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khoicesbyk · 1 year

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Revenge.

A/N: This AU is a mashup of chapters from the new…ish book First Comes Love

Book: First Comes Love

A/N 2: This book was cute until the LI got on my nerves. He's fine as all get out but oblivious as shit. So what happens when you decide to play his game? Read and find out!

A/N 3: In this series, you are the MC. So you get to experience all the emotional damage that comes along. Have fun!

Rated: Mature. | Contains sexual content and strong language. (You know? The usual from me. 😁) | Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters. | Main Characters: Blake Marshall (LI) and Reader (MC) | All Characters and names: (except MC and original characters created by me) are property of Pixelberry.

Current Word Count: 3,600 words. (more or less. I stop counting after editing and re-editing. 🤷🏾‍♀️)

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations

Missing a chapter or want to read a chapter again? I got you covered! Click ——> Here!

If you’d like to be added to my tag list. Just reblog or dm me and I will gladly add you! 😁😘

This series is rated Mature. It is NOT reading material that is safe for those under 18. Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised!

Chapter 2.) The One For Me.

Alexa play SWV's “You're The One.”

Because that's how I feel about Y/N. I've known for years that she's been in love with me. It's literally written in her eyes. It's in that beautiful smile. And well…I’ve always felt the same way about her. How can I not?

We've known each other since that day we met on the quad. She smiled at me and my knees could've damn near buckled. She was always active in everything she set her mind to. Starting the school’s only Majorette squad (I swear I wanted to die every time I watched her practice), running for and winning SGA President, getting the school to offer African American Studies, establishing our school’s Black Student Council, the list goes on and on.

She's also always been there for me. Whenever I needed her she was there. Whether I needed a study partner, a sounding board, or someone to hold my hand as I pledged Kappa. I still have a picture of her sleeping in my jacket.

Red and white looks good on her. Everything looks good on her. Especially me. I always loved it when she would fall asleep on my chest back in school. Even after we graduated it's always been us. She's always been there. She's my girl without actually being my girl, you know?

So why is she trying me? Why is she with Stars…Moon…Sun, whatever his name is? Better yet why did I watch her fuck him? Why did I like watching her fuck him?

Fuck! How did I get here?

She's always been mine. Always. Sure she's had her exes none worse than Derek but deep down, that's my girl. So why is she acting so weird? I don't understand. Why would she be about him when she's always been about me?

If she's mad about Becky being on the trip, I'm sorry. I know I should've told her about her. I tell her everything. Well, almost everything. I just didn't think it would be a problem. Until he showed up. Then it became a problem. I can't stand it.

Watching him have his hands all over her. Touching her in ways I have only dreamed of. Kissing her, kissing on her. I've only kissed her once. It was only because some guy was harassing her at a bar we were at and she needed a way to get him off her ass. Her lips were soft, I didn't want to stop.

What the fuck does he have that I don’t have anyway?

He's 5’11, I'm 6’3.

He had some tone but I have muscle.

He had swag (very little), but I am a man.

I’m perfect for (Y/N) and the fact that she refuses to see it boils my fucking blood.

Sure, I’m dating Rebecca. She’s nice and all…most of the time.

But (Y/N), she makes me happy. I have wasted so much time being with the wrong person.

I don’t want Bad Girls Club, drama or a woman who doesn’t know herself.

I want Sunday dinners, trips to other places, and…everything with this special someone.

How do I get to that place? How?

Then there's the fact, Stars is not her fucking type. He's a gym bro who's a fire Marshal. So he rescues puppies and kittens from burning buildings. Big deal. And also, they have nothing in common.

Whereas she and I have bared our souls to each other. I have cooked for her more times than I can count. The things she hates, I love. And the things I hate she loves. We're in sync. I've seen her at her worst. I was there to help her pick up the pieces of her broken heart.

But ever since she got here it's been weird between us. And then he comes along and all of a sudden she acts like I don't exist in her life. Playing with her hair around him, biting her bottom lip, that small smile. That's all meant for me. Not him.

Y/N is a catch. She's beautiful. Any man would be lucky to call her theirs. And by any man I mean me. I'm the only one for her. She knows this. And yet I have to watch her spend time with him.

It's driving me fucking crazy!

I know I can't stifle her, I mean I could but I want her to explore. Find out who she is on her own. Even though I already know who my girl is.

Which is why I put up with her exes. Most of them were okay at best but they never really knew her. Not like I do. And let's also be clear, none of them were me. I'm the one she wants. Then there was Derek. Man, I wanted him dead.

I knew Derek would be nothing but trouble from the moment they met but I didn't think it would be that bad. Not until he cheated on her and worse tried to put his hands on her.

If Lino hadn't held me back, I'd probably be in jail for murder. He was no fucking good. Always trying to control her. Always telling her he didn't like her being around me or Lino. Said it made him uncomfortable. While he had lady friends galore.

This fool even managed to piss Eve off. And trust me, it takes A LOT to piss her off. But my girl was in love. I couldn't say or do anything. Not yet. Not until he fucked up. And man did he fuck up. Spectacularly I might add.

She caught him in bed with a girl from his job and that was it. She went off on him, as she should have, and when he couldn't stand to see her stand up for herself, he raised his hand to her. I will never forget that phone call. Hearing the crack in her voice and that he tried to hit her, I was ready for war.

I laid next to her as she cried herself to sleep. Then watched her pick herself up and put her heart back together. And she’s been on her guard ever since. Not that I blame her.

Most men are gross and would not hesitate to hurt her. Not me though. I know exactly how to treat her.

I'm getting too far into my head. She still loves me. I know it. I know her. He's convenient and temporary. I am forever to her. I have to be. We've been through too much.

If it wasn't for that damn bonfire we wouldn't be having any issues. Which once again is his fault. He just had to invite her. He tried to get her to himself. Fuck that shit. Nobody gets Y/N alone but me.

Thank God she had sense enough to include her wingman. We're a team, we do it all together.

Seeing her show off in that yellow sundress literally tested my resolve. The way it hugged her curves…I could've done some VERY wicked things to her. She looked amazing and when she walked past me switching her hips making her ass bounce…if only God would have taken me.

Becks…she tried. But what she didn't understand is that's not how Black Women dress or act or sound like for that matter. But at least she tried…ish.

The bonfire was nice actually. The drinks were great. The food was spectacular. The vibe was amazing. Or it would've been if Stars had kept his hands off of Y/N.

The way they danced together. The fact they were so close and so intimate. If I wasn't dancing with Becky I would've broken them up by now. Because this is going too far. As the night wound down Y/N and Stars disappeared. And I had to know where they were going.

Thankfully Becks was drunk and when that happens, she's ready for bed. I was thankful for Lino and Eve. They would make sure she got back safe. I followed Stars and her to find out what they were up to. And what I saw…

I—

The way he fucked her…it got my dick hard.

Y/N always starred in whatever she was in, and watching her with Great Value Captain America, with all his cheap ass stars, was the best porn I ever watched.

I thought about the way he held her down, the way he thrusted into her. That should’ve been me. It should've been my name dripping from her lips. It should've been my lips on her.

“Babyyyyyyy! Come to bed! I’m horny!” Becks shouted.

God, she smelled like cheap ass Hennessey. How? She doesn’t even drink Hennessy like that.

Becks was acting like a damn fool, tripping onto the bed.

As I helped her get her lashes and jewelry off (God, this shit is tarnishing already), I got my own clothes off and settled into bed next to her.

She was exhausting, and I was fucking exhausted with with her.

Everything about her was tiring from her fake ass blaccent to that BBL that she made me go half in on (worst $900 I ever spent because who the fuck gets their ass done in Mexico?).

And what’s worse is that I still had a boner from thinking about Y/N.

The way she shook her ass on the dance floor with Mr. American Pie made my dick hard as a rock.

I turned the lights out and laid in bed, spreading my legs wide.

I imagined her fucking him, being under him…

I fished my underwear out of my box and started to touch myself.

I imagined my mouth instead of her fingertips.

I imagined her mouth instead of my palms.

I rubbed myself until I was fully ingratiated into my fantasy and when I came to, I nutted.

I sighed, and-

“ZZZZZZZ!”

I glared over at Becky as she let out the loudest snore I ever heard.

Shaking my head, I turned over and tried to rest.

My sleeping goal was unsuccessful that night.

___

The next morning dawned bright and early, and I was already feeling a lot better. That nut I busted did me a bit of good. I was ready for breakfast.

When Becky and I got to the breakfast buffet, Y/N was already there. Looking fine as hell. Those sleep shorts showed off her ass and her thighs, and that tank top highlighted the curves of her breasts.

There was plenty of maple syrup around, I could've easily had her for breakfast.

Everything was going good until I found out that Stars was in her room and she was getting breakfast for HIM.

First of all, she's not a servant, and second, why is this fool in her room?!

I couldn't believe it. He's violating my space. He's in HER room AND HER bed? Nah! Not even about to play that.

I need a plan. This has gone on long enough. He's getting too damn comfortable and close to my girl. How do I break up this little fling? Because that's what it is. This is a fling.

All day she's been up under him. And it's starting to make me crack. I couldn't even enjoy the day because of this. I came inside and ran straight into Becky.

Oh God…

“Baby, I got a headache,” she groans.

I knew her tired ass shouldn’t have drank all that, Hennessy…

“I need you,” she says, holding her arms out to me.

“You should lay back and relax,” I respond, pulling her to me and kissing her head.

She uses too much fucking hair grease, and she doesn’t even have any edges.

“I want to sleep,” she says before running her hands over the front of my jeans batting here eyelashes, “But I also wanna fuck.”

Y/N was still on my mind so I didn’t want to. But I imagined her under Mr. 4th of July Meets Telenovela and I got hard all over again.

“Lay back,” I ordered her.

Becks laid back on the bed and I crawled on top of her before pulling off her undies.

At least she smelled normal down there. But she didn’t smell as good as Y/N.

I spread her thighs and went to work, using my tongue to take what little pleasure I could from this situation. Her moans weren’t sultry at all. In fact, they were loud, sleazy, and obnoxious.

But if Y/N and America the Ugly are in the next room, I can use this to my advantage.

I lick deeper and deeper into Rebecca’s pussy, pulling out the loudest moans that she can provide.

The whole ship must be awake now.

“Ugh! Yes, Blake! Fuck, Daddy!”

I hated it when she called me Daddy.

“Ugh…fuck, Sky. Yes…”

I tried to imagine Y/N under me; her body, the sounds she makes…

It made it bearable.

When Becks was ready, I quickly got out of my pants and undies and went inside her.

Fuck, she didn’t even feel like Y/N.

I imagined Y/N’s moans - whatever I needed to get my nut.

God, Becks needed lotion. She felt like a fucking lizard. No! Focus, Blake.

Becks was going to town and I was over it. I just wanted to bust this nut and move on.

She rides like she has no idea how to ride. This girl was literally on the back of a horse but can't ride a dick to save her life. Someone kill me, please.

