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apples-r-rubbish · 4 years ago

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Institute (13th doctor x reader) Part 3

Summary: The Doctor decides to drop in a few times to check up on you Word Count: 2.1k AN: This is mainly filler, I need to edit part 4 and Because I feel nice (and to make up for this) it’s coming out within the next hour or so :) -L x Warnings: death mention Tags: @startrekkingaroundasgard @penguinwithitsarseonfire

(PART 1) (PART 2) (PART 4) (PART 5) (PART 6) (PART 7) (PART 8) MASTERLIST

It had been months since The Doctor had seen you. After having a particularly awful encounter with a dalek in late December, she decided she had to visit you, to give you some updated information. When she exited you were sitting in your chair, legs pulled up to your chest, silent tears slipping from your eyes.

“How do you manage to get it in the same spot every time? Is it something you’ve practiced or is it coincidence?” You asked, not giving her time to say hello. You were wearing jeans a crumpled t-shirt, you had clearly been here a while, and it was late, wine was on the desk a half drunk bottle on the desk

“My expert flight skills and mainly luck. What’s up? What’s wrong?” She asked anxiety clear in her face as she rushed to you, cautiously wrapping her arms around you

“My girlfriend and I split up. She’d been cheating on me,” You explained. A small pang of jealousy hit the doctor.

“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend- or well did- sorry timelines again,”

“Future you met her once, I mean it doesn’t really matter now. Where are we now?” You said stopping the conversation abruptly pulling out a notebook from your desk, “you’ve visited me after 40s India, and modern day Norway,�� You frowned staring at your notes

“Done all that, got a few more on your end however, but you’ll soon find out. You keep notes?”

“Of course. River basically threw a notebook at me and told me it was best. If we’re out of sync we have to compare.” You replied scribbling down something.

“What’s the date? I realise I never ask,”

“New years eve, 2019 at quarter to midnight if you must know,” You frowned checking your watch “and I‘m sat in my office crying, wine drunk about a girl who really doesn’t care about me,” You laughed bitterly taking another sip from the wine bottle. She frowned and snatched the bottle from your hands

“That’s quite enough of that,” she remarked “It’s new years eve, you’re not sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. C’mon we’re watching fireworks,” she dragged you out of the chair by your hands to one of the many floor to ceiling windows in your office. Her hand was warm, not overly smooth but not rough either. Most of London was visible from your windows

“Me liked the view, she liked London and she knew that she’d be handing the position to myself most of the time so, I was allowed to design the office,” you smiled at the memory

“How long have you worked here?” she asked as if the question had been on her mind for months

“5 years, put straight in this position, Me found me, insisted I was necessary to the plan, important enough to be involved. We’re a skeleton staff, less than 100 people- 1 institute,” you explained

“You are important. You’re important to me,” she insisted, remembering her hand was in yours “you’re my friend and I care about you and your feelings,”

You laughed at that, “Why do you put up with us all? I never understand it,”

“I like you all, you’re kind and funny and passionate. You all want to achieve so much, you aspire to be better,” she looked away from you, her eyes lighting up as she spoke. As you opened your mouth to say something the ominous looking counter flashed up on big ben. You whispered the numbers, as the seconds drew nearer. She pressed a hand against your face, “3...2…” you were cut off by the feeling of lips on yours. You stayed that way quietly for a moment, breathing heavily, as the celebratory fireworks went off behind you.

She pulled away, “Sorry if I crossed a line, I just know it’s a thing humans do,” She gave a small sweet smile, as if she’d known exactly what she’d done.

“You didn’t cross a line it’s ok,” You said and then hesitated “But I know you, you do this, you’ll get in that blue box and fly away. But it means next time we might sync so can I get in that box with you.”

There was a comforting silence between you both, “we’re running in different directions, and at some point we might get on track,” You said,

She pecked your lips again, “Soon, I’m sorry.”

“I know, I’ll hold you to that,” You said with a wink as she backed into the TARDIS.

It had been a handful of weeks since the doctor had seen you, she was returning on an adventure with the fam “Sorry fam, got to drop that off at the institute,” referring to the alien tech, they’d taken from a recent adventure.

“You want an excuse to see her don’t you? See if your timelines are aligned yet,” Yaz sighed at the doctor, she tried to deny it but both Ryan and Graham nodded at the other woman,

“Fine, i want to see her, especially after new years, just want to check in on her,” She explained with a slight annoyance to her voice. She flipped a few switches before landing, in your office as she usually did, same spot as always. You were laughing with your girlfriend, or in her timeline, former girlfriend. The other woman was sat on your desk, pressing a kiss to your lips when the doctor strolled out of her TARDIS, “So exciting thing, we found some alien tech that we think- sorry am I interrupting something-” She rambled turning her head, a edge to her voice that was unexpected, the others filled out the ship after her making similar awkward expressions.

“Christ, can you give us a warning? Have you learnt to do that through our complex timeline?” You laughed, a heavy blush evident on your cheeks “This is my girlfriend. Babe, this is the Doctor,” You smiled, waving your hands between the two of them, she cringed at the nickname. Your girlfriend went to introduce herself, the doctor shot her a sharp glare remembering new years eve, before turning to you, “where are we up to?”

“Uh, you’ve just told me about 17th century witch trials,” You said trying to remember off the top of your head

“Good, that was a fun one,” She smiled at the memory, before, placing the alien tech in your hand, her hand lingering on yours for a bit too long, “Get one of the archive staff to lock that away, you might need it at some point. Maybe, depends, better to have it just incase, it’ll keep you safe, if I can’t be there,”

“Ok thanks, we’ll get someone on that right now,” You replied, professionalism clear in your voice and face. You felt colder to her, she had forgotten what you were like in the early days. She nodded at you, before turning on her heel, restraining herself from wrapping her arms around you. She extended a hand to your girlfriend, to which she accepted. The Doctor leant in and whispered “I know what you’re doing, cheaters get what’s coming to them,” She then plastered a fake smile before turning into the TARDIS after giving you a genuine smile. Team TARDIS followed behind her, giving small goodbyes and polite waves to you and your future ex partner.

