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dialovers-translations · 4 years ago

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Diabolik Lovers GRAND EDITION for Switch ;; More, Blood ー Yuma Maniac [09]

ー The scene starts in the hallway

Yuma: Oi!

Yui: Yuma-kun? Uhm, yes...?

Yuma: I’m thirsty. Go make some tea and bring it to my room, pronto.

Yui: ( Another abrupt request... )

Yuma: Oi, did ya hear me?

Yui: I did. Just wait a few seconds okay, I’ll bring it you as soon as I can.

Yuma: Ya better not keep me waitin’!

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the kitchen

*Pshhh*

Yui: ( Geez, he really is a tyrant. )

( That being said, ever since he met up with Shuu-san in the library...Yuma-kun has been in a constant bad mood. )

( He said things about ‘being different’ or ‘rich boys’ but...What exactly does he mean with that? )

ー The scene shifts to Yuma’s room

Yui: Sorry for the wait, Yuma-kun. Here, I made you some tea.

Yuma: Whatever, just give it to me.

*Cling*

*Sluuurp*

Yuma: Nn...Kuh...Nn...

Yui: ( He doesn’t put any sugar in this tea even though he eats so much of it on a regular basis. How strange... )

( ...Actually, I guess he doesn’t need to because he’s always snacking on it. The inside of his mouth is probably sweet. )

Yuma: Ahー Fuck...It pisses me off...

Yui: ...The thing with Shuu-san?

Yuma: Don’t mention that guy, it makes me sick!

All those rich bastards are the same. They’re all rotten to the core!

Yui: ( Ever since that happening, he’s been on the offensive (1) )

( ...Could it be...? )

Selection

→ Do you want to be rich? (S)

Yui: Do you want to be rich as well, perhaps?

Yuma: Aah...? Don’t say that, not even as a joke. It gives me chills.

I’d still rather get married to ya, than have to become like those jerks!

Yui: ( ...He probably just flat out insulted me, didn’t he...? )

Yuma: I fuckin’ loathe those who associate with the rich!

→ Do you hate the rich? (M)

Yui: Do you hate the rich?

Yuma: I loathe them. Just watchin’ those bastards makes me wanna puke.

Yui: Is that why you dislike the Sakamaki’s as well?

Yuma: Guess so.

Altho I don’t like them on a personal level either, so I’m pretty sure they would have annoyed me, even if they weren’t rich boys.

Yui: ( Oil and water don’t mix after all... I wonder if this is what they mean with people hating those who are too similar to themselves. )

Yuma: That damn NEET...Sakamaki Shuu. He especially gets on my nerves.

And it’s not just ‘cause he’s a lil’ rich boy. I’ll repeat this over and over, but I can’t stand people who don’t have an opinion of their own.

That’s why I can’t help but get pissed seein’ those kinda people who just go with the flow.

The only reason he’s able to live his lazy life is ‘cause he was born as a rich boy.

He’s got a roof above his head as if it’s the most normal thing in the world, a nice, soft bed and gets to enjoy food even if he sleeps all day.

They take that kinda life for granted.

Must be nice, huh? Meanwhile there’s people who barely get to enjoy some breadcrumbs even after being beaten to pulp.

Yui: ( ...I wonder if he’s remembering his time in the slums. )

Yuma: Say...Don’t ya think that people are being discriminated against from birth?

Yui: That’s...I wonder.

Yuma: They are. Those rich boys and an orphan like me have lived in different worlds since birth.

We would have never even crossed paths if I didn’t become a Vampire.

For one, you’re in a disadvantaged position as well, ya know?

*Rustle*

Yui: Eh...Kyaah!?

–> If you are playing the Limited V edition or the Grand Edition, little black roses will appear on the screen. If you click on them, you get an extra line of dialogue.

��Just shut up and listen.”

Yuma: Even if ya get on top of me like this, lookin’ down on me.

It doesn’t change the fact you’re bein’ controlled, havin’ yer blood sucked, right?

Ya get toyed ‘round by me...As I do with ya as I please. And there is nothin’ ya can do to change that, right?

Yui: ...I don’t know.

Yuma: Ya think ya can?

Yui: ...I don’t know but, some things you don’t know until you try them, right?

Yuma: ...

Yui: ( I’m not very confident though... )

Yuma: ...I knew this guy in the past who said the same thing as ya and tried to bring change.

Yui: Eh...?

Yuma: He was a gang leader and an amazin’ guy, lookin’ after me while I was living in the slums.

My comrades back then were the outcasts of society...But each and every one of them lived their life to the fullest.

Despite all the times they were looked down upon for being ‘dirty’, kicked or even hurt...They desperately clung onto their lives. They too had dreams of their own, and they never gave up.

I...lived alongside them.

That’s why guys who waste away their life like that piss me off more than anythin’ in this world;

Boss was the type of guy who would even sacrifice himself to save our lives, or to fulfill his own dream.

He was just a brat with no power nor money, but he was a strong fella who never gave up on his dreams, smilin’ as he said ‘you never know until you try’.

...Yet people who don’t do a damn will laugh at a guy like that.

And those are the guys who get to live long lives. Even tho Boss died like it was nothin’. Makes one realize just how unfair this world is.

Yui: ...

Yuma: ...Well, not like tellin’ ya all of this will change anythin’.

You’re just a stupid Sow...But from time to time, ya say the same things as Boss did...It throws me off.

Monologue

As Yuma-kun looked up at me from below,

watching me, yet also seemingly looking at something in the distance.

Humans and Vampires most definitely live in different (違う) worlds.

If my blood had been ordinary,

I can only assume I would not be in this situation right now.

However...If someone were to ask me right now,

if I had rather never crossed paths with Vampires at all,

I wonder if I would be able to give them a direct response?

From the moment there was a doubt (迷い) in my mind,

the answer had already become clear.

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) The verb used here is 突っかかる or ‘tsukkakaru’ which means you are constantly trying to either attack or bother someone, either physically or verbally.

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<- [ Maniac 08 ] [ Maniac 10 ] ->

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #yuma mukami #more blood #diabolik lovers translation #mbyumamaniac9

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my-happy-little-bean · 5 years ago

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Blossom

pairings: logan/patton (logicality) (because im trash) words: 2776 warnings: swearing, panic attack, implied toxic parental relationship, mention of an implied suicide attempt, fighting summary:

blos·som /ˈbläsəm/

verb - to produce flowers or masses of flowers. - to develop in a promising way

Or: the five times Logan couldn’t see the flowers, and the one time he did.

a/n- hello! i hope you are all doing well during this strange quaran-time! i present to you, my first non-golden slumbers flower-related fic (still logicality tho,,, y'all can rip that pairing out of my dead, cold hands :pp). i had a really strange dream last night that had something to do with this concept and hey, you know what i do with dreams :p

i hope you enjoy it ^v^

read on ao3~

---------

dedicated to the one bit of starlight that always remembers to water my garden

~*~

Logan was halfway up the porch stairs when Patton mentioned the flowers for the first time.

“I’m telling you, Lo!” Patton followed Logan into their new house, carrying boxes behind him. “They were little yellow daffodils, just sprouting behind you as you walked! It was so pretty!”

“Patton, it takes twelve to fifteen weeks for daffodils to bloom after chilling,” Logan said pointedly, setting his own boxes down by an old, tattered couch in the living room. “Besides, even if there were some growing, I would be more concerned that there is something prompting growth underneath our house.”

Patton giggled, putting his boxes down beside Logan’s. He wrapped his arms around Logan’s waist from the back, going on the tips of his toes to kiss the back of his neck.

“Our home,” he murmured in Logan’s skin. Logan smiled.

“Yes,” he said, looking around at their surroundings. “It is...a start.”

“It’ll be more than that soon enough!” Patton chirped, taking Logan’s hand and spinning himself underneath it with a squeal. Logan couldn’t help smile, moving his arm more purposefully to properly spin Patton around until he was standing right in front of him.

“I’m so happy,” Patton said with a sigh and that lopsided smile; the smile that proved to Logan that he could at least feel love.

“I am happy that you are happy, dear.” He pressed his forehead against Patton’s and kissed his nose lightly. “Now, we must continue on, or we will be late to the neighbourhood barbeque Janene invited us to.”

“Janene?”

“Our neighbour, remember?”

Patton made a small ‘ah’ noise and nodded enthusiastically, already skipping past Logan to grab some more boxes outside.

As he watched him go, Logan sighed; he could definitely love. He could love with all of the love the world had to offer him, for as long as they were offering. He could love the softest, most gentle creature he knew; one who moved with such grace and one whose mind and heart and soul was overwhelmingly admirable.

Yes, he could love him.

And he loved him.

“Logan! There’s pink roses on our roof!”

---------

According to Janene, the whole neighbourhood could see the flowers.

It was a special kind of phenomenon that no one outside the small town of Khloris ever noticed. But if you had a house on its terrain, you apparently had flowers growing underneath your feet. Upon mentioning Patton’s observations at the neighbourhood barbeque, Janene had explained the rumours that it was the land’s way of “observing” or “understanding” its habitants. Whatever that meant.

Logan found it borderline infuriating that no one had pursued further research on the matter; that people just walked around their neighbourhoods, complimenting each others’ seemingly magical gardens.

What was even more infuriating was that everyone just...accepted it. Embraced it, even. As if it was normal to hallucinate flowers growing on vines across your windows.

He was still unable to see these flowers, if they even existed. And while he wasn’t keen on keeping a sense of distrust between himself and his partner (he would have stopped playing along if Patton shared his same view) he couldn’t help but remain skeptical.

(He would never admit it to Patton, but the reason he had purchased that rather expensive machine off of Amazon was so he could test the contents of the air in certain areas of the town. It didn’t prove anything abnormal, but it was an interesting experiment.

He read his findings out loud to Patton one night, and Patton listened to every word.

And when Logan left for work the next morning, Patton complimented the chrysanthemums trailing behind him.)

Still, he didn’t have much choice other than to embrace the absurdity floating in their town. Besides, it was mostly harmless. And, more often than not, it served as the backdrop to some of the most joyful moments they had.

“Why, yellow!” Patton exclaimed as he greeted Logan on the steps to their house. “Someone has an extra poppy in their step today, huh?”

“First of all, I believe you mean ‘hello’; the standard greeting which is first exchanged between individuals seeing each other,” Logan hummed. Then, he leaned over to kiss Patton’s cheek. “Second of all...hello, dearest.”

“Hiya!” Patton giggled. Logan watched as the spot he kissed flushed a soft shade of pink. “How was work?”

Logan couldn’t help but smile. “It was...very satisfactory.”

“Very satisfactory?” Patton rocked back and forth on the heels of his feet, immediately ecstatic. “Not just satisfactory?”

“Mhm.”

“Ooh that and the yellow poppies behind you! You must have good news!” Patton beamed. “Come, come sit with me! Tell me all about your very satisfactory day!”

Usually, Logan would politely decline, telling him that he had to first shower and prepare dinner as he always did after work. And it was almost second-nature to ignore the ever-growing amount of flower observations from Patton.

But he couldn’t help but oblige upon seeing Patton rush over to their small, wooden porch swing, nearly knocking into his ball of yarn and newest knitting project. That and he did have good news. Very good news, in fact.

“Tell me about your day first,” Logan insisted as he sat down beside him, setting his briefcase at his feet. “I would rather celebrate a mutual achievement than selfishly intrude with my singular one.”

“Intrude?” Patton nudged him lightly. “Well, you’re not being int-rude if you do! So don’t worry about that kind of intrusion-confusion you’re on about, mister!”

“...did you eat the cookies Janene sent us?”

“Several.”

Logan shook his head. “She puts too much chocolate in those, you know. And those pastries surpass the recommended amount of sugar one should digest in a day.”

“I know! ”

Logan couldn’t help but laugh at how starry-eyed his Patton looked. Patton gently rocked the swing back and forth, then lifted his legs to sit cross-legged on the cushions once it gained enough momentum.

“Anyway, my day was alright!” Patton chirped. “Had a breakthrough with a client today! It’s been a slow couple of weeks, but I think things are looking up!”

“That is fantastic news, Patton.” Logan leaned his head against Patton’s shoulder, placing a hand on his thigh and smiling. “You’re doing an exceptional job.”

“Aw, Lo!” Patton giggled again. “You’re gonna make me grow peonies everywhere.”

Second-nature. Logan just chuckled.

“Now! We must celebrate you!” Patton lifted Logan’s head off his shoulder and held his hands into his own. “Tell me everything!”

A pause. Logan felt as if he too was holding his breath.

“Well, do you recall that promotion I recently inquired about at my work?”

Patton’s eyes widened.

“Shut up.”

Logan broke into a wide grin, finally exhaling as he nodded. Patton squealed, practically lunging at Logan to give him a tight hug.

“Shut up shut up shut uppp!!!”

“Do you...actually want me to–”

“No!” Patton gasped, pulling back to hold Logan in front of him by his shoulders. His grin almost hurt to look at. “Never ever ever shut up!”

“Then why did you–”

“I’m excited, you goofball!” Patton brushed the hair out of Logan’s eyes with a small giggle. “Besides, if I’m shushing anything, it’s the guilty feeling in your head that I can hear from a mile away.

(Fuck. He could love him forever.)

“Be proud of yourself, silly.” Patton wrapped Logan into another hug. Despite being shaken around so much, Logan couldn’t help but laugh. “Gosh, you deserve this so so much– I’m so proud of you.”

Logan’s breath hitched.

“You…”

Patton drew himself back ever-so-slightly, leaving a mere inch between him and Logan. He smiled.

“I’m always proud of you, Logan.” He kissed Logan’s nose, sending a rush of warmth throughout his entire being.

He then looked down at the spaces between each wooden plank of the porch and smiled.

“Peonies,” he whispered, resting his forehead against Logan’s. “I’m happy too, Lo. So so so happy.”

---------

“Patton, take a deep breath.”

“He–” Patton gasped, wrapping his arms around himself– “how– I can’t–”

“Patton.” Logan took the phone out of Patton’s hand and held them, squeezing gently. “Patton, let’s sit down, please–”

“Don’t touch me!“ Patton sobbed, pulling his hands back and covering his mouth. Tears rolled down his cheeks and over his hands. He began backing away from Logan. “It’s– I’m a– I’m–”

“Patton–”

“Fuck,” Patton choked out, stumbling past Logan and heading in the direction of their backyard. “I can’t– I need–”

Logan just nodded, carefully catching up to him and clearing out as much clutter as he could so Patton wouldn’t get hurt. He slid open their backyard door for Patton to rush through.

The cool, evening air hit Logan almost sharply, and he hoped that Patton could feel the same thing. He watched from a hesitant distance as Patton fell to his knees on their grass, folding into himself like a ball and clutching at each strand.

(He doesn’t need you to make this worse. "You don’t know how to feel, after all.”)

“Hey,” Logan finally said. He walked over to the grass and sat a comfortable distance away from Patton. “Is this enough space?”

Patton didn’t lift his head, but he nodded. Logan sighed.

“...What happens outside your workplace is not your responsibility.”

Patton let out a huge sob; one that felt like it echoed through the whole neighbourhood.

Fuck. Logan cleared his throat.

“Tell me about the flowers,” he blurted out. Patton lifted his head slightly.

“The–”

“The flowers,” Logan said again, even less sure of himself. “Tell me what they...what they look like to you right now.”

Patton let out a scratchy laugh. “You don’t believe in the stupid flowers.”

Logan’s heart broke.

(He didn’t, but he believed in him.)

“Tell me about them anyway,” he said insistently. “I assume they are in our presence, no?”

Patton sighed and, after seemingly deliberating his offer, sat up; his hands firmly gripping the grass they were sitting on. He looked around him, all spacey in that way that used to scare Logan. (It still does, but he at least knows enough about it that it’s not as worrisome.)

Finally, he spoke up.

“I– I see marigolds,” he whispered. “And– and yellow carnations.”

Logan closed his eyes in thought for a second and then opened them with a sigh.

“My dear,” he whispered, scooting a bit closer to him. “It is normal to feel grief and disappointment. Those are common reactions to a tragic occurrence such as this. I am so deeply sorry that you have to experience this because you do not deserve this, my starlight.”

Patton curled even more into himself.

“But what is important is that he is still here,” Logan continued. “And I am going to be here to assist you with whatever you need in order for you to cope during this difficult time.”

He watched as Patton took a deep breath; the first one in hours. When he exhaled, he felt as if the air around him grew still and less frigid.

“I already know with absolute certainty that I will witness you lift yourself up when we make it through this; stronger than you were ever before.” He moved closer to him again. “You did not fail, no – we are simply just trying again.”

A beat of silence. Patton sniffled. “T-There’s purple hyacinths now.”

Logan sadly smiled. A common one with Patton.

“You do not have to apologize.” He patted the space next to him. “I’m here. And so are you.”

Patton sobbed a bit more, but eventually smiled through his tears and curled up in Logan’s lap. Logan held Patton and leaned over to press a kiss in his hair.

“I got you,” he murmured in his curls. He felt Patton settle into his lap, the tenseness in his shoulders loosening. He ran his hands through his hair, kissing it again and again every few seconds.

“Forever?” He heard Patton mumble. He smiled.

“And a little bit after that,” he whispered back.

And they sat there for a while, underneath the starry skies above them, in what Logan assumed was a sea of yellow and purple flowers. Though, he was never really sure.