This is weird and uncomfortable. I can't do this.

“Why don't we switch positions?” I suggest. I want her off of me. Now!

She rolls off me

She pouts for a moment but thankfully gets her ass off of me. Thank you to whatever spiritual deity is looking out for me.

“Arch your back,” I tell her.

“Yes, Daddy. Anything for you.”

Stop calling me Daddy! The only woman I want calling me Daddy is my girl.

As I got ready to mount her, all I could think about was Y/N. I could hear her begging me for it. I could feel her desperate need for me to fuck her. As I slowly slid into Becky, all I could think of was Y/N.

Her reactions and the way she felt around my dick. All of that made fucking Becky a whole lot easier.

I close my eyes and instantly see my girl in my head. On all fours, face down with that sexy ass up in the air.

God, she looks amazing. Moaning and whimpering for me. Begging me to fuck her harder.

“Ooh! Fuck! Yes, Blake!” Becky moans.

I tune her out and focus on my girl.

My girl is giving me everything she has to give. Throwing it back like a pro and driving me crazy.

“That's it, baby. Throw it back! Give me that pussy.”

Becky responded but I didn't have the heart to tell her I wasn't talking about her.

I needed this. I needed her. I needed to bust this damn nut.

God, Becks takes forever to cum. I'm ready to end this.

“Cum for me.”

“Just a little more Daddy! That's all I need.”

Woman, I don't have all fucking day! Hurry up!

“Now girl!”

I help her along until I feel her walls contract and release against me. She was done but sadly I wasn't.

She collapsed on the bed and wrapped herself up in the covers.

“Mmm! Thank you, Daddy! That was so much fun.” she purrs in my ear. I literally had to fight not to flinch.

“Yeah. Look, I'm gonna hop in the shower.”

“You go ahead. I'm gonna lay here on cloud nine.

I couldn't run to the shower fast enough. I needed to get this nut off fast. I turned on the hot water, let it hit my body, closed my eyes, and rubbed it out.

If this is my punishment for pissing off whichever God in the sky, I'm so sorry. I promise I will mend my wicked ways.

My mind grew angry at the idea of Y/N riding Star's mini-stripe. Fucking arrogant, rich bastard.

I did my best to wash away Rebecca and put my true woman there. I imagined her in the shower with me, taking my dick into her hands as she sucked voraciously on my balls.

"Mmm," she moans, "Your balls are so big, Daddy."

"Baby, slow down," I respond, breath heavy, "You'll make Daddy nut on your pretty face."

"But daddy," she moans, looking up at me, holding my dick almost proudly, "Our kids are in here. I gotta get you ready."

"Ready?"

"Yeah. I want your babies. You wanna get your babygirl pregnant?"

The look she gave me as she jacked my dick almost made me nut immediately.

"Ugh, fuck. Yes, baby. Go on ahead and make Daddy finish."

"Yes daddy…ugh…put it in my mouth," she whispered.

The heat of her breath made me see the Pearly Gates (or the Fiery Pits depending on your beliefs about adultery), and I stuck my dick into her mouth.

She was my little cum vacuum. And I fucking loved it.

When I looked down at my hand I was thoroughly satisfied. My girl does it for me again.

—

She had been distant ever since she went swimming with Mr All-American. I've tried everything to get her attention but so far nothing. She's been all about him. I caught her as she came walking down the hall.

She had on this beautiful strapless burnt orange dress with a high slit up the right side. She put her hair up in a half-do. And those sexy white heels she had on. My dick grew three times its size in my jeans.

“Where are you headed off to?” I ask her.

“Sky is taking me to a Salsa Club in town,” she tells me.

“Why are you going to a club for some dip?”

She shook her head and smiled at me.

“Not the dip you idiot. The dance.”

It was good to see that smile.

When Stars showed up I could've chucked his ass off a mountain. Smiling at my girl. Whispering in her ear. Wrapping his arms around her waist.

Ugh! I hate it here!

I watched them walk out the door and just knew I had to go after them. Why? Because I don't fucking like or trust him.

I convinced Becks to go with me to the club. Mainly because it would give me plausible deniability if my girl asked me why we were there. Also, I'm trying to see Y/N shake her ass.

We got to the club maybe an hour after they did. It wasn't a bad looking place. It reminded me of a place in Miami that Y/N and I went to the SOBE Wine And Food Festival one year. When we walked inside there they were. Tearing up the dance floor.

She was so in tune with the music and the atmosphere. I kinda appreciated the way he would spin her around. The way her hips moved as they danced had me in a trance.

After a few drinks, I let Becks drag me out on the dancefloor to challenge them. We lost. In spectacular fashion. But we worked up a sweat. This was a great exercise.

They finally got off the dancefloor and sat at a table across the room. And I wouldn't have cared all that much until he looked at me over her shoulder, nodded, winked, and smirked at me.

It took everything in me not to walk over and punch him in his smug face. When he got up to go back to the dance floor and Becks went to the bathroom, I went to talk to her.

“Well if it isn't the dancing queen.”

She rolled her eyes at me and smirked.

“Why are you here Blake?”

“I can't take my girlfriend on a date?”

She gave me a sideways look.

“Uh huh. I know what you’re doing Marshall.”

“What am I doing?”

“Spying on me.”

I place a hand over my chest.

“Me?! Sweet innocent me?! Spy on you?”

She rolled her eyes and smirked at me over her drink. The look in her eyes made my dick wiggle.

“Nice moves by the way. You have the dancing skills of a sumo wrestler.”

Ouch. That stings.

“You wound me.”

She shrugged innocently.

“Not my fault your talents are best suited for the kitchen and not dancing.”

She's not wrong.

“Are you done being mad at me?”

“I'm not mad at you, Blake.”

“Sure feels that way.”

“I just want to have fun, that's all.”

Baby girl, you can have all the fun you want with me. You don't need him.

“Does it have to be with him?”

“Well it's certainly not gonna be the dad-to-be or Eve so Sky is my only viable option.”

I'm right here baby. Just say the word.

“I just…”

She slipped her hands into mine.

“I get it. You’re looking out for me. But I need you to trust me. Can you do that for me? Please?”

It took everything in me not to drag her out of there.

“Yeah. I can do that.”

“Thank you, Marshall.”

That's when Stars called out to her.

“Gotta go. I'll see you back at the resort.”

I watched her walk off, her ass looking good in that dress. And was more convinced than ever that Stars had to go. He will NOT take my girl from me.

#khoicesbyk #choices #choices stories you play #pixelberry #fanfic #choices fanfiction #first comes love #blake marshall #casual hookups

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iguana-eyanna · 3 years

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Inside of Your Light

Pairing: Jeff Wittek x Plus Size Model! Reader

Summary: The vlog squad threw you a special surprise for your birthday, including a big present that may change your life.

a/n: songfic What Have I Done by Dermont Kennedy

You woke up around 7 o'clock in the morning when your phone rang. You groggily grab it and see that your boyfriend, Jeff, started to facetime you. "Hello?" you whispered as your eyes tried to pry open.

"Happy Birthday, baby girl." Jeff said brightly, making you blush.

"Aww, thank you, Jeff. But why did you call me so early in the morning?" You joked as you started to sit up on your mattress. "Sorry, I'm at the gym at the hotel and I thought you'd be awake right now." Jeff replied sheepishly. Jeff got offered a brand deal in New York so he wasn't able to celebrate your special day in LA.

"It's ok, I was meaning to get dolled up a bit before Carley and Erin pick me up to get our nails done." You started to yawn as it made Jeff's heart melt a bit. "You're so cute when you wake up." he said, admiring how the sun hits the back of your head.

You smirk back at the screen as you playfully roll your eyes. “And to everyone else in the world, I’m Frankenstein coming back from the dead.” Jeff laughed harder as he smiled at you. “I gotta go and wrap my reps. Just wanted to wish my best girl an amazing day.” You blow him an air kiss as he winked back. “Love you, babes.” You said as you got out of bed. “Love you more,” Jeff said before he hung up the call.

You take a deep breath and thought how lucky you were to be with a guy like Jeff. You and Jeff joined the vlog squad around the same time a few years back. You were a plus-size model for a few companies like Fashion Nova and Pretty Little Thing. Once you started off your YouTube channel, Carley saw your videos and dmed you on Instagram to hang out sometime. You met up at a lunch with the group and she introduced you to everyone, but somehow caught Jeff’s eye.

The whole time, you and Jeff started to hit it off. Then with a lot of flirting and calling each other late at night, you both decided to make it official. Jeff thought you would turn him away due to his past, but you truly accepted him for his journey, even if it wasn’t pretty. Now you were going strong for about three years, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

After you’ve gotten ready, Erin texted you that they were outside. You head out and enter their car as they began filming. “Hey, guys! We just picked up our queen, happy birthday!” You smile brightly as you buckle in the back. “Thank you guys!” you said. Carly turns back to you and gives you your favorite Starbucks drink and a cake pop. “Thought you could use a little sugary treat to start the day.” You make a small pout from the gesture, thanking her again.

On your way to the nail salon, you guys start talking about David’s latest antics as well as a fancy restaurant that just opened that you really wanted to try. The girls make a face at the camera but you didn’t make of it as you arrived at your appointment. Carly switches off the camera as you all started heading out of the car.

Once you were all done, you all started to fan over the amazing job of your nail artists (which you all generously tipped) and decided to go out for lunch. “Are we still clubbing tonight?” Carly asked as she sipped her Seltzer. You nod yes as you finished a bite of your appetizer. “Yep, I’m so excited to wear this cocktail dress Jeff gave me before he left. I just wished he was here to celebrate.” You said, fumbling with the end of a napkin in front of you.

The girls give you a sympathetic look, knowing how much you’ve been missing him the past couple of days. Even after they changed the subject, all you could think of was Jeff. But after a good meal and a little site seeing, you started to feel a bit better. The girls dropped you home so you could relax before clubbing the night away.

Right when it hit evening, you began getting ready as you curled your hair and did your makeup just right. You slipped on the dress Jeff gave you that adored every curve on your figure, silently thanking your boyfriend for his taste in fashion.

You suddenly hear a knock at the door, thinking it's one of the girls. You unlock the door and open it to reveal no other than your very well-dressed boyfriend. "Jeff! You're back!" You screamed as you gave him a crushing hug, later kissing him. "Hey, doll." Jeff whispered as you took his breath away, taking out a bouquet of your favorite flowers.

"What are you doing back home?" You asked, still dazed that's actually at your doorstep. "C'mon, did you really think I was going to miss my best girl's big day?" He questioned with a twinkle in his eye. You roll your eyes and hug him again, truly blessed to have such an amazing boyfriend.

"I'm here to pick you up to your destination, shall we?" He offers his hand that you gladly took it. He helps you in his car as you both drove off to the main road with his hand on your upper thigh. You notice that he doesn't take the road to the club. "Babe, I think you missed a turn." you told Jeff who was smirking even more at your cluelessness. "Don't worry dolI, I know where I'm going." he takes a hold of your hand and kisses your knuckle as you blush harder.

