Falling For You multi-chapter complete by melicitysmoak - Both at significant crossroads in their lives, Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak cross paths one weekend at Niagara Falls. They fall for each other as strongly and swiftly as the mighty waters that drew them there that late spring morning. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15152363/chapters/35138201 The Eternal Love multi-chapter WIP by Mellowyellowdiamonds - Forced into a loveless marriage to Al Sah Him by her ageing and clearly looney adopted father Ra's Al Ghul, Felicity Smoak tries her best to plot her way out of this "terrible" marriage in a bid to regain her freedom. Her husband however has other ideas and is determined to foil her plans every step of the way. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15328269/chapters/35564142 Something Inside This Heart Has Died (You're In Ruins) multi-chapter complete by @entersomethingcleverhere - After a life-changing, soul-crushing event that happened five years ago, Dr. Felicity Smoak exiles herself to an Army hospital in Germany. She spends her days stitching soldiers back together, but who's going to heal her? Enter Command Sergeant Major Oliver Jonas, an American soldier who gets injured during an IED attack with a beautiful smile and more than a few secrets of his own. https://archiveofourown.org/works/5472908/chapters/12647312

Please Call Me (Only if You're Coming Home) by @entersomethingcleverhere - It's Felicity's first stateside Thanksgiving in five years, and she's spending it with her fiance's family. What's Thanksgiving without some drama sprinkled in? https://archiveofourown.org/works/5761705

Time for a Story multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances. YOU NEED THIS STORY IN YOUR LIFE. http://archiveofourown.org/works/3912157/chapters/8757172

Soulmates multi-chapter WIP by @bri206 - What happens when Oliver and Felicity wake up in the past with no idea how they got there? They will have to relive their past lives and maybe find an ally or two to get back to their present. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15466416/chapters/35903511

Hidden Talents: What are Friends For? multi-chapter WIP by @laureningall - True friends will help you out - even if you don’t realize you need their help. In other words how Thea and Curtis conspire to reunite our favorite couple. Will they succeed? https://archiveofourown.org/works/15038072/chapters/35914386

One Night multi-chapter WIP by @suttons-brady - Felicity paces back and forth in her bathroom, fingers playing with each other in front of her stomach and her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. How the hell did she get here? She prides herself on being smart -- on being a genius, actually. Hell, she skipped eighth grade! So how in the hell had she ended up here, burning a hole in the floor of her bathroom, waiting for a flimsy plastic stick to tell her if her life is over? http://archiveofourown.org/works/11076792/chapters/24706029

Shatter multi-chapter WIP by @yespleasehawkeyee - Star City has fallen victim to a serial killer. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14594097/chapters/33728688

The Paths We Take multi-chapter WIP by griever11 - Rival CEOs AU. Felicity Smoak, CEO and founder of her own company, is trying to prove herself in the cutthroat world of the technology industry among the other bigwigs in the game. Oliver Queen, recently back from the dead is trying to prove to the world that he's no longer the same man-child who went down on the Queen's Gambit and is finally worthy of his family's legacy. Both equally formidable names in the corporate world. And both with a long, complicated history with each other that no one but themselves are privy to. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15314133/chapters/35530296 10 Rules of Rebounding multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - Oliver and Felicity start a sex relationship as rebounds for each other. What’s supposed to be just fun, soon gets complicated when it turns out that their work lives collide, Robert Queen fears their sexual relationship could threaten his company and an ex comes back into the play. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15403404/chapters/35749620 Pieces of Always multi-chapter WIP by @so-caffeinated and @dust2dust34 - Life continues after Forever is Composed of Nows. Ongoing non-linear collection of family moments for the Queens. http://archiveofourown.org/works/8220479/chapters/18840356 Caged by @supersillyanddorky06 - Prison AU. She's the beautiful prison doctor. He's the most dangerous inmate. https://archiveofourown.org/works/4493247/chapters/35973042

The Reason multi-chapter WIP by flipflops - Oliver is an Alpha and Felicity is an Omega....circumstances lead Oliver to find this out and a very bad time or maybe very good time... https://archiveofourown.org/works/15012431

Untitled by @smoaking-greenarrow - Prompt: Could you write a fic about 6x22? When Oliver saves Felicity in the precinct, and he angrily and worriedly drags her back to the van, like a lecture or argument he gives her for doing such thing, him being worried sick and protective. http://smoaking-greenarrow.tumblr.com/post/176461047934/could-you-write-a-fic-about-6x22-when-oliver

