#And I assure you. There is stiff competition

[ltash]

The Bodyguard pt-1

Part 2 & 3 link in the end.

SimonGhostRileyxfemalereader

The boardroom was sleek, modern, and imposing, with dark wood panelling and a sprawling glass table. Sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting sharp shadows across the faces of the people who had slowly filed in, each flashing rehearsed smiles in your direction. You leaned back in your chair, absentmindedly chewing on the end of a sleek silver pen, your eyes sharp, taking in every movement, every fake expression.

Five guards stood silently behind you, their presence a subtle but unmistakable reminder of your authority. You were untouchable here, or at least, that's what you needed them to believe. As the CEO and heiress of Aventis Pharmaceuticals, a company built on generational influence, you knew there were black sheep lurking within your empire. You could feel it in the way certain board members avoided your gaze, shifting uncomfortably under your silent scrutiny.

"Let's get started," you said, your voice calm but unyielding as you set the pen down, giving each person a measured look. "I need the details on the latest antinarcotic project we're working on."

There was a pause before the head of R&D, Dr. Marcus Lewin cleared his throat. He looked pale, though you couldn't tell if it was the lighting or nerves. "Ah... of course, Miss Aventis," he began, shuffling some papers before him. "We're in the third phase of clinical trials now. The formula has shown promising results, minimal side effects, with a faster recovery rate compared to the last version."

You raised an eyebrow, watching him squirm slightly. "Minimal side effects?" you repeated. "We're aiming for a groundbreaking product, Dr. Lewin. I expect 'minimal' to be an understatement."

"Yes, of course," he stammered, nodding vigorously. "I, uh, apologize. We're working on further improvements. There's also some data regarding efficacy rates in the latest testing group. I can forward the specifics to you."

You leaned forward slightly, your gaze hardening. "Forward them to me? Dr. Lewin, I'd prefer a comprehensive update now from you. Or are there... issues you'd rather not discuss here?"

A few other board members shifted uncomfortably, casting sidelong glances at one another. But Dr. Lewin managed a stiff smile. "No issues, Miss Aventis. We've been gathering the results carefully. We're confident we can meet the expected deadline and provide a full report for you to review."

You nodded slowly, letting the silence stretch. "Good. I expect nothing less. And, just to be clear," you said, glancing around the table at the assembled members, "I don't tolerate surprises. If there are any... discrepancies, now is the time to disclose them. Otherwise, I expect total transparency."

A hush fell over the room.

Your gaze shifted to Martin Hayes, the company's CFO, a man known for his sharp financial acumen and, at times, slippery ethics. He sat across the table, his fingers tapping nervously against his folder. He offered a tight, polite smile as he looked up to meet your eyes.

"And about our deal with that company?" you asked, your voice cool, with just a hint of impatience.

Martin cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. "Yes, of course, Miss Aventis. The partnership with Arcadia Biotech is progressing as planned. We've secured favourable terms for both manufacturing and distribution, ensuring a significant reduction in costs while increasing production capabilities."

You tilted your head, studying him. "And Arcadia is still unaware of our... competitive projects?"

He hesitated, just for a fraction of a second, but you didn't miss it. "They're completely in the dark," he assured quickly. "We've kept all sensitive projects under strict confidentiality clauses. As far as Arcadia is concerned, they're our exclusive partners in the development and distribution of the existing narcotic treatments."

You tapped your fingers against the table. "Good. I'd like a written assurance from you that our proprietary research won't leak. If Arcadia or any other competitor even hints at knowing about our new product, I'll know who to turn to, won't I, Martin?"

The colour drained slightly from his face. "Absolutely, Miss Aventis. You have my word; I'll have our legal team draft an ironclad document."

"See that you do." You leaned back, giving him a faint smile as if to relieve the tension just slightly. "And remember, gentlemen and ladies," you added, letting your gaze roam around the table, "we're here to lead the industry-not to compete in petty games. I expect only the highest standards of loyalty and discretion."

A murmur of agreement filled the room, the board members nodding.

You leaned forward, placing both hands on the table, and fixed each board member with a piercing stare. The boardroom fell silent, the tension thick in the air.

"Also, remember this," you said, your voice low but unwavering. "I am more than capable of running my father's company. Each of you is here because you're shareholders, yes, but let's not mistake that for immunity."

A flicker of uncertainty crossed a few faces, and you didn't miss a beat.

"If I find out that anyone here has tampered with our formulas, compromised our products, or made any attempt to sabotage the reputation of Aventis Pharma..." You let the threat hang in the air for a moment, letting them feel the weight of your words. "Then you'll all be sinking with me. I won't hesitate to bring down every last one of you along with this company if it comes to that."

Martin Hayes shifted uncomfortably, his collar suddenly seeming a little too tight. Dr. Lewin was looking down at his notes, his jaw clenched, while a few others exchanged uneasy glances.

"Now," you continued, sitting back but keeping your gaze sharp, "let's ensure that it never comes to that. We are all on the same side, or we should be. Our success is your success. I expect complete loyalty to the vision my father built and entrusted me to lead."

You let the silence settle, watching them absorb your message. Finally, you smiled, but it was a smile of steel. "Any questions?"

No one spoke up, and you nodded in satisfaction. The boardroom felt smaller, suddenly less crowded with ambition and more attuned to your authority.

The boardroom cleared, and with a curt nod, you dismissed the meeting. Rising from your seat, you walked out with purposeful strides, your five bodyguards falling in line behind you, each scanning the area, their presence, an unspoken wall of security. You exited the building and moved toward the parking lot, where the air was still and quiet, almost eerily so.

Your eyes drifted to a Hummer parked discreetly in the far corner. It felt out of place, like a shadow that didn't belong. You slipped into your sleek sports car, the engine purring to life, but an uneasy feeling gnawed at you. Suddenly, figures emerged from the darkness, men with sharp eyes and cold expressions, each one wielding M14 rifles. Diego Garcia's assassins. The Hummer door stayed shut, but you caught a glimpse of Garcia himself watching from within, his gaze locked on you.

Before you could react, a hail of bullets erupted. Your heart thundered as your bodyguards sprang into action, returning fire, but the assassins moved with ruthless precision. In moments, one by one, your guards went down, each man fighting until his last breath but hopelessly outnumbered. You watched in horror, paralyzed as they fell, each life extinguished in seconds. You barely registered your own scream, choked by terror and fury, as the sounds of gunfire faded, leaving only silence and blood.

Your hands fumbled, trying to unlock the doors, but they were stuck, trapping you in the vehicle like a helpless bystander in a nightmare. You felt your pulse race as the shadows closed in, and then Diego was there, standing right outside your window, his face illuminated in the dim parking lot light. He smiled, a dark, twisted smile that sent chills through you.

"Mine," he whispered through the glass, his voice laced with malice and satisfaction.

A wave of dizziness overtook you, and everything spun. His words echoed in your mind as your vision blurred. Helpless and horrified, you slipped into unconsciousness, the last image seared into your memory: Diego's face, and that sinister smile that promised nothing but darkness.

A week had passed since the attack, but the memory of it still haunted you, flickering at the edge of your thoughts as you sat on the plush velvet sofa in your expansive drawing room. Sunlight poured through the towering windows, casting a warm glow over the gleaming marble floors and the breathtaking view of the Los Angeles skyline stretched beyond, grounding you in the opulence of your mansion. The faint hum of a helicopter faded as it settled on the rooftop, carrying with it your new bodyguard: Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley, a man whose reputation preceded him.

The sound of heavy boots echoed through the hallways, each step precise and deliberate, growing closer until the double doors swung open. You rose from the sofa, instinctively straightening your posture as the figure of Ghost entered the room, his presence consuming it instantly. He was massive, towering over you at 6'4", his muscular frame stretching the fabric of his black t-shirt, every inch of him exuding strength and danger. His broad chest and shoulders were carved with the kind of power that comes only from a life on the battlefield, and his thick, muscular thighs tested the seams of his black cargo pants. A holstered firearm rested against his leg, a stark reminder of the deadly world you were stepping into.

But it was his eyes that struck you the hardest. Deep brown and unwavering, they locked onto yours with an intensity that felt almost physical, as if they could see straight through every secret you held. A skull-patterned bandana covered most of his face, concealing his expression, but his gaze was enough, it was fierce, calculating, and unyielding. His buzz-cut hair, a dirty blonde, caught a hint of sunlight, and a jagged scar traced down his left temple, the brutal souvenir of battles fought and survived.

The contrast between the two of you felt almost surreal, his raw, masculine power against your delicate, fragile beauty. At just five feet tall, your frame seemed almost dainty by comparison, a striking contrast of elegance and strength. The soft material of your dress hugged your figure, emphasizing the curve of your waist and your petite, curvy form, while your brown, doe-like eyes met his with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

"This is Ghost, ma'am," he nodded, his voice low, gravelly, resonant. The sound of it sent a shiver down your spine, filling the room as thoroughly as his presence did.