Later on, Patton asked him how he knew what each flower meant. And Logan, who would never admit to researching floriography (or to any accomplishment at all), just said it was a coincidence.

---------

Patton rarely got mad; but when he did, Logan could only assume there were petunias everywhere.

“You–”

“Patton, please, not today–”

“NO!” His voice bounced off the walls and hit Logan in the chest. He shut up immediately. “Just...please– please tell me you’re joking.”

Logan averted his glance. “...I had to speak with them.”

“With your parents?! “ Patton screamed. “Who– who haven’t even bothered to call you in the last, what, five years?! “

“Patton, I–”

“You promised you’d never talk to them again,” Patton hissed. “I thought we agreed that– that it’d be wrong to. Because they were miserable people– people who– who made you miserable.”

He stung more than any thorn ever could. Logan tried to imagine some growing through the floors, as if trying to sympathize with what he could be experiencing. Of course he was angry. What Logan did was stupid. And he didn’t even mention the outcome…

“They’re my parents, Patton,” he said instead. He tried to plant his feet to the floor firmly, but Patton’s pacing made him shrivel up where he stood.

“They are not your parents,” Patton snapped. His breathing was sharp and quick. “Parents– parents don’t just tell their kid that they don’t have the capacity to feel– parents don’t kick their kid out of their fucking house and– and abandon them and leave them to be fixed by someone else.”

Logan’s breath hitched.

“I…” He tried not to let it hurt him, but seeing Patton also wince at his own words made him feel somewhat validated in his pain. Still, he stood his ground.

“I did not ask you to fix me,” Logan whispered, just as sharply; as if to get him back.

Stupid.

“Logan.” Patton’s voice was even more troubling when it was quiet. “How could you...”

“It’s true.” (Why was he still talking?!) “I didn’t need you to–”

But he never finished.

Because that’s all it took for Patton to leave.

Patton found Logan outside in their backyard, surrounded by roses.

Roses of every colour; yellow, pink, blue, black, and white. The grass underneath his feet was bright green– in fact, everything around him was bright.

“L-Logan, what–”

And that was when he saw the ring.

“Patton.” It came out as a loud, choked sob.

Patton took a shaky step towards Logan, who shakily got on one knee.

“What are you…”

To his surprise, Logan laughed.

“We– we were never really good at appropriate timing, were we?”

Patton covered his mouth with wide eyes.

“I called my parents,” Logan began shakily, “because I wanted to tell them that I was going to marry you.”

Patton’s breath hitched.

“You were right,” he continued, wiping his eyes. “Parents don’t do any of the things you had mentioned a-and I know I broke that promise we made out of good intent but…” He sighed. “But they are my parents. And I wanted them to be part of this moment.”

He closed his eyes, almost shamefully.

“Ultimately, it was out of spite, wasn’t it?” He laughed quietly. “In the end, I just wanted to prove to them that I could.”

“C-Could what?”

Logan stood up from his place and smiled. “That I could feel.”

A wide grin spread across Patton’s face.

“Oh, Logan…” He sobbed, rushing over to hold Logan’s hands. He giggled as Logan’s glasses fogged up from him crying, and he reached over to take them off, opting to rest them lopsided on his head. Logan laughed again through his tears.

“Patton,” he whispered, looking up in his eyes. “I feel everything with you. I– I feel perfect, unadulterated happiness and love when I am with you. I feel joy, I feel peace, I feel...I feel things that I didn’t even know exist– ”

He held Patton’s hands and took a deep breath.

“I feel everything for– for you.” Logan rested his forehead against Patton’s and broke into laughter as their tears fell to the ground. “I want to feel everything with you– the ups, the downs, everything– for the rest of my life.”

---------

And as Patton kissed him, Logan watched as a rainbow of colours blossomed around their home.

#sanders sides #sanders sides fic #sanders sides fanfic #logan sanders #patton sanders #logan/patton #logicality #logic/morality #flower...AU?#idk what this is #but its sure as hell cute :p #gabbie writes things

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chaoshomeschooler · 4 years ago

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Chaos’ SAT studying tips

As someone who has dedicated way to much of my time to trying to figure out this stupid test and who has no younger siblings or friends to pass my tips along to, I’m just going to leave some studying tips here so feel free to look at em if you’d like.

First of all, take a practice test to gauge where you’re at. Take note of the types of questions you missed and why you missed them. Also take note of if you’re struggling with time or not.

Really the only way to improve time is to keep practicing with a timer. Maybe even set a timer for less than the amount of time you would actually be given.

But don’t worry about time right off the bat if you’ve never taken the SAT before. At first just take as much time as you need to get used to the questions.

Reading

What I’d recommend to improve your reading score is really just to take more and more practice tests. The important part is to read the answer explanations on the ones you miss or that you struggled with. Try to recognize patterns - is there a certain type of question you miss the most? How does their answer differ from yours? Figure out why theirs is right in a way that makes sense to you.

Remember that there’s always evidence for every answer. If you think something is implied or you’re pretty sure but you don’t feel like you actually read it in the passage, or if you use outside knowledge, that probably ain’t it.

I’ve heard a lot of people say you should summarize the passage to yourself before you try to answer the questions but at least in my experience, the whole time stress thing makes you forget to do that.

If you’re struggling a lot with time it’s a good idea to get used to speed reading, at least to some extent. I took a course on it and the main take away from that was to just guide your eyes by moving your finger or a pen along underneath the words you’re reading. Just try doing that and try to do it faster and faster while still making sure you’re comprehending what you’re reading. Also here’s a free speed reading course I found.

I’m sure you’ve already heard this but Khan academy has timed and not timed reading sections you can use for practice + explanations. They also have videos and stuff with tips for the SAT overall and how-to videos on the different types of questions you’ll come across.

Writing

Pretty similar to the reading section - make sure you recognize the types of questions you typically miss and make sure you really understand why your answer wasn’t what they were looking for.

There are some more hard and fast rules you can study when it comes to writing, which is nice. IE punctuation rules - especially semicolons.

They also do this trick question where they give you the subject of a sentence and then they put a few words and then they ask you for the correct form of the verb. They also do one where the subject is singular/plural but it sounds like it might be plural/singular. Maybe it’s a name of a group or something - They’re trying to throw you off on the number of the verb, and sometimes even if it’s past/present/future etc.

My main tip for time on the writing portion is you do NOT have to read every word of every passage. Unless they’re asking you to move a sentence within a paragraph then you only have to read the underlined portions of the paragraph and sometimes the rest of the sentence that precedes it. Unless they ask you a question that pertains to the main focus of the passage, you do not have to get a real understanding of what the passage is talking about. Remembering this has saved me so much time.

Khan academy also has some practice for the writing, but if I recall correctly they don’t have quite as much material as they do for the reading.

Math

Okay so math was my worst section until just this year.

First of all, same rule applies - take lots of practice tests and make sure you understand why you missed the questions you did. As you’re going over your answers + the explanations, make a few sheets in a notebook with reminders or rules or tips or a few common formulas that you usually forget. If there’s one certain concept (for example, parabolas) you can n o t understand - really take the time to sit down and try to understand everything you can about that concept. Write it all down on a dedicated sheet of paper in a way that you can easily look over later.

Some formulas I think it’s important to understand are the graph of a circle, the vertex form of a parabola, standard form of a parabola and slope-intercept form of a line. There’s a few more but those are the main ones off the top of my head.

For math, you can definitely start at Khan academy - they obviously have tons of content for SAT math and math in general. For some people that’s all they use and they get really good scores. For me though, I could only get so far with it.

One thing about Khan academy is they usually just show you the longer, math-y way to do a problem (from what I recall. I could be totally wrong on this cause it’s been a while) when a lot of times on the SAT there’s a really easy and obvious way to get an answer in seconds without doing lots of calculation - if you know where to look for it.

I found this youtube playlist rather helpful when it comes to getting the math questions done the quick and effective way. Most of the time you really don’t have to solve out every problem or answer. The guy doesn’t talk in all the videos but there’s a good number of them where he explains what he’s doing and gives several examples. I’m pretty sure he always writes out all the steps of how he solves the problems.

Honestly just watching him do the problems so quickly gave me a lot of confidence because it made sense how he did it. “If he can do that that fast then so can I!”

One thing is, if you do use the ‘don’t solve out every detail’ way and you have time left over at the end, definitely go back and check over ones that you weren’t so sure about or that seemed like they might have been trick questions. This really applies to all the sections.

Overall

College board also has their own study guide. It’s organized by three overall sections: “getting ready for the SAT”, english and math. English and math are both broken down by every type of question they have on the test, so you can only download the sections that you need to work on. I’d say just search the PDF for the specific concept you’re struggling with, but I guess you could read the whole guide if you want to and have the time.

Supertutortv is a youtube channel with lots of tips and stuff.

Growing up I was always told that the SAT is about ✨logic✨and I guess that’s still true. They’re less testing you on what you know and more so testing you on if you know what to do. Problem solving and analysis.

Finally, if/when you take the test for real, try to be as chill as possible about it. Don’t be stressed about how you’re going to do or what you’re going to do. Be confident in the fact that you prepared or in the fact that you didn’t want to do much prep and that that was the best choice for you. Don’t think about college or your future or what your parents or whoever is in your life is going to think. Don’t think ahead at all. Just focus on what you’re doing at that moment.

Feel free to send me an ask or DM and I’d love to answer any questions or provide more resources or do anything else I can to help anyone who happens across this post.

#sat #sat prep #sat 2020 #psat 2020 #psat #high school #highschool studyblr #high school junior #high school senior #homeschooler #homeschooling #home school studyblr #homeschool studyblr #home school #homeschool #studyblr

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closecry · 5 years ago

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Trip Of A Lifetime (Vaas x Female Reader)

Also posted on AO3, heed the warnings that are under the cut.

Word Count: 3,491.

This is a soulmate AU, but that doesn't mean it's happy because I tried to write Vaas true to his character.

Warnings: Minor Character Death, Human Trafficking, Misogyny, minor descriptions of violence, and torture.

You have a brother in this who is unnamed and several random female characters that are also unnamed.

This is a dark story! Read with caution.

Tumblr requires me to censor all the f words, a use of the words d*ck, and c**cksucker or it won't show up in tags because it's dumb. If you want a version without that, there is a link to the AO3 at the top.

****

You didn't normally go on vacation. It had been years since your last one, and you don't know why, but when your rich asshole brother offered you the “trip of a lifetime”, you accepted the offer.

He always seemed to travel here with whatever girlfriend he had at the time and a couple of friends. Normal enough.

This year it was with your brother's new girlfriend and her 2 sisters, which you thought was odd, but you didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

You and your brother never got along, and you remember vividly him seeming to hate you when you two disagreed on matters. He was kind of misogynistic, but you thought maybe this was him trying to finally bury the hatchet.

In hindsight, maybe you should've just said no when you were given the option.

The island was nice, it was the dry season so it was, well, dry. Incredibly so. It was also hot, and because of it you spent most of your day out on the water in some manner.

You enjoyed jet skiing, fishing, and snorkeling, and it wasn't until that night that it really started going downhill.

You all were enjoying the cool night around a small bonfire you had created, and one of the girls even helped clean and then cook a few fishes she had caught earlier for you all to eat.

It was then that your brother pulled out a bottle of white wine. Innocent enough. What better to wash down the delicious, fresh fish?

You too eagerly accepted a drink, as did the other girls, and within the next 10 minutes you all one by one started dropping like flies. Maybe in hindsight you should've noticed that your brother had kindly denied when his girlfriend teased him about not taking a drink. Maybe that should've tipped you off.

Your head hurt like a bitch when you woke up.

Your eyes open languidly and you look around. Your hands were tied up above you to some bamboo shoots, and f*ck, was this a cage? You see one of the other girls in a similar situation in front of you, although she still looks to be out. Idly, you wonder how much of the drugged wine she had drank. More than you, you're sure.

There were men in red with guns walking around the cage, and you can't help it when you see one with a mohawk make a beeline for the cage with you and the other women in it.

“Hey, bitches, wake the f*ck up!” You hear in a vaguely spanish sounding accent, and motherf*cker you feel those words appear across your hip. This man was your soulmate. “Enough beauty sleep!”

Your eyes open, darting to where you can feel someone starting to bang on the cage, shaking everything in it.

He's the one with the black mohawk, and he has scars on either side of his head. You wonder who was able to get close enough to hurt him like that, as the person likely would have to have been on top of him because of the angle. Former lover maybe?

It's too dark to tell much else about his features immediately, but your mouth goes dry when his eyes meet yours.

The man crouches down next to your cage, next to you in order to get at eye level with you. He grows to have a wide smile on his face as he continues to look at you, and that pisses you off at how happy he looks at the situation.

This. This was your soulmate. This sorry piece of shit who is likely involved in human trafficking was your soulmate. What the f*ck type of luck is that?

You can't help the tears that prick at your eyes. This was how you were going to die, probably. Your soulmate was either going to kill you or sell you… or worse yet, keep you as some sort of pet. You can't imagine any of those options sounding appealing… Actually, at this point, maybe death did rather than the alternatives.

Your heart is racing, and you wonder what's going to happen when you finally speak and he knows who you are to him. What you are to him.

The tears fall down your face and you can see a vague amusement run over the man, the monster's face. “Why are you crying, honey?” He asks, his head tilting in reaction to you and he places his hands on the bars of your cage to lean closer to you.

You can make out more of his face with him being this close, and just like his head- scars litter his face. Some are in groups, but most of them look like scrapes or scratches that didn't heal correctly.

“Because I’m… afraid?” You admit, with a whisper and you see realization come over his eyes. It feels kind of good, to see him finally look as worried as you had felt since you'd woken up.

His eyebrows furrow and you can see his hands curling tighter around the bamboo sticks that make up your cage. He looks like he can't believe it, like you'd grown a second head.

“Vaas? Is there something wrong with that one? I know she’s a little bit of a bitch, but...” You look up and see your brother behind… Vaas.

Vaas cocks his head as soon as he calls you a bitch and you can tell he really doesn't like it, even though he had called you one just moments prior.

Your brother looks afraid of Vaas as he continues. “I can bring another one if you'll wait a few weeks if she doesn't meet your standards.” He says, throwing up his hands in defense.

You watch Vaas push up to a standing position and he pushes against the cage, causing it to almost break under his hands. Vaas turns around and faces your brother and you don't think you've ever seen your brother this scared before in your entire life.

Vaas starts to slowly walk toward him, and your brother backs up, but is met with a group of guards that stop him from continuing after Vaas gives a small whistle and head movement. Vaas was undoubtedly the leader here. That's exactly what that little show told you.

“I can bring 2, if that's what you want!” Your brother says, looking like he's about to have a heart attack as he visibly shakes in the guard's arms. “I can even give you a discount, two for one!”

Vaas only starts to laugh, and it’s so bone chilling that you almost want to look away, but your eyes are drawn to it, to him. “You stupid f*ck, you’re trying to sell me what's already mine!” Vaas grabs your brother’s shirt and headbutts him incredibly hard, and you can see the blood that starts to pool at his nose that is now bent at an angle, where Vaas had obviously just broken it. If he had been standing on his own you imagine he would've fallen.

Vaas pulls a gun out from his holster.

You should probably say something. You should be screaming at him to stop, begging for your brothers life… but you stay silent.

Vaas moves the gun to your brother's head and it's only now you register that the other girls are awake, and they are begging for your brother's life…

Why?

He had tried to sell you to a human trafficker, he got what was coming to him. He was no better than the man pointing a gun against his head. Maybe the wine hadn't worn off completely for them, maybe they were still in a bleary state. They likely don't understand what's going on.

Vaas, instead of just blowing his brains out, moves the gun down to your brother's knee, and pulls the trigger. It all happens so fast, the noise of the gunshot and the girl’s screams are heightened, and you notice his girlfriend is crying the hardest in fear of everything.

Your brother falls to the ground with a shout and Vaas motions for the guards to grab him and pull him back into a standing position.

Your brother screams as the pain you imagine is made worse by the way they're holding him up and forcing him to put pressure on it.

“Shut the f*ck up!” Vaas screams back, getting extremely close to your brother's face. “Stop f*cking screaming!” Vaas says, and then leans in close to whisper something to your brother, and it's only then that he stops screaming in pain.

You can’t imagine what depraved thing he'd whispered to him, but it works.

Vaas starts to walk back over to you, leaning on the entrance to the cage, and motions toward your brother with his gun still in hand. “Who was this c**ksucker to you, hermoso?”

Was. Who was he to you. Vaas was referring to him with past tense verbs. Vaas is planning on killing him.

“...My brother.” You tell him after a moment.

Vaas nods and opens the gate to the cage, looking like he's contemplating his options. He pulls a knife out of his belt and plays with it as he talks. “I have a shitty sister as well, I can get that.” When he leans down to you with a knife in his hand you're confident he's about to kill you, soulmate or not Vaas was f*cking crazy.

Instead, Vaas moves the knife to where your hands are tied up and then stops. “If I untie you, I want you to promise me you're not going to fight me.” Vaas says, running his other hand through your hair to get it out of your face. “I would rather you not see what I'm about to do to your brother.” He admits, and you believe him.

He pauses and gives you a small smirk. “Unless... you want to help me?” The way he says it runs chills down your spine. Vaas seems to really like that idea.

So, you had been right about him wanting to kill your brother. With the way things were going, with how the blood was rushing out of his leg, you doubt he'll survive the next hour.

You don't feel sorry for him, but you do feel afraid of the man in front of you.

