#but you hadn't done ballet in years probably

[whereisthedamndaddymanual]

I make claims to 67, 107, 133.....and sometimes 30 and 56....even though I feel creepy with family.

[klausysworld]

Can you do a story where reader has been bullied her whole life from Caroline and she’s always been the second choice, since klaus came into town she’s always had a crush on him and he knew about it , when the ball came around and klaus took Caroline instead of yn she was really upset and Caroline could see that and humiliates her infront of everyone including klaus and klaus goes after her and comforts her you can choose what happens after thank you sm!!

I Could Never Compete

Caroline had always made a point of being better than me.

Whether it was turning my friends against me, taking cheer captain from me or stealing Tyler, my boyfriend from me. The worst part wasn't even that she did those things but that she did them just so she could publicly make fun of me for them.

"I mean, what are you even gonna do during the summer? It's not like she have any friends left." She'd make sure to say loud enough for Elena and Bonnie to hear, making them stare right at me. She told Elena that I tried to make-out with Matt whilst they were together and she told Bonnie that I was making fun of her for being abandoned by her mother. Neither were true, at all but I couldn't exactly prove it and Caroline only had to tell the lie to a few other people before everyone was believing it.

"Please, you've let yourself go. That's why you can't be captain anymore, just look at yourself. The whole squad knows it." She'd tell me in front of all the girls on the team and trying out for the team. It made me angry because I knew I was actually better than her in this but she made everyone think I was useless. I had been training years more than her, a hundred times harder. My diet was to make sure I could compete in cheer and dance, ballet specifically which she also had to get into and when we were little she pushed me over so my ankle was hurt and she could do swan lake instead of me.

"You didn't really think that someone could love you? Even like you when I'm in the picture? Tyler's stupid but he's not that thick. He has eyes and he has a dick and he knows what's better for both. I bet he didn't even want to touch you, you ugly pig." She spat. We were at a party and Tyler had tried to apologise to me but she cut in. Everyone went silent and watched as my face went red and my eyes blurred with tears. It was Stefan that lead me away, it was at his house after all. But I think he was the first person to imply that he didn't believe all of the things said about me and he told me that Elena had questioned the rumours to him. I should have been relieved that someone believed me but the effects had already happened and the truth probably wouldn't make my life any easier at that point so I just thanked him and went home.

I don't really know why I thought Klaus would be different, maybe because she already had Tyler and that should've been enough? Of course not.

But I didn't expect it from Klaus. He's over a thousand and surely much more mature than a teenage boy tempted by another girl. It hurt me when Tyler cheated, obviously it did, however I could make sense of that. I couldn't make sense of what Caroline could have said or done to make Klaus switch up so easily.

Especially with how he'd been.

I hadn't really loved Tyler but I think that I had actually fallen for Klaus. It wasn't just the drawings and the priceless gifts, but it was the way he looked at me and the softness he spoke with that he never seemed to use with anyone else. His touch was always just right, even when he was getting rough he was never forceful like Tyler got. He still knew not to grab too harsh or push too hard. There was something natural about being with him which made everything seem so effortless.

I guess I noticed him being a little different when his family was undaggered and awake but that was expected with the amount of stress he was under. Still, he had mentioned me meeting his mother and even told me about the ball.

There was no reason I wouldn't have gone.

I didn't have as much money as Caroline and Elena and Bonnie with their lovely big houses and hundreds of outfits. I wasn't struggling as bad as Matt anymore but I wasn't exactly stable either.

Which meant that getting a dress to be able to go to the ball and feel comfortable was really difficult for me but I made sure I did it so that I wouldn't embarrass him or myself in front of his family. I made sure not to eat the day before and the day of so that there was zero chance of bloating and I spent hours making sure I was ready before paying a taxi to take me.

I think I probably should have known something wasn't quite right when Klaus didn't even offer me a dress. Not in an entitled way but just because it was unusual for him not to. He told me he enjoyed knowing he had provided those nice things for me and that he liked knowing he was the reason for the smile on my face.

Again, the entire situation was so huge for him that I didn't expect things like that.

But I also didn't expect to walk in through those double doors and see his hand cupping her face and her gloved hands in his chest.

I could feel the lump in my throat forming, my heart racing and the humiliation already hitting.

Caroline turned her head, the loose pieces of curled hair swaying beautifully beside her face as she looked right at me, cruel smile on her lips and sadistic glint in her eyes. Klaus was still looking at her, probably admiring how the blue of the dress complimented her hair and eyes.

It was in that moment that everything she had ever called me felt real. I felt ugly, I felt cheap, I felt fat. I wanted my skin to peel off and reveal a completely different person, someone who could actually compete with Caroline's beauty.

I took a step back, ready to retreat home but I bumped into someone with a tray of champagne making the glass smash everywhere. I felt a piece dig into my ankle and it prompted a tear that was already waiting in my eye to finally cascade down my face.

When I glanced back up Klaus was hurrying toward me, his eyes holding that softness as both his hands went to my shoulders. I caught feel my breathe catching in my throat, barely escaping my chest as he tried to say something.

Caroline's hand was on his arm, pulling his hand away from me as she let out an amused scoff. "God. You literally can't get any more pathetic Y/N." She told me, her eyes scanning me over making her raise an unimpressed brow. "Ew." She stated simply. "Could have at least made an effort, no wonder he wants me-"

"Don't listen to a word out of her. Come on, love, we'll go upstairs and-" He tried to cut in but Caroline wasn't having it.

"Don't hush me. You invited me here. You gave me everything I'm wearing and you practically promised to help me take it off later." Caroline spat and I couldn't stop the cry that bubbled from my mouth. It physically hurt.

"Y/N!" I heard him yell but I wasn't there, I was outside, my heels in my hands as I went barefoot whilst running down the concrete. My breathing was fast and I refused to look back but that didn't stop him from appearing in front of me, his arms holding my against his chest as I tried to shove him off. "Please, love, please." He whispered, his tight firm so I couldn't move making me relent and just cry in his hold instead. My legs went and he was knelt on the cold floor, holding my up so the soles of my feet weren't still pressed against the tiny stones and chunks of dirt.

"Why would you bring her and not me?" I sobbed into his chest and his hands gripped me firmly.

"My mother had me invite her...I didn't imply it being anything other than platonic-"

"You gave her a dress and you held her face. You want her!" I yelled at him but he just wouldn't admit it.

"We're going to your house and I'm going to fix this, love." He told me, standing up and adjusting his hold on me before we were inside my house a second or two later.

He put me down and I was heading up stairs immediately but he was pulling me back and pleading me to sit down.

"I want out of this stupid dress, Klaus. I want it off, I want to burn it." I sniffed, my hand messily wiping the tear from my face.

"It's a beautiful dress." He whispered, his hands holding my waist so I couldn't leave. I looked up at him, his eyes as sad as mine as he leaned down to kiss my cheek and the corner of my mouth. "I shouldn't have invited her, I should have told my mother no. I should have sent you a dress and I should have picked you up myself. I'm sorry, I promise you that I'm sorry." He uttered, his hands sliding up to my face.

"I don't care that you didn't spend your stupid money on me." I whimpered and he looked down for a second.

"I know...I know, but I was going to and I didn't. I know it wouldn't have been easy for you to-"

"I handled it just fine. I got a dress and I got there, all you had to do was be there for me and you weren't, you were there with and for her."

"I wasn't. I don't want her, I don't ever even talk to her. I love you, you have to know that." His head was shaking as he spoke and his eyes were flickering between blue and gold.

"I can't compete with Caroline, Klaus, you know that." I whispered and his hand rested on the back of my head, pulling me close so our foreheads were touching.