Unexpected Meeting or Fate? multi-chapter WIP by CaptainSammyAngel - Since she was a little girl, Felicity Smoak has been apart of the League of Assassins. While Oliver Queen for the past six months has been the CEO of Queen Consolidated and trying to keep it afloat. When the League decides to start the hunt of Malcolm Merlyn in the last place he was located, two people will meet but circumstances and pasts will make it difficult for them to be together. Will they find a way or will they be torn apart? https://archiveofourown.org/works/15007139/chapters/34783916 Whiskey and Romance multi-chapter WIP by @mindramblingsfics - Felicity Smoak gets the opportunity of a lifetime to compete for the hand of Prince Tommy Merlyn. She is taken from her normal mundane Vegas life and is soon swept up into a lifestyle full of nobles, drama, obligations and chaos. All the while trying to stay afloat, someone else begins to win her heart, Tommy’s best friend, Oliver Queen. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14441952/chapters/33357156

The Omega Project! multi-chapter complete by @oliversmuse - Oliver Queen was enjoying being the strong Alpha on campus at Harvard when he met and fell in love with Felicity Smoak, a strong Omega who was going to school nearby at MIT. Their time together was amazing until one day she disappeared. There was no note and no trace that she had ever existed. Oliver is now the most powerful Alpha in Star City, and he will move heaven and earth to find out what happened to his Omega. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15330348/chapters/35569281 Elizabeth Grace Smoak multi-chapter WIP by @lynn8828 - What if Felicity and Oliver briefly had met before he got on the Gambit? Despite her best efforts, Felicity was unable to get in contact with the famous Oliver Queen after having a one night stand with him and getting pregnant with his child. After raising their child for five years after finding out that Oliver died on the Gambit, she finds out he is alive and knows that she needs to tell him about their daughter. But will he believe her? AMAZING STORY!! http://archiveofourown.org/works/13639371/chapters/31322715 Finding Felicity multi-chapter WIP by @lynn8828 - After Lian Yu blew, Oliver searches for his friends and loved ones on the island. This is an AU versions of what happened when Oliver found everyone after the explosions. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15538641/chapters/36071301

Do You Believe in Soulmates? by who_seeks_shall_find - William asks a question that Felicity isn't prepared for. He asks: "Do you believe in soulmates?" https://archiveofourown.org/works/15297816

Can I Go? by who_seeks_shall_find - William wants to attend a party. First, he just needs to ask for Oliver and Felicity's permission. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15243012

Partying Can Suck by who_seeks_shall_find - William attends a party but everything doesn't go according to the plan and in the end, William is glad to see his dad and Felicity. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15242856

It's Only Three Days by who_seeks_shall_find - Felicity is leaving for Gotham City because she has a business meeting there. Oliver wants to say a proper goodbye before the take off. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15450720

It Was a Great Speech by who_seeks_shall_find - Felicity comes back from her business trip and she wants to spend some quality time with her husband. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15450843

That's Insane by who_seeks_shall_find - There has been a break-in at Felicity's apartment and everything is smashed down and ruined. They wonder whether it's about Felicity and Curtis' start-up or Felicity being married to the Green Arrow. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15489318

My Favorite Grandson by who_seeks_shall_find - Donna comes to Star City for a visit and she is determined to get to know her grandchild better. Raisa may feel a bit jealous. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15504066

Talk to Me by who_seeks_shall_find - Felicity has no idea how she and her mom have ended up talking about a conception of a child. Oliver is still in prison after all. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15505512

You Promised by who_seeks_shall_find - Diaz is caught and Felicity wants to get rid of her bodyguard. Nevertheless, Oliver struggles to keep his promise. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15505992

Re-Airrow: Episode 2x01 by @lostolicityscenes  -This scene takes place after the clip above but before the clip I will attach at the end. It mainly functions as a way to fill in the emotional blanks between Oliver and Felicity leading up to the Russia episode. https://lostolicityscenes.tumblr.com/post/176561447621/re-airrow-episode-2x01-an-i-was-planning-on

