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nerianasims · 4 years ago

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Billboard #1s 1977

Under the cut.

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. – “You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)” -- January 8, 1977

They will be happy with each other as they are, not needing a "star." It sounds literal, like they think most people only want to have relationships with celebrities. It's got some bounce and a beat, but it's very light and not poetic at all. Meh.

Leo Sayer – “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” -- January 15, 1977

Shouty falsetto. It might be disco if it were faster. I am not listening to this whole thing, because it will give me a headache.

Stevie Wonder – “I Wish” -- January 22, 1977

One of the greatest musical intros. It's a funk song about nostalgia, wishing for childhood again, and I normally hate that. But the music is amazing.

Rose Royce – “Car Wash” -- January 29, 1977

This was an intro song for a movie of the same name. I had no idea. I just thought someone decided to sing about working at a car wash randomly. The song is a little bit Motown, a little bit disco. It's fun.

Mary MacGregor – “Torn Between Two Lovers” -- February 5, 1977

It's slow, it's soppy, and it's about how she's cheating on "you" with someone else. She truly loves you, but she's not gonna stop seeing the other guy, whom she loves too. It sounds like she wants to try this whole poly thing she's heard about. But is the guy she's singing to gonna be okay with that? Probably not. Most people aren't. Maybe though. I don't care. For being about a subject that should be heartrending, this song sure is boring.

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – “Blinded By The Light” -- February 19, 1977

This version made it to #1. Bruce Springsteen's original didn't even make it to the charts. This version is really bad -- it sounds like a recitation surrounded by goop, not a song. Bruce Springsteen's version is one of my favorite songs. I am going to sulk now.

Eagles – “New Kid In Town” -- February 26, 1977

Huh, an Eagles hit I've never heard before. This is about fame, how everyone loves you at first, then forgets you when the next big thing comes along. They try to shoehorn some stuff about romance in -- "Will she still love you when you're not around?" -- but it doesn't really flow. Also the song sounds like it should be playing in the background of a cabana. Fittingly for a song worried people will forget them, I have already forgotten this song.

Barbra Streisand – “Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen)” -- March 5, 1977

I listened to this song for 30 seconds. No more. I cannot stand Barbra Streisand. I don't think I'd like this song anyway, as it's glop, but maybe a different singer could have made it tolerable.

Daryl Hall & John Oates – “Rich Girl” -- March 26, 1977

Rich girls get picked on while rich boys are the ones who usually get away with everything. This song was actually originally about a rich guy, too. It would have been better. It's still good musically, but it misses the mark. Not that rich girls don't also get away with plenty, but compare and contrast what happened to Paris Hilton for her venial sins, versus the entire existence of Donald Trump.

ABBA – “Dancing Queen” -- April 9, 1977

ABBA was a good group. They were hated on, and now they're more likely to be exalted. They didn't deserve the hate (save it for the Bee Gees), but they're not the second coming or anything either. They were just a good, fun group. This song can be danced to, but it's a song more about dance than a dancing song. It's a rare song observing a young woman dancing while identifying with her, rather than lusting after her. "You can dance/ You can jive/ Having the time of your life." It's good.

David Soul – “Don’t Give Up On Us” -- April 16, 1977

The narrator did something really bad last night. Cheating? Worse? Now he's telling his lover not to "give up on us." As soft as the song is, "tell" is the word, not "ask." And he doesn't apologize once. Also, David Soul was a professional actor, but there's no worry in his voice; he's nothing but smooth and assured here. Blech.

Thelma Houston – “Don’t Leave Me This Way” -- April 23, 1977

It's disco with a large dose of Motown, or Motown with a large dose of disco. Either way, it works. Everything lines up with precision, and then Thelma Houston comes in over all of it with huge emotion. The contrast is sort of fascinating. Oh, and her huge emotion is that she wants sex. "Then come on, satisfy the need in me/ 'Cause only your good loving can set me free." She's not begging, but she's not exactly commanding either. It's really good.

Glen Campbell – “Southern Nights” -- April 30, 1977

It's Kidz Bop honky tonk. That's probably not fair; Glen Campbell grew up in a family of poor sharecroppers in Arkansas. But it's what I hear. It's happy clappy, and scrubbed clean of anything real.

Eagles – “Hotel California” -- May 7, 1977

Whatever you think this song is about, it's not about that. The Eagles wrote it with a mish-mash of stuff in mind, but mostly trying to be ambiguous. What that means is that whatever you think this song is about, it is about that. It's a choose your own adventure psychological horror song. I love it. It makes me happy in that way that good poetry and good music do -- and this is both.

Leo Sayer – “When I Need You” -- May 14, 1977

This song is cheese. Absolute, unadulterated cheese. But it's not bad cheese. It's a good solid cheddar. It's slow but not too slow, soft but not too soft, and it manages some interesting percussion. And Sayer sings like he means it. It's about missing his lover while he's on the road, and he imagines she's with him to get by. "When I need you/ I just close my eyes and I'm with you." It sounds kind of like a Broadway ballad. It's enjoyable.

Stevie Wonder – “Sir Duke” -- May 21, 1977

A song about Duke Ellington, which is a subject I approve of. Stevie Wonder also lists a few more legends, including one of my favorites: "And with a voice like Ella's ringing out/ There's no way the band can lose." It's a love song to music itself. It's sort of big band, sort of funk, and sort of Motown, and it works. The lyrics do get too repetitive for me near the end, though.

KC & The Sunshine Band – “I’m Your Boogie Man” -- June 11, 1977

It's a wordplay on the "bogie man" monster. But the boogie man wants to show up and give you whatever you want whenever you want however you want. Sexually. The song actually has more lyrics than most KC & The Sunshine Band songs, but it's still a song to dance to. Not to have sex to. But for dancing? Yep, it's good.

Fleetwood Mac – “Dreams” -- June 18, 1977

YAY! Okay so I have no interest in Fleetwood Mac without Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. But when they joined in 1975, Fleetwood Mac became truly great. And this song is from Rumours, which is their best album (forged out of a hell of a lot of intragroup pain), and written and sung by Stevie Nicks, who was their best artist. My parents played this record and their previous self-titled one all the time. I didn't fully understand the songs when I was a kid, but I loved them. As I grew old enough to understand them, I loved them more. And now I love them more than that. I can't analyze this song. I love it too much.

Marvin Gaye – “Got To Give It Up (Part 1)” -- June 25, 1977

At first, he was uncomfortable at parties and didn't want to dance. But then he loosened up enough to dance, pretty obviously as a way to pick up chicks. There's the horrible line "Let me step into your erotic zone." The music is experimental. Marvin Gaye's falsetto is fine, but it's still a falsetto the whole damn song. And there are people making party noises in the background the whole time. I find this song painful.

Bill Conti – “Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky) -- July 2, 1977

You know this instrumental, you've heard it tons. It's a good movie theme -- I think. It's hard to say, when it's something that's been so often present in so many different contexts in my life.

Alan O’Day – “Undercover Angel” -- July 9, 1977

The undercover angel is a make believe woman from a sex dream. At the end of the song, he's telling "you" that you remind him of the undercover angel, so you must be meant to be with him. It's an extended "I've seen you in my dreams" pickup line. It's so dumb.

Shaun Cassidy – “Da Doo Ron Ron” -- July 16, 1977

This is an excruciatingly boring cover of The Crystals' classic 60s girl group song.

Barry Manilow – “Looks Like We Made It” -- July 23, 1977

He's singing to an ex. They both "made it" because they found other people. Until "Looks like we made it/ Or I thought so till today/ Until you were there everywhere." If they get back together it's not going to be easy, because they'll be leaving relationships that seem happy. I don't think they'll get back together -- besides, she may not feel anything for him any more. It's a more complex song than it sounds. And Barry Manilow sure can sing. I wish he'd gone with the jazz songs he preferred, but then he wouldn't have been hugely successful. He decided to pull the rhinestone cowboy trick, and I can't blame him. He did make the soppy 70s charts more tolerable than they would have otherwise been.

Andy Gibb – “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” -- July 30, 1977

For instance, without Barry Manilow, Andy Gibb would probably have had more hits. Gibb's voice is thin. If you're going to sing a line like "Oh, if I, if I stay here without you darlin' I will die," you need some power and drama behind it. This guy sounds like he's trying to sell kitchen tile. It's a relatively fast song, but the beat is somehow irritating too. Blech.

The Emotions – “Best Of My Love” -- August 20, 1977

It starts with a blast of horns, and then a blast of singing. Then the chorus is quieter than the rest, which is weird to me. I can't put my finger on why this song bores me, but it does.

Meco – “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band” -- October 1, 1977

A disco mashup of the Star Wars theme with the cantina band theme. That happened. I love John Williams' music and I think he deserves credit for at least half of Star Wars' success. But I think this remix sounds extremely dumb. Someone slowed down the cantina band theme a couple years ago and that sounds very noir and cool. This doesn't.

Debby Boone – “You Light Up My Life” -- October 15, 1977

The person who wrote this song was completely and absolutely terrible. But Debby Boone isn't. She's a Christian singer, but seems to be one of the nice ones, not the wingnut fundie ones. Anyway, she wasn't a Christian singer in 1977 (though she was Christian). And she had a good voice. But she sings this song painfully slowly. It sounds like she comes in after where she's supposed to come in and then draws out the notes longer than she's supposed to. I don't know if that's her or the song itself. I sped up the song to 1.25 and it's a little more palatable, but it's still bad. It's a trudge. I don't feel lit up after this.

The Bee Gees – “How Deep Is Your Love” -- December 24, 1977

It's not falsetto, though Barry Gibb does go uncomfortably high some. But it's still very bad. It's a string of bland cliches over bland music. And the weird 70s male romance song entitlement: "And it's me you need to show/ How deep is your love?" Shut up.

BEST OF 1977 -- "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac WORST OF 1977 -- "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco. People really would disco to anything, huh?