"There is no competition. There never was and there never will be. You're mine, and I'm yours. We're gonna go upstairs and lay down and we'll stay there until you feel better, okay?" He murmured, pulling me along with him making me stumble at the reminder of the splinters in my skin and the glass by my ankle. "Fuck. Okay, c'mere." He mumbled, picking me back up and taking me up the stairs and putting me down on the bed.

"Laying here isn't going to make anything better, Klaus." I sighed, trying to ignore the pain as he grabbed the tweezers from my drawer and cleaned me up.

"Then we'll go somewhere, we'll go to Europe and I'll take you to France and Greece and Spain- Italy!" He listed, clearly getting more and more stressed as he bit his hand and let the blood drip into a glass of water, his finger swirled it round before he was urging me to drink it, holding my legs in his hands to watch the wounds disappear.

"I don't care about those places, I just cared about you." I sniffled and he frowned, laying down beside me and pulling me onto him.

"You still care about me now. I know you do and some stupid girl isn't ruining that. I don't love often but I love you and you're not going anywhere." He stated, no room for argument as his tone got colder.

His eyes resoftened when he looked back at me and he just wouldn't let go of me until I told him it was okay.

I wondered if it had been any other girl, if I would have felt as bad as I did now. Was there something wrong with me? Or was Caroline just that perfect?

[demigodsanswer]

TUAP I didn’t mean to turn you on + established relationship!

((v. E rated. it's horny menace Annabeth hours)

Annabeth loved Don Quixote.

Of all the leading ladies, she always felt like Kitri was the closest to her natural personality. Sure, she loved Juliet, and she felt a personal connection to Aurora, but Kitri was the fiery, flirty, and strong parts of her that people had only really just started to see.

So she was extra excited to find out that she'd been cast with Percy for this run. The two had just passed their one year anniversary, but they two hadn't danced a full-length together since Midsummer a full year ago. They hadn't done Swan Lake last Fall or Coppelia in the Winter. But Don Q would be perfect for them. Percy as her Basilio made perfect sense. They had all the right kinds of chemistry.

Maybe too much of it, even.

Definitely too much of it.

Annabeth felt like she was going to rip off her skin, actually.

Percy ran his variation from the act three grand pas, all these big jumps that he was so perfect at, and Annabeth almost forgot she had fouettes she needed to do in a few minutes. Thank god this part came with a fan.

The act two pas de deux was the real killer. It was sensual and romantic, with a little flirtatious teasing involved too.

When she and Beck did the roles years ago, they'd had chemistry and earned good reviews (even if Annabeth did fall on her face once), but when she caught sight of her and Percy rehearsing in the mirror ... it looked real. It was obviously romantic and sensual, without looking overdone or cartoonish.

She also looked like she was ready to eat him alive.

Annabeth ran her fouettes successfully. She stayed in one spot and did thirty-two fouettes, a turn where she had to kick her leg to the side to keep momentum going while releve-ing onto pointe. She did even more rotations, probably spinning around forty-five times, right on the music. She even opened and closed her fan a few times for good measure.

When their act three rehearsal officially ended and the end of the day was called, Annabeth asked Percy to hang back. "I just want to run the fouettes again."

She wanted to do sixty-four while she was tired, to help build stamina for the ballet.

"Can you keep count, baby?" She asked. Percy looked at her and smirked. Baby was a more private pet name. She almost never called him that outside of their apartment. "We're alone in here," she said, trying to play it off. Their ballet master and the other casts had left.

"Sure gorgeous," he said, stepping closer to her, until his hips were against her practice tutu. He rested a hand under her chin, and tiled her head up to meet his eyes. "How many?"

He was going to be the death of her. "Sixty-four at least," she said.

"Music or no music?"

"No music."

"Do you want me to kiss you now or after?"

She stepped away from him. "Just keep count for me, and then we'll see."

After about a minute, when Annabeth really couldn't see a thing despite her spotting, Percy said: "That was sixty-four."

Annabeth kept going until she couldn't releve anymore.

"Eighty!" Percy said when she landed in fourth. Annabeth flopped down onto the floor, breathing hard. "That was amazing!" Percy told her. "You didn't even travel."

"You might have to carry me home," she said, trying to catch her breath, her fan discarded to the side of her.

Percy stood over her and held out his hands. Annabeth pouted as she took them, not really wanting to stand yet. But Percy just pulled her to her feet, then bent over to toss her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.

"Let's get you home baby," he said.

~

When they got home, Annabeth shucked off her jeans and rolled out her yoga mat in the living room. She'd stretched after rehearsal, but she could already feel her hamstrings tightening up. There were so many big jumps and quick extensions in this ballet, she couldn't deal with tight hamstrings.

Leotard and tights still on, she laid flat on her back and lifted her right leg up, pulling it in until she felt a good stretch in the back of her leg.

"Want some help?" Percy offered. He got on his knees before grabbing her calf and pushing her leg back for her. Annabeth relaxed into the stretch and moaned as her muscle released. Percy pushed a little farther, leaning his body forward until he was over her, close enough to steal a kiss from her without warning.

He looked about ready to eat her alive.

Annabeth smiled and lifted her left leg. Percy sat her right leg down and started on the other side. This time, her moans were a bit more theatrical, but not totally untrue.

"Baby ..." she whimpered.

"I didn't mean to turn you on," he said, one hand pressing her leg back towards her chest, the other running up and down the seam of her tights, from her knee down to her center.

"You've been turning me on this whole rehearsal process," she said. Percy smirked as if to say oh, I know. They'd fucked about it plenty.

"Was it act two?" He asked.

"Your act three variation, actually," she said.

"Just wait till you see me do it in the tights," he teased. There were sure to be a good number of teens -- SAB kids and kids from other ballet schools around the city -- who came to see it, and had a major sexual awakening watching him.

Percy pushed both her legs up then, and she gasped as he slipped off her tights, pulling them down -- well, up really, as her feet were pointed towards the ceiling -- to her knees. Her black tights had concealed how wet she'd gotten, but her red leotard (so, she matched Kitri in rehearsal) left her exposed. Really, a good bit of it was probably sweat, but it all looked the same.

Annabeth expected him to just tease her, before stripping her and taking her to bed, but instead, he left her legs up and dipped his head between them, kissing the damp patch.

"Percy!" She gasped. "I'm sweaty!"

"I don't care," he mumbled against her as he started to lick at the fabric. "You think you're the only one who spends all day turned on?" His tongue rolled over her covered clit, and she arched her back. "Christ, could you imagine if this was what we danced last year? If we were this horny for each other during Beauty?"

"I was this horny for you during Beauty," she reminded him. This was a great hamstring stretch, she thought.

Percy let her left leg down as he used that hand to pull damp fabric away. Without much warning or time to anticipate, he sealed his mouth over her clit, sucking on it right away.

Annabeth let out a shattered scream as he did. He seemed to be trying to beat some kind of personal record every time he got his mouth on her. They'd been able to lower her antidepressant dosage in the last few months (leaving an abusive relationship sure did help her mental health!), and it made it easier for her to finish. He seemed to want to get his time down to mere seconds.

He would probably succeed before too long. Within a minute she warning him she was close, and only second later she was finishing on his face, utterly wrung out."

"Oh my god," she sighed, finally putting her right leg down. She was certainly stretched. "Oh my god."

Percy was staring at her, chin damp and eyes wild. "I've always wanted to do that," he said.

"Oh?" Annabeth asked.

"Eat a girl out while she's in leotard," he explained.

"Why didn't you say something? It's not like I have a shortage," she teased. She wrapped her tired legs around his hips and pulled him in closer. He was obviously hard, and he started to rock against her.

"I worried it was too much overlap between work and a sex thing," he said, rocking against her more. "Actually, my dream would be to bend you over in a tutu, maybe your Aurora crown."

