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allamericansbitch · 7 months ago

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since y'all seemed to want this.... here's the live notes i took while listening to each song for the first time (bold are thoughts i had during later listens)

fortnight:

‘i was a functioning alcohol till nobody noticed my new aesthetic’ what the fuck does that even mean…

love the fact she gave post the female collab treatment. don’t wanna hear what he has to say.

they’re voices sound actually good together?

some pockets of the melody are catchy

okay i don’t hate this

ttpd:

her red flags are on fire in this song lol

this seems very half-cooked

also jacks weird mixing continues to plague us all

CHARLIE PUTH???? WHAT THE FUCK WHY HE HERE

tattooed golden retriever??? ……no way

my boy breaks all his favorite toys:

i blinked and it’s half over

this also is like… half cooked and didn’t need to be released tbh

i love the way she sings the second verse tho

down and:

the production does not match the vibe

did tpain produce this

i’m… kinda bored lol

like i have nothing to say this also didn’t need to be released tbh

this grew on me a lot actually

so long london

the production is so futuristic?

oh im obsessed with how she sounds on this one

her talk-singing in the verses is great

honest lyrics without any clunky unnecessary metaphors! a win!!

the fast-paced verses with th slow chorus is really really cool

a favorite so far

daddy i love him

i can barely hear her? the bad mixing continues

‘growing up precociously sometimes means not growing up at all’ oh yeah WE KNOW

is this…… is this about her dating matty and loving how people hate him… no fucking way she’s this stupid

SHE IS BEING THIS STUPID

‘it’s white noise’ yeah yeah that’s exactly how id describe him

.... anyway y'all remember when fans really believed the little mermaid theory and this song was supposed to be about how 'joe stole her voice' lmaooo

we will pretend this one doesn't exist!

fresh out the slammer

are we getting another ‘i didn’t cheat technically’ song lol

what is this weird tempo change….

okay kinda catchy

it’s sounds exactly like you are in love at the end….. jack is really out of tricks

florida

‘my friends all smell like weed or little babies’ what the fuck is she even talking about anymore

i’m sorry but i’m laughing at the phrase ‘fuck me up florida’

again the production sounds so detached from the vocals

i honestly still have no idea how i feel about this one

guilt as sin

an real instrument?? wow crazy

okay she’s kinda cute? catchy and fun, love the melody

i love when she goes up at the end of the vocal

okay…. i don’t mind this one she’s catchy, a little too long and drawn out but cute

who’s afraid of little old me?

what is this production? it’s way too soft to be as threatening as they’re trying for

why did jack push her vocals back so far when she’s supposed to scream…. that’s ruins the whole thing…. she’s supposed to be screaming and threatening….. not quiet and far away…. hello

this song is trying very hard to be threatening but it’s not... vigilante shit 2.0

‘you wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum they raised me’…………… upper middle-class pennsylvania?

‘i’m drunk on my own tears isn’t that what they all say, that’ll sue you if you step on my lawn’ okay bar?

the bridge was good but that’s about it.

i can fix him

…………… not another matty song oh god

‘i can handle a dangerous man’…… im too stunned to speak this is so embarrassing

wow taylor really is that girl who like ‘women supporting women’ and then dates/defends a racist bf…. a walking example of white feminism

intersectional feminism found dead.... twice....

loml

okay this is really nice?

I WAS ACTUALLY ENJOYING THE SONG WHY DID SHE RUIN IT BY SAYING ‘MR STEAL YOUR GIRL’ 💀

if we ignore that one line we're good this is good. im refusing to let that line ruin such a good song

i can do it with a broken heart

‘bitch smile’ why are there so many cringey lyrics on this album lol

what is this song omg why do i kind of like it

taylor please learn depressed isn’t a synonym for sad

they recycled the mastermind production

wait till taylor finds out most of the entire world is sad while they're doing their job and has to pretend they're not

smallest man who ever lived

oh i think i like this?

‘you said normal girls were boring’ GIRL AND YOU DIDNT IMMEDIATELY GET UP AND LEAVE??? EWWWW??? she's not beating the pick-me allegations

'i just wanna know if rusting my sparking summer was the goal' okay love that line

i like this a lot

the alchemy

no….. no way this is real

i cannot

THE SPORTS METAPHORS WE JOKED SHED DO THAT AND SHE ACTUALLY DID IT OH NO

touchdown ✅ teams ✅ benches ✅ winning streak ✅ the league ✅

she’s doing…… the worst thing ever this is so laughable

the corny lyrics are on overload

‘this time it’s heroine with an e’ didn’t she write folklore? i can’t remember

that literally was an snl parody of a taylor song

clara bow

love how the guitar sounds… bet money this is an aaron track

a stevie nicks reference!! a win!!!

i like this one a lot no cringey lyrics yet

nope never mind she name-dropped herself don’t like that

overall really liked it tho

the black dog

i think i like it?? this is kind of what i expected the album to be

okay for once the weird production choices kind of pay off

imgonnagetyouback

kinda catchy?