“No, I'd rather… go.” You whisper, your voice quiet and shaky. If there was even the barest of chance he would let you go, you would take whatever you could.

He chuckles darkly. “Let me be clear, this isn't an offer to be set free.” His smile doesn't fade, it's incredibly unsettling to see. “It's an offer to avoid watch me kill your brother, hermoso.”

You should've known. How could you get your hopes up around this sociopath? “Okay.” You say, and your eyes drop to the floor.

That’s apparently not good enough for him, judging by the way he shakes his head. “Say the words, ‘I promise I won't run away, or try to fight you, Vaas.’... Do it.” He prompts you, moving your chin up and down in line with the words he’s wanting you to say.

“I promise I won't run away, or try to fight you, Vaas.” You repeat back to him in as monotone of a voice you can, trying to avoid the fear leaking into it. You didn't want to give him the satisfaction. You fail, for the most part.

Vaas nods, that seemingly pleasing him. “That wasn't so hard now, was it?” Your hands fall to your sides with a swift move of his knife, freeing them.

“Hermanos!” Vaas yells toward a few of the guards, catching their attention and motions to where you’re standing. “Take her out to the beach to relax.”

His eyes narrow at them, dangerously, and when he speaks it's almost too quiet for you to hear. Unfortunately, you had always had good hearing. “And if any of you f*ckers lay a finger on her I'll cut every one of your d*cks off and feed them to the dogs.”

Somehow, even though it's a bizarre threat, you honestly believe him and feel like he's done it before. The guards look legitimately afraid by his threat, and because of it you feel somewhat safe… He cared about you in some f*cked up way, and you believed the guards wouldn't try anything because of it.

The walk to the beach is done in almost complete silence. Almost.

There are a total of 5 guards he sends with you, which is 5 too many for your liking... Perhaps he knew you would try to run if you were given the opportunity.

The guards at the back are the only ones that dare to talk, and you wonder if they think you can't speak Spanish, because that's what you hear in their whispers.

“Who do you think she is to Vaas?”

“I think it's his soulmate. I've never seen him act this way around anyone.”

“Is it possible to have a soulmate even if you don't have a soul?”

“She has a nice ass. He's lucky.”

“You better not touch her, though. Vaas’ll kill you."

You wish you didn't know Spanish.

The feel of sand in your shoes isn't entirely unwelcome as you get to the beach. After all, it's better than the alternative of the blood and guts you were kept in at the cages.

The guards eventually let you start to lead as soon as you get to the beach and you decide to just plop down in the sand when you're out of the eyeline of the outpost. In the distance, you can still see a trail of smoke billowing out from the direction of the camp.

Even though you know it's going to do nothing but stress you out further, you decide to look around the other areas where the shoreline turns into forest. There are similar smokestacks as far as the eye could see… even if you escaped, you wouldn't make it far before you hit the next camp.

It's with a heavy heart that you decide to ignore the trees and the dozens of smokestacks, and instead think about anything else.

It's a nice night out, this is the same night sky you had spent watching with your brother and the girls he had brought. You hope they’re okay, but you doubt it.

There are a lot of stars out, and you remember when you were younger when you used to chart them with your brother outside. You don't care if he's okay so much. He'd done this to you. He deserved everything that Vaas gave him.

You end up leaning into the sand and essentially making a small bed for your tired body to lay in.

It's easily 3 or 4 hours by the time Vaas shows up, and you only know it because the full moon has disappeared and the sun is steadily rising on the horizon.

You were sleeping incredibly lightly, and so even the soft noise of him whistling the guards away startles you from your slumber. You move to a sitting position and move to sit cross legged groggily.

The guards fall away and he sits down next to you in the sand, sitting cross legged with his arms bracing his body on either side.

You expect to see him covered in blood. Maybe even have another scar on his face. Guts staining his shirt.

No, he looks… wet. His hair is still drying, that much was obvious, as it's lying flat where it had been spiked into a mohawk earlier.

You're not sure, but you're also fairly confident he's wearing a different pair of clothes as well… They look almost identical to the ones he was wearing. If you hadn't paid attention, maybe you wouldn't have noticed.

He's showered since torturing and killing your brother before coming to pick you up from the beach at least. That's the least he could do.

Vaas looks over to you, and to the sunrise. “Are you tired, hermoso?” He asks, apparently taking in your exhausted appearance in his quick scan of you. It upsets you how nicely he sounds when he says that, like he’s only your soulmate and not also your captor.

You almost don't want to respond, because, f*ck him for everything, but you do anyway. “Tired is an understatement.” You tell him honestly, scrubbing a hand over your face and sighing when you feel the sandy grains staying behind from where your hand had been buried in the sand.

“I have a shower and a bed, if you want it.” He says, his eyes not leaving the sunset and ocean now.

If you weren't paying attention, his offer would be completely innocent. But you can sense the subtext in his words, the hidden meaning. Reading in between the lines you can tell he's planning something. Probably. “But…?” You prompt, staring at him.

Vaas turns his head towards you and his eyes meet yours, his eyebrows furrowed. “Are you asking me if there's some sort of catch?” He says, like it’s the most crazy thing in the world for you to assume it.

You nod, and feel your cheeks flush for some reason. Why was he making you embarrassed? Why did it matter if he misunderstood you? Why did you care about what he thought of you?

“There isn't a catch.” He deadpans, as if it should be obvious. “I was just trying to be nice, hermoso.” Vaas says, sounding incredibly hurt, and putting a small hand over his heart as if you had physically hurt him.

He seems sincere, and you hate that. It's easier to see through his obvious lies, his passive aggression that turned into real aggression. His display with your brother had shown you that. But this? This version of Vaas was so much harder to understand.

What would he even do if you did say no? You can imagine being dragged back to the cages, or better yet, a shallow grave if you pissed him off enough.

“...Okay.” You say, not feeling much like you had a choice in the matter.

His smile was like the cat that had gotten the canary. “Great.” Vaas says, and quickly stands up, extending his hand down to you. “Your palace awaits, princess.” He says overdramatically.

You begrudgingly take his hand and let him help you up. His hand is incredibly calloused, and you should've expected that for a gun slinging, knife wielding pirate. You're shaky on your feet, and he's quick to catch you at your waist before you go tumbling down back into the sand.

Instead, you tumble into his arms and all at once you wish you had been left in the cages, because looking into his eyes you can see he's attracted to you as he catches you and feels your body up against his.

You can also feel his, can feel the large muscles underneath his shirt and had this been any other man you might be attracted to that as well, but all you can feel when that happens is the fact he's much stronger than you are.

He could easily snap your arm or, perhaps if he were so inclined, your neck with a twist of his wrist. That scares the absolute shit out of you.

His smile is sweet if but a little flustered and you’re quick to pull back. He allows for it.

Vaas looks at you, and his smile grows into something almost sickeningly cute.. “That was like, uh, one of those Hollywood movie moments.” He says as a matter of fact and laughs as if any of this was funny. “If only we had a camera on us, no?” He offers, and jokingly pushes lightly into your shoulder.

You don’t laugh. In fact, you don't even respond other than a small nod.

“Man, you need to lighten up, hermoso.” He grumbles, his mood souring slightly. He continues to talk for you as he considers the possibilities of why you didn't laugh at his joke. “Maybe you're just tired, let's get you some sleep and we'll see how funny you think I am in the morning. C'mon." He motions his head, forward back to the camp. "Let's get some sleep."

You can tell there are a million things he wants to say, wants to talk about on the way back into the outpost. He doesn't say one to you, though. Choosing instead to allow for the comfortable silence to overcome you two.

You're thankful, because you don't know what you would even say to him.

What could there be to say? After all that he had put you through.

As every step you take gets you closer to the camp, you can't help but feel your heart quicken.

...You were extremely worried about what would happen the moment you stepped into camp.

#fc3 #far cry 3 #vaas imagine #vaas montenegro imagine #my writings #my writing #reader #vaas Montenegro #vaas Montenegro x reader #tw: long post

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j-j-ehlby-writes · 6 years ago

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Fate (c.e.) (3/6)

Chapter Three- Kismet

Pairing: Professor!Chris Evans x Student!OFC

Word count: 5.5k

Summary: fate (noun): the development of events beyond a person’s control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power. (verb): be destined to happen, turn out, or act in a particular way.

Amara is about to start her senior year of college with her newly single best friend, Elizabeth. She goes out one night and meets a handsome stranger, Chris. Sparks fly. Fast forward a week and she finds out Chris is her professor. What happens when she also meets Sebastian, a cute guy from another one of her classes?

Series masterlist

“Are you almost done? He’s gonna be here in a few minutes!” Lizzie shouts from the other side of my bathroom door. It's finally time for my date with Sebastian. After my meeting with Chris, I rushed home to drown my feelings in a couple more pieces of crunchy, peanut butter toast and Sex and the City reruns. Big and Carrie were perfect together when things were great between them. He treated her like the queen she was. I wanted a Mr. Big, without all of the breaking up, moving around the world, and being with other people. It wasn’t until I was getting ready for my date that my Mr. Big could be Sebastian sans all of the breaking up.

I finish re-applying my eyeliner and take one last look at my outfit. The sweater was fitted around my arms, but baggy around my torso, just the way I like it. My light washed jeans popped against my sweater but went perfectly with my new burgundy Converse. My hair was curled, thanks to my best friend, completing my look. I went with a neutral pink color for my lips and added a light gloss for shine. I looked cute, and when I came out of the bathroom, Lizzie repeated my thoughts.

“Are you nervous?” She asks plopping herself on the couch with a couple leftover tacos from Tuesday. She was dressed in an old band tee and a pair of sweatpants from our school. Her make-up was already washed off and her hair was up in a messy bun. She already finished her homework for the weekend and was getting ready to catch up on Supernatural, which I made her watch this summer and now she’s hooked.

“I mean, a little. But it’s Sebastian. He doesn’t make me nervous. I’m just excited to go out on a date. And the fact that it’s with Sebastian just makes it even better.” I smile just thinking about spending time with him, just the two of us. I’m curious to know what he has planned for us. The typical dinner and a movie? Just dinner? Will he try “Netflix and chill” with me? Nah. That doesn’t seem like his style. It doesn’t matter what we do though. I just want to go out on a date with him.

The intercom by the door buzzes, letting us know someone was here. I run over to the door, pressing the talk button. “Who is it?” I ask already knowing exactly who it was.

His rich voice comes through the speaker, “It’s your date for the evening.”

“Hmm, you’re going to have to be more specific.” He opened up that door so I decide to tease him a little bit.

“Your 7 o’clock dinner date.” I giggle, picturing the smile that was fighting not to appear on his cute face.

“Come on up.” I buzz him in and wait for him to come to the door.

“He’s coming to the door? Very classy.” Lizzie comments while we wait. “Seriously, where did you pick him up and does he have any friends?”

“I’m sure he does. I promise I’ll let you know if I meet them.”

As soon as I hear the three knocks on our door, I open it to a very gorgeous looking Sebastian. He's wearing a burgundy button down with small, vertical and horizontal white stripes, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a pair of medium washed jeans, and a pair of black dress shoes. He's smiling from ear to ear. I tried to keep my cool just seeing how handsome he looked standing in my doorway. And to make it better, he takes a bouquet of red roses out from behind his back. I couldn’t help but let the smile that was fighting to stay hidden take over my face. This guy couldn’t be any more amazing. I put the bouquet in a vase we had under the sink and was out the door.

“So, are you going to tell me what we’re doing yet?” I pester while we were walking to his car. I knew he wasn’t going to budge, but I had to pester as much as possible.

“Nope.” He opens the passenger side door for me. “You’re just going to have to be patient.” I jump in his SUV, eagerly awaiting for this date to start. He hops in and we take off down the road. After about ten minutes, we pull up to my favorite Italian restaurant. I don’t remember telling him about this place being my favorite. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but I’m not complaining.

We have a really nice dinner. We talk about our families and how we grew up. I learn we both had divorced parents. He learned I had an interesting upbringing. I almost didn’t mention any of it because I didn’t want to scare him off with the baggage I had. He didn’t seem too freaked out. He asks me questions about how he thought it all shaped me as a person, how it might affect my choosing of a future husband, etc.. He was genuinely interested in my past and he was really sweet about all of it. I couldn’t help but get butterflies in my stomach thinking about a future with him. I know it’s only our first date, but it feels like I’ve known him all my life. Isn’t that how you’re supposed to feel?

“Alright.” He says closing his car door after dinner. “Enough with the heavy. Let’s have some fun.” We take off down the road towards our next destination. In five minutes, we’re walking up to a live music venue where a indie/alternative band was playing. I’d never heard of them, but I was thoroughly impressed. Sebastian and I sway along to the music, with his arms wrapped around my waist from behind. I had a smile on my face all night long thanks to him. When the show was over and we bought some merch, we hit the local frozen yogurt place before calling it a night.

Overall, it was the most perfect first date I’ve ever been on. When we had finished our sweet treats, he was a perfect gentleman and walked me all the way up to my apartment door. I didn’t want to say goodbye to him. I didn’t want the night to be over. Not yet.

“I had a really nice time tonight.” I know it was the most cliché thing to say at the end of the first date, but in this case it was true. But I didn’t want to come off as too eager and say it was the best date I had ever been on. If I had to pick the ideal date to go on with Sebastian, it was tonight. Hands down.

After some small talk to try and postpone the inevitable, the end of the night came. “Good night, babe.” He smiles as he pulls his hand out of mine. My heart stopped.

I yank him back, “Excuse me,” the blush creeped up in his face and probably in mine too. “Did you just call me ‘babe’?” I had to poke fun at him while I could. Anything to keep this night going a little longer. “Because I believe that’s a ‘girlfriend’ nickname, and you sir, have only taken me on one date.”

“Alright. How many dates do I have to take you on to make that sort of request?” He steps closer, causing the butterflies to go awry in my stomach thinking about what is about to happen.

“Well I’d say that after tonight, that request could be made in one afternoon hang out session, and one dinner and a movie.” I figure that would be an appropriate amount of time for us to spend together for this to be something official. I really like him and I don’t want to rush into things with him. I don’t want to ruin things by going too quickly.

“I think that’s appropriate.” He agrees smiling. He leans in placing a simple kiss on my cheek. How does this simple of a gesture make my heart go pitter-patter and feel all twitter-pated? “I’ll see you Monday.” I watch him walk away, making note that he has the roundest ass I have ever seen before.

I spend the entire weekend in listening to the band from the concert. I suggested numerous songs for Sebastian to listen to, making sure to rope him in as much as I was. I wanted him to come over to listen, but I didn’t want to be too forward. Even though we just had our first date, we were already planning our next date. Since we went out last time, we decided to just stay in, order pizza, and watch movies from his “master collection.” As nice as it was to go out on a date, we both agreed that we would much rather stay in together for our next hangout. We decided on this upcoming Friday, as much as we wanted to hang out again as soon as possible. However since we’re seeing each other on Monday, we decided to postpone it until Friday.

By Monday, I opt for a comfy look with super baggy, black sweatpants and an old, black concert tee. My hair was sloppily put up in a ponytail. The only thing I put effort in my make-up. Even when I felt like crap, I knew I was seeing Sebastian. And he can’t see me all natural. We’re not at that stage yet.

We met up at the coffee shop early enough that there wasn’t too long of a wait.

“You’re letting yourself go already? We’ve only been on one date!” He screeches when he saw me, standing in line. He earned himself a good whack on the arm as soon as I got closer.

“Get used to it, bud. I dress like this 99% of the time when I’m not at school.” I quip back, my tough façade cracking by the chuckle that came out as well. I wanted to be tough but his smile made that impossible. He wraps his arms around my shoulders from behind like it was the most natural thing in the world. Everything with him felt natural; like we had been doing this for years, rather than knowing each other for days. I’m really liking this feeling I get when I’m with him. I feel giddy when he’s around like I have a little school girl crush on him. But I love it. I’ve been waiting for years for this feeling. All I can think is “finally.”

He continues the gesture even when we ordered. We sit down after our drinks were done and food was heated up, chatting until it was time to go to our classes. I didn’t want to go to class though, knowing I would have to face Chris again. I just prayed to God that he wouldn’t ask me to stay after again. I don’t want a repeat of what happened in his office…

Unlike Wednesday’s class, he didn’t go over people’s work. All he did was give us a prompt: Kismet, and how we interpret it. I shake my head when he informed us of this prompt. I know he was meaning it for me, and that’s not okay. So, instead of writing about what I know he wants me to, I write about how I don’t believe in that wonder just to piss him off. When I finish with that, I turn it in and leave with a smirk.

“What are you smirking about?” Sebastian asks when he saw me after his class had gotten out.

“Nothing really. I might have just pissed off my professor.”

“Which one?!”

“The new one who teaches Advanced Writing of Fiction. He told us to write about kismet and how we interpret it, so I write about how I don’t believe in it.” We chuckle at my slightly reckless behavior.

“I knew you were wild, but not wild enough to blatantly disobey your professor.” He throws his arm around me and we start walking towards the cafeteria. “I like it.” He smiles, making my insides turn to goo. Damn him.

That’s kind of how all week went. I did everything I could to defy Chris and what he wanted, and I got closer to Sebastian. He even came over on Wednesday after I was done with my piano practice. Lizzie, him and I hung out all night until he had to leave. He later asked me if that counted as the one afternoon hangout session I had previously mentioned. I said it didn’t count because Lizzie was there. He was a little bummed but I reminded him of Friday and he shut up about it.