"Oh," Annabeth moaned as he pressed against her center, and she pictured what he was describing. She'd need to cut hole in the panty part of a tutu, but she could easily do that. She had some old practice tutus and leotards that could get some new life living out Percy's sexual fantasies.

"I like that idea," she told him.

Percy smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah, but," she managed to get herself to push him back a bit, "I really like this leotard, and would like to not get more cum on it." She stood and shaky legs and stripped the red one-piece off of her, kicking it to the side, and leaving her naked in their living room.

Percy wasted no time lifting her up again, this time carrying her away to their bed.

[romeoandjulietyouwish]

would you mind doing "Sit down before you pass out." for vax and percy in the ballet au? i love their dynamic so much 😫

Percy was a stupid motherfucker. Vax had thought that for a long, long time. He was hard on himself and didn't eat or drink enough. But worst of all, Vex and Keyleth loved him. Which meant that Vax did too.

Currently he was helping Percy work on his variation. They were alone in the studio. Percy leaned over his knees, breathing heavily. He pushed his hair out of his face, "Was that better?"

Vax nodded. He got up from the floor by the mirrors, "Definitely better. But I think your landings can be softer." Vax demonstrated one of the jumps and then turned to Percy, "On that one, be softer on your left foot, let it go into your ankle so you don't land so hard."

Percy nodded. He stepped back and then did the leap. His landing was softer, but his face went a sickly grey color. Vax darted to his side and put a hand on Percy's sweaty back, "Woah, what just happened?"

Percy clutched his head, "Vertigo. Fuck."

"Sit down before you pass out," Vax said urgently. He put an arm around Percy's waist and all but dragged him down to the floor. "Head between your knees." Percy did as he was told, letting out a shaky breath.

Vax grabbed Percy's water and shoved it into his hands. "I think we're done for the day," Vax said with a laugh.

Percy lifted his head, color already returning to his face and took a small sip from the bottle. "Probably for the best."

"Do you want me to take you to Pike's office?" Vax offered. Without meaning to, his voice slipped into a gentle tone. It was the same one he used to talk to a frustrated Grog or an upset Keyleth, one he'd never used on Percy before.

"No." Even after being at the company for over a year, Percy was still reluctant to use the services available. "I'm just going to sit her for a little and then catch the bus home."

"I'll sit with you, need to cool down anyway." It wasn't true, he hadn't been dancing for the past hour, but he felt the need to make an excuse for keeping Percy company.

Percy gave him a small smile, clearly said he knew what was happening, "Thanks."

[nestingtendencies]

Hello, my lovelies!

For some reason I don't post here often as just... me - the person behind NestingTendencies. I'm not quite sure why this is; I guess most of my crafting needs are catered to by Ravelry, as a platform. But I do realise that I have many, many wonderful followers, who have been regularly reblogging both the patterns that have piqued my interests and my own creations. And for that I am very grateful!

So I'd like to try and be a bit more social here; get to know you a little, learn what projects you're working on, and show you what's on my own hook!

First up is the Mariposa Sweater which has been the bane of my existence sole focus of my work since January!

You see, one of my new year's resolutions was to grow as a crafter beyond shawls, which are my specialty, and make sosme sweaters and jumpers! I've been having urges for those since last autumn and by now the craving cannot be ignored any longer.

So this is my first ever crocheted sweater, right? Do I bother with a gauge swatch?

No. Gauge swatches are for the weak.

Pretty soon I realise that my crochet is much, much tighter than the author's. Do I go back and try a size bigger? Do I increase the hook size to obtain the right gauge?

No. I decide that I know better, and I understand enough about how raglan works to just wing it. The joy of making a garment yourself is that you can make it fit your personal body contours perfectly, right?

So long story short, I am now on Mariposa the Second (First one is here) and I have frogged SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF ROWS (like, all of the yoke for example) - wait for it - upwards of 20 times. Yes, 20. Not an exaggeration. If I hadn't done that, I could have probably about 4 completed Mariposas by now.

But no. The Gods have cursed me with a perfectionist streak. So we live and we learn and we carry that burden with us.

The photos in this post are the latest of the most correct version of this top that I currently have. My New Hope. My baby. I'm going to be sharing more WIP photos in the future.

The only good news is that as soon as I figure this sweater out, I'm going to have meticulous notes, which will give me the exact stitch sounts for my measurements and unlock the door to other jumpers like this one, of which I want to make at least 3.

And then there are other sweater patterns. 74 of them currently in my library. At least a dozen literally burning a hole in my consciousness - I want to start them immediately right now yesterday!!! Look look!

Elara Pullover - This is want in gradient purples, like an autumnal sunset

Chevie Sweaer - This I want in greys and golden ochres. I love the stitch used.

Don't Scrap That Raglan - Aaaah, Moss Stitch my favouritest stitch ever and I've almost improvised a sweater like this before!

Cosmopolitan Sweater - This I want in solid teal. Alpine stitch could well become my new mistress. It's also probably THE sweater I should have started with as my first project...

Peony Tee - I am in love with the funky-coloured contrasting sleeves and the raglan concept

Bridgette Ballet Neck Pullover - Ballet necks are my weakess...

Cap Sleeve Top - This I had a little romance with before, oh, about 8 years ago and it was shaping up beautifully in navy - I have all the yarn that I need for it.

Isop Sweater - I really want to learn this fair isle technique of making yokes, because I saw this pornographically beautiful set of 2 knitted sweaters in just the perfect colours and I'd like to do equvalent crochet versions, no I'm not at all trying to run before I can walk, why you ask?

Many of them much easier than Mariposa. Many of them not so tailored to the figure.

But no. Mariposa.

I have been buying up yarn in bulk again. This is how I know I'm in trouble.

But what about you guys? Do you have a Nemesis Project that has been kicking your ass for ages? Do you get overly ambitious like me? Or do you make your gauge swatches and avoid pissing off the Gods of Yarn, like sensible people?

[novankenn]

J/C - the Idols of Beacon

--==(Table of Contents) ==--

(Chapter One - the Beginning) Jaune was a nervous wreck. His breathing rushed, and his heart crashing against his rib cage. He was convinced this was it. That his dreams would be shattered... but deep inside he knew it was his just reward for his actions. Images of what his family would do, and echoes of what they would say, caused Jaune's legs to start shaking.

Cardin glowered, he wasn't not the least bit impressed at being called out by Professor Goodwitch. So what. He picked on other students, he was a equal opportunist when it came to tormenting people. Male, female. Human, faunus. It's didn't matter to him. If you couldn't stand up for yourself, then why were you even training to face grimm.

Professor Goodwitch hadn't specified why she had sent Jaune and Cardin to the Headmaster, she just called them out at the beginning of combat class and ordered them to the Headmaster's Office. the man of the hour sat in his chair behind his desk, studying the two young men.

"Mr Winchester. Mr Arc. I has been brought to my attention that both of you have been acting in ways that contravene what is expected of a trainee huntsmen or huntress in attendance here at Beacon." Ozpin leaned forward, clasping his hands before him, "Do either of you have anything to say in your defense?"

"Defense for what?" Cardin snorted. "I've done..."

"Blackmail is a serious offense Mr Winchester... one that requires expulsion, not to mention the nearly endless complaints about your negative behavior and blatant harassment of other students."

"If they can't stand up for themselves, they they can't stand up for people when they are..."

"Interesting sentiment, Mr Winchester, but you have readily showcased your complete lack of regard to values that a huntsman or huntress should ascribe to."

"Whatever. Kick me out. I can..."

"No you can't. Once you are expelled, you will be blacklisted, and thereby unable to seek any training through one of the Academies, though it possibly wouldn't prevent you from finding a licensed huntsman or huntress who could take you on as an apprentice."

"You..."