she loves a fancy car getting wrecked line

the pre-choruses are the best part

this would’ve been better without the jack of it all bc he loves a song that doesnt build to anything

this just comes down to personal preference: i don’t like her lighter vocals with jack’s heavy production (ie most of lover lol)

the albatross

a real instrument!!! production that matches taylor’s voice and is well mixed!!! aaron’s arrived!!

i think it’s solid, has good writing and she sounds great. that's about it.

chloe or sam or…

took me a solid minute to have any semblance of a fuck to know what was going on but okay

okay i love this one

wayyyy more emotive than like… most of the original album

a lot of the 2nd version (or whatever this is lol) are way more emotive, maybe because her voice isnt drenched in reverb so we can actually hear her voice emote better

how did it end

this sounds like an old school adele song?

i love this one too….

her being upset people wanna know what happened but then also feeding it while promoting the album oop

i love the story of this one it's so refreshing

so high school

THE PRODUCTION is so good ugh aaron never fails

the man here is a walking red flag girl and the lyrics are ~not it~ but the production is too pretty to hate it

fuck these lyrics are so bad lol

maybe if i disassociate hard enough i can ignore the lyrics and just listen to the production and vibe

give me a karaoke version of this song and we'd be so back

i hate it here

i mentioned disassociation and she made a whole song about it!!!! this one’s mine!!!!

‘without all the racists’ GIRL HUH

WHAT WAS THE REASON

also... girl don’t act like we don’t know you’re fine with that lololololol

if i had a dime for every time i was liking a song to then have it slapped away because of a bad, out-of-pocket lyric……

thank you aimee

this isn’t grabbing my attention

oh the bridge is interesting

it’s meh

i will never be thanking the people that bullied me thanks tho

i look in peoples windows

what do you mean aaron didn’t produce this??? it’s well-made and has instruments?

i love this one, again a really interesting and unique concept that's very refreshing to hear at this point when a lot of the songs feel repetitive

the prophecy

aaron guitar!!!!

she’s nice i like her

i've really grown to love how she sings this one, the melodies are cool.. however i feel like we've heard the same melody.. like on this exact album... where she upturns at the end of every line...

cassandra

this seems very…. familiar… idk i feel like we’ve covered this (i mean there are 31 songs we’ve already covered everything lol)

this is such an aaron song, that's a classic 'the national' piano

i like her voice in this one tho, sounds good

peter

oh love i love this

now this? THIS feels the most like a taylor swift song

once again she’s at her best with a simple instrument and emotive simple lyrics

the piano reminds me of champagne problems

the bolter

i like this! the chorus is so cute

oh i like that ending line a lot!

she’s cute, a little long and drawn out but cute

robin

i haven’t seen anyone talk about this one

welp…. i literally have no feelings toward this one but sounds pretty!

the manuscript

oh this is soooooooo powerful

i love this concept

her ending the album on another introspective album that sums everything up a la dear reader yep yep!!

if you actually read of this ily 💗

#tp #ttpd lb #kind of lol

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patricia-von-arundel · 2 years ago

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FOR ANYONE IN FLORIDA:

Governor Ronald McDonald McDipshit is trying to require public colleges to hand over info on transgender (or, I assume, otherwise gender-nonconforming) students.

Under both FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), this is illegal.

FERPA protects your college records if that college receives federal funding. Under FERPA, even your parents cannot request your grades, your classes, or your medical records in the hands of the college (among other things). Circumstances under which records can be shared without your authorization are limited:

"FERPA generally prohibits disclosure without consent, either internally or externally, of personally identifiable information from education records. But it permits (although it does not require) such disclosure without consent in certain situations. These include:

1. to other school officials, including teachers, within the institution who the college determines have legitimate educational interests;

2. to the parents of a student under age 21 concerning the student's violation of any federal, state, or local law or school policy or rule governing alcohol or drug use or possession; and

3. in connection with a health or safety emergency."

(https://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/rpt/2005-R-0195.htm)

HIPAA applies to all medical records, whether held by a college, a hospital, or a private doctor's office. Again, there are guidelines for exactly when your information can be shared without express, written permission from you:

"The Privacy Rule sets rules and limits on who can look at and receive your health information

To make sure that your health information is protected in a way that does not interfere with your health care, your information can be used and shared:

For your treatment and care coordination

To pay doctors and hospitals for your health care and to help run their businesses

With your family, relatives, friends, or others you identify who are involved with your health care or your health care bills, unless you object

To make sure doctors give good care and nursing homes are clean and safe

To protect the public's health, such as by reporting when the flu is in your area

To make required reports to the police, such as reporting gunshot wounds"

In other words, DeSantis cannot legally access your medical (or other college) records, either through the college itself, a hospital, or an individual.