When Friday finally came, I go to his rehearsals at 3 and wait for him to be done with that so we could have a relaxing night in. I took the bus to campus instead of driving. Sebastian is going to drive us to his place for the night in. He said the fridge was fully stocked with junk food and drinks for us and he had his movie collection ready for us to plow through. His words, not mine. I shook my head at him when he said that. He’s such a dork.

I did my homework while I waited for his rehearsals to wrap up. When it was finally over, he called me down to the stage so he could tell me that he would shower and then be out so to meet him at the entrance to the building. I packed my stuff and headed that way. I knew I would be waiting a little while but I didn’t mind. I wanted to warm up outside the theater so I wouldn’t be a popsicle for him later. I sat off to the side, by the huge statue of the school mascot and finished what the last portion of my homework.

“Amara?”

I look up to see Chris standing a few feet from me, carrying a gym bag and was all sweaty as if he had just got done working out. I had to stop myself from gasping at how breathtaking he looked. His normally gelled hair was limply hanging by the side of his face, his shirt has V-shaped sweat mark on his chest and under the armpits. He had a towel hanging around his neck, too.

“What are you doing here so late?” Breaking me out of my trance, he comes over to where I was sitting. I look away from him, embarrassed since he probably knew I was staring at him.

“Waiting for a friend to get out of rehearsal. What are you doing here so late?” I mentally facepalm myself for asking such a stupid question. It’s obvious he just got done working out. Now he probably thinks I’m an idiot.

“Just finished my workout. It’s the only time I get to do it and the facilities are free to faculty members. That was one of the selling points when I interviewed for the position.” I snicker knowing that was no lie. I knew he worked out from the second I met him. There’s no way he got those muscles by just sitting at home.

I hear footsteps approaching, taking my attention away from Chris. Thank God it was Sebastian. “Hey, you ready to go?” He asks before registering Chris’s presence. “Who is this?”

I stand up and move closer to him. “This is Mr. Evans. He’s my Advanced Writing of Fiction professor.” I’m hoping he pays enough attention to know that this is the professor I’ve been disobeying and possibly pissing off all week. If he did know, he hid it well. He shakes hands with him.

“I’m Sebastian, Amara’s boyfriend.” I wanted to protest, but the way Chris reacted was priceless. His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared, his mouth moved to a straight line, and he stood up a little taller to try and look bigger than Sebastian, even though they’re about the same height and body mass. Seeing Chris a little jealous was endearing to see. He does care, even if he shouldn’t.

“Well I’ll see you Monday, Mr. Evans.” I drag Sebastian away from the building before anything else could happen. When we were in his car, he had to say something.

“That’s the professor you’ve been trying to piss off?” He gapes at me. “What are you trying to do? Make him fall in love with you?”

“Oh yeah. I’m trying to make him fall madly in love with me by constantly pissing him off. I’m a shoe-in.” I roll my eyes and shook my head.

“And what am I? Just someone to make him jealous ?” He wasn’t serious. His voice was filled with sarcasm.

“Did I not tell you? Sorry…” We glance at each other before bursting out laughing. Maybe at first, I thought he could distract me from thinking about Chris. Yes, it was mean of me to use him like that. But that couldn’t be further from the truth now. I really like him and I think this could go somewhere and turn out to be a great love.

After he started driving, I remembered something. “So, I don’t recall having a boyfriend.” I turn to him, waiting for his answer.

“I know, I’m sorry. It was the first thing that popped in my head.” I guess that was an acceptable answer. “And besides, I do plan on making that happen. Soon.” He winks before returning his attention back to the road. That smooth fothermucker…

As soon as we get to his place, Chris was never brought up again. We engrossed ourselves in numerous movies and indulged in countless amounts of junk food. It was exactly what I was hoping for: a relaxing night in with a wonderful guy. He was a perfect gentleman, too: he didn’t make any moves on me, he waited until I snuggled up to him to put his arms around me, he offered me the last piece of pizza instead of just going for it himself- everything was great. By the time either of us looked at the clock, it was well into the wee hours of the morning. So instead of him driving me home, I spent the night. He offered me my own blankets in case I wouldn’t be comfortable sleeping in the same bed as him. I skipped that, though. We’re adults. We can control ourselves and sleep under the same blankets together.

The next morning, I woke up before he did. I roll over and was greeted with his adorable sleeping face. How can someone who is sleeping look like a ray of sunshine?

“You’re staring.” He groans with his eyes still closed.

“I’m admiring.” I smile back. As if he could see through his eyelids, his sweet smile returned on his face making my heart go pitter-patter. He finally opened his eyes to meet mine.

“Good morning.” He groans again. His voice is extra deep in the morning which was super sexy. I could get used to this.

“Morning.” I snuggle in closer to him, burrowing myself in the crook of his neck. He was warm and still smelled like his cologne that he put on last night. It was a mixture of some kind of wood and soap. It literally smelled like heaven to me.

He wraps me up in his arms and pulls me even closer than I was with our limbs intertwined. We both sigh with contentment. It's obvious neither of us wanted to get up just yet. I actually think he did fall back asleep because after a little while his breathing went back to being slow and steady. I wanted to do the same but I can’t stay in one place for long when falling asleep so there was no way I could have. Instead I used that time to think more about this man. He is literally the total package. He’s smart (he told me he had a 3.7 GPA in high school and had about the same now), he’s a family man (he talks to his mom every day either by calling or texting), he has a great sense of humor (he makes the appropriate amount of jokes but knows when it’s time to be serious), and so much more. The fact that he’s totally adorable is just a bonus.

And for some strange reason, by some miracle, he chose me to spend his time with. I will do everything in my power not to screw up this amazing opportunity that I have been given.

Somehow while thinking, I do drift back to sleep as well. When I awoke though, to my bewilderment I was alone. I left Sebastian’s room to find him in the kitchen, making something that smelled like bacon.

“You’re a ninja.”

“Or you’re just a really heavy sleeper.” He counters with a smirk.

“But seriously, how did you do that? We were a human pretzel.” My astonishment for his skills is blowing my mind.

“Very sneakily.” He winks, returning to the stove where there was bacon in a pan. “Grab a seat at the table. Brunch is almost ready.”

“How long have you been up?” I ask taking my place at the breakfast bar.

“About an hour.”

“Why didn’t you wake me? I would have helped with brunch.” I feel guilty that he was doing everything and I was just sitting here.

He turns off the stove and comes over to me. “You were too cute to wake up.” He quickly pecks my cheek and going back to the food. “Did you sleep good?”

We continue some more small talk until he served French toast with a side of bacon. My mouth immediately starts watering before I could take a bite.

After a delicious meal, he brings me home much to our dismay. He walks me to my door, like the gentleman that he was. “So, Friday, how about we do dinner and a movie after I get done with rehearsal?” He leans up against the wall near my door.

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

“You pick the movie and bring the oversized purse, I’ll bring the candy and drinks?” I nod in agreement. I love that we both love getting candy from the gas station and sneak it into the movie theater instead of paying skyrocket prices for the exact same candy. Neither of us like spending so much money on the popcorn so that wasn’t an issue.

He pecks my cheek then started down the hallway. I fumble with my keys to unlock the door.

“Hey Amara?” I look down the hall to see Sebastian at the top of the stairs. He pauses before smirking. “I like you.”

A stupid smile appeared on my face. I knew he did but actually hearing it made my heart swell.

“I’m kinda fond of you, too.”

His smile lit up his adorable face before he disappeared down the stairs. That smile was stuck on my face all day, and every time I closed my eyes I saw his face before he went down the stairs. His words repeated in my head which would make my cheeks hurt more and more every time I thought about him.

I can’t believe this is my life right now. I’m about to graduate from college in something I’m passionate about, I’m going to start an internship at a publishing company a.k.a. my dream job, I have an amazing best friend, and a great guy who adores me as much as I adore him… I’m not naïve enough to think things will be like this for long. I know something is going to happen to screw at least one of those things up. I don’t know which one and I don’t know when, but I’m terrified for when that time comes.

Sunday was a wonderful day, except I couldn’t seem to get comfortable when I tried to go to sleep Saturday night. I tossed and I turned, not able to get comfortable. And when I did doze off, it was a very light, dreamless sleep. It was rather annoying. I woke up at an ungodly hour (7:30am) so I got up, did my homework, and took a nap after lunch. The rest of the night was great until I checked my email before I went to bed. There was an email from Chris, telling me to see him after my classes tomorrow. Nothing about what this impromptu meeting was going to be about. Just simply “See me after your last class tomorrow. -C”. Yay. Can’t wait…

I text Sebastian right away to complain. His response? “That’s what you get for pissing him off MULTIPLE times by disobeying him!” and “Just try not to be too cute. He might fall for you before I get the opportunity to ;)” Why I oughta…

Even after another horrible night sleep, I had to make sure I looked extra good for when I saw Chris. Despite what Sebastian said, I do want to look good to make him realize what he can’t have, while looking good for Sebastian in the meantime. It’s a win-win for me. I put on a white, long-sleeved tunic, dark-washed skinny jeans, and a dark gray knitted, infinity scarf. I throw my hair up into a high ponytail and tease it a little to give it a little extra “oomph”. I do my usual make-up but still added my glasses. I finish the look off with light brown boots and my usual necklaces and earrings. With a few spritzes of some body spray, I'm finally ready. I grab my stuff, leaving with Lizzie.

When we arrive on campus, I see Sebastian waiting in the front of the main building for me like we always did every morning. As I walk up, he shakes his head at me. “You really don’t like to listen, do ya?”

“Nope!” I smile, putting extra emphasis on the “p.” “That’s something you’re going to learn about me pretty quickly.” I stop in front of him. “And by the way, this is for you, idiot.” I poke him in the stomach which was unsurprisingly firm.

“Well in that case…” He throws his arm around my shoulders, kissing my cheek, and escorts me to class. “Good luck with the man.” He whispers before kissing my cheek again and walking down the hall. I roll my eyes and enter the lecture room.

Class wasn’t too bad. He gives us free reign on what we wanted to write about this time. It was nice actually. I just jot down a couple paragraphs about my ideal date and what that would entail. I saw something on Pinterest that I have yet to show Sebastian of a round bed that’s suspended over a lakeside. I have no idea where that could possibly be done or have that sort of thing, but it’s been on my bucket list ever since I saw it a few years ago. We would go around sunset, have a nice dinner on the lake side, then get on the suspended bed, and have a relaxing evening over the lake in the moonlight. Just spending time together in a magically romantic setting is what I would call the perfect date.

When I hand in the finished paper, Chris asks me what time I would be done with my classes so he knows when I will be by.

“I should be done at or anywhere around four. Your office?” He nod so I take that as my cue to leave. I get my food once I get to the dining room and find a table. Sebastian and Lizzie walk up at the same time, talking animatedly about who was the best superhero. I love that they get along really well. If the guy I’m interested in doesn’t get along with my best friend, then I can’t be with that guy. Lizzie is my best friend in the entire world. I will choose her over a guy any day of the week. “Chicks before dicks” as we say. She is going to be around a lot, since we live together. And if things were awkward because they didn’t like each other, well then things aren’t going to end well with the guy.

“So, are we going to meet up after you’re done with your meeting?” Lizzie asks after concluding her argument with Sebastian.

“If you want to wait, that’s fine. If you don’t, I’ll just take the bus home. I don’t exactly know how long this little meeting will be since I have no idea why he wants to meet with me.” I roll my eyes. We already had our meeting to “get to know me and my writing style.” What more could he possibly have to say?

“I’ll wait for you,” Sebastian volunteers. “I have to ask the theater director a few things before rehearsals tomorrow. I can bring you home after, if you want.” He shrugs like his offer wasn’t a big deal, but to me, it was. Is it bad that my heart swelled a little at his generosity? I know he’s here anyway, but still. Just the smallest gesture goes a long way with me.

The rest of lunch goes by quickly, as well as my last two classes. Sebastian and I walk to our class as always and he even walks with me to Chris’s office building before we parted ways. I take a deep breath before entering the building. When his office door came into view, it is cracked so I take that as an invite in.

But when I enter the room, I am not prepared for what I saw…

Chris in a serious lip-lock with a brunette.

He’s sitting on the edge of his desk and she has her entire body pressed up against him. His hands are resting on her hips while hers are wrapped around his neck. I could see the usage of tongue on both of their parts which completely grossed me out.

“Oh God!” I blurt, trying to shield my eyes, but it was too late. I had already seen too much. My outburst seemed to tear them apart. The look on her face made it obvious she was pissed for someone interrupting. His, on the other hand, was filled with shock, embarrassment, and was that a little bit of guilt? “Get a room next time.” I slam the door shut, effectively canceling our meeting.

“Amara, wait!” I hear him shout as I retreat down the hallway. There is no way in hell I would “wait” and listen to his explanation. He doesn’t owe me one. I’m his student. Nothing more… Then why did my heart feel like it was breaking?

“Amara!” His shout is louder this time. I turn to see him coming down the stairs to where I was now.

“If you needed to cancel our meeting, all you had to do was let me know.” I continue down the stairs, not wanting to look at him right now. All I could see was the two of them.

“I didn’t know she would be coming in. I told her that I had a meeting today.” He tried to explain while following me.

“Who is she, huh? Is she your girlfriend?” I turn to see his face. I wanted to know if he would lie to me. That is something I would not tolerate.

He didn’t say anything, though. His fists clenched and unclenched like he wanted to do something but was holding back. His eyes echoed his body language. As he stood at the top of the staircase, he almost looked guilty again. But guilty of what?

And then it clicked…

“She’s your fiancée.” He didn’t have a ring on his finger, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t. I only saw the right side of her so I could have totally missed a rock on her left hand…

Again, he said nothing. He instead looked down as if he were ashamed to admit it. He’s ashamed he got caught; ashamed that he was in a committed relationship when he was with me just a few weeks ago. He cheated on her. With me.

“Unbelievable.” I spit before exiting the stairwell. This time he didn’t follow me. He knew he couldn’t say anything anymore since we would be in public. But that’s okay. I was done with this conversation. I was done with him. From now on, nothing ever happened between us. That night didn’t occur. I went to the bar that night, wrote a little bit, then went home. He and I don’t know each other outside of school. He is my professor. I will see him on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11 until 12:30 and that’s it. The only times I will see him outside of class is when we have a meeting about mid-terms and finals. I will not allow myself to be swept away by him again. I will not let that happen.

Chapter Four- Destiny

Permanent taglist: @elusive-beauty @drakesfiance @im-a-slut-for-an-accent @fantasy-is-my-reality @naniky

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nightmareonfilmstreet · 7 years ago

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Pioneer of the Plot Twist: Ranking M. Night Shyamalan’s 10 Best Films On His Birthday

Surprise! Happy Birthday, M. Night Shyamalan

Here at Nightmare on Film Street, we love to celebrate the most influential creators in the world of genre film. Today is no different as we celebrate the birth of one of the most innovative, and polarizing, directors in modern cinema: M. Night Shyamalan.

Born August 6th 1970, Shyamalan burst on to the scene in 1999 with the success of his third film, the supernatural mystery The Sixth Sense. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning 6 Oscar nominations and a whopping $672 million at the box office. The Sixth Sense also changed the landscape of genre cinema with it’s mind-scrambling twist. A surprise ending that would eventually become Shyamalan’s signature style. Over the years, Shyamalan’s name has even become a pop culture reference, used as a verb when a movie or life reveals a perspective altering twist. Example: “My best friend is actually my reincarnated Iguana from 4th grade, I just got Shyamalaned!

But M. Night Shyamalan’s career isn’t based solely off twists. The writer/director’s filmography is substantially unique, combining his inventive story premises with a myriad of different film genres from pseudo-superhero to found footage. It would also be an understatement to say M. Night’s career has been unpredictable. Two films on his resumé are often regarded the best in their respective genres, while others have been called “the worst movie of all time”. So as we celebrate M. Night Shyamalan’s birthday, let’s break it down by ranking his filmography! NOTE: I’m not including his first two films since they are so small and not really genre-driven. Also watch out for spoilers, duh. It’s a Shyamalan list.

10. The Last Airbender (2010)

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Oof, this thing is bad. I’d say not by coincidence, Shyamalan’s only non-original property ends up at the bottom of the list. Some will say because of the white-washing, some will say the wonky 3D effects, but I say it boils down to not following the source material. Shyamalan claimed to be a big fan of the show, but character and plot inconsistencies in the film seem to say otherwise. Don’t agree? That’s absolutely fine. Let us here all about it in the comments below!

9. After Earth (2013)

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Ironically, the word on the street is that Will Smith convinced Shyamalan to do this movie when texting him on his birthday. BE ON ALERT TODAY SHYAMALAN! After Earth is a particular low point because after this, the world was wondering if M. Night had anything left in him. He had a string of underwhelming films leading up to this one and After Earth is the equivalent of a very long sigh. There is just no energy or life in this film, with a twist that doesn’t help since he pretty much recycled it from The Village. BUT! A twist none the less. And who doesn’t like a 3rd act twist??

8. Lady in the Water (2006)

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It’s hard to defend a movie involving a “Narf” named Story looking for The Author while trying to get home and avoid being killed by a Scrunt (yes, that is indeed the real plot), but I give this movie a little more slack than others. Some call it Shyamalan’s most pretentious and self-indulgent film, I call it ambition. Which is always respectable, even if it doesn’t fully execute because at least he was definitely trying to tell an interesting story. Also, Paul Giamatti was pretty solid as usual.