"We can, Mr. Winchester, and we will." Ozpin stated flatly. "Now Mr Arc..."

"With your permission, I'll go and pack my things." Jaune offered, knowing full well he had no defense for his crimes.

"Unfortunately, Mr Arc... your actions while commendable for your intentions... however are far from legal. You I am afraid will be facing criminal charges."

"But... but..."

"You purposefully used falsified documentations to gain admittance to what legally is a governmental facility. That is a crime." Ozpin informed the completely panicked young man.

Ozpin regarded both young men before him with a practiced eye. Taking a sip from his mug, he prepared to give his counter offer to the young gentlemen.

"Beacon currently has a public relations issue that requires addressing. You will probably be unaware of it, but it is there and it needs to be rectified."

"What's this have to do with us." Cardin growled.

"I have done some digging into both of your backgrounds, much further and more in depth than what we traditionally do for applicants to the huntsmen and Huntress programs." Ozpin let his words sink in, before continuing. "Both of you have... skills and talents that would be perfectly suited to the task I have in mind."

"Skills? Talents?" Jaune looked at the Headmaster with pure confusion. "You already know I'm a fraud... I have no..."

"On the contrary Mr Arc, you do have training, just not in combat. Twelve years of ballet, classical and contemporary dance training to be specific."

"What does that...? I don't understand."

"As for you... Mr Winchester..." Cardin's smirk was erased as soon as Ozpin started speaking to him. "You have about eight years of dance training, some vocal coaching, and musical instruction... for what six years?"

"How?"

"I have my ways. Now to be honest I saw potential in both of you, which is why I was being lenient in regard to your behaviors and actions... however you pushed the boundaries too far with Professor Goodwitch, and as such you are now... my problem."

"So... so what's going to happen to me?"

"You Mr Arc will be give a change to stay, and avoid prosecution, however it will NOT be in the huntsman/huntress program."

"My team?"

"Unfortunately as of this moment both you and Mr Winchester are no longer team leaders, or even members of any team."

"You can't!" Cardin growled.

"I assure you I can, and have." Ozpin responded to Cardin's outburst with a flat voice and stern look. "So here is the offer, you will sign a contract with Beacon and join our Public Relations initiative, for a term of four years less the time you have already been enrolled as a students."

"And if we don't?"

"Yo, Mr Arc will face criminal prosecution, and Mr Winchester will be black listed and expelled." Ozpin picked up two almost book thick stacks of paper and placed one before each of them. "This is the agreement. Please read it. Ask questions if you have them. If you wish we can provide access to legal representation, and if you accep..."

"Do you have a pen?" Jaune asked.

"Aren't you even going to read it?" Cardin asked a little shocked at Jaune's rather uncharacteristic decisive action.

"Why? I agree or I possibly end up in jail. I'm too pretty to be in jail... I'd end up becoming someone's wife!" Jaune replied, before taking the pen Ozpin offered him.

"Please sign on the indicates lines on the first and last pages, and initial the bottom right hand corner of all other pages." Ozpin turned his gaze to Cardin. "So Mr Winchester will you at least consider the offer, or should I arrange for security to escort you and your possessions from Beacon's grounds?"

"This straight up coercion." Cardin commented as he idly flipped the pages of the document. "It's no better than blackmailing us. We either agree or we get punished... not much of a choice, especially for Jauney-boy."

"I don't care." Jaune countered, "It's like a plea deal. I do something for them, they do something for me, and if it keeps me from having forced prostate exams... all the better."

"Still..."

"You are correct Mr Winchester, this is very similar to, no it is exactly that... but it is also much like Mr Arc has described. It's a plea deal. You are admitting your mistakes, and we are taking the action NOT to punish you to full extent we are capable of."

"I'm still..."

"You can take some time to review the document... but I do need an answer before Friday."

"So two days?"

"Unfortunately, yes. With the Vytal festival being hosted by Vale, and the recent dust robberies... I have other constraints on my valuable time... your situation is not as pressing or as complex so... short deadline."

"Don't know why you're not signing." Jaune commented. "I mean it's not like they're going to more from us."

"Keep your advice to yourself Arc."

"Whatever."

"I can provide temporary lodgings for you while you consider your decision, Mr Winchester." Ozpin informed the burly young man.

"Fuck it. Give me that pen." Cardin scanned the documents sporadically as he went through the required actions. Once done he tossed the pen down on the desk and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Signed. Now what?"

[thvnderr]

An immediate smile came to his lips at the clear annoyance on his friend's face at the Kwon parents' reaction about his degree. The surrogate affection they gave each other back in Arts School still present despite the years and changes. Arlo felt a warm familiarity, remembering their days spent under a big oak during breaks when they would pay music and dance for each other. When their company was the only audience necessary to bring a smile on their faces. "Oh, they said it wasn't valid because my sister had done it first." He shrugged; as if it was nothing, when in reality, copying his sister had turned into the doom of his entire life. "I try not to think much about it, which is also why I moved here. The farther I am from their venom, the sooner the wounds will heal."

His smile dropped a little at her kind words. Arlo was not sure of being better than his father; he had become cynical and superficial for the most part... the idea of indulging into more serious or healing dynamics with people always falling behind. Freya spoke of dead times, of a version of himself that he had long buried. "My father has no kind words for anyone. The old man will remain bitter and cruel even in hell," he declared with a grimace. "You're too kind to me and I hold your words in high regard, I hope you know that," the doctor assured her. It was true that he was usually skeptical and even disgusted by compliments — mostly because they came from interest, rather than emotion — but he knew better than that with his old friend. He smiled again, though, at the quick tales of her sisters, but offered no extra words for the moment. He would later ask more details about their personal situations. "Let them know I said hi whenever you talk to them, if possible," Arlo requested.

"I'm glad you're having fun doing cabaret..." he agreed, "but are you happy?" Probably a question a bit too invasive after many years of disconnection; still, Arlo could feel as if time hadn't passed between them. The known comfort settling easily into his bones. "Have you practiced ballet as a hobby in the meantime or have you dropped it entirely?"

He received the phone and typed in his information before giving himself a quick unanswered call to register her number as well. "Absolutely. I hope your tastes have improved", he teased with half a smirk. The never-ending and heated debates would make them seem as enemies or at least rivals to the eyes of others, but there was never ill intent in their words or confrontations. "Do you have transportation or would you like me to take you home?"

Her delighted grin mirroring his own, glad to see Arlo so proud of his new career path, her brow furrowed when his tone shifted to one of sadness, no doubt thinking of his parents. She knew that tone well, had commiserated with him on more occasions than she could count, but it did little to quell her protective reaction. "They should be proud. Med school's no joke, and I doubt a neurosurgery specialty made your residency any easier. I mean, what else do they want from you?" she fumed, tossing the make-up stained cotton pads into the bin next to her vanity with a huff.

When he came to her defense, the burning indignation in her chest softened, turning in her chair and offering her friend a grateful smile. "Thank you, Arlo. And you've always been too good for your father. Maybe that's why he can't fathom saying a kind word to you, because he knows you're a better man than he is," she grumbled, a trace of venom for the old man still present in her tone. "Grace just passed the bar, so I'm sure Mom is thrilled about that. And Elise... well, after changing her mind three times, she settled on a communications major. Last I heard, she's the social media manager for some tech start-up in the Valley." At the redirection to the veritable elephant in the room, the change in her own path, she exhaled slowly, her eyes falling on the rack of flashy costumes by the door, not a trace of tulle in sight. "Since I had to stay home after graduation, I never got to audition for a company. I taught ballet for a while, which was nice. But it didn't really pay well, so I decided to try out cabaret work." A small chuckle escaping her lips, she sat back. "It's a change, for sure. But that makes it fun... keeps things interesting. And I still get to dance, even if it's not what I originally pictured myself doing," she reasoned, tilting her head to the side.