“Well that could have gone literally miles and miles better,” Graham frowned, after the ship had taken off

“Yeah, doc, you should have seen your face it was fun- wasn’t funny actually- Ow,” Ryan said between Yaz hitting him on the shoulder trying to help the situation

“Look, she doesn’t even know about new years because it hasn’t happened yet so it’s not like she can help it and saying that to her ex probably wasn’t the best route,”

“She also kisses me when the institute gets attacked, which is about a month after new years, which is two months after this,” She turned to Yaz anger heavy in her voice “What would you have done in that situation? Hm? What would any of you have done? Exactly. Don’t criticise me when you have not been in situations like that, because it has happened to me far too many times for me to take advice from any of you!” she shouted her final words anger bubbling over the surface finally, as she scraped her hands down the console, in another attempt to knock something nonvital off of it. A pin could have dropped in the TARDIS and everyone would have heard it, “Look, I’m sorry, I keep thinking about her on that planet and I think it’s my fault, and I can’t stop it. I’m just worried, I care about her, and I don’t want to see her with anyone else and I don’t want to see whatever is coming, not on that planet especially,”

“You never said, what planet it was,” Ryan said unexpectedly

“It doesn’t matter, it isn’t important.” She frowned quickly “Look, new adventure, got a planet picked out and everything,”

The familiar wheezes filled your office. You pulled out a handgun you kept in your desk drawer and pointed it at the doors unflinchingly, the doctor stepped out cautiously, “Tell me what I said to you, in this office when the cyberman attacked the institute!” You shouted at the woman

“(Y/N)-”

“Tell me!” You snarled locking the gun, not blinking

“You- You said you should keep wine in your desk, for when we synced again, and you said we should go on a date,” She stammered out. You lowered the gun and out it back on your desk

“Sorry, issues with the Zygons again. Bonnie and Oswald stepped up and helped though, helps to be cautious considering we didn’t have some of their new abilities on file. Gun was fake anyway before you shout at me, just needed to be sure,” You said kicking your feet onto the desk

“What are we up to on your terms?” She asked avoiding your previous statements

“The cyber incident was the last time I saw you and that was about 5 months ago. You?”

“Dropping tech off, saw your ex, a month ago for me,” She said taking the seat opposite

“So we’re even then? Finally, nothing sneaky, just us in my office,”

“I think so. Unless one of us is lying but we both know better than that,”

“Good,” You replied pulling out a bottle of wine from your desk drawer “5 months, that’s been in there, just incase,”

“Yeah, well I’d prefer the date,”

“Are you flirting?”

“Maybe,” She smirked

“Watch it old man. Don’t want you having a heart attack trying to keep up,” You laughed,as you stood and grabbed your jacket, “I believe we promised each other a date.”

London was warm unsurprisingly, given the time of year. The bar was empty given the fact it was a Tuesday, you ordered a drink for yourself and some juice for the doctor, “I guessed and said apple because I figured you did not want alcohol,” you said taking a seat at the table she had picked.

“I could love it, you never know,” She replied, you proceeded to offer her your drink, she took a sip and made an odd face “Ok nevermind then, I take it back,”

“In my defence, your new face might have liked it, not my fault I didn’t know,”

“Definitely not for me,” She stuck her tongue out after her comment. You talked for hours despite the glares of the slightly annoyed bar staff, telling stories of space travel and times long gone, or the times yet to come

“I’ve never visited victorian england, I imagine it would be nice. Those were always assigned to someone else,” You said suddenly

“We could go if you’d like, another date, sightsee and do a bunch of touristy things, meet the queen, I’m sure she wouldn’t recognise me with this face,”

“I feel like it’s somewhere I'd like to go to before I die, like I’d save it for a bucket list, a sort of time bucket list,” You rambled. That was a sobering reminder for the doctor, the way you looked at her, a bittersweet happiness in your eyes and a knowing smile, a different version of you compared to the one in front of her.

“Travel with me, please.” You gave her a look “I know what you said, but we’re finally synced up again, what’s the worst that could happen. I doubt they’d notice you gone, you essentially just sit in your office and try to avoid boredom all day, you might as well travel.”

“Fine, you aren’t going to drop it until I agree so yes, I’ll travel with you,” You said finishing what was left of your drink, she had already stood up a giddy smile clear on her face. The Doctor pulled you to your feet, “c’mon, need to do some maintenance on the TARDIS and we’ll meet up with the others and go somewhere.”

#doctor who self insert #13th doctor x reader #thirteen x reader #13th doctor imagine #thirteenth doctor #thirteenth doctor x reader #doctor who x reader #the doctor x reader #the institute

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normalg-irl · 6 years ago

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When People Ask Me What I’m Doing After Graduation This Is What I’ll Say | May 3, 2019

So, I don’t have a job lined up for after graduation. I’m also not volunteering with the JVC or Americorps like some of my friends who enjoy helping people. I don’t have an internship, and I’m not traveling anywhere. I actually have no idea what I want to do? Like as a career, but also … in life? So I’ve decided to construct an honest answer to provide to anyone who asks me what I’m doing after graduation. If you, too, do not have a “plan” for post-grad, you are welcome to join me in the glorious city of Hartford, Connecticut, where these 5 post-grad steps will be carried out.

Step 1: Watch Game of Thrones.

Never having seen Game of Thrones makes me feel almost as shitty as never having seen any of the Harry Potter movies (never mind never having read the books). This is the first time I’m admitting that. I usually just play along like,

“I would be in Gryffindor, no doubt. My favorite spell is Leviosa. JK Rowling is honestly a legend.”