#billboard number ones

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iihappydaysii · 5 years ago

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these cute boys and their poor communication skills god help us all

alright, strap in my pals, because I’ve just rewatched the infamous john makes a move on jamie in ardsmuir and it all goes to shit scene and I have a lot of fucking thoughts. (this is focused on the show btw, i haven’t read this part of the books).

ok so it’s been three months since they’ve decided to be all friendly. and it breaks my heart to see because, there’s this easy happiness here and it’s so obvious how well they get along and enjoy each other’s company — and Grey helping Murtagh obviously endeared him to Jamie a bit.

Also, let’s just acknowledge Jamie saying “why you cunning wee bastard” when John does a good chess move and how it’s sooo mother forking hot. i can’t even tell ye. and grey is so proud of himself. (also my heart is always so full when I see John wearing Hector’s ring).

(pretty much the overarching theme of this is going to be that I totally get why john gets the wrong idea from jamie, especially given how subtle things had to be at the time. it doesn’t /not/ remind me of how john and percy will eventually dance around their feelings without saying anything. it’s like a quiet, sad art. unfortunately, my sweet, sweet boy gets it wrong here.)

Anyway, it hurts my soul that they both wanted to die after culloden, like their lives were both changed that day and now Grey is going to talk about a “particular friend” kill me. “he inspired me” stab me. oops and him talking about that deleted scene of Hal dragging Grey away from Hector’s dead body. (idk why i’m sometimes calling him john and sometimes grey, don’t ask questions)

“He was embarrassed you see” this is where it all gets wild to me. there’s no way NO waY Jamie doesn’t realize what Grey is saying. You see it in Jamie’s face. Realization but it’s not like he’s upset or anything—and what John shares here leads him to talk about Claire—to trust John with her name—so obviously he’s drawing a connection between the two things.

All I’m saying is that right then is when Jamie knows that Grey is gay, or whatever concept he could have of it at the time. (i think jamie’s reaction here is a big part of why john gets the wrong signal), he’s not upset by it.

Jamie’s whole speech about “caring for those we cannot help” is such foreshadowing of John’s relationship with Jamie but carry on. Oh and, emptiness but no great burden seems to be important— I’ll come back to that in a moment.

“I’ve been meaning to thank you for some time, major” Thanking John and calling him major, sign me the fuck up, but i’ve always loved this moment. it’s jamie expressing his like a trust for the man—and again, this is where their wires start getting even more crossed.

(I love John’s face when he realizes it was Claire he saved not an actual english woman in danger, poor guy)

I don’t think Jamie is meaning to flirt here at ALL, but i totally get why John starts to think he is. There are some serious signals. Lots of eye contact, leaning in, playful banter, just he sound of jamie’s voice here etc. all following John’s obvious confession that he was interested in men. on top of that, jamie is complementing him. talking about what a good man he is.

now is the moment when it all goes to shit and it’s interesting that john says “I see”. it’s not the most appropriate response to Jamie’s “I’ve thought of that now and again since I’ve lost her”. It’s just such an interesting reaction from John here. What does he think he’s seeing? That Jamie needs someone the way he needs someone. I said I’d talk about the whole “emptiness but no great burden” thing and I think, in part, that’s what this is about—like maybe John is thinking ��we both need something to care about to fill that emptiness.”

In general though it’s an interesting thing because it’s such a risk to do what John does here. He has got to think touching Jamie’s hand will be well received or it would be very stupid to do it. This is something that, in order to survive, John would have to normally be good at doing. He would have to be good at understanding who is interested in him and who is not. Even if he’s emboldened by the fact that no one would believe Jamie, he’s still clearly upset by the reaction (he cries) and knows the consequence of losing someone he’s befriended as well as losing his go-between at the prison.

So, John says “I see” then slowly reaches out for Jamie’s hand. Jamie doesn’t pull away. John says, “I am sorry for your loss”. At this point, John’s hand is still. We see Jamie’s face for a moment and he’s still smiling. Whatever it means, I think John sees that as well as Jamie not moving. But then John’s eyes cast downward to their hands. And then (I die) because he (does the thing that kills me) rubs his thumb on Jamie’s hand and gives him that look (a look I would fight armies to have cast in my direction). It’s a question. It’s obvious, John has been here before and he’s actually certain enough in the reaction he’s going to get (and boy is the sweet snuggle bear man wrong).

This is the point where Jamie seems to start freaking out. I dinna ken lmao what Jamie is thinking up to this point. (since we don’t know i’m going to go with what I want to be happening— he was flirting with john because it was fun and safe and he likes the man and when it actually goes this way, he freaks out.) But seriously, it could run the gambit between what I just wrote, that he’s just like eww he’s being gay in my general direction, or (and very, very possibly) it’s just the reminder of Captain Randall, like a trigger. John and BlackJack technically have the same name, they’re wearing similar clothes, it happened when Jamie was Randall’s prisoner. There are a lot of things in this moment that could trigger Jamie and it really, really sucks because John has no idea and is such a good man and would never, ever hurt someone.

See… and Sam’s choice to make Jamie’s lip tremble when he says “take your hand off me”. There’s fear there. It’s not disgust or anger, truly. He’s scared, looks like he’s going to cry and my poor heart is a broken pile of garbage dirt. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE JOHN DOES CRY.

I can’t believe I wrote like 1000 words of my dumb thoughts on this scene, but seriously, it’s such a pivotal moment and so expertly played by Sam and David. There’s so much feeling and care and loss. So much yet unknown about the other, that things are misinterpreted and people get hurt and panic. and just ughhhhhhh

i need to discuss everyone’s thoughts on this scene in great detail

#lord john grey #john x jamie #outlander nonsense #just talking about the show dammit

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rosywaifu · 5 years ago

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Home {A Percy Jackson Oneshot}

Hi Everyone! This is for @coldheartedgay ‘s AU:

“Can I ask a small request from a PJ AU I made? The general premise is that Half Bloods are born with certain hair color depending on their Godly Parent. Percy - Aqua Annabeth - Silverish blonde Grover - Deep Green Etc.”

I read this request at one in the morning, so I may have gone a little off-book so if this isn’t what you had in mind, LMK and I will redo it to what you actually wanted! But, when I reread it this morning, I thought what I wrote was actually kind of cute so here you go! Please, enjoy and keep requesting, I love it!!

Percy brushed the hair from his forehead, trying different hairstyles by pushing and pulling the strands in different positions. He made faces at his reflection; pouted lips, smoldering eyes, sucked in cheeks for the haute couture look. Finally, he let his aquamarine locks flop against his forehead framing the deep green eyes staring back at him. He was worried about today. If all went well, he’d be engaged. He gave his appearance a last once-over and walked out of his cabin. The air was warm but he was able to stay cool from the breeze coming in from the ocean. He brushed the invisible dirt from his dark blue dress shirt, not being able to keep from fidgeting from his nerves. He tucked and smoothed and picked at his entire shirt to keep his nerves smothered. Once he reached the door of the Athena Cabin, he was sure his shirt was worse than when he started. After a deep breath of the May evening air, he rapped his knuckles three times sharply against the dark oak wood. He took a step back to let the air take hold in the space between him and the door. Hardly a second passes before the door swings open to reveal the silver haired beauty that was Annabeth. Percy drank in her appearance appreciatively; soft, silvery hair curled like a princesses draping down her shoulders with just the slightest bounce. Her tanned skin sporting a bright smile. Her dark grey sweater dress contrasted nicely against her hair and complimented her skin tone. Her camp necklace adorned on her neck. Percy thought she was incredibly beautiful and could hardly keep himself from proposing right there in the door way in front of all her siblings. “Wow, Seaweed Brain, you look great! Very dashing.” She smiled as she teased slightly with her words, but meaning every one. “Not so bad your self, Wise Girl. Took my breath away.” He said smoothly making her smile as she clasped his hand tightly into her own as she closed the door behind her. “Ah, I thought Piper got a little crazy with all the primping but seeing how smart you’re dressed, i’m glad she made me look so nice- even for just a casual date.” She sighed as she talked, half because she was so content with walking with Percy right then and half because she was frustrated he never gets any of the hints she’s dropping to have him propose. Annabeth wasn’t normally one to beat around the bush, but she had let Piper and Hazel convince her that proposing was a delicate matter. She had to use subtlety, they said. It had been 3 months now and Annabeth was about ready to shove that subtlety right in its—