7. The Happening (2008)

The Happening isn’t exactly what one would call a “good movie”, however: it’s a very fun movie. Sporting a low 14% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the only critics that seemed to enjoy this film viewed it as a B-Film, almost a “so bad it’s good” movie. So if you think of it that way and buy into the idea of Mark Wahlberg as a scientist trying to survive killer plants, you can easily have a great time watching this movie. Invite some friends and crack open a few beers for optimal viewing!

6. Signs (2002)

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At the time of release, Signs was pretty well received. Lately, it’s been the subject of debate to whether it hold up or not, specifically the “twist”. But all in all, Signs is a pretty good movie. I loved the idea of telling a family drama with the added element of aliens. The film is also a masterclass in suspense, with multiple scenes that keep you on the edge of your seat. The scene showing the birthday party footage of the alien still gives me chills just thinking about it.

5. The Village (2004)

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I guess this is my controversial ranking for this list. When people complain about The Village, it’s literally only criticism of the twist. The whole time we are invested in the monsters surrounding the woods, it turned out to be The Elders doing it to convince the villagers to stay in and not discover we were in present times the whole time. To me, that’s terrifying in itself and I also commend Shyamalan on convincing the audience we were watching a period piece. The film also features a fantastic score, fun creature designs (even if they were fake), and a supremely eerie trailer.

4. The Visit (2015)

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May be a bit high for this one, but seeing this in theaters was an absolute blast. Not sure if it was from the low expectations I had going in or the effective use of found footage, but The Visit is just good ol’ creepy fun. We saw M. Night go back to his roots, where he had to get inventive to overcome the small budget. Some theories even speculate that the film was satire of himself and his career to an extent. Loved the premise and the movie is filled with genuinely unsettling moments, including one involving an old person diaper. The Visit was a return to form for Shyamalan, even easing up on his usual twist ending (it’s not even a twist, really).

3. The Sixth Sense (1999)

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Probably gonna get some flack for the placement of (debatably) Shyamalan’s best film, but I still appreciate The Sixth Sense immensely. This movie not only blasted off M. Night’s career, it would be the one to make his name synonymous with plot twists. And though it’s almost become a meme, it can’t be understated how monumental this movie was to cinema in the way he pulled off the twist. Only reason it’s at #3 is because past the second or third viewing, you’re not nearly as invested in the film because the twist really did change the scope of the entire film (In my opinion). The Sixth Sense is still fantastic th

ough, held together by a tight script and Oscar-nominated performances from Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette.

2. Unbreakable (2000)

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Another film that could be argued as his best, especially for reasons I’ll get to in a second, Unbreakable is one of the most unique of all his films. Coming out the same year as X-Men and 8 years before Iron Man really kicked off the superhero craze, Shyamalan broke into the comic book movie genre with one of his own. Even more fascinating, was disguising it and grounding it in reality. It’s not even til the final 15 minutes that you discover what you’re actually watching. Unbreakable creates an interesting world, with top notch performances from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, respectively. Shyamalan tapped into what it really means to be a hero and overcoming adversity, something he would have to do himself many years later. Luckily, Shymalan would do just that when he eventually returned to this world…

1. Split (2017)

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Are you shocked to see this movie at #1? Just like you were surprised at the end of Split to find out it was a secret sequel to Unbreakable? Probably so! Not the fan favorite for the top spot, but it’s definitely the film that got you back on board with Shyamalan if The Visit didn’t do so already. Even before the twist, I already loved everything about Split. Anchored by a powerhouse performance by James McAvoy, the movie is intense thriller filled to the brim with tension.

The premise behind getting kidnapped by someone with 23 personalities was already horrifying, but then what the hell is The Beast!? Split keeps you guessing the entire film until you figure out what’s going on, but then the reveal just takes it to entirely new level. On top of that, this movie probably has the best production of any of his previous films. The dread-filled score and cinematography complimented Shyamalan’s story nicely. Top to bottom, a great piece of horror. I remember feeling so proud that after years of defending him, M. Night Shyamalan was officially back and created a cinematic universe right under our noses. But it’s still not his best contribution to cinema…

What!? This isn’t the end of the list!!!

In 1999, the same year Shyamalan was soaring to new heights with the success of The Sixth Sense, M. Night was secretly working on another project that would go on to shape a generation…Stuart Little. Before he was a household name, Shyamalan served as a ghostwriter on a few projects in the late 90s. Yes, that’s right, M. Night Shyamalan co-wrote the movie that would spawn 2 sequels, an animated series, and the career of Jonathan Lipnicki. Sure he wasn’t around around for any later installments, but Shyamalan’s contributions laid the foundation to the franchise that would momentarily steal the hearts of America. This was an achievement for Shyamalan, being a ghost and writing a successful family film. It not only broke the stigma around ghostwriters, but reanimated Shyamalan back to life so he could have a successful directing career. Which, if you think about it, makes M. Night Shyamalan a zombie. Boom, you’ve just been Shyamalaned!

There you have it people, my ranking of M. Night Shyamalan’s films. I can’t wait so see where Glass ends up on here. But enough about my list, what about you? How do you rank his filmography? Does the fact that he’s a zombie change your list? Tell us living un-dead folks here at Nightmare on Film Street your rankings on Twitter or our super cool Facebook group!

The post Pioneer of the Plot Twist: Ranking M. Night Shyamalan’s 10 Best Films On His Birthday appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street - Horror Movie Podcast, News and Reviews.

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greatpretending · 8 years ago

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This City Never Sleeps

Word Count: 3421

Pairing: Eventual Peter Parker x Female!Reader

Requested: Nope

Warnings: Light cursing.

Summary: You learn Peter’s secret, and it doesn’t take long for him to learn yours.

Note: This is really reader-heavy. but I really felt that in order to move on in this verse I had to develop that character and her relationships with the other characters. So, sorry if you wanted more Peter, but I promise there will be more of him in future installments. Also this is the most self-indulgent thing I’ve ever written in my life.

“(Y/N)! Has Peter told you about his new internship yet?” Ned asked excitedly, sitting down at your usual lunch table. Peter wasn’t there yet, but that wasn’t abnormal. He had chemistry before lunch and had recently taken to spending some extra time in the lab before coming to eat.

“No,” you said. “I haven’t really seen him yet today.”

“Oh, man, I don’t want to spoil it for you but it is crazy!” Ned said.

You ate your lunch quietly, listening to Ned ramble about the previous night’s episode of Game of Thrones while you did your math homework. The more work you did before you got home, the more time you could spend in the workshop. Eventually Peter joined you.

“Hey guys!” he said, sitting down next to Ned.

“Dude! Tell (Y/N) about your new internship!” Ned said immediately. You closed your textbook and slid it into your bag.

“Yes, do tell,” you said, leaning your elbows on the table.

“Okay, you’re never going to believe this,” Peter started, digging into his food. “But I got an internship with Tony Stark!”

You felt your stomach drop and the blood drain from your face.

“I-I’m sorry, what?” you asked.

“Yeah!” Peter said. “The Tony Stark!”

“Did you actually meet him?” you asked, trying to keep your voice from shaking.

“That’s where I was this weekend!”

“Isn’t that so awesome?” Ned asked.

“Uh-huh,” you replied. “That’s… that’s really cool.”

Breathe, you thought. In… out… in… out…

“Dude, are you okay?” Ned asked you. “You don’t look too good.”

You stared at Peter, searching for any sign that he knew your secret. But all you were met with was confusion and worry. Peter was a terrible liar, you would know if he knew.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine. I gotta go,” you said, picking up your bag and swinging it over your shoulder. “Girl problems.” It was an awkward excuse, but you knew they wouldn’t dare ask questions later.

You hurried down out of the lunch room and down the hall, pushing past students as you felt anger bubble up in the pit of your stomach.

“PURDUE, call Tony,” you said sharply, locking yourself in the only single-stall bathroom in the school. The bop of a march seeped through the walls from the band room, too cheery for your firey mood.

“Dialing Mr. Stark.” PURDUE said.

You held your left wrist up eye level and waited impatiently for your uncle to answer your call. When he did, you could see that he was sitting at his desk in his office in Malibu, where he still spent a decent amount of time, despite having “officially” moved to New York after, well, New York. He was totally relaxed, feet propped up on the desk and smiling.

“What’s up, kiddo?” he asked cheerfully.

“Do you want to explain why my friend Peter came to school today after mysteriously going out of town for the weekend, the same weekend you went to Berlin, I might add, and is suddenly gushing about some ‘Stark Internship’?” you rambled, gesticulating wildly with your free hand. Tony put his feet on the floor and sat up slowly.

“Wait,” he said, tone serious. “You’re telling me Peter Parker and your friend Peter are the same person?”

“How the hell do you know Peter? What happened this weekend!?” You tried to keep your voice down, but you were growing more hysterical by the second.

“Damn…” Tony said, contemplative. Then he shrugged. “Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag now. Your friend Peter is ‘Spider-Man’,” Tony said, doing air-quotes around the superhero’s name.

“Excuse me?” you asked incredulously.

“I needed more people on my side to fight Cap this weekend,” Tony said nonchalantly.

“So you put my friend in danger!?”

“I didn’t know he was your friend!”

“Regardless, he’s just a kid! I can’t–” you were interrupted by the sound of the lunch bell ringing. “I have to go to class,” you sighed, “but I am so not finished with you. Clear your afternoon, you and I have a lot to talk about.”

“Have a g-” you ended the call, covered your watch with your sleeve and exited the bathroom. You felt a little bad hanging up on your uncle, but you were still stewing in anger.

I’m sure it’s not the first time an angry woman has hung up on him, you thought, thinking of Pepper.

Making your way to your next class, you were relieved you didn’t run into Peter or Ned. You needed some time to think. Luckily, your English class was the perfect place to do that. You were able to make it appear you were doing the assigned reading while your mind was elsewhere.

You had been living with your Uncle Tony since you were ten, and no one knew about it. Peter and Ned knew you lived with your uncle, but they didn’t know who he was. You didn’t want people to know. You’d seen first-hand how people would “befriend” Tony for his money, and you didn’t want that out of your friends.

Living with Tony had it’s ups and downs. The first few years he wasn’t around much. He didn’t want to disturb your life any further than it already had been, so he purchased a penthouse in the city so you could stay in your school with your friends. However, his company was still based in Malibu, so he had to spend most of his time on the west coast, only coming to New York for a few weekends each month.

You learned to live for those weekends. After you became adjusted to your new life, you and Tony grew close very quickly. Even at a young age you weren’t unfamiliar with robotics, and the two of you would spend hours upon hours in the workshop, tinkering and developing new tech.

The first thing Tony did was gift you with your own AI, which you promptly named PURDUE, which stood for “Parental Unit Replacement Developed Under Egomaniac.” You weren’t in a great place emotionally at the time, but Tony laughed when you told him what it meant, so you knew there were no hard feelings.

PURDUE resided mostly in the smartwatch Tony built for you, but also in the earring you wore in the tragus piercing in your left ear, which was actually a tiny headset. He could do basic smartwatch things like make and receive phone calls and video calls, send text messages, and browse the internet. He could also monitor your health by tracking your heart rate, your temperature, and more. Most importantly, though, PURDUE was able to track your activities. It wasn’t invasive, but PURDUE would notify Tony if you were ever in a potentially dangerous situation. He also notified Tony the one time you tried to sneak out to a friend’s house after your curfew. That got you grounded.

“I would have let you go to the party, (Y/N),” Tony had said. “All you had to do was ask.”

That was when you realized Tony was actually really chill, and your bond grew tighter. You never felt like you had to lie to him, and therefore he never felt the need to keep you on a tight leash.

So yeah, you had a big secret you had been keeping from your friends since you met Freshman year, which is why you justified Peter keeping his secret. You just wondered how long your secrets would stay safe.

It turns out, it didn’t take much longer for your secret to come out. Less than a month later the three of you were at Ned’s house, cramming for a Spanish test. It was nearing midnight, and you were tired, frustrated, and a little hangry. Peter and Ned were arguing over a particular verb conjugation, and eventually you got fed up with it.

“PURDUE, what is the imperfect, ‘vosotros’ conjugation of ‘poder’?” you asked, not looking up from your notebook.

“That would be ‘podíais.’”

“There, are you happy?” you asked the two boys, throwing your hands up in exasperation. They just stared at you, eyes wide and mouths hanging open. “What?”

“Did you just talk to your watch?” Peter asked you, and you froze, replaying the last sixty seconds in your head.

“Shit,” you said.

Suddenly, your friends exploded with excitement, grabbing your wrist to get a better look at your watch.

“When did you get a smartwatch?”

“What brand is it?”

“Why did you call it ‘Perdue’?”

“Isn’t that a college?”

“Why didn’t you show us this before?”

“Can I try it out?”

“What all can it do?”

“Is it touch-screen?”

“It doesn’t look like a Samsung, maybe a Fossil?”

“Okay, okay! Stop!” you finally said, overwhelmed.

“You might just want to tell them” PURDUE said into your ear. You sighed.

“I will tell you everything, just please someone get me a Dr. Pepper. We’re in for a long night.”

After grabbing some snacks and soda, you settled back into Ned’s bedroom, the boys looking at you eagerly. You pushed up the sleeve of your hoodie and held up the watch for them to see.

“PURDUE is more than just a smartwatch,” you started. “He’s artificial intelligence. He can do basically anything I want him to. Make calls, book appointments, order pizza, monitor my heart rate, tell me when I’m getting dehydrated, tell me the weather for the day and what current traffic is like, the list goes on.”

“Wow…” Ned said, as Peter scooted closer and swiped through the different displays.

“How did you get your hands on this?” Peter asked.

“I’ve had it since I was ten,” you admitted. “My… my uncle made it for me. My uncle… Tony Stark.”

“WHAT!?” Ned exclaimed, and Peter dropped your wrist immediately.

“Shh! Keep it down!” you said, your heart racing. You had literally never told anyone this secret before. Anyone who needed to know already knew.

“You’re saying that this whole time we’ve known you, you’ve had a bad-ass artificial intelligence watch that was built for you by Iron Man, who is your uncle who you live with?” Ned clarified. Peter was still silent. You couldn’t look at him.

“…Yes,” you said.

“Peter, did you know about this? Is that how you got the internship?”

“No!” you said immediately. “Peter didn’t know, and neither did Tony. I already asked him about it- he didn’t know that the Peter he hired is the same Peter I’m friends with. And honestly, I had no idea he was going to start giving out internships, so I couldn’t have put Peter up for it if I wanted to.”

You snuck a glance at Peter, hoping he didn’t suspect you knew what the internship really was. Thankfully, he seemed pretty calm, so you doubted he was suspicious.

“Wait, so do you live in like, a mansion?” Ned asked.

“I live in a penthouse on the corner of 172nd and Jewel.”

“Can we come over!?”

“Maybe this weekend?” You said, unsure. “I’ll have to ask Tony, but I doubt he’ll have a problem with it.”

“Will he be there?” Peter asked, speaking for the first time since you dropped the bomb.

“I don’t think so,” you said. Then you looked at your watch. “PURDUE, what’s Tony doing this weekend?”

“Mr. Stark has a meeting with the United Nations in Paris.”

“Yeah, no, he won’t be there.” Peter looked relieved, and Ned looked disappointed.

“I’ll introduce you next time he’s in town, I promise,” you said to Ned, which cheered him up considerably. “I should really get home though,” you continued, gathering up your things. “It’s really late, and I want to be well-rested for this stupid test tomorrow.”

“Shall I call the car?” PURDUE asked.

“Yes, please,” you responded, zipping up your bag.

“ETA is 7 minutes.”

“Thanks, PURDUE.”

“You never told us why it’s called ‘Purdue,’” Peter pointed out, and you felt your face heat up with embarrassment.

“Uh… it stands for Parental Unit Replacement Developed Under Egomaniac,” you said.

“That’s… fitting, I suppose,” Peter said with a chuckle, and you smiled. Ned looked between the two of you and threw up his hands.

“I can’t believe I’m the only one in this room who doesn’t know Tony Stark.”

“You want me to let you have two boys spend the night when you have little-to-no adult supervision?”

You were standing in your living room that friday morning, talking to your uncle via video message on the large television. He seemed particularly intimidating projected on the screen at twice his actual size. He was sitting at his desk in his condo in Paris, wearing a suit with the tie undone. He must have just gotten back from his meeting.

“I know what you’re thinking, and I swear I have no interest in either of them,” you said. Tony raised his eyebrows.

“You’re telling me you aren’t interested in a cute superhero who happens to be one of your best friends? Sweetie, you know you can tell me if you’re gay. I once spent a weekend in Provincetown, and it was quite the eye-opening experience,” he said, over-sharing as usual.

“Tony.”

“I know, I know. The only superhero you have eyes for is Cap.”

“Tony,” you said again, blushing.

“It’s not you I don’t trust, you know that,” he sighed, twirling a pen between his fingers.

“You can have PURDUE monitor us the whole time,” you bargained, and Tony scoffed.

“I already planned on it.”

“I’m not asking to throw a huge party,” you sighed, “I just want to invite a few trusted friends over. They’re the only people who even know about me living with you. It’d be nice to not have to keep hiding my life from my best friends.” Guilt-tripping your uncle was not easy, and not something you tried to do often. After a few moments of silence, Tony responded.

“Fine. Are they going to tell their parents that they’re spending the night at a girl’s house?”

