#Or it is like those computer/internet generated t-shirts
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I heard this song for the first time two days ago and it has not left my head since. It's so good.
Also, because hyper-fixation, it gave me ideas.
None that will become a full fic, but enjoy these Welcome to Dreamworld rambles from Discord, presented in bullet points.
It's so fun [[this is past me talking about the song]]
Also imagine an au where Carlos finds out he has a grandson shortly after Owen disappears and he's like, "Wait I have a grandbaby and he's all alone??? That won't do!" And he comes back to take care of Wiatt
And Wiatt is like ??????
I was going to joke that he is possessing Winnie but that doesn't make sense timeline wise
Unless Winnie was something Carlos built between his death and the founding of Dreamworld and each founder assumed one of the other founders built him
Just this shifty pegasus in pajamas and a nightcap making eggs for Wiatt, possibly with blood stains on the cuffs of his pants telling (Grand)dad jokes and being spooky/ominous at the same time.
TheItalianScribe (TheIcyMage) — Today at 11:23 AM He notices Wiatt had a crush on Lewis and is like, "Oooh! Someone has a crush! Want me to help you take his heart? Wait that's not the phrase. Capture his heart?"
"N…no, thank you."
Winnie going to PTA meetings in a bad human disguise Why does this idea make me chuckle?
#Icy Rambles#Welcome to Dreamworld#WTDW#WTDW Wiatt#WTDW Winnie#WTDW Carlos#Should I be tagging all this? I guess?#Also bringing back my favorite pun:#Carlos makes Wiatt a hat or shirt that says “I Put the I In Watt”#and it either is embroidered text like he hand stitched that shit#Or it is like those computer/internet generated t-shirts#You know those oddly specific ones that were advertised on Facebook?#This doesn't have to do with the au but I need to say that my favorite lines in the song are “I always refract”#and “I always fight plaque.”#And then the phantom of the opera vibes when he goes “What have I don? This child is hardly my son.”#love that#Carlos: Wait? I have a grandson? This is wonderful news! I must tell everyone!
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Donnie with a Streamer S/O
Here's some headcanons! Love this sweet nerdy guy. <3
Warnings: None?
Donnie with a Streamer S/O
Donnie is like…the best boyfriend ever for a streamer.
He understands all of the programs and setups and computer stuff you could possibly need.
He programs your stream deck for you and helps you mod the games you play.
He helped program your LED lights with special sequences for your streams. Overall very helpful.
He moderates every stream and protects you from hate raids.
Protects your personal info with his life. It is off of the internet forever. No one’s gonna find where you live.
Also, in general, just very fun to play games with.
He likes all of the games you like, and even if he doesn’t, he’s willing to get into them because it’s something you care about.
He’s probably an avid discord user tbh.
Your fans have never seen him for obvious reasons, but they all love Donnie and shout him out in your chat when they hear his voice in the background.
Might even stream with you using one of those v-tuber things to conceal his identity.
If the boys ever do reveal themselves to the public, Donnie gets very popular. He might even surpass your sub count.
I could totally see him becoming a beloved internet celebrity.
There’s jokes about how he’s good at everything. He’s a member of every fandom, plays every video game, knows everything.
Becomes the Hank Green of the video gaming community.
He’s a very strong advocate of accessible technology, only having three fingers on each hand himself.
Works to develop custom keyboards and controllers for him, his brothers, and anyone else who needs modified tech.
Helps you make merch for your brand: t-shirts, stickers, cups, plushies, you name it, he has it designed ASAP.
He’s quick to shut down haters in your chat.
Knowing Donnie, he’d be able to get all of their info and roast each one specifically.
I feel like he probably is good at Minecraft. He has all the crafting recipes memorized, knows how everything works and makes all kinds of cool stuff with the redstone. He’ll protect you from all the monsters and kill the Creepers before they even get near you.
Meanwhile, you’re running around planting flowers and befriending bees. (Mood.)
A very, very wholesome relationship. The whole internet is lowkey jealous.
Who wouldn’t be? Donnie’s the best.
Taglist: @thelaundrybitch, @turtle-babe83
#donatello#donatello x reader#donnie x reader#donnie#tmnt#bayverse#tmnt aged up#tmntagedup#tmnt 2014#tmnt 2016#tmnt imagines
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STORY LURES KIDS TO NEW LEGO LINE\ THE TOYMAKER HOPES AN UNFOLDING STORY WILL LURE BOYS TO BIONICLE TOYS.
BY KRISSAH WILLIAMS The Washington Post Oct 28, 2001
Late last year, five Danish toy designers began to weave a tale of good and evil, creating the kind of heroes and bad guys that American boys love. They used the standard formula: exotic names, special powers, an unknown land.
They added easy-to-build action figures, trading cards, T-shirts, comic books and a soundtrack, as well as Internet, computer and video games. All to tell the story of Lego's Bionicle, which they hope will be the next cool toy line. Their plan is to create a popular story that reveals itself slowly, adding characters to keep the kids coming back for more, with toys cheap enough that parents keep buying.Bionicles also are the featured boys' toys in McDonalds Happy Meals through Sept. 27.
The toymaker is spending $15 million to get the word out about Bionicle, making it the biggest U.S. toy launch ever for the determinedly traditional 67-year-old company known for its classic plastic bricks.
Like much of the toy industry, Lego is financially ailing as more American boys ignore traditional toys in favor of video and computer games and television. Lego, the third-largest toy company in the United States behind Mattel Inc. and Hasbro Inc., lost money in 1998 and again last year, its only losses in decades. The company has watched revenue stall at about $1 billion.
To attract the been-there, done-that generation of American boys, Lego's designers and marketers are trying their darnedest to be cool, even aloof, almost teasing kids to get their attention.
In December, the first bit of information about Bionicle (from ``biological' and ``chronicle') was revealed on the company's Web site: ``Once a paradise, Mata Nui has become a place of darkness and fear, ruled by the deadly Makuta. Now six mighty heroes, the Toa, have come to gather the masks of power and challenge the Makuta. Explore the island ... learn the legends ... and begin to solve the mystery of Bionicle.'
It stopped there. But Lego's marketers hoped youngsters would be salivating for more.
About once a month, new chapters are added to the Web site, along with information about characters and the special masks. This summer, Lego mailed 1 million free comic books to Lego club members, giving details not available on the Web site.
In May and June, the Toa (hero) and Turaga (villager) building toys were released in the United States. The futuristic-looking figures stand about 7 inches tall and are assembled from plastic pieces that snap together Lego-style. The figures cost $2.99 to $6.99, although more-complex remote-control-operated figures will be priced as high as $69.99.
Now, information has been revealed about the bad guys, called Rahi, and other twists and turns are promised.
The Bionicle launch is based on the viral marketing strategy, which is the rage among manufacturers hoping to appeal to fad-prone American children and teens. Viral marketing works to create a buzz one customer at a time rather than relying on mass advertisements such as television commercials.
Lego's idea: Interest one kid in the Bionicle story, and that child will tell another and another. To find those kids, Lego sent out six sport-utility vehicles, each painted with one of the superheroes.
``In early June, 50 kids came up to the truck; just a few knew about Bionicle,' Gillespie said. ``Now, they are pulling up to places and kids are jumping in to tell the other kids about it.'
Seven-year-old Lucas McCoy, who has dropped Pokemon cards in favor of Bionicle, rambles on whimsically about the story line, the music and Mata Nui-Lego's online game, where players see from the perspective of Toa (the heroes) and try to save the island.
Taking a break from play with his Toa figures, Lucas, who lives in Bedford, Texas, talks nonstop for 20 minutes, pausing only to breathe. ``It was the time before time, when the world was new. There was this bad spirit that sent a spell on Mata Nui to sleep ... and I think their most greatest fear is sleep. It made these infected masks, and Makuta is the stone - well, I think Makuta is like a dinosaur.'
The characters' weapons (tools, in Lego's lingo), which include a pitchfork and a spear, don't seem to bother the parents.
Lucas's mom, Maria McCoy, said she and her husband play with their son and can ``see his little mind working.' His focus is on building, not violence, she said. ``It brings out his imaginative self.'
On the other hand, the Bionicle tie-in with a broad range of products can increase the pester pressure from kids, parents say. For instance, to see the paradise island before the darkness descended upon it, kids need the Nintendo Game Boy's Bionicle game, which sells for $39.99. To access screen savers and pictures on the Bionicle Web site, kids need to buy the Bionicle characters and access the codes on the toy canisters.
McCoy said she has kept a lid on Lucas's desire to buy all the products by insisting he use his allowance. ``He gets an allowance, and he can buy what he wants with it. I tell him, 'If you save your money, you can get the more pricey things,' ' McCoy said.
Traffic on Web sites and at toys stores indicates boys, teenage guys and longtime Lego fans are the biggest buyers of Bionicle. Lego officials say sales have surpassed their expectations, but they decline to release figures.
The toy's official Web site had almost 2 million hits in July. Bionicle fans also have responded to the company's create-your-own-site contest. Yahoo lists thousands of sites mentioning the toy line.
But Lego's leap away from its classic plastic brick sets hasn't won everybody over.
Spencer Tibbs, 12, of Warrenton, Va., said he can be more creative with older Lego sets, which he uses to build his own creations, such as a replica of his mom's office. He doesn't like sets that require directions.
``I should be more into that stuff (Bionicle), but I like the older stuff,' he said.
For Lego, the big question is: Are more American boys like Lucas McCoy or Spencer Tibbs?
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Ah yes, the apple computer is a lemon because Lyle accidentally found himself as tech support.
Johnny's first computer is a Dell laptop. I wonder though if in the 80's they had computer classes, because then he might've known a desktop, which is still a different set up then a clunky Dell laptop.
LYLE WHAT IS THAT?!
Johnny is at least moving at the right part of the computer that is the mouse. Even though the cursor isn't moving. He also manages to open up every single Microsoft program ever, which how does he have those? They're totally extra now right?
Where's the internet? Have you tried connecting to the wifi? Obviously....what's wifi?
Book 2: The Internet for Dummies
His wifi password is Strike1strike (hard one guesses?)
Hot Babes > Wet T-shirt contest > Iron Eagle > Bloodsport (Lol he stops to read a blog post about it)> Conspiracy Theories (The Actual Truth: Mind Control, Flat earth, fluride poisoning children, herbal remides for sleep, faked moon landing, and of course dinosauras built the pyramids, zac efron is elvis's son) > misc fighting video from a movie I don't know. >all american karate championship on youtube> Top 10 spin kicks (blocked by a Daniel advertisement for Miyagi-do where he purposefully shows kicking Johnny in the face as part of his ad)
Daniel, darling, dearest, my boy, you were pissed when Cole made a targeted ad, you're literally putting kicking Johnny in the face on the worst night of his life (one of) as your ad for your dojo. You even say "Don't be a snake in the grass. Be a champion."
And then Daniel's once again undercutting Johnny's finances by making sure all the sessions are free. Which I get is because his lessons with Mr. Miyagi were free but still.
You know I do like that they didn't actually show google, and just made their own random generic internet search
New movie rec: Bloodsport
Whose making the cobra kai merch? a beach ball and a towel?
Demetri claiming the wins of Cobra Kai as his own is...something.
First mention of Johnny's rap sheet, I like how Eli's parents actually did their research on the guy teaching their kids.
Valley fest mention (did they only do valley fist in this one instance in the whole series?)
Amanda is a CEO.
Daniel spent half the Q3 (third quarter) marketing budget for LaRusso Auto on his dojo advertisement. That seems...uh...financially very bad. I don't know legal laws for corporations but...bad.
Like he excuses it because the dealership will get publicity at the Valley fest, but still to take corporate funds to use for personal I feel like is an actual white collar crime.
Jessica Bluestein is I guess one of Amanda's friends or coworkers/staff whose husband started a ska band and then hooked up with a palates instructor half his age.
Amanda misses the simple days of dicks on billboards. Which fair, it's going to get a million times worse Amanda, so be prepared.
Anoush got transferred from Encino to North Hollywood. Which I guess is a downgrade
Sam's hair when it's braided or in these little three buns is very cute.
Robby's hot water was also turned off.
Jacuzzi confirmed at the LaRusso's. It must be that thing by the fire place. Also apparently a possum died in it.
There's also a cobra kai phone case. Seriously? Johnny did you have all this made or did the students have it all made?
Poor bonsai, also did you go out and buy these to hurt the bonsai? Also poor kid holding the bonsai that was dirt and ceramic and tree that hit him in the face.
What Johnny says is pretty much exactly how Tom Cole did his targeted ad against Johnny.
Hashbrown and send it to the internet.
His students doing his whole internet marketing team is very sweet, but also he needs to compensate them for all that free tech labor.
I don't think I'd fully realized that he'd bought more space from Zarkarian. I guess he just had this room locked for Zarkarian to have storage previously?
I get why the kids automatically assumed that because of Robby being Johnny's son that's why Johnny got mad at them for the tournament. But in reality his rules he tried to instill after the tournament was don't cheat and don't be unsportsmanlike. And that should apply to everyone even Robby. And maybe he should've reminded them of that rather than just shutting down the conversation and telling them to clean mats because they got into his business and it's not their business.
Especially since Kreese is going to use that to drive a wedge between them all.
I get why Amanda is getting frustrated, Daniel said that he used part of the budget to get eyes on his dojo, and it's fine because they have valley fest for the dealership. But then he goes after the dealership spot too.