He then parks in a parking lot and goes out of the car to open your door. Before you could actually take in your surroundings, Jeff shielded your view. "Hey! Jeff seriously, where are we?" you lightly scolded him. "You gotta trust me now, okay?" you agreed as you grumbled under your breath. With a few more steps, you start to enter a doorway that was decorated with...

streamers?

Jeff takes his hands off and you see all of your friends surrounding you. "Happy Birthday!" they all screamed out loud. You smile from ear to ear as Jeff wrapped his arms around your waist. Utterly shocked, you did your best to express your happiness but you were beyond speechless.

You suddenly realized that the place you were in was the restaurant you've desperately wanted to try and you turn around to Jeff who was beaming at your joy. "All for you, baby girl." his husky voice told you as you hugged him, pecking his face with kisses. Then, all of your friends ushered you both in to dine and dance. You saw how the entire restaurant had accents of rose gold decorations, as well as your friends wearing the same color palette.

Although this surprise was really touching, something was bothering you. Usually, they would throw parties like these for David, so why would they celebrate something big for you?

Later on, you all ate the most mouth-watering food as well as dancing to your favorite songs. Once they take out the birthday cake, you lose sight of Jeff. You ask Carly where he is but she brushed it off, saying that he's probably getting you a drink. As you started to dish out the cake, David stood up and clinked a knife to a glass.

"Hey everyone! If I could get your attention please." David shouted as the whole party calmed down. "There is a special surprise waiting outside on the back patio for our birthday girl, so could our celebrant please wear a blindfold?" Everyone started to cheer except for you. "I swear David if it's a wild animal..." you warned him but it was too late. One of the guys used a long fabric to cover your eyes, guiding you outside.

They take off the blindfold to reveal your boyfriend standing in front of you. You don't understand what's going on until you see a flower arch in the back of him, with a message illuminating "Marry Me." You gasp lightly as you cover your mouth with your eyes starting to water.

Jeff takes your shaking hands into his, ready to start his speech. “I wasn't really in New York for a brand deal, I was picking up your birthday gift.”

He then lowers himself on one knee, taking out a small pastel pink box to reveal a beautiful gold band decorated with transcendent diamonds. Both of you start to cry, but Jeff is literally a mess as he tries to finish his words.

“Before I met you, I thought I’d be better off alone. Now, my soul has been torn and reborn, started breathing for the very first in my life. As I’m standing in front of you, I wanna get it right for once.

Oh, believe me when I say I've been knocked out and beat but this feeling is fleeting. Even this morning, I've been thinking 'bout the way you smile golden…I want to move inside of your light.

I never thought I needed saving, I was right where I should be Good God, I know it's dangerous, but it's you that I need I'm in love this time. So, do you wanna be mine forever?”

You uncover your mouth and shake your head.

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes." you said. The waterworks literally overcame both of you as he slid the ring around your finger, getting up to kiss your lips. Your friends cheer as they close up to you, firing confetti cannons into the air. You look up to Jeff as you wiped away his happy tears away from his face.

No words were exchanged, but you could tell through his eyes that he was forever grateful for you to be a part of his life. You both kiss again, ending the night with great friends and memories that will forever last in the video Joe has been recording for Jeff's channel (which trended 14 million on YouTube for a whole month).

You were the light in his life and he will bask in it for eternity.

#jeff wittek #jeff wittek x reader #jeff wittek fluff #jeff wittek imagine #jeff wittek x y/n #vlog squad #david dobrik #carly and erin #youtube #vlog squad imagine #jeff wittek fanfic #vlog squad fanfic

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thetaoofbetty · 2 years

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it's below the cut, anon💜:

I wonder if BAs (no, I actually don’t) and the so called J*bitha shippers realize that they are framing Jughead’s commitment to Tabitha as an obligation and not as something he genuinely should feel. He doesn’t own Tabitha to be in love with her because she helped him with his trauma and gave him a place to live.

—okay but from the way they speak (at least the way they speak to me about it even tho i've literally never asked) they really seem to think having a crush on someone entitles them to you.

uh. no?

what's the bets they wouldn't be into the ship if it was the exact same only without bughead history if they loved tabitha so much and jughead acted the same way he does with her now? gonna relive history at saying this (again), i can feel it, but jughead isn't exactly the most amazing bf to her. and jessica and he weren't good for each other but he also wasn't amazing to her either? look at the way veggie was written or the way b/a is currently being written. jughead isn't the exception to the "sort of not great to their current gf when it's the wrong girl" club on this show. it's a shallow drama, tbh, so i didn't expect any different.

the women aren't an exception to this either.

That’s not how it works. You aren’t nice to a person expecting something in return. You are asking him to force feelings for her as gratitude and this is the same people that claim to love her? The only thing he owns her is honestly about his feelings for her. That’s it. He doesn’t own her a relationship or love if he doesn’t actually reciprocates those feelings.

—if jughead has feelings for her, great. if he's feeling confused, that's his business until the feelings are known enough to make it her business. he owes her respect, kindness, and honesty. he does not owe her a relationship or to work through anything if he doesn't want to.

and i have no doubt they think it's because of bughead that we're side eyeing the way they said that but no. no one said he was obligated to stay with betty if he didn't want to be with her. he didn't owe it to her to stay and work out his complicated feelings towards betty kissing archie if he didn't want to did he? of course not.

tho it is sort of entertaining how they've decided that those memories are going to make jughead fall back in love with betty. guess that's the only possible conclusion if riverdale is totally normal and legit and nothing weird at all is going on, just random superpowers and witches, guys.

Also, another part about J*bitha shippers is how apparently Jughead is in love with her? Please, someone tell him because he doesn’t seem to know he even likes her at all. Same goes for Tabitha. "J*bitha is strong enough to help him deal with his past" truly, the same J*bitha that doesn’t speak on traumatic or important moments in their life unless they are forced to do so by the consequences?

—i think, and i'm just throwing it out there, they're going by what happened in the vale. even tho the vale is a totally different thing? then again, they also say that b/a is in love but we haven't heard any love declarations yet. which, again, they didn't actually talk about anything and i think that was the point? they sort of just covered it all up and ignored it.

and i know, i know, symbolism. but uh, jughead kneeling over the typewriter, devastated at her having broken something betty had given him isn't actually the symbolism they wanted. shout out to that screener who started that tho. pretty sure it's also the one who started the whole thing about them not being in the same room while filming back in s5. kudos for perseverance on that.

i'll say it again but i really think them giving tabitha this cryptic oracle role with the time travel so the plot doesn't get given away too quickly is a major hinderance to her storyline both alone and with jughead. maybe that's on purpose, i don't know. without even the audience knowing what's happening, her information is only helpful if she shares it and her not sharing it or showing/telling the audience why that's a bad idea is just going to make her frustrating as a character.

The same Jughead that didn’t tell his own girlfriend he could read minds until like 2 episodes ago? The same Tabitha that forgot to mention she’s been time traveling and might have possibly seen situations that she hasn’t told him about? Everything that J*bitha apparently is has never been shown, except for season 5 with their interactions being platonic at best (except the rushed episode in which they got together) the so called intensity of their relationship has never been shown.

—if this were any other show, i would 100% believe the narrative of tabitha being upset at him reading her mind vs betty asking him to go into her deepest, most repressed thoughts was on purpose. she wasn't even bothered that he was skimming surface stuff, she was fine with it.

but it's riverdale. still, the contrast to 6x12 and showing the memory of jughead telling her she's not like her dad also felt stark so who knows?

I don’t care what people that ship J*bitha think that relationship is – but claiming Jughead 'owes' Tabitha certain things are being relationship in a fucked up way. You don’t owe anyone anything expect respect and honestly, which is why I’m sure they’ll break up.

—maybe they'll bring in the problems from the vale (seems more likely now, tbh). tabitha bottled up all the issues she had with him in that episode and he didn't exactly make it better. we're seeing bigger, more real life issues of those in the vale it seems. so it has the potential to get messy but riverdale side steps that when possible so who knows?

#besos!#anonymous #anti j*bitha #i be thinking this anon no like this situation so much #that's fine #it's a dumb situation tbh

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jadelotusflower · 3 years

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June 2021 Roundup

It's been a month of highs and lows. Every year my city holds a cabaret festival, and I've seen some truly amazing acts over the years - including Lea Salonga, Kristin Chenoweth, and Indina Menzel. This year's Artistic Director was the great Alan Cumming, and although due to covid he didn't quite get to curate the program he wanted to, the opening night Gala was still a highlight, as was Alan's DJ set at the pop-up Club Cumming afterwards, where there was much singing at the top of my lungs and dancing to pop anthems and theatre tunes. At one point Alan, dressed in a onesie and perched on the shoulders of a man wearing only sparkly short shorts, was carried around the dance floor while Circle of Life blared. Reader, I was delighted.

I was also able to see his solo show Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age, which was hilarious and damn, he can sing!

As for the low, I was meant to fly to Sydney for the weekend to see Hamilton, a trip I have been looking forward to for almost a year, but had to be cancelled because of a covid outbreak and border closures. The tickets have been rescheduled, but I'm still kind of bummed about it (while completely appreciating the need for covid safety, especially when our vaccine rollout has been completely botched by our incompetent, corrupt federal government)

Anyway.

Reading

The Hundred and One Dalmations (Dodie Smith) - With all the bewilderment over Disney's Cruella, I decided to revisit the original novel which I first read as a kid. It's funny, I had very vivid memories of this book, or rather thought I did, particularly the scene where Roger and Anita have dinner at Cruella's house that fixed in my young mind as utterly disturbing with all this devil imagery and the implication Cruella was literally some kind of demon, which must have been either a) my overactive imagination or b) an illustration, because it's not as clear as I thought it was. The strangeness is there (food with too much pepper, Cruella's inability to keep warm, the walls painted blood red) but not the explicit demon imagery I had remembered. There is a part later in the book recounting the history of Hell Hall and the rumors of Cruella's ancestor streaking out of the place conjuring blue lightening, but clearly child me was reading far more into the book than was on the page.

But I still wish they'd gone with this version of Cruella's backstory, because to me an aristocratic, ink-drinking, heat-obsessed, possibly-demon spawn, high camp villain is more interesting and rings far more true than plucky punk against the establishment.

Smith clearly had Facts About Dalmations to share, and she does really craft a wonderful animal-based story that the Disney animated film is largely faithful to. Key differences include: Roger's occupation (he doesn't have to pay tax because he wiped out government debt somehow?!?), Pongo's mate and the puppy's mother is called Missis, Perdita is another dalmation who acts as a kind of doggie wet nurse, Roger and Anita both have Nannies who come to live with them (Nanny Butler and Nanny Cook), Cruella is married to a furrier (who changed his last name to de Vil). Also odd, on her first description Cruella is described as having "dark skin" but later in the novel her "white face" is mentioned, so I'm chalking it up to 50's descriptors not having the same meanings they do today.