“So, I thought we’d have a picnic near the strawberry fields and the water.” Percy’s voice musing out his plan for the evening kept her from finishing her derailed train of thought. “Sounds lovely, Percy.” They walked in step to the place where Percy was sure he pulled off the most romantic picnic area that ever was. A deep blue and grey plush rug, mechanical candles (as to not start and forest fires), fresh strawberries, cherries, macaroons, and sparkling lemonade. He wanted to get champagne to toast to like they do in the movies, but Chiron, as happy as he was that Percy was proposing the Annabeth, would not bend the rules of no alcohol on camp; even to those of legal drinking age. So, sparkling lemonade it was. Annabeth gasped at all the effort, Percy went through- all the food and drink with the candles glowing in the fading blue sky, even lily pads with little pink and purple flowers floated atop to the water in the little inlet. The whole area looked like a magic forest. She gave Percy a big smile who looked a little sheepish at her happiness. He wanted to make this their most memorable date yet. Sure it was happening at camp, and not a fancy french restaurant but camp was home and their favorite place to be, especially with each other. They sat down and talked about random things and nearly anything that popped into her head. Annabeth talked about the new building design she came up with, explaining all the intricate and delicate ideas and designs she came up for it. Percy half listened to Annabeth, truly trying to listen no matter how hard it was for him to pay attention when she talked about stuff like architecture. He wasn’t super into it but that didn’t mean he didn’t try to pay attention and ask quality questions. The other half fretted about the right time to pop the question without cutting her off too soon or waiting until the end of the date. Soon, Annabeth started asking questions for Percy; how his day went, what he had done since the last time they saw each other (which was only since breakfast that morning). Percy’s tensed shoulders relaxed at talking about the sea animal he got to save that day; a large sea dragon of sorts, about the size of a baby calf, got caught in flurry of fisherman’s hook, fishing poles and netting. He got pretty banged up and his dad sent word to him, via hippocampi, that the mythical creature needed his help. And Percy truly animated when he told the tale of his daring rescue, diving under the ocean waves, swimming as far as the English docks to rescue the incredible creature. Annabeth smiled as she could literally feel the love he had for animals. Eventually, the evening began winding down as Percy felt the anticipation buzzing his every nerve. Annabeth began to clean up but Percy stopped her quickly. “Hold off on that a second. I-i have to talk to you..” his voice was jilted and stiff. Annabeth had a gut instant fear that he was breaking up with her. Would Percy really be the type of guy who would give her a great last date before breaking her heart, like how you give your dog the best last day before having to put him down just so they have one last good memory? Percy, with how completely endearing he is, and idiotic, would probably think a great last date would ease the blow of a breakup, unknowing how wrong he was. Annabeth’s moment of doubt was quickly scrubbed away as she remembered how amazing her relationship was with her boyfriend. Things started to ease as they left their teen years behind; calm and soothing. They spent a great deal of time with one another but still had their own friends and lives as to not smother one another. In fact, it was her relationship being so great that led her to wanting to get married in the first place. She stood up and grasped Percy’s hand gently as he led her a tad closer to the water, wanting to feel the comfortable rock of the waves; encouraging him. He knelt down and grasped both her hands tightly in his grasp. “Annabeth, I love you so much, I would probably, no actually i know i would have died without you back when we were twelve on our first quest together. You have saved my butt so many times over the last ten years, I know i’ve saved yours at least half as many. Without you, my life would be less interesting. I wouldn’t know any of the differences of buildings, I wouldn’t understand what it means to be a hero at all without you teaching me your resolve, confidence, determination and power. You are the most incredible, smart, beautiful, infuriating and talented person i’ve ever met. I love getting lost in our discussions on the lives of the greeks might going on, I love getting lost in ADHD and caffeine fueled ramblings. I love to being in the same room as you. I have been building to this moment for years now.” He pulled out a ring box and exposed the small and dainty silver ring, with the most intricate engraving of wave designs and olive branches interchanging curling up to wrap around the small and modest ocean colored jewel. The jewel seemed to change color with the light passing through it giving it the appearance as if the jewel contained a part of the Mediterranean sea within it. “Annabeth “Wise Girl” Chase, will you do me the absolute pleasure of becoming your husband, your meddling partner, for good?” His eyes twinkled with hope and promise, a smile tearing his face apart as he stared adoringly at her deep storming grey eyes pool with love and excitement. Annabeth fell to her knees, a large smile unable to be constrained on her face. “Yes! Gods, yes seaweed brain! I love you!” And before Percy could slip the dainty ring on her finger, she pulled him into a kiss, embracing him fully, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. His own arms pulling her closer into him, wrapping his own arms tightly around her waist. Seconds later, they pulled apart and Percy was able to pull the ring from the box and slide it softly onto her ring finger. As he did so, Annabeth reveled in the fact that some times when the light danced perfectly on the sparkling jewel, it looked like it was colored as vibrantly aqua as Percy’s hair. Percy watched her face smile at her new rings as she admired it. “I got the jewel straight from the ocean. I went deep sea diving for months looking for the perfect one. When I saw it, the filtered light from the sun streaking through the ocean made it look silvery blue and it reminded me of you; your eyes and your hair. Plus I had Leo and Tyson design the actual ring part, giving my two-sense about the design here and there of course but they built it. However i did make sure they included a specific point.” He smiled conspiratorially, making her arch her eyebrow in piqued curiosity. He gently grabbed her wrist and gently pushed the jewel deeper into the ring. It turned into a half shield, covering her wrist to her elbow and about her arms width above and below. She marveled at the beautiful shield; deep silver with the etched designs of ocean waves and olive branches seemingly moving in wave patterns across the shield. “I named it stavroménoi erastés, meaning Star Crossed Lovers, as a reminder I guess that even though our parents hated each other, our friendship and love can survive and conquer anything. To always protect you and to have a little piece of me when we’re apart.” He winked with the boyish grin adorning his features. Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw something move near the bushes. And thanks to the nearby ocean, Percy had the same quick instinct. With incredible precision from years of battle reflexes, that and living this close to a forest packed with monsters and Clarisse, Percy drew his sword Riptide from his pocking, dislodging the cap as he pulled it out, ready for use just as Annabeth shielded part of her face with her shiny new sword as she drew the dagger that had previously been strapped to the outside of her upper thigh. They pointed their weapons to the noise, poised to attack at the slightly motion of an ambush. “Show yourself!” Annabeth called with incredible strength, almost making Percy want to drop his weapon at her mercy. He thanked all the gods on his good list that he never had to be on the business end of her dagger like that. Suddenly a large tuft of forest green hair appeared above some of the bushes, sporting rather silly looking branches, that Annabeth quickly deciphered as horns. Soon a glimpse of pink hair, flaming red hair, sky blue hair, dark black hair, dark, oil slicked-looking red hair, bright gold hair and blood red hair peaked over the top. Percy And Annabeth shared amused looks before lowering their weapons. The spots of colored hair soon officially identified themselves as Grover, Piper, Clarisse, Jason, Nico, Leo, Hazel and Frank. They all shared a slight look of embarrassment but it was more or less overshadowed by their excitement. “S-s-sorry, guys! We couldn’t help but watch! We would never want to miss the proposal of Percabeth!” Grover bleated. He ran and gave Percy the manliest embrace he could muster. Suddenly, the whole gang was surrounding them, cheering him for finally being able to muster the courage to do it, admiring the ring, and celebrating their engagement between the favorite couple of camp half-blood. As much as Percy wanted to be mad and embarrassed that they had all heard him pour his heart out and let it gush all over the place, he was actually very glad to have his own little cheer squad, cheering him on and lending their support to this anticipated moment. Annabeth was a little more angry than Percy but her anger quickly subsided as her friends gushed over the idea of a wedding making her insides feel all giddy and excited. The stole a glance at one another over the roar of love and support from their friends, no- family and admired each others glow of love making their hair glitter silver and aqua in the bright, sparkling moon. He was so glad he proposed, knowing right there, right then, the wedding would most definitely take place here at camp; at home.

Word Count: 2,261

#Percy Jackson #PJO #Heroes of Olympus #HoO #Annabeth Chase #Piper McLean #Grover Underwood #Clarisse LaRue #Jason Grace #Nico Di Angelo #Leo Valdez #Hazel Levesque #Frank Zhang #Percabeth #Wedding AU #Hair Color AU #Writing #OneShot #Fanfic

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hotelconcierge · 7 years ago

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YOUNG ADULT FICTIONS

Slate Star Codex, “Some groups of people who may not 100% deserve our eternal scorn,” defending Harry Potter political analogies:

Comparing politics to your favorite legends is as old as politics and legends. Herodotus used an extended metaphor between the Persian invasions of his own time and the Trojan War. When King Edward IV took the English throne in 1461, all anybody could talk about was how it reminded them of King Arthur. John Dryden’s famous poem Absalom and Achitophel is a bizarrely complicated analogy of 17th-century English politics to an obscure Biblical story. Throughout American history people have compared King George to Pharaoh, Benedict Arnold to Judas, Abraham Lincoln to Moses, et cetera.

Well, how many people know who Achitophel is these days? Even Achilles is kind of pushing it. So we stick to what we know – and more important, what we expect everyone else will know too. And so we get Harry Potter.

“But a children’s book?” Look, guys, fantasy is what the masses actually like. They liked it in Classical Greece, where they had stories like Bellerophon riding a flying horse and fighting the Chimera. They liked it in medieval Britain, where they would talk about the Knights of the Round Table slaying dragons as they searched for the Holy Grail. The cultural norm where only kids are allowed to read fantasy guilt-free and everybody else has to read James Joyce is a weird blip in the literary record which is already being corrected. Besides, James Joyce makes for a much less interesting source of political metaphors (“The 2016 election was a lot like Finnegan’s Wake: I have no idea what just happened”)

Hoo boy did he walk into that one.

Plebeians have been plebeian forever, granted, although the age of SSC’s examples (Medieval Britain?) is telling: contra the above, the distinction between highbrow and lowbrow literature exists whenever the majority of the population is literate.

But regardless, SSC (for the record, mostly Good) is being fooled by branding. No one compares the “fantasy” elements of Harry Potter to the U.S. political system. The fantasy elements are irrelevant, which is why Hamilton works just as well. Wannabe pundits compare the characters. And it is the characters, their psyches, the ambiguity that persists after two millennia of debate, that has made The Iliad stand the test of time. As clever as Artemis Fowl may be, it’s naive to pretend there’s no difference.

What makes it obvious that Deadpool (rating: R) is a kid’s movie while 2001: A Space Odyssey (rating: G) is not? Turn on the TV and flip through a few kids shows—nothing educational, I’m talking epilepsy triggers. After a couple, you’ll notice a unifying theme: everything is turned up to the max. All the characters are live/laugh/loving, fighting, crying; the soundtrack goes major or minor for every ephemeral mood. The characters have saucer eyes and exaggerated movements, The Emoji Movie being the logical conclusion of the genre, every motivation gets a musical number, these shows are MAXIMALLY EXPRESSIVE, leaving no doubt as to what emotion you are supposed to feel by the microsecond.

Please hear that I mean no disrespect when I say that this is why people with autism like Disney.

Q: Why did it feel good to watch [Disney movies] over and over again, that you kept wanting to? Watch them over and over again? How did that feel to you?

A: It felt comforting.

Q: Comforting.

A: It felt comforting.

Q: Why?