I don't think she has a name yet and I don't remember it, but I like that she gives Johnny the 411 on free food. He's got kind of a community in the area. Lyle his tech person, the Mini Mart guy (sorry I forgot his name) and the homeless lady.
Did Kreese not know previously that Robby was Johnny's? Or that Johnny had a kid? Because it feels like not only does he have his eyes on a way to drive a wedge but also a target.
Johnny says he'll never get a chance to train Robby.
Kreese dumping a lot of paranoia and random fears on Johnny, like Daniel stealing away Miguel too.
Ah the correction, Johnny's learning and paying attention.
They changed it, Miguel and the Diaz's are in apartment 1.
Johnny kidnapping Miguel: 2? 1? I feel like generally he has the kids meet him somewhere rather than driving them somewhere.
Sal and the delicious chopped onion burgers. So Johnny knows the name of the chef at this diner and it's not Smitty's.
Robby's birthday Monday February 4, 2002 after 17 hours of labor.
Johnny was coming off a 3 day bender.
He gets chocked up when he says he failed Robby on his first day in the world and every day since.
Mr. Miyagi never taught Daniel how to use a weapon during the first 3 films, so sometime later he must've taught him some, at least a bo staff.
Stingray is out here talking about the teenage mutant ninja turtles, Donatello is his favorite.
The initial shots make it look like they're up much higher then they actually are.
Look how proud he looks to have that thing and his ice blocks. It is really cool.
Okay so it always comes off as if Johnny like snuck in and struck, but the fact someone dropped the logo over valleyfest makes me think someone on the valley fest prep team knew about it.
Yup I went back, it's right there rolled up above the Valley fest logo
Plus all the lighting people knew exactly where to direct the lighting and the music to play. So they knew that Daniel would get interrupted and didn't tell him.
The smoke, the lighting, the fireworks, Daniel someone did not give you an updated memo on this and the Valley Fest was more than happy to put this on without telling you. Also the amount of work these kids put in to perform on even less notice then Sam and Robby?!
Like sure Kreese is standing in the back talking to a tech person but still, they had to have gotten permission and people had to have agreed otherwise security would've taken them off the stage. Someone on the Valley Fest committee loved this idea.
This crowd craves violence.
Omg there's even custom logo lights being shown on the backwall.
I do love that Aisha got her own solo where she was blindfolded and kicked and broke a bunch of boards. She looks so happy and proud.
Like yes, them upsurping Daniel sucks, but also this is such a great celebration for his students. And also again Aisha! (add to it disproving one of Silvers goals of blinding your opponent and making them unable to do anything, here Aisha is proving you can still kick ass and not see, which you would think Daniel and Sam would be proud of her)
Hawk's jump kick is also really cool.
For a festival it also makes sense, they're throwing out merch and what not. It's fun for the crowd.
Daniel's thing would've been super cool, and two stages can go at the same time, the fact they completely stopped to watch Cobra Kai is a bit of a bummer, because they could've continued. Our local fest had a big main stage performance and then a small stage performance like super close but the noise pollution wasn't bad enough to disturb either. But because the crowd left and Daniel was so stunned they just seemed to have given up, when that didn't have to be the case, he could've show cased his own thing at the same time and gotten a different audience because Cobra Kai isn't going to be for everyone.
Johnny and his five cement bricks on fire. I wonder if those are from Cutter. (Daniel btw has 6 blocks of ice)
Kreese looks ecstatic in the back with the tech and sound people.
The melting ice makes me so sad every time.
So do you think Johnny and Daniel both had similar ideas of breaking bricks without Johnny knowing that Daniel had that planned? Because Daniel's plan was a secret, they just both thought it'd look cool? Daniel's of course is from TKK2 but did Kreese teach Johnny that? Johnny told Kreese that he had a few moves Kreese didn't teach him, and if that's the case where'd he pick those up?
Robby looks mad. That's probably one of the biggest one step forward another step back is that not only did Johnny upstage Daniel but he also upstaged his own son.
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Computer Based Early Learning Programs are more Beneficial to Children!
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As we progress with the help of technology so will our generation of young learners. Researchers at the Utah State University, USA have evaluated those childrenwho go through computer-based early learning programs. The results indicate that those children fare significantly better in secondary and higher secondary school. Their reading ability, oral language skills, thinking on the spot ability, and social skills too, were better in comparison to those not exposed to computer-based learning.
Computer-based learning refers to the use of apps, videos, and learning aids available digitally. A child is exposed to this content for a given period which does not cause damage.
There are several reasons why computer-based education like the ones offered by Purple Turtle – The Bright KidsProgramme, Language Learning Programmes,and Online Pre-School Programmes have much higher value-added compared to regular school.
Computer-based learning has different models- learn while playing a game, watching an animated story, while colouring a picture. This makes early learners with a comparatively shorter attention span learn more in lesser time.
A pre-school child can learn any time, anywhere at their convenience and pace. Because it is available all the time on the portal. A child need not spend too much time on what they have picked up faster than the others.
It develops the habit of self-learning. Self-learning is essential to excel in academics. Most learning material like the Talking Pen and Animated videos will indirectly help a child develop the confidence and interest to learn without anyone forcing them to.
Since everything is live, moving, and not monotonous it stimulates a child’s senses like grasping the topics thinking about them, recollecting them in real-life situations, and discussing them later on. Children have a lot of curiosity filled within them. Computer-based education ignites this curiosity and slowly instills deeper learning.
Ultimately the use of technology is the path to flourishing in this world. Why not teach your child at an early age the advantages and disadvantages of the internet? Computer-based education teaches them how to use a computer, its features without the need for a separate computer class.
If you observe you will notice a child as young as 3 years can use the features of a mobile phone. Why not divert this curiosity for technology by introducing them to computer-based early learning programs that are beneficial. It will open up the wonderment of learning through technology and the thrill of discovery. Parents need to understand this is all you need to provide young children along with good nutrition and a joyful environment.
Anything in correct proportion will enhance a child’s life. Similarly, those contradicting the benefits of computer-based learning for pre-school children can experiment by setting a fixed time for screen exposure and measuring the benefits.
Computer-based education prepares your child for lifelong success. Give your child a head start with these specially curated programs by Purple Turtle.
best online pre school
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avie's weakness is technology. she can't get computers to work in her favor, and this has nothing to do with magic-- she just naturally has really bad luck with these things
polly on the other wing, is super tech savvy... she likes to playfully tease avie for not being a true gamer
Become a gamer. Avie. It's the only way.
but, when avie does manage to get the internet working, she occasionally tunes in to polly's gaming livestreams. even though she has NO idea what's going on. polly thinks she's finally getting into it, but avie just feels bad that polly doesn't get any viewers...
avie in general is very grandma-brained. she'll probably connect more with people in a retirement home than people her own age.
perhaps fittingly, her wardrobe outside of her classic witch attire consists of floral patterned dresses, mostly. she also has the occasional oversized pre-transition t-shirt that still fits her for days where she couldn't care less about keeping up her appearance, sweaters and leggings for cold weather, and the elusive "formal dress" that she only ever wears when some distant family member invites her to a wedding or a funeral or something.
not that she gets those invitations often... honestly, a lot of her family kinda forgot she existed ever since she moved out. mom and dad never reach out unless it's super important, grandma's dead, grandpa's a raging transphobe... her closest family member is probably her little brother-- he calls a lot to check up on avie, and tell her about family updates and stuff. aside from that, it's all just assorted cousins and aunts and uncles she met once or twice at family gatherings
I've decided that avie is the type of person to flip through her book, and then recite an incantation under her breath. And when her victim freaks out and asks what she just did to them, she just giggles maniacally...
She did actually put a spell on them, but it brings them positivity and good fortune, so there was no reason to be creepy about it...
#'til countdown's end#for a second there i almost forgot that these characters are all gonna die in a world ending event. oops
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Only Fan(s) - A Thriller
Genre: Thriller
Pairing: Modern Ivar/OC
Warning: Language, sex, stalking, obsession, kidnapping, sexual assault
Rating: MA+18
Summary: Sometimes OnlyFans subscribers want a little more than internet pictures. Sometimes they want to be your ONLY fan…
Header by: @flowers-in-your-hayr
Thanks to @xbellaxcarolinax for being my beta.
Disclaimer: This story will deal with some topics that might be a little uncomfortable for some people. As always, I’ll try to tackle the hard stuff as tactfully as possible.
a/n: I know it’s been a minute. I’m always thinking about these stories because I want to finish them, just can’t seem to focus on writing at the moment. Anyway, hope you enjoy.
Part iv - Date with Destiny
Finding Ivar Lothbrok should have been easy. Between the two of them, he was the stable one. He was the one with the iron-clad schedule that consisted of drinking, smoking, and partying. Torren’s schedule was a bit more... fluid. She tended to go wherever the wind, or whatever car she acquired, would take her. Naturally, Ivar had the occasional meet-and-greet, red carpet, and/or Comic-con engagement that he had to attend, still, he was pretty easy to keep tabs on. All one had to do was look at (stalk) his social media accounts, and his whereabouts were posted for everyone to see.
Knowing where he’d be and finding out where he lived were a different story. Torren had done her due diligence when it came to locating the town in which Little Kattegat was located. It only took about two days and a few Google image searches of the background of a few of the photos and she had it narrowed down to a general area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
From what she could tell, the closest town to where he lived was pretty small, and there were only a few large estates hidden in the woods. How hard could it be to find? She was willing to drive to every single house and knock on the door to find him if she had to. But it would just be easier if there was loud music and a bunch of cars in the driveway. That way she could tag along inside with the rest of the guests to get to her man.
Her shirt landed in the pile of dirty clothes in the center of the bed, as she reached around to unhook her bra. “I really need to tell Baby Boo to stop putting all of his business out in these streets,” her brows furrowed as she shook her head, “What if some crazy, psycho bitch started stalking him, or some shit? Then I’d have to kill a bitch.” Torren’s head whipped around and she narrowed her eyes at his picture, still stuck on her wall, “Is that what you want? Huh? You want me to cut a bitch to prove to you how much I love you? I will, Bae! You know I would do anything for you. I’m your Ride or Die...”
And being his Ride or Die meant that she needed to keep better tabs on him if she was going to protect him from someone crazier than her, God forbid. She was only able to do so much on this prepaid phone, and going to the library to get online was becoming a pain in the ass.
She’d considered stealing a laptop or iPad from the library but was still on the fence about the idea. Of course, the alternative meant going to stupid ass libraries and threatening little kids to get off the fucking computers, and that completely sucked ass.
She always felt rushed when she logged onto her Bae’s Only Fans page from the public library. Without fail one of those little bastard kids would get the library Nazis to kick her off the computer, or bar her from the library altogether for watching porn.
Ivar’s page wasn’t porn! It was art. It was sexy. It was love...his love for her. Stupid bitches.
She had encountered far worse things than getting kicked out of the library, but some of these small towns usually only had one or two within their county limits. If she got banned, how was she supposed to check up on Ivar? In the time it took to log in until she got kicked out, she'd be lucky if she could check 2 of his accounts. What if he had some important information on another platform that she hadn’t checked yet? What was she supposed to do then?
Her relationship with Ivar was hanging in the balance, and she'd be damned if some snot-nosed kid or fucking uptight librarian would fuck that up. She needed a computer. But, on the flip side, when she finally got her man back, she wouldn't need one anymore. She could ask him directly what their plans were.
There was a lot to consider and that took time; time that she didn't have right now.
The thick layer of Nair shaving cream she had applied to her already hairless crotch, was just starting to tingle, signaling she had about 5 minutes left before the sweat-inducing, burning sensation would kick in alerting her to wash the cream off. Until then, she had time to consider an outfit for the night.
She knew Ivar well enough to know that he would want her to be sexy for him, but not so much to distract him from work. She could have gone for something slutty, like those skanky bitches he partied with. She could have gone for more demur, but then she would remind him too much of his bitch ex-wife and completely turn him off. The last thing she wanted on their first night back together was for him to be thinking about that bitch. She could have gone for a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but Torren never did simple.
No, Ivar would want her to be herself. That's what he loved about her. That's what attracted him to her in the first place. She would be sexy without being skanky; she would be demure without being a prude.
Fuck! It was already 7:33 p.m. How in the hell did she miss the beginning of his Live? Now she was running late.
She was supposed to be dressed and ready by the time his Live came on that way she could be out the door as soon as he finished. If she was going to make it to be on his Only Fans live stream tonight, she needed to get to his house before he got too distracted. Now, she’d have to watch his Live, while her cooch burst into flames before she had a chance to take a shower and finish picking out her outfit.
If there was one thing Torren was, it was punctual. It was bad enough that she was about 40 minutes outside of his town, but it could take her up to 2 or more hours to find his house. She only hoped that he didn’t plan on starting any real freaky shit on his Only Fans page until around midnight, cause it looked like she wouldn’t be getting there before then, anyway.
With the smile still plastered on her face, Torren turned on the hot water for a shower, forgetting that the water didn’t get hot. She didn't mind, much, especially since the cold water gave her a break from the heat in her room.
Phone in hand, she watched him, as she planted herself on the dirty bathtub floor, cross-legged, and started to get herself ready. Starting with her toes, she shaved each one, just below the knuckle, followed by her fingers, arms, pits, and each leg, from groin to ankle, three times. When the burning from her nether regions was so intense that she couldn’t tell her tears from the shower water dripping on her face, she quickly washed off the cream.