The Duke and I (Julia Quinn) - After being just whelmed by the tv series, I wasn't really planning on reading the books, but I saw this on the top picks shelf at the library and damn, the top picks shelf is irresistible. This is very much Daphne's book (and I had known each in the series dealt with the different sibling) so many of the characters and much of the plot of the show is absent, as are some of the more baffling elements of the show like the Diamond of the First Water nonsense, which I always thought was a strange character choice in that it stacks the deck for Daphne when her character arc is better served as somewhat of an underdog (in her third season, the kind of girl who is liked but not adored), and the Prince subplot which was always far too OTT even for soapy regency romance.

It's a breezy, fun read (that scene excepted), even if the misunderstandings are contrived and I'm never going to take "I'll never have kids because I hate my dad" as a credible romantic obstacle deserving of so much angst.

Faeries (Brian Froud and Alan Lee) - A lovingly detailed and illustrated compendium of Faerie and its inhabitants, drawing from a range of European (but primarily Celtic) folklore and mythology. Froud was a conceptual designer on The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, and the link is clear in the art as well as the focus on faeries as mysterious but oftimes sinister beings, where human encounters with them rarely end well. Lee has illustrated several publications of Tolkien's novels, and was a lead concept artists for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, and there is a touch of Middle Earth here as well, or rather the common inspiration of the old world. A useful resource for my novel!

Watching

The Handmaid's Tale (season 4, episodes 4-8) SPOILERS - So when I last wrote about this show in the Roundup, I was complaining it wasn't going anywhere. Well, I'm happy to be wrong because they finally changed things up with June finally escaping to Canada. That part of the plot following the survivors and their trauma has always been far more compelling than Gilead, and so it was a welcome development even if I side-eye some of the choices (none of these characters is seeing an actual licensed therapist why?).

This show has always been difficult to watch given the subject matter, and that has not changed after the shift in power dynamics. I will give the show credit for showing a broad range of trauma responses, from Moira wanting to move on and not let it consume her, to June, a ball of rage and revenge on a downward spiral, to Emily, trying to follow Moira's path but being drawn to June's, to Luke, trying his best but utterly unequipped to deal with what is happening.

But it is very hard to watch June go down this path - raping her husband (I concede the show perhaps didn't intend for it to be rape, but that's what is on screen and framing it as just "taking away Luke's agency" doesn't change that), wishing death on Serena's unborn child, and orchestrating Fred's brutal murder by particulation, then holding her own daughter still covered in his blood and it getting smeared on Nicole's face (an unsubtle metaphor in a series full of unsubtle metaphors).

There are interesting questions being asked of the viewer, and the show (perhaps rightly) not giving any answers. I can certainly appreciate the catharsis of Fred getting what he deserves even if I personally find the manner of it horrifying, but where is the line between justice and revenge, is revenge the only option when justice is denied, when does a trauma release become cyclical violence/abuse - the show is, for now, letting the viewer decide.

Soul (dir. Pete Docter and Kemp Powers) - In a world full of remakes/reboots/sequels, Pixar is perhaps the lone segment under the Disney umbrella committed to original content. However, there does seem to be a Pixar formula at work directed to precision tugging the heart strings, and some of the film feels like well-trod ground. On the other hand, it's hard to criticise the risk of centering a kids film around the existential crisis of a middle aged man, even with the requisite cutesy elements (and of course, the uncomfortable pattern of yet another film where the black lead character spends a great deal of the runtime in non-human form - herein, an amorphous blob or a cat). But the animation is stunning, it successfully did tug my heart strings, and the design of the Great Before and the Jerrys is original and fun.

RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under - Drag Race is somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me, since I generally don't watch reality shows, and this is something I really enjoy even if I'm not invested in the fandom (which like many fandoms can be very yikes). This year it was time for the Australian/New Zealand (Aotearoa) queens to show their stuff, although it's been met with mixed reactions. Covid restrictions didn't allow for guest judges, relegating them to mere cameos via video calls, and its clear that Ru and Michelle really don't quite get all the cultural nuances - Aussie judge Rhys Nicholson was however always delightful. But it wouldn't be Australia without a racism scandal, with the great disappointment of the two queens of colour eliminated first, and one queen having done blackface in the recent past yet making it all the way to the top four.

In the end, the only viable and deserving winner was last Kiwi standing Kita Mean, and it was pure joy to see her get crowned. I do hope they fix the bugs and indeed do another season to better showcase AU/NZ talent.

Writing

A far more productive month - to try and get out of my writing funk I had a goal to try and write every day, even if it was only 100 words. While I didn't quite achieve a consecutive month, I did get a pretty good average, at least got something posted and two others nearly there.

The Lady of the Lake - 2441 words, Chapter 4 posted.

Against the Dying of the Light - 2745 words

Turn Your Face to the Sun - 1752 words.

Here I Go Again - 1144 words

Total words this month: 8082

Total words this year: 35,551

#personal #long post #roundup #june roundup #reading watching writing #here's to the second half of the year #I really want to get to at least 100k written #so we'll see

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punkscowardschampions · 4 years