I’m embarrassed to confess how uncultured I am. But, with GoT, it’s way too complicated. You can’t just skim the surface like,

“Winter is coming. Jon Snow is my favorite character. Yeah, I’m not bothered by the incest either.”

I’m going to take the first three weeks immediately after graduation to binge GoT and get caught up to speed for the sake of the culture. And also for my own mental health because I’ve been feeling excluded and anxious every time Khaleesi is brought up around me. She sounds like a legend, almost more so than JK Rowling.

Step 2: Exercise lightly.

After the three weeks of binging Game of Thrones I’ll probably try and get my body looking right. No one tells you that going to Punta Cana for spring break turns you into a drinking-machine-party-fiend. The all-inclusive trip destroys all tendencies of eating vegetables and run-walking on the treadmill. For the latter portion of senior year all I’ve known, and all I’ve wanted to know, are Miami Vices (pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris mixed for the ignorant lames), permanent sunburns and foggy conversations with the same people over and over again.

So, with that, health and fitness has plummeted drastically on the list of priorities. Before entering the “real world” I’ll need to burn off all the fried chicken I swallowed whole while floating around in the Punta Cana resort pool. Step 2 is necessary in order to bury that part of the identity and embrace a classier manifestation of self.

Step 3: My high school friends and I become so bored that we go get frozen yogurt and have a really awkward encounter with someone random from our past.

Step 3 can be weaseled in at any point in the post-grad plan. Preferably I will complete step 3 multiple times, almost on a weekly basis. I envision a lot of days playing out like this:

11:00AM: Wake up.

11:04AM: Enter an “Instagram k hole” (This is a term I just learned. It’s when you get so deep into Instagram it feels kind of like you did too much Ketamine, and you’re seriously f*cked up).

12:10PM: Mom is getting home, so I quickly stage a job application workshop in the kitchen.

12:30PM: Mom really wants me to try harder at applying for jobs, I tell her I will.

12:45PM - 4:20PM: *Insert step 1 or step 2 here, depending on what level you’ve reached of the plan.* So this block of time can be filled with either culture binging, or getting the body right.

4:20PM: By this time culture = binged, or body = right. Both great outcomes. Send a text in the group chat, everyone’s down to hang, obv. No one has a job.

7:30PM: Not sure how those three hours were spent. Potentially was sucked into another k hole, but this time mind was completely erased.

8:25PM: Group unites at the friend’s house who has the most chill parents.

8:30PM - 9:50PM: Vaping, light gossip, and brief but intense Instagram k holes are accompanied by a random TV show playing in the background like Catfish or anything on TLC.

10:00PM: One friend suggests getting frozen yogurt. It’s the best idea she’s had in years.

10:15PM: Arrive at Sweet Frog dizzy off the vape. The smell inside is extremely nauseating. Someone might pass out in Sweet Frog.

10:16PM: Everyone fills up their cups with a mixture of flavors. One friend just gets a ton of those little balls with juice inside of them. She’s a psychopath.

10:19PM: I enter a frozen yogurt k hole. Halfway through the fro-yo I realize I do not like fro-yo. But then all of a sudden my cup is empty.

10:23PM: The awkward encounter the entire group has been anticipating finally happens. The middle school basketball coach enters Sweet Frog with his new girlfriend. He has no idea how old we are. He can’t even make a guess. He is intoxicated in Sweet Frog. He kisses us on the cheeks. His girlfriend is really pretty.

10:41PM: I leave Sweet Frog feeling awkward and sick. But it was something I had to do. And it’s something you have to do. It’s only right.

Step 4: Shock my parents’ friends when I say, “I have no idea what I want to do” in the Big Y parking lot.

After the Sweet Frog interactions, awkward encounters will be nothing but a thang. I expect them to spice up the depressing post-grad days, and will probably become a favored activity.

So when my Mom asks me to go to Big Y to get a watermelon (she likes to give me random tasks), I’ll be kind of excited to go.

When I see Mrs. Miller in the parking lot, I won’t pretend not to see her. She asks me what I’m up to, what my “plan” is, and when I tell her about binging GoT and going to Sweet Frog and working out every few days, her face grows concerned and I am hoping she talks about my excellent plan with the other moms. I just want to be talked about, honestly.

I help Mrs. Miller put her groceries in her minivan so she thinks I’m still a good person even if I have no ambition.

“Good luck, sweetie.”

She nods empathetically from her minivan window as I stand alone in my pajamas in the Big Y parking lot carrying a watermelon.

Step 5: Read a life-changing book at the town pool.

I haven’t read a book in years. Reflecting on my life, I may never have actually finished a full novel. What if I’m in a job interview and the interviewer asks me what my favorite book is? I need to have something truthful and profound to say. The Fault in Our Stars isn’t going to cut it. I could maybe swing saying that the Game of Thrones series is my favorite, because I’m pretty sure they were books before a TV show? But that feels like it’d be super transparent at this point.

I can’t go into an intellectual discussion with some alternative, experimental book all confident like, “Have you read The Girl with the Chastity Belt’s Lullaby? It’s my favorite.”

No, you need something absolutely classic like To Kill a Mockingbird or Don Quixote or Fifty Shades of Grey. I’ll probably pick up War and Peace and call it a day. Been meaning to read that one. And then off to the pool I go.

I see myself spending a super relaxing time by the pool with my book. There are no annoying kids splashing around the day I decide to go and conquer my book. It’ll be closed off for academics on their sabbaticals just like me who want to peacefully read and feed their brains.

As I flip around War and Peace, I see a ton of pages, and a ton of words I don’t know. I suck at reading. I don’t know how to read. I can read the words, but the whole time my mind is thinking about potential boyfriends and potential parties and potential conversations. All which might never happen.