A: Because it would help me with...reducing my autism. (Radiolab)

Nothing wrong with that. Partisan bullshit aside, Harry Potter is great. But it’s important to recognize the limitations. Young adult fiction can have complex characters, worldbuilding, and rules of magic/ethics/rationality as long as the complexity is spelled out for you. “Snape was mean to Harry...but [flashback] that’s because, deep down, he was still in love with Lily...” What such stories will never ask you to do is intuit that Snape had tribulations, they assume that you have no instinct for cognitive empathy, which you don’t, which is why your politics are vapid.

(When fiction deprives you of access to any character’s mind or explanation of events, you feel the opposite of comfort: horror. Saw is not a scary film because it is nothing but explanations; a Kafka story feels “off” even before shit goes down because the world and the characters refuse to show their work.)

Young adult fiction is a stepping stone, good if it helps you get better at understanding people without a Wes Anderson narrator whispering in your ear. Unfortunately, the ability to parrot accepted opinions is often taken for the ability to derive judgments of one’s own. I’m thinking of a homestuck 13 year old who is constantly told that he/she is “so mature” for getting straight A’s and being well-spoken with the dinner guests and not ditching class to smoke brick weed with Devin. Whether or not those behaviors are good, the kid isn’t mature, he or she is well-trained, and if you keep claiming maturity then you are going to stunt development. Sorry: not having an adolescent rebellion means you didn’t complete adolescence. The result is neotenous adults who are not overly sensitive—as conservative media would claim—but rather overly dependent on external rules. Cards Against Humanity is so funny, right? You get to say bad words, but it’s only a game.

“Help, I was a gifted kid and now I’m a normal adult!” Different adjective, same problem. Once Hal Incandenza is typecast as “gifted,” everyone will find it convenient to grade him (praise/no praise) on whether he is living up to his label. How do you look gifted? You can solve P vs. NP......or you can read the dictionary. I’ll bet that every ex-gifted kid who now uses “adulting” as a verb is a fan of those faux-pretentious memes, “mfw she confuses epistemics and ontology,” fitting Wikipedia philosophy into preformed joke structures, lowbrow expressions of highbrow concepts, a few college words to suggest immeasurable depths. You do what you know: exert the minimum necessary effort to convince other people of your intelligence. But you can’t convince yourself.

The consequences are predictable. Imposter syndrome. Scrupulosity. Sexual fetishes suffixed with -play. Gushing compassion ruined by the inability to picture how one appears to the outside world. Neediness. Ill-fitting jeans. Trouble with romance, and not because they don’t know how—deep down they do—but because they cling to a rulebook (“milady”) instead of trusting instinct. They were never allowed to have instincts. For that matter they’ve never really wanted, never felt a desire that wasn’t assigned, which is why: open relationships, switched majors, medicated anxiety, and ambivalence, ambivalence, ambivalence.

I know how heavy lies the burden of wasted potential. So please take this in the gentlest possible way: you were never that great. Greatness is a meaningless thing to apply to a kid, or a college student, or any idea that hasn’t forced it’s way onto paper. The only path is forward. “It’s our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” I think that’s Dumbledore, take it or leave it—there’s a time and a place for young adult fiction.

Coming soon:

THE FALSE POSITIVES

THE FALSE NEGATIVES

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nadjaofstatenisland · 7 years ago

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Keeping Up With the Coopers

Wrote something about Alice showing up at the SoDale event last night and accidentally erased it because I’m an idiot, so lets try this again. (apologizing in advanced because I’m sure someone else has used this title before.)

Oh, Alice. As I ask of my favorite character every week what is your game?

Let me start by stating the obvious: Alice is insecure. “Did you tell Dad everything when you started dating?” “I sure did, and he used it against me.” Betty and Alice exchange this in 1x10 when Betty is unsure of trusting Jughead with dark!Betty. And by this point we already saw Hal use Alice’s insecurities against her in 1x08 when she kicks him out. “Oh, no Alice. What will everyone think?” I’ve talked to a few people who viewed this exchange as Hal not wanting the town to find out they don’t have a perfect family, but I disagree. Hal says this in such a condescending tone, I can only read this as him using her insecurities against her. Hal grew up in the Northside, founding family of Riverdale, and probably had a very similar childhood to the one they gave Betty and Polly. The Coopers already have an established imagine and Hal could care less of it, it’s been there his whole life and little can tarnish it now. It’s Southside Alice, the girl from the wrong side of the track with the bad reputation. She is the one who cares about her family’s reputation. Possibly because she finally has a “good” reputation to uphold, unlike her past.

Which brings me to 2x05. Betty gets sent this article of her mom being arrested as a teen (conveniently right after the Lodge’s discuss what a pain her articles have been. hmm.) and posts it under the Black Hood’s direction. Now, this is a small town. All the older crowd already knows Alice from her past and knows she’s formerly from the Southside, yet the only person who ever brings this up is FP. Even then, FP brings this up in private, although it would have been so easy to toss into that dinner conversation in front of Betty and Jughead in 1x11. Do people ignore this as a polite courtesy? Strange since all Alice ever seems to do it shit stir.

So this article pops up. Alice claims all public records of it are gone, but what’s sent to Betty is a picture of the paper. An original copy implies that someone’s been saving this paper for 25 years just to eventually hold something over Alice’s head. And in retrospect… who makes a big deal about this? We see groups of kids snickering about it at Pops. Pop’s himself tells Alice he’s not judging her. Hiram kind of nods along with it when Hal says Alice is shook. Is it such a big deal…?

Yes, because if there is anyone Alice has been trying to erase her past from, it’s her own children. How was there not a scene of Betty actually confronting Alice about this? (and i know her and Jug where pressed for time, but they hardly touch on this. please Jug, ask an older Serpent what they know about Alice, for my sake.) The scene we get is so short and basically Betty just saying she did this for justice. “Shit talk the Southside and I’ll expose your sketchy past.” But what about, “Mom, you were a Serpent and have a record, yet instead of telling me and my boyfriend about this as maybe a cautionary tale, you just post articles about how the place you come from is ruining Riverdale?”

And what about the older Serpents? Do they just roll their eyes and go, “Oh, silly Alice, running her mouth as always,” and shake it off? Does Tall Boy know Alice? And why is it this group of misfit Serpent teens who want to attack the Register? (btw Jug, great job not telling anyone about their stupid plan. I know you have a complicated relationship with Alice, but leaving a pipebomb in some’s business is a serious deal. and do they ever even say they’re not going to do it? uhhh…)

So this brings us to the SoDale Open House. Hal tells Hiram they decided together that Alice shouldn’t come after the article. “Alice, you’ve really been stirring the pot lately. Lets put crazy on the backburner and you sit this one out?” “Oh sure.” At which point, Alice ran out to Greendale Mall and brought that bomb ass outfit that I couldn’t pull off in my wildest fantasy. (fyi my wildest fantasy may or may not include Madchen in that outfit.) And a snake necklace. And she shows up in total Cheryl Blossom fashion and makes a scene, yanks a drink out of her husband’s hand… and then what? Takes three steps back and asks him what she’s missed so far? She’s standing next to him minutes later when Hiram makes his speech.

Who was this stand against? Hal? This entire fandom gives Hal so much shit and I hear so many people calling him abusive. To who? Does Alice strike anyone as the type who takes shit from anyone? Listen to Hal when he tells her not to do something? The only time we see him remotely talk back to Alice is the scene I mentioned in 1x08, which of course still results in him getting kicked out. Hal and Alice were high school sweethearts (more on that). He knows her past and still married her in spite of it. That article hurt her, not him. So even if he told her to stay home, he must have known there was little chance of it happening, so please, someone tell me why they think Hal is such a villain. I’d love to have a legit discussion on this, not just, “He’s awful, end of story.”

(and before we get into the Polly debate, I’ll say this. I’m pro-choice. as far as we know, Hal offered to pay for Polly to get an abortion, which is the same thing he did to Alice back when they were in high school. he didn’t force either of them to do this since, obviously, neither got an abortion. the most important thing is what Polly said. “He didn’t even ask me what I want.” which yes, i agree with. it’s 100% Polly’s choice, but since she didn’t get an abortion, she wasn’t forced into one. what she was forced into was going to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. but please, I’m not here to get into a pro-choice/pro-life debate if that’s where anyone’s going, thanks.)

So this is a stand against the town? “I am Alice, here me slither.” Anyone Alice’s age already knows has a shady past. And they knew you were Southside, but did people know you were a Serpent? If anything, this article is just a reminder of that time she got arrested and that snake necklace is maybe suppsed to be a reveal. But we don’t even know for sure because there is no follow up on this scene. Alice, no one in this town cares who you were 25 years ago. You care who you were 25 years ago. Are you trying to say you’re not embarrassed anymore? Are you done wearing pastels? (a shame, because they really suit you.) Who forced you into a J Crew catalog? Everyone in town knows you dress your damn husband.

Please writers, let us not just ignore this. Alice didn’t do all this just for it not to be mentioned again. Don’t let me down. Is Alice now going to be pro Southside? Stop trying to pin them as the bad guys? I highly doubt this, but why the snake necklace then?

So while I’m coming off the high of going for a run and drinking three cups of coffee, let me get into a topic I see come up every so often but am normally too lazy to comment on. Alice and Hal’s relationship.

“They’re so different.” “Why are they still married?” “How did they ever get together in the first place?”

Look, my husband and I are polar opposites. My sister and her husband too. My parents were, my grandparents… Who marries someone just like them? My husband is loud, outgoing, hotheaded, never afraid to talk up or speak his mind. I’m quite, sarcastic, levelheaded, and will eat the wrong meal if a waitress got my order wrong because I hate confrontation. We balance each other, as couples should. (i’m in no way saying you can’t be with someone with a similar personality, I just often see it the other way around.)

Alice and FP being too similar is the exact reason I can never see them working out.