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James & Ava

James: I'm so sorry James: I was supposed to be working Ava: Everyone's here, it'd be stupid to say I was surprised and yet Ava: it's fine though, right, because everyone is here James: If I did get caught up in regrets, this would be a good time James: because everyone may well be here but since you are, they may as well not be as far as every part of me is concerned Ava: You can't just say things like that Ava: and NOT expect me to blush Ava: at least it's hot out James: you know I don't expect anything James: least of all at this precise moment Ava: Sadly Ava: Aside from work, where have you been? Ava: No, the question is how, how have you been? James: other than the fact I can't help but notice you now or think about you since the 'then' of last seeing you in an entirely preferably context, I'm fine James: you look more tan, which means I don't need to ask how you are Ava: You are hard to miss Ava: but still undeniably gorgeous, which is really rather rude, actually Ava: I've not been kidnapped by anyone else Ava: lots of time to sunbathe and 'work', if that's what you're into James: if I blush it'll be a green screen effect of sorts, except very red, so don't try & make me, please James: you are incomparable as having the title of the only beautiful 🍅 James: which is, of course, what I'm into, along with what you just listed, as well as many things about you I easily could list Ava: As you asked SO nicely Ava: I too will be very, very good Ava: you are always unmatched with compliments and words too but beautiful 🍅 is up there as the top 😂 Ava: How easily are we talking? James: You must because this outfit has an unmistakable 😈 countenance to it & despite the fact that's less in the sense of roguishness I would like & more in the guise of a child's cartoon creation, it nevertheless still casts you as an 😇 James: thank you James: oh, the ease is almost indescribable itself, ironically Ava: I can't decide if it'd be cruel or a kindness to say you are not the only, nor indeed the most, cartoonishly dressed man here Ava: It's a shame not everything is that easy Ava: or you could regale me over a drink James: perhaps it exists to be both, or to allow you the chance of being cruel to be kind James: in the way that the best offer I can make is, that I order you a drink that we then consume at the same time James: safer but no kinder for being that Ava: Dichotomies are just where things get really interesting Ava: I can handle that James: in the world of rewrites there's one where we're here together & another where we're somewhere else entirely, where we would rather while away these warm hours James: those possibilities are interesting to me Ava: Those are more than interesting Ava: especially the way you tell them James: tell me where you wish you were Ava: Okay, though it feels dangerous to let my imagination wander, it won't want to come back Ava: not in such an uninspiring reality, and especially not if I let it go to you Ava: if we could be anywhere Ava: it probably sounds seriously unimaginative, given the open-ended possibility of the scenario, but my favourite place is my rooftop garden, off from my bedroom, it's so peaceful and hidden and mine Ava: I'd like to take you there James: It doesn't sound in the least un-anything & I can definitely work with that James: [casually but not at all casually just writes them an au life, all the while Chlo is probably like get off your phone] Ava: James Ava: that is Ava: very close to perfect James: I'll willingly accept constructive criticism until it's perfect for you Ava: I don't know how capable I am after that Ava: and it's only not perfect because it's not happening James: but we'll meet in the rooftop garden one day James: dream it if you have to Ava: I've done nothing but dream of you since Ava: but will I have to Ava: can't we carve out even five minutes of time for us to just James: I want to say yes Ava: I know James: Ava Ava: and I know that sentence ended with a but, it's okay James: I heard you say earlier that it's fine because everyone is here, maybe it could be Ava: My friends are easily distracted, definitely Ava: your wife, though? James: it's unlikely she'll miss me for five minutes Ava: yeah? James: where? Ava: Okay, I've got it Ava: we drove here, Jacob just got his license and wanted to go somewhere Ava: I'll go to get something I forgot, follow me when it's safe James: okay Ava: Sadly, he doesn't have the Twilight soundtrack Ava: but we can make do James: I don't have the voice to do such classics justice but that's not to say I won't try my best to give you something you'll enjoy listening to Ava: I've missed your voice James: I won't stop talking until you don't James: a lack of words simply isn't an option around you Ava: might prove problematic when I tell you what else I've missed Ava: but we've got five minutes Ava: we'll make the most of it James: yes, we will James: until the next five Ava: How do you do it? James: how do I do what? Ava: have so much self-control James: is that how it appears? Ava: I know, me asking you Ava: I can see the irony but, yes Ava: it is how it appears James: I've never had less control over myself or the things I would like to do James: all traces there were seem to have ebbed away when we kissed in that club Ava: I'll apologize Ava: if that's what you want James: it's not James: because I've never been more grateful to lose something either Ava: Good Ava: because I don't want to be sorry Ava: it was so Ava: and you are James: I don't want to be in control, you can have it James: or not James: whatever you like Ava: I just want you Ava: Exactly as you are, exactly as you want to be wanted James: okay, I was possibly hasty when I said that there would always be words Ava: aren't you aware of how entirely wantable you are? James: no Ava: I've got the keys Ava: come find out James: [obviously does as soon as he can] Ava: [lowkey pulling him into this car] James: [thank god there actually would be so many people there, Chloe's squad included cos we busy for a while here] Ava: [everyone's busy getting wasted you can have this, not for as long as you want but still] James: [yes because contrary to his wife's post he is not & will not be getting wasted] Ava: [you rude hoe] James: [if you only knew what he is doing bitch] Ava: [ha, just you wait sweetie, also glad you don't know rn, 'cos enjoy it lads] James: [always hooking up in cars, love that for you] Ava: [forever a sneaking mood] James: [JJ would approve] Ava: [#bonding] James: [it's gonna break their hearts when they have to go back] Ava: [I know, like how do you even just like well bye] James: [I literally always think that] Ava: [and someone always has to be the first to walk away] James: [in this instance it should be her because we all know she's the stronger one here] Ava: [yeah, you gotta girl] James: [bad bitch global like it's not killing you too] Ava: [this is all so fine, we just need to keep far, far away from wherever Chlo is and definitely give Teddy a wide berth too] James: [literally your mother's daughter rn as the world burns around you, nah it's fine] Ava: [tah for that skill mother] James: [god knows one of your children should inherit it] Ava: Can I have that drink you offered now James: yes Ava: thanks Ava: [just milling at the sidelines of the bar, so casually] James: [cannot and must not look at her which only makes it look more suspect tbh sir] Ava: [awkward, we know it's packed and this will take ages] James: [regrets that you say you don't have or do ever James but here we are, boy] James: [at least you can grab drinks for everyone you're with and pretend that's where you were some of the time] Ava: [we know no one is checking that hard, even Chlo, part-timer that she is, and that makes me sad tbh] James: [hard same] James: how many has Teddy bought for you since you've been here? Ava: just the two Ava: no Ava: three James: you better take mine as well then Ava: why? James: sibling rivalry or the fact you'll be trying to avoid him for a while, depending on from whose perspective Ava: Fair enough James: nothing feels very fair right now Ava: No Ava: also true James: would you like me to leave? Ava: No Ava: Do you want me to? James: of course not Ava: I'm not going to do anything to make this hard for you, James Ava: you know that, right? James: my life is already difficult, Ava, I should be saying that to you, making sure yours doesn't have to be Ava: You won't make my life difficult James: that isn't true Ava: How do you know? James: because Ava: Have your word not come back fully yet? James: because I've done this before Ava: not with me James: I'm involved, that's enough Ava: What do you want to say right now? James: I don't know Ava: Well, you can say it if you need to Ava: or you can not Ava: I'm fine James: how do you do it? Ava: how do I do what? James: be fine with this Ava: I like you Ava: I knew you were married Ava: what's the alternative for me James: I'm not going to point any out to you James: I don't want you to take them Ava: You know I don't want to either Ava: you haven't forgotten everything that just happened James: no, & that's why James: I like you but this is always going to be hard Ava: What's always? Ava: you haven't promised me anything but another five minutes James: Ava Ava: James Ava: You don't have to worry about me James: nevertheless, I do James: I will, because we don't get to decide how we care Ava: I know you're right Ava: and I know I care about you too and I feel the same James: I know I'd give you those five minutes now if I could James: so I want you to know it Ava: You've already answered the question you didn't pose Ava: I don't get to decide how I care any more than you do James: but you get to decide other things Ava: such as James: such as how far you're willing to take something James: or not James: if you think someone is deserving of how you care about them, or not Ava: that'd be a mutual decision, even if we got off at different points Ava: and yeah, though the jury is out on how much that helps you to stop if they aren't James: it has yet to be a mutual decision in any other aspect of my life Ava: Try it with me Ava: it's been mutual so far Ava: we want each other Ava: we have each other Ava: we both like and care about each other Ava: it's equal not the same James: okay, I'll try Ava: do you want to? James: yes Ava: Alright Ava: that's settled James: [finally does look at her like that's not risky as hell behaviour okay then] Ava: [smiling like that didn't kill you but it very clearly did like hi] James: [when you can't help smiling back cos she's such a cute babe and you have feelings] Ava: [just another filmic moment across this bar] James: [so casual so fine] Ava: [when you can't just run off again like you wanna] James: [nobody wants a drink this bad, the torture] Ava: [seriously] James: [we should say Teddy appears cos not gonna inflict Chloe on y'all ever and then he can grab him to talk before he sees her so Ava doesn't have to like the gentleman he is] Ava: [God bless you boy, soz Teddy it's not personal] James: [I would love to know why he thinks the vibe has changed between him and Ava recently/if he has even noticed lol] Ava: [at least he is a teen boy so he probably has no idea in general, like thinks she just doesn't fancy you back which is true but you know] James: [#confirmed when she throws her cousin at you at her party] Ava: [lil awks but we're fine] James: [they gonna fall in love it'll be cute] Ava: [it all works out in the end] James: [you're welcome for us not being as evil as we could be for once] Ava: [just on this one thing] James: [when you have to make awks smalltalk with your brother now who's probably wasted and you're not] Ava: [that'll be fun, just catching his eye well stealth like soz 😬] James: [the things you do for love] Ava: [gonna make one of your mates text Teddy to 'see where he is' so he'll leave James alone lol] James: thank you Ava: Bit rude he's got himself well more than three drinks 😏 James: however, potentially not the time for me to give him any kind of lecture, all things considered Ava: Perhaps not Ava: Sorry, I know it's weird James: it is, but you know I'm not feeling apologetic about it Ava: That would fall under a regret, so of course not James: I'm going to miss you though Ava: When? James: now Ava: Me too Ava: stand near me, in the next race? James: I may be good with words, but you're unbeatable in terms of ideas Ava: 😊 Ava: I try Ava: anyway, missing me is for when we can't be anywhere near each other, most of the time James: of course you do, hence Kings remains in continued mourning that they aren't your first choice James: arguably that could just be the standard atmosphere at The Vault these days, who can say? Ava: 😂 Ava: well I miss it too Ava: though probably not enough to bump it up the list James: I'll make sure to include missing things for the right reasons as one of the key messages in my book, don't worry Ava: Really, using you as a ploy when you won't even be there next year is well sneaky Ava: should've put that on my exit review James: at least they wouldn't ask me to do any further tours in the future if you had Ava: didn't you enjoy it James: the reason I did & the reason you miss The Vault's glorious atmosphere are one & the same Ava: if you put that on yours they'd definitely not ask you back James: I already have my wife's assurances that I won't be Ava: 😕 soz to next year's intake but I'm not that sorry really James: It's unlikely they'd be that unhappy, even if they knew what they were missing Ava: They would be if they really knew James: once the book comes out, I'll send them my condolences Ava: as long as you keep it out of my dedication, I'd be alright with that James: some flowers, wine or fruit, nothing too indelicate Ava: very thoughtful 😏 James: the budget can't stretch to bracelets for everyone, for which I am the least sorry I have ever been Ava: I'd like to be somewhat special Ava: and if anyone else tries it, it's definitely a scam, I'm sure of it James: I'll refuse to watch the Twilight saga with anyone else, darling Ava: Good Ava: Who else will explain all the nuances to you Ava: can't risk it James: I will not, some risks are beyond unnecessary Ava: never the novel, babe James: or the film adaptation, irrespective of any reservations the fans and critics alike may share Ava: 🤞 they don't think I'm nothing like your description of the girl James: if they do it's a slight upon my writing, heartbreaking perhaps but they are entitled to their opinion Ava: can't account for taste but lackthereof is always unfortunate James: it very much is, as this outfit I'm wearing attests James: the opposite is very much true for yours though Ava: I'm never looking to break your heart James: but? Ava: I might have tried a bit harder if I knew I was going to see you James: you look divine, radiant as ever Ava: You're so lovely James: as are you Ava: you Ava: when are you next free Ava: or how busy are you, probably a better question James: I'll get back to you, given that I'm here now when I was not supposed to be, clearly my schedule is more up in the air than I previously realised Ava: you think with it being such a calendar staple, you'd have had more notice on that James: that would involve talking to me, or wanting me have notice Ava: of course 🙄 Ava: if you were my husband Ava: or lived with me Ava: well, you understand Ava: I want to talk to you so bad James: if you were my wife you wouldn't have to drag me anywhere against my will James: because I want to spend time with you Ava: I won't make you commit bigamy to spend time with me, rest assured James: eloping would take longer than 5 minutes