War and Peace spirals me into an anxiety k hole, which I think is actually just an anxiety attack, and I storm out of the pool without even buying french fries from the snack bar.

That’s as far as I’m going to make it into step 5.

And there we have it my friends. Graduating without a job isn’t that scary if you embrace my perfect five-step post-graduation plan. Because, believe me, once you do it all - once you’ve watched eight seasons of Game of Thrones, hit Sweet Frog a couple hundred times, toned a few muscles, run into lots of moms, and “read” War and Peace … you will be ready to hightail it back to NYC - and maybe even land a job.

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Published by The Rival at Fordham University on May 3, 2019

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mdelpin · 6 years ago

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edit by @mdelpin

I Take Pride In What I Am 2019 Prompt: “I’m not tryna fall in love, I just wanna get fucked up” Pairing(s): CanaxMirajane, NatsuxGray, SilverxGildarts

"Maybe if you didn't drink so much, shit like this wouldn't happen!" Silver snapped at Cana as he fretted over her. She looked like she'd been in a fight, parts of her clothing torn, several of her fingernails were broken, and a bruise was deepening on her left eye.

"Dad!" Gray yelled, "That's enough! You know she was the victim here!" He knew his dad didn't mean to scream. Silver he was just scared for her, and with Gildarts out of town, he felt responsible. Gray was scared too.

Cana’s eyes were wild, looking around Silver and towards the front door of the house. Silver caught the direction of her gaze and moved to block her.

"Don't even think of going out again, young lady!"

"You're not my father, you're Gray's father, and I don't even know what my father sees in you. I hate you!" Cana's words were slurred, but they impacted Silver just as much as if every syllable had been enunciated perfectly.

She locked herself in her room, turning the music on as loud as she dared so that they couldn't hear her sobs. They had only been living together as a family for a few months, but this was the first time her father had left her alone with Gray and his dad.

She was still shaken from what had happened and to make things worse she knew Silver was right. She did drink too much, made stupid decisions like the one that had gotten her in trouble that very night. It had been nothing out of the ordinary, she'd met a guy, and they'd hit it off, but she hadn't expected him to try anything. He'd seemed nice, and she'd let her defenses down and when he'd offered to give her a ride home she'd accepted.

When they got to the house he wouldn't let her get out of the car, and then he started kissing her, and that part had been okay but when he tried to do more she started to fight back, and that's when everything turned ugly, even though it was still a bit hazy. Cana didn't remember how she had gotten the shiner, and she knew she'd been lucky that Silver had come home and figured out what was happening.

She shouldn’t have said those things to him, he beat the crap out of that guy for trying to take advantage of her. They weren’t even true, she loved him, and she knew exactly what her dad saw in him, it was all the things she had seen in Gray in high school, but as a friend.

Now Silver would call her dad and tell him everything, or even worse what if he left her dad cause he couldn't deal with her? Oh, god, no! It had taken her dad all this time to find someone he liked after her mother died. She couldn't be responsible for ruining that for him. Her anxiety started to kick in, and she couldn't breathe.

I fuck everything up, that’s all I ever do! Damn it, I need a drink!

She changed her clothes and cleaned herself up a bit before opening the window in her room and climbing out. There was a bar not too far from their house, she could be there in ten minutes.

Xxx

Cana entered the bar and was disappointed to see a different bartender. This one had pink hair, and he was looking at her with concern, probably trying to figure out whether he should serve her or not, she thought.

Before he had a chance to say anything, she ordered her usual drink, and after deliberating for a few seconds, he went and mixed it.

“Here you go,” The bartender handed her the drink, “You want a steak or something?”

"What?" Cana arched an eyebrow finding the comment somewhat random, and confused to find that small gesture hurt.

“For your eye, it’s swelling up,” He replied, “There might be some frozen vegetables out back.”

“Oh, no, that’s okay handsome, I’m good. Just keep these coming.”

He looked at her unsurely but extended out his hand, “I’m Natsu, I just started today. Do you come here often?”

“Not if I can help it, this place is a dump,” Cana snorted, “But it’s home. I’m Cana by the way.”

Natsu nodded at her, he seemed friendly but not too familiar.

“Hey is that girl working today?” Cana suddenly asked, “What’s her name…. Mary Jane?”

Natsu thought about it for a moment as he wiped down the bar, "I'm terrible with names, what does she look like?"

“Silver hair, gorgeous blue eyes, a voice to die for,” Cana drawled, her tone flippant.

"Gorgeous blue eyes?" Natsu rolled his eyes at her and grinned, and Cana found herself liking him more and more.

“Well I mean, yours aren’t bad either, but you’re not my type,” Cana winked at him smiling in relief when he just chuckled at her comment.

"I think I know who you mean," Natsu replied to her earlier question, "I'm not sure what her name is, but she's supposed to start at my break, which is in about thirty minutes. I gotta go check on some other customers, holler if you need anything."

Cana gave him a small wave and wondered briefly if he were gay, he was hot and friendly, and she thought Gray might like him. Maybe she'd get around to asking him after she'd had a few more drinks.

She grabbed her phone out of her purse to see if she had any messages. She had a few missed calls from Gray and a text from Silver, who was freaking out about not finding her in her room and begging her to reply.

She put her phone back in her purse, chasing her guilt away with her drink. For all her earlier worries, she didn't want to think about it now. She was away from it and looking forward to seeing the hot bartender.

Cana had always found girls pretty or interesting, but she'd never been taken enough with one to want more than friendship. The only girl she'd ever kissed was some random girl whose name she'd forgotten. It had been at a high school party during a game of Spin the Bottle. Truth be told, she couldn't even remember if she'd liked it or not, and of course, there had been alcohol involved.

Actually, this bartender was the reason for a lot of her current troubles. As much as she lived surrounded by gay men, Cana was having difficulty accepting that she found girls more attractive than guys.