So okay, I love getting into the inner workings of Alice and Hal’s relationship, as many know. I find it fascinating. Alice was this bad girl in high school. Southside, most likely a Serpent, arrested at least once. Yet she dated this preppy Northside boy. They’re referred to as high school sweethearts and Alice got pregnant (we can assume) a bit before senior year started. To me that implies they dated for a chunk of high school, as I doubt they’d be popular enough to win something like homecoming court if they just got together.

So yes, they must have been popular if they could win homecoming court. Who were they up against? Hermione and Fred? Hermione and Hal’s apparent buddy Hiram? (oh god, give me a double date of Hermione, Hiram, Alice, and Hal at Pops, please please please.) And that’s just it. I can totally see the school rooting for this mismatched couple to stay together. I can see them gaining their popularity off of each other.

Ah, but at some point in high school Alice was arrested (assuming before senior year since she spent half of that at the sisters). And who else but the Riverdale Register posts her mugshot. We see a lot of family businesses in Riverdale, so it won’t surprise me that the same goes for the Register. Probably started by Hal’s grandmother to “expose the truth of Riverdale and those maple syrup stealing Blossom’s” after her husband was murdered. So Hal’s parents published that article on Alice. Was she already dating their son at that time and this was their way of embarrassing her to break them up? Or was Hal drawn to her after this, discovering his kink for bad girls?

Okay, this is an unedited mess I need to cut short to go to work.

#alice cooper #hal cooper #riverdale #riverdale meta #hal x alice #betty cooper #polly cooper #jughead jones #southside serpents #keeping up with the coopers #riverparents #parentdale #unpopular opinion #kim rambles

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pixiealtaira · 7 years ago

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Ex-cellent Resistance

Kadam week prompt six (Friday’s)

Ex-cellent Resistance

When Kurt first heard Adam talk about the ex-boyfriend who had had the most impact on his life, Kurt nearly panicked. How could he possibly compete with a guy named Thor Ashton and win? A guy named Thor had to be big and strong and probably handsome. He probably had a deep voice and sang a deep smooth bass and was a powerful enough singer to shake a full house.

It didn’t help that as much as Adam spoke about the guy Kurt didn’t have a good grasp on him. He knew they dated for a while before Adam moved to the USA for University and that Thor hadn’t been too happy but had agreed that they needed to break-up before Adam left. He knew Thor rode horses and rowed and fenced and swam when they were in school together, but never heard more than a sentence about any of that. He only assumed Thor was great at it all. Thor also did theater. But that was about it.

Adam NEVER talked about them together. Kurt thought maybe that was because Kurt probably did talk too much about Kurt-n-Blaine sometimes and what Blaine thought about things (him) sometimes. He was sure Adam really didn’t like that tendency of his, he didn’t like that tendency of his, so he figured Adam, being the darling kind soul that he was, made an effort not to do the same and upset Kurt.

Then one weekend Adam was just…quiet. Withdrawn. When Kurt asked what was up, he smiled and tried really hard to look like nothing was wrong and play it off, and didn’t really say anything. Then Monday Adam announced that he’d be busy for the next few days and Adam’s Apple’s practices would have to be done without him. And Kurt, like everyone one else in the room found out his ex-boyfriend, Thor was going to be in town.

They fought Monday night when Adam told Kurt he didn’t want him ANYWHERE near Thor. At all, period. End of story.

Kurt was furious and going to ignore Adam in spite, regardless that him being away from Adam was what Adam wanted…but something one of the girls in his First year Drama class said made him stop and think and let the warning sirens in his head get heard.

“I can’t believe Lucy is letting him even speak to her. She is just so subdued when he is near and then she starts to perk up after he dumps her, but the moment he snaps his fingers she is back to Miss Mousy and it take weeks for her to get better when he dumps her again.”

The word subdued caught Kurt’s attention and he thought about himself during the Karofsky issues. Subdued…and not himself. And he thought about the weekend and a fight with Adam. Who didn’t want him anywhere near Thor…even though Kurt was hearing ‘not near me while Thor is here’ Adam was screaming ‘not near Thor’. The what ifs started playing in Kurt’s head and he got next to no sleep Tuesday night because all he could think of was being pushed into lockers…except he was seeing Adam in his place…or after scandals that night Blaine danced with Sebastian…the one he didn’t think about…with Adam in his place. He was sick twice.

Kurt was good as being unnoticed. He’d made a habit of it for a great deal of his life. He was also good at being where he needed to be to hear and see what he needed to see. He would have never survived McKinley without the skill.

He dressed down…but down in a manner that could go unnoticed at NYADA. A few people asked questions, but being at NYADA one could simply say ‘working on a project’ and all other comments were generally dropped.

So Kurt was in the dance classroom practicing when Adam came in. Kurt generally didn’t practice at that time, but he knew there were usually people who did, so he wouldn’t be the only one there. In fact, if it were a normal Wednesday, it would be crowded enough that he could be virtually unnoticed. He thought maybe Adam would see him, Adam seemed to always know where Kurt was…to find his eyes in crowded rooms, to turn and smile just as he walked into a hallway Adam was nearly out of…but he didn’t.

Because he didn’t even really look up.

“This is one of the dance rooms, there are a good fifteen or so large ones fit for classes and then a couple dozen small practice rooms big enough to dance in.” Adam said. “My class today is focused on group work…dancing the type of choreography we might see when working as chorus in a show.”

“I thought you came here to be a star?” the man walking next to Adam said. He was not very tall, maybe the same height as Kurt but maybe even shorter. Kurt wasn’t going to get closer to see. He was bulky…that part of a Thor type image was true, however he wasn’t fit really. He wasn’t fat, but he wasn’t buff either. He looked like he could use some toning exercising and to watch what he ate a bit better. He didn’t look like he swam and rowed much anymore. Kurt really didn’t have a mental image for those who rode horses and the top fencer at Dalton had been built like the man Kurt assumed was Thor.

“I came here to learn about theater and all the different aspects to it and to gain the knowledge and experience needed to make a name for myself in the field.” Adam said. “You know…those things one should do before trying to before a star?”

The man snorted. “We let you indulge in this ridiculousness under the impression you were going to make yourself a star. Obviously since you are taking blend into the background dance, you are not even aiming high. Adam, we told you we wouldn’t put up with this.”

“Thor, we broke up. I broke up with you even before I got accepted here. I know I informed you of that multiple times.”

Thor sighed. “And Grandmother forgave your wayward mouth and spoke to your mother, who agreed you were just trying to spread your wings a little. I keep telling you we are waiting for you to return to your senses and come home. Grandmother has it all planned out. She has even arranged for a proper choice to carry our heir. Of course it will be of my blood, but then that was always a given.”

“I’ve been accepted to graduate school here in New York City. I’ll be staying here and remaining in my current relationship status, which is not attached to you in any form. I am pretty sure MY mother told you that.”

“Adam, I demand you come home. You have had you fun and played with your little theater world long enough. Father’s firm has an opening you can walk right into.”

“I told you when I was 10 I was never being a barrister or working anywhere near a hospital or even a clinic, in case your Uncle has an opening. I have not changed my mind. I am staying here and you will just have to deal with it. I am certain Justin, or James, or Harold, or Estevan, or Louis, or Salvador, or Sven, or Apollo can entertain you and any one of them would love to be your partner. And if they won’t humor you, I’m sure you could look-up Martin or Miles or Winston or Hal from our school years. They indulged you back then, I’m sure they’d do so again.”

“Adam, stop being sore. It’s dull. I told you none of them have meant anything. Grandmother likes you. You have the proper genetic offerings to bring to the family and you are socially acceptable.”

“And I broke up with you and am staying broken up with you and am staying in New York City.”

Thor stomped his foot. “I’m telling my Grandmother about this!”

“And I’m telling my mother and father and grandparents and possibly even reporting it to our old headmaster, who said he’d help with a restraining order if I needed one.”

Thor pushed Adam and stomped off, his phone in hand.

Adam slumped against the wall and put his hands in his head.

Kurt slid up beside him and ran his hand comfortingly up and down Adam’s arm.

“Kurt?” Adam said, looking at Kurt in surprise. “Why are you here? You should leave. I don’t want him near you. He likes to screw with guys like you…forcefully, without asking. He likes making ‘pretty’ guys cry…and worse.”

Kurt smiled. “I am here because I felt you needed a bit of a reminder of how wonderful you are. And because once upon a time I needed someone to notice and no one did, and I can’t stand by and not let you know I am on your team and noticed you were having a hard time. Not after that. And you needed the sunshine you gave me earlier in the year given back…so…”

Adam smiled at Kurt. “Thank You, darling.”

“So…can he make issues?” Kurt asked.

Adam snorted.

“No. His grandmother is not nearly as important as she thinks she is and he leaves tonight. His interview was not well done. In fact he did so poorly that they informed him then and there that he would not be hired. I will be free again by midnight. Oh, I’ll get calls of complaint from home for a good six or seven weeks, until Thor hooks up with one of the interns at his dad’s practice or their pool boy again, and then I won’t hear from anyone until Thor needs someone his grandmother of approves of to be seen with him again, probably around Christmas.”

Kurt leaned against Adam. “I’m sorry for tossing a tantrum.”

“That was not a tantrum and I know I didn’t explain myself well. I just…I don’t want you hurt. You are just barely getting over ill treatment from your ex and I can’t stand the thought of being the reason you have more pain added to your life. And Thor…he adds pain. And if he finds out how much I care about you, he will go out of his way to find ways to hurt you. He always does.”

“And I don’t like the thought of you in a dark place without someone there to support you. You don’t belong in dark places, Adam. You don’t belong someplace your light is dimmed. Not without someone beside you keep your flame from being doused. I am tougher than I seem most of the time, Adam.” Kurt said.

“I protect you, you protect me?” Adam asked quietly.

Kurt leaned in a kissed his cheek. “Sounds like a plan. So, shall I follow you around for the rest of the day? I can be really sneaky.”