You hesitated, caught off guard by his intensity, before extending your hand. "Lieutenant Riley," you greeted, your voice steady even as you took in every detail of the man before you. "I've heard a lot about you."

He accepted your hand, his grip firm and respectful, but his eyes stayed sharp and assessing, as if already calculating every risk, every angle of protection.

"Welcome to my mansion. How was your journey?" you asked, settling yourself elegantly on the velvet couch, your posture flawless.

"The journey was fine, ma'am," he replied, his deep voice rumbling through the room. He took a step closer, crossing his arms, his gaze intense and assessing. "The view from the landing pad is quite something, too."

You felt his eyes linger, moving over you, taking in the details of your petite frame and the way your bodycon dress clung to your curves. He tried to keep his focus professional, but it was hard not to notice the finer details.

"Tea, coffee, or whiskey?" you offered.

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Whiskey," he replied without hesitation, his gaze still fixed on you.

With a small nod, you rose from the sofa and moved to the bar across the room, reaching for the bottle of Kentucky bourbon. His eyes tracked your every movement, lingering on the bare skin between the thin straps of your dress. The dress hugged your form perfectly, and though he kept his face stoic, his attention remained unwavering as you poured the amber liquid into a glass.

You turned, holding the glass in your hand, and extended it to him. He stepped forward, his calloused fingers wrapping around the glass, brushing lightly against yours. The brief contact sent a jolt up your arm, but his face revealed nothing, not a hint of reaction. He lifted the glass to his lips, taking a slow, measured sip, all the while keeping his gaze steady on you.

You leaned back onto the plush sofa, crossing your legs elegantly, watching as he brought the glass of bourbon to his lips, taking a slow sip without breaking eye contact. The slight tension in the room was palpable, each of you sizing up the other, feeling out the boundaries of this unfamiliar relationship.

"So," you murmured, a faint hint of curiosity in your tone, "you wear the skull mask, Ghost..."

His eyes narrowed slightly above the edge of his mask, a flicker of irritation passing through them. He lowered the glass, studying you in silence for a moment before he replied, his tone even. "It's part of the job," he said. "Helps me keep things... impersonal. No one gets to see my face."

You tilted your head, not breaking his gaze. "Not even me?" you asked softly, a subtle challenge in your voice. "Not even the person you're here to protect?"

There was a beat of silence, his eyes dark and unreadable behind the mask. For a moment, you thought he might look away or ignore the question altogether. But then he spoke, his tone a shade more guarded. "Protection is about distance, ma'am. Masks help with that. It's not personal, just how I keep a clear line between my duty and... everything else."

You took a slow breath, absorbing his words. "Clear lines, huh?" You leaned forward, resting your chin on your hand as you studied him, his formidable frame, his stoic face, the shadows that clung to him. "Is that what works best for you, Lieutenant? No attachments, no faces, just the mission?"

He held your gaze, unflinching. "It's what's kept me alive." His answer was calm, unwavering, as though he'd thought it through many times before.

You nodded, acknowledging the harsh reality he lived by. "Well, I suppose I can respect that," you replied, your voice soft but thoughtful. "But you should know, Ghost, this won't be a typical mission. There are things at play here that... don't fit within clear lines."

He didn't respond, but his intense gaze on you seemed to deepen, like he was silently bracing himself for the unknown. Finally, he gave a slight nod, the barest hint of understanding in his eyes.

"Understood," he said, his tone low and resolute. And in that moment, you realized that, for all the distance he wanted to maintain, his presence, steady and unyielding, was exactly what you needed.

"Diego Garcia," you said, your voice quiet but resolute. "The Santiago Cartel."

Ghost's expression darkened. The name carried weight, a reputation steeped in violence. "Diego Garcia," he repeated, his tone grim. "Powerful, ruthless, no ordinary drug lord."

"He's bigger than Valeria Garza. More dangerous than El Sin Nombre."

Ghost's gaze was sharp, intense. "I know. Santiago Cartel is one of the deadliest in Mexico, and Garcia's the head of the snake."

"He's after me," you admitted, feeling the weight of the words as they left your lips.

Ghost's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"My company produces anti-narcotics," you explained. "We sell the cure. He sells the poison."

Recognition flickered in his eyes. "You're cutting into his profits," he said, understanding dawning. "You make him look weak."

"We're about to launch a new antidote," you continued. "One that blocks the effects of drugs like cocaine, fentanyl. It's still in testing, but it'll be on the market soon."

He nodded slowly, processing it. "The cartel won't let that happen. They'll do whatever it takes to stop you."

You felt a shiver at his words but pushed on. "He's already killed for it. My bodyguards... I watched them die, right in front of me."

A muscle tightened in Ghost's jaw. "He killed them in front of you," he said, his voice low, edged with anger. "Bastard doesn't play by any rules."

"He sent his men. They were armed with M14 rifles. My men didn't stand a chance."

His expression grew grim. "M14s. No wonder your guards didn't make it."

"Laswell suggested you," you continued, watching him closely. "She said if anyone could handle Garcia, it'd be you."

He met your gaze, a flicker of confidence in his eyes. "She's not wrong. I've dealt with men like him before." His voice was calm, unshaken. "And I'll take him down.

"Let me show you around," you said, motioning for him to follow.

Ghost nodded. "Lead the way."

The mansion was sleek and modern, blending luxury with privacy. As you walked through the marble driveway, you passed the tall, solid wooden door into the living room, its polished granite floors gleaming in the light. To the left, a door opened to the swimming pool area, surrounded by greenery. Above, a glass skywalk connected the house, offering a view of the water below.

A spiral staircase led to the second floor where your master bedroom and its luxurious bathroom were located, complete with a Jacuzzi and a high-tech shower. The back lawn opened up to the underground parking area.

As you walked, Ghost took in everything with a sharp, calculating gaze. The mansion wasn't just a home, it was a fortress. Every detail, from the barbed wire to the strategic location, was a reminder of the protection it offered.

"Like what you see?" you asked, watching his reaction.

Ghost's expression was unreadable, but his voice was steady. "It's secure," he said, eyes flicking over the property. "More than most would need."

"It's still smaller than other mansions here," you countered.

"Smaller, yes. But more secure," he said. "Most billionaires settle for an alarm system. You went further."

"The reason I don't go bigger is security," you replied. "I know Diego could breach it, but it's L.A. He'd think twice."

Ghost nodded. "Smart. L.A.'s dangerous, but Garcia would hesitate."

"Good. Let him be intimidated. Makes my job easier."

He shifted his attention back to you. "What about inside? Armed guards?"

"Outside," you said. "The perimeter's covered."

He raised an eyebrow. "Inside?"

"You..." you trailed off, letting him fill in the rest.

Part 2

Part 3

Pic credit: VhenanVirabelasan

https://www.instagram.com/vhenan_virabelasan?igsh=MWpmdnVzaXN5czYyZg==

[aealzx]

“You know, I think if we had a competition for the most gnarly injury you’d win it every time,” Leo commented while he focused on properly cleaning the four definitely infected slashes across Donnie’s back. It had been tense at first, considering it had been way longer than Leo would have liked before the wounds were properly addressed. The others had tried to take care of them without him since he'd been with Splinter at Big Mama's place, but they just didn’t have his eye for the important things. And Shredder really did some damage this time. At least Donnie's battle shell had managed to take the brunt of the blow. “Raph would win on the sheer number of injuries, of course. He goes through band aids like personal sized pizza. But you definitely, somehow, always end up with the most complicated ones.”

Leo was making jokes. And while it was exasperating to listen to, it was also reassuring for Donnie to hear. It meant that while he still felt awful and kept a fistful of Splinter’s robe, Leo was confident he would be just fine. “...I think this is a competition I’d rather lose,” Donnie responded, voice muffled by the pillow his face was mostly smothered in. Leo was being as gentle as possible, but the sterile saline still caused his tissue to sting, earning hisses and flinches from him.

Leo could only chuckle in response, tenderly pressing Donnie’s shell so he could see inside the gash better. “Don’t worry pops. He’ll be just fine. I can already see improvement because of the antibiotics,” he assured when he noticed Splinter giving him a mildly frustrated look. “This isn’t even as bad as the one he got when he was a tot - oh, another piece of metal. Hang on.” His assurance broke off as he was able to confirm that there was a foreign material that needed to be removed from the wound, setting one of the many bottles of saline down in exchange for needle pointed tweezers. Donnie already knew the drill by now, and responded by sucking in a stiff breath and tightening his grip on his dad, Splinter returning the motion by holding him a little more firmly. He wasn’t looking forward to the stitches, but he was looking for the long nap he was going to take once Leo was finally done.