She knew she was ridiculous. Obviously, no one in her life would fault her for it, but it went against everything she'd always expected of herself, and Cana was nothing if not stubborn. So she'd been forcing herself into situations with guys, and of course, that's precisely what had led her to her current predicament.

When she was sober, she couldn't handle the thoughts about her burgeoning interest in girls, when she was drunk; however, it was another matter entirely. Of course, she had no idea whether the bartender was even interested in her, but Cana figured there was nothing wrong with some harmless flirting and she had some time to get ready. She finished her drink and called Natsu for another.

Cana closed her eyes as she waited, trying to calm herself down before she could chicken out. Although the girl was friendly enough, Cana had never been brave enough to let her attraction be known.

Natsu brought her drink and once again asked if she wanted something for her eye. He looked concerned, and it made her wonder how bad it actually looked. She fumbled for her compact in her blue fuzzy purse as Natsu waited with a knowing look on his face.

She viewed herself in the reflective surface and flinched, she looked terrible. No wonder Silver had been flipping out. She quickly moved away from that thought, still refusing to deal with what had happened.

“Oh my God, I look like shit!” Cana muttered, she started to think that maybe she should go home after all. But the alcohol was already mixing with what she’d drunk earlier refusing to allow logic to enter the situation.

“Sure, frozen veggies and I should be good as new!” She chirped in what she thought was a quiet voice.

Natsu was gone for a long time, and when he finally returned with a bag of frozen vegetables, he'd magically turned into the girl of Cana's dreams. She held out the bag for Cana, wincing in sympathy as she caught a glimpse of her eye.

“Natsu told me you were asking about me,” The girl smiled and all Cana could do was peer at her from behind the bag of frozen produce.”

"I'm Mirajane, but everyone calls me Mira. I know we've chatted before, but I don't think we've ever officially met."

Cana stared at her, all words escaping her as she lost herself in the deep blue eyes that were looking at her with open curiosity.

"Uh, I'm Cana," Thankfully, her brain decided to enter the conversation, although a bit late.

Mira held her hand out to shake, and Cana grabbed it awkwardly, having to keep her other hand pressed against the veggies.

“So, Natsu was concerned, is everything alright?” Mira pointed at her face, “Should we call someone for you?”

“You mean you don’t think this looks cool?” Cana grinned, excited by being in Mira’s presence.

“Well, it’s just the other eye was so perfect, I didn’t see the need to ruin it,” Mira winked at her as she pulled out some lemons and limes and began to slice them.

Cana's cheeks were burning at the unexpected compliment, and she hoped that it wasn't enough to melt the veggies because the ice did feel pleasant on her bruised eye. She could hear Mira giggling at her and because she couldn't think of anything else to say she blurted out, "Hey, do you know if that new bartender is gay?"

Mira seemed put off by the question, “I don’t know, but it’s really not something to be gossiping about.”

"Oh, no! That's, oh god, you must think I'm terrible." Cana admitted, "I..he's cute and nice, and I thought he might hit it off with my stepbrother."

Mira seemed to relax a little at her reply, "Oh, I have siblings too, I get what you mean. You want them to be with someone nice, but all they seem to find are jerks."

Cana nodded, excited that she hadn’t screwed up irrevocably, “Yes, exactly! He’s getting over a bad breakup.”

“Aren’t we all, “ Mira laughed as she handed her another drink, “You should keep that on for another ten minutes or so, I’ll be back to check up on you.”

Cana stared after Mira, enraptured by the sound of her laughter. Yep, she was in trouble. Cana’s brain betrayed her, all thoughts erased but for what it would feel like to kiss Mira or even just hold her hand.

She finished her drink quickly, trying to get to that state where she was free from thinking at all, but she was losing. The whole day was catching up to her, and the soothing coolness of the frozen vegetables pressed against her face was making her feel slightly sleepy.

Cana heard an incessant beeping and shook her head, trying to figure out where it was coming from. After looking around the bar blankly, she finally thought to check her phone. In the time since she had last checked, it had exploded. There were messages from Gray, Silver, her father, and about four of her friends all desperately trying to find her, but it was Silver's message that broke her heart.

I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, I was just scared. If you come home, I promise you I will pack my bags this second. But please, please come back. I need to know you're safe.

Leave? You can't leave! We need you! She put the phone on top of the bar as panic began to set in, but it was no match for the alcohol filled haze she had put herself in. She felt her body start to slump onto the bar, her hands instinctively cradling her head as she let herself rest.

“Is she passed out?” Natsu hovered over the girl he’d been talking to earlier in the night even as he looked to Mira to figure out what to do, “Does this type of thing happen often?”

“No, she’s a regular, I’ve never seen her like this before. Something must have happened, can you carry her to the break room? We can’t leave her out here like this.” Mira asked and before she was finished speaking Natsu had already vaulted over the bar and had Cana in his arms.

She noticed Cana's phone on the bar and grabbed it when she saw it was unlocked. She felt terrible looking through the girl's phone, but she needed to call someone for her. She followed Natsu into the break room already calling the person on the last text.

“Hi, is this uhm Silver?”

Xxx

“Gray, we gotta go,” Silver said the moment he hung up his phone, “I know where your sister is, come on.”

They got into the car, both men still concerned even though the bartender had told Silver that Cana was fine and had just fallen asleep. Gray got out of the car as his father tried to find a parking space while calling Gildarts to let him know Cana had been located.

He quickly entered the bar, coming face to face with one of the bartenders. He lost focus for a second as he was faced with one of the most attractive men he’d ever seen, who just happened to be staring at him with a confused face.

“Uhm, it pains me to say this, but we have a strict No Shirt, No Service policy here,” The bartender said even as his eyes refused to move from Gray’s chest.