Adam chuckled.

“How are you going to explain your presence in my playwriting course?”

Kurt smiled and scooted so he could look at Adam face to face. “I had that one figured out. I asked if I could sit in and see if I want to do the playwriting course, or the scriptwriting screen course, or the more generic scriptwriting course. Granted, I now am committed to sitting in on the other two over the next two days, so I shall be missing Apples practice tomorrow.”

“Voice?” Adam asked.

“I asked to be able to sit in so I could see what type of voice work seniors who are not focused on musical theater do. Oddly enough your teacher was very excited about the request.” Kurt said.

“That is because Professor Madison loves your speaking voice and is trying to poach you from the Musical Theater department.”

“Nonsense.” Kurt said.

“Oh, no, darling. He offers bribes for information on you and hopes to lure you away.”

“But…my voice is too high.”

“Your voice is unique and lovely and he has like 180 parts he’d like you to play…which he adds to daily. He is counting down until you are a sophomore and he can recruit you for the NYADA performances. Madame said she would allow it for next year even if you haven’t technically caught up…to many are whining at her about needing you.”

Kurt tilted his head and looked at Adam in disbelief.

“And Professor Santos, who trains those who have a more classical track, has been trying to poach you as well. He fights with Tibideaux over training.”

“Really?” Kurt asked in disbelief.

“Yes, really. There were videos of Midnight Madness. Professors watched them. They always do. This is a very competitive school, but seriously, it is not just the students who compete. The professors compete as well…over who sends out the most successful students, over who gets the students with the most potential, over who graduates the most students, over who has the most students studying in their programs, who has the students with the best grades, even who has the students who have the best reputations…and in those competitions they aren’t even just reputations like who has the best voice, but also who is best liked and who is the nicest and who works the hardest.”

“And who is this?” Thor asked, coming back into the room.

Kurt gave Adam a smile and then looked up, schooling his face to wide eyed and a bit star-struck. “I’m a freshman here and I was just asking Adam about the school as the years go by. I mean, he is a senior and all and I heard he got into grad school, too. I’m just glad that I decided to practice before the class that was next in this room today and that some of the other students pointed out that Adam would be a good person to talk to since he has worked in different sections of the school and not just dance or musical theater. I mean I could ask some of the other in my classes, but none are seniors because I’m just a freshman and it would just be so weird to go into a class of seniors without like…asking, you know….just to talk to a senior.”

Kurt nearly broke character as Adam tried not to laugh. Adam kept it together and blanked his face to an indulgent smile as Kurt continued.

“I think it is absolutely fabulous that there are classes like this upcoming dance class that underclassman can take with seniors. I mean, I can’t yet, because I’m a newer freshman and have to take like dance basics first, but there are some freshman in here that like got a pass to be in here last semester. I’m from Ohio and in my high school I rarely got to talk to seniors when I was younger and maybe if I had I would have had a better idea about the upper years before I reached them and so I love the opportunity we get here to ask those older than us little freshman for guidance and advice. That is so important you know, getting advice from people older than you…like what type of dance shoes are best? Do you want the flexible tap shoes that are sort of like jazz shoes or old fashioned stand ones? Don’t you think that is wonderful?”

Thor just rolled his eyes at Kurt and growled at Adam. “Are you coming with me to the airport?”

“No, I have classes I must attend. I told you this last week and your family this when they called. Now, you can shadow me for the morning classes and I could spare the time between my second class and third class to ride back with you to the hotel, but I have to be back for my third class at 2pm today, so going to the airport is out.”

“But Adam, we cannot have the discussion we need to have here with you going to classes.” Thor snarled.

“We had it…we’ve had it over and over since you got here, we had it this morning even. I am not going back to Britain right now…not for another four years or more. WE are NOT together anymore. You have no say.”

Thor glared but sat on one of the benches against the wall watching the dance room. “So? When does this class start?”

Adam sighed and rolled his eyes. Most of those who’d been practicing were either getting ready for class or had headed out. Kurt smiled and stood up to retrieve his dance bag and then moved over to the other bench to watch the class from…and watch Thor from. Adam got up, dropped his dance bag and book bag against the wall by the benches, and went over to the bar and started to stretch.

It didn’t take long before Kurt was just glancing at Thor but paying most of his attention to Adam and the dance class. He could see why Cassie wanted him to take a technique class for his ballet and jazz this summer on top of the other half of beginner’s dance that he needed to take. He would not be able to keep up in this class at his current level. Adam did. He had no problem keeping up; in fact he was often picked to learn the main part because he caught on quickly. Kurt sighed and worried briefly that his eyes were showing too much of how much he appreciated the sight of Adam dancing. He was magnificent. Kurt hadn’t seen him dance like he was in class, just basic steps like they did for the Apples.

Kurt decided he could happily follow Adam to dance class every day.

Thor was watching as well, but he was sneering.

Kurt watched as the class went through a quick series of steps from ballroom dance, just a few measures of each major dance style, with Adam as main…catching the girl twirled into his arms, dancing the right steps to match the music type played, and the twirling her out just to turn and catch the next girl. No one fell or missed the beat or danced the wrong type for the song. His class would have crashed into each other.

Cassie called a 10 minute water break and stretch after the routine was finished.

Thor marched up to Adam.

‘Your hands were in the wrong positions on each of those!” Thor snapped. “After all those hours of ballroom Grandmother paid for how could you embarrass yourself like that!”

“We weren’t dancing ballroom, my hands were right where they needed to be,” Adam said.

Kurt scooted closer to the fuss, but he wasn’t the only one.

“It looked like ballroom to me.”

“In that routine, the important part is to support the dancer as I receive her and as I pass her off. To best do that, my hands must be place slightly different than if I was dancing with a single partner and there was no exchange.”

Thor looked like he was going to fuss again but Ms. July stepped in. “Excellent job Adam, you finally got the passes smooth and they were timed perfectly. Now I just need you to focus on the footwork during the Lindy and the waltz. I need the footwork bigger. Remember this is stage work, not a ballroom competition. Go get your drink.”

Adam smiled and nodded and Thor glared at her. Thor followed Adam towards the benches, snipping at him as Adam fetched his water bottle from his dance bag and then took his dance bag with him as he headed back towards the center of the floor, sliding his bag along the floor till it landed right outside the doors to the changing rooms. Kurt thought Thor might stomp out in a Rachel-esque move; however he sat back down as the class picked up again.

Kurt spent more time watching Thor for the next part of the class. He was writing in a notebook, angrily, as he watched Adam. After a few moments Thor dug around in Adam’s bag, but Kurt couldn’t see what the man was messing with. Kurt scowled and went back to watching the class, trying to figure out if Adam had seen. When he next looked over the man was texting and then took a photo of the notebook page he’d written on, before texting some more. Kurt knew he was swinging his head back and forth between the views but he couldn’t help but worry about their being something in Adam’s bag that would make Thor more upset…or indicate Kurt was something more than he had tried to play as.

Adam danced by and whispered for Kurt to ignore Thor, it was all going to be all right. Kurt allowed himself to get caught up in the dancing for the rest of the class time, paying close attention to the whole picture and what Cassie was demanding of the dancers in the class. As the class came to a close, Adam and one of the other males were doing a piece that even included some stage combat moves.

Adam smiled and waved towards the benches before he headed to go shower and get changed. Kurt smiled and nodded while Thor just pointed to his watch and signaled his impatience.

Cassie came over to where Kurt was sitting and for a moment Kurt worried his cover would be blown.

“Hummel.”

“Ms. July.” Kurt often wondered if he would ever graduate to first name basis, but at least Cassie July called him by his last name and not a horrid nickname.

“Do you understand now why you need those technique classes? You could be in this class, but you lack the basic skill sets in many dance forms. You aren’t awful in them, but I can tell you weren’t trained in them past maybe a year or so when you were very young.”

“I do. I am glad those dance classes I had when little counted for something though.”

“Oddly enough, I think your classes did you better than Ms. Barry’s. Whoever taught you taught you basics in multiple dance types but nothing too technical that was trained in a manner to create bad habits. I don’t find myself pondering how to retrain you constantly, nor do I find myself wishing to hunt down your previous teachers and shoot them.”

“I only took dance from 3 to 8 and then it was only one hour a week and we did multiple types of dance but did not heavily focus on any single type. It was an inexpensive class mainly catering to parents who wanted their kids to have fun and have a good foundation that could be built upon later. That said the company did have kids who placed well in dance competitions…who took the highest titles for their ages. And we usually did well as a group.”

Ms. July nodded. “I imagine you did, and I’m sure if you’d continued you’d have more technique under your belt…because that early training was decently solid in mixed basics. However, you, for whatever reason…and I am aware part of it probably stemmed from the fact you are from Iowa…or Idaho…or whatever backwater state you are from…where boys probably risked getting shot for taking dance…didn’t continue and so need more of the fundamentals.”

Kurt nodded. “Everything else was self-taught watching videos and copying them or learned through cheer and glee club.”

“Ah…cheer. That explains a lot. Take those classes over the summer, Hummel. I especially want you to take tap and ballet and jazz. Your leaps could be spectacular with some practice, and I believe you could do flips and incredible leaps and contortions of all sorts…all that showy stuff that directors love to insert when they can…if you get the dance basics down. And you could make a solid partner, you have the strength in your arms and upper body to do lifts and the concept of what a good base needs to know. I want you able to join my intermediate class next fall. I will sign off on those additions to make it so.”

“All right. I might need you to since I have to take the other half of so many classes.”

“You can do it. I might have had issues signing a pass for some of the other freshmen, but I have confidence you can complete the courses.”

Kurt nodded.

Adam’s phone started to play from the bag between the two benches against the wall. Kurt recognized the ringtone.

“Is that Crawford’s?” Ms. July asked. “He never leaves his phone turned up in class.”

Kurt sneered. “His ex is here and being an irritant.”