“Uh… well, they planned to say they’d be at each other’s houses.”

“…”

“Tony?”

“Thanks for being honest. You have my permission. No sex.”

“TONY GROSS! I’m fifteen!” you shouted, horrified.

“That means nothing to me. I have to go now. Get your homework done before they come over.”

“Thank you!”

“Love you, kid.”

“Love you, too.”

The screen went black and you did a victorious fist-pump. You pulled out your phone to send a text to Peter and Ned.

Pack your bags, boys! Operation: Live Like Stark is a-go!

By the end of the day, waves of excitement were radiating out of your friends, and you couldn’t help but smile yourself. You led them about a block and a half from the school to your usual meeting spot with your driver.

“You take a private car to school?” Peter asked, and you nodded. “I always assumed you rode the bus!”

“The bus is loud and I would have to get up half an hour earlier,” you shrugged.

“Holy crap! Is this a Tesla?” Ned exclaimed as you approached the car.

“Yep,” you said as the trunk popped open. You dropped your bag inside and the boys followed suit.

You opened the door to the back seat and gestured for Peter and Ned to slide in. Closing the door behind them, you hopped in the front.

“Good afternoon, (Y/N),” you driver, Paul, greeted you.

“Hi, Paul,” you said. “This is Peter and that’s Ned.”

“Hello,” Paul said to them, pulling away from the curb.

“H-hi,” Ned said, petting the leather seats. “This is the nicest car I’ve ever been in.”

“It is a very nice vehicle, yes,” Paul replied.

“I would say the same, but Mr. Stark took me for a ride in his Jaguar last week,” Peter said.

“Peter’s doing an internship with Uncle Tony,” you explained at Paul’s quizzical look.

“Ah,” Paul said, understanding. “How’s that going, Peter?”

“Pretty well,” Peter said. “Though, I don’t think Happy likes me very much.”

“Mr. Hogan doesn’t like anybody very much, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. You stepped out into the gallery and heard a soft “whoa” come from the boys behind you. You guided them to the living room, dropping your bag onto the couch. Before you could say anything, PURDUE spoke over the in-home speakers.

“Mr. Stark is calling.”

“Answer it on the TV,” you said, and the monitor flicked on.

“Hello, my dear, sweet niece,” Tony said. It was nighttime where he was, and he was standing on a balcony, champagne flute in hand, while a cocktail party moved about through the glass doors behind him.

“Hi, Tony.”

“Peter! Always nice to see you. Funny coincidence I happened to hire one of (Y/N)’s friends.”

“Yes, sir, we were both very surprised when we found out,” Peter replied.

“And you must be Ned!” Tony continued.

“Breathe, Ned,” you whispered, fearing your friend would soon lose consciousness.

“Hello, Mr. Stark, sir. You have no idea how much of an honor it is you meet you, sir, even through a video message.” Ned gushed.

“That’s very nice of you to say,” Tony said, unfazed by the teenager fan-boying over him. “Now! I have a few house rules I’ll ask you to follow.”

“Yes sir, anything you want, sir,” Ned babbled while you looked at your uncle, confused. You had no idea what his ‘house rules’ could be.

“Number one,” Tony began: “Eat whatever you want. Number two: do whatever you want. Basically, mi casa es tu casa. The only thing I really ask is that you don’t go into the workshop. Maybe next time I’m home I can show you around, but I’d rather you didn’t go in without supervision right now.”

“Don’t worry,” you said, smiling. “I would dream of letting these clumsy dorks near my work.”

“Good!” Tony said as Peter put a hand over his heart in mock-offense. “Now, if you need anything, put it on the card. Other than that have a lovely night, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Or anything I would do.”

“There’s a gray area in there, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked with a smirk on his face.

“You got it, kid.”

The call ended, and you turned around to find Ned sitting on the couch, fanning himself with his hand.

“I think I need some water,” he said, and you and Peter shared a smile.

Once Ned had recovered, you spend the rest of the night giving them the grand tour, then watching the latest blockbuster action movie on the huge 3D TV in the den. After the movie you had PURDUE order an ungodly amount of pizza for the three of you. You ate it out by the pool while you watched the sun set over the city.

You and Peter hadn’t discussed the elephant in the room yet- that you knew he had been working for your uncle longer than he knew Tony was your uncle. When Ned eventually fell asleep on one of the bean-bag chairs after playing with Tony’s VR gaming system, you and Peter quietly made your way out onto the terrace.

You leaned your elbows onto the railing, looking out at the Manhattan skyline. The silence between you was comfortable, and the night was as peaceful as it could be in the city that never sleeps.

Eventually, Peter spoke up.

“So, this whole time I’ve been talking about the Stark Internship, you didn’t bother to mention I’ve been working with your uncle?” he asked. You turned your head to look him in the eye.

“Peter, the whole time you’ve been talking about the Stark Internship, I’ve known exactly what it is,” you confessed.

“Oh… shit.”

You turned back to face the city lights, but you could feel Peter’s gaze on you, waiting for you to continue.

“I didn’t tell you I knew because I figured… you’re entitled to secrets, too. It would be pretty hypocritical of me if I got upset over it,” you explained.

“Uh… yeah, I suppose so.” Peter said. There was a brief pause before he continued. “It is nice knowing someone knows, though. It’s… relieving.”

“Just…” you took a deep breath, looking at him again. “I already have an uncle who’s basically a father figure as a superhero, and now my best friend is one, too. The amount of worrying I’m doing just doubled. Please, please be safe, Peter.”

“Of course. Yeah, I… of course.”

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elizabethsharmon · 8 years ago

Text

One down, five to go

Skam Month: week three, day five (fredag) ⇾ free choice

↳ When Yousef and Sana's first baby is born, he decides to take things in his hands. But his actions may have some unexpected effects...

Read on AO3

“Dude, what are you doing here?” Elias stormed at Yousef once he went out of the room. “Why aren’t you inside?”

“Yousef, is everything alright?” Mr. Bakkoush asked approaching them.

“Yousef, man, what’s going on?” Elias kept on asking but Yousef just stared blankly at them.

Finally he said:

“She kicked me out.”

“What???” Elias asked confused.

“She kicked me out.” Yousef repeated. “She said that it’s all my fault and that she hates me and I don’t want her to hate me, I love her, she’s the best thing that ever happened to me, I mean not the thing, she is not a thing, she is a person, but she’s the best and I love her but she said that she doesn’t want me there and that I did it to her and she doesn’t want to see me and…” he said everything in one breath and he would probably keep on rambling if Mr. Bakkoush hadn’t put his hand on Yousef’s arm.

“Son” he said. “Everything is okay. She doesn’t hate you. She’s just going through a lot right now. So just get yourself together and go back in, okay?”

He could hear his friends standing nearby and silently laughing, clearly amused by the whole situation. He also noticed that his parents and Sana’s friends have just arrived and were going in their direction. But Yousef was just standing there completely numb, shifting his look from Mr. Bakkoush and Elias, still very confused and worried, still not sure what to do.

“Okay” he finally said. “I’m going in.”

“Yeah, bro, do that.” Elias encouraged him and patted him on the back.

Yousef took one final look at all of them and went back to the room.

Before he shut the door, they could all hear Sana screaming “WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN???” from inside.

***

He came back to the hallway after 3 hours. Completely exhausted, his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, his t-shirt stuck to his body, he leaned against the wall as everyone surrounded him, waiting with anticipation for him to say anything.

“It’s a girl.”

Everyone started cheering, hugging him and saying “congratulations!”. Elias then shouted “I’m an uncle!” and he and the rest of the boys started fighting with him that they’re her uncles, too, but Elias told them that he is the only real uncle. His parents, his father-in-law and the girls wanted to know all the details, how does she look (she looks perfect), did she take after him or after Sana (definitely after Sana, thank God), how much does she weight (2.9 kg), how tall is she (53 cm), what was her Apgar score (10/10) and other things. When they finally stopped nagging him with all these questions and left him enough space to finally breathe, he has just slid down and sat on the floor.

He was a father now.

***

Yousef and Elias had to barricade the entrance to Sana’s room because the boys insisted on seeing the “Ballon Squad’s First Baby” (as they’ve already named her). After Mr. Bakkoush and Sana’s doctor told them that they should give the mother and the baby some time to rest, they’ve finally let go and left with the girls (although they said they’ll definitely come back the next day and this time they will go inside no matter what), while Bakkoushs and Acars went in to see the new addition to their families.

***

After their daughter finally fell asleep, Sana kicked Yousef out and told him to go home and get some rest. He didn’t want to go, he wanted to stay with them forever, but Sana insisted that it’s already 2 a.m. and he doesn’t need to be here watching them sleep (Yousef had a different opinion about that, so to speak), but she will need him here in the morning, fresh and rested, so he finally let go, kissed the two women of his life on the forehead and went home.

He took a cold shower and went to bed. But he couldn’t fall asleep, not after such an eventful day. He couldn’t really believe that she was finally here, the past 9 months were the longest – but also the most happiest – months of his life. It seemed like it was only yesterday when Sana told him she is pregnant.

They went out to eat something with their friends and Sana was acting very strange that evening. After the dinner they all wanted to go bowling or go to the cinema but Sana was very moody and started telling them that she does not wish to support the American culture spread to Norway by seeing their clichéd films nor she wants to go and wear some smelly shoes after another person to just throw a stupid ball and pretend that she’s having “fun” and that she had enough of the “fun” for this evening (and she really did insert quotation marks when she was saying this) and that she is going back home. Without waiting for Yousef she just turned around and started walking towards the bus stop.

“You know, Sana, you could have just said you want to come back home, there was really no need for saying all those things and making them all feel bad.” he said when they came back home.

“Oh yes, because it’s always all about them, all about how OTHERS feel, isn’t it? Well, know this. In this particular moment I don’t give a damn about how they’re feeling, okay? They’ve made me feel like shit so many times before, I don’t always have to be nice to them, so stop acting like you care about them so much, okay?!” she screamed at him and he was then more confused than ever.

“Sana, what’s going on? Why are you acting like this?”

She started to look for something in her bag and finally pulled out a piece of paper which she threw at him, screaming:

“Because I’m pregnant, you idiot!” and then she turned her back and ran to the bathroom, leaving him completely dumbstruck, holding a piece of paper against his chest.

He looked at it but all he could see were just some medical names and the percents with some numbers, he didn’t understand a thing from it. He followed her to the bathroom, she was sitting on the floor, crying. When he sat next to her, she started talking, looking numbly at the wall:

“We were practicing drawing blood today at the university. From each other. And later we were doing blood tests. And Isak wanted to draw my blood again, because he said he messed something up with the previous sample, but then he did it again and the result was the same and he just let me see and… And I’m pregnant.” finally she shifted her eyesight from the wall and looked at him “Yousef, I’m pregnant.”

He was folding the blood results she gave him all the time she was talking. He could feel her eyes looking at him and he finally managed to lift his head. He was studying her face for a while, before finally his lips broke into a huge smile and he shouted quietly:

“We’re going to have a baby!”

“So you’re happy?” she asked shyly.

“Sana, are you kidding me? Am I happy? Come on, Sana, don’t make me throw you under the shower!”

Now she also started laughing. They’re going to have a baby.

They’ve decided not to tell anyone before the end of the first trimester. It was really hard for Yousef to keep his mouth shut, there were so many times he had to bite his tongue before accidentally slipping the news to the boys. Finally, they’ve decided to tell everyone during Sana’s birthday party. They thought it wouldn’t be weird to give every guest a little gift – after all not only they were the hosts of the party, but it was also Christmas Eve and even though they weren’t celebrating it, little gifts wouldn’t seem to be something unusual. So after Sana had blew out the candles, they asked everyone to open their little boxes. Inside each of them there was an ultrasound photo. They all were completely shocked and didn’t seem to be completely sure what was going on until Sana said “I’m pregnant” and Yousef added “We’re having a baby”.

Two months later on a lazy Sunday afternoon, Yousef was chilling on the couch, watching a basketball game. He could hear Sana coming into the room from the kitchen and out of the sudden she said:

“Stephen is kicking”

“What?” he asked, he didn’t know where’s this coming from, Stephen Curry was not playing in this game and is the verb ‘kicking’ even used in the basketball vocabulary? But she just repeated:

“Stephen is kicking”

“What?” he asked really confused and turned around to look at her.

“Stephen. Is. Kicking.” she articulated every single word very slowly and clearly, pointing to her belly.

He jumped out of the couch immediately and ran towards her, placing her hand on her tummy. He could feel it. He could feel their baby. He looked at her with pure admiration on his face and she just laughed. But soon when it hit him, he stopped smiling at her and she stopped laughing when she saw the look on his face.

“What?”

“Sana, did you seriously just called our baby Stephen? Sana our baby will not be named Stephen. We don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl.” he reminded her, they didn’t want to know, they wanted to be surprised.

“Oh, I know, but I can feel it’s a boy and Stephen is just a perfect name for him!”

“Nei, Sana. No way. We will not name our son Stephen. Over my dead body.”

“Well, we’ll see about that.”

And for the past four months she was teasing him all the time, saying things like “I’m so tired, I think Stephen and I will go and get some sleep” or “oh, I must eat some pickles, Stephen adores them”, and soon it became a running joke among their friends and family and everyone was just texting Yousef asking him “how are Sana and Stephen doing?” and things like that. But the only one who never laughed at that was Yousef.

So when few hours ago, they finally got to hold their baby for the first time and after they both said that she is beautiful and perfect and how much they love her and each other, he asked her teasingly:

“So no Stephen, huh?”

“Well, not this time.”

But now, laying in the bed at 4 a.m. in the morning Yousef decided that there won’t be another time. He won’t take any risk about that. And when he decided what he would do, he was finally able to fall asleep.

***

It was almost 10 a.m. when he finally arrived at the hospital. When he entered Sana’s room, she was laying on the bed, holding their daughter tucked up in her arms. He kissed both of them on the forehead and sat on the edge of the bed. Only then he noticed the balloons in the corner of the room.

“Wait, have the boys came here already? I told them not to bother you until I call them that they can come!”

“No, Noora and Eva came by on their way to work. And they’ve also brought us this.” she said pointing to the book of names laying on the bedside table. “We should pick a name. Since Stephen is no longer an option, we’re left with nothing. I was looking through it and I like some of them, so I thought that maybe you would take a look at all of them today and later will do the final selection, huh? Yousef, are you even listening to me?”

He finally dared to look at Sana with a guilty look on his face.

“Sana, I have to tell you something but please don’t be mad at me.”

“Okay, I’m already getting mad when you say things like that. What have you done, Yousef?”

“I… I’ve already picked the name.” he said and Sana looked relieved.

“Ugh, thank God, I thought something worse has happened. What’s the name you like?”

“Sana, no. You misunderstood me. I’ve already registered her in the office.” as soon as he said that he could see the change on Sana’s face, she was already furious.

“You did WHAT??? You named MY DAUGHTER without telling me???” she yelled at him.

“Hey, she’s my daughter, too.” he reminded her.

“I’m not so sure about that now!”

“What do you mean?” he asked really confused. “Sana???”

“HOW COULD YOU PICK THE NAME OF MY FIRSTBORN WITHOUT TELLING ME FIRST???” she screamed and their daughter started to fidget restlessly in Sana’s arms.

“Sana, please calm down.”

She took a deep breath and with fire in her eyes, she asked him:

“What’s the name?”

“Okay, I will tell you but first you have to give me her, because I’m worried you might do something to her.”

“Yousef, tell me the name.”

“Sana, pass me the baby.”

She looked at him really angrily and finally gave him the baby. In return he took his backpack from the ground and gave it to her.

“The certificate is inside.”

He focused his eyes on his little girl, he didn’t dare to look at Sana’s face when she finds out. Soon he heard her angry sigh.

“Nei, nei, nei, nei, nei. You did not name our daughter like this.”

“What do you think?”

“About the name?” she asked and he nodded. “I hate it.”

“No, Sana, you love it.” he said and smirked, still not looking at her.

“I. Hate. It.” in that moment the baby started crying and Sana thought it must be the sign as well. “See? She hates it, too.”

“No, she loves it.” Yousef said and finally looked at Sana. “And you love it, too.”

“No, I hate it. And I hate you. Look, she’s crying since you took her, she hates you, too.”

Yousef just chuckled at that and started to make funny faces at their daughter and talking in his special “just-for-children” voice.

“No, she loves me. Yes, you do! You see, Sana, she loves me! And she loves the name. Yes, she does! And yes, your mommy loves me, too, she’s just messing around with us. Yes! Yes, oh you’re so cute.” after talking like this for about 2 minutes and looking at her with pure admiration, she finally stopped crying and Yousef turned around to triumphantly look at Sana. “See? Told you she loves it.”

But Sana was still sitting there, looking at him with her death glare.

“Pass her to me.”

He just smiled really widely and placed their daughter in her arms.

“Go to your mommy, Stephanie Sana Bakkoush Acar.” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “You secretly love it, don’t you?” he asked Sana looking her directly in her eyes.

“No, I hate it.” she said and turned her gaze, but for a millisecond he could see a little smirk passing her face.

“No, you don’t.” he said, hugging her and when she was absolutely sure he cannot see her face, she smiled really widely at her daughter. She did love the name.