"Damn it!" Gray looked down at himself not surprised to see that in his stress he'd managed to shed his shirt. It was an annoying habit, but if the look he was getting from the bartender was anything to go by, one he couldn't be too upset about at the moment.

He looked around for his shirt and found it by the door. By the time he had put the shirt back on, the bartender had a beer waiting for him.

“What’s this for?”

“Well, I felt like I owed you something… I mean I got a show so…” He grinned and handed the beer over, “I’m Natsu by the way.”

Gray found himself really liking that smile.

“Thanks! I’m Gray,” He shook the man’s hand and found himself noticing how well his green eyes complimented his pink hair.

“It’s been a rather exciting first day for me, one customer fell asleep and now an attractive man stripped in my bar,” Natsu commented.

Gray knew there was something about that comment that was yelling for his attention. He pondered it for a moment and then grinned internally. Of course! Natsu thought he was attractive. He found himself smiling as he drank his beer.

“Hey Gray, did you find your sister yet?” Silver came in, not paying much attention as he was still talking to Gildarts on the phone, who was now demanding to speak to his daughter.

“Huh?”

“Sister, asleep, bar… any of this ringing a bell?” Silver rolled his eyes at his son, immediately realizing he had somehow managed to lose him to a rather attractive young man. Not that he could blame him, there was something about his smile that reminded him of Gildarts a little, and he was well aware of how easy it was to get lost in that smile.

“Oh, you must be Silver,” Natsu greeted him enthusiastically, “Follow me, your daughter is with my coworker.”

Natsu led both men to the break room where Cana was asleep on a small sofa with Mira watching over her. He returned to the bar, not being able to leave it unattended for long.

“Is she okay?” Silver asked not able to see if Cana had acquired any new injuries since she had left the house. He winced when he saw how bad her eye looked.

"She's just asleep, she was a bit restless, but she seems to have calmed down now," Mira smiled at Silver.

“Darts, I’m gonna have to call you back,” Silver tilted his head as he watched Mira do something in Cana’s phone before putting it into her purse. “She’s fine, she’s right in front of me.”

He listened for a second before replying, “Fine, fine.” He hung up, taking a quick picture and sending it to his worried partner before putting his phone in his pocket.

“Thank you so much for calling me, we were so worried,” Silver gushed, arms already aching to pick Cana up and take her home.

"She comes here a lot, so I wanted to make sure she was okay," Mira smiled sweetly watching as Silver grabbed his car keys and tossed them to the younger man before picking Cana up. They all beamed as Cana snuggled up to him without waking up.

"Let's go home," Silver told the boy, and they shared a look that intrigued Mira as if it was something new to them.

She followed them out of the break room and watched them leave, noticing that Cana's brother made a point of saying goodbye to Natsu.

She took her place behind the bar, and Natsu immediately asked her, "Is it always like this?"

“Nah, it’s usually quite dull.”

“I’m kind of bummed, I never got a chance to ask for his number.”

"I don't know, maybe I'll put in a good word for you," Mira grinned at him mischievously and when he gave her a puzzled look she giggled, "I may have added myself to her Contacts list."

A/N: Ok I know I said drabbles and I am somewhat aware of what this means and that this is in no shape or form one. I try, it’s just, words happen. I hope you still like it!

#fairy tail #ftlgbtpride2019 #ftlgbtales #canajane #gratsu #sildarts #ftfanfics

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junker-town · 5 years ago

Text

The Jaguars only have themselves to blame for the Jalen Ramsey debacle

Jalen Ramsey has requested a trade from the Jaguars.

In the last two years, the Jaguars have made all the wrong moves and alienated their best players.

Jalen Ramsey has been every bit the player the Jacksonville Jaguars hoped he’d be when they drafted him top five in 2016. But now the two-time Pro Bowler wants out.

It’d be easy to say his Week 2 sideline spat with Doug Marrone is the reason why he’s requested a trade. The reality, though, is that the cornerback’s frustrations with the team have been brewing for a long time. And frankly, how could they not be?

Twenty months ago, the Jaguars played in the AFC Championship against the Patriots. Had it not been for a poor officiating call in that game, the Jaguars likely would’ve gone to the Super Bowl too. In the nearly two years since, everything has fallen apart.

Jacksonville has done everything possible to alienate its best players and create the mess it currently has on its hands. Worst of all, the Jaguars are just plain bad. When Ramsey asked for a trade, they had won just two of their last 14 games, and all that losing had taken its toll.

“I just want to fucking win,” Ramsey said in a press conference less than 24 hours after reports surfaced of his request. He didn’t say much else during his presser, a change of pace for a player who’s refreshingly honest — sometimes to a fault — about his thoughts. This time, he didn’t have to spell things out, though.

It’s clear Ramsey has lost faith that the Jaguars are an organization capable of turning things around. It’s hard to blame him, considering the mistakes the team has made to slam its Super Bowl window shut.

Just one defensive player has received an extension in the last 2 years

Jacksonville’s 2017 season was a success because of its elite defense. No team in the NFL allowed fewer points, yards, plays, or time of possession per drive than the Jaguars that year. That defense forced a franchise-record 33 turnovers and finished with 55 sacks.

Six Jaguars made the Pro Bowl then, all of them defensive players: Ramsey, Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, Telvin Smith, A.J. Bouye.

Yet, the one player who was rewarded handsomely for the Jaguars’ deep postseason run was turnover-prone quarterback Blake Bortles. He signed a three-year, $54 million contract with Jacksonville that included $26.5 million in guarantees, despite finishing that 2017 season 20th in passer rating.

It, unsurprisingly, blew up in the Jaguars’ face.

Bortles didn’t magically transform into a quarterback worth that kind of money. He continued to throw too many interceptions and struggled when injuries wiped up much of the offensive talent around him in 2018. He was released after the season and the Jaguars are eating $16.5 million in salary cap space just to have Bortles off the team.