Both FERPA and HIPAA are federal programs, so they apply no matter where you are in the US and how much DeSantis stomps his little feet and yells. FERPA protects your educational records; HIPAA protects your medical records (specifically, PHI, or Protected Health Information). DeSantis could ask to know how many people at the Mickey Mouse Medical Hospital have received prescriptions for hormones, had top or bottom surgery, etc., but he cannot demand access to your name, SSN, birthdate, specific treatment records, etc., unless you provide written authorization for him to do so. Along the same lines, he could demand the College of Rats in the Kitchen and Gators on the Stage tell him how many students total identify as transgender, nonbinary, genderfluid, gender non-conforming, etc. He could even ask for the average GPA of trans students compared to cis students (as a whole). But he cannot - again - ask for your personal records, or any of the information therein, without your express permission.

Don't panic, okay? I know the federal government isn't always trustworthy, but I've spent enough time dealing with both FERPA and HIPAA to know that they take this stuff very seriously. If you need to contact someone about a violation of either -

FERPA (college records) is under the US Department of Education, and you can find more info on reporting a potential violation here:

HIPAA (which covers all your medical info) is under the US Health and Human Services' Office of Civil Rights, and you can find more info on reporting a violation here:

At the moment, DeSantis is requesting only information not covered by either HIPAA or FERPA: "Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking state universities for the number and ages of their students who sought gender dysphoria treatment, including sex reassignment surgery and hormone prescriptions, according to a survey released Wednesday."

Source:

If you are concerned that your records either as a student or a patient may have been shared without your permission, either because of this or in any other circumstance, you have rights.

Hang in there.

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progmetol · 9 months ago

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Cecil Headcanons #1

Ok this is assorted with no particular order or theme. I’ve been sitting on this for a while and I keep adding to it. So I’m gonna post it now while it’s a… “reasonable”… length, and probably eventually do a part 2. I also intend on eventually doing a GDA headcanons post because I have a lot that are more broad to the GDA as a whole and not just Cecil.

Discusses his backstory from the comics slightly but nothing that’s really a spoiler.

- From the outskirts of Jacksonville, Florida (dear God no wonder he’s the way he is). Has a southern accent that he represses, but slips out occasionally. It does in the show too, so this isn’t entirely conjecture.

- Father is from Alabama. Mother from Florida.

- Majored in counterterrorism (most 3 letter gov orgs irl require a bachelor’s degree, I can’t see the GDA being any different)

- Chose to enter the military initially due to his older brother being a victim of a supervillain terrorist attack. Previously a sports prodigy, he was left paralyzed and unable to pursue his dreams.

- Was a green beret before being introduced to the GDA. Was invited to the CIA’s SAD or the GDA’s SPECOPs. He chose the latter.

- Was a spec ops commando that worked to support behind the scenes of superhero operations. Basically, they’d do dirty work while the public superhero they are working with is soaking up the attention and serving as a distraction.

- His call sign was Rooster, inspired by his mullet. The hair in front would stick straight up, which caused him to grow that thing all the way out. He eventually was “promoted” to Phoenix, which got it after being, quite literally, reborn from ash. Had a few other nicknames too though, mostly derogatory and in reference to his scar.

- Usually supported/worked alongside Brit. They became best friends and still are to this day please don’t cut him from the show Amazon

- Due to the chemical treatments he takes to maintain his artificial skin grafts he looks older than he actually is. And that’s not even mentioning the immense amount of stress he endures. He’s actually in his mid 50s but nobody really believes him. Male pattern baldness is a bitch as well.

- Insane sharpshooter and is proficient with just about any firearm you put in his hands. Even to this day, sets aside an hour to train in the range and keep those skills sharp. Never know when you’ll need them. Always carrying heat.

- Addicted to coffee. Occasionally adds whiskey. That isn’t good for you, but nobody has the guts to scold him (anymore).

- Usually drinks coffee black since it’s easiest and fastest to prepare, but will not turn down a latte. Loves any coffee with three pounds of sugar and milk dumped in it.

- Also likes jack and coke but this is much more seldomly witnessed.

- Wine too. Anything alcohol he will drink really. Beer.

- Loves Italian food. Isn’t really a picky eater though and will eat just about anything put in front of him, for better or worse.

- Refuses to use any sort of cloning technology on himself. He believes that with the idea of only having one chance in the back of his mind, he will be more pressed to use that chance to its fullest. This isn’t public knowledge though.

- Really likes sweets and that problem is the primary reason for his weight gain besides stress. Baked goods are his favorite but he even likes shitty cheap candy.

- The US flag pin belonged to his wife. He wears that one specifically to remind himself of her. He likes his stupid ass reminders.

- Enjoys listening to music or sports while doing things like paperwork (but he never sets aside time to just listen to them). He enjoys classic rock, old school heavy metal, and surprisingly, piano music. If I had to name bands I’d say Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Led Zepplin, etc. As for sports he’s mostly into football (his team is the Jags).

- Messy as fuck, but in an “organized chaos” kind of way. He knows where everything is in his office but it looks like a wreck.

- Smokes a pipe. This actually isn’t a headcanon it’s in the early comics. It’s a rare occurrence, he is somehow not addicted. Despite this, his mouth and respiratory system are in perfect condition due to GDA medical tech.