And at least Leo’s hands had gotten a lot more steady over the years.

____________________

Here, have a little side turtle thing unrelated to any of my existing projects |D Or well, mostly unrelated. I started drawing this like 2 weeks ago and then forgot why I wanted to draw it other than Mikey mentioning it in CDK. And sometimes I like to draw angst, but then I ran out of the super angst desire for this one and ended up making it a little lighter in the text?

I just really wanted to get something up after this long |D Even if I am more in a state of "why did I draw this again? e,e" atm X'D

[yoonisweakforthishero]

Hey Yoon!!!!🥰

I saw the request open so if you don’t mind taking my request can you do a one for Eunjang + Union boys who has a girlfriend who is very beautiful and get hit on by boys all the time.

Thank you!!😊

𓇻 When you get hit on all the time

Feat. Gray, Ben, Gerard, Alex, Donald, Jake, Wolf x gn!reader

Warnings. suggestive for donald

A/N: Hi anon! Thank you so much for requesting! I didn't know what to write for a while but hopefully this is good :> I hope you enjoy!

Gray yeon

Ever since you started to date him, Gray has constantly talked about studies and how you should apply to the same cram school to “increase your grades.”

But his intentions involved also giving himself an excuse to spend more time with you.

You eventually gave in because well.. he does have a point… A little bit of studying could certainly help your grades.

He always seems to have extra classes which means that you usually tend to wait for him so you can walk home together.

“Hey sorry y/n did you wait for a long time..?” gray would suddenly pop up, always feeling bad to make you wait after him.

“Not at all! Let’s go already!” You grabbed him as you got up and ready to go, smiling at him reassuringly.

Gray hasn’t really told you this before but he’s glad you’re in his life. Simple moments like walking together always seem to remind him of how lucky he is to have you.

As you were walking home together, some guys started to check you out. Not an unusual thing in your life but it still is very uncomfortable every time.

One of them chased after you. “Hey sorry, I was just wondering if I could get your number? You’re really pretty,” He said, bowing down as he presented his phone.

You can tell Gray feels jealous or uncomfortable because he suddenly became stiff. Honestly, if looks could have killed, I assure you he would have been dead.

“They’re taken,” He assured the guy coldly, taking your hand immediately. “Come on y/n… Let’s go this way,” he would softly whisper to you, pulling your hand a bit.

After you have gone a bit far, you start to recognize the street you’re in. This is the way to Master Arcade.

“I must be lucky to have you since everyone else can also see your worth,” he would tell you while holding your hand closer, he smiles at you and pats your forehead.

“A game of Tekken?” he would ask you, getting some coins out. “Oh you’re so on! I have been practicing lately so I can take you out!” You point to him as your sudden competitive spirit comes out. 

He looks at you softly as you pump your fists into the air walking into the arcade.

How was he this lucky to have you love him? 

Ben park

I know Eunjang is an all boys school but for the plot we will ignore this fact :>

“Hey, you heard? Apparently there’s a hottie in class 1-7.” A group of guys commented “Yeah, I heard they look like they came from a tv drama.” They would whisper to each other. 

Curiosity will eventually kill these cats because they were on their way to see who the pretty hottie is that everyone is talking about. 

“Woah! They’re absolutely beautiful,” They chatted as they would form around your classroom door. “Dude you should totally go ask for their number. You’re one of the most popular guys,” 

“Yeah.. You know what? I will.” The group started to hype each other to go ask for your number. “Wait! But guys if the rumors are also right.. Then… they are dating Ben Park..” The last words rolled off his tongue slowly, warning the others as if trying to avoid a stirring storm.  

“Really? Well I mean… Do you see him? Cause I don’t so” He started to state it cockly. “I’m getting their number if it’s the last thing I do.” He started to comb his hair with his hand, preparing himself.

“Oh.. well it might be the last thing you do then,” a voice stated from behind. Startled by this, the group turned around to see none other than Ben Park at the entrance of your classroom with a plastic bag. 

 Trembling the group realized that maybe this could certainly be the last thing they do. Maybe they should have been careful on what they say if they don’t want it to come true.

“We.. were just about to leave,” one of the guys mentioned as they started to slowly move out of the place. 

“Unless you really want it to be the last thing you do, don’t come back to get their number. They’re already taken.” Ben looked back at them to stand his point. They didn’t even dare to look back and all Ben could hear was whispers from them. “Shit dude, I told you they were taken.”

Like a lightswitch, his sudden dark person turned into the overgrown puppy you know. “Babe! I got us some snacks and drinks!” He announced as he got into your classroom. 

“Thank you! Also you didn’t get into another fight right? I heard some noise outside the classroom again.” You asked him as he took the chair in front of your desk, your hand on his cheek checking for any wounds.

“No… But y/n. I do have a question..” Ben slowly asked as if he was entering a dangerous area. He held his head with his hands and looked at your table, refusing to look into your eyes. 

“If hypothetically.. Some guys that were actually good looking came and gave you their number.. What would you do?” His eyes finally lifted up to look into yours.

“What? Where did this come from? Ben, you know I have eyes for you only. As long as you want me to, I will always love you.” You stroke his cheek affectionately trying to melt away any worries or insecurities he might have.

“Well then that’ll be for a long long time won’t it?” He smiled softly at you and you could almost see an imaginary tail wagging perked up at your response. “Yeah it certainly will be for a long time,” you chucked at his fast mood switch. 

“Come here babe!” He called out to you as he grabbed your wrist to pull you out of your chair and into a big hug.

It stayed that way until the teacher had to literally drag him out when break was over because he refused to let go of you. 

Gerard Jin

It’s no secret that you’re beautiful and it’s less of a secret that Gerard likes to admire your beauty. 

Gerard’s gaze has been stuck to you ever since he first saw you. He always admires you like a painting in a museum.

Sometimes it isn’t noticeable that he’s admiring, because of his broccoli head no one really knew where his eyes were looking.

Other times, it’s a bit noticeable and you would make accidental eye contact. Always end up with him blushing. 

The funny thing is that now that you're dating, he still blushes after you catch him staring at you. 

Another thing is that since he also cut his hair, it's so easy to tell when he's looking at you.

"You're staring at me again.." you would call out to him. Sitting down next to him, you can see he laid down as he nuzzles his head with his arms. 

"... You're beautiful," is all he would say. If you turn to look at him, you can see him becoming nervous.

It's honestly cute how nervous and shy he still gets even after dating you for a bit now. 

"Oh.. I almost lost track of time because of you. I need to head to my part time," he started mentioning. "Well then let's go together!" You pat his head, signaling him to stand up. 

Maybe because of the slight difference in height, it always felt safe to walk around him with. No matter where you went.

Suddenly a group of guys would come up to you. "Hey, we were wondering since you're pretty if you would give any of us a shot?" One of the guys at the front asked you.

Overwhelmed by the sudden attention, you were unsure of what to do. "They are really pretty aren't they?" Gerard would softly laugh as he put his arm around you. 

Gerard trusts you so much that he feels like he doesn't need to reject guys for you. He knows that deep down you love only him. 

Grabbing Gerard's hand and pulling yourself closer to him, you rejected their offer. The guys looked disappointed but they didn't try to persuade you any further. A no is a no and they understand that.

The trust that this guy has in you is so strong that not once has he ever doubted you. He knows many guys are trying to date you and yet he trusts that you respect the relationship enough to never give your number. 

Every time someone flirts with you, he just holds you close. That's all he needs to know you're still there with him.

"How about I get you delicious chicken after my shift?" He would ask sweetly. "Employees discount! Plus Ttosikki Chicken is the best," He added, his mouth watering just at the thought. 

"Chicken is a great comfort food don't you think?" He would say as he stops for a moment to peck your forehead for a moment. 

Close to him, you can hear his heart beating for you only.

Alex go

Alex Go saved a whole universe in his past life. Or at least that's what he kept thinking when the most gorgeous person said they have feelings for him as well. 

I mean what other reason would there be for this literal divine figure to like him. 

Even Ben got jealous that Alex has such an amazing person. "Man, you really scored with y/n.. So lucky.. When will it be my turn," Ben would tell him the first time you guys started dating. 

Yet at least Ben respected your relationship unlike other jerks who would not only swear they could totally win your heart if they tried but also beat Alex and put him in his place.

At first he tried to ignore it but the insults were starting to get to him and eventually he got into more fights than he needed to. 

Ben was worried. More than anything, you were especially worried because you would always see the aftermath of the reckless fights he would get in.

As much as you hate it, you would always bandage his wounds as best as you could. Always begging him to please stop getting into so many unnecessary fights.

"Are we still up for pool?" You texted Alex just to make sure something didn't come up.