The significant investment for the Jaguars in the 2019 offseason was again at quarterback. The team dished out a four-year, $88 million deal to Nick Foles with $50 million guaranteed — bidding against themselves in the process.

Why did the #Jaguars pay so much for Nick Foles if there were no other big bidders? We discussed here. pic.twitter.com/QOiulR6dcH

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 11, 2019

It’s not the Jaguars’ fault that Foles suffered a broken clavicle less than 10 minutes into the season. It is their fault that the overpriced contract is a big reason why salary cap space is running low.

It wasn’t until the end of August when a key defensive player finally got a contract. Myles Jack — a player who wasn’t a member of the Pro Bowl sextet in 2017 — signed a four-year, $57 million contract before the 2019 season began.

But in the time between that AFC Championship run and Jack’s extension, much of the dominant defense was gutted. Defensive tackle Malik Jackson and safeties Tashaun Gipson and Barry Church were all released, defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. was traded to the Rams, and cornerback Aaron Colvin left in free agency.

Ngakoue, who tallied 29.5 sacks in his first three seasons — more than any other player in his draft class — held out from training camp in hopes of a new contract and didn’t get one. Ngakoue isn’t even half the mercurial personality that Ramsey is, but voiced his displeasure about how the negotiation played out.

#Jaguars DE Yannick Ngakoue: "They had a chance to sign me for a long-term deal but it didn't get done. It is what it is. I love football, love my teammates, and I'm here to play games." Could a deal get done before the season? "It's out of my hands. I don't even know."

— Phillip Heilman (@phillip_heilman) August 4, 2019

Ramsey also made his desire for a new contract known in 2019 and was told it wasn’t even worth asking.

Jalen Ramsey says he has been told by the Jaguars that he won’t be receiving a contract extension this year

— John Reid (@JohnReid64) June 11, 2019

That decision makes sense with Ramsey under contract through the 2021 season, thanks to the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.

However, three of the four players picked ahead of Ramsey in the 2016 NFL Draft — Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Ezekiel Elliott — have already signed lucrative extensions that make them among the highest-paid at their respective positions. Meanwhile, Ramsey is making about $3.6 million in 2019, despite having a strong argument as the top cornerback in the NFL.

While he wants a raise, Ramsey brushed off the suggestion that it’s the reason for his trade request. But he did mention that he was happy to see Jack get a contract extension, and told the media multiple times that Ngakoue deserves one too.

Ramsey’s dissatisfaction with the Jaguars’ roster-building strategy is understandable, especially when the team is terrible on the field too.

The Jaguars’ coaching is failing the talent

One of the most surprising aspects of Jacksonville’s fall from grace was the amount of coverage busts allowed by the previously dominant defense. For some reason, the Jaguars opted to play a puzzling amount of zone defense in 2018, leading to coverage lapses.

That’s been true in 2019 too. The Chiefs carved up the Jaguars in Week 1, recording 491 total yards and 40 points due to gaping holes in the Jacksonville secondary.

TWO FIRST QUARTER TOUCHDOWNS FOR SAMMY WATKINS ‍♂️ @sammywatkins pic.twitter.com/1WclllgsjN

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) September 8, 2019

The Jaguars defense has too many veteran players to make those kind of mistakes, but it’s also worth questioning why the team is playing that way. There was no secret sauce to Jacksonville’s success in 2017: It bullied teams up front and locked down receivers with a pair of top-flight cornerbacks.

Ramsey is fed up with the team not getting back to what made it great in the first place:

One of the best pure cover corners, Jalen Ramsey wants to play man-to-man and lock a WR down. One issue has been having him play zone https://t.co/7RIlT8bx4X

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 16, 2019

Two decisions by head coach Doug Marrone from the Jaguars’ 13-12 loss to the Texans have been called into question after the team’s 0-2 start. The Jaguars chose not to ride Gardner Minshew’s momentum, taking the ball out of the quarterback’s hands on a final two-point conversion try. Marrone also opted to ignore Ramsey’s pleas for a challenge earlier in the game.

The latter resulted in a blowup on the sideline.

Jalen Ramsey is not happy, part II pic.twitter.com/FzJUJR7N3t

— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) September 15, 2019

It certainly feels as though the moment was the straw that broke the camel’s back, though Ramsey denied that was the case.

“Requesting the trade was something that has kind of been building for over a little bit of time,” Ramsey told Nate Burleson. “It was more about the front office and the organization.”

According to Ramsey, a postgame meeting with the front office was sealed the deal. “Some disrespectful things were said on their end that made me definitely walk out and call my agent as soon as I walked out,” Ramsey added.

Alas, nearly two years of bad choices by the Jaguars led to the molehill quickly becoming a mountain.

The situation doesn’t need to be resolved ASAP

This saga may end with Ramsey getting traded. The Jaguars are reportedly asking for two first-round picks, and there’s a good chance they get it — or at least something close, especially with the amount of interesting he’s receiving from around the league:

I'm told Jalen Ramsey is fine playing TNF tonight, but a source just told me he doesn't anticipate being a member of the #Jags next Sun. Teams like KC, BAL, MIN, OAK, PHI, SEA hv all made substantive inquiries, but my understanding is almost every team has at least placed a call.

— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) September 19, 2019

There’s still a chance Jacksonville opts to keep Ramsey instead — especially with owner Shahid Khan now advocating for the cornerback. According to the Associated Press, Khan had several meetings to try to resolve the conflict and may even consider giving Ramsey the long-term contract he wants. The AP report says the Jaguars would prefer to keep the cornerback.

Despite a win in Week 3, Ramsey hasn’t backed down on his request. He told Burleson, “I’m not sure if I’ve played my final game for the Jags yet or not, but my trade request still stands.”