All she could do was hope that she hadn’t broken the skin this time. The last time she had let that damn Nair stay on, just past burning, the skin broke and she bled. She was not having a bloody hoo-ha tonight.
With that taken care of, she gently used the razor to remove any other pubes closer to the inside that needed to be removed. Then shaved her backside. When she had more time, she was going to get the internal hairs bleached, but she needed to find out what Ivar preferred.
Shaving ate up so much of her time that she only had a few seconds to rub some body-wash that she had stolen from a drug store over her body and hoped it got rid of the smell of the summer heat. Her hair? Fuck it...she’d wash it another day, for now, this cold water would have to be enough. She’d spritz some perfume and hair spray in it and it would smell fine.
Torren finished her shower, and walked out of the bathroom dripping wet, only using a towel to wrap around her hair. She was glad it was so hot in her room that her hair would air-dry quickly. She finger-combed her damp tresses to complete that ‘just got out of bed, but it's styled’ appearance. She knew how much he loved when her hair looked like that. It would remind him of freshly fucked hair.
She spent extra time applying her makeup, even using an extra dark, thick application of eyeliner. She usually went for more subtle warm colors. They matched her tan skin tone better. But, tonight, she had bold, dark makeup, complete with varying shades of purple and blue eye shadows, and dark purple lipstick.
Torren was glad that she decided to match Ivar’s clothes this evening. The swim trunks and smoking jacket he wore would compliment her beautifully. She wanted everyone to know that they dressed alike, the way real couples do. If he was going for less is more, so would she.
She settled on black leather chaps that tied up on the sides, and tight blue boy shorts that left the bottom half of her ass cheeks exposed. The blue shorts brought out the blue swirls in his trunks; she knew he'd appreciate that touch. Her top was a blue bandanna that she wore as a halter with a short black leather jacket with tassels on the sleeves.
They screamed “couple” in her eyes.
Completely satisfied with how she looked, Torren locked the door to her motel room and started down the hall. She deliberately stopped by the window and peered through the partially opened blinds of the people staying next door to her. She knocked on the window to get the attention of the young couple inside. Judging from their appearance, they were too strung out to know who she was, or that it was her music that they constantly banged on the wall about. She didn’t care. She still flipped them off before making her way to the stairs.
Reaching her hand through the busted window of the blue Ford Taurus to unlock the door from the inside. Torren slid into the driver's seat and leaned over to find the two cords that she had pulled out from under the steering column when she stole the car. Flicking the cords together, she listened as the engine reluctantly turned over.
She put the car in reverse, looked in the rear-view mirror at her makeup, then pulled out of the spot. As she turned onto the road leading to the highway, she listened to the knocks, bumps, and hisses that her car made. There wasn't time to do much about it now; not when she was on her way to get her man. But, she made a mental note to do something about it later in the week. The only thing she could do was turn the music up louder to drown out the car noise.
Truthfully, she should have stolen a better car than the piece of shit Taurus that she found in the parking lot of the Quickie Mart while driving through Tulsa, Oklahoma. There were plenty of better cars there to choose from but no one would have wanted to take this one. It was so sad looking that she took pity on it. She had been doing the owner of this crap car a favor, by taking it off of their hands.
The car was truly fucked. The oil light stayed on, and it drank gas like her mother drank liquor. The car had protested every inch of the ride across the three states that she traveled through in one day. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before that piece of shit breathed its last breath.
She needed to get gas again, but fuck that car. She had already refueled four times since she stole it. Gas wasn't cheap and she wasn't putting another dime in that gas guzzler. Speaking of money, she made a mental note to steal another credit card. It would only be a matter of time before the owner of the one that was tucked snugly between her left breast and strapless bra, would eventually realize that it had been lifted from the table in the diner, and canceled.
Laptop, butt bleaching, car, credit card, and more eyeliner from Walgreen's…her To-Do list was growing. She really needed to take some time off and take care of the necessities. Not tonight, though. She had other things to do. She couldn't do anything else, right now, but get to her man. Besides, once Lothbrok was by her side, he would help her remember all the things she needed to do.
As she came off of the highway exit smoke started billowing out from the engine. It backed up through the exhaust system, and came through the vents, inside the cabin. It was ironic – the air-conditioning vents in the car didn't work, but they seemed to work well enough to clog the inside of the car up with thick white smoke. She drove a few more miles before the smoke was so thick that she could no longer see. As she pulled the car over to the graveled shoulder of the road, the car knocked and shook, before it finally cut off.
Just her fucking luck.
She reached under the dash to flick the cords against each other again, trying to force the ignition to catch again, but it wouldn't. The engine had nothing left to give her. "Fuck Murphy and fuck his fucking law," she said calmly as she pulled the hood release.
She opened the car door, taking care to place both black, platform boots on the ground before lifting her backside from the seat. Placing her sunglasses on her eyes, she walked with one foot in front of the other to the front of the Taurus and placed her hand on the hood. It was hot, but not so hot that she couldn't feel under the front of the lever.
As she lifted the heavy metal hood and placed the rod in the slot to hold it in place, Torren let the smoke from the engine engulf her. It was quite a head rush breathing in the thick engine smoke through her nose, and exhaling it from her mouth. She patiently waited for the smoke to thin out before she bent, at the waist, over the engine. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she knew that someone would see her looking over the engine and stop to help her.
Now, if only someone would actually come down this dark stretch of road, she could be back on her way to Ivar.
It didn't take long before a pair of headlights rounded the bend of the road, just off to her right. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she accentuated the leather, chaps against her hips, and lifted her ass higher in the air, to catch the driver's attention. She couldn't help but smirk when she heard the tires of a large vehicle turn onto the graveled pavement in front of where she broke down. She didn't turn to face the car or the driver. She didn't care who they were or what they looked like. She had an appointment to keep and this pit stop was fucking up her timetable.
"You need some help?" A deep voice asked as its owner approached her.
Torren took a moment to peer around the hood, noticing that there were no other cars around. "Broke down," she answered, continuing to bear her weight from one hip to the other. She placed her hands on the metal frame of the car, arched her back, and looked at the man over her shoulder. "You know something about cars?"
"Yeah," he replied, moving around to her side, looking at her, and not the smoky engine.
She gave him half a smile, as she noticed him notice her. "You a mechanic or something?" She asked standing up. She rubbed her hands together to remove some of the visible engine soot while considering the guy in front of her. He was about 6 feet tall with a moderate build. He was dressed in blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and Timberland boots. He didn't look like he was more than 25 years old. Judging from the way he was looking at her and from the ring on his left hand, he wasn't too worried about her car, or his wife, for that matter.
"Nah, not a mechanic, but I work on my own car... in my spare time." He smiled when she did. She was gorgeous, in that slutty kind of way. She wouldn't be dressed like that and leaning over the hood of a car if she wasn't looking to have some fun. "Lemme take a look at it."
Did he work on his car? Hopefully, that meant that his ran better than hers did.
Torren moved over to the side and let him take the position under the hood. "I'll be right back," he explained before walking over to the bed of his F150.
Grabbing a flashlight from the trunk, he took a second to admire the view of her, from behind. If he could get her car moving again, she would hopefully follow him to this cheap motel he knew that was just up the highway.
He leaned in close, taking a whiff of her hair, "You overheated…want to check the coolant level."
She had heard him say something else but she had stopped listening; she was too busy watching the street. "You want me to try to start it?" she asked, removing her sunglasses before making her way to the driver's door. She wasn't sure if he answered or not. She had no intention of driving the Taurus again, even if he could get it started. She just needed to get something out of the car.
She slid into the seat and reached down on the floor. She found the hard metal object on the floor of the passenger's side and gripped it tightly. As she walked back around to the front of the car, she heard him talking, presumably about the car, or maybe he was asking her out. Who the fuck knows? She was on a tight schedule and all of his chatting was holding her up. She stood by the side of the hood, looking at the angle he was leaning over the hood. Quickly, she lifted her arm, and with one powerful blow, she struck him in the head with the crowbar that she used to procure her now-defunct car.
Torren stood over his body, looking at him intensely. God, it felt good. The rush of knowing that one minute this dude was towering over her, and the next he was on the ground. She had dropped his ass. She was the one with the power.
"Thanks," she said, digging her hand in his pocket to retrieve his cash, credit card, and the keys to his truck. She wiped the blood on the crowbar on his shirt before walking to her new mode of transportation.
Torren sat in the truck's driver's seat and turned on the engine. She had managed to cross two things off of her To-Do list without even planning to.
Thank God the truck had air conditioning. All this heat and humidity was bound to make her hair frizzy. She cranked the AC up as high as it would go and sat still for a moment enjoying the cool air. After a minute, she adjusted the seat and tilted the rearview mirror to look at herself. She was starting to sweat and her eyeliner was starting to run just a bit at the corners of her eyes. She dabbed at the black liner to even out the lines, and then pushed the mirror back to where she could see. Giving the area another once-over, she made sure that no one else had seen her interaction with that guy on the ground, before pulling out from the gravel and onto the paved street.
"Ugh!" Torren yelled. Chester Bradley, the printed name on the credit card, had shitty taste in music. She pushed the stereo button on the steering wheel to do a scan of the radio. Anything was better than country music. Once she found some trap music on the XM radio, she turned up the volume and pulled back onto the highway.
Part iii/
Tags: @ideagarden-blog1 @youbloodymadgenius @xbellaxcarolinax @a-mess-of-fandoms @didiintheblog @conaionaru @peachyboneless @flowers-in-your-hayr @heavenly1927 @zuxiezendler @waiting4inspiration @saldelys @revolution-starter
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Do you button your shirt from the top or the bottom? Top to bottom. Do you make collages often? No, but I loved doing that when I was like 12-14. I made tons of ‘em. If you have a notebook, what are you most likely to put in it? Notes. If you carry a bag around with you, is it usually full or empty? Full, but I carry around a mini backpack so it doesn’t take much to make it feel full. Also, not sure why I’d carry around an empty bag. Are you a hypochondriac or the complete opposite of one? Yeah, you could definitely say that I am.
What is your favourite social networking website? Does Tumblr count? How much have you changed in the last year or so? There’s been some negative changes in the past year. Do you save pictures you like to your computer? I save pictures to my phone. Do you remember having a crush on a cartoon character when you were little? No. Do you prefer buying things in real life or online? Why? I do a lot of online shopping and enjoy it, but going in person can be nice as well. Do you keep a diary? Is it daily or just whenever you feel like it? This survey blog is my diary and I post quite regularly. Do you keep things that most people would throw away? Yes. What is your favourite thing to wear when you feel like crap? So, my everyday attire consists of comfy lounge clothes like leggings, oversized tees, t-shirt dresses, and lounge shorts. Do you look forward to going to sleep at night? Yes. What was the last song you listened to? I don’t remember to be honest. It’s so weird, but for some reason I really haven’t listened to music much this year. My Spotify recap this year is going to be really, really short. What do you wish they would play less of on the radio? It’s been a few years now since I’ve even listened to the radio so I don’t know what’s being played. Do you own an Etch-A-Sketch? Nope. Have you ever rescued an animal? What type of animal was it? By adopting my doggo from a shelter, yes. Do you have a favourite name? What is it? I like the names Alexander, Scarlett, Autumn, and Winter. What does your bedspread look like? I currently have one with a beachy print consisting of seashells and starfish. What colour is your suitcase? I don’t have a suitcase, I just use backpacks/messenger bags. How big was the biggest bubblegum bubble you've ever blown? Not very big. Are you any good at tongue twisters? Eh. Do you wrap up warm in the cold weather? I like to wear sweatshirts and hoodies or wrap myself up with a throw blanket. If you could live anywhere, where would you choose? Why? Somewhere where it’s not miserably hot and has actual falls and winters. Do you have any habits you'd like to break? Which? Nail picking, lip picking/biting, and skin picking. Have you ever wished to be an internet celebrity? How about a 'real' one? Nope. Have you kept any birthday cards from when you were younger? Yeah, I’ve always been someone who keeps those types of things. Do you like snow or see it as annoying? I love snow. Do you enjoy going to theme parks? Yeah. Disneyland is my favorite. If given the choice, would you visit : The beach, the lake or the woods? I’d enjoy all 3, but I’m a total beach gal so I’d choose that if I could only choose one. Have you ever been kayaking? No. Would you ever go on one of those rail holidays? I don’t know what that is. Do you remember when you first learnt to read? I started learning around like 3. My mom always read to me and my aunt who babysat me often read to me a lot as well. Do you care overly about other people? I care more about my loved ones than myself for sure. If you could have any animal as a pet, which would you choose? I love having a doggo. Which natural disaster sounds the scariest to you? All of them. What was your favourite Disney movie as a kid? Is it still your favourite? I just loved Disney in general. What is something you find really cute? Looks over at my doggo sleeping and just existing: *precious* What is your favourite piece of furniture you own? My bed. Do you still live with your parents? When are you planning to move out? I do. I don’t have any plans to move for the foreseeable future. If you've moved out already, what age were you? -- When did you first start using the internet often? I’ve been using the internet since the late 90s. Have you ever been told your aspirations are unrealistic? Yes. Does the above make you want to prove them wrong or does it shatter you? It didn’t deter me, I still ended up pursuing it and getting my degree. When were you last jealous? Are you a jealous person? I don’t recall. Do you ever think about embarrassing moments and cringe? My brain doesn’t let me forget. What is your favourite facial feature? Uhh. When did you last have the hiccups? I don’t recall. Do you believe you will never get over someone? I’ve definitely felt that way but then I did over time. What is one fashion craze you never got into? I’ll never understand why Crocs became fashionable. What about one you did get into? Hmm. What was the last thing you saw that creeped you out? A water bug yesterday. Do you watch scary movies on your own? Yeah. I love scary movies. What was the last ice cream flavour you consumed? Is it your favourite? I had Baskin Robbins’ Halloween flavor milkshake the other day consisting of vanilla ice cream, Halloween Oreos, Heath bars, and Butterfingers. It’s really good. Have you ever been called vain? Do you agree with them? Ha, no. I’m very much the opposite. What is your favourite family tradition? Our holiday traditions.