Ava: I know Ava: my family has a history James: yes, your brother's particular history still gets spoken about Ava: Unfortunately James: sorry Ava: His sorry to give, not yours Ava: and I'm not out here holding my breath over it James: of course, but I didn't intend to bring him up James: this situation is tense enough Ava: Yours is literally here Ava: like we said, weird, but not sorry James: okay Ava: Thank God, when you move away, one of the perks is you don't have to come to this kind of nonsense James: you're not having fun? James: I'm stunned Ava: animal abuse for gambling is what I live for James: I'm well aware of why I'm here, why are you? Ava: My friends are James: what are they? James: actual fans of animal abuse for gambling? Ava: I think they just like getting drunk Ava: and putting on nice outfits James: you can do that anywhere Ava: you don't get to wear a big hat Ava: I don't know James: perhaps they should all get married to each other, that's a basic requirement Ava: Give them a few years Ava: sure they will James: I'll be sure to check back in Ava: What's wrong? James: nothing James: I just don't like to think about you somewhere you wish you weren't James: with people who aren't the right people Ava: It's alright, we go places I like too Ava: and they aren't all bad James: happy to hear it Ava: even if they're all slightly too drunk right now Ava: so's most the crowd so Ava: fit right in James: I can get you a car, one that you won't have to wait for your friend to drive, whenever you like James: we aren't both stuck Ava: that's kind Ava: but then I would be at home Ava: no one's about so James: how tempting Ava: If only Ava: you are stuck though James: Technically, I can't leave until she tells me I can but what if I didn't? So far as she's concerned, I could still be James: fitting into that crowd of mostly too drunk people Ava: Is she that oblivious? James: she's had that much champagne Ava: Tempting is right James: if she realises, she'll call me & I'll come back Ava: Okay Ava: it isn't that far Ava: and it is hard being around you and not James: so take me to your rooftop garden James: I wanna go Ava: I don't take just anyone there, you know Ava: you're very lucky James: well I'm just happy to be on the list, however long it is James: & intend to show my appreciation accordingly Ava: it'd be ungrateful if you just stayed five minutes Ava: at least ten, okay? James: oh, I don't want that to be your lasting impression of me James: how long into Twilight does your favourite scene occur? Ava: I wouldn't wanna ruin your rep as a perfect gentleman, either Ava: although the best scene is at the end, I'll be pondering one that comes a little sooner Ava: not trying to take liberties here James: you don't want an ending yet, I understand James: me either Ava: exactly Ava: maybe we can get to the scene where Bella gets forced to go shopping with her friends and Edward comes to rescue her Ava: fitting James: another good idea Ava: we'll have to have a picnic instead of going out after though James: that sounds nice Ava: God knows what we have in Ava: could be interesting Ava: I'll feed it to you whilst you recline nonetheless James: thank you James: in that case, I'll barely taste it Ava: you will be very busy writing me poetry, yeah James: writing you as poetry, so nobody can make unfavourable comparisons when you make your acting debut, yes Ava: my drama teacher will be thrilled Ava: not that she'll be there, obviously James: I'd rather she wasn't Ava: 😂 Ava: Promise James: thank you James: she wasn't a member of my fan club Ava: What did you do? Ava: or not do James: I'm not sure I should tell you, it's not as if you need any help coming up with ideas Ava: Well now you have to tell me James: let's just say my time was not well spent, either back stage or on it, in her opinion James: at the time however, I had a great time James: as did my co-stars & most of the crew James: I'm surprised you haven't heard about it Ava: 😏 Ava: It's nothing personal, I'm sure your exploits are legendary Ava: I just don't go in for all that stuff Ava: who's who, who's dad is who, you know James: They were more fabled, as in, in need of a strong moral James: hence the cautionary tale I expected you to be well versed in James: but perhaps she's learned those are rarely effective Ava: After-school specials certainly aren't the height of theatre Ava: even if she's become more willing to branch into 21st century plays and productions Ava: I could ask around, if you like Ava: or you can tell me more in less vague terms when we're alone James: what would you like? James: to know who I was, to know who I am or both? Ava: If we only have time for the one today, I'll go with the latter Ava: but both would be nice Ava: if and when James: okay, I'll see what I can do Ava: I remember you, a bit James: oh Ava: You were friends Ava: for quite a while James: I suppose so James: hypothetically Ava: What do you mean? James: I mean, we weren't, really James: but as far as he was friends with any of us, or any of us were friends with each other, I fall into the category Ava: I suppose so James: should I ask what you remember about me? Ava: Nothing incriminating Ava: you were all the same, in that I was the kid sister who he definitely did not want around so James: I think I remember you ignoring that at least once Ava: Well, can't do what he says, obviously James: you're smarter than that Ava: even as a kid Ava: much to his annoyance 💔 James: he was easy to annoy, that I do recall Ava: Still is James: thank goodness he won't be there either then Ava: on many levels, yes, thank God James: the car has arrived though James: [deets so she doesn't get in the wrong one] Ava: 🙏 all the thanks Ava: coming James: I'm beyond happy to hear it Ava: [show up girl] James: [the 😍 are real af] Ava: [too real] James: [lowkey dragging her into this car but at least she isn't at the school gates in her uniform this time] Ava: [you know what would be evil-er than not letting them get there alone?] James: [tell me gal] Ava: [if one of her friends sees them leaving 'cos nosy hoes but they're too far away/she doesn't know who Ava is somehow so it's just like he was leaving with some bitch thought you should know, 'cos Chlo will be fuming to be so publically shamed] James: [yasss we have to] Ava: [I thought it'd be a good idea 'cos everyone knows her life a mess and her friends' clearly love it so they'd be 👀 him anyway] James: [like I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he fucked some of her friends when they were younger and he was a mess cos I feel like he didn't go to rehab and sort his shit until well after Jay was born] Ava: [we all know this group been messy, even if they're not as bad as her by now, like] James: [oh god she gonna be so raging I love it] James: [enjoy your car makeout while you can you two] James: [maybe she's a newer friend and that's why she doesn't know who Ava is] Ava: [that'd make sense, like either way, we don't need to drop that bombshell right now, but we can do the Chlo telling him to come back convo 'cos she's drunk so it'd be delightful] James: [yeah it'd make sense as well that if she's a newer friend she wouldn't know it's better not to get involved with their cheating and that whole mess, and yeah we simply must do that convo] Ava: [exactly, hence Chlo is probs crying on her rn for the scene of it all] James: [of course, nevermind the fact that you're probably fucking god knows who yourself] Ava: [honestly, what a fun time] James: [okay so he turns the car around and goes back leaving it up to her if she wants to get out and go back to her friends or go home still #awkward] Ava: [imma say she goes home 'cos Chlo probably spilled what's up before he can get back and clearly this friend is too involved and we don't need y'all being outed and them tryna fight you rn] James: [good call, what a downer though, poor Ava at least you can call Grace if you need to talk cos she knows] Ava: [no one needs that level of public shaming lmao] James: [except Chlo but not like this thank you] Ava: [hence even as wasted as she is, they'll be leaving too to have this argument a little more privately, joy of joys] James: [thank god the kids are already with her mum or wherever] Ava: [gonna be sleeping over tonight gals] James: [do you wanna pick this convo up later or like say they don't talk for a bit cos it's awkward lol] Ava: [up to you chicken, 'cos he'd probably have to start in considering how obviously shook/angered etc he would've been in the car so] James: [let;s say he leaves it til way later to the point she probably thinks he isn't gonna but I shall] James: she still doesn't know anything, you don't need to be concerned Ava: She must know something Ava: unless you made her believe her friend was lying, for some reason James: I should have said she doesn't know anything about you, who you are James: that's what I meant Ava: Okay Ava: that's for the best, no doubt Ava: are you okay? James: not really but I don't have anyone else to blame Ava: I'm sorry Ava: I assume there's nothing I can do? James: unfortunately not Ava: Yeah Ava: I shouldn't have said we could James: it isn't your fault James: I should've known better, I typically do, it's just that you aren't typical, at all James: I feel differently & I wanted things to be different so badly that I forgot they can't be Ava: How do you typically do it then? Ava: We could do that James: more carefully James: with less emotion Ava: I can do careful Ava: contrary to what today would suggest Ava: and before, probably James: like I said, it isn't your fault James: you're 17, why should you be careful, why would you want to? Ava: because I knew you were married Ava: and I want to see you James: I'll let you sleep, it's very late James: I just wanted to let you know that your identity is unknown Ava: If you need to say we can't then just say it Ava: because I don't care about either of those things James: whether I need to say it or not, I'm not sure I can & extremely sure I don't want to Ava: You can say anything to me Ava: just don't lie James: if I could see you now, right this second, I would, I haven't learned anything from this James: don't you see how dangerous that is? Ava: I see how dangerous it is Ava: if you want to stay with her Ava: why do you? James: there are two reasons & I have to go collect them both in a few hours Ava: Then I'll let you sleep James: nothing's that simple, Ava James: if only Ava: you don't want me to say anything in response to that Ava: or you wouldn't have brought them up James: you asked me why right after you asked me not to lie to you Ava: Yeah, I'm hardly meant to argue a point against it Ava: if that's how it is then that's how it is James: I don't have a choice, I've never had a choice, that's how it is Ava: Why? James: because I made mistakes that took them all away James: I'm a father now Ava: No, it's not that simple Ava: people separate, with kids as well James: it is that simple, if I want to keep seeing them, I have to be here Ava: You're their dad, that isn't as simple as that Ava: infidelity isn't a valid reason to not allow access James: if I were dealing with a rational person, perhaps Ava: You don't want to go through the courts Ava: so you're just going to stay with her and be unhappy forever James: I've got my reasons Ava: you said James: you don't understand & with respect I don't want you to have to James: my life is messy & complicated, we can't make it simple by wishing that it were Ava: Likewise, you don't have to tell me anything Ava: that's fine James: there's things that she & I have both done that mean I have to stay Ava: Why would she want you to Ava: if you cheat on her and clearly don't love her, and want to leave Ava: that doesn't make any sense James: appearances, finances, an inability to face the ordeal of starting her life over James: I don't know James: maybe she would like me to remain locked in misery with her forever Ava: Jesus James: I've not loved her for a single day, perhaps it's spite for never having done so James: or not about me at all Ava: does she love you? James: no Ava: that's horrible, James James: yes, it is Ava: how sustainable is it Ava: how long can you both live like this James: I try not to think about it, in case the answer for her is indefinitely James: but I'm sorry I dragged you into it, Ava Ava: You haven't Ava: don't apologize James: I didn't mean for this to happen Ava: I know you didn't Ava: but James: but I know, you're not sorry James: not yet anyway Ava: No, I am Ava: but I'm glad too James: I'd rather you were the latter but I can hardly expect it Ava: I am Ava: I can make you happy, even for five minutes Ava: I'll take it James: you do Ava: Good Ava: let me James: I'm trying to Ava: Just don't push me away Ava: if we have to be careful and not see each other for time because of the things in your life you can't control, that's fine Ava: just don't be the one to do it when you don't need to, okay James: it's really difficult not to when so often it feels like doing so would be better for you than anything I can actually offer & every instinct tells me that if I don't hurt you, she will Ava: Don't bother trying to tell me what would be better for me Ava: I want what you can offer, I don't care James: Ava Ava: You can think I'm stupid and 17 if you want but it won't change how I feel James: you're not stupid, that isn't what I think Ava: I care about you, James Ava: more than I care about the possibility of being hurt James: I care about you, more than I was ready for, but I'm trying James: I meant it, I do want to try & I don't want to hurt you Ava: I meant it when I said sorry Ava: I'm not trying to be more stress in your life Ava: just good Ava: but I know it's a lot, not that I planned it any more than you did James: I can handle stress, it's having something good which I'm not used to anymore Ava: Baby Ava: how can I make you feel better, like right in this moment James: if we can't see each other then I'd like to at least be able to hear your voice Ava: Okay, hold on Ava: let me get set up outside James: get a blanket, it was really warm earlier, you'll need it Ava: I've got a big sofa out here, I'll be cosy James: I don't mind if you fall asleep Ava: I don't want to, I want to talk to you 'til YOU fall asleep James: we can fall asleep together, the way we would if any of this was normal Ava: I want that Ava: too good of an idea, meant to be my thing James: it's about time I had one, don't you think? Ava: I'll allow it Ava: as I like it that much James: thank you Ava: Oh, James James: yes? Ava: just wanted to say it Ava: I'm ready now James: okay Ava: how quiet do I need to be? James: you don't Ava: noted Ava: [the call] James: [oh sweet babies, never gonna let Chlo ruin it, not soz] Ava: [deal with it, your reign of terror coming to an end hun] James: [the idea of them falling asleep together on the phone has made me die because it's so soft, goodbye cruel world] Ava: [not to make it weird or anything guys but Buster and Rio used to do that all the time so love that for you too] James: [literally had that thought] Ava: [when you're lowkey forced ldr by circumstances] James: [mhmm how annoying that'd be, like you're living so close to each other but you can't just see each other whenever you want] Ava: [literally the most frustrating] James: [at least if you're miles away or whatever you know you can't] Ava: [tea, 'cos like you could in many ways but you also can't] James: [^^^ that] Ava: [oh the willpower you'll need] James: [hence they don't last long before outting themselves because it's too hard] Ava: [^^yup and fuck you Chlo James: [you've stolen enough of his life] Ava: [time to do that convo moment though]