"Yeah of course. Can't wait to see you :)" Alex texted back as he put his phone in his pocket and hurried into the pool hall that by now he's probably a VIP customer.

You moved your way to the pool hall and as soon as you opened the door you saw Alex already waiting for you at the table the group always plays in.

“Game on y/n!” Alex greets you as he grabs your hand and leads you toward the game.

You could pick what the loser and winner gets and he wanted a kiss every time he won, really making him concentrate in the game. 

He just kisses your cheek when it’s your turn to throw you off balance and it worked the first few times. Cheating? Yeah possibly but not according to him. 

When it was his turn, the door suddenly fling open which startled the both of  you. It also caused him to completely miss the shot and the ball going the opposite direction he wanted it to.

A bit annoyed but nevertheless tried to ignore them but them on the other hand? It was clear that they were interested in you two. You specifically.  

One of the guys starts to approach your table and starts leaning against your pool table. 

“I’m making the first move when it comes to talking, so I’m expecting you to make the first move when it comes to kissing.” He says as his body suddenly leans towards you, giving you a sly smirk.

“Back off prick.” Alex pushes him back and gets in between you. He is not taking this disrespect and right in front of him as well. The nerve of this guy. 

“And who are you supposed to be? I don’t have time for idiots like you.” The guy starts laughing at him and that was the last straw Alex needed. 

A fight broke out and you tried your best to control it. Eventually Alex beat them but he wasn’t in the mood to play anymore. Besides being ashamed of how easy it ticked him off, he left without another word.

You followed him, calling out to him trying to get his attention. Eventually he stopped and you were able to reassure him.

“I’m sorry y/n..” He whispered to the point you almost didn’t hear him. “Alex.. You know I care for you a lot so I get worried when you get into fights like that. I love you a lot and don’t want to accidentally lose you or anything.. You know?” You told him gently. 

That hit a spot for Alex. He understands that feeling better than anyone else. “Yeah.. I know..”

“So promise me you won’t get into any more unnecessary fights okay? I treasure you so I don’t want you ruining that beautiful face of yours or I’ll personally throw hands!” Lifting your pinkie, he kisses you instead.

“I promise.”

Donald Na

Being in a relationship with Donald is a bit difficult at times.

That’s because he doesn’t go around saying you’re his partner or anything because he knows how easy of a target that would make you. Him being the Union leader and all of that. 

But he still gets jealous whenever someone tries to make a move on you. Which unfortunately for him are very often.

This is why he always makes sure he creates time to spend with you. Always, If he can’t go announcing you’re his partner and to leave you alone. At least he can spend more time with you in private. 

His favorite way to show everyone that you’re taken without necessarily having to announce it is to mark you. 

He loves to put them everywhere on your body, your neck, collarbone, back, chest, and even stomach. 

It shows everyone you’re his without people questioning it. 

You were on a business dinner with the union when one of the guys that you’re trying to negotiate with won’t stop flirting with you. 

You do subtle glances at Donald to see if he’s looking… Only to make eye contact with him every single time. 

You try to play off the flirtiness and try to come across as professional but this guy just wouldn’t stop. 

“I think this meeting is over. We’ll call you again next time to discuss things.” Donald called off the meeting suddenly. Most of the guys confused left. 

Along with everyone else you tried to leave, when Donald called you. “Not you y/n.. I believe we still have many things to discuss,” he would say in a way that would give you shivers down the spine. 

“Donald.. You know I wasn’t flirting,” you tell him and he nods. “Yes I know.. Come here for a second,” he says as he pats the seat next to him. 

When you got close, he brushed your hair away. You gasp at the cold sudden hands.

“Oh.. I see,” he mentioned quietly. More to himself than anything as if taking a note. 

“It seems like the marks are fading away y/n…” His fingers tracing the marks slowly. 

“Don’t you think it’s time to redo them?” He got close to you enough that you could feel his breath on your collarbone. 

“You have time for me.. Correct?” 

Jake Ji

Jake loves to spend time with you even when you’re both not doing anything particularly together but still in each other's company. 

You can tell when he gets jealous because he whines and gets all clingy.

You get flirted with a lot so it happens often. You've gotten used to it by now. 

“Y/nnnnn, you still love me right? Even if those guys would have given you their number you would still only call me right?”

Although, there was an incident way before. Which honestly halved the people who now flirt with you.

He almost beat to death some assholes who kept harassing you when you said no to them multiple times. One of them even tried to corner you so you couldn’t run away from them anymore. 

It was relieving to see your boyfriend but when you saw a face that even struck fear to you, you felt unsure on what to do or say. 

He beat them up to the point they needed to be hospitalized but if you didn’t call out to him that day maybe they would have been in a cemetery rather than a hospital.

Really it took you completely by shock because you only knew one side of Jake up til this moment, which is the aloof and outgoing guy. 

Easy to say, most if not all the guys who knew about the incident refused to flirt with you.

Yet those who didn’t, well we pray they don’t trigger something in jake to repeat the incident.

Well today you were on a small picnic with him, he was lying down reading his newest manga that he picked up. 

A guy came up to you “Hi sorry to bother but my friend over there thinks you’re cute and he’s too shy to come ask for your number.” He said as he pointed to a group of friends who were elbowing one blond guy. 

“Ah, sorry but I already have someone,” you would just reply as the guy bowed down and retreated away. 

You turn around to look at Jake, a tiny bit worried about his reaction, only to see that he’s just staring into the other guy’s soul.

“Jake…” You called out to him as you waved your hand in front of his face. “Y/n to Jake?” you call out to him softly. 

He just tilts his head to meet your eyes. “Y/n,” he called out to you in a serious voice.

“Do I not look like your boyfriend enough?” Is the very next thing that comes out of his mouth. 

“What-” Before you even got to question him, he added another question. “Should I wear a shirt that says I’m y/n’s boyfriend?” He looks a bit too happy at the idea.

“Jake no-” “Jake yes!” 

After the quick exchange he went back to reading his manga. The only difference is that now he’s laying on your legs. “You love me right?” A sudden question that Jake asked after a moment of silence.

“Jake, of course I do. You know that. I love you and no one will ever take your place. Ever.”

Days later, you realized… he wasn’t joking about the shirt. 

Wolf Keum

You have been dating Wolf for a little bit now which means he has definitely noticed the amount of people that try to gain your number are a tad higher than average. 

Honestly, he wasn’t trying to be possessive or come out as jealous all the time but the amount of people always checking you out was starting to be irritating.

One day, he noticed a guy who seemed way older than both of you was eyeing you. Something in his brain just clicked.. and he started to count.

‘1.. 2…’ and before he got to 3 the guy stopped looking. A sound of disapproval could be heard from him as you looked over wondering what was going on in his head.

From then on, he applies the 3 second rule to you as well. Now anyone that looked at either him or you for longer than 3 seconds would find themselves in Wolf's hands on an alleyway the next night. 

It was late at night and Wolf suddenly texted you. “Sleeping?” Based on past experience, this either means that he’s in front of your house or that he was thinking about you and can’t sleep. 

You look at your window to see a purple hair standing. He looked up to see your face as he waves and smiles. 

Welp, time to get your coat. Meeting him outside, you wonder what he was up to this time.

“Are you hungry?” He softly put his arm around as he looked around. “Convenience store trip?” He asked again. 

“Why not? Let’s go for it!” You told him as you leaned into his body warmth.

At the convenience store you got yourself some cookies and some snacks while Wolf didn’t get much snacks but only a drink and some cigarettes.

You sat on the table outside of the convenience store. There was a bit of wind but not enough to be too cold. In some form it was actually comforting.

Wolf smoked for a bit away from the table. He didn’t want the smoke to constantly be bothering you when you’re trying to eat. 

Yet that’s when a big tall man came up to your table and was starting to flirt with you. You were starting to look uncomfortable as the man sat down on the chair where Wolf was going to sit. 

Wolf noticed and he started to count. “1…” he got up from his crouching position “2..” he put out his cigarette and started to walk towards the table. “3…” he got in front of the guy and smiled. Well, well, well, what a good reason to pick a fight with this new prick. 

He took his glasses off and put them on the table as the guy got up from the chair. “Are you deaf? I said, what are you smiling at?” Wolf didn’t hesitate as a punch immediately landed on the guy’s face.

 Taken back a bit the guy tumbled backwards, he quickly recovered to land a hit on Wolf but it didn’t seem to affect him one bit. 

Wolf only walked closer to him as the guy suddenly got nervous at his opponent. He punched him again only to get no reaction again.. 

Wolf got close and landed punch after punch after punch. When he was no longer reactive, Wolf was a bit disappointed in how quick he gave up. 

“That’s it? Where’s the guy who tried to rob my girl? The guy who got all up in my face?” He said as he grabbed the guy by the hair, only to let him go and kick his head. 