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Sorry to bother you, but can you do some wholesome/cute head canons for the creepypastas please?
You're not bothering at all, no worries😊
Though I think these turned out to be general hc rather than cute but... 🤷♀️
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Jeff:
I think it's pretty much canon that Jeff names his knives. Most people would think that he gives them badass names but nah...
His favorite is named Martha, no one else is allowed to touch her
There's also Kule, Austin and Annie, sometimes he talks to them (mostly about Liu)
No, you can't point it out/comment on it, it'll upset him
Smile is his best friend, Ben is jealous
His hair gets curly after a few days, which means he has to straighten it with an iron
He also puts his hair buns, or ponytails around the house (he looks good tbh)
^the reason he always has hair ties as well
He's either dead asleep or hasn't slept for 4 days straight, there's no in-between
Not a total asshole all the time, surprisingly
He doesn't make mean comments about things that hit too close to home
Like, sure he's gonna tease Toby for his ticks but he's never gonna mention his sister
He makes up his own curse words
He puts on chapstick, but no one knows
Everyone knows, they've seen him, Ben has a video
He talks during movies, questioning the logic and making comments about characters' decisions, nobody minds bc it's hilarious since everything he says is on point
He drinks the sweetest coffee with milk and 3 spoonfuls of sugar at least
Loves romantic movies, but he has a reputation
Has a small cactus in his room, it was a gift from Ben, he takes good care of it
Ben:
He has freckles!!! He has freckles everywhere!!! (sorry I got excited, I just love freckles) but bc of the whole dead/demon thing, you have to get close to him of you want to see them
Owns a lot of fandom themed hoodies and t-shirts
He can mimic a lot of cartoons' voices, including the jigglypuff song, it's quite impressive
He's very proud of it
Ben is a genius, since he's mostly attached to a computer he has access to anything the internet has to offer, so lots of knowledge
Sometimes he can answer like Alexa/Siri does if someone calls his name and asks something
The others think he can't control it and ask him things all the time
He absolutely can control it and only does it to fuck with them by giving them bullshit answers that sound legit
He collects action figures, what a dork
Has a hamster, his name is Picachu
He gets teased a lot over it, let him live pls
The others secretly love it tho
Loves to watch people argue through their cameras
He lives for the drama
"Ben what are u doing?" "I'm watching this couple in New Jersey, apparently Sharon cheated on Nick again, but this time with his sister!!!"
When he giggles/gets embarrassed his ears become bright red
Sits on the floor, sits on tables, sits on Jane, Slender is convinced he doesn't know what a chair is
Jack:
Any perfume with a very heavy scent makes him sneeze a lot
He refuses to believe he is hurt/sick
Jack, while being held down by all the proxies: Guys, I told you I'm fINE, I CAN WORK TODAY, JUST LET ME GO!!
He has a lot of animal mannerisms
Like licking someone he likes on the cheek, purring/growling, sniffing etc
Bruh, you scratch behind his ears or under his chin and his whole chest vibrates with purring
He tilts his head on the side when he's confused, like a dog
Loves scented candles, he has a bunch of them in his room
His favorite scent is lavender
He can in fact eat human food, it just can't sustain him all that well and anything that is not overly seasoned tastes bland
With that being said, he loves spicy food bc he can taste it properly
Jane screamed when she saw him eat an entire plate of ghost peppers with no milk
The jingle of keys makes his head turn sharply towards the sound, once again like a dog
He can fall asleep anywhere, and I mean anywhere
The porch? More than once
In another's room? Of course
In slender's office? That was quite an interesting thing to explain
In the middle of the kitchen? Yeah, once
He's just a sleepy boi
Jack is the one who knows everyone's ticklish spots bc gives check ups
Likes listening to audio books on his free time
Masky:
He drinks Irish coffee (for those of you who don't know, it has alcohol in it)
Once Masky called Slender dad (sleep deprived) and then proceeded to slam his head down on the table and say a bad word
Sally once made him a flower crown for his birthday
He refused to take it off for 5 hours!!
Won't sleep with less than 2 pillows
He considers his one True near death experience to be when he almost choked on one of Jane's fake eyelashes (long story)
He has mastered the 'disapproving face' game', even when he wears the mask, you can feel it's there
He's around Toby, what did you expect?
Doesn't trust giraffes ("why are they so fucking long????")
He has a very contagious laugh when he really laughs, even when he just grins
Can give the best hugs, hands down
Like you feel so warm and protected when he hugs you
And it doesn't help the fact that he smells like the forest after a rainy day.... (now I want a hug)
Hoodie:
He has dirt on everyone
Mainly bc he's quiet and reliable so people tell him stuff
Has Masky saved in his phone as 'Bae' and when people see it they ask, "Is he your boyfriend?"
And he replies with, "Nah, it stands for Biggest Asshole Ever"
Drinks tea by the gallon
Reigning champion of "How many objects can we put on Jeff while he sleeps"
Hoodie has those "hoe don't do it" moments pretty much every day
Jeff trying to start shit, Ben is planning a prank on someone, someone insulted Slender. Every time
Award winning smile
His hair is the softest thing ever I swear-
Will make tea for anyone he sees that's having a rough day
He likes to sketch people, he's actually pretty good
He likes to read books to calm down
If someone wants to he will read out loud to them
Toby:
Don't give him energy drinks
It won't make him hyper, oh no, but it will make him do dumb shit
Once, Helen made the mistake of handing him a red bull, and let's just say he was found playing a mix between 'the floor is lava' and 'don't let the balloon touch the floor'
It was intense
President of Protect the Bees and very proud of it
Will follow through with literally any dare, he takes impulsivity to new levels
Will let Sally do his hair and dress him up to play princess
That friend who sends you fucking memes at 3am just to be a prick
It's easy to get him flustered, especially if someone flirts with him
He is obsessed with sour sweets, not even he knows why
There's no such thing as personal space, he's comfortable around everyone
Gets excited when he sees a cartoon on tv from when he was a kid
Places the stickers Sally gives him on the headboard of his bed
He knows how to say, "can I pet your dog?" in 4 languages
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Loved
A/N: This is so freaking long. I was going to make it a couple parts but I decided to just post the whole thing. I would also just like to preface this by saying that if you ever find yourself in this kind of situation, you deserve better. Also, I specifically labeled the reader as bisexual, I’m sorry if that isn’t you.
Genre: Hurt/comfort, angst?, fluff-ish
Warning: mentions of abuse (not detailed), probably a swear word
Word count: 4800
Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x fem reader
Summary: Natasha finds out something you’ve been hiding and just wants you to know that you are loved.
Masterlist
You tugged on the sleeves of your sweater, nervous that they would come up. You knew that you weren’t a skilled enough liar to talk yourself out of it if someone saw, so you were trying to avoid that possibility. Thankfully, it wasn’t too hot out, so the sweater wasn’t out of place. As the elevator doors opened, you plastered on your best poker face.
When you stepped out of the elevator, you walked towards the meeting room, waving at teammates on your way by. There was a mission this coming weekend that only needed you, Natasha, and Sam. Your job was, as Ned had called it when he high-fived you, the guy in the chair. Your job was generally to take care of surveillance, alarms, and anything else you could reach with tech. While Natasha was pretty good at doing that stuff on her own on missions, you were better. You knew how to handle yourself if need be, but you were better off not on the front lines. As you entered the conference room, you were grateful for that. You weren’t useless, but you felt in your current state you would only be a hindrance if it came to a fight.
You sat down next to Natasha, who smiled at you, and across from Sam. Natasha ran you both through the operation, which was pretty simple. You would be nearby, highjacking their internet and watching for guards. Nat would infiltrate the base with your help, and Sam would wait on the sidelines in case he was needed. After going over the details, you all stood up to head your separate ways, you back home to your boyfriend. Natasha invited you to stay for dinner, but you had to refuse.
“I don’t think Keith would want me to stay too long here.” Nat raised a brow at that, but didn’t question you. You were grateful that she didn’t think you could lie or hide anything so she was rarely suspicious of you.
You smiled at her and turned around, heading out as quickly as you can. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it quite that easy. “Are you alright, Y/N?” You nodded, hoping she would be reassured. She didn’t seem content, but she let you leave after letting you know, “You can come to me if you ever need me.” You nodded again, finally walking out of the room and back towards the elevator.
--
When you got home that night, Keith wasn’t there. You let out a sigh of relief, feeling like you could finally relax. You knew you were weak for staying around, but you also felt like you didn’t have another option. This was your home, where else would you go?
You took off your sweater, grateful to no longer need it, and slipped into a T-shirt and shorts. You started preparing dinner, knowing that he wanted food ready when he got home. With one final sigh, you slipped back into a familiar routine, keeping an ear attentive to the front door or the key in the lock.
--
It was Friday morning and you were looking in the mirror at the bruising around your ribs and arms. You were glad to be going somewhere that you could wear your usual long sleeve black shirt and pants. It would cover everything you needed to. Besides, these bruises would fade soon enough.
You pulled your shirt over your head and finished packing necessities for the mission. Once you were packed, you headed out the door, leaving a note for your boyfriend and quietly locking it behind you. You were leaving your apartment earlier than you needed, just before dawn, hoping to take a calming walk to Avengers tower. It wasn’t often that you got peaceful time to yourself simply dedicated to thinking. It was usually dedicated to worrying about being careful. Keeping him happy.
You finally arrived at the tower two hours later, feeling refreshed. You were meant to meet Sam and Nat in 30 minutes, so you wandered into the kitchen to see if you could find your two favorite super soldiers up. You were happy to see that they were both at the table, drinking coffees and reading. When they heard you enter, they both looked up, smiling at you. You waved at them both as Steve got up to greet you.
“It’s been so long, Y/N,” Steve said as he hugged you tightly. You turned your face away from Bucky as you winced when you felt pressure on your bruises. You hoped he didn’t notice your reaction, and were grateful to see that neither of them reacted. You were, however, startled to see that Natasha was in the doorway of the kitchen when you pulled out of Steve’s arms. She eyed you suspiciously before carefully masking her face and looking towards the soldiers.
“Sorry boys, I need to steal her.” She gave them a bland smile before pulling you out of the room with her. When she was a good distance away, she pulled you around to look at her. You were nervous she had figured it out. “What happened? Why did it hurt when Steve hugged you? He has better control than that.”
“It didn’t hurt, I just really missed him, that’s all.” You knew you were a horrible liar, but you hoped that she wouldn’t see through you. She narrowed her eyes at you, trying to intimidate you. You didn’t like lying to her, considering how much you cared about her, but you were too ashamed to admit that you couldn’t handle yourself. That you were so weak.
When you didn’t break under her scrutiny, she sighed before nodding, letting you off the hook. You sighed in relief and followed her to the quinjet where Sam was waiting. Every movement you made, though, you could feel her eyes on you. While you didn't mind that any other time, you were scared she might actually see something if she kept watching you. You were careful not to do anything too obvious, because when you tugged on your sleeve for the first time, her eyes immediately caught the motion. After that, you didn’t fidget too much, knowing it could only incriminate you in her eyes.
The flight was about 3 hours, none of you incredibly talkative, but comfortable enough to keep up a quiet conversation. Nat was flying and Sam sat next to you in the back. You had your laptop out, reviewing what you would need to do to break through their security. You were also trying to figure out how best to get the security guard not to realize what was happening, and decided that looping the footage would be best. Sam spent most of the flight messing with his suit, checking it over constantly to make sure that it was in peak condition.
As the jet touched down, Natasha once more went over the mission plans. As you listened to her, you began to set up your computer and tablet to access the base that was less than a mile away. Nat had landed in a small clearing in the woods, but you all knew that you couldn’t automatically assume you were safe. You kept quiet and Sam sent out his drone for surveillance. When it came back with nothing of interest to report, you each nodded at each other, knowing your assigned tasks. You sat with your computer, beginning to record the security footage to loop back when Natasha entered a hall. Natasha and Sam quickly headed in the direction of the base, Sam holding back in the treeline. When Sam told you that Natasha was near the back door, you began working. You played the footage for each screen that you had recorded on the security guard’s monitor, linking the live feed back to you so you could keep track of where she was.
“Widow, two men approaching around the next corner. Both armed with pistols.” She didn’t respond, but you could see her react on the camera, pressing up against the wall and sneaking towards the corner, waiting to jump the men. She quickly managed to knock them both out without letting them make any noise, and you couldn’t help but admire her skills. Of course you knew she was attractive; even if you were completely straight, you would have to be aware of that. The thing was, you weren’t straight, and you knew that you had been attracted to her in the beginning. You also knew that you had no shot with her, so you moved on, got a boyfriend. You were simply glad to call her a friend.
Natasha continued through the base efficiently, taking your directions when they were given. Natasha’s goal was to find information that they didn’t have on any digital files. They had been running human experiments for Hydra, and you were all trying to find out more, if there were others like the Maximoffs. You figured that the information would be stored on paper files, since they were easy to destroy and not that easy to hack.