#skammonth #yousana #yousef acar #sana bakkoush #skam #fanfiction #my writing #this started out as a total mess but i kinda like the outcome?#also i really hope you'll laugh at the ambiguity at the beginning because i did

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tinymixtapes · 7 years ago

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Column: Favorite Rap Mixtapes of August 2017

With a cascade of releases spewing from the likes of DatPiff, LiveMixtapes, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud, it can be difficult to keep up with the overbearing yet increasingly vital mixtape game. In this column, we aim to immerse ourselves in this hyper-prolific world and share our favorite releases each month. The focus will primarily be on rap mixtapes — loosely defined here as free (or sometimes free-to-stream) digital releases — but we’ll keep things loose enough to branch out if/when we feel it necessary. (Check out last month’s installment here.) --- YoungBoy Never Broke Again - AI YoungBoy [stream/download] There are a couple reasons that make me surprised that YoungBoy Never Broke Again (formerly NBA Youngboy) is only 17. First, he burst onto the national scene last year with a near fully-formed sense of melody and songcraft, the vanguard of a Baton Rouge youth movement with seemingly limitless potential. The other is that his life has aged him far beyond his years. The Baton Rouge set like guns, and not just for show; a recent New York Times profile reiterated the message underlying every co-sign from YoungBoy’s more-established peers: leave BR or perish. The comeback record after a prison stint is something of a rite of passage, and yet it’s impossible not to wonder how many more lie in YoungBoy’s future. If you’re looking for “real,” this is it: a promising young star racing against pre-fame charges and a time bomb of an environment that, as all that he’s known, is understandably difficult to abandon. –Corrigan B --- Deem Spencer - We Think We Alone [stream] Deem Spencer opened the final Yule Prog. At 22 years old, he might not realize how big of a deal that is. Shit, the world probably doesn’t realize how big of a deal that is. I may be the only person who thinks that’s a very big deal. But history will absolve me too, damn it! I digress. Deem Spencer proved he could rap his ass off with last year’s Sunflower, and his latest, We Think We Alone, is already something totally different. It’s the sound of a guard down, a garden, a gargantuan heart springing hope eternal. It’s really nice. –Samuel Diamond --- Wifisfuneral - Boy Who Cried Wolf [stream/download] Aesthetically, Wifisfuneral’s second record is standard Floridian fare — it wouldn’t even be a stretch to call it a composite of ideas that have emerged from the peninsula’s SoundCloud scene as of late, scampering across bars at Ski Mask the Slump God’s jawless clip, paving his way with Cris Dinero’s plosive kicks and a menacing presence more akin to a horror flick’s titular spiritual entity than a typical trap-villain. Boy Who Cried Wolf’s a conservative follow-up to the January release of When Hell Falls, an introspective dip into wonky boom-bap production, the sort that populated Pusha T’s King Push prelude, only more dreary and droned-out. This time around, Wifi’s brought bangers by the bushel, immolating synth bells with hypnotically-present bass while nimbly stuffing these brief beats full of triplet flows and the distinctive voices of his featured friends: 458 Keez’s bratty resemblance to Lil Wayne, Danny Towers’s impossibly deep snarl, and CHXPO’s slurred near-giggle, (my personal favorite contribution). This is Wifi’s last nuanced tape to date, but it’s also his most replayable. Even when the 20-year-old emcee’s borrowing sauce, he makes it his own: not many Soundcloud rappers can boast his balance between technical proficiency, artistic merit, and (most importantly?) headbang-inducing aggression. –Jude Noel --- Eli Sostre - Sleep is For The Week [stream/download] Putting together a mixtape of Billboard-quality pop rap in the OVOXO vein is risky these days, considering how many Drake soundalikes have seen their clout evaporate shortly after entering the scene. But Eli Sostre’s lightly-melodyned vocals pose way more of a risk to the competition. His songs are self-serious but not overly self-aware, confident but not mired in cliché. Hailing from the Empire State, he channels a double-cupping club vibe more suitable farther south, but takes heavy visual cues from Basquiat, The Culture’s adopted fallen angel and street spirit of a dead-and-buried NYC. Sostre has a radio-worthy voice, strongest on “New Addy” and “Someone Like You,” that’s complemented well by Soriano’s woozy, vaporous productions. Sleep is For The Week is a great collection of songs to snuggle into. –Ross Devlin --- Lil B - Black Ken [stream/download] Black Ken is the most divisive Lil B mixtape yet, which is odd, considering that its most accessible release, swinging between G-funk and horn-/key-driven P-Funk throwback with chilled hyphy sprinkles. While the latter can be heard on the iLoveMakonnen-featuring “Global,” songs like “Free Life” showcase Lil B’s evolution into tight, spaced-out production, with a flow not unlike “The Super Bowl Shuffle” played straight. Club-banger Lil B is present on “Getting Hot” and “Turn up (Till You Can’t),” playing more like singularly twisted versions of “the hits” than bids for mainstream attention. Did I mention that Lil B produced every track on the tape? (As he puts it on “The Real Is Back,” “BasedGod on the beats/ It’s 100% me/ Put my life in this rap.”) Despite its alienating potential, Black Ken, in the end, triumphs as an amalgamation of his past and a sampling of a possible future, and it’s one that would appear to be both expansive and impressive. –Emceegreg --- Gunplay - The Fix Tape [stream] Never one to be sullied or bogged down by rap label politics, Gunplay’s quiet tear across 2017 continues with The Fix Tape. True to form, anthemic trap abounds (“All flake and no shake, shake, shake…”), but the clincher here is an ability to slide through styles — see the G-funk bounce of “Where It At” or the classicist bent of “Hot Plate” and “Patience 2.0” — without compromising on the delivery and storytelling parlance that bought ears to him in the first place. This one’s sharp, polished, and remarkably poised; if Gunplay traded in the incendiary streak that gave us the likes of Bogota Rich: The Prequel, then he got a newfound sense of evenness and quality control in return. –Soe Jherwood --- Skye Verbs - Soul Food Eye Candy [stream] A few weeks back, I visited one of my favorite haunts for a curry burger and vermouth after a rewarding but tedious week of pulling artistic potential out of a bunch of squirmy middle schoolers. I floated in, grabbed a stool, paint under my nails, draped in a floral pullover sweater. Bartender, dripping with neck tattoos, looks me down, recognizes my face, offers: “I love that top, sweetie.” It was a bizarre, yet empowering moment; I don’t often get compliments on my appearance, so when I do, it’s uniquely affirming. Soul Food Eye Candy is rapper/singer Skye Verbs’s attempt at discussing inclusive values through neo-R&B and soul. There are a lot of platitudes here about who deserves who, but what she ultimately advocates is that good people deserve it all. And after a long day, it’s nice that I can throw this on, bob my head, and remember that still frame in which my value was affirmed by a wink. Check this out, know you’re worth it, and tip your wait staff extra when they make you feel it. –Jackson Scott --- Lil Tracy - Life of a Popstar [stream/download] Lil Tracy is the son of Digable Planets’ Butterfly and SWV’s Coko, a fact that almost assuredly means nothing to the majority of his fanbase. That’s OK. Of more immediate relevance is his association with Lil Peep, one of the SoundCloud era’s two or three biggest breakouts. Together with the rest of GothBoiClique, they’re the most straightforward example of the emo/rap analogy that has dominated the discourse surrounding rap’s youngest stars. For listeners who came of age at any time but the present, some degree of initial resistance is understandable; it’s been fascinating to watch the critic class balance a play count-mandated obligation to pay attention with the inability to form a personal connection with the music itself. At present, there’s no vision of rap’s future that excludes these kids; the ever-shortening generation gap aside, refusing to engage with a bona fide movement seeks to set the genre’s current conventions in stone. It’s already far too late for that, and yet rap’s hegemony over pop forms is just getting started. –Corrigan B --- Byou - I’m Gone [stream] The stylistic outlier of Lil Yachty’s “Sailing Team” collective happens to be the crew’s most consistently exciting contributor. Atlanta’s Byou boasts an unhinged vocal delivery, a knack for hook-writing, and a sense of doggerel humor that’s often laugh-out-loud humor. Although, sonically, his previous output hasn’t strayed far from his maritime mates’ bubblegum trap production, his longest effort to date — titled I’m Gone — revels in its own versatility. “Superstar” dabbles in bossa nova, “Money” throws back to the brass-laden hedonism of OJ Da Juiceman’s peak, and standout track “JK Rowling” pairs a twangy shuffle with one of the best choruses I’ve heard all year: “Smokin’ on that Harry Potter/ JK, rollin’ up.” It’s not one of more polished projects I’ve heard lately, but I’m Gone has charm for days. It’ll win you over if you let it. –Jude Noel --- Hotel - Have You Ever Tasted Hell Fire [stream] Hotel caught a lot of attention earlier this year when Mass Appeal posted his track “Hellbound.” Complete with illegible black metal script and a broken-in black metal denim jacket, with hot blood spurting from between his fronts and a black gun (I don’t know shit about guns. This is the best I got.), his latest mixtape Have You Tasted Hell Fire continues to document Hotel’s journey through a grim world. Maybe Hotel realizes what metal kids have known all along: that Satan has all the fun, that the baddest people throw the coolest parties, that embracing darkness and nihilism can be as equal parts kitschy and liberating as Kenny G saxing it up on an airplane. The tape is very short, with scorched, lo-fi samples and high-key energy that begs to be heard live. His voice is labored like a werewolf. “Four Rings” and “Gone” are pitch-perfect Piss Christ exhibitionism. He just finished a tour of the South, so you might be able to catch him before the hellfire swallows him up. –Ross Devlin --- Purple Dialect - Campfire EP [stream/download] Purple Dialect paid for his name in burnt hairs, the moniker coming to him in a shamanic vision he experienced while being electrocuted by his SP-404. At least, that’s what I gather from all this. He has bionic limbs and shoots rainbows from his eyes and raps “I’m in a folding chair, I’m eating graham crackers/ I’m in the woods, I’m a literal backpacker” in his latest video. This could all be dismissed as cheap gimmickry if Purp D weren’t so skilled on both the mic and the pads. “Take this L chief, peace cos I don’t even battle/ I just make dope beats over which I casually babble,” he says on “Tent Light,” as if it were so simple anyone could do it, as if this were a folk tradition. And it is. And a Pennsylvanian with robot arms is carrying it onward. –Samuel Diamond http://j.mp/2vGWK1m

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trey-ff · 8 years ago

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02.

DANE

Upon entering the restaurant, I noticed that it was extremely packed. People, both patrons and employees, were swarming about, fraternizing and enjoying the laid-back yet lively ambiance. They must have really wanted to see this bottle-tossing competition.

Remembering what Janice had instructed for me to do, I made my way towards the cherry-wood bar that was stationed in the center of the restaurant. Scouring the inside, I spotted two bartenders, one male and one female, but neither Janice.

“Hey,” I beckoned, reaching my hand out to halt the female bartender who almost whisked past me, “I’m looking for a woman by the name of Janice. She works here.”

“You’re Dane, then? She was expecting you,” she smiled knowingly, “I’ll go get her. Need anything before I go?”

“No, I’m fine.” I assured, leaning against the edge of the bar while she sauntered away in search of Janice. About two minutes later, the red-haired, buxom bartender returned with Janice in tow. As soon as we made eye-contact, we both broke into smiles. She looked good, even while donned in a work uniform.

“Hi, I’m glad you could make it,” she sang, swaying towards me with wide, inviting arms, “I give hugs.”

Due to her bubbly and comfortable mood, along with that invitation for a hug, I assumed that her night-job as a bartender brought that out of her. She seemed a lot more sociable and outgoing than I’d thought she’d be on our second encounter. But, I liked it.

Grinning, I embraced her in a hug that was honestly, too short-lived for me. However, I didn’t want to be too excessive and forward by prolonging it so, I allowed it to end when she did.

“How are you?” I smiled, happy to be before her after so many days. I had been thinking about seeing her again since the minute we parted ways at the gym.

We had only spoken once after she told me about her bottle-tossing competition. That time, she had called me. The conversation wasn’t revealing nor invasive; we just talked about casual things. One conversation about what the other was watching on TV branched into endless topics revolving our favorites and whatnot. While we had some things in common, what really impressed me about her was her depth of knowledge on certain topics that I didn’t believe she would care to be aware of, like politics and the current societal issues. Furthermore, I was in awe at how long she had the ability to captivate me with conversation. There was never a dull moment; I hadn’t felt a connection like that in a while.

“I’m feeling good. You?” she returned with a grin.

“Better now that I’m here.” I smiled, watching as I effortlessly made her blush. She was so damn beautiful.

“You’re such a charmer.”

“Glad you could take notice,” I smirked before licking my lips, “so, when does this competition start?”

“In about ten minutes or so. We can sit at the table in the meantime. My friends are already here.” she said, motioning for me to follow her lead through the hustle and bustle. As I did so, I mentally prepared myself for this encounter with her friends. Again, I knew that their opinions held weight if she wanted me to meet them this soon on. They couldn’t be too hard to win over.

When we approached the heightened, circular table that was cluttered with appetizers and drinks, four people were occupying the wooden stools. Only one face was familiar.

“Okay, so you already met Clayton. This is his lovely fiancée, Angela,” she introduced as he threw me a head-nod and she waved politely, “this is Rochelle, my best-friend who I’ve told you about. This is Asad. And, we’re currently waiting on the two lovebirds, Bianca and Brandon.”

“I’ve heard many good, likeable things about you, Sir.” Rochelle simpered, extending her hand towards me. Flashing a smile, I shook it.

“That’s good to know.” I said, chuckling smoothly as I glanced at Janice, whose face had flushed for the second time tonight.

I could get used to making her do that.

“Here. let me get you a chair.” Janice offered, preparing herself to snag one of the available chairs from another table. I halted her hand.

“It’s alright, I got it.” I assured, doing the honors. I stationed my seat at the table right beside where Rochelle was seated. She seemed to be the only one who sent off positive and welcoming vibes. Angela was neutral, while Clayton and Asad could care less about my presence. While I picked up on that, I didn’t really mind. I wasn’t there for them, I was there for Janice.

“Do you want me to get you anything?” she pondered once I was seated comfortably. Humming, I tucked my lips inward and shrugged my shoulders.

“What do you recommend for me?”

“For you,” she smirked, pointing at me, “hmm. Either the Lynchburg Lemonade, or the Long Island Iced Tea. Those are my two favorites.”

“Bring me whatever you think I’d like. I’m easy.” I chuckled. We held each other’s gaze for a moment before she cleared her throat and placed her attention on her people.

“Do you losers want anything else?”

“Wow, we don’t get the same courtesy as Dane,” Rochelle asked jokingly as I snickered, “how rude. You know me, though, I want another one of these bad-boys.”

“Do not get drunk, Ro. Please.” Janice warned, pleading with her eyes. That proved to me that she was a little reckless when the liquor hit her system. Noted.

“Don’t worry, J. She won’t. I’ll make sure of it.” Asad spoke, sending her a reassuring smile as she returned a polite one.

“Anybody want anything else?” Janice asked, folding her arms across her chest. Everyone either shook their heads no, or sent her a verbal no before she whisked away to get the drinks. Clearing my throat, I adjusted the sleeve to my black button-up before clasping my hands together. The table was dead silent until Clayton took it upon himself to speak.

“So, my sister says you’re an architect.” he sighed, making an attempt at small-talk. I nodded.

“Yeah, and she tells me you fix up cars? What do you specialize in again? Is it auto-body, auto-mechanics?”

“Both,” he replied shortly as I nodded impressively, “I own my own auto-shop.”

“That’s dope. Your family really has a business state of mind, huh?” I said, referring to their desire to own their own businesses.

“Yeah, we were raised to be self-made.” he shrugged nonchalantly. It was quiet for a moment before Rochelle did the honors.

“Janice also says you’re from Virginia.” Rochelle stated, slipping her straw into the corner of her mouth.

“Yup. Lived there until I was eighteen and then, I moved to New York. That’s kinda where my love for architecture came from. The buildings, the city… it was all new to me.” I smiled. She smiled, too, and was about to add another comment, but Clayton cut her off.

“Any brothers or sisters?” Clayton asked bluntly, driving off-topic. I couldn’t help, but to laugh.

“This feels like an interrogation.”

“Yeah, Clayton, calm down,” Rochelle agreed, fanning her hand at him, “you’re making him nervous.”

“Never that,” I snickered, “it just feels real formal and calculated. I’m not here for that.”

“Then, what’re you here for? Janice did tell you that her brother and friends were gonna be here, right? I need to see what you all about before I just allow this.”

I furrowed my brow, praying for his sake that he used the wrong verb.

“Did you by chance mean approve, or maybe accept?”

“Nah, allow.” he reiterated, forcing me to blow out a low breath and snicker. I understood him being a protective older brother, but this was just overbearing. She wasn’t his woman. Like noted, I had plans to pursue and there was no way her older brother was wedging between that. Or, anyone else for that matter.

“Clayton, chill out,” his fiancée warned, somewhat calming him, “he’s just really overprotective. You can understand that, right?”

Shrugging, I released a light chuckle.

“No, and I’m not really paying it enough mind to understand.” I blatantly admitted right before Janice arrived back to the table, drinks and appetizers in tow. Her eyes danced around at everyone’s expressions; tension was noted.

“How’s it going?” she asked nervously as she placed the drinks down in their respective spots.

“Fine.” Clayton and I both pitched at the same time and in the same dismissive tone. She seemed to sense that something was wrong, but didn’t want to spoil the night by addressing it.