- He’s a fucking hypocrite about a handful of topics, usually morality, emotions and relationships. He also is completely aware of it and views it as an unfixable flaw.

- He knew Nolan killed the guardians from day 1. He just hired the detective to make it seem to Nolan like the GDA didn’t know and was still investigating. Just a means to buy more time. His contingency plan for Nolan was not ready. I genuinely think this is canon btw but it’s never explicitly stated.

- He thinks the costumes that heroes wear are stupid and (mostly) impractical. The only reason they still are used is to divert the attention towards the heroes and not the fact that there is a government organization directing them.

- Black belt in Taekwondo + skilled in some other martial arts. Basically Solid Snake with his CQC. Similar skill set between characters. Is a stealth guy also.

- Carries four guns on him at all times. Two in his coat. One in his belt. One on his shin. One of the ones in his coat is a laser pistol, just in case you run into someone bullet resistant. But as the Heavy from TF2 says: it’s tough to find someone who can outsmart bullets. Unfortunately I can name three major characters in Invincible right off the bat that can. Tough luck.

- May come as surprising but he’s religious. His main thought process is that in a world as chaotic as his, some people may be inclined to think there isn’t a god, but he is inclined to do the opposite because he thinks that there are some situations in which you’ve done all you can and all that you can do now is pray. He isn’t really hardcore though. This idea stems from all the religious imagery that shows up around Cecil for some reason. I’m not tweaking I swear. I could go on a whole thing about that correlation but that’s a different topic.

- Adding on to this, a major idea in Christianity is that God allows evil to persist because it will eventually result in a greater good. SOUND FAMILIAR? He got it from somewhere.

- The only Korn song he knows is Here to Stay and he knows it by memory. Yes this is oddly specific and I will not elaborate.

- Tends to be crude, but in moderation. Definitely tries to tone in down in front of women. Professionals have standards.

- Dude could still break your back (assuming you don’t have superhuman durability) even in his older age. He’s a little out of shape but the muscle memory is still intact.

- Can sing surprisingly well. No training at all so he’s not professional level, but it’s pretty damn good for no training. It’s rare that anyone ever witness though. Once in a lifetime event if they are lucky.

- Can write with both hands, simultaneously, different things. It took a lot of effort to learn (just kidding. secret government hypnosis) and is incredibly useful for multitasking.

- His hair genetics are really screwed up. First he started showing male pattern baldness in his 20s, though it didn’t really get notably bad until later (we know how that turned out). He’s really attached to his hair and refuses to shave what’s left of it. He’d never admit it but he is self conscious about it.

- In addition he started graying severely at a relatively early age, 30s, due to stress. He dyed it back to its platinum blond color almost religiously but eventually gave up, too much work for no payoff.

- Occasionally when his work is super backed up, he doesn’t get to shave and his stubble grows out. Hair doesn’t grow where his burn scar is so there’s a big spot there that has nothing.

- The side of his mouth with the scar has reduced mobility due to nerve damage. It doesn’t impact his speech but his muscles do not work properly there. When he smiles or frowns that side of his face just doesn’t move.

BONUS

CECIL’S SCHEDULE (just for fun)

Literally at any given time he can go on call because incidents can happen whenever. But on a typical day…

5 am - Work day officially starts. Paperwork time, get ready for the day. Check meeting schedule and any missed news.

6 am - Breakfast. He’s still working while eating.

6:30 am - Meeting window opens.

- Check on department heads, make sure there’s no problems.

7 am - Check on Guardians and other GDA teams.

12 pm - Lunch. See breakfast.

12:30 pm - Check on department heads, make sure there’s no problems.

3 pm - Meeting window closes. Exercise hour because gotta stay in shape.

6 pm - Dinner. He’s still working, what did you expect.

6:30 pm - Check on department heads. Make sure there’s no problems.

7:00 pm - Check on Guardians and other GDA teams.

9 pm - Cecil hits the range because you gotta stay sharp and strapped. Training hour.

10 pm - More office stuff.

12 am - Brinner. That’s right. He has four meals a day, because he doesn’t sleep. Plus, even with the reinvigoration he gets from the chemical treatment, he needs more energy to account for him being awake longer and burning more energy.

3 am - The infamous hot tub. Reinvigorates his body as a whole, not just the skin.

4 am - Make sure night shift stuff went well. Otherwise, paperwork.

#invincible #cecil stedman #mp talks

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intheroomblog · 3 months ago

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romanarose · 1 year ago

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For the Longest Time: Chapter 5

William Miller x Fem!OC (Lorelei Giang)

Masterlist : Triple Frontier Masterlist :Playlist

Join my taglist!

Summary: At the funeral, Lorelei sees a face from her past and learned a little about Will. They start to find they have more in common than they thought.

Warnings and content: Death of an abusive parent although there isn't much on that right now. Will is compartmentalizing. Talk of past child abuse, divorce, dad leaving, colorism from a parent. Will is emotionally constipated.