Nat finally made it to a room full of filing cabinets, efficiently rifling through drawers until she held up a folder in the direction of the camera in triumph.
You smiled in triumph and began congratulating her. “Great job, Nat, now I’ll just-” You felt a sharp pain in the back of your head as your vision blacked out and the world fell away.
--
You woke up in a dark and musty room, to the sound of rustling papers. You tried to move slowly to look around, but let out an involuntary gasp at the pain in your skull. Hearing you, a man walked into your field of view, smiling. It was one of those smiles that you could tell belonged to someone cruel and heartless, who would laugh as he watched someone burn. He bent down in front of you to talk to you.
“Ah, our special guest is awake. I must say, for an Avenger, you sure weren’t much of a challenge. They probably should have given you a babysitter.” As you examined the man, you noticed he was wearing a lab coat, and that worried you more than a gun in his hand would have. There was no telling what he had done to you or what he was planning to do to you. He stood up from his crouched position, but continued to speak to you. “I’m impressed no one came for you yet. Are you really so disposable?”
You struggled to a sitting position, keeping your eyes on him. He was a little blurry, but you could tell he was dangerous. He turned his back to you and walked back towards a desk cluttered with papers. You tried to covertly free your hands from where they were tied behind your back, but you could do no more than strain your arms and hurt your wrists. Hearing you struggle, he turned back towards you, looking like he wanted to laugh at you. He continued talking to you. “You’re going to be a fascinating subject. You’re not even an important member of the Avengers, you’re just a lackey. I’m going to make you regret ever working with those freaks.” Two years ago, just after you joined, his words may have gotten to you. Thankfully, you were confident in your place on the team. Your goal was simply to keep him talking as long as possible. Calling on any acting skills, you tried to tear up, which wasn’t that hard considering how much your head hurt.
He smirked triumphantly and roughly grabbed your face. When he put his face too close to yours, you used what Nat had taught you, swinging your head forward, banging it into his. He stumbled back, holding his forehead.
“You bitch!” he yelled as he pulled his hand back and slapped you. You fell to the floor at the impact and took a moment to recover before sitting back up. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw something that nearly made you weep in relief, but you were careful not to respond.
As Natasha crept up behind the man, you kept him distracted. “Are you so weak that all you can do is slap me? I thought you were a scientist, where’s the tact?” You knew that if you pushed him too far, he would hit you again, but you also knew that it was your best bet of keeping his attention focused on you. You could see the anger on his face as a smirk appeared on yours.
“What are you smiling about?” he asked, irritated.
“She’s behind you.” He turned quickly, only to be met with a knife to the neck and a widow bite to the side. After looking into the fear in his eyes, Natasha smiled before zapping him, causing him to go limp. You could see that she wanted to do worse, but she rushed over to you instead, helping you free your hands. As she helped you stand, you nearly fell back down at the dizziness that overcame you. She caught you and felt around your head to find where he hit you. When she pulled her hand away, she assured you, “Any blood is dried, we just need to get you back to a doctor at home.”
You would find a way out of that when you got that far, and simply let her half-carry you out of the room you had been hidden in and back to the jet. She helped you settle into a chair before instructing Sam to begin flying home. When you were off the ground, she turned towards you and gently held your face as she inspected the bruise beginning to form on your cheek. When she decided there was nothing to do about it, she asked “Did he hurt you anywhere else?” You quickly shook your head. Truth be told, you had no idea if he had hurt you while you were unconscious, but you didn’t want her to see any of the other bruises. She narrowed her eyes at you in suspicion and glanced down at your torso. “Are you sure?” This time, you hesitated before answering. She took that as enough evidence to not believe you. She leaned towards you, reaching for the hem of your shirt. You panicked, holding the material down while also scooting away from her.
Hurt washed over her face as she watched you move away from her. You were immediately filled with guilt and got closer to her once again. You took a deep breath and let go of your shirt. While one part of you wanted desperately to hide it from her and anyone else, another part of you was just so tired and wanted someone to know. Looking you in the eye, Natasha once again reached for the hem of your shirt, lifting it. You looked away from her, not wanting to see her reaction. You didn't think she would hold it against you, but you also didn't think that anything like this could happen to you, so who were you to talk. You could hear her small intake of break as the colorful array across your rib cage came into view. She was silent for a while, just staring, and you hated it so much.
Finally, she spoke. “These are at least two days old.” You kept your eyes focused on the wall across from you and away from her. Her voice softened as she gently placed her other hand on your cheek. “I don’t think I need to tell you that no one deserves that.” You let out a shaky breath as you finally looked at her only too see understanding, which just made it worse. She let go of your shirt and put her arms around you, one behind your head and one behind your back as she embraced you. You nearly broke then and there, but didn’t feel like crying and then being stuck on a jet for two and a half more hours. Instead, you simply tucked your face into the curve of her shoulder and breathed her in. She didn’t say anything else, simply held you. Finally, you pulled away.
“We are going to talk about this when we get back.” With that promise that felt like a threat, she left you to your own devices. Your mind moved at a million miles a minute the entire rest of the flight, worrying about the conversation more than was healthy. You knew you couldn’t do anything about it, but you didn’t know what she wanted to know, what she would say, what she would do.
You finally returned back to the tower, and before you could try to sneak away, Natasha grabbed your arm and pulled you towards her room. You didn’t bother putting up a fight, knowing it wouldn’t help. When she got back to her room, she pulled you inside and told FRIDAY not to let anyone in unless it was an emergency. She tugged you towards the bed and sat you down, sitting across from you before simply staring at you.
Natasha was intimidating, but you weren’t planning to spill your guts without prompting at the very least, so you kept your lips sealed. She watched you for a moment before finally deciding to speak.
“He hits you.” You didn’t respond, but you knew that it wasn’t a question anyway. “He’s been hitting your for a while.” Once again, no response from you, since she wasn’t asking. “How long?” You looked away from her.
“Two months.” She kept her face impassive, but you saw her fist tighten.
“What started it?”
This was just getting more difficult. You didn’t think she would care, but it was scary to open up about yourself. “I came out as bisexual to him,” you quietly responded. “He yelled at me and walked out after backhanding me. He came back that night and apologized.”
“Then what?” She didn’t say anything about what you had said, she just asked for more information.
“After he pretended to accept that, he wanted to have a threesome. I told him no.”
“What did he do?” Her voice was empty, and you knew how dangerous that was.
“He knocked me down and kicked me in the ribs.”
“What else?” You could hear the thinly veiled anger that no one else would likely notice.
“He sometimes accuses me of cheating.”
“And then he hits you.” You could do nothing but nod in shame. She let out a huff from her nose, closing her eyes momentarily. When she opened them and looked back at you, all you saw was determination
“No matter what happens, no one deserves that. You don’t deserve it for being who you are. There is nothing wrong with you, and you are perfect the way you are. That man deserves to suffer for putting you through that.” Your eyes fell to the floor, shame washing over you once more. You felt embarrassed and weak. “I just need to know why you think you have to deal with that.”
“No one else wants me and keeps me around.” You felt pathetic for admitting how much you depended on being liked by other people.
“I need you to believe me that you are wanted and you are loved.” You let out a humorless laugh, full of disbelief.
“Oh, for the love of-” You were startled as she grabbed your face gently and pulled you towards her. Making eye contact with you to be sure you weren’t completely against it, she slanted her mouth against yours. It was short and sweet, and you had no idea what was happening until she pulled away.
“You are not alone, in anything.” She held her hand out and you grabbed it like a lifeline.
“What do I do?” You didn’t know where to start.
“First of all, you’re going to move in here. We’ll bring Steve and Bucky to scare him and we’ll grab your stuff tomorrow. You’ll break up with him. You will spend tonight in my room.” You nodded along with her. Then, you saw something you didn’t think anyone else had ever seen before. Natasha looked nervous and hesitated before finishing her list. “If you’re interested, you’ll go out to dinner with me on Sunday.” You could tell that she would be fine to let you say no.
You had been practically in love with Natasha since you watched her tell the government to screw themselves. Instead of answering her, you wrapped your arms around her. You decided to actually answer her to avoid confusion and whispered, “I would love to,” into her shoulder.
She sent a rare genuine smile your way before placing a kiss on your cheek and backing away. “First, we have to deal with this. But tonight, we’re just gonna relax here, okay?” You nodded in agreement. She began to scrounge around her room to find you pajamas. She handed you a pair of shorts and a shirt that looked like it was stolen from one of the boys on the team. You took them and she led you into the bathroom to take a shower. You savored the warmth and the feeling of being clean. You felt renewed, and you knew it was the hope for the future that made you feel so good. When you finally stepped out of the bathroom, Nat was sitting back on her bed in similar pajamas to yours, though you knew they looked a million times better on her. She had a laptop with her and was so entrenched in it that she didn’t notice you leaving the bathroom until you sat on the bed next to her. She looked up at you as you looked at her screen and weren’t shocked to see a file on Keith pulled up. You raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged innocently at you.
“You can’t do anything harmful to him.” She squinted at you, and you were ready to plead before she gave in. It felt too easy, but you were too tired to ask more.
You laid down next to her and settled into the covers, breathing in deeply the scent she seemed to leave on the blankets. You were so exhausted, you barely stayed awake long enough to feel her grab ahold of your hand and hold It close.
--
The next morning you woke up to an empty bed. You tensed for a moment before recognizing the room you were in. You sat up and stretched before getting out of bed and wandering down to the kitchen. You were met with the smell of coffee and three pairs of eyes turning towards you. Natasha, Steve, and Bucky were sat at the table. Natasha stood up and came towards you, leading you a little ways away from them. “You don’t have to tell them anything if you don’t want to, they’ll help either way.”
You took a breath as you thought it over. “Can I get a coffee and leave, and you can tell them?” You didn’t think you could tell another person right now.
“Of course, as long as it’s what you want.” You nodded, and she handed you a coffee, just the way you like it. You walked back to Natasha’s room to wait it out. You sat on her bed and pulled out your phone, browsing the internet and killing time. She finally came back in 10 minutes later.
“How did it go?” You asked, worried about how they took it. Those chivalrous bastards were probably ready to fight.
“Let’s just say I’m not the only one you have to worry about if he’s there.” You couldn’t help but hear the hint of cruel satisfaction in her voice, but you didn’t mind. You laughed a little before getting up, intending to get dressed to go before realizing that you didn’t have anything to change into.
Somehow sensing what you needed, Nat handed you a pair of leggings and a t-shirt that had been sitting on her dresser.You smiled at her before heading towards the bathroom to get dressed. You didn’t think you would be able to change in front of her, at least until those bruises faded.
You joined Steve and Bucky waiting for the elevator, and without saying anything, Steve gently wrapped his arms around you. You relaxed against his chest and felt Bucky grab your hand to provide his own kind of support. You couldn’t deny that you felt loved in that moment. The elevator arrived and you all stepped inside. Natasha grabbed your hand discretely and smiled over at you. You weren’t sure if she had told the boys about… that. But you didn’t ask. You just returned the smile and took a deep breath.
You all piled into one of Tony’s SUVs that he had probably never driven. When you pulled up outside of the building, you were frozen. The only thing that got you moving was the support flooding into you from your teammates, your family. They all followed you up the stairs to your apartment door, which you unlocked. You peaked inside, and didn’t see anything that would indicate that he was home, so you opened it a little wider. You headed towards the bedroom to pack up your things. You didn’t honestly have that much stuff here, mostly clothes. You put everything in your duffle bag and laundry basket, Natasha helping you and carrying them out to the living room with you. You were just in the bathroom grabbing your toiletries before you heard voices. You headed back out to the main room to see Steve and Bucky standing in the way of Keith. You could see them both from behind, their arms crossed and their muscles intimidating. Keith saw you come into the room and started to move towards you before he was stopped by the wall of muscle.
“Y/N! Baby, what’s going on?” Your face scrunched up in distaste. Steve and Bucky glared at him and he backed up. Natasha walked around from behind you, a hand gently brushing your arm before her face hardened and she headed towards him. Steve and Bucky parted to let her slip between them. If you didn’t know her lethality, it would have looked comical. Keith seemed to think it was, a mocking smile slipping onto his face before she grabbed the front of his shirt.
You could barely hear her low whisper, but you felt chills run down your spine and it wasn’t even directed at you. “If you ever touch her again, you will only live so that you can regret it. If you come near her, talk to her, look at her, you will know what pain feels like.” Even Steve and Bucky looked unsettled, but Keith looked ready to piss himself. You couldn’t stop the chuckle that slipped from your lips. Natasha’s lips twitched up in response.
Without saying anything else, your ex-boyfriend, ran away with his tail between his legs as fast as he could. After a beat of silence, you all began laughing. There were tears in your eyes at the look on his face, and you had never been more grateful for Natasha Romanoff.
After calming down, you each grabbed something and left the apartment for good. You left the key on the kitchen counter and didn’t look back.
--
Tony gave you the room across from Nat’s. You had moved in yesterday, and today was the day of the date. You couldn’t remember being more nervous. You had picked out a flowy navy dress, not sure what Natasha had planned. You curled your hair lightly and decided you were presentable, heading out of the room to meet her in the living room. She was already there and stood up when you walked in. Her eyes scanned you up and down appreciatively. She walked towards you and said, “You look lovely.”
You smiled back at her and scanned her tight red dress. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
Steve walked in and looked you both over. “You guys look great.”