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thisisawesomeness1825 · 6 years

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oops, i (fake) love you, ch. 06

vi. Percy

She's so annoying, Percy thinks as he picks up the paper containing the first lesson. Then, he looks at the other papers scattered on his bed. But so thorough.

In all honesty, Percy still thinks that maybe he's dreaming, because there's no way that Annabeth is now helping him, even if this is somehow coated in sarcastic remarks and ridiculous demands (like giving him homework). When he went to ask for her help in mythology class that day, his mind was running a thousand miles a minute to actually comprehend what he's doing. Once lunch rolled out did he just realize that he really tried to ask for her help. Which was probably the most embarrassing thing he has ever done.

Asking Annabeth Chase for help? Pshhh.

Then the events just followed, and next thing he knew, he was signing up for a fake dating agreement with the enemy. THE Enemy.

For a second, he contemplates not doing any of the steps written on the lesson plan. After all, Annabeth might be sabotaging his plan of dating Rachel, and instead of making him better, she might be making him worse. But then, he figures that she's not that evil to do such a thing, even if she's a little short-tempered and rude.

So he picks up the first lesson and tries to soak up as much as he can.

The next day, when Percy goes to school, he's a little afraid to admit that he's more self-conscious than usual.

He's not wearing his glasses, and the dark green shirt Annabeth suggested he wear clings to his skin more than he likes to. He doesn't really know how wearing this will make him look more appealing to the eyes, because, to be honest, he feels a little stupid.

But when he accidentally bumps to a girl from his English class in the hallway, he changes his mind.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" A voice screeches.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't see you—"

"Percy Jackson?" The girl asks suddenly as she peers at him. "From Mr. Blofis' class?"

"Uh, yeah." Percy reaches up and rubs the back of his neck since he could not push back his glasses.

Her eyes gaze at him from head to toe, then she grins. "Would you look at that? You clean up nicely, after all."

Did he just—did he just get complimented?

"Um, thanks," he says, his cheeks a little flushed.

Out of nowhere, he feels a pinch on his side, and she winks at him. "If you ever need help in English, you know who to ask."

He can only muster a nod, then she's already waving goodbye.

Woah. That was out of the ordinary. For all his stay in Goode, he never really got a wink from anyone (except maybe for Leo, whose eyes are always twitching, anyway).

But that? That is something new to him.

Grover sidles up to him, talking about the latest campaign his club is going to host, as Percy picks up the rest of his books from his locker. Grover hasn't seen him yet.

"Y'know, I really like this fun run drive we're hosting. I mean, I know I couldn't run because duh, crutches, but the importance of this program is—woah."

"Hello, G-man," Percy greets.

Grover squints his eyes at him. "Am I talking to the right Percy Jackson?"

"Of course. Who did you think I was?"

"Are you sure you're not an imposter or something? Y'know, cos my best friend has glasses and has this really bad style of clothing."

"I didn't think it was that bad."

"Uh, sure it was."

Nico, Percy's cousin, who happens to pass by the hallway, takes a look at him and smirks. "Hey, you actually look human today, Perce."

"Says the zombie," he retorts.

"Fuck off," Nico says, then walks away.

"I'll never understand your weird cousin dynamics," Grover comments, as he shakes his head at them. "So, is this part of your new grooming tactics or...?"

Percy tucks his hands to his jeans and shrugs. "Well, I just decided to change a few styles, and ditch my glasses. Nothing major."

"For what reason?"

"I mean, I just wanted a change from a typical Percy combination. This being a new school year and all."

"Are you sure it's not just to impress Rachel?"

"Uh, umm..," He fumbles for the next words, not sure how to phrase the fact that it is indeed for Rachel, but without revealing his fake dating ploy with Annabeth. "...actually, I've—I've moved on from her."

Grover is so surprised he loses his grip on his crutches for a second. With wide and unbelieving eyes, he stares at Percy. Then, he pokes him on the chest. "No shit man. You aren't Percy."

"You're crazy. I am Percy."

The bell rings, and any retort Grover has is lost among the noise in the hallways. Percy calls in a goodbye to his friend and rushes to his first subject. When he arrives, Annabeth is already sitting and she pays him no attention as he sits on his chair.

Huh. Looks like they're gonna be that couple. Anyway, that works for him, since he doesn't have to explain much to his friends.

However, right after the class ends, instead of directly going outside the classroom, she lingers by his desk. This is no surprise for the students who are still inside the classroom since it is normal to see them arguing after class. But what sends their jaw dropping to the ground is when Annabeth gives him a bashful smile (bashful! He didn't know she was capable of faking that!) and mutters, "I'll see you later at lunch."

To be fair, Percy is quite surprised himself, and much more are the classmates who have witnessed the interaction. Thankfully, no one dared to ask him questions, but he can see the wary and amused faces of their classmates. He gives them an awkward smile which almost turns into a grimace when he sees Annabeth's smirking face by the door.

Ugh. The nerve of that girl.

When the lunch bell rings, he almost forgets Annabeth's little stint after mythology class. A number of his classmates have noticed his new appearance, and their positive comments have uplifted his mood for the first half of the day.

"Hey, you look extra dashing today, Percy," Piper says as she takes in his appearance. She smirks when she notices the flush on his cheeks. "Got a hot date?"

Jason, who apparently, overheard the comment says, "Psh. Percy with a hot date? Never."

Piper pinches Jason on the arm. Weirdly enough, the blonde's cheeks turn red. "Don't be mean to him. All my friends are capable of a hot date."

"Say it louder, Pipes!" Leo exclaims.

Just then, Percy's object of affections arrives in a mass of red curls. Rachel looks good today, just as she does always. She beams at everyone when she arrives at their table. "What are you guys talking about?"

"We're talking about how Percy looks dashing today, and whether he is capable of a hot date," Piper says.

Rachel's gaze focuses on Percy, and she smiles at him. "Yeah. I noticed that too."

He's so absorbed with her blinding smile that he fails to recognize the new voice that joins in the conversation, up until he feels a hand squeezing on his shoulder.

"Hey, I told you I'd see you during lunch," Annabeth says to him, and without waiting for a response, leans closer to press a kiss on his cheek.

Woah. Just what.

Seriously, a kiss? On his cheek?

The action makes him stiffen in surprise because really, he did not see that coming. However, this does not escape Annabeth's eyes as she gives his shoulder a tighter squeeze as a warning. But it seems that the Fates are on his side today since his friends are apparently too stunned to take notice of his reaction.

Really, a warning would have been nice next time.

Piper recovers quicker than the rest and stares at Annabeth like she expects her to suddenly wage war on their table. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"

Annabeth looks at him and smiles a little tightly. "I'm guessing you haven't told them yet?"

"Haven't told us what?" Grover asks once he swallows his enchilada.

Underneath the table, Annabeth pinches his thighs, and glances at him as if saying, 'you tell them.' He swallows down his nerves and avoids Rachel's eyes.

"Uh, surprise! Annabeth's kind of...um, my girlfriend now."

As if to prove the point, Annabeth interlaces her fingers with his, but he still stiffens with the alien feeling. This time, Rachel catches the reaction with her eyes.

"Girlfriend," Leo repeats, and he gestures to the two of them. "So, um, the two of you are dating now?"

"Yes. Believe or not," Annabeth answers with a tight smile.

"Um, cool." Leo mutters under his breath, 'I believe it not.' Jason shoots him a look. "Congrats Percy and Annabeth. I'm glad that you've, uh...put the past behind you."

"Righttt," Piper agrees way too enthusiastic. "When did this happen?"

Percy answers "yesterday" at the same time Annabeth says "last week." At this, she sends him a knowing look while proceeding to create an excuse. "So, we actually got together last week, but knowing our past, we were hesitant to take a step forward. So we waited for a while then decided to make it official yesterday."

Percy nods his agreement.

"Oh, that's...great."

The rest of the lunch is filled with a weird and tense silence. That's the only way he can describe it. Once the lunchtime ends, Annabeth bids him goodbye with a little smile and an awkward wave to his friends.

"Did that just literally happen?" Jason asks once she's out of earshot. He stares at Percy. "Seriously, you two are dating now?"

"Is it so hard to believe that we do?"

"Um, duh. Did you forget the fact that you were fighting like cats and dogs three days ago?"

"Well, bantering is our form of flirting. And besides, the more you hate, the more you love, right?" Percy shrugs with a smile. His friends just stare at him blankly.

"That's the most messed up thing you've said. Anyways, I'm going. Bye Perce," Grover comments, and hobbles out from the cafeteria. The rest of his friends also file out, muttering goodbyes and half-hearted congratulations. Except for Rachel, who remains seated from where she arrived an hour ago.

"Percy, can we talk?" Rachel asks, then peers at the area around her. The cafeteria is almost empty, but there are still some people lingering on the sides. "Preferably somewhere private."

There's a weight on his stomach, and his nerves suddenly feel on edge. "Okay," he croaks out, then follows her out of the cafeteria. She leads him to an empty classroom in a hallway that's not frequented by people.

Rachel closes the door and crosses her arms in front of her chest. There's a determined look in her eyes and a little anger that Percy really doesn't want to face.

"What are we doing here?" he asks.

"I need you to be honest with me, Percy," she says, then fixes him a stare. "Is Annabeth setting you up for this? Is she manipulating you to act as her boyfriend?"

Percy's mind reels. What? He takes a moment to shake his head because he did not really expect that question. But this moment of hesitation seems to spur Rachel on.

"I mean, she may not look like it, but she can be very manipulative. And I don't want you to be at the end of her games. She can harm you."

"Okay, wait. No," Percy says. This is all going the wrong way. "Annabeth is not using me, nor is she manipulating me. We agreed to go out because we liked each other, even if it may not look like it. No one's using the other, okay?"

"But why do you freeze when she touches you? Like she's repulsive to you?"

Percy internally flinches because that wasn't intentional at all. It's an after effect of what happened to him on the past, and even though he is getting better, the muscle memory still remains. He's not ready to tell Rachel any of it, so he makes a statement that is not entirely a lie.

"To be fair, I'm still getting used to the physical touches couples do when they're together. And Annabeth's my first girlfriend, so it may take some time for me to adjust."

Rachel nods hesitantly like she still doesn't fully believe what he's saying but is willing to let it go. "Okay, fine. But are you really sure? You know you can always ask me to trip her on track practice or something if she does hurt you in one way or another."

"Right. I'll be sure to keep that in mind," he says with a smile. "Thanks for worrying about me, anyway."

"Of course. You're my friend."

This time the smile Rachel sends him feels like a knife to the heart.

"That could've gone way worse," Percy amends as he watches Annabeth pace up and down to his room. She had ambushed him yet again right after he got out of his last class, so he had to make up an excuse for his friends that he couldn't join them.

"It was the worst!" Annabeth exclaims. "They looked at me like I literally kicked a puppy when you introduced me as your girlfriend."

"Well, you were rude to me a lot of times so..." he stops talking once he sees the deadly glare she's giving him. "They were probably just caught off-guard. I mean, we just fought like we couldn't be around each other three days ago."

"Plus, we almost messed up with our inconsistent answers!" She falls back to his bed with a groan. "God! I can't believe I forgot to create a backstory."

"Good thing they're too stunned to question us properly then." Percy scrunches his eyebrows as he remembers their reactions. "But I don't think that they really bought this dating thing."

"Yeah. It was evident on their faces," she agrees. He nods.

"By the way, why are you always flinching whenever I touch you? It doesn't look good if we want to convince them that we're really dating," Annabeth asks. She stares at him, but he avoids her eyes.

"I'm—I'm not really used to physical touches," he lies. He can feel Annabeth's eyes on him, probably thinking whether to call out his BS or not, because back when they still got each other's backs, they used to touch all the time. Hugs, friendly punches, anything really.

"You never minded before."

That's different, he wants to say. He doesn't really know whether to tell her or not that she'd been right about Gabe all along. No, he decides, because she doesn't deserve to know after she left him unguarded in the dark.

This time, he looks at her in the eyes. "Yeah, but you were never a stranger then."