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

It was hot.

Lorelei was trying her best to be supportive but also mind her place. She wasn’t Will’s girlfriend. Mrs. Miller greeted her kindly and thanked her for coming, but se knew she was mostly a source for gossip. Alice, was Ben’s actually girlfriend and was allowed to mourn and be fawned over. Lorelei was there to be support. Will spent a few days largely away, and even headed out today, road separately. Jana asked if Lorelei would like to join her and Frankie to the services and memorial. This ended up being helpful.

Lorelei was about 4 months along and was showing, but certainly had gained weight and all her black dresses were too tight, not only for a funeral but for the muggy middle Florida weather in general. Jana was a size or so above Lorelei and brought over a few options for a more respectable and practical clothing for the weather.

The Millers lived on a farm just outside of the small town they lived in. Lorelei, Will and all the others all lived in a mid-sized town in the same county. The funeral was in the country, a gravesite a mile out from the baptist church and full of bugs that added to the uncomfortable air around them. Paul Miller was not well liked, but Jenna, Will and Benny were and the politics of a small town lead to a lot of obligations. It became clear this week that Jenna’s family was fairly prominent in the town, a “founding family” perse. Jenna and Paul’s marriage was a love match to be sure, many people wondering why a nic well-to-do girl was marrying into a poor farm boy, but Paul could turn on the charm. The marriage was a different story. Paul was an alcoholic and while Will was fairly tight lipped on exactly what happened, Lorelei knew there was abuse.

Will had urged her to sit in his seat during the funeral services, but afterwards Lorelei was attempting to get some fresh air from the crowds. It was clear the family was lage on both sides and very friendly, and Lorelei was growing tired of all the questions. Will had been protective, simply stating she was a friend and cutting anyone off who seemed to be prying. Lorelei was showing, but not obvious enough that it couldn’t just be passed off as a belly. Right now, Will was otherwise engaged in consoling his mother, so Lorelei was left to her own devices and took the chance to walk away. Lorelei wasn’t a big smoker, but she dabbled in stressful times and she was craving one bad. Or some red wine. God, that would be nice right now.

She placed a hand on her belly. “You’re lucky I love you,Tũn.”

“And here I thought you just got fat.”

Tyler.

Lorelei turned around. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Seeing Tyler for the first time in months was always a bit stark, but Tyler now stood in Will’s shadow, and the contrast was startling. Tyler was not that good look. Not unattractive, but he really is just some guy. This, compared to Will’s handsome face was almost embarrassing that Lorelei had settled for him, but the difference in treatment was the biggest black and white. Even before Tyler slapped her, which Lorelei let happen only once, Tyler was never good. He was a loser, frankly. Will had only ever treated her with respect, long before the pregnancy and even before their friendship.

Will would have never suggested she was fat.

Tyler pointed to where her hand still rested on her stomach. “How long did it take you to fuck him, a week? I’d assume you did it that night, but Will’s knight in shining armour game wouldn’t allow for him to fuck you with a red mark on your face.”

“And just how was your face that night?” She snapped back. “Last I remember, you were in worse shape than me.”

“Everything okay here?” Santi’s voice drew her eyes to the side. He was walking towards her, arm around a flushed Laci who was holding a water bottle. She didn’t look well, and no doubt Santi was taking her to the car. The cars were parked in almost the opposite direction from her, however, so what was he doing here?

“Yeah.” She lied, turning to Tyler. “Tyler was just leaving.”

Santi recognized the name, as did Laci by the way she turned to Santi. His arm drew her tighter to him, but he stayed put, his face settling darker. “I think that’s a good idea.”

“I’m not leaving.” Tyler objected. “I know the Millers better than Lora does.”

Lorelei scoffed. “You said yourself you didn’t like Will or Ben.”

“Paul Miller was my bus driver and Mrs. Miller was my sunday school teacher. Just because you spread your legs and got knocked up doesn’t make you part of their family.”

“Watch it” Santi warned.

Lorelei wanted to handle this on her own, but knew she couldn’t do what she had 4 months back. She wouldn’t get in a fight while pregnant.

Tyler turned to Santi. “And who the hell are you?” He looked at Laci. “Aren’t you Benny’s girlfriend?”

Laci didn’t even attempt to respond, her mouth sealed shut. No doubt the whole day had been overwhelming, sensory overload for the sensitive girl and likely put her non verbal.

Santi looked to Lorelei and shot his eyes to Laci, and Lorelei got the hint. She stepped over to them and placed an arm around the wobbly girl. He stepped up to Tyler. Santi was shorter than the rest of the guys, but was no less of a force to be reckoned with. She’d seen it in defense of Laci with the creep at the bar, and Lorelei had no doubt it would come out if Tyler said anything about Laci-

“You stay the fuck away from Lorelei, I don’t want to fucking see you at the Miller house, understood?”

Oh. He was defending her.

“I’ll ask you again. Who. The fuck. Are you?”