“Wolf..?” You called out from behind. “Nothing to see here, I’m done anyways. Sorry to keep you waiting,” he mentions as he gets close to you. Noticing he has blood on his hand he tries to clean it up.

“Tell me if anyone else bothers you,” He says as he hugs you. His heart was still pumping from the adrenaline he got from the fight.

“Anyone who dares to look at you for longer than 3 seconds.. I’ll put them back in their place because they clearly forget where their level is”

[deliverred]

"prof—" oh, right. he’d insisted on forgoing the honorifics. beach or not, it still feels… out of place.

“lukas?” yup. still weird. she’s not getting used to this anytime soon. “i'm glad to see you're still around. i'm sure you gave them hell out there.” dorothea smiles before pressing on: “you’ve been in the games a few times now. i was wondering if there was any advice you’d share with us novices? what we should expect? things of that nature."

He shouldn't still be here.

Lukas could be prideful, he was confident in his skills, but that didn't make him foolhardy. Out of the three of them on that lake, he'd been the least well equipped. Whether it had come down to survival or landing the final blow, the odds hadn't been in his favor with two worthy opponents to face off against -- the beast in the water not withstanding.

He had put his best effort forth, of course, but...

Lukas had kept to himself in the scant amount of time they were given to rest up before the next challenges presented themselves, and his thoughts had been coming back to that moonlit lake time and again.

Rosado had been speared through by their fellow competitor, Valter had been claimed by the waves and Lukas himself had fallen not long after.

They'd all failed in their objective, yet Rosado was the only one that had not returned.

It didn't sit right with him, and that he did not know what happened after collapsing into the waves only added another bitterness atop his sour thoughts.

A voice broke through the brewing storm of his mind, and Lukas shifted his thousand yard stare away from the crashing surf and smiled at the now familiar face of Dorothea. "Ah, Dorothea. It's good to see you well. I must admit, I was not...sure I would be making it back here. It's grim to see that we lost so many comrades, but that just means we need to tighten up in this coming week."

There could be no more close calls, they had to secure victories.

"It was inconclusive; I could not rightfully tell you who won, only who did not return."

She was smart to ask around, and Lukas could at least provide those of his team that had yet to leave the central island with some idea of what they might face. It may not spare them whatever was awaiting them on the other islands, but knowledge was still a powerful resource and being able to brace or plan for something was better than going in utterly blind.

"Of course," Lukas inclines his head, hands held stiff behind his back. "The first games seemed just that: a game. There was no real danger or threat, and it played out as a simple competition of athletics. This time, however...It was different. We were allowed our weapons and armor, it was a race to kill a monster."

Blood in the moonlight. That haunting song. The impact of bodies hitting the water, not to resurface.

"It was no game."

His gaze is serious, and his smile had thinned out into something not quite a frown. "Whether you remain here or find yourself on another one of the islands, make no mistake: this is no vacation, this is no longer for fun. Treat it as you would any other battle; look out for yourself, work with your comrades if you have them by your side. We've been assured that those eliminated are safe, but I urge you to exercise caution. We have not seen them, have not heard from them outside of a handful of cherry picked messages, nor have we met with the individual in charge of all this."

"No matter how innocent it may attempt to be, do not let it blind you to the fact that this is a fight for survival. I do not wish to see any more of us disappear to places unknown, and as you're a student, I consider you my responsibility."

But he could not guarantee her safety or the safety of the others.

"Be safe. Do what you must. Your morals and ideals only mean something when you're alive to pour passion into them, Dorothea."

[bridgertonbabe]

What are you daydreaming about?

I'm assuming this is in response to the post I reblogged about daydreaming about writing 😂

Well there's been several different ideas floating around in my head.

There's been Bridgerton Next Generation stories I've been daydreaming about like updating Violet & Edgar (😭) but also the story which would follow that which would be a Pride and Prejudice AU since I've been rewatching the 1995 series.

An Agatha Christie AU has also been floating around my head after watching a whole bunch of them over Christmas.

And the newest idea I've been musing on involves Benedict shooting a text to Anthony asking his brother if he can crash at his house for a couple of weeks for a change of scenery so he can work on his art while his brother's away, and Anthony allows him but on one condition; do not sleep with Sophie. Benedict texts back asking who the hell is Sophie? and Anthony replies informing him she's the nanny who's taking care of the boys while he and Kate are away. While disgruntled that his brother would even think so little of him to take advantage of his staff, Benedict assures him that he's entirely focused on working on his art and will steer well clear of his nephews' nanny. He gives little to no thought about this assurance; but then when he arrives at his brother's home and meets Sophie for the very first time, he instantly realises that he gave Anthony a guarantee he had no business in giving prior to being acquainted with the most gorgeous woman he had ever met. He then spends the next fortnight putting his all into resisting the nanny, trying his best to keep his distance but inevitably being drawn to her like a moth to a flame, and vying for her attention against the stiff competition of Neddy and Miles - you know, his baby nephews who Sophie is employed to see after. It doesn't help that Anthony keeps checking in on a regular basis to ensure that Benedict is behaving himself, though with every passing day Benedict's resolve gets weaker and weaker in spite of his determination to stay on the straight and narrow. He's on the verge of upping and leaving earlier than he had intended in a desperate last-ditch attempt to keep his promise - until he overhears Sophie on the phone to her stepsister and learns that his feelings are very much reciprocated...

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Ryan ten Doeschate at the press conference. Source ( RevSportz) Subhayan Chakraborty in Pune There is intense competition for spots in the Team India middle-order following Sarfaraz Khan’s splendid 150-run knock in Bengaluru, said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. The former Netherlands international spoke at length about how Shubman Gill returning to fitness and Sarfaraz’s roaring form have caused a headache for the Indian team management ahead of the Pune Test against New Zealand, starting Thursday. Star batsman KL Rahul made only 12 in the first Test against New Zealand, and his place in the playing XI is under the scanner. With Gill set for a comeback and Sarfaraz in incredible form, there’s pressure on Rahul. “Nothing to sugarcoat. There’s competition and fight for the spot,” ten Doeschate told reporters in Pune. “Sarfaraz was brilliant in Bengaluru. I went to KL after the last game and asked how many did you play-and-miss and there were none apart from those two balls where he got dismissed. He is in a good mental space but we will have to fit in six players out of seven in the middle-order. So yes there’s competition.” Ten Doeschate didn’t provide any assurance over Rahul’s place in the XI though, whether he will be persisted with or will have to make way for Gill. “There’s certainly no concerns about KL,” said ten Doeschate. “He is batting nicely, he is in a good mental space. But we are certainly going to have to fit seven pieces into six spots for this Test and look at the pitch now and decide what’s going to be best for the team.” The assistant coach added: “If you go on just the past three months since Gauti has been in here, he is keen to give him (Rahul) as much rope as we can. We have a lot of faith in him. But at the same time, it’s a very competitive environment, with Sarfaraz getting 150 plus runs (222 not out) in the Irani Trophy final. The decision will be what’s best for the team, but we will certainly back all the guys in.” As for Gill, he is set to return to the team after missing the first Test due to a stiff neck. He will be a key asset for India against New Zealand, especially with the hosts trailing 0-1 in the series. Sharing an update on him, ten Doeschate stated that the youngster has been batting in the nets, as he did in Bengaluru and should be fit for the second Test. “He has had a slight discomfort. Of course, he batted for a long time in Bengaluru. But he will be fine for this Test,” said ten Doeschate. Further providing an update on Rishabh Pant, the India assistant coach said that the team management is keeping their fingers crossed for the wicketkeeper-batsman’s availability in the second Test. The southpaw took a blow on his right knee and didn’t keep wickets in Bengaluru. “He (Pant) should be fine, I reckon. He had slight discomfort on his knee during the last part of his innings but fingers crossed that he will keep wickets here,” ten Doeschate said.  #ShubmanGill looks to be fit for the Pune Test, says Ryan Ten Doeschate while also highlighting the growing competition in the middle order, #RishabhPant and Ashwin’s fitness and more. @official_fanatic @CricSubhayan #INDvsNZ pic.twitter.com/eNYETyYrk3 — RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 22, 2024   For more sports content follow : RevSportz         The post With Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant fit, it could be between Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul for the second Test. India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate keeps his cards close to his chest. appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Ryan ten Doeschate at the press conference. Source ( RevSportz) Subhayan Chakraborty in Pune There is intense competition for spots in the Team India middle-order following Sarfaraz Khan’s splendid 150-run knock in Bengaluru, said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. The former Netherlands international spoke at length about how Shubman Gill returning to fitness and Sarfaraz’s roaring form have caused a headache for the Indian team management ahead of the Pune Test against New Zealand, starting Thursday. Star batsman KL Rahul made only 12 in the first Test against New Zealand, and his place in the playing XI is under the scanner. With Gill set for a comeback and Sarfaraz in incredible form, there’s pressure on Rahul. “Nothing to sugarcoat. There’s competition and fight for the spot,” ten Doeschate told reporters in Pune. “Sarfaraz was brilliant in Bengaluru. I went to KL after the last game and asked how many did you play-and-miss and there were none apart from those two balls where he got dismissed. He is in a good mental space but we will have to fit in six players out of seven in the middle-order. So yes there’s competition.” Ten Doeschate didn’t provide any assurance over Rahul’s place in the XI though, whether he will be persisted with or will have to make way for Gill. “There’s certainly no concerns about KL,” said ten Doeschate. “He is batting nicely, he is in a good mental space. But we are certainly going to have to fit seven pieces into six spots for this Test and look at the pitch now and decide what’s going to be best for the team.” The assistant coach added: “If you go on just the past three months since Gauti has been in here, he is keen to give him (Rahul) as much rope as we can. We have a lot of faith in him. But at the same time, it’s a very competitive environment, with Sarfaraz getting 150 plus runs (222 not out) in the Irani Trophy final. The decision will be what’s best for the team, but we will certainly back all the guys in.” As for Gill, he is set to return to the team after missing the first Test due to a stiff neck. He will be a key asset for India against New Zealand, especially with the hosts trailing 0-1 in the series. Sharing an update on him, ten Doeschate stated that the youngster has been batting in the nets, as he did in Bengaluru and should be fit for the second Test. “He has had a slight discomfort. Of course, he batted for a long time in Bengaluru. But he will be fine for this Test,” said ten Doeschate. Further providing an update on Rishabh Pant, the India assistant coach said that the team management is keeping their fingers crossed for the wicketkeeper-batsman’s availability in the second Test. The southpaw took a blow on his right knee and didn’t keep wickets in Bengaluru. “He (Pant) should be fine, I reckon. He had slight discomfort on his knee during the last part of his innings but fingers crossed that he will keep wickets here,” ten Doeschate said.  #ShubmanGill looks to be fit for the Pune Test, says Ryan Ten Doeschate while also highlighting the growing competition in the middle order, #RishabhPant and Ashwin’s fitness and more. @official_fanatic @CricSubhayan #INDvsNZ pic.twitter.com/eNYETyYrk3 — RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 22, 2024   For more sports content follow : RevSportz         The post With Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant fit, it could be between Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul for the second Test. India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate keeps his cards close to his chest. appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[onrepeatnet7]