“Ah…so that is why that man was in my class. He’s not welcome back. You…you could come sit in any day. I think watching the more advanced classes would be great for you. However we might need to stock some droll rags. Go tell Crawford his phone is polluting my classroom with its shrill tones, will you? You’re slip with the permission to add all those dance hours will be waiting for you in our next class. Ta.”

Kurt nodded and took off towards the changing rooms.

Adam had just come out of the shower area and was sliding on his shirt.

“Adam, you phone is ringing.” Kurt said. “Ms. July told me to come tell you its shrill noise is polluting her classroom.”

“What? It was off.”

“Thor was in your bag during class.”

“I saw.”

“If he turned your phone on he’s going to know we know each other.” Kurt said.

“No he won’t, NO ONE is labeled on it in any understandable manner except him and my family members. Your number is under Joe’s café and has a slice of pizza as the icon.”

“Pizza?”

“Not one is likely to connect you to Pizza as a first thought. Joey had to beg you to eat that slice at the last Apples eat out night.”

Kurt sneered. “Adam, the grease flowed off that slice of pizza when it was picked up. It pooled under it!”

Adam laughed. “I’d better go and see why my phone is ringing.”

“I’ll count to 20 before following you.”

Adam shook his head. “You were told to come get me, don’t be silly. However, what did Cassie have to say after class?”

Kurt was relating his need for more basics as they left the dressing room and headed back into the classroom. Thor was glaring and Kurt figured if he could call lightening down he would have glad struck Kurt with a bolt.

“Those are great classes for getting your basic technique down.” Adam was telling Kurt as they came closer to Thor and Adam’s book bag. “They are focused on the fundamentals and then individual focus on what extra is needed. You need help with turns? Then it will be your individual practice technique until you have them down. There isn’t a lot of routine work done in these summer intensive courses, but that is usually not why one takes them. Also you are likely to have dancers from all over the city in them…yes, they train in basics, but they also allow for just a good technique focused class which dancers who are doing routine work all day elsewhere like. It was very neat to be in class with dancers who worked full time on Broadway. Even after I took them during the summer between my first and second year by Ms. July’s request, I took them every other summer by my own choice. They are well worth it.”

“Thanks, I am starting to really look forward to the classes now.” Kurt said, heading with a wave to grab his own bag from where he had been sitting. He took a few moments to reorganize his books and gear, staying still long enough to hear Thor berate Adam for taking so long to change and for talking so long to Kurt and for ignoring his phone.

“How was I to know it would ring? I can’t be ignoring it if the phone wasn’t supposed to be able to ring until I turned it back on. I had it turned off. I know it was off, Thor. Would you like to explain why it is ringing?” Adam stated, ignoring the rest of Thor’s rant.

Kurt didn’t hear the response as he headed to the nearly empty dressing room to change into his non dance clothes and get dressed for following Adam around for the rest of the day.

Adam was already seated in his playwriting class when Kurt entered and went up front to peak with the professor about where he’d like Kurt to sit. Adam was seated and still on his phone. Thor was seated in the desk next to Adam with his arms crossed, smirking.

“Uncle Emmet, I have not thrown your good money away and ditched everything I know from years of ballroom lessons. I am perfectly able to switch from formal ballroom to the type of ballroom done on stage to the type of ballroom that is mashed together with other dance forms. That is why you also spent all that money on MULTIPLE FORMS of dance while I was growing up….so I could do that! Honestly, people. Tell Lucy I’ll get a video and she can see for herself the whole routine and I know she WILL be able to see what the whole point and deal was. Am sorry Thor called her and she called you. No…I am not back together with him and I WILL NOT BE GETTING BACK TOGETHER with him. Goodbye. Tell Da I said hello.”

Kurt took the seat pointed out to him, three back from Adam and two rows over, and settled in for the class period. Kurt wouldn’t be moving after the class…he was sitting through the screenwriting course right after this class.

Kurt watched Adam turn to Thor. “Calling Lucy really did you no good, Thor. And having her call Emmet? That was just desperate. Stop. You are making a fool out of yourself. I think you will find that all your efforts just make you look pathetic. Also, don’t forget, I let things slide, Thor. I let you tell your tales and didn’t say anything to contradict them. I can correct peoples notions, Thor. I can and will correct what they think they know about us…about you. I am not going back now, I AM staying for grad school. If I ever go back, I WILL NOT be getting back together with you, ever. I broke-up with you. I broke up with you before I even got accepted here…whether your Grandmother likes to believe that or not. YOU did not make the call and she defiantly did not make that call. You didn’t ‘free me’ for this journey, or ‘grant me permission’ to dabble in my silly interests. YOU had no authority to do so…you had been broken up with. I got rid of you!”

The rant was so uncharacteristic of Adam that the professor was staring as intently as Kurt was. The other students were staring as they came in, although most were smart enough to also move forward into the room and sit in their seats.

Thor snorted and looked disdainfully at Adam. “Adam, I told you then and I’ll remind you now. No One breaks-up with a Harrington. WE allow people to move on, but only WE get to make that decision. Until I free you, you belong to me. Grandmother likes you, so therefore I OWN you until I decide I no longer want you as my significant other. Grandmother will here about this.”

“You are an Ashton. Your GRANDMOTHER was a Harrington and that meant little then and pretty much nothing now. Her power is all in her head. You don’t even have any solid links to any titles of any sort.”

“How dare you!” Thor yelled, standing and pushing the desk as soon as he was clear of it.

“Face it Thor, Harringtons were important because they were wealthy merchants…your grandmother’s sister may have married up and landed herself someone titled, but your grandmother married another wealthy merchants son. Nothing more. And they didn’t invest well. YOUR family is no more well off than mine…maybe even less. Remember that the next time you try to turn my family against me and use them against me.”

Thor grabbed his bag and stomped out of the room and Adam pasted on a serene face and turned to face the front of the classroom. “Is it nearly time to start? I wouldn’t want to waste class time this close to the end of the year.”

The professor snorted and started class. Kurt actually found it very interesting and was looking forward to attending the other two classes to see what was different and what was the same. Kurt kept an eye on Adam the whole class. Thor did not come back in…and Adam ignored his phone.

Thor was standing outside the door. Kurt could see him waiting them as the other students left the class.

“I demand we head back to the hotel now.” Thor stated as Adam reached the door. “I also called your mother and reported your retched behavior towards me. She is awaiting your call of explanation.”

“Fine,” Adam said. “I will escort you to get your bags and check out and help you get to the airport. But remember I have to be back for class at 2pm.”

“I told you…”

“And I told you I cannot miss class.” Adam said. “I can do the whole calling people to tantrum as well, Thor.”

Thor huffed and stomped off. Adam waved to Kurt as he left.

The next class went quickly. Kurt learned there were differences between writing for stage and for screen and how the class dealt with the subject. The class had actually been a goldmine of information, really…because they also spoke about some of the differences in acting for screen versus acting for stage and the needed directions in a script.

Kurt caught lunch with several Apples, got yelled at by Rachel for ‘skipping’ class, although he’d had permission given to miss it as long as it would be confirmed he was where he said he was going to be (He wasn’t scheduled to sing and Madame was fine with him missing the other performances as long as he critiqued the video of said performances later, he was scheduled to see them the next afternoon right after class.).

Kurt slipped into the auditorium where Adam’s voice class was held. Adam wasn’t there yet, but since Kurt was coming from lunch he was about 15 minutes early. Luckily the teacher was already there and so Kurt spoke to him before class about the difference in voice work for the different sections of theater and what he could get out of widening his course scope to dramatic focus courses on top of his musical theater courses. Since in the professors lists of reasons why Kurt should take both the voice practicum for musical theater AND the voice for dramatic arts were at least 8 mentions of roles he’d be perfect for, Kurt suspected Adam might be right about the other voice professors wanting him in their classes…and Kurt was seriously considering it. He certainly wasn’t getting any real attention in the musical theater section. Of course it was hard to pull any focus when you not only had Rachel, but three others just like her and her and their toadies all in the same class. Even yelling didn’t get Kurt heard in that class. And that professor, by his own admission, only liked male voices which were ‘useable’ in that majority of roles.

Kurt and the professor finished their conversation about a minute before the time class was to start and Adam wasn’t there yet. Kurt sat in the middle, behind the students taking the class, and watched as the professor left t stand on the stage. Adam slid into the seat beside Kurt just as the professor finished his instructions for the ‘game’ they were playing that day.

“Everything all right?” Kurt whispered.

“It will be in an hour and half when Thor has left the country.” Adam answered with a sigh.

Kurt reached over and gave Adam’s hand a squeeze before Adam got up to go join the rest of the class on stage for class.

Kurt watched Adam entranced. He was such a strong performer. He commanded the stage when he was on it, even when he wasn’t the main role he draw attention…well at least he drew Kurt’s attention. He was dynamic the whole time, even if he wasn’t speaking. He didn’t just stand there stiff but interacted with what was going on in the lines being spoken.

Kurt wrote down notes as the professor stopped people to correct issues or explain what he wanted from them better and ended up not think much more about Thor and Adam being nearly late for class until the class was over.

At the end of class Adam came and sat down by Kurt again.

“I am skipping Apples practice.” Adam said. “I am then going home and purging my apartment of anything that Thor left this last time around and I am turning off my phone until tomorrow morning. Would you like to join me? Take out for dinner and movies snuggled up on the couch.”

“I’d love you. I’m really good at purging, too. I tend to run several piles when doing so…donate, box away in case someone asks about it at some point down the line, trash, and Burn. And I can burn your stuff without setting the whole place on fire or setting off alarms as long as you can burn candles.”

Adam leaned over and kissed Kurt’s cheek.

“I want to bath before snuggling though. I am certain the stench of Thor is lingering.” Adam said.

“Want me to wash your back?” Kurt asked.

Adam beamed and reached over to brush his fingers against Kurt’s cheek. “Not tonight, but can I take a rain check?”