“I’m the person who's going to kick your ass if you don’t leave her alone.”

Tyler must have been in a fighting mood today. He drew back his hand and swung, but before Laci had time to do anything but gasp, Santiago had taken hold of his hand, turned around and flipped Tyler onto his back with a thud. Lorelei looked to the crowd, and it didn’t seem anyone had noticed. When she turned back to the scene before her, Santi had pulled Tyler up by his collar and shoved him away.

“Offer your condolences to Mrs. Miller, and then fucking leave. If I see you near Lorelei again, it won’t just be me you’re dealing with.”

Tyler scrambled away, and Santi quickly took Laci back in his arms. “Are you okay, baby?”

Laci’s eyes were heavily lidded, and didn’t respond.

Lorelei clocked the heat exhaustion right away. “She needs to get in cool air, now.”

Santi nods. “We were on our way to ask if you wanted to join us,” He bent down slightly, scooping Laci up under her knees and carrying her. Laci weakly signed something that Lorelei couldn’t quite make out. She knew a little sign language but mostly conversational and in a hospital context. “Don’t worry about it.” Santi whispered, then turned to Lorelei as he started walking. “C’mon. The heat isn’t good for pregnant people.”

Lorelei followed them to the car where Lorelei instructed him to put Laci in the back so she could tend to her. As Santi drove to the farm, Lorelei coaxed her to drink water. The house was unlocked, church members setting up food for the memorial service and soon Lorelei was in full nurse mode. Santi buzzed with nerves, asking about a hospital but after checking her temp and her vitals, Lorelei said it was just heat exhaustion, not heat stroke. Santi then helped her walk to Benny’s childhood bedroom to rest as he cared for her and kept her awake.

When Will and Benny came in, it was clear they were fighting. “You’re such a fucking child, Benny!”

“You’re the one that tried to leave me on the goddamn road!” Benny was clearly drunk, slurring his words at 2 in the afternoon.

They went back and forth until Santi shouted down the stairs that Laci was resting.

Will yelled back to shut the hell up; Benny stopped yelling, knowing how badly Laci’s nerves affect her. Will stormed away, and Lorelei followed. When she found him, he was sitting on a twin bed in a room that clearly used to belong to a teenage boy.

“Was this your room?”

Will didn’t look away from the Attack of the Clones poster. “Yeah.”

“Can I sit?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

Lorelei waited a few moments before talking. Will clearly needed a breather. They sat in silence for a few minutes and Lorelei took in his room. It was a jock’s room, clearly, with Miami Heat memorabilia around, but also a little bit nerdy. There was a box set of the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and the Similarian, all looking well worn, and of course some Star Wars here and there. Will never showed that side of him.

“I like the posters. Were you a little nerdy in high school?” She asked, breaking the ice.

Will huffed a short laugh. “Yeah, I guess. Nerdy enough anyway. That surprise you?”

“A little.”

“And why’s that?” It seemed a genuine question.

She hesitated an answer. “Well your… you.”

Finally, Will turned to her, brow furrowed in question. “What does that mean?”

“Well, you… you. You’re strong, you give off football player energy.” He had been in football, after all. She knew that from stalking him via Tyler’s year books.

He still looked ticked off, leftover energy from the fight with Benny. “You think I was a dumb jock?”

“A little.” She tried to defuse the tension with a joke. “I mean you did go into the military, so I’m assuming the athletic scholarship didn’t work out?” Immediately after saying it, Lorelei regretted it. She knew she had a tendency to be rude, to say the first thing that comes to mind, and most people deserved it.

Will didn’t, and he snapped. “You think the smartest person in the room at all times, don’t you?” When Lorelei didn’t respond, he continued. “You have that air about you, you know. Maybe that’s why you don’t make friends.”

That hurt, and now she was on the defense and stood up in preparation for a fight. “Maybe I’m not the smartest person in the room, but I don’t see a lot of competition.”

Will stood up, matching her energy. “You don’t even have the highest education out of us, you know that?”

She didn’t know that, actually.

Will continued. “Jana has a masters degree in social work. Could hav gotten her dctorate two but didn’t see a point. She chose to make shit pay to help people when she probably could have gotten some fancy well paying job. Laci has a bachelors in psych. I know every see’s her as helpless, and you and Alice think she’s a ditz”

“I don’t-”

“But she is plenty smart. And Frankie, Frankie doesn’t have a degree but he’s a fucking enginier, Lore. You know what kinda brains you gotta have to do that shit? He got a 98 on his ASVAP. And me? I got into med school. I could have been a doctor, Lorelei, so I’d appreciate it if you stopped talking down to me.” After a pause, Will averted his eyes and sat down on the bed, mumbling a sorry with his face in his hands.

Lorelei stood in front of him, taking in his words. He was right, she did have a stuck up attitude. Will didn’t deserve it. Neither did Benny, Frankie, Jana, Laci or even Santi. Santi had proven to her that he was a good man the last few days.