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By choosing our digital design studio, you are opting for a partner committed to making your vision a reality with precision and creativity. Let us help you tell your story in the most captivating way possible.

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[getinstagram]

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While the number of Instagram users is impressive, it is important to appreciate how launching your marketing campaign on the platform helps. For starters, this social media network boasts more engagement per follower than any other. In fact, it delivers 58x more engagement per follower than Facebook accounts. Better still, you can increase visibility on various channels using the same Instagram photos or videos. With so many users on Instagram, it is only a matter of time before you start building a strong following and later converting these into sales.

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Truth be told, every brand is trying to get a piece of the Instagram market pie and competition is very stiff. You have to work smart in order to build your following. However beautiful your content is, you will only gain significance if you have more likes and followers. Getting real Instagram likes accounts is not easy and you have to be creative in order to stay ahead of the competition.

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In essence, you will sign in to a network where everyone is looking for likes and the process is automated. This means anyone in the network will benefit from real Instagram likes. The best thing about these exchanges is that they abide by Instagram rules, and social services which protect the reputation of your brand.

[kevinsreviewcatalogue]

Review: Night Swim (2024)

 Night Swim (2024)

Rated PG-13 for terror, some violent content and language

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-night-swim-2024.html>

Score: 2 out of 5

Night Swim is the quintessential "fuck you, it's January" movie. Hollywood loves to ring in the new year by dumping into theaters the garbage they had no faith in at any other time of the year, because January is when kids are in school, theaters in half the country can get shut down by blizzards, there aren't many holidays offering extended three-week weekends (save for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which isn't universally celebrated as a day off), and prestige films given limited release in the fall are expanding their theatrical runs in anticipation of the Oscars. And lately, a tradition has been to give the first weekend of the new year over to a low-budget horror movie. While Blumhouse struck rare gold last year with M3GAN, a sci-fi horror film that actually turned out to be far better than its release date suggested it would be, this year January returned to form with Night Swim, a ho-hum ghost story adapted from a 2014 short film where the worst thing about it is that it's not completely wretched. There were seeds of a good movie buried in here, with all-around solid acting and production values, some effective sequences, some cool cinematography, and a nifty central conceit behind its evil pool, and there was a brief moment when it finally started to get good. Unfortunately, as with many movies that were adapted from short films, there's not enough to carry it, resting on the most generic haunted house story possible (but with a haunted pool this time!) to stretch a four-minute short to feature length. It's not the worst January horror film ever made, or even in the Bottom Three (I assure you, the competition is stiff), but it's otherwise completely generic, disposable, and at times unintentionally funny #content that would've been thrown into the wasteland of the direct-to-VOD/streaming market if not for January.

Stop me if you've heard this one: a family called the Wallers, comprised of the father Ray, the mother Eve, the teenage daughter Izzy, and the adolescent son Elliot, has moved into a big, luxurious house whose price is too good to be true, only for them to soon learn why it was so cheap. Namely, it's haunted. Or rather, the swimming pool is. And much like every poor sucker who's ever lived in the Amityville house, the mother Eve and the kids Izzy and Elliot start experiencing supernatural forces when they come in contact with the pool, while the father Ray, a former Milwaukee Brewers player whose baseball career was tragically cut short by multiple sclerosis, sees his illness miraculously cured and starts behaving in increasingly erratic fashion.

If you've ever seen a movie about a family stuck in a haunted house, you've seen this movie. Virtually every plot beat was visible from a mile away, from each family member having their own encounter with the supernatural to the mother doing research on the pool's dark history to somebody getting possessed by the spirit causing all of this. There are random plot threads about the Wallers' neighbors perhaps knowing more about what's happening than they let on, and Izzy's hunky swimmer love interest Ronin being a devout Christian, but the film does nothing with them. Every single plot point here is standard haunted house movie boilerplate, like writer/director Bryce McGuire had a cool idea for a cool scene that he turned into a cool short but never thought about how to turn it into a 90-minute movie until Jason Blum and James Wan decided to give him a lot of money to do just that. The worst part is, once we find out what's actually going on with the haunted pool, a glimpse at a far more interesting movie is had, one focused on Ray as he grapples with how his illness destroyed his life and how whatever's in the pool seems to have given him a second chance -- but one that comes at a terrible cost. As it stood, however, while Wyatt Russell played his stock Horror Dad character well, he never had much of a chance to do anything more beyond play a stock Horror Dad, nor did anybody else in the cast have the opportunity to play the stock Horror Mom, Horror Teen, and Horror Kid. The film wanted me to care about the Wallers as a family, but they were such a thinly-written family that, even when they were in peril, the Eight Deadly Words were ringing in my head: I don't care what happens to these people.

(I will, however, give the film points for having a sense of humor enough to have Izzy's high school be named after Harold Holt, an Australian Prime Minister who infamously disappeared when he went out for a swim on the beach.)

The scares, too, don't really do much to excel. Using a swimming pool as a setting gave some fun opportunities for cool aquatic cinematography that the film readily took advantage of, meaning that, at the very least, this was a pretty nice-looking film. Any sense of originality stopped there, however, as what followed were all the scares you've seen in a dozen other haunted house movies: jump scares ahoy, characters seeing things that aren't there, you name it, all of it done in ways that have been done better before. Characters make stupid decisions constantly, especially the young son Elliot, and while I could at first justify it by saying that at least it was a dumb kid acting stupid around the pool, by the end he really should've known better than to even think about doing what he did. The teenage daughter Izzy had no real purpose beyond recreating the scene from the short film, because that featured a young woman who looked good in a bikini, which meant the movie had to have someone who fit that description. The design of the ghost is a bloated, half-rotted corpse that probably sounded good on paper, but its execution in the movie is almost laughable, leaving a lot to be desired and not coming across as scary in the slightest.

The Bottom Line

Night Swim isn't a movie I'd personally push into the pool, but if somebody did, I'd probably have a good laugh at its expense. It's competent, but beyond the idea of a haunted pool, everything about it is the sort of thing that's been done better before, and worst of all, I can easily see how a better movie could've been made out of the same material. I wouldn't even bother waiting for Netflix.

[imhvm]

Groove to Success: Find your dancing style

Are you tired of looking stiff like a twig while dancing?