"The same goes for you. If you need anything at all, I'm here for you," she assured him, turning back to reach for the phone safely tucked away in her vanity drawer. "Just call me, and we can get a cup of tea and bitch about whatever's on your mind. Or, you know, have pretentious debates about Dickens and Tchaikovsky. For old time's sake," she joked with a knowing smirk, extending her phone, a new contact open for Arlo to put his information into.

[fiercedancers]

Thank god im not disgustingly flexible anymore honestly junior year felt like a curse bc I had no time to stretch but now I have like a perfect balance of strength and flexibility it's nice

[soloh]

All of the ask questions!

Ah geez, okay, thanks, I think haha

Going to hide this under a read-more because it's long

What’s the theme song to your life right now? Probably When by Dodie

What do you fear most at 3 A.M.? Never being truly happy

How do you show someone you love them without saying it? Gifts or acts of service

What does the moon mean to you? I'm sure this is supposed to elicit some kind of profound answer but all I can think of is "that's rough, buddy"

What did you want to be as a kid? And what do you think about that now? Dance teacher. I think I would still love to do that and I totally shot myself in the foot by quitting dance when I did because to be an RAD certified ballet teacher you have to have done your Intermediate ballet exam, which is the one I would have done the year I quit, if I hadn't quit

Why did you end up at your current job? Worked for a different brand of the group, applied for a promotion in the store I was in at the time, didn't get that one but my regional manager offered me two different promotions instead and said I had to choose one, and now here I am

What’s the last thing you do at the end of the world? Hold my boyfriend's hand, if I can

If you were someone’s D&D character, what class would you be? I'd like to be a warlock, but realistically I'd probably be a bard

Were you rebellious as a kid? Not particularly. I used to think I had a rebellious streak because I snuck out of my house at night a couple times when I was 17 to go see the boy I liked, but then I found out later that my mum would've just driven me if I'd told her where I was going, so that made me feel a lot less rebellious and a lot more silly

What’s one book or short story you read in school that’s stuck with you? Uh, I'm guessing Harry Potter is too much of a cop-out answer? So... maybe Inkheart.

If you could freeze the world in time, would you? Right now? No. As a general power? Yeah, probably. Mostly because I don't like making decisions on a time crunch so there are definitely moments I'd like to give myself an extra couple minutes to think about things.

What element do you like best? (do with this what you will) Air. Not for any profound reason, I just think being able to fly would be cool

If you could do anything without consequences, what would you do? Find a house somewhere that some investor is leaving empty to land-bank, claim it as my own and move in.

Where do you feel most at peace? Answered this earlier :)

Who do you love most? My boyfriend

Who were you two years ago? Someone who was keeping a horrible secret and letting it ruin her life

Who do you hope to be in two years time? Someone better

What do you think happens when you die? Realistically, probably nothing. I'd like to think there is some kind of nice afterlife though, or reincarnation would be cool if you get to choose (10/10 would be a cat, dog or eagle)

What’s something you used to love but don’t anymore? Trying to answer this without just copping out and saying "my exes" was tough. Playing cricket, I guess?

What’s something you used to love but can’t anymore? Writing poetry. I've struggled so much for inspiration over the last couple of years that trying to write frustrates me and then I get sad that I can't think of anything.

What kind of hero did you need as a kid? Someone willing to listen.

What kind of hero do you need now? The same.

What kind of villain are you in someone else’s story? I hate to think. I know I've hurt people, and a lot of the time it's been in response to them hurting me but that doesn't make it right. To a lot of people I'm probably the girl that got angry and bitter when she wasn't loved the way she wanted to be loved, even though those feelings were out of the control of the people she wanted to love her. Snarky, passive-aggressive and vindictive. I like to think I've grown out of that as much as possible.

Would you rather lead or follow? Depends on the situation, but generally, lead.

What kind of magic would you have - if you had magic? Ech, I don't know, something that gave me the power to heal, not hurt.

What gives you meaning? Wanting to know what happens next.

Does life have a purpose? Not intrinsically, but that doesn't mean you can't make up your own.

What colour is your soul? Red.

Would you like to dance? Always

Would you want to live through the end of the world? No

What’s the name you give your anxiety? Lil' bitch

Who lives in your dreams? Well that's awfully personal. But to answer without getting specific: everyone I have ever loved.

Does evil fear the sun or the moon? The sun. Evil hides in darkness.

What’s the natural state of the universe? I'm not even going to try to answer this, that's just asking for an existential crisis

Who do you wish you were? Someone who was better at throwing caution to the wind

[judgement-free-sideblog]

Dancing lessons

Barry Berkman x reader

Summary: Barry is finally cast in a feature, the problem? He said he could dance and now he can either disappoint Sally or found a way to learn some steps.

Warnings: Swearing, blood, violence, guns, cheating maybe.

Part 1 ● Part 2 ● Part 3 ● Part 4 ● Part 5 ● Part 6 ● Part 7 ● Part 8 ● Epilogue

Part 2

One week after the first time Barry meet Y/N he was nowhere near learning tango, let alone dancing on the level his stupid resume said he could, he only have ended with horrible pain on his knees, thighs and back. And he hasn't even practice dancing with music yet, apparently his instructor thought he first had to learn one basic step and repeat it a million times before he could start doing the "flashy and presumptuous" step, as she called them, that the director may want.

"You really don't have to worry" Sally said during breakfast, they have an agreement to spend the night at least twice a week in each other apartment but he could tell she rather if he stayed at hers since Jermaine and Nick didn't get along with her. "That girl you say is dancing with you, I just heard from Lindsay that she is totally sleeping with the director so probably the scene is an excuse to show her dancing talent and they will be focusing on her instead of you" She drank the rest of her orange juice and stood up quickly "God is so late" she checked her phone and gave him a kiss on the cheek before taking her purse and keys and rush to the door "I'll see you tonight ok? Good luck!"

"Bye, I love..." And then she was gone. "You" He finished his breakfast and took his own car to the studio where he had to finish filming his scenes.

"Barry you're here, excellent!" Andre said when he arrived, thankfully he was not the star of the film and he didn't have to listen the hundred of notes he had for the leads nor taking all the shit the PAs get from him. "Look" He said pointing at his tablet "Janice is on New York for three more weeks for a Ballet presentation, but she sent this to me, is the perfect choreography for the scene. What do you think?" He showed her a clip of Janice and some professional dancer with a song he didn't knew, probably in Spanish or Italian, dancing incredibly close, with several lifts and spins.

"Great" He said feeling dizzy "Flashy and presumptuous" He add really low.

"What was that?"

"Classy and marvelous, is a modern take on the Argentine style isn't?" He said repeating what Y/N had said to him the day before.

"I have no idea, but hey you are the expert" He gave him a pat on the back. "You can start rehearsing with Janice when she gets back" He didn't like that kind of touching, it reminded him of Fuches and make him feel uneasy.

"Sure, great, hey could you send me that video, you know to study her movements" he tried to sound casual and not frightened as he was.

"Yeah sure" he said and with a hand gesture urged him to move to the set where he got to start shooting.

The minute he was over he drove back to Y/N's studio and saw her giving her class to young girls all dressed as ballerinas, she was wearing a black seetrough dancing skirt over a leotard, and his eyes lingered on her legs a few seconds more than he should mesmerized as he was by the elegance she used to dance.

"Barry you are early" She saluted him with a smile, "Girls say hi to Mr. Block" she said at the mass of pink and white.

"Hi Mr. Block" They cheered.