Natasha smiled at him. “Thanks, I’ve got a hot date tonight.” A blush lit up your face, but he just smiled at you.
“Have fun, kids.” You rolled your eyes at him before grabbing your date’s handing and walking towards the elevator.
When the doors closed, she placed a sweet kiss on your cheek and squeezed your hand, and you couldn’t remember being happier.
#natasha romanoff x reader#natalia romanova#natasha romanov#avengers#imagine#reader insert#x reader#black widow#fanfic#fanfiction#bisexual#tw#abused reader#fem reader#lonelyandlovelorn
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Tasks / August 2020 The questions
the basics
What is your celebrity’s full name? Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill.
Do they have any nicknames? Go by any other names? H, Henz, Superman.
What is their birthday? May 5, 1983.
Where were they born? Saint Helier, Jersey.
Where were they raised? Saint Saviour, Jersey.
Where in Bayview do they live? Seabreeze Suburbs.
How long have they lived in town? He has been living in town for two years.
physical appearance
What is your celebrity’s general build? Tall, broad, athletic.
What is their natural hair color? Dark.
What is your celebrity’s eye color? Blue.
Do they wear glasses or contacts? No.
What is your celebrity’s best asset? His butt. His Colgate-ish smile.
What is something they’re insecure about? His weight.
Do they have any piercings? No.
How about tattoos? No.
Any prominent scars with good stories behind them? He once broke the Internet with a picture of scars on his abs but it was just make-up.
Does your celebrity regularly wear make-up? Outside of work, no.
What’s their skincare routine like? Just cleaning his face every morning and night and drinking a lot of water.
How does your celebrity dress on the average, every day? A pair of shorts or jeans, a t-shirt and a cap.
What about for more dress-up, formal days? A suit if it’s formal, a shirt and a pair of jeans if it’s a bit more casual.
the early years
What was your celebrity like as a child? A bit chaotic but very much into theatre and sports.
How about the teen years? Still into theatre and sports but those years were tough as he got bullied.
What kind of life did your celebrity have growing up? A good one. He grew up with four brothers, had supportive parents, lived in an island he loves with his whole heart.
What were your celebrity’s goals as a younger person? To become an actor.
Is there a smell that reminds them of childhood? The smell of his mum’s roast beef.
How about a favorite movie, TV show or toy? The first playstation.
What advice would your celebrity give to their younger self? ‘Keep holding on, your dreams will come true.’
Did your celebrity play any sports growing up? Yes. He played rugby.
the family tree
Who is in their immediate family? His parents and his four brothers, Kal.
What’s their extended family like? Apart from aunts and uncles – his brothers’ wives and children.
What does family mean to your celebrity? It is so important to him. Family is his biggest support.
Are they close to their family in general? He is. He visits them everytime he is in Europe.
Who in their family are they closest to? His brother Charlie.
Does your celebrity have any children? No.
If they do not have children, do they want any someday? He does. Having his own family is one of his biggest wishes.
love and friendships
Is your celebrity currently in a relationship? Not really.
What is the longest relationship your celebrity has ever been in? His relationship with Ellen Whitaker. They stayed together for three years.
If it’s not their current relationship, why did it end? They weren’t getting on anymore.
What’s the shortest relationship your celebrity has ever been in? His relationship with Kaley Cuoco.
If it’s not their current relationship, why did it end? They were not compatible.
Is your celebrity into PDA, or more private? PDA.
How do they display affection to others? In public, it would be by holding hands and giving kisses. In general, he would do anything to show his affection.
What is your celebrity’s current sex life like? Can a British guy plead the fifth? (It’s great.)
What sort of relationship does your celebrity look for? Something serious. He wants a family, he wants the kind of relationship his parents have – based on love, trust and some dork moments.
Do they feel happiest when they’re in a relationship, or single? He is happy when he is single but he is happy when he’s with the right person, too.
Does your celebrity have a best friend? Several, yeah.
What does your celebrity look for in their friendships? The best friendship is when you can roast each other but still be there to support each other when life gets tough.
Are they the type of person to have a small group of friends, or large? A small group.
In friendships, is your celebrity more of the giver or taker? A giver.
Has your celebrity ever had to end a friendship with someone? Not really, no.
the things that they do
What does your celebrity do for a living? He’s an actor.
If they could choose any other career, what would it be? He would be a military man.
When growing up, what did they want to do? An actor, a soldier, a History teacher… he had many wishes.
Do they enjoy their current job? He loves it with his whole heart.
What about hobbies, what do they like to do? Playing rugby, riding motorycles, playing PC games, building computers.
As far as school goes, how far did they take their education? He stopped after high school.
If they had to go (back) to school, what would it be for? To learn more about History.
the fun stuff
Are there phrases or words your celebrity uses a lot? ‘Oh Lord!’
Would you say they’re optimistic or pessimistic? A mix of both. Depends on what the situation is.
How about introverted or extroverted? He’s more of an introvert.
Do they have any really bad habits? Working too much. He is so stubborn and determinate that he doesn’t always listen to his body.
What is something that always makes them laugh? His friends.
And something that always makes them cry? Moving stories.
How would your celebrity like to be seen by others? As someone strong and genuine, someone they can talk to.
And how do they feel others actually see them? As the nice guy who played Superman.
What are some of their strongest (positive) traits? Determinate, passionate, genuine
What are some of their weakest (negative) traits? Stubborn, gets worried easily, workaholic.
How do they react when someone pays them a compliment? He always feels a bit awkward and feels like he doesn’t deserve it.
But how do they react to criticism? He gets annoyed, most of the time.
What is your celebrity’s biggest fear? Failure.
Are they more of an indoors or outdoors person? Indoors.
What are some of their pet peeves? Unfriendly people, people who want to be the center of attention.
Are they the type of person to fight with violence or words? He doesn’t fight but if he had to, he would be with violence.
What is your celebrity’s favorite day of the week? Monday.
Are they more of a book or movie type of person? Books.
Is your celebrity more of a hoarder or a minimalist? A minimalist.
How is your celebrity with technology? He’s great at it. From social media to playing games and building computers. He’s a nerd.
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As One Wishes To Live (AKA Genie!Klaus). Read Part One here!
His new mistress – Caroline - had excused herself. Klaus hasn’t yet relaxed.
It’s a survival instinct.
Only two of his keepers had been awful from their first meeting. The rest feigned kindness only to grow into their cruelty once they realized just how much power they wield.
He expects Caroline will be the same. Oh, she seems sweet. Earnest. Stubborn too, enough to hold on to her principles for awhile. She’ll bend, like they all do. First, it’ll be little things, simple requests to save her time and effort. A “Klaus, could you mend this?’ followed by a please and a thank you.
The requests never stay simple.
He’ll look for what weaknesses while he still has the freedom to.
He cannot hurt the one he belongs to, but he’s learned that rule is bendable. He can manipulate an owner into hurting themselves. He can do it with words, a hint here, an innocent observation there. Occasionally, the universe provides a lovely set of coincidences that Klaus merely can neatly steer a captor into. He’d once orchestrated a nasty carriage accident by keeping a whiskey glass full and producing a few coins to entice a barmaid into distracting a stable boy. Poor lad had rushed through his tasks, hadn’t noticed the wheel in desperate need of repair.
He’ll explore Caroline’s home over the next few days. Just in case. As long as he’s been locked in his lamp, all the objects he can’t name. It’s only logical that he be curious.
Caroline’s fairly young and obviously baffled by his presence in her home. She doesn’t seem stupid, which is a pity. The unintelligent are more demanding than the cunning but easier to manipulate. She’d been flustered as she’d departed, her cheeks stained a bright pink. She’d promised she’d be right back, after she found him some clothes.
Klaus could have told her that if she wanted him clothed, he could conjure whatever she fancied. He’d served those who liked him to remain bare and accessible but most liked to dress him up. Some in clothing that marked him as a servant, others in finery that made him look like a prize. Klaus has long since stopped caring about what does, or doesn’t, cover his body.
He’d let her babble and flee. He’d wanted privacy to study his new home and he’d sensed Caroline had needed to collect herself. He could have denied her that, pressed his advantage, perhaps dropped the covering she’d insisted he don.
She’d fought it, kept her eyes on his, but she clearly finds his body appealing.
He may have to use that but, for now, she hasn’t truly earned his ire.
Once she’d left Klaus had held still and listened carefully as she’d made her way up a single set of stairs. She’s rummaging now, still talking to herself. Exceptional senses are one of the perks of his curse. To cater to a master’s every whim he needs to hear calls when they are mere whispers.
Caroline’s home seems quite small and Klaus imagines he’ll be able to track Caroline’s movements easily. It’s nice enough, very clean and warm. There are an alarming number of objects that Klaus has never seen before, odd hums and beeps that he’s trying to ignore.
Much has changed in the ninety or so years he’d been dormant.
The chair she’d bid him to sit in had been plush and the fabric hadn’t scratched at his skin at all. A relief because he’s always more sensitive when he’s been stuck in his lamp, his skin feels thin and new each time he emerges.
Klaus eyes the window, squinting against the sun that’s streaming in. His head aches a bit. He takes a few steps, glancing behind him even as he reaches for the curtain.
Caroline had wanted him to be comfortable, hadn’t she? Shutting out the light will help.
If she complains, well, that will be a clue that perhaps she’s not as generous as she’s seemed.
Caroline’s got a stack of various pieces of men’s clothing – things stolen from exes or friends, even a random leather jacket that a disaster of a one-night stand had left behind. She knows exactly where the pile is, but she spends a solid ten minutes pushing things around in her closet, tidying and refolding to keep her hands busy while her mind whirls.
It’s useless because she’s not going to solve the issue of the genie she now apparently owns with a little stress cleaning.
It makes her feel better. Calmer.
Sort of.
When her hands have stopped shaking (and she’s done enough deep breathing that her face should be a normal color) she crouches and yanks out the plastic tote she needs. It’s been awhile since she’s had to add anything to it. Her extended period of singledom is the main reason Kat had so thoughtfully gifted Caroline the lamp (and Klaus, technically) but she’s reasonably sure she’ll find something that will fit her guest.
Whether he’ll like the clothes she’ll provide Caroline can’t guess. He’s been impressively inscrutable so far, not that Caroline can blame him.
It sounds like he’s known a lot of terrible people. The kind that won’t hesitate to pounce on a weakness and use it for their own gain.
She figures comfort is the way to go, digs a pair of grey sweats that had been Tyler’s from the very bottom of the tote. Klaus might be a bit taller but he’s leaner so hopefully that will make up the difference. She grabs one of Stefan’s t-shirts that she hadn’t bothered to return (since he had about eight million, all identical and black) plus a blue hoodie Enzo has given up asking her to return.
She throws it all over her shoulder then snags a pair of the socks she uses for working out from her dresser. She makes a quick detour to the kitchen to grab her laptop and her phone off the charger before she returns to find Klaus where she’d left him. He’s pulled the curtains and he’s wandered over to the wall of shelves where she keeps her books and DVDs. He’s looking at one of the framed photographs that she’s got up, an old one.
“That’s the last family photo we took,” Caroline tells him. “I really hated that dress.” Black velvet, enormous lace collar. It had been a gift from Granny Forbes and Caroline had worn it exactly twice.
Klaus gently sets the frame back down turning to face her. His expression is just as smooth as it had been when he’d first greeted her, giving away nothing of his feelings. His eyes are on her though, not the floor. He’s sizing her up and Caroline can’t say she blames him.
She smiles, hopes he can’t tell that ten minutes away wasn’t nearly enough time for Caroline to stop freaking out internally.
None of the giant pile of what the fuckery they’re currently dealing with is Klaus’ fault. She doesn’t want him to feel like he’s unwelcome. It’s just good manners.
She sets her laptop down then holds out the clothing, “I dug these up for you. I know they’re not ideal but once your dressed we’ll look online and get you something a little more your style.”
“My style,” he repeats slowly.
“Yeah. I mean, if you’re a label snob like my friend Kat you’re going to need to embrace knock offs because my credit card can only take so much.”
He appears a bit mystified and Caroline wants to slap herself. “Oh, wait, sorry. How long have you been in…” she waves her hand towards the coffee table, his gold lamp. It’s entirely possible Klaus doesn’t know about the internet. Or even credit cards. Caroline has no idea when they became a thing.
His eyes follow her gesture and he takes a step back, so he’s nearly pressed against the bookcase.
She looks away, pretends not to notice. She studies the lamp, realizing that she’s only managed to polish a quarter sized spot on one side. That’s totally going to bother her.
Klaus doesn’t answer right away, doesn’t move much either. Caroline’s about to remind him that he doesn’t have to when he reaches for the bundle she holds. He pinches the fabric between his fingertips, tugging experimentally. “I can’t tell you exactly. It was… 1926, maybe. When my last mistress died. She called for me infrequently in the end. Her daughter thought to own me next. She was not happy to learn I cannot be inherited.”
“Is that the one who made her final wish on her death bed?”
“Yes.”
She’s really trying not to pry – he hasn’t had the chance to set his own boundaries for a freaking millennium so obviously she needs to reel in her curiosity – but it’s hard. What had the woman wished for? Could she have wished to not die? Can Klaus make people immortal? Would…
“Revenge,” Klaus murmurs, interrupting Caroline’s train of thought. “She had three daughters and her husband divorced her to get his male heir. He lied to get it, painted her as the adulterer then left her with barely enough money to live on. She wished that he would live to know his name would die with his son.”