Is your passion not aligning with your body coordination?

Perhaps you don't know where to start?

In today's blog, I will unravel the art of dancing step-by-step, provide practical and effective tips and a sprinkle of inspiration to find your groove. Unraveling the guide to dancing for high school students!

Trying different genres

When starting off, you might not be aware of your dancing capabilities. There is no harm in trying various styles and choosing one that fits you like a shoe. Dancing has no limits; you've got a range of options, from Shakira's upbeat belly0dancing to Pierina Legnani's elegant swan lake dance. Do not hold yourself back!

Practice, Practice, Practice

The phrase "Practice makes perfect" does not apply to us dancers; as a well known fact, dancers can never be satisfied. There is no such thing as "good enough" in our vocabulary. The main objective of practice is to improve our abilities. And remember! Do not be too hard on yourself.

Personalization

As an experienced classical dancer, something I've noticed from various competitions is that the key to winning is to be different. It is a piece of cake for any dancer to just follow a routine, but what makes them stand out is their creativity. Dancing is a form of communication for many, and nothing would make your audiences more interested than seeing a performed enjoying what they do. Add your own element to the choreography! Add a little twist, flow with the tempo!

Facial Expressions

To keep your audiences intrigued, express your feelings. Act like the main character in a sad rom-com. Something that makes dancers more attractive is their abilities to switch between emotions while performing. Side note: Don't overdo it though! That will make you look silly.

Confidence is key!

When you're up on the stage, all eyes will be on you. Your eyes should be fire with confidence. If you mess up, be sanguine; make your mistake a part of the dance!

Warm-up and Cool-down

A tip that will change your life, and mine, is the implementation of stretching prior to and after dancing. This is the solution to stiffness; 5 minutes of stretches can make your dance run smoothly, as if gliding over butter. Remember that body pain you'd get the next day? That is the result of improper stretching. So, the next time you're about to devour a choreography, don't forget to stretch, to prevent strained muscles.

Determination

Remember your goal and keep your eyes on the target. A suggestion for increasing determination would be daily-dose of self-affirmation. Remind yourself you can do it. I am in fact well aware that stage fright is a major problem, but it can be overcome by self-assurance.

This brings us to the end of the blog. If you made it until the end, congratulations. You are now ready to enter the dancing field. These tips and tricks can act as a forecast of the upcoming dance-storms you might face. Have fun, loves!

[mikesavagenewcanaan]

Mike Savage New Canaan Where To Locate Low-cost Muscular Tissue Vehicles To Buy

Are you racking your brains searching for out where there are economical muscular tissue autos for sale?

Oh for a time equipment to take us back to the early 70's when we could have obtained a great Pontiac, treasured it and also have a terrific muscle vehicle for the 21st century.

Yet, except waiting around for somebody to create a time maker any min, we're mosting likely to have to look somewhere else.

There are a couple of alternatives open up to you, some reasonable better than others. Yet it deserves attempting them all.

Mike Savage New Canaan

1. Ebay.com. I don't understand if you have actually currently thought about looking right here but do consider it as you can fairly quickly discover a prize. I don't understand location in the Nation you are reading this, yet do not be put off due to the fact that eBay is across the country. Regional (to you) vendors additionally make use of eBay and also infact, there's a web site that exists that listings muscle automobiles up for sale on eBay also. Naturally, you'll need to bid as well as you might stumble upon stiff competition. There once again, you might not. It's a little a gamble but if you're significant concerning your muscle mass cars and trucks this may be an avenue worth checking out.

2. An additional alternative, yet the one that involves one of the most function and dedication, is to go out and also find one for yourself. By this I imply; drive about as well as if you take place to see a traditional muscular tissue cars and truck, resting all pitiable in somebody's backyard - start as well as find out if the owner's curious about parting with it for money. I've actually known this benefit some individuals, so at least consider it. Chances are if the vehicle's simply gathering cobwebs, the proprietor may not recognize its worth & you might wind up with a real deal.

Mike Savage New Canaan

3. Don't ignore the noticeable alternative to both of the above when searching for affordable muscle autos offer for sale. Scour your regional newspaper. Possibilities are that a local vendor isn't going to be a collector & so will not be asking an outrageous rate. Once again you could make a take whilst leaving the supplier with a smile on his face at the very same time.

4. Lastly, & never least. Turn your focus towards the on the internet auction sites that have police or government confiscated vehicles for sale. I recognize that the majority of the automobiles that they take are just a couple of years of ages yet sometimes they have actually likewise been known to retrieve classic muscle cars and trucks. You need to come to be a participant of these websites, yet by doing so you have prompt accessibility to over 3000 upgraded auctions nationwide. Some sites also provide real-time public auctions. It's an excellent way to see specifically what timeless muscle mass vehicles are out there. Once again, these websites also assure to have public auction sites that cater for your State. So if you discover one that you want you will not have too much to go. Using this choice to find the muscle cars and truck of your selection indicates that you can be a step in advance of everybody else that's looking.

There are low-cost muscular tissue autos to buy out there, & currently you recognize just where to look.

[fractalcloning]

The saying is clever and Soji snorts a laugh as he works. This is precisely as bad an idea as it sounds and she chases it with a groan and wheeze. She waves off his apology, both literally and figuratively as she grimaces. "It's fine, I'm fine," she assured him. It was a lie, but a well meaning one at least. She'd felt worst pain than this, though this was a serious contender. After a moment or two of breathing, she has her focus back.

"Deep Space Nine was…Cardassian?" She's pretty sure it was, or Naussican? The outpost's conflict laden heyday was before her time, and most of her clandestine information was on either the Borg or Romulans. DS9 was the wrong side of the quadrant, nobody ever bothered giving her any real information about it. "So did it make you answer riddles before you could log in? Or just talk down to you when you made a typo?"

She's kidding because, really, there's not a lot else for her to focus on while the process of elimination carries on. "I know the Tal'Shiar computers had the most snide 'access denied' I've ever heard out of a digital voice, but I bet a Cardassian computer would be stiff competition."

. His head tipped to the side and shook briefly, eyes widening as he thought about that sentiment. Spies, right? He was far too aware, but at the moment, he didn't feel like thinking about Sloan, and in truth, the situations were very different. At least Sloan didn't try to kill him. Julian didn't like the thought of being disappeared by Section 31.

. "البسوط السم لا بد من يلحس اصابعو." He tapped a few keys on the PADD. "My aunt used to say it. 'He who mixes poison is bound to lick his fingers.' People like that are the engineers of their own demise most of the time. You just wish they'd engineer a little faster." He didn't know how best to make the situation easier on her while he and the computer worked. She was definitely in pain, and unfortunately, the only other option was nonviable. Aside from not knowing what her internal systems looked like, Julian didn't have the tools or the infrastructure to perform surgery at the moment. She wasn't bleeding anymore, thankfully, and the computer was trying to help, but the thinking was too rigid. According to it, androids were androids and people were people. Trying to combine the medical practices for a bajoran and a human could be difficult despite the similarities. Trying to adapt human tools to work on... Well, Soji was even more of a task.

. But, he liked a challenge. He'd figure something out.

. "Unfortunately, the organic compounds and inorganic compounds this osteogenerator has access to don't play together very well, and if I just tried to graft our skeletal substitutes onto your ribs, I may just end up making the situation work when you suddenly have medical shrapnel floating around. I'm sorry this is taking a while. I wish I was back on DS9 right now. That computer was unruly, but it was sharp."

@fractalcloning from x

[shitpostingkats]

Currently, it is my fondest wish in the world to one day own a replica of the poncho Yusei wears in crashtown.

[jungle-angel]

Out in the Middle: Part 11

Summary: Some family roots run much deeper than others

No one could have asked for a better or brighter day than this, the sun shining and the rodeo grounds’ temporary residents all waking to life to meet the day ahead. 

You and Rhett emerged from the tent, the morning chilly as the both of you stretched and woke up, ridding yourselves of the stiffness of the night. “Alright darlin,” Rhett yawned. “Ya’ll hungry?” 

“Fuckin starving,” you replied. 

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s get cookin before the troublemakers get up.” 

“Let’em sleep Rhett, they were all up till one in the morning,” you told him. “They’ll probably crash after the powwow tonight anyways.” 

Oh shit......!!!!! Rhett thought. Forgot that was today.....!!!

He stuck the grate over the fire and a cast iron pan on top of it. He laughed a little to himself as he opened up a ziploc bag full of greyish cubes that had been an absolute lifesaver the last few days. 

“Is that what I think it is?” you asked him. 

“Yep,” Rhett replied. “The bear fat that was in the freezer when we left.” 

As soon as the pan was sizzling, Rhett cracked a few eggs and threw a few strips of bacon in there that had been covered in good sized flakes of black pepper. “Potatoes?” he asked. 