"I'll be done in a few minutes but this really is a private rehearsal" She pat her lips with one finger thinking "Would you mind waiting upstairs? I mean I would hate for you to drive back home to come back in less than an hour, and the coffee place on this block sucks" She said and the girls start laughing "Don't tell your mothers" She quickly add.

"I don't want to be a burden"

"Oh nonsense, you are not, go upstairs, I have food on the fridge but I wouldn't recommend it since you are dancing later and the WiFi password is written next to the phone" She insisted and he finally accept.

The apartment was just a little bigger than the one he rented with Jermaine and had a nice walls on a blue shade that reminded him of the ocean. And a big window facing directly to the door, so the first thing you see when you entered were the rooftop of other buildings and the hills in the back.

He entered feeling himself as an intruder, but being honest that was a common feeling for him, even if he haven't break in any place in over a year, a very long year, and again the pain of thinking of Fuches maybe lurking around strike him in the chest.

He found a place to sit and after being 5 minutes in complete silence trying to not be alone with his thoughts he took out his laptop to watch the dance again. Next to the landline was a nice picture of Y/N on his wedding dress next to a man that must be her husband with golden letters and numbers written over: JPTLV150813.

Once he was connected he allow himself to look around, the living room was tastefully decorated and there were some framed paintings of wild flowers on the wall in purples and pinks. He glance at their dinner table in the other room next to her kitchen, and while he was still holding he picture his mind start wandering, maybe Sally would like to live with him in a place like that. Full of light and peaceful.

He picture himself waking every morning and walking towards the kitchen to make her breakfast, she getting out of the set exhausted, to get a glass of wine in the living room. Reading lines together in the couch, and falling asleep there watching a movie.

And then since he hadn't sleep wery well and Y/N couch was madly comfortable he fall asleep still holding the picture and suddenly Sally's face start fading away, and Y/N replaced her, in a blue version of the clothes she was wearing earlier, he saw himself dancing with her on the living room, a slow and romantic rhythm, and instead of her husband it was him smiling on the picture next to the phone. She would come upstairs tired from work and he would stop her at the door to give her a passionate kiss... then the sound of a gun going off came from the window and a blood stain start forming in her chest running and she collapsing on his arms, and then it was Sally lifeless body again who he was holding and she whispered before losing her breath You did this and fearful he looked at his own hand holding the gun...

"Barry?" Y/N's voice came from the door, and immediately woke up and shake those horrifying ideas from his mind.

"Here" He call from the couch and was careful enough to not look back and don't picture her covered in blood

"I'm so done, boy I'm glad you came upstairs, Amanda's mother is a pain in the ass, if she have seen you she would have called the cops or something" She said and sit in next of him, she was already wearing the heels she used to practice with him. "What you got there?" She said looking at the screen where the video of Janice was still on.

"Is the dance I'm supposed to do for the movie" He said glad to have something to said and he showed her the clip.

"Well... you are screwed" She said after it was finish and he gave her an imploring look. "I'm kidding, I mean is a monstrosity of showing off, and her technique is not perfect, but I'm pretty sure you can put together something, like Ed Sheeran on Thinking out loud". She said confidently.

"Who?" He asked with no idea of what she meant.

"He is a British singer, we are probably too old to know him, but couples come all the time trying to learn his routine for their wedding" She said, but his face was still puzzled "You are not very familiar with pop culture, for an actor living in L.A. I mean" She stood up and walked towards her kitchen "Do you want anything? I have wine, beer, orange juice?" She called from the other room.

"Beer is fine, and is because I only became an actor recently" He said with some embarrassment in his voice taking the bottleshe offered him "I used to amm... sell auto parts in Cleveland"

"Ohio, that's ... far" she said taking a sip of her drink.

"And before that I was a Marine" He add and she almost spit her beer but did her best to pass it down.

"Oh wow, that's unusual. I would definitely say thank you for your service, but I'm antiwar so what if I gave you a 10 percent off on the lessons and we call it even?" She grin at him

"Don't worry about that, I don't like to make a big deal about it anyway" He said sincerely "Also I'm pretty sure you are wasting your time with me"

"Don't be so harsh on yourself, here look" She took the laptop off his hands and found a video of a ginger man singing a cheezy song about eternal love "See he is not properly dancing, but he act like he is, so first you have to learn how to lead, come on take off your shoes"

"Take them off? Why?" He asked while she got rid off her heels and let her bare feet touch the wooden floor.

"Because, and I mean this with respect" She said standing and looking for a record to put in her old record player until she found one "You are huge, and I'm afraid you would step on me with those shoes" a slow rhythm start playing and he did what she asked and stood barefoot in front of her.

"That doesn't sound like the other songs" Although he like it.

"Because you have to learn to walk before you can run, now, put both of your hands on my hips" She said getting closer to him.

"Like this?" It was funny how without the heels she was way shorter and couldn't completely reach her neck so she settled for put both hands on his shoulders.

"Fine now listen to the music and move" She said moving her body rhythmically "There you go, now move me, lead, right or left, is your choice" She said letting him take small steps and occasionally looking down to watch his feet.

"This is not that bad actually" Barry was actually enjoying himself, then the music start going faster and she took his right hand on hers and pull away from him and he chose to ignore the feeling of lost that caused him.

"Now, the hand on my back has to be steady, and lead, we can spin" She said and taught him how "Or we can walk" She started walking back slowly letting him follow the steps at his own pace. "Is all about who is leading" She gave him a smile and they kept dancing until the music was ending and since he had confidence now he make her spin and catch her on his arm like Janice's partner did on the clip.

"Sorry I always wanted to try that" he said once she was standing next to him.

"It was great, you are getting it, now we can try to improve your actual steps, but we should go downstairs, my husband is about to comeback and he hates having music on when he is working" She put on her shoes again and walked out followed by Barry.

[aletheapierce]

as he mentioned it, alethea took another intake of the students around them and realized not only did she not recognize quite a few of them, they also looked young as shit. "is it just me or do freshman look younger and younger each year?" they added, voice meeting his with a small smile. "they're just eager probably? wanna suck up to their professors and show off?" at least that's what she had done, or wanted to do at least even though it hadn't worked. a foot tucked onto the chair with her so her chin could rest atop her knee she held up the poetry book she had been flipping through. "i'm taking a french poetry and literature class this semester, felt like i should at least get a little ahead." so as to not get behind, besides she didn't use any of the language that summer beyond ballet of course. "what about you? seem to be hard at work."

After an hour and a half of staring straight into the dark, cold glow of PyCharm.dmg, his tired eyes would take any opportunity to look away from the screen of his laptop – from line after line after line after line after line after line after line after line of code. So, whenever something moved in his periphery, his head would jolt upwards just to see what it was – even if it was just a shadow or a passerby walking around, carrying books back to their table. And, when Alethea started approaching him from the side, he turned instinctively, as if he had seen a shadow out of the corner of his eye, like a character in a horror film. Realizing it was them, he offered a polite half-smile and a nod – the kind of greeting you give to people you don’t know too well – and mirrored their “Hey.”, after they had said it. When they mentioned the overcrowding of the library, Edward took a second to take a look around at the people sitting in the vicinity – God, for how long had he been in there? “And so many Freshmen too–“ He whispered back to her, hoping they wouldn’t be heard, “What the hell are they even studying? They haven’t even had class yet.” With a creased brow, he shook his head, puzzled. He pushed his laptop aside, secretly grateful at the opportunity to procrastinate a little, and asked them, “What are you studying?”

[aboutlouishofmann]

A Life Devoted To Music

[Original interview here which is already in English. I'm just testing. All images curtesy of cinema.de]

FRIDAY, 7/5/2019

A LIFE DEVOTED TO MUSIC

In PRÉLUDE Louis Hofmann plays a talented pianist.