Until the situation is resolved, Ramsey’s going to continue to play good football. He said as much in his press conference, and it’s in his best interest to continue proving he’s worth a pricy investment. He did, however, miss a practice ahead of Week 4 after calling in sick. Many have questioned the legitimacy of Ramsey saying he has the flu, but Marrone says he believes the cornerback and Ramsey is adamant that he was “truly sick.”

#Jaguars HC Doug Marrone said he got a message from the trainer about Jalen Ramsey’s sickness. “If you’re sick, your sick. What are you gonna do?”

— JaguarMaven (@JaguarMaven) September 23, 2019

Having Ramsey on the field is still a good situation for the Jaguars to keep benefitting from. Ramsey’s teammates seem to have his back, he says he’s focused on helping the team win, and — if the Jaguars choose to trade him — his value will be just as high after the season as it is during it.

Perhaps the Jaguars make significant changes to the coaching staff and front office before a trade happens. It’s not that far-fetched considering the Jaguars can’t find wins. And perhaps a new regime would entice Ramsey to stay. Reconciliation is probably a long shot at this point, though, even if Marrone — who doesn’t want Ramsey traded — says their Week 2 brushup has been smoothed over.

Coach Doug Marrone said that Jalen Ramsey will be suited up tomorrow. Says “Jalen and I have always had a good open relationship... we sat down yesterday and talked about what went on with him and I... that’s behind us right now...” Says Jalen is focused on playing tomorrow.

— Tiffany Blackmon (@tiffblackmon) September 18, 2019

Either way, there’s no reason for the Jaguars to rush to offload their best player while he’s helping them in the present.

Then again, it’s hard to trust the Jaguars to handle the situation any way other than poorly. Their bumbling decision-making got them into this mess and it probably won’t get them out of it.

0 notes

junker-town · 5 years ago

Text

The Jaguars only have themselves to blame for the Jalen Ramsey debacle

Jalen Ramsey has requested a trade from the Jaguars.

In the last two years, the Jaguars have made all the wrong moves and alienated their best players.

Jalen Ramsey has been every bit the player the Jacksonville Jaguars hoped he’d be when they drafted him top five in 2016. But now the two-time Pro Bowler wants out.

Jacksonville has done everything possible to alienate its best players and create the mess it currently has on its hands. Worst of all, the Jaguars are just plain bad. They’ve won just two of their last 14 games, and all that losing has taken its toll.

“I just want to fucking win,” Ramsey said in a press conference less than 24 hours after reports surfaced of his request for a trade. He didn’t say much else during his presser, a change of pace for a player who’s refreshingly honest — sometimes to a fault — about his thoughts. This time, he didn’t have to spell things out, though.

The Jaguars are 0-2 and it’s clear Ramsey has lost faith that its an organization capable of turning things around. It’s hard to blame him, considering the mistakes the team has made to slam its Super Bowl window shut.

Just one defensive player has received an extension in the last 2 years

Six Jaguars made the Pro Bowl then, all of them defensive players: Ramsey, Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, Telvin Smith, A.J. Bouye.

It, unsurprisingly, blew up in the Jaguars’ face.

Why did the #Jaguars pay so much for Nick Foles if there were no other big bidders? We discussed here. pic.twitter.com/QOiulR6dcH

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 11, 2019

— Phillip Heilman (@phillip_heilman) August 4, 2019

Ramsey also made his desire for a new contract known in 2019 and was told it wasn’t even worth asking.

Jalen Ramsey says he has been told by the Jaguars that he won’t be receiving a contract extension this year

— John Reid (@JohnReid64) June 11, 2019

That decision makes sense with Ramsey under contract through the 2021 season, thanks to the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.

Ramsey’s dissatisfaction with the Jaguars’ roster-building strategy is understandable, especially when the team is terrible on the field too.

The Jaguars’ coaching is failing its talent

That’s been true in 2019 too. The Chiefs carved up the Jaguars in Week 1, recording 491 total yards and 40 points due to gaping holes in the Jacksonville secondary.

TWO FIRST QUARTER TOUCHDOWNS FOR SAMMY WATKINS ‍♂️ @sammywatkins pic.twitter.com/1WclllgsjN

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) September 8, 2019

Ramsey is fed up with the team not getting back to what made it great in the first place:

One of the best pure cover corners, Jalen Ramsey wants to play man-to-man and lock a WR down. One issue has been having him play zone https://t.co/7RIlT8bx4X

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 16, 2019

The latter resulted in a blowup on the sideline.

Jalen Ramsey is not happy, part II pic.twitter.com/FzJUJR7N3t

— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) September 15, 2019

It certainly feels as though the moment was the straw that broke the camel’s back. If the Jaguars were still winning and dominating defensively, the bickering would’ve been brushed off, if it even happened at all. Alas, nearly two years of bad choices by the Jaguars led to the molehill quickly becoming a mountain.

The situation doesn’t need to be resolved ASAP

This saga likely ends with Ramsey getting traded. The Jaguars are reportedly asking for two first-round picks, and there’s a good chance they get it — or at least something close.

In the meantime, Ramsey’s going to continue to play good football. He said as much in his press conference, and it’s in his best interest to continue proving he’s worth a pricy investment.

For now, that’s a good situation for the Jaguars to keep benefitting from. Ramsey’s teammates seem to have his back, he says he’s focused on helping the team win, and — if the Jaguars choose to trade him — his value will be just as high after the season as it is during it.

Perhaps the Jaguars make significant changes to the coaching staff and front office before a trade happens. It’s not that far-fetched considering the Jaguars can’t find wins. And perhaps a new regime would entice Ramsey to stay. Reconciliation is probably a long shot at this point, though. Either way, there’s no reason for the Jaguars to rush to offload their best player while he’s helping them in the present.

Then again, it’s hard to trust the Jaguars to handle the situation any way other than poorly. Their bumbling decision-making got them into this mess and it probably won’t get them out of it.

0 notes