“You got into med school?”

Will nodded into his hands. “Yeah. Took online classes. I was a combat medic so was able to get a lot of credits counted that way, and took dual credit in high school. Was supposed to leave the army to go.”

She spoke softly. “What happened?”

Removing his hands, Will flopped backwards on the bed as he spoke. “Same thing that always happens. Benny.”

Lorelei joined him, grunting a bit as she sat and laid back, black hair sprawling everywhere. “Go on.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Laci saw Will turn to her, staring before turning back to watch the ceiling fan. “Ben popped positive on a drug test. He was inlisted at the time, doing real well too…”

Oh shit. “What was he on?”

“Coke, just like every fucking person I’ve ever loved, it seems.” Will was shaking.

Lorelei knew Frankie and to a lesser extent Jana had suffered from addiction to cocaine.

“So what happened?”

“Tom called me. He was a friend from when him, me, Jana, and Santi were stationed together… He had moved his way up a lot and was starting a special ops team.” Will took a deep breath. In through his nose, out his mouth. His shaking stilled. “He said he could make it go away if me and Ben agreed to join his team… so I did.”

Will’s love for his brother never failed to surprise her. “You’re a good man, Will.”

Will shrugged. “He’s my brother.”

“My siblings would never do that for me.”

Will turned to her, and she looked to him in turn. Their faces were close, as close as they had been the night they almost kissed before they fucked. “Would you do it for them?”

“In a heartbeat.” She whispered.

“That’s the sacrifice for older siblings to bear.”

They turned back to the ceiling, laying there for a moment and feeling the cool air of the fan on their skin. “I was an accident.” This caused Will to turn to her briefly before turning back. “My parents were both second generation, living in Philly. They got married at 18 to avoid the scandal… in the 2000’s in a Vietnamese area, it would have been a hoopla. Well, didn’t do much to save face as they got divorced when I was 8, my dad walked out. I didn’t see him for ten years.”

“Jeez, Lore, I’m sorry.”

She continued. “Mom remarried, had a daughter, my sister Sophie. I was about 13 then, 15 when she had Colin. My mom and step dad treated me like I was an outsider. I was too interested in my family's culture back then… I was obsessed with old Hollywood. I was accused constantly of being too western. First time I wore red lipstick, my step dad called me a whore and rubbed it off with his palm… I went back upstairs and applied it again anyway.”

She could feel Will tense next to her. “I love being vietnamese. It’s just at the time… I wanted to be different, look different. I wanted to be an actress for a while, but my mom told me my skin was too dark” Lorelei chuckles sardonically. “I spent years of college trying to lighten my skin, make my eyes look less asian… My sister was the perfect Asian daughter. My step dad had much lighter skin, so she did too. She was docile, agreeable, quiet… everything I wasn’t. There’s always a divide between us, even today… I think her and Collin think of me as the bad guy, the reason there were fights in our house… but I’d give my life for them in a heartbeat.” She laughed again. “It’s funny, I’d do almost anything for them except pick up the phone to talk.”

Will laughed along with her. He reached out his hand, thankful that she allowed him to hold it. “I’m sorry you were treated like that. You didn’t deserve it.”

“It’s nothing compared to what you went through.”

“How do you know what I went through?”

“You aren’t as hard to read as you think you are.” A pause. “Is that why you won’t take off your shirt?”

Another pause. “Is that why you don’t kiss?”

“Yeah.”

Eventually, they returned to the memorial, a crowd of people having joined. Lorelei rubbed Will's arm encouragingly, and Will put on his best host face.

Laci had returned from her rest, Santi still fussing over her and insisting she stay sitting and drinking water. Frankie sat down by Lorelei as Jana messed with Santi across the room to a giggling Laci.

“How’s Will?” He asked sincerely.

She sighed. “He’s struggling. More than he’s letting on. Him and Ben got in a fight.”

Frankie laughed. “Yeah, that’s not unusual. He tell you what it was?”

“No.”

“It was so stupid.” Frankie shook his head, smiling. “Benny was trying to get Mrs. Miller to admit Paul was an asshole and she wasn’t happy with him.” Will stopped the truck and pushed Ben out and told him to walk home. Benny caught up and jumped on the truck bed and was stuck there the whole ride back, pouting.

Lorelei could picture it. “Their dad, he was… pretty bad, wasn’t he?”

Frankie grew solom. “Really bad. Will took the brunt of it though, always deflecting what Ben was supposed to get onto him.

Tears began to form, prickling at her eyes at the thought.

“Excuse me, sorry.” She needed to step away, she couldn’t show vunerability like this. Frankie asked if she was okay, but she said she needed to use the bathroom.

Lorelei tucked herself away in a hall, away from prying eyes. He was so kind, he was so good… it pained her to know he had been hurt like that. She just wanted to hold little blonde Will, she just wanted to tell him that everything would be okay… she wanted to protect him and keep him safe.

“You alright there, young lady?”

Lorelei looked to see an old man shuffle in, but keeping a respectful distance. He looked kind but concerned.