Rising star Louis Hofmann has often been seen at FILMFEST MÜNCHEN — for example, in the tender coming-of-age drama CENTER OF MY WORLD. By now, Hofmann is well-known all over Germany thanks to the captivating mystery series DARK. This makes us all the more delighted that this up-and-coming actor is returning to Munich this year with not one, but two exciting films. In PRÉLUDE, he plays a talented musician who experiences the downside of being an artist; and he also has a role in THE WHITE CROW, about Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. We met the amiable actor at the world premiere of PRÉLUDE and asked him about his own experiences as an artist and how life in the spotlight affects a person.

In PRÉLUDE, you play an aspiring pianist named David, a freshman at a conservatory who's under pressure from the beginning. What was it about this story that caught your interest?

In 2015, I was invited to a casting for PRÉLUDE. I think I'd read only a small blurb about it, but it won me over right away and I knew I absolutely had to play this part. I don't know whether I'd already seen WHIPLASH. I grew up around lots of music and have an affinity to it — and probably a fascination with sadness as well. I thought if the script fulfills the promise of that little blurb, I've got to be a part of things. Then I went to the first casting with director Sabrina Sarabi and we simply got along very well and I noticed that she does very fine work.

When did you finally shoot the film?

Two years ago. It was hard to get all the money that was necessary. It is just a small film, after all. I'm still glad that we made it even though we didn't have much money. Being so close on set was also great. On the first day of shooting, there were maybe 15 of us on the set. It took some getting used to, because I'd just come from DARK, where we'd had 100 to 150 people. That was our own little microcosm, and working with such a small team was something I enjoyed to the fullest.

Is that something you generally prefer: a smaller scale?

No. I just prefer good material.

What does good material consist of?

That's the question. There are only the standard responses: well-developed characters, a nice development of the role, a story that's exciting, not one that's narrated. David is somebody I can identify with to a good extent. He's sensitive. He has this great ambition that I carry within myself. When he does something, he jumps in wholeheartedly. That's also the approach I take to my own work. That's why I understood him right away.

You mentioned that music has always been very important to you. Do you play an instrument?

I played violin for a year, because my brother played violin. I stopped pretty soon after that. Then, at age eight or nine, I began to play the drums. I did that for eight years.

Do you still play?

I stopped when I moved from Cologne to Berlin. I didn't have a drum set there, nor did I have the infrastructure: a place to rehearse and so on. I didn't take it up again until this year. I rediscovered how awesome it is and how much I'd missed it — how I'd totally been caught up in the piano as well. I used to be able to play chords or three-finger accompaniment. Classical pieces, though, were pretty foreign to me. I somehow put in a lot of effort with a teacher, without being able to read music. We did it with videos. I think it helped me a little to be able to play the drums. But to learn a new instrument and suddenly understand how it works and to be familiar with the keyboard and to get into the groove when playing: that really did a lot for me. In addition, it was just extremely good preparation for the part. It made the character accessible to me, which is something I hadn't really expected.

How long did you practice?

After I got the role, we did two years of workshops. In the end, we had two-hour lessons, five days a week for three months, and then two to four more hours a day of practice.

That's a lot.

You're right. But it's great. At first it's so difficult. The first two weeks were so rough: you're really just searching for the notes; your fingers don't understand it all just yet. You feel like a dyslexic on the piano, just so amateurish. And suddenly after two or three weeks, your fingers start doing what they should. You follow the instrument, and it's simply awesome.

Are you still doing it?

Unfortunately not. No, because I can't read music and because I'd noticed that I get bored easily because I only ever play the same pieces. My roommates and I have a piano, and I play it sometimes, but not like before.

What kind of music do you listen to?

Mainly indie rock, indie pop, alternative. Sometimes soul classics, chansons, or jazz hip-hop.

Can you name two or three artists?

Two or three artists I can name... Somehow that's always pretty hard to do. Right now I'm really looking forward to the new Dope Lemon album that's coming out soon. As for indie pop, Bon Iver is one of my heroes. Parcels is great. I could go on forever. Music is a really important part of my life. I just immerse myself in it and discover new artists. It's a lot of fun.

There's this gotcha question that I once picked up from a job interview: If you were a song, what song would you be? That is, a song that describes you very well.

I have no idea. I think the songs we listen to speak to only part of ourselves. The first song I thought of is "8 (Circle)" by Bon Iver. But that's just my melancholy side. It wouldn't describe me completely, because I also have a non-melancholy side, a very happy side, that I wouldn't be doing justice to.

Now that you've had a brief look at the life of a musician, even indirectly, what would you say is similar to or different from the life of an actor?

The pressure is what they have in common. The expectations one has of oneself. The competition. Although I have to say we're a generation, I think, who fight more alongside each other than against each other. For a pianist, it's a more individual fight than for an actor, because as an actor you normally don't perform alone.

In the film, David has to put his personal life on the back burner in order to get somewhere as a musician. Since you said that you enjoy immersing yourself, to what extent do you find yourself having to put your personal life on the back burner?

Since the work always comes in phases, you only have to do that in phases. And then I do that. In recent years, I've also learned that you can't completely separate the two — that the project phases should intersect more with the phases of free time. I've always felt that I've completely forgone personal life while working, up until the end of shooting. At some point, I no longer thought that was a good thing. In this line of work, you have to watch out, otherwise you'll start thinking of the year only in terms of blocks of time. I've resolved to be aware of this for more than a whole year again. Theater actors can probably do that a lot better, because they have regular work. They're able to balance their personal lives and their work more easily. That's a small obstacle that a film actor has to overcome at some point.

Let's assume you have free time. What do you do to unwind after work?

I had a hard time of that in Berlin. But this year, I went back to some old hobbies, like the drums. Also skateboarding, climbing, bouldering, and so on, to find balance. It's just about doing something that no one judges and where there's no output. Where you're not forced to deliver output. Because all you do when playing is give, give, give. You learn something, too, of course, and it gives you something back. But it's very relaxing to just do something that no one is appraising.

And where you're not being watched.

That, too, yes.

How often does it happen nowadays that you're recognized out on the street?

Sometimes. Occasionally. There are days when nothing happens, and other days when it happens several times. It also depends on whether I'm in a bar or another place where people gather.

Imagine that for some reason you had to do something other than act.

What would I do?

Exactly.

Hm. That's difficult.

Did you always want to be an actor, or were there alternatives?

A soccer player, of course. I definitely wanted to be a soccer player. When I finished high school, I was also very interested in psychology — and art. But I don't believe that I'd study art or psychology, even though I was still saying that two or three years ago. I also have a lot of fun working behind the camera, and I've been a set manager for short films. I enjoy organizing a set in the extreme, because I also have experience in how these things work. I'd probably still prefer to stay in the world of film and then maybe try to develop material or help to see it realized.

So you could also imagine directing and scriptwriting?

Probably not scriptwriting. I'm more the kind of person who reads the script and says, "Oh, that's what happens. I think it'd be great if this and that also happened." I don't think I could write a story myself. I have a lot of respect for those who can.

What else are you up to next?

On Monday, we started filming the third season of DARK, so I'll just do that for now. That'll probably take another six months. After that, we'll be done. The series was planned as a trilogy from the beginning, so the story will conclude with the third season.

That's all from me. In closing, do you have any more comments you'd like to make about your film?

I think Sabrina is very talented, and I'm very proud of this film and hope that people will see it.

[lunaofthevalley]

Steadfast Tin Soldier.

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Plot: Inspired slightly by the Hans Christian Andersen Take of the same name, which for some reason reminded me of Bucky. Don't know if something like this has been done before so? Hope you guys like it.

Bucky grew up hearing the tales of Hans Christian Andersen. His younger sisters adored the stories, and his Ma adored telling them. She would somehow rope Bucky into sitting through them as she would tell them to the girls to get them to fall asleep.