That’s… wow.” Caroline’s a little impressed with the spite level. “Was she… good to you?”
“Better than most.”
With the switch back to vague answers, Caroline decides it’s best to change the subject. “Well, there’s going to be a lot of things we need to get you up to speed on. We’ll start with the practical.” She sits down, taps the top of her laptop. “This is a computer; it connects to the internet. The internet does a lot of things, some of them great, some of them super creepy. But it will allow us to get you a 21st century wardrobe delivered before the weekend.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
She shakes her head, tucking her legs underneath her as she boots up her laptop. “Look, I’m not going to make you go anywhere you don’t want to but I’m pretty sure eventually you’re going to get bored enough to want to go outside. And if you do it like that…” she wiggles her fingers in his direction, carefully not looking directly at the subtle ridge of muscle at his hips, “…questions will be asked. Cops might be called. We can’t rixk that until we’ve got a solid backstory and some supporting documents.”
She types “Casual Men’s Clothes” into google, figuring she’ll let him browse the images to see what he likes. Klaus clears his throat but it’s a theatrical kind of noise, an ‘ahem’ sound that’s never an accident.
Caroline holds in a sigh and looks up, mentally preparing herself to ignore all the distractingly bare skin, only to have her mouth drop open for an entirely different reason. Klaus is holding the clothes she’d given him but, on his body, he’s wearing something very similar. He’s switched up the colors – black sweats, dark red tee, grey hoodie – and everything fits like it was made for him.
Well. That’s handy.
“Oh,” she says dumbly. “You…”
“Am perfectly capable of clothing myself without assistance, yes.”
He’s smug about it and Caroline should find it annoying but, as it’s the first real hint of personality he’s shown, she’ll let it slide. “You weren’t kidding about the magic, huh?”
He grins, clearly pleased with himself. “Are you a believer now, love?”
The dimples are just as distracting as the hipbones, damn it.
Caroline focuses back on her laptop, tapping a few keys for no real reason. It’s not like he’ll know she’s typing nonsense. “I don’t think I have much of a choice.”
Klaus hums in acknowledgement, “Is this what men wear nowadays? I’ll admit it’s very comfortable.”
When she glances up she finds he’s adjusting the sleeves of the hoodie, pushing them up his forearms. “It’s a super casual example but yeah, you won’t get arrested if you walk outside like that. You’d get some looks if you tried to walk into a nice restaurant though.”
“I see. Can you show me?” he points at her laptop. “For when we venture out.”
“Sure. Internet window shopping is one of my very favorite things. Come sit.”
Caroline tips her head to the side and this time Klaus doesn’t need to be prompted further, settling down next to her. He jumps a little when she sets her computer on his lap and Caroline figures he hadn’t anticipated it would be warm. She points to the screen, “What do you like?”
He blinks at the twenty or so images for a long moment. He then leans closer. Caroline reaches over runs her finger over the trackpad. “Here, see that little white hand? If you want to see something close up just tap. Like this.”
He’s a quick study, his fingertip bumping into hers as he tries it for himself. She shows him how to scroll down and he mutters about how many choices there are. He glances at her every once in awhile, but Caroline makes it a point not to react.
Even if she had been paying for the clothes she wouldn’t have wanted to pick for him. Earlier, one oh his comments had made her feel a little sick to her stomach. His body, he’d said, so casually, was at her disposal. Caroline’s not naïve enough to think that had only meant he’d been treated like a life size Ken doll but she’s certain he’d been dressed up according to the whims of others for the bulk of his existence.
That’s over, Caroline’s decided. If he wants to wear cargo shorts and lumberjack flannel for the rest of his life that’s totally his call.
She touches his arm to get his attention. Klaus tenses, his body locking up so tightly that she can feel in even though a few inches of space separate them. She withdraws gingerly, easing over to give him more space.
She’s kind of a toucher. She’ll have to remember to curb the instinct with Klaus.
“I’ll just be in the kitchen, okay? I’ll order dinner.” And send a couple texts, plus an email to her boss. She’s so going to need a couple days to get acclimated but Klaus doesn’t need to know the details. “Come get me if you need anything.”
It’s a useless offer because Klaus won’t ask for a single thing. He doesn’t trust her even a little bit.
Convincing him that he can won’t be easy. Good thing Caroline’s always liked a challenge.
Klaus had risen as soon as he’d heard Caroline stir. He hadn’t rested well.
The bed Caroline had offered him is very comfortable. Too comfortable.
He’d tossed and turned, tried both sides. He’d quickly given up on sleeping, had risen once he’d heard Caroline’s breathing deepen enough to indicate that she wouldn’t wake easily. He’s slipped out of the room and downstairs, paced the rooms and the halls, going over all that he’s learned to far.
Last night Caroline had chattered away while she’d changed the sheets for him, told him that her mother was the one who most often stayed in the room but that it always took a great deal of cajoling for Caroline to convince her to visit. She’d grabbed him a toothbrush and towels. Had pointed out that red on the taps meant hot water and then asked if he had any questions about the shower. He’d just managed to avoid rolling his eyes because he has seen one before. Caroline had sensed his annoyance and cheerfully confessed that she’d done a quick bout of research on the history of indoor plumbing while they’d sat together after dinner but that she’d just wanted to make sure. She’d said that a hot shower always made her feel better after a rough day.
Klaus had thought about that statement once she’d left him alone. He wouldn’t have classified his day as rough, exactly. Bewildering perhaps, but the first day with a new master always is. He’s yet to sense any sort of sinister intent under Caroline’s solicitousness so either she’s a fantastically skilled actress or she’s genuine in her disgust for the curse he lives with.
The shower had been fantastic though.
He’s waiting in the kitchen when Caroline wanders in. Her hair’s half up and half down and she’s wrapped in a pink robe that’s far too large for her. She’s rather lovely, sleep mussed and stumbling. She gives him a little wave, “Morning. I need coffee.”
She yelps when the cup appears in her hand, drops it immediately. The glass shatters against the tile floor, hot coffee splattering her bare legs.
“Ow, ow, hot!”
Klaus is at her side in a blink, stilling her when she makes to step back. “You’ll cut yourself,” he scolds and then concentrates, clearing the mess away just as quickly as he’d created it.
Her eyes are wide, fully awake now as she pulls away. Klaus bends so he can sweep his hands over the reddened skin on her shins and ankles, taking away the mild burn. “What the hell was that?” she exclaims, her arms flapping wildly.
“You needed coffee.” He’s not going to explain the rest. Caroline’s sharp enough to make the necessary connections.
Her fingers twist the ends of the belt that wraps around her waist. Her outrage quiets slightly, “And if I need something you have to get it for me?”
Klaus conjures another cup, this time a sturdier vessel. He offers it instead of answering. Caroline glares, refusing to take it. “It’s just an expression! I don’t need coffee I just want it. And I am perfectly capable of making my own.”
He’s not about to confess that his curse means he must fulfill her wants too. Caroline had claimed decent people existed but no one – mortal or immortal - is immune to temptation. To know that every whim can be satisfied? Awfully enticing.
She spins away from him, stomping across the kitchen. She yanks a slim canister out of a cupboard, tucking it under her arm when she looks over at him, “Just so we’re clear, if I say ‘I need’ followed by a thing you’ll just poof it into my hands?”
Klaus nods in confirmation. He has no desire to explain that if he doesn’t provide for her he’ll feel a small twinge. That the twinge will grow into aches and stabs and bone grinding, suffocating pressure. That it will build and build and build until he gives in. Or until he collapses and then gives in.
It’s been a long time since he’s fought a master’s will but he’d done it often in the beginning, before he’d realized that open rebellion is pointless. The pain isn’t something he’ll ever forget.
Caroline’s got her back to him, her hands busy, and she’s quiet. Contemplative, he’ll say, because her eyes keep flitting his way. “I think we’re going to need to set some ground rules.”
Ah. Finally, something familiar.
How disappointing.
He doesn’t move, is sure his expression remains carefully pleasant. Caroline, somehow, manages to sense the downturn in his mood. She sighs, shoving the cup he’d made across the table towards him as she sits down. “Not like that,” she insists. “We’re not even going to call them rules. We need to agree on a few things.”
Klaus stays silent, wary. The worst people often had a gift for spinning pretty words to cover their worst actions.
“You do have a say, here. I wished that, remember?”
She’s wished for his honesty, his true thoughts and feelings. Klaus isn’t yet sure if she deserves them.
Drink…” her teeth come together with a snap and she shakes her head. “Sorry, I think I almost did it again. If you happen to like coffee, please feel free to drink the one you made.” Her brow wrinkles in concentration, her mouth moving and forming the same words she’d just spoken. She nods briskly, satisfied. “Was that okay? Didn’t trigger any bad genie mojo?”
He can risk a taste of honesty. To test her.
Klaus grasps the mug, lifts it to his lips. He sniffs experimentally, “I don’t remember if I like it or not.” He’d drunk it often centuries ago. He’d lived in Hamburg with a scientist who feared failure more than he desired rest. Klaus had spent hours upon hours transcribing notes, drinking coffee when prompted because his master, like most scientific types of the time, had thought magic preposterous. He hadn’t understood that Klaus didn’t need to fight sleep with stimulants.
She watches him, a pleased smile curling her lips. “Good?” she asks, as if she’s genuinely interested.
“I think so,” Klaus replies. He tries another mouthful.
It tastes better than he remembers but perhaps that’s because each sip is a choice.
Caroline panics when she hears keys in the door. She's been taking advantage of the pile of banked sick days she has, to deal with the whole genie situation. She'd sent her boss an email with a sob story about a killer bout of stomach flu. She's never done it before, feels a little bad about lying, but her excuse hasn’t been questioned.
One of the perks of being a kickass employee.
The truth would have gotten her locked up on a twenty-four-hour psych hold, and Caroline does not want to deal with that. Even if Klaus could probably break her out with his freaky magic stuff.
She’s sprawled out on the floor, catching up on her YouTube subscriptions. Klaus is on the couch – so far he’s yet to let his posture be less than flawless in her presence – reading a book. He’s not a fan of the television but he’s yet to object to having music on.
She shoves herself up onto her knees when she hears the door open, her eyes sweeping the room for anything that might invite questions. There’s nothing, thank god.
"Care?" Bonnie calls, "are you okay? I brought crackers and Gatorade!"
Ugh. She hadn't counted on her friends, and their keys to her place, screwing with her plans.
"Hide!" she hisses at Klaus. His eyes widen, face going blank. He nods once, harsh and jerky, before he immediately does his wispy smoky thing, dissipating before her eyes (and seriously, that’s never not going to be weird) leaving his lamp rattling.
She feels a stab of guilt, because she'd meant for him to go upstairs, having picked up on the revulsion and wariness he seemed to feel for the little metal vessel that had been his home and prison. It still sits on her coffee table; he makes a point not to touch it. She'd been asking questions for the last few days, carefully teasing out his story.
Sometimes Klaus grows cold, his answers becoming monosyllabic. He's never refused to answer her inquiries, but she’s quick to change the subject when his words become slow and reluctant. She’s told him he doesn’t have to do anything; she suspects he doesn’t believe her. That he’s waiting for her to flip and start making demands.
Once she’d worked out that he was forced to follow her orders she’d asked what happened if he didn’t. He'd gone stiff when he'd imparted that knowledge, the words clipped as he refused to meet her eyes. She imagines he's tested the limits of the magic that traps him thoroughly, as stubborn and prideful as he seems to be. That whatever the punishment doled out is unbearable if he dreads it so deeply.
She’s vowed he’ll never hurt that way again but pain isn’t always physical.
She’ll have an apology to make.
Thinking quickly Caroline ruffles her hair, wraps herself in her afghan and slumps down on the couch. She tries to look miserable and queasy, planning on getting Bonnie to leave as soon as possible.
She's under no illusions that her friends won't have to meet Klaus eventually. She's just planning on easing them into it. Maybe mention that she's looking for a roommate, interview a couple candidates for show.
It'll give her time to make up a reasonable background story. Plus, Caroline needs a little more time for Klaus to get acclimated to the world, so he won't make her friends suspicious. So far things from the twenty-first century are hit and miss. He'd turned his nose up at the coffee she made, has continued to conjure his own. Caroline has to admit his is way better then what he machine drips out. Klaus does seem to like the internet. After he’d thoroughly investigated men’s clothing she’d taught him how to google things and he seems to enjoy that he can find information for himself instead of having to pester her when he there’s something he doesn’t understand.
She's going to need to prepare Klaus for Kat. She’s sure he can hold his own, has seen steel nerves and an implacable will under the deference he’s trained himself to exude, but she can't help feeling protective. Caroline has seen Kat cheerfully crush weak men under her stilettos, with merely biting words and a toss of her hair, not exerting the slightest effort. Kat will actually try if she thinks she's vetting a potential roommate of Caroline's.
The least she can do is spare Klaus the worst of that. Since she'd unwittingly made herself his mistress.
Yep, that’s still creepy. And a tiny bit hot in a way that makes Caroline want to fidget in shame.
She makes a show of struggling to sit up as Bonnie approaches, really makes it seem like it’s an effort to lift her head.
Apparently she’s pretty good at the fake sick thing, something that might have been useful back in high school. Bonnie doesn’t stay long, insists Caroline rest as she goes. Part of that might be how distracted she is, her mind too focused on Klaus. She's not even sure how she can get him out of the lamp, knows she’ll have to coax and grovel, that she can’t demand.