She sucks in a breath and sits up facing away from him. "Stranger, huh?"

"You did say that we can't be friends."

"You're right." She turns to him. "But that doesn't mean we can't be acquaintances."

He raises an eyebrow at her. She does the same.

Annabeth shrugs and asks, "So, tell me something new about yourself."

"Why?"

"So we can be acquaintances and no longer strangers to each other," she answers. He contemplates this for a moment.

"I like dolphins," he says, after a while.

"That wasn't new."

"I got a scraped knee after tripping on the bushes in fourth grade."

"I know that already."

"What? How?"

"That's because I was the one who pushed you."

"I knew that wasn't an accident."

She smirks. "Come on. Tell me something new."

"You probably knew everything about me already."

"Lie. I've only known you for half of your life, and that still leaves the other half."

"Fine. I tried eating olive pizza, and I've got to admit that it wasn't as bad as I've expected."

"Really? I knew you would like it. Nobody hates olive pizza," Annabeth says with a grin.

He rolls his eyes. "I never said I like it. I just said that it wasn't that bad."

"Sounds the same to me. Anyway," she clears her throat. "As for me, I once switched a girl's shampoo for glue because she was being rude to all of us. In short, her hair became a sticky mess."

"Savage," Percy comments. "I didn't know you had it in you."

She shrugs. "Well, she was being mean. Somebody ought to give her a lesson."

"Through a sticky hair?"

"Through a sticky hair." Annabeth reaches her hand out to him. "Now that we know one thing new about the other, we're no longer strangers. I suppose this will make you less nervous?"

He shrugs. "Maybe."

She intertwines her fingers with his own. Her hand, although tanned, still looks pale in comparison to his bronze ones. This time, when she squeezes, he doesn't flinch.

"You have small hands," he comments.

Annabeth chuckles. "I don't. Yours are just long." She looks at their hands, where his fingers almost engulf her own. "To be fair, I never really expected you to grow taller than me."

"Ye girl of little faith."

"I have a lot of faith."

"Really, huh?"

"Just not in you."

"You're mean," Percy says, and let goes of her hand to pinch her.

She glares at him for a moment but slides her fingers back with his. He startles but it's barely noticeable. Yet she has known anyway.

Her gray eyes meet his. "I want you to hold my hand until you get used to the feeling, okay?"

Looking at their intertwined hands and their first civil conversation in a while, he smiles.

"Sure."

He can get used to this alright.

A/N: Hello! I had some fun writing this chapter because it's generally light and fluffy. (I LOVE writing fluff). Also, this is a 'little' longer than my usual chapter length so I hoped you appreciated that.

And I'd just like to greet everyone "Happy Holidays!" Hope you all are doing great, and please don't forget to leave a comment or anything really. I always look forward to feedback from you guys.

#my fic #oops i (fake) love you #percabeth #percy jackson #annabeth chase #pjo

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yourtoradorasextendedwarranty · 5 years

Text

The Problem with MSM

So I honestly don't have many followers. I'm also prone to going on tangents. And most of my posts are rooted in politics. Not by choice mind you. I was not the one that decided literally everything in existence is political. I'm also not the one that created the view points that want everything to be political. TL;DR At the bottom.

To start off however, I need you to understand the process of radicalization.

Find someone who feels discontent with how a situation is, or how their life is

Tell this person that what's happening to them is not their fault

Place the blame for this person's problems on a certain group (political group, racial group, religious group, etc.)

Talk to the person like you know how they feel, "drop your guard" and tell them "problems you've had that were not your fault" blaming that same group

Show them that they are either a victim or oppressed in some way, shape, or form.

Slowly start swaying their views further to the extreme, by showing them other instances of "others who are being attacked or are victims" of said group.

Promptly but softly oppose any "differing views" with warped information or flat out lies

Get them to start going to events and taking to others that have already been radicalized

Have you and another radicalized individual, keep track of this person and say you support them and their issues

Sit back and watch

Now this is a rough lost but more or less the bare bones basics of radicalizing other people. Though in some cases it takes more steps and in some others it takes less. So what does this have to do with MSM (Mainstream Media)? Quite a few things in modern day actually.

The job of MSM is to get you information, as fast as humanly possible. This however was not the first goal priority in the past. In the past, the first priority was to cover a story as factually as the could, and look for more information keeping people constantly updated. Here we get to our first real problem for Media today. Technology. The Advent of modern technology has been both a blessing and a curse in this regard. And of course I'm talking about the internet in its current form. The internet being the very center of information distribution in 2019. And it has been for almost 12 years now.

So what did this change? Basically everything we know today. "Old wives tales" are now a Google search away. Feeling sick? WebMD says you have Cancer. Looking for the next hour story? Check CNN's Twitter account. The Internet brought us a great, many things. But it has taken away just as many. MSM has had to slowly move operations into social media in order to try and stay relevant. This because many people have unplugged, and have gone full digital. The only real exceptions being places of business. And with the world at your finger tips at the clock of a button, being factual has lost its relevance. Not to mention that as far back as 2013-2014 activists started working for MSM companies. Most notably progressive activists. This causes many problems we currently see today. Below is an example of what a headline used to look like, and what most headlines look like now:

Normal headline: Shooting in Birmingham leaves 3 dead and several injured during city wide festival.

Headline now: White, Trump supporter, Nazi, KKK, skin head, punches 2 people in hate crime.

See the difference? The first headline shows the basic facts and dives into known details during the article. Often they'd avoid opinions all together. The second one one the other hand, blatantly discloses anything that could generate clicks. Why? Because true or not, outrage sells. So over the past several years, MSM has been slowly radicalizing us. But they do this on a bipartisan level.

Are you black? The cops will kill you, and the white man is evil. Can't find a job? Racism. Are you a woman? Then you're unhappy because "rape culture". Do you regret having sex with that guy? Well guess what? He actually raped you without you realizing. Are you white? You're evil. Are you strait? You're a monster and should give all your money to gay people. Are you a man? You are responsible for every rape ever committed. You're also a pedophile and violent. Are you a strait white man? Oh boy you won the jackpot because you're basically Hitler.

See my point here? MSM spends most of it's time trying to rage bait you into clicking their articles. And in doing so we've gotten so lazy as a country that half the time, we don't even read past the headlines. And MSM knows this. They don't care if you read what they write. They are just radicalizing you so they can keep feeding you outrage. Because the more often they do it, the more often you will click it, skim all of 3 lines and then hop on Twitter and talk about how outraged you are. Sure, we are just as to blame for letting it happen to us, but most of us used to have at least some trust in the media. But after SEVERAL severely awfully false hit pieces that were headline news for almost months, many of us have started staying away from MSM.

What incidents might I be talking about?

Covington Catholic controversy (Almost every media outlet took a 7 second clip and ran with it. Turns out, there was a full 2hr video out there, and the Native American man, whom CNN interviewed, lied his ass off. Most media also chose to ignore the VERY beginning of the video which showcased a group called The Black Hebrew Israelites. These individuals, called Trump a homosexual, called the Native Americans there "Uncle Tomahawk", and said Gay people should not have rights. THESE CATHOLIC STUDENTS, were appalled by this statement. But what did we see in the media? "Racist Maga hat kid threatens and blocks the path of a Poor innocent Native American man."

Duke Lacrosse. Years after these kids were crucified by the Media and many others, the girl actually came out saying it never happened. You know who reported on this? Next to no one.

Ferguson. Now as controversial as this one is, the media took and RAN with it. What followed after the skewed coverage was a cult like gathering that led to phrases like, "hands up don't shoot" and "oink oink, bang bang". But Obama had the issue federally investigated. Both witnesses and the coroner report said basically the same thing. That he was aggressively wrestling with the cop trying to take his gun. But, it's too late. Now all cops are evil, and Democrat politicians are quoting it like it happened yesterday, and claiming the cop guilty. Why? Because MSM already got what they needed. They radicalized the individuals they wanted, people who will come back to them for, "facts".

And what does all of this boil down to? A video that made me write this out.

2 things need to be said here. 1. The "manifesto" as it were, was actually debunked to have been uploaded by the shooter, by the site admin himself. As well as several other sources. 2. If, by some chance the manifesto was real, and he had someone upload it for him, he mentions several liberal talking points, like universal basic income, saving the environment, among other left policies.

But this brings me back to both the beginning and to this story. Assuming for a moment, the manifesto was his. How did this happen? Most of you might just jump and say, "RACIST NAZIS", or something slightly more colorful. But here is the thing. MSM is partly responsible for all of this. Assuming the conspiracy that the CIA or FBI is responsible is false, I agree with the YouTuber in the picture. I believe that if you belittle and berate someone enough over time, you can cause them to do extreme things. I mean look at this site. Look at Twitter. Look at MSM. "White people bad", "white people are evil" "K*LL all whites" "white privilege", "fuck men", "male tears", "man spreading", "mansplaining", "Yes all men". All of this. This is popular. This is a trend. And it's unacceptable. Because frankly, it's basically bullying someone into a corner. Personally? I've been told by a few companies that are scared of social justice warriors and the online hate mob, that their company is actively not hiring white individuals. And I wish, REALLY WISH, I was making that up.

Is it any wonder, that people who go to the internet as an escape end up in a low point in their lives and then decide to do something awful? And it's the same with school shootings too. The news puts out, the name, ethnicity, how tall they are, and their entire life story, for weeks at a time. And now for much longer, because they support the desire to ban guns. So they need these things to happen more often. So the glorify the shooter, and keep talking about him/them for months. But here is where the story gets fun.

Columbine's shooting, was actually supposed to be a bombing. The kids who did it? Not the "school losers" the media talked about. The trench coat club? They were not even apart of it. More info on that here. As well as other places on Google.

youtube

More or less This video covers what the media got wrong in their rush to cover everything. What they did not intend on, was making these two boys heros to those bullied in school. Mostly boys, who are torn down and told they aren't enough, that they don't matter, they are isolated, bullied, harassed. So they look for someone who stood up to their bullies. What they were given, was a sociopath who manipulated a suicidal boy into helping him commit mass murder. Almost all of MSM were quick to say they were bullied into it. What's worse however, is Parkland. The Parkland 5, (the students whom MSM propped up for months) one of them came out admitting, that she bullied the guy who shot up the school. Said he was weird and that she needed to do it. This is one of the teens the media has PROPPED UP, saying we should listen to their infinite wisdom. A girl who is probably half responsible for the shooting.

Start paying attention. Start doing research. And for the love of all that is holy, STOP BULLYING PEOPLE! I don't care what your narrative is, or what it means. IE:

White people are human

Black people are human

Hispanic people are human

Gay people are human

Strait people are human

Women are human

Men are human

Stop normalizing anything to the contrary. Because when you do, you become part of the problem.

TL;DR The media only cares about themselves and clicks. They don't care who they radicalize, so long as you keep giving them traffic. Which for them is money. Do your research, look into things, and don't bully people. I'm looking at you progressives.

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