If you asked, he could probably recite every single one by memory, or tell it to his best ability. He'd heard every single one, The Little Mermaid, The Snow queen, Thumbelina, The Ugly Duckling, etc. But there was always one that stood out to him for some reason.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier.

He didn't know what was so special about it at the time, why it stuck with him. He wasn't a soldier, nor was he missing a limb. He didn't have his ballerina, and much less an evil possessed Jack-in-the-box having it out for him.

And even years later, before he was shipped off to war, he remembered the story. He was a charming man, and in every girl he dated or wooed, he looked to see if she could be his ballerina, but none ever came to par. They lacked something.

When he actually became a soldier, he remembered the story, which he now used more or less like a metaphor. Bucky was the soldier, except he wasn't missing a leg, Thank God. And his Ma, his sisters, and even Steve to a certain point were his Ballerina, while the Nazis were the Jack-in-the-box. And while in the story the Steadfast Tin Soldier made it back to his ballerina safely, this soldier didn't.

After years of torture, confusion, and forgetting, the story made its way back into Bucky's memory. It took 75 years, give or take, but when he remembered it, it was as if he'd never forgotten it.

It happened when he was in the compound. After Shuri had managed to wipe his mind free of hydra and having stayed in Wakanda for a few months, Bucky decided it was time to head back. He knew before getting back to the compound that it wouldn't be as he left it. In a place as busy as that, things were bound to change, nothing drastic, but change all the same.

But he sure as hell didn't expect you.

The moment he laid eyes on you was the moment he remembered the story. The way you looked was the same way he always imagined the Ballerina in the story looking. Sure the ballerina was described as being made of paper, but Bucky always imagined her as much more than that. And now he was seeing her in the flesh. Not literally, but figuratively.

You were Bruce's new assistant, hired shortly after he'd left for Wakanda. You were younger than he was, obviously. You were around 27, while he in physical appearance appeared to be 32. You had lovely Y/E/C eyes, and your H/C hair was like silk flowing in the wind, and Y/S/C skin looked like the softest thing to touch, dotted around with little moles here and there which reminded Bucky of the Stars.

Bucky had found his Ballerina after all. He thanked god he could now get the mental image of pre-serum Steve being his metaphorical ballerina out of his head.

Sure it had taken a horrible 75 years, a world war, HYDRA and countless other things before he found you, but truth is Bucky had never felt more like the Steadfast Tin Soldier than he did now.

He was a soldier, he was missing a limb, he has his Jack-in-the-box, which would be HYDRA, he'd gone through a great journey and now after all that he'd met his Ballerina. Y/N Y/L/N.

Now all he had to do was win you over.

As time passed he got to know you. At first it was through small talks you two would have here and there, then small talks progressed to talks and talks progressed into full on hour long conversations. He'd gotten to know plenty about you. Your favorite color, food, movie, season etc. But his favorite fact about you was that apart from being a certified genius, you had also trained as a dancer growing up, mostly in ballet.

Life was a funny thing.

As life progressed in the compound, so did the sexual tension between you and Bucky, as well as the irritation of the other team members, knowing that you two still hadn't even acknowledged the feelings you held for each other. Which is why they decided to do something about it.

"Can someone explain why I'm here please?" Bruce asked, "I'm pretty sure I've got more important business than whatever this is."

"Ah actually this involves you so you are needed here," Tony replied, "well actually it involves your lovely assistant miss Y/N."

Bruce looked around the room before his eyes landed on Tony again, "What about Y/N? Has she done something wrong?"

"It's more like what she hasn't done, she-"

Natasha cut Tony off, "What Tony means is, we've all noticed the growing sexual tension between her and Barnes, yet neither have done anything about it and it's killing them and all of us, surely you've noticed?"

Bruce nodded, "I have actually noticed, but I tend not to meddle in things that I'm not actually involved in."

"But we are all team members, therefor we should all help each other out, including Lady Y/N and the metal handed man." Thor reasoned.

"I can't believe you're all doing this, even you Steve."

Steve sighed, "I'm not overly pleased with the idea, but I know the outcome will be good for Bucky and for Y/N, I have all their best interests at heart."

"We all do." Wanda added.

"Fine. Okay. What's the plan then?"

"That's kind of why we're here Mr. Banner, to brainstorm."

"Seriously, even the kid is here, no offense Peter."

"Non taken Mr. Banner."

"What can I say Bruce, all hands on deck are needed. Even the frail ones of the Spiderling." Tony then clapped his hands before continuing. "Alrighty then if were gonna do this, we need to do something that they won't forget. Something big. Hmmm how about a party?"

"Only Tony Stank could make this end up in a party."

"Shut up Rhodes. Just think about it. It would give us an excuse to be there and make sure everything goes to plan. It would be public enough yet private enough, and think about it, the 'make them dance together' trope always seems to work in movies." Tony explained.

"I hate to say it but I kinda agree with stark." Sam spoke up

"Kinda?"

"Don't push it, Stank."

"I agree too. It's kind of perfect actually." Natasha reasoned. "There would be enough people there that they wouldn't be the center of attention, it also gives them a reason to dress up and impress the other, like Tony said, we can make them dance together, and we can also get them a bit tipsy, which would help in making them confess their feelings."

"Hmm we could also make it themed." Clint spoke for the first time.

"Like what?" Asked Vision, "If I'm not mistaken all important and big holidays have past."

"What about a costume party?" All eyes were suddenly on Peter, no one said anything so Peter took it as his chance to elaborate. "Well we are in mid-October so it wouldn't seem too out of place, which would also be perfect for making them 'accidentally' dress up in a couples costume."

"Genius. Pure genius. Kid your a genius. How didn't I think of it."

"You're not as smart as you think Stark, age is catching up on your brain." Clint laughed.

"Shut up Legolas"

"Now the question is, what costumes do we get them?" Steve asked.

Everyone thought in silence before Thor spoke up.

"What about that cat Lady and bat Boy."

"You mean Batman and Cat Woman? Nah that's overrated." Sam reasoned. "How about Mario and Princess Peach?"

"As much as I would love to see Barnes dressed up as Mario, I'm not sure he'll agree to that costume. We need to think of something more original, something that might not seem like a couple costume at first but when it's brought together it fits perfectly." Tony stated.

Wanda who had been quiet for most of the meeting finally spoke up. "I was talking to Barnes the other day, and he told me a story, about a soldier and a ballerina."

Steve perked up at this. "You mean the Steadfast Tin Soldier. Bucky used to talk about that story all the time back in the 40's"

"Isn't that the one about the toy soldier that's missing a leg and falls in love with a paper ballerina?" Peter asked.

"Yea it is," Steve replied, "Bucky used to hear it all the time, his sisters loved the stories by the same author that wrote the Steadfast Tin Soldier, but for some reason that one stuck with Bucky."

"Huh, that's funny." Laughed Bruce

Tony turned to look at Bruce, "What's funny? Please enlighten us."

"Well, uh, growing up Y/N took dance lessons, contemporary, tap, lyrical, all the sort, but what she liked the most and dedicated her time to the most was Ballet." Bruce explained.

Everyone stared at him as if he had grown to heads. They were all too stunned by what they had just discovered.

"So let me get this straight," Said Tony, "you're telling me we have Barnes, a soldier who happens to be missing a limb, and Y/N, who so just happens to be a Ballerina?"

"Well she's not technically a ballerina but-"

"Shut up Bruce don't ruin this." Tony interrupted.

"Well if all of you are alright with it, I think we found the solution to our costume problem." Natasha spoke.

"Well then Avengers it seems we have a party to plan, and to reunite a certain Soldier and a certain Ballerina"

Part 2??

Feel free to send in requests, I'm on a writing high at the moment and I also have the time.