“Okay…” she sang unconvincingly before making eye-contact with Rochelle, who made an uneasy expression to confirm her suspicions. But before she could question it any further, a duo arrived at our table, the woman surprising Janice by hooking her arm around her shoulder.

“Hey, girlie,” the woman said, speaking directly to Janice before scanning her eyes around the table and stopping at me, “and, who’s this?”

“This is Dane, I told you about him. Dane, this is Bianca and her boyfriend, Brandon.” she introduced, instantly reminding me that she did mention two more guests joining us.

“Nice to meet you guys.” I simpered, reaching for my drink and taking a long belt. At first, I didn’t mind that her friends and brother would be attending, but I couldn’t lie and say that it wasn’t bothering me. Clayton had already become unbearable, the others were unimportant, and I barely had any real contact with Janice throughout the whole night. But, I knew that I needed to deal with it if I ever wanted any real contact with her.

JANICE

Considering the fact that the occasion of the bottle-tossing competition didn’t exempt me from work, I couldn’t stay at the table with Dane. I almost regretted inviting him out due to my absence throughout the night. Even more than that, I noticed the tension stemming from him and Clayton, which I knew was because of something that my brother said or did. I warned him before Dane arrived to behave, but I could only expect so much cooperation from him

“Are you nervous? ‘Cause I am.” my fellow bartender and friend, Roxanna, chuckled in reference to the bottle-tossing competition. We were both first-time participants.

“Very,” I emphasized, grabbing the three shakers that I would be using to make my Tropical Trifecta, as I’d named my entry, “but, it’s not only the competition that has me nervous.”

“It’s that guy, huh? Dane?” she asked knowingly. I had informed her about Dane so that she could tell me when he arrived if I wasn’t on the floor to greet him.

“Yeah, I really like him… I just hope the feeling’s mutual, you know? We barely spent any time together tonight, he’s been with my friends and Clayton. And, I know my brother said something ridiculous. I sensed it when I checked in on everyone. I don’t want Clayton interfering and pushing Dane away already.”

No, I wasn’t in love, but I wouldn’t lie and say that I wasn’t fathoming about what things could become. It was the first time since my last relationship that I met someone with potential. He seemed like the perfect man all across the board and I didn’t want to jeopardize anything. There was undoubtedly a brewing connection there and I didn’t need Clayton ruining the possibility of that this soon on.

“Listen, girl, if he’s into you as much as you are him, nobody is pushing him away. He would be a coward to let your brother get in-between what ya’ll got going on and basically, force him to leave you alone. And, honestly, just from a glance, he doesn’t seem like the type to go down without a fight.”

“Yeah, I hope not,” I murmured, “but I do need to make it my business to talk to Clayton.”

It was never easy getting through to Clayton; he was as stubborn as a mule. Once he had negative associations with something, it was hard to shift his perspective. So, nothing that I could say would make him change his warped view, or behavior towards Dane, but I would be a fool not to say anything at all, especially if it bothered me. Things were too fresh for him to be forming an opinion, let alone, allowing that opinion to fuel how he treated Dane.

“Just let him know that he needs to fall back. We know he’s just being a big-brother, but c’mon. Does he expect you to be alone all your life? He won’t like every guy you date, but he should always like seeing you happy,” she commented before taking a pause to contemplate, “on the other hand, though, I honestly think he’ll come around, Jan. It’s still too early and you know, he’s just on defense-mode.”

I knew Clayton better than she did to know that that was bullshit. Ian never endured this treatment, even after we broke up. But instead of boring her with my constant worries, I nodded in agreement and waved a hand for us to return to the front for the competition.

“I’m so nervous. I really hope we don’t embarrass ourselves,” I admitted through laughter while grabbing my equipment, “well, here goes nothing.”

-- -

“Dane, you didn’t have to buy all my drinks,” I giggled as I made it to the table, “why’d you spend all that money on nothing?”

As antsy as I was about this bottle-competition, it went extremely well and was actually super fun. Surprisingly enough, there were a lot of bidders who were willing to pay upwards of one-hundred and fifty dollars for my drinks. What was even more surprising was that Dane outbid them all with two-sixty just to win the drinks for himself and my people.

During all three rounds, Dane upped the ante. A bidder would confidently raise the bar, only for Dane to raise it even higher. I kept sending him hand-gestures, shyly begging for him to stop while he was ahead. I didn’t want him spending all that money, though, part of the earnings went to me and no one could deny more money in the bank. But, me telling him no only egged him on; he would smirk and then, go even higher.

“That li’l bit of money wasn’t nothing. Plus, I wanted you to win.” he grinned, taking a sip of the drink that I had made. I couldn’t contain the smile that ensued; he was so charming.

“Is it good at least?” I asked nervously.

“Perfect. It’s too bad I didn’t get to try them all, but you can make them for me another time, right?” Dane smirked, briefly licking over his lips as he cupped the cylinder-shaped glass in his hand.

“If you’re lucky.” I said through a coy smile.

“Here’s to hoping I get lucky, then.” he chuckled before finishing the rest of the pineapple-flavored drink. In no way did he appear drunk, but he definitely seemed more bold and flirtatious when the alcohol hit his system. But, I liked it. Hell, I liked everything about him.

Even though our time around one another this evening was minimal, I was really feeling him. Aside from being devilishly sexy, he wreathed in confidence, masculinity, and control. Beyond being such a captivating sight, that demeanor of his made him even more attractive in my eyes. He just exuded such a great sense of self; he had it all together. He was a real man. Every single last thing about him was intoxicating and irresistible.

“You just might.” I murmured, watching as he raised an eyebrow and grinned at me.

“That’s good to know.”

It was at that moment that Clayton returned from the bathroom, his eyes diverting between Dane and I as he retook his seat at the table. Honestly, that reminded me that the others were still there. For a moment, it felt like it were just Dane and I; he was just that captivating.

“Good job, sis.” Clayton muttered, smoothing down the front of his shirt. Smiling at him, I batted my lashes.

“Why, thanks.”

“So, what do you get for winning this competition?” he pondered, examining the pink-colored guava and lemon-lime drink before sipping some and sliding it to Angela.

“Well, a portion of the money from the highest bidder,” I smiled as I glanced at Dane, “and, of course, the recognition of being the winner. My manager says that should keep the tips coming in ‘cause people are gonna’ want to try my drinks. Not even five minutes out of the competition and I had people asking me to make them something.”

“Not too shabby for a first-timer. You did great tonight, Janice.” Asad complimented through a smile, in which I returned.

“Thanks, Asad. It sucks that you guys didn’t get to try any of them, though.” I murmured, referring to him, Bianca, and Brandon.

“Yeah, Rochelle wasn’t tryin’a share.” Asad said through a playful chuckle as he nudged her arm. She shrugged before removing her lips from the straw.

“Hey, if I drink, I’m drinking for us all.”

“You’re such an alcoholic,” Bianca snickered, “well, Janny, you can always make up for it by adding these drinks to the menu for Brandon’s birthday-party.”

“No problem.” I smiled. In three weeks, Brandon was entering his dirty thirties and of course, I was called upon to cater the event. It was the first casual gathering that I was catering in a long time so, I was excited for it.

“Alright,” Dane sighed, stealing my attention before anything else could be said, “the night may still be young for some, but I’ma get going. I have an early morning tomorrow.”

To be honest, I wasn’t ready for this date--if that was what it was even considered to be at this point--to end yet. We had been out for three hours, give or take, and maybe a half-hour of that involved actual interaction between us two. I just hoped that we could get in more time together.

“Okay, let me walk you out.” I offered, standing up from the table along with him. Nodding, he grabbed his black leather wallet from the table before patting his jean-pockets, probably in an attempt to make sure that he had all of his belongings.

“It was really nice meeting you all. Hope to do this again sometime,” he simpered as the females replied with positives words and the men simply nodded their heads uncaringly, “aight, have a good night.”

As he turned in the direction of the exit, I glared at Clayton, who reacted with a shrug. Though I knew better, I was expecting more than a head-nod from him. I hated that he was being so cold towards Dane, especially on their first official encounter. I couldn’t understand the reason for his behavior, but I made it a mental-note to get to the bottom of this attitude after I said my goodbyes with Dane.

When we approached the doubled, glass front-doors, he grabbed a hold of the golden door-handle, pulled it back, and waved a hand for me to go through first. I smiled, entering the warm vestibule. As I attempted to reach for the next door-handle leading to outside, he moved my hand aside and did the honors.

“Uh, uh, uh,” he sang, “I open the doors.”

“Well, okay, then,” I giggled shyly before walking ahead of him and through the threshold, “thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

A quiescent silence filled the air as we sauntered towards his car. The moment was not at all awkward for me, but I felt the need to say something. Without wanting to zero in on Clayton specifically, I presented my next words with caution.

“Dane,” I began, catching his attention during our stride, “I hope you weren’t overwhelmed by everyone being here tonight.”

He sighed, seemingly in a tinge of disappointment, before replacing that expression with a mild smile.

“No, it was really cool to meet your friends and brother… again. I do want for us to have some alone-time, though. Not like that, but you know, just me and you. I feel like we couldn’t really connect tonight with the competition and other interferences.” he admitted as we approached his car and he leaned against it. Chuckling because I had been thinking the same thing, I nodded in agreement.

“I could see why you would feel that way. Since I pretty much arranged this outing, you can choose the next one. I’m game for anything.”

“Yeah?” he asked with pure amusement, as if he were already planning the most out-of-the-box rendezvous.

“Well, not anything,” I drawled, earning laughter from him, “but, I’m open to having a good time. It doesn’t have to be the typical dinner-date, you know?”

“Okay, I’ll be sure to think of something good.” he promised, licking his lips as he opened the car-door after using the keypad to unlock them.

“Alright.” I grinned, pursing my lips together. Without uttering a word, he widened his arms for me to give him a hug.

“I give hugs back.” he joked, earning a giggle from me before I accepted his courteous invitation. After our embrace, he threw me another handsome smile and jumped inside his car, leaving his door open for us to share some last parting words.

“Be safe.” I simpered. He turned the key, forcing the engine to roar to life before making intense eye-contact with me. Then, he broke into a smile.

“I will. You do the same, alright?”

Nodding, I allowed him to shut his door and reverse from the parking-space before walking back towards the restaurant.

“That went good, Janice.” I whispered before breaking into a content smile. As shy and timid as I was, I figured things would be awkward, but they were the opposite. I was proud of myself for taking that push out of my comfort-zone to even invite him out tonight. Progress.

Though it was very well past midnight, people were still swarming the place. As I approached our table, my friends were still seated, relatively calm compared to the other patrons.

“So,” I sang, grabbing their attention before smiling widely and clasping my hands together, “what did you guys think of Dane?”

“I think he’s strange,” Clayton grumbled, forcing me to kiss my teeth in annoyance, “and, I’on trust him.”

“Why not?”

“‘Cause he don’t trust nobody with his baby-sister. Aww.” Rochelle sang sarcastically as he shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t.” he admitted.

“While that’s cute and all, women need dick every once in awhile, Clay. Yes, including your sister.” Bianca intervened, forcing me to muffle my laughter at how Clayton cut his eyes slim at her.

“Chill.” he grumbled.

“That’s not my intent,” I declared before taking a brief pause, “at least, not my sole intent.”

“Janice. I’on wanna hear about that.” he warned as we cracked up laughing at his serious expression.

“Okay, okay. All jokes aside, though, what do you think of him, Ro?” I smiled, fanning my hand towards her.

“I like him because you like him. He seems like he has major potential to make you happy. And, at the end of the day, that’s all we want for you. Ain’t that right, Asad?” she asked, nudging his arm.

“Of course, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that what makes you happy is what’s right.”

I furrowed my brow.

“So, that must mean you don’t like him, either?” Angela asked, pointing towards him.

“I haven’t seen enough to like him.”

“And, Brandon?” she sighed, seeing if all the men had the same perspective of Dane.

“I’on care enough. Plus, we all know Janice gon’ do what she want anyway, regardless of what anyone thinks.” he grumbled, earning a pretty-much shrug from me.

“See, and I know that. That’s why as your brother, I can only warn you. I can’t control you and to be honest, I wouldn’t want to. You’re an adult who is allowed to make her own mistakes.” Clayton added through a shrug, slyly indicating that Dane was a mistake.

“Clayton, why are you so against him after this one encounter? You barely know him.” Angela exclaimed at his stubborn attitude. At this, I folded my arms across my chest, awaiting his response to my same question.

“And, whose fault is that? He thought meetin’ me on the serious tip was gon’ be a walk in the park? Nah, and plus, he wasn’t really makin’ the effort to begin with. He seemed disconnected. Like, this shit was just a waste of time to him. He made no real impression on me and I’m no longer interested. Period.”

Silence surrounded the table as everyone digested what Clayton said, probably waiting on my response. But, to be honest, I wasn’t even upset about it. I knew how my brother operated so, this behavior was expected. Still, I was headstrong about not letting him ruin things for us.

“Well… thanks for the feedback, guys. Only thing I gathered from this is that I will not be inviting him out with us again. Clayton might successfully scare him off next time.” I snickered, trying to lighten the mood a little. To that, the others chuckled while Clayton simply shrugged his shoulders.

While I valued the opinions of my friends and family, I knew that ultimately, it would be up to me to make the final verdict regarding Dane. And, though the reception was pretty underwhelming, I had to admit that I liked Dane and I planned on seeing more of him.

#me4u

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webcricket · 8 years ago

Text

Nudge Theory

Characters: CastielXReader, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester

Word Count: 2238 (Act I)

A/N: A five act mini-series. The reader and Castiel must work together to solve the curious case of the missing Winchesters. Fluff, smut, and a plot for kicks. It was originally going to be three acts, then I got invested because Cas is adorable. Now it’s outlined for five acts. I’m not sorry.

Completed Series Masterlist:

webcricket.tumblr.com/post/162181272535/nudge-theory-masterlist

(X)

Nudge [verb] –

· “Coax or gently encourage someone to do something.”

Act I

“Sam? Dean?” Your voice reverberated off the tiled walls of the sprawling bunker, announcing your arrival, tone becoming tinny when they failed to respond, “The door was unlocked. I let myself in.” Feet clanging on the metal staircase, you endeavored to make your presence known - the last thing you wanted to do was catch experienced well-equipped potentially trigger-happy hunters off guard in their own home. You made your way over to the map table, tossing your bag on a chair, eyes roaming the spacious room for any signs of life, “Guys?” Silence greeted your ears. Grumbling a muffled expletive, you dug the phone out of your pocket, scanning for any new messages, scrolling back to confirm that Sam’s text yesterday did indeed ask you to meet them here, in Lebanon, in the bunker, to ride back up on a big case. You owed them more than you generally cared to acknowledge in their presence, and dropped everything to show, no questions asked - and they had the audacity to be somewhere else when you arrived. Breath puffing out your cheeks, you noted with amused annoyance that you’d never been stood up by two men at the same time, let alone brothers. You hastily typed a where-the-hell-are-you-it-better-not-be-buying-beer text to Sam, muttering under your breath, “Freaking Winchesters.” Your finger hesitated over the send button, soft footfalls heralding the approach of someone in the hall. Shoving the phone back into your pocket, trembling adrenaline-fueled fingers instinctively brushed the cool metal of the pistol tucked under your arm. Releasing the safety, you withdrew the weapon, backing up to the stairs, steadying your aim at the doorway, “Who’s there?”

A dark-haired man in a billowing tan trench coat appeared at the threshold, clenching his jaw, pausing only a moment to study you and the gun disinterestedly before taking several steps forward, blue-eyes gleaming intensely as they narrowed their focus on you. His voice intoned a suppressed wrath, “Where are Sam and Dean?”

In affront to the overwhelming base instincts for self-preservation coursing through your veins and urging you to do otherwise, you lowered the gun. Although you’d never met him, you recognized the fallen angel from Dean’s descriptions, right down to the skewed tie. Of course, Dean had failed to mention the angel happened to be disarmingly handsome - a fact that did not go unnoticed by you despite his current intimidating method of inquiry. You held up an open palm, imploring him to back off, making a show of holstering the pistol, “You’re Castiel.”

He froze, a glint of surprise betraying his austere expression, “I am. Who are you?”

“A friend. Dean has told me a lot about you,” you proffered an open hand, “I’m Y/N.”

He glowered at your hand until you awkwardly withdrew it, rumbling thunder still underlying his tone, “Do you know where Sam and Dean are? Dean asked me to meet them here.”

Wiping your rejected palm sheepishly across your jeans for lack of anything better to do with it, you chewed the inside of your cheek, “All that motor mouth Dean does is talk and talk and he’s never even mentioned me, right? Y/N, awesome hunter, upper Michigan peninsula, great ass, nothing?” You arched an eyebrow, finally determining a use for your wayward hand, planting it on your hip for emphasis.

“I do not listen to everything Dean says,” the angel’s scowl deepened, impervious to your subtle attempt at flirtation. He wagged his chin in frustration, whirling away with an exaggerated shrug, “It is often necessary to, what’s the phrase?” He blinked pointedly, pivoting back toward you, “Tune him out.”

“Yeah, well I can relate, Dean does say a lot of things,” you fidgeted under his fierce regard, nervously laughing in an attempt to lighten the mood, “especially if there’s cheap whisky around. And being hunters, there’s always cheap whisky around. Kind of goes with the territory.”

The angel’s stolid features marginally relaxed, blue eyes drifting back to meet yours, eddying with a shared sympathy, “I have noticed he often uses a lot of words to convey very little information