Kurt smiled back, grabbing Adam’s hand in his and pressing a kiss into Adam’s palm.

“Always.” Kurt said.

It would take a few days before Adam was completely his bright and cheery self again, and Kurt knew the dear had dealt with multiple calls from home about his ‘ill treatment’ of ‘poor dear Thor’, but Kurt and Adam’s relationship afterwards was a great deal more firm. Adam realized Kurt was strong enough to carry his crazy for a while when he needed help carrying it and Kurt realized that Adam was as human as himself and didn’t expect perfection at all times and had his own baggage…and could relate to Blaine issues much better that Kurt had given him credit for.

#Kadam week 2017 #kadam #glee fanfic

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laurelwinchester · 7 years ago

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Laurel/Wildcat for the shipp thing(such wasted potential...)

who hogs the duvet: It’s still Laurel. It’s always going to be Laurel.

who texts/rings to check how their day is going: Laurel. Ted texts every now and then to ask how her day is going but if he really wants to check up on her, he’ll just drop by her work and bring her lunch. Laurel is the one who is constantly texting him throughout the day. Mostly she texts him cat memes. Which is a text exchange that usually goes like this:

Ted: stop sending me cat memes

Laurel: You always say that.

Ted: and yet you’re still doing it

Laurel: You can’t take the cat memes away from me.

Ted: baby they’re not even that funny

Laurel: Excuse you. They’re hilarious. Don’t be a grumpy cat.

who’s the most creative when it comes to gifts: Laurel. It’s easy for her. She goes out of her way to get him a pair of vintage boxing gloves for his birthday because she knows he collects them, she gets him a watch that he’s been eyeing for Christmas, and she’s always picking up little things from the store that he knows he likes “just because.” Ted, however… He has a lot of strengths but gift giving is not necessarily one of them. He does try. It’s just not his strong suit. He can’t even pick out gifts for his own kid - and really, six-year-olds are not that hard to shop for. Laurel has known Tom for like a year and even she is better at picking out gifts for him. She’s never minded that Ted is such a shitty gift giver. She knows he tries. She tells him that it doesn’t matter what he gets. It’s the thought that counts. “Sweetie,” she tells him once, solemnly placing a hand on his shoulder. “You once went to the store in the middle of the night to buy me tampons because I forgot to restock and you didn’t even bat an eye. That’s love right there.”

who gets up first in the morning: They both get up at the same time because they’ve developed a routine. They go for a run together followed by a sparring session, sometimes she makes him do yoga with her, they share a shower to “conserve water,” and then they go out for breakfast and make fun of each other’s breakfast choices before she goes into work.

who suggests new things in bed: Oooh, you know what? It’s Laurel this time. See, Laurel has lightened up and loosened up a lot in the past year. She’s completed her recovery after Darhk’s attack, she has gone through it all while staying sober, she moved away from Star City permanently, she’s working in a flower shop in Coast City (a lot more relaxing than the law, she has to admit), she’s in a healthy relationship with someone who makes her happy, makes her laugh, supports her, and believes in her, and she’s back on the streets as Black Canary. She has this whole new life with Ted and Tom and her new friends. She is, for the first time in a very, very long time, happy and at peace with her life. She’s downright joyful. Ted has become the serious one in the relationship - and it’s not like he’s some super stoic and serious guy; she’s just that happy. Near death experiences do that. They have a way of changing your life and your priorities. Sex - now that she is having it regularly - is a lot more important to her than it was. So there are certain things she’s willing to try with him that she hasn’t been willing to try with anyone else in the past. You only live once (sometimes twice if you’re lucky) and she wants to live her best life. Ted is very, very, very on board with this plan.

who cries at movies: Laurel. For the record, it’s not like she cries at every movie ever made. But who doesn’t cry at Disney and/or Pixar movies???? It’s all emotional manipulation! And it’s not like she can avoid them. Ted’s son, Tom, is still six and at the age where Disney and Pixar rule, so when she tags along with them to movies on Saturday afternoons, Ted makes sure to drop a pack of tissues in her purse before they leave the house.

who gives unprompted massages: Ted is big on giving her leg massages after workouts because he knows that her legs cramp up and she tries to power through it anyway. He also gave her a lot of massages when she was recovering. She’d get stressed in physical therapy or in the therapist’s office and he’d spend the night trying to get the knots out of her shoulders.

who fusses over the other when they’re sick: Well, it’s not technically illness but their romantic relationship literally began when Oliver faked her death and shipped her off to Ted in Coast City so he could keep her safe and help her with her recovery after Darhk’s attack. It was a long and brutal recovery, both physically and emotionally. She had a lot of setbacks so she wound up spending something like six months in and out of hospital, physical therapy, and counseling. Ted was stubbornly with her every step of the way, even when she tried to push him away.

But also, Ted boasts regularly about how he doesn’t gets sick. So when he winds up with walking pneumonia, there is a little bit of teasing at first because he had been so adamant that he never ever gets sick but then she slips right into caretaker mode and fusses over him. She even tries to make him chicken soup from scratch. It’s terrible and utterly inedible but he manages to choke down a few mouthfuls because he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings.

who gets jealous easiest: Their relationship has made the both of them weirdly chill. It’s like they’re both in perpetually good moods. Jealousy isn’t a huge problem for them. Although, with that said, there was that one time when Oliver came to town and made an ass out of himself in front of Laurel. Ted was not having that.

who has the most embarrassing taste in music: Laurel, of course. Ted complains about her music but when they’re on road trips and she’s in the passenger seat with her feet on the dash singing Britney Spears at the top of her lungs, it’s hard not to laugh. It’s hard not to completely love everything about Laurel Lance, is what he’s learned. Horrible music taste and all.

who collects something unusual: It’s not that unusual but as mentioned above, Ted collects vintage boxing gloves. Laurel doesn’t have any extensive collections of anything other than shoes but she did keep the tip of the arrow that they pulled out of her lung. Ted thinks it’s morbid and that she should let go of the past but she insists that she’s not keeping it to hold onto the past. She says it’s a reminder of how close she came to leaving. It’s pushing her to live her life to the fullest because nobody knows how much time they have left.

who takes the longest to get ready: Laurel takes forever to get ready. At this point, Ted has stopped trying to rush her along.

who is the most tidy and organized: They’re both pretty messy. Ted objects to that word, saying, “We’re not messy, we’re cluttered. There’s a difference.”

who gets most excited about the holidays: Currently, both of them. Neither of them used to be big holiday fans, but things change. Now that Laurel has adopted her brand new “joyful and happy to be alive” attitude and now that Ted has a son, they’ve both become holiday junkies. There’s a kind of excitement that kids and positive life changes bring to holidays. They are both definitely feeling that this year.

who is the big spoon/little spoon: Ted’s the big spoon. The first time she woke up with him curled around her, they weren’t even together. They were roommates and they had fallen asleep watching some really terrible movie. But it was such a different thing to wake up to, a feeling of comfort and safety that she hadn’t felt in a long time, that she almost didn’t know what to do with it. She had missed that kind of human contact in the years since she last had that.

who gets more competitive when playing games and/or sports: That depends. If we’re talking actual sports, it’s Ted. If we’re talking board games, it’s Laurel.

who starts the most arguments: They both do. They already bicker like an old married couple and they’ve only been together for a year. It’s comfortable and lighthearted bickering and honestly, they probably both have way too much fun with it.

who suggests that they buy a pet: One night while they’re getting ready for bed, Laurel pulls the covers back and then stops suddenly, turns to him and says, “You know, I’ve been thinking maybe we should get a cat.” He doesn’t say anything because he can tell where this is going. Sure enough, she follows that up by saying, “Oh, wait, I already have one.” And then she laughs for like five minutes while he has one of those “staring at the camera like you’re on The Office” moments.

what couple traditions do they have: …Is making a lot of “you look like the cat that ate the canary” jokes a tradition? Because Laurel makes a lot of those jokes. His response to that is always, “You’re never going to stop making that joke, are you?” To which she cheerfully retorts, “Nope! And you’re stuck with me. For the rest of your life.”

what tv shows they watch together: During her recovery, she spent a lot of time resting in bed or on the couch. One of the things that happened during those six months was the release of Stranger Things. She got really into it first and then made him watch it with her. He wasn’t that interested at first but he was glad something was getting her spirits up again, so he watched it with her and wound up getting into it. They are now both impatiently awaiting the release of the second season.

what other couple they hang out with: They don’t really have that many couple friends but that might change if she ever manages to get her friend, Hal, a girlfriend.

how they spend time together as a couple: Normally, they’re content to stay in and spend time with each other - and Tom when it’s Ted’s week with him - or to go out, have a nice dinner, and maybe see a movie that won’t make her cry before she has to go suit up and patrol the streets. But lately, they’ve been staying out a little bit later a few nights a week because he’s trying to teach her to salsa dance. She is not the best student he’s ever had, but she’s also not the worst. She’ll get there.

who made the first move: Technically, Ted kissed her first, but it took him forever and he only made that move after Tom complained, “Geeeeez, are you ever gonna kiss her already?” And Laurel said, bluntly, “I echo that question. Are you ever going to kiss me?” It took them a long time to get their act together. When he first met her, she was clearly struggling with her sister’s death. Then he almost died, learned he had a son he never knew about, and wound up moving away. Then she was going through a brutal recovery after her near death experience. He didn’t want to take advantage of her.

who brings flowers home: Laurel brings home flowers from the shop almost every day. She says it brightens up the house.

who is the best cook: Ted is actually really amazing in the kitchen. Especially when he’s making family recipes. Laurel regularly begs him to make his grandmother’s fricasé de pollo.

Send me a ship and I’ll tell you

#YES I DID BRING IN TOMCAT #and also i made ted cuban because jr is cuban and arrow can miss me with their whitewashing #laurel x ted #otp: let's go again #my headcanon #ask meme #otp meme #arrow for ts #asks #maxpowersimpsonskywalkerspock

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