She'd read the little flash of betrayal in his eyes clearly, even though he'd masked it expertly. She doesn't want to see it again.
Klaus has no form inside his lamp.
Caroline had shown him a few episodes of a silly television show. He’d found it offensive, had glowered through parts of it – did humans really think such incompetence would be allowed? Klaus is quite sure the magic that punished him for disobedience would have torn the tiny blonde woman apart for her antics. Afterwards he’d admitted that he could understand Caroline’s initial reactions to his presence. He wonders if she thinks his lamp is like the television genie’s, bright and comfortable and strewn with cushions.
In truth, there’s nothing inside. He’s nothing inside. He’s only thoughts and emotions. His senses leave him, except for his hearing, and it’s dark. The longer he spends inside the harder it is to keep from drifting. Only the call of his owner can pull him back.
Inside, he’s not aware of time passing. He’s completely subject to another’s whims and he hates it.
He can hear Caroline, one of her friends outside. He listens eagerly, clings to the knowledge that if they’re talking he’s losing only minutes, not years.
The friend seems concerned. He learns that Caroline’s been faking an illness. Had she not trusted him enough to leave him to his own devices in her home?
Had she not known that she could banish him, as she’d just done?
Caroline whispers his name. He can’t tune her out.
If he’s honest he doesn’t want to. He’d preferred his cruelest master to the nothingness of his lamp and even if Caroline’s a liar he doubts she’ll take that title.
“I don’t know if you can hear me.”
She must touch the lamp because he gets a brief impression of warmth.
Too brief.
“I’m sorry.”
No one’s thought him worthy of an apology since he’d been human. Even then they’d been rare.
He listens to her breathing, quick and anxious. “I didn’t mean to make you go away. I’ve been trying so hard to choose my words carefully. And trust me, I suck at that. I just panicked.”
He thinks of how she’d looked in the moment she’d told him to hide. Her eyes had been round, her body tense. Usually graceful she’s moved in fits and starts.
Perhaps she’s not a liar.
“I haven’t told my friends about you because… well, they’d think I’d gone nuts. Elena would tell her mom and her mom would call my mom and the whole town would be whispering about me within the week. People from high school I don’t even like would start sending me faux concerned messages on Facebook hoping for more dirt.”
She pauses.
Klaus hopes she hasn’t gone.
Only because he hates the lamp, of course. The lack of awareness, the inability to exert even the smallest bit of his will. Having to depend on another to tether him. Never knowing when, even if, they’d release him.
“I meant hide literally. Like, hide upstairs in your room or even in the laundry room. Just out of sight. Not out of the house. Well, I guess you’re still in the house. Which I’m really glad about, by the way. Even though I know you’re pissed at me. Which is totally okay.”
He hears her groan and then her next words are muffled. “God, I sound like a moron.”
“I get it if you don’t want to talk to me. And if you come out you don’t have to talk to me. I can go out for awhile if you really want some you time. And you don’t have to come out. But, if you want to… Well, I’d appreciate it.”
Klaus concentrates, presses against the boundaries of the lamp. Leaving always burns a little but the relief of having a physical body again is greater than the discomfort. He rolls his shoulders once he’s upright and solid, waiting for Caroline to notice him. She’s got her eyes closed, her head in her hands.
His fingers twitch.
He cannot remember the last time he’d felt the desire to touch another person but Caroline tempts him.
Klaus reaches out, looping one of her blonde curls around his index finger. She gasps when he tugs, her hand grabbing at his. She’s quick to stutter an apology, to pull away.
This time Klaus chooses not to let her. He wraps her hand around her wrist, tugs until she stands. “Thank you,” he says. “For apologizing.”
Her throat moves, a nervous swallow that he easily hears. She seems to be having trouble looking at him, her blue eyes flitting away, landing on the lamp. “What if… can you destroy it?”
Oh, how he’s tried. Klaus shakes his head, “No, I can’t. It’s immune to my powers.”
Caroline’s eyes narrow, her head tipping to the side, “What if I wish for it?”
Klaus can only laugh, too startled to bother hiding his derision. “You’d waste another wish?”
He can’t see how she could possibly want to.
“Would getting rid of it hurt you?”
Not weaken him or take away his power. She’s worried about him hurting.
“Caroline. I think you fundamentally misunderstand the concept of wishes.”
She glares at him, “I’m going to ignore the fact that you kind of just called me stupid.”
“I didn’t phrase it quite that way.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re kind of annoying?”
It’s not a condemnation. She might even be teasing him.
“Not for a very long time.” His siblings had once expressed such sentiments. Rebekah sually in a pitched shriek of outrage, Kol with a shove that generally led to a scuffle.
“That’s a no, then? Destroying the lamp won’t hurt you?”
“Not if you wish it.”
“Good.” Caroline steps away, shaking off the light hold he’s maintained on her wrist. Klaus finds that he’s not overly fond of the distance between them now.
She’s still in a bit of a temper, carefully straightening her clothing and enunciates carefully, “I wish for this lamp,” she pauses then, reaching out to pick it up, cradling it in both hands, “to be destroyed, for it to never be remade or repaired, and for it’s whatever magic it holds to die.”
“Thorough,” Klaus murmurs. He hadn’t been wrong; his Caroline is clever.
She bends her knees, dipping into a brief curtsey, “I’ve been researching.”
“Are you sure this is your wish? Once made…”
“A wish cannot be unmade. Blah blah blah. Just freaking do it.”
He takes it from her, the first time he’s willingly touched it. He grips it tightly, until it burns his hands. It fights him, he shakes, but a master’s will cannot be subverted.
He’s panting when he’s done but the lamp is gone.
He’ll never lose himself inside it again.
He laughs again, this time with genuine joy.
Caroline fusses over him, drags him into the kitchen and turns on the cold water. She holds her hands under the stream.
He doesn’t tell her it’s useless, that he’ll heal well enough on his own.
He remembers wanting things once. A toy sword, bread his mother had just baked. Pigments from a travelling merchant. The heart of a girl who couldn’t decide if who deserved her love most.
Klaus had thought he’d forgotten how to want.
He hasn’t.
#kcauweek2019#klaroline#klaroline drabbles#an actual sequel to a thing that people actually wanted???#who am I
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Scene Recreation (Final Project):
Link to Scene Recreation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR0KS60bTo9V-ElXikLsCFRyCM4Y5t-_yXpydOf-uCoXq3a6ZV26U32tu00&v=-pA-BQbMPpw&feature=youtu.be
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Link to Original Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPazh2kDdvA&t=68s
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(From 0:00 to 1:03)
Pre-Production:
For our final project, we had to do a scene recreation exercise. We chose our own groups of between four to six people, and had to choose a scene no longer than three minutes to recreate. My group consisted of Ben McMorran, Jack Weir, James Stevenson and Tom Spurin, and the scene we recreated was the Facemash scene from the 2010 David Fincher movie “The Social Network”. This scene follows an angry Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) as he blogs about his ex-girlfriend, whom he has just broken up with, and decides to create a website comparing girls to farm animals after hearing his drunk roommate’s ramblings.
This was not always our plan. Our initial plan was to recreate the opening scene for “Filth”, which follows the character of Bruce Robertson (played by James MacAvoy) as he walks away from Edinburgh castle, while a voiceover reveals his opinions on what it is like to be Scottish. As we stay in Edinburgh and could actually visit the locations featured in the film, we thought this would be an ideal scene to do.
Filth Opening Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbPdQmi3s0M
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(From 0:00 to 0:37)
However, on the day of the shoot, due to the poor weather and barriers being set up by Edinburgh castle, we were unable to get the opening shot and felt without that, the scene wouldn't work as well if we were to just jump into the second shot and also cut off the beginning of the monologue. After considering various possibilities, we settled on the scene from “The Social Network”, as we all liked the scene and felt it was something we had the resources to do.
Production:
As in previous tasks, it was up to us to assign ourselves roles. Jack and James were the directors for the film, and me and Ben were in charge of the camera, and everyone helped with setting up the lighting. (However, these roles were not set in stone, and everyone helped out with whatever needed done.) Jack played Mark Zuckerberg (as portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg in the actual film) and I played his drunk roommate. Ben and Tom (who had to pull out of the shoot at the last minute for personal reasons) were in charge of the edit.
For this project, we decided to film in my flat, given the film is set in student halls, and features the character sitting at a wooden desk not too dissimilar from my own.. We used my laptop and tv monitor in the film. While my laptop was a bit bigger than the one in the film, it was the same colour and worked reasonably well. For the blog, we used the same website (LiveJournal) that was used in the film, however due to being updated it didn't look exactly the same. For the images of the other students that Mark looks at, we just used some random images off the internet. For the clothes, Jack wore a grey jumper that he owned and I wore a green shirt and white t-shirt of my own. The beer bottles were just some empty beer bottles from the recycling which I cleaned then filled with some water. Mark’s bottle in the film is green and I had hoped to find a Peroni (which, while maybe not the beer featured in the film, was certainly the same colour) but couldn't, so went with a brown coloured Budweisser bottle. For my character (the drunken flatmate), he is meant to be carrying a pack of six beers but in our recreation only has one. We didn't have a pack of beer, and figured this was a background detail that wasn't too important, so decided to go with it just the one.
While the general feel and certain aspects of my room worked for the film, due to the layout it would have been impossible to get some shots. Take the shot where Mark’s roommate walks over and sits on the bed behind Mark. This would have been impossible to shoot as the place he walks in from is where my wall is. For this reason, we decide to shoot the film with everything on the reverse side and then flip the footage in the edit to make it look correct.
For the scene from “Filth”, we had intended to rely on natural lighting so we had not booked out any lighting kit, and were aware we may have had to go our separate ways, book out some lighting equipment, and regroup at a later date. However, given everyone was already there, we didn’t want to call it a day without achieving anything. Additionally, several members of the group were going home shortly for the Christmas break. We decided to do a camera test, setting up a shot from “The Social Network'' and see if we could pull the scene of that day to a good quality. We only used only two orange lamps and my small white bedside lamp (which was attached to the wall). After setting up the shot, we were satisfied we could get a good quality of lighting without booking out the tungsten lamps, and we decided to go ahead with the scene there and then.
We began by reviewing the scene and taking a shot list. We started with the shots focusing on Mark Zuckerberg blogging, and ended by getting the shots of the computer. Ben and I alternated between using the camera, and whoever wasn’t filming or onscreen would be doing setting up the lighting. For the lighting, we used the lamps and put then on whatever boxes or other objects were to hand. We used a tripod for most of the film, bar the opening shot, which was done handheld. Regrettably, this meant it didn't look as smooth as in the film, but the majority of the other shots were all static, so they looked fine.
We filmed for about two hours before rapping up and parting ways. Jack later recorded the voiceover and sent it to Ben and Tom. It turned out we had missed two shots of the monitor (the shots seen at 0:38 to 0:39), so it did a mock up of those shots in my own home, recorded them on my camcorder and sent them to Ben and Tom, who put them in the final edit.
Feedback:
Feedback for the film was generally positive. The lighting, depth of field, cinematography and editing were praised, and overall the scene was said to be fairly faithful to the original. Jack's performance as Mark was also praised. However, this was some criticism.
The location was one of the main issues. The blue walls were slightly distracting, an issue that could have been solved by hanging up some kind of white material. The room also felt more cramped than the room in the original, and the lighting didn't always seem natural (while the light in the original was clearly coming from a lamp, there were some shots in ours where there was no clear source). This could have been solved by having the lamp visible in certain shots.
Addition, people took issue with the photos used for the photos of the other students, and the lines across the computer screen. I would agree with these issues. This was due to having to change our scene and using what was to hand. In the future, hopefully we would be able to create an appropriate document ourselves beforehand, instead of using some random photos from the internet. The lines across the computer could be solved by using some green cloth to cover the screen and using visual effects to put the appropriate images on later. However, this isn't something I know a lot about. A better solution could be to change the frame rate of the camera to match the monitor's refresh rate.
There were a few issues raised with regards to the framing. Someone pointed out the position of my character changed the side of Mark he was on, from being on the right side of Mark in a close up to being on the left side in the wide. While this is the case, this also happens in the film.
Another framing issue was that one shot of the computer screen is taken from roughly 45 degrees to the right when in the original scene it is taken from roughly 45 degrees to the left. This was likely due to us being in the mindset of filming everything the opposite way around. In future we should be more careful to avoid this, by taking particular care when filming shots featuring text we intend to flip later on. Admittedly, there are several shots where the text is flipped, but in those shots the text is the main focus, so this isn't too big an issue.
While most of the framing was positively received, the opening shot, which pulls over Mark’s shoulders to look at the computer, was criticized due to its handheld nature (as it was a much smoother shot in the actual film) but I think even it we had ample time to prepare, this would still be a difficult shot to pull of, as the only way we could do it was handheld. This was also complicated by the fact we had to change focus at the same time.
Someone raised the issue of the bottle being the wrong colour (brown as opposed to green), which also meant it blurred into the background slightly more. I agree with this point, but this was due to having to use whatever was to hand and not having the right prop ready, which we would have had this been the original plan.
In some cases the voice over was a bit quiet, meaning it was hard to make out certain lines of dialogue. Personally I didn't have this issue, but that could just be because I am familiar with Jack’s voice and the dialogue he is saying. This issue could probably be solved by raising the sound levels in the edit.
Overall I am happy with what we did, given the time and resources available to us due to our late change of plan, and think everyone did a great job in the lead up to and including the day of shooting.
Shot Comparison:
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