P.S. Hong Kong: Was it Real?!? multi-chapter WIP by @cruzrogue for Olicity trope-tastic award: Fake Marriage - This is off season 3 Flashbacks. When Tommy goes to Hong Kong he doesn’t go alone he takes his friend Felicity as the best information system being to help him locate Oliver Queen. Tommy may leave empty handed but Felicity gets to be a bride… https://archiveofourown.org/works/15025697/chapters/34832747 Caught in the Rapture multi-chapter WIP by @bindy417 - AU. Being the daughter of a ruthless and notorious crime lord, Felicity Smoak didn't think her life could get any worse. When her father unexpectedly sells her in marriage as a peace offering to his enemy, she quickly learns it'll take more than just her sharp intellect to survive. But what starts out as a sentence worse than death may actually be her only shot at freedom. AWESOME STORY!!  http://archiveofourown.org/works/7931917/chapters/18128824

// @emmaamelia95 // @mel-loves-all // @oliverfel4 // @green-arrows-of-karamel // @coal000 // @miriam1779 // @memcjo// @captainolicitysbedroom // @tdgal1 // @spaztronautwriter // @lalawo1// @quiveringbunny // @wrongshipper // @thebookjumper // @vaelisamaza // @myhauntedblacksoul // @lovelycssefan // @laurabelle2930 //

[imaginedilestrade]