“Don’t mind if I do,” you said as you tossed a few chunks of potatoes in there. 

Others soon began to wake up, a few still groggy from the night’s events but readily awoken by the smell of food reaching their noses. “Somethin smells good,” John remarked as he made his way to the firepit with Jemma cradled against her grandfather’s chest. 

“Plenty for everybody,” Rhett told him. 

“You want me to take her for a little while?” you asked. 

“Nah,” John told you. “Tryin to get as much time in with the grandbabies as I can. Worked my ass off all my life, I’d rather enjoy it while they’re still little.” 

You and Rhett certainly couldn’t argue with that. To both you and the Duttons, family meant everything. Sure there were days where you had argued and wanted to kill each other, but you were as tight knit and close as could be despite everything. 

“Oh fuck me,” Perry groaned, rubbing his eyes. “Never again.” 

“Who’d you do this time?” Rhett joked. 

Perry flipped him off and grabbed a plate, helping himself to the eggs, bacon, potatoes and bannock as soon as it was ready. “That is the last time I ever drink that much before bed,” he remarked. 

“Seriously?” Rhett asked him. 

“Well it was a combination of that and Amy kicking me in her sleep,” Perry answered. “I swear to God that kid was a Thai kickboxer in a past life.” 

Rhett rolled his eyes and you simply shook your head. Perry had only had to deal with one kid, you and Rhett on the other hand had to deal with more than that. 

It wasn’t long before the kids had all awoken, each one of them hungry and wanting food. They all sat in their own little circles, eating up and putting the paper plates and plasticware into the garbage can nearby. Thank God today would be one where most of you could relax and enjoy yourselves for once instead of having to prepare for a competition.

“I am so fucking nervous,” Nora giggled as you, Monica and Beth helped her get ready. 

“You’re gonna do fine,” You assured her, capturing the video of her on your phone. ���It’s not like you haven’t done this before.” 

“Every time I did it, it was with my mom, my grandma and my aunts,” she told you. “I haven’t done it since my senior year of high school.” 

“Has it really been that long?” Beth asked her. 

“Yeah, shit happened, I got married, had the kids in between,” Nora chuckled. “You know.....life.” 

The four of you had a good laugh about everything you could think of, taking short little videos of each other to show your husbands later. You couldn’t believe either how long it had taken to brush out Nora’s hair and to put it into a braid, sleek and so black that there were hints of blue in it. As soon as her hair was done, Beth offered to do her makeup. 

“Ok, eyes closed,” Beth told her as she ran the eyeliner along the edge of Nora’s lids. 

Her hand was as steady as ever, almost as though Beth was creating some sort of masterpiece sketch. “Feels like I’m back in college and I’m doing the makeup for Nine-to-Five,” Beth chuckled. 

“Promise you’re not gonna make me look like Dolly Parton?” Nora joked. 

Beth laughed, trying to keep her hand steady and before any of you knew it, she was finished. As she set to work on Monica, you helped Nora into her dress. She looked like a fire queen, the dress a colorful gradient of smokey blacks and purples rippling into fiery reds, oranges and yellows while the tiny silver bells hung from the fringes on her skirts. The last thing she slipped on were the moccasins made of soft red leather that had been passed down through the family. 

“Oh.....my.....God.....” you nearly squealed in disbelief. 

Beth and Monica’s eyes went wide, their jaws dropping halfway to the floor when Nora made her grand entrance. “How’s it look?” she asked them, the smile on her face growing bigger. 

“Oh honey! Oh my God!” Beth exclaimed. “Hang on, let me get my phone. I’ve gotta take a bunch of pictures.” 

Monica was so excited she could hardly contain herself either. “We’ve gotta show the guys,” she said. “Give me a minute to get into mine and we’ll go show them.” 

You helped Monica with hers and once they were both ready you stepped out of the tent to show your husbands. “Alright guys, here they come,” you announced. 

Nora and Monica stepped out of the tent in full dress, the men cheering and whistling for their wives. “Aw yeah!!! Get it fire queen!!!!” Wes cheered. 

*******************

The afternoon rolled on and soon it was time for the even to begin. You and Rhett had never been to something like this before, but you were excited nonetheless to be able to see your friends partake. 

There was something about the music and the dancing that stirred something in the both of you and in the others as you watched the dancers. You could hardly take your eyes off the whole scene, the way they moved their feet, the way the women’s dresses swirled around their ankles like brightly colored flags, the voices of the men and women singing and the thunder in the drums as they pounded out their rhythm. 

You and Rhett stood close together with the Indian blanket Wes’s mother had made you for your wedding around your shoulders as if to hold the two of you together. Rose Black Moon, one of John’s neighbors, stood close to the two of you watching and enjoying the event, hoping to be able to dance with her grandson. 

“Your grandson dancin tonight, Rose?” Rhett asked her. 

“He’ll be out soon enough,” Rose said, her deeply lined face breaking out in a smile. “I’m sure when it’s time for the veterans’ dance, we’ll see him.” 

You and Rhett spotted Monica with Baby Jemma on her back and Tate and Jake right beside her, taking more than enough pictures of them, Wes and Nora as well as Mo and his granddaughter. Not too long later, the veterans’ dance began with Rose joining her grandson, Stephen, a tall and broad-shouldered young man who had graduated Army Ranger school two years previously. 

You noticed a bit of a tear coming to Rhett’s eye as he closed them, his head and shoulders moving with the music. “You ok?” you asked him. 

“Reminds me of Wes’s grandpa,” he said, his voice a little croaky. “He was a Marine during World War Two and Korea.” 

You knew that Rhett had been particularly close with Wes’s grandparents. When Royal and Cecelia couldn’t watch Rhett all the time, Wes’s grandparents had readily been there to take him in, teaching Rhett what it meant to love the land, what it meant to take care of it and the long history of the Nez Perce roots that ran deep in Wes’s family. Rhett never forgot what they had taught him and you, him, Wes and Nora would make damn sure that the kids never forgot those things either. 

“They’re here,” you said, leaning in so that your foreheads were touching. “Even if we can’t see them.....they’re here.” 

Your eyes closed and so didn’t the space between you before Rhett placed a gentle kiss on your lips. The two of you enjoyed the rest of the night, the memories forever engrained and sure to become ones that you would never forget. 

[vastayan--vigilante]

“Scar? That’s a spoon."

The vastaya simply stared right back, stoic and serious. He knew what he was holding; he also knew the damage he could do with the small utensil perfectly well.

"What are you going to do, slap my knuckles? I assure you that’s really not going to do much."

Scar didn't move, and his expression didn't waver.

That's what you think.

Sure, it wasn't the weapon most people would reach for first. But regardless of whether your object of choice was sharp or blunt, a person would still choke when it was shoved down their throat. You didn't need to puncture in order to cause internal damage. And, of course spoons could gouge out eyes just as easily as they gouged through chunks of stiff prison food.

As though sensing the potential danger brewing, the inmate sitting next to him started slowly inching away. Sevika, meanwhile, kept talking.

"So unless you are trying for some type of bloody knuckles competition with a spoon instead of a coin… just relax before one of those fucking guards comes over and decides we’re done eating for us.”

Scar's head tilted, ever so slightly, to one side. His lip twitched upwards, flashing a row of large, jagged teeth in a faintly sardonic sneer.

If I wanted blood, I wouldn't need any weapons to draw it.

"...Might not win," he conceded with deceptive calm, after a considering pause. A fight with a brawler as experienced as Sevika would definitely be nasty, and there was no guarantee he'd survive it.

"But you would lose."

Because if it came to it, he absolutely would take her down with him.

His point expressed, Scar took another mouthful of the slop being passed off as food, disengaging from the conversation as abruptly as he'd joined it.

@independentzaun

"Don't make me use this." (@vastayan--vigilante for Sevika)

She’d finally managed to get the guards relaxed enough that she could eat in the chow hall with other prisoners which was the good news. The bad news was be it sheer dumb luck, or because a guard had a weird sense of humor she’d gotten sat at the same table with Scar. More concerned with food than anything else as she had no desire at all to start loosing weight which would mean loosing mass, and muscle Sevika had simply nodded acknowledging him and others at the table before eating. Of course someone just had to open their mouth being “just curious” who’d win in a fight between Sevika, and Scar. Without thinking Sevika had smirked, and responded that of course she would. Which had prompted a low hushed conversation just barely this side of a full on argument before Scar had held something up, and technically threatened her.

Sevika stared at him for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle, and looking purely amused. “Scar? That’s a spoon. What are you going to do, slap my knuckles? I assure you that’s really not going to do much. So unless you are trying for some type of bloody knuckles competition with a spoon instead of a coin… just relax before one of those fucking guards comes over and decides we’re done eating for us.”