She sniffled, wiping away a tear. “Yes, thank you. Just a hard day.”

The old man nodded. He glanced only ever so slightly at her stomach, but quickly back up. She couldn’t blame him, especially when he never mentioned it. “You’re a friend of Will’s, aren’t you.”

Friend. “Yes sir. Just hear for support.”

He smiled. “He sure seems to have a lot of support, I’m glad to see. I’m Gideon.” He extended a withered hand to her.

Will’s maternal grandfather, “Oh! I’m Lorelei. You must be mrs. Miller’s grandfather. Im so sorry for your-”

He held up a hand, twinkle in his eye. “Paul was an asshole, my dear, I’m sure you know.”

Lorelei couldn’t help but chuckle. “I know. I met him once, and he did not make a good impression.”

Gideon laughed along with her. “I’m sure. Miss, if I may be so bold…”

��Please” He seemed kind; his presence was calming. A strong strength that Will possesed as well.

“I know you two are having a baby… Jenna told me.”

Lorelei began to worry; what would this old man think? A baby outside of marriage? Would he have an issue she was vietnamese? Hell, had he fought in Vietnam-

“And I’d just like to welcome you to out family.”

Oh. “Well... Will and I, we aren’t dating…” She attempted to clarify, but Gideon waved her off. “That doesn’t matter. You know Laci?” He pointed to the kitchen where Benny and Frankie had joined her, Santi and Jana. Will walked up at well, greeting Jana and Benny both with arms around their shoulders. “Laci like a granddaughter I never had. Her and Benny come over often, she always cooks, sweet girl she is.”

“She’s lovely.” Lorelei agreed.

“They come around less now that Benny is with that McCarthy girl, but se la vi” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “Laci is family. Hell, they're all family.” Gideon looked back at Lorelei. “And so are you. You’re a part of this family. Now,” He gently nudged her toward the group. “Go enjoy before Alice finds you.”

Lorelei laughed, drying the last of her tears and thanking him. She walked up to Will, sliding between him and Benny. Will smiled down at her, pulling her a few steps aside. “Hey Lore, you okay?”

She nodded. “I met your grandpa. He’s really nice.”

Will smiled at that. “Pops is the best… We’ll talk to him more in a bit. I just… I wanted to ask you on Rosie’s birthday, but I forgot, and then this whole week…” Will shook his head. “Listen, the VA I volunteer at is having its annual charity fundraiser, and they let me choose the non-profit.” He smiled proudly. “I chose the women’s shelter Jana and Laci work for.”

Lorelei smiled up at him, heart swelling in the pride he obviously felt. Will did a lot for the VA, it makes sense they let him pick. “That’s great Will, congratulations.”

“Well, the thing is…” He rocked back on his heels a bit, a nervous energy in him that she wasn’t used to seeing. “It’s a ball. Fancy as shit and all that… Santi, Frankie and Ben are taking Laci, Jana and Alice… and I was hoping…” Deep breath in, deep breath out. “You’d like to go with me?”

She was a bit shocked to say the least. “When is it?”

“It’s two months from now.”

Her heart dropped a bit. “Oh… well… I’m going to be at almost 6 months by that point…”

His smile faltered, looking down at the floor. “Oh, yes, of course I bet you wouldn’t be very comfortable at that point-”

“No, I mean… I’ll be showing… more…”

He looked confused. “Yeah?”

“Well… do you really want a girl you knocked up? Don’t you have some pretty girl-”

Will’s eyes were wide with horror “I don’t want to bring anyone else, Lore. I want to bring you. You’re my best friend, you are a pretty girl. You’re pregnant, not knocked up. We are having a baby, and Lorelei…” Will sighed, a little wistfully, placing a careful hand on her stomach, his blue eyes connecting with hers. “I’m happy. I’m happy were having this baby and I love them, and you, more than I thought possible…” Will’s eyes shown with the emotion of his words. “You are both my family, and I love you.”

As Lorelei listened to him talk, she lost herself for a moment thinking he was professing something different, that the love in his words was romantic… then she remembered their position, she remembered that this was not a fairy tale. She had to be happy with what she had. A loving father of her child, and a so-far healthy baby on the way. It wasn’t a fairy tale, but everything was going to be okay. She was going to be a mom, they were going to break the cycle of hers and Will’s families, and unlike her and Will, this baby would have a father who loved them.

“I’d love to go to the ball with you, Will.” She placed a hand on one cheek and kissed the other, making him blush. “But I might be wearing New Balance nursing shoes.”

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

ngl Lorelei needed to get knocked down a peg.

But they are seeing a little more eye to eye at least now.

@pimosworld @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @whatthefishh @missdictatorme @milkymoon2483 @poeedameronn@itspdameronthings @miraclesabound @babymills16 @rayslittlekitten

#William miller #will ironhead miller #triple frontier #William miller x oc #William miller smut #william miller angst #William miller comfort #fem oc #triple frontier fanfiction

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