Paradise

A/N: Day three in Milan and traveling has taken its toll on me, I'm knackered 😓 but enjoying it! I managed to tick off something on my bucket list 😅 Here's chapter three! (And the last you'll see of Indy for a little while!) thank you all again for the likes/re-blogs/lovely comments! It means so much 😁 ———————— Chapter 3 ———— Greg had to restrain himself from jumping with joy hearing you say that to Indy. He was walking passed at the time when Indy asked if that was the best kiss he was going to get and watched as you placed your fingers to his lips. You didn't kiss Indy even though you had countless of opportunities to, Greg knew he might have a chance if he found the courage. "She's all yours" Greg was dragged back into reality when Indy's voice echoed around him. "What?" He managed to speak out and watched as the rugged explorer put on his wide brimmed stable fedora hat. Indy let out a small chuckle and shook his head "Y/N, she's all yours. I've noticed the way you look at her, she doesn't bite..." Indy took a breath and lowered his voice "Unless you want her to". Greg stood on the spot, blinking away the confusion as Indy let out a laugh. "Your laugh is obnoxiously loud," you peered your head from around the door and Indy's mouth snapped shut "Oh hello Greg! How's things?" "Go-good! Great!" He nervously yelped out and pushed the glasses on the end of his nose further up with his index finger "I should be off" he sent you a small smile and hurried to his next class with reddening cheeks. You followed him with your eyes before turning around to Indy who had a cocky 'I knew it' smirk on his face. "What?" You asked narrowing your eyes. "Nothing!" He held his hands up in defence "Nothing at all," he leaned in and pressed another kiss to your cheek "Take care, Y/N". You waved him off and watched as he left the university building, wondering if you'd ever see him again. You pursed your lips and turned on your heel, heading back into the classroom before your classes started. After class you began organising the expedition and before you knew it the five of you were boarding a plane to South America. "How long is the flight?" Molly asked as you stepped onto the plane. "Fifteen glorious hours" you sent her a small smile "Best to try and get some sleep, traveling will mess up your body clock and South America is behind us time wise so that will make your sleeping patterns go haywire". The doctor nodded and settled herself down. She sat beside an unknown woman, John and Sherlock sat together while you sat beside Greg. The two men where sitting in front of you while Molly sat behind. "What's that?" You heard the voice next to you ask as you pulled out a journal stuffed with expedition notes in it. "My bible," you looked at it with a smile "Survival notes, useful contacts, maps, a list of some poisonous things and safe things. This," you held the book up to Greg's face "will save us when I can't." Greg smiled "I think that you'll be more useful than that book. I doubt we'll even need it!" You bashfully smiled at your fellow professor and thanked him for his kind words. He always was a kind and caring person, Greg would often pop his head around the door at least three times a day to ask of you needed anything or just to see how you were doing. You always looked forward to it, it was the highlight of your day. "Can- Can I read it?" He asked pointing to your book and you blinked yourself out of your thoughts. You nodded with a smile and handed it to him, grazing his hand with your fingertips. You watched him as he began reading as the plane took off, not moving his eyes for a split second as the wheels of the plane lifted from the ground. He immersed himself in your writing and scribbles and little doodles of plants and animals. You smiled to yourself watching him study each word, taking in every single letter of your detailed analysis and helpful information. "Is this you?" Greg asked taking out a photograph of you as a little girl, pigtails in your hair and digging for 'treasure' in the garden. That treasure was coins your mother had planted for you, she made you fall in love with uncovering and finding things. "Yeah! I must have been about six or seven at the time" you smiled and the corners of Greg's lips tugged upwards as he looked at the photo. "You were really cute" he glanced up to you and then back to the photo. "And I'm not now?" You playfully questioned and Greg's mouth gaped a little. He held his hands up in defence "No! I mean yes? Uh no I meant-" You cut him off with a giggle as you pressed the back of your head to the seat "I'm just messing with you, Lestrade". He let out a sigh of relief and nervously chuckled. He watched you turn your head to look out of the window "South America is a beautiful place," you told him as you watched the clouds pass underneath you "There's thousands of animals and plants living there, most of them unknown...there could be things there that will cure diseases we don't have a cure for yet..." You trailed off with a small sigh. "Why haven't we found them yet?" Greg asked and you turned your head back to face him, you noticed the book was shut over on the pull out table in front of him. "People are too busy fighting each other, people are also greedy and selfish. There are bigger problems in this world that we should be facing. We shouldn't be fighting each other. What good will come of that?" Greg mulled over your words just as the air stewardess came with tea and coffee. After gulping down the lukewarm liquid your eyelids grew heavier and you fell asleep watching the clouds. You felt a light tapping on your arm and woke up with a tired groan "We'll be landing in half an hour" Greg told you and you tiredly smiled. "Thanks for waking me up," you groggily replied, Greg handed you a cup of water "Thanks" you took a sip and handed it back. Upon landing in the airport you collected your backpack and bag. You knew there was no point hauling around a big suitcase and you told the others. You scanned your eyes across the airport and couldn't help but smile when you saw an extending arm waving to you. You motioned for the others to follow you and you introduced them to the young Brazilian man "This is Pedro, he's my contact here in Brazil" you smiled and the others greeted him with a grin "He doesn't speak very good English but he'll get us to the border of the jungle". "He won't be accompanying us?" Sherlock asked. You shook your head "No, the entrance is as far as he'll go." Pedro led you out to his car and you tossed your bags into the trunk of the pickup "Oh give me a minute I forgot to drop in these documents!" You rushed back to inside the airport and handed over the paperwork to customs officials before turning around and crashing into someone. "Oh sorry!" You politely smiled. "That's quite alright," the black haired man nodded "I wasn't paying attention myself!" He lightly laughed "I'm James" he stuck his hand out for you to shake as you walked forward. "Y/N, that's a charming accent you have where are you-" You turned around and the man was gone "From?" You slowly uttered out the end of your sentence. You blinked and shook your head, returning to the pickup that was sitting in the middle of the beating heat of the sun. It was sweltering already and it wasn't even eleven in the morning. You climbed into the boot with Sherlock, John, Molly and Greg, surrounded by your bags as you made your way to the rainforest. You fished through your backpack for a bottle of water but pulled out a note instead. You brow scrunched a little and you folded it open, it read; 'You don't need it to be like me, you're already amazing enough on your own. Nevertheless, I think you'd look good in it kid....well I think you'd look good in only it if you know what I mean. Take care-Jones.' You playfully rolled your eyes and pulled out the thing the note was attached to. A hat identical to Indy's. You let out a snort of laughter and placed it on your head before safely securing your bullwhip to the belt loop of your trousers. You watched the city turn into trees and you soon began to prepare yourself for the jungle. You asked Pedro a question in Portuguese while the four others watched you communicate in awe. You climbed over Greg and opened up a hidden compartment in the trunk taking out a few revolvers, ammunition and knives. "Wh-why do we need guns?" John nervously asked as you placed bullets into revolvers. You handed a gun to each person "Because I was almost killed last time, I'm not taking any risks. Chances are we won't be the only ones wanting to see 'The Death Gift'. If you want to see it," you pointed to Sherlock "Someone else will too. Not to mention there are unimaginable dangers in the forest". You finally reached the outskirts of the jungle and climbed out of the pickup truck. You thanked Pedro and discreetly handed him a few notes of cash before he left the five of you. A rumble of thunder made you all look up and you smirked "Looks like we've made it just in time." You looked back down to the four faces with gaping mouths "Now you guys are going to find out why it's called a rainforest." ——————— Tags: (Let me know if you'd like to be tagged/Untagged) @adorablebadger @musingsofophelia @damnitman-jamlocked-inthetardis @holmes-maev @rikkachloechan @lock-sherlock @katie27hp @wcsteland @daynaan @all-around-geek @littlet-holmes @rass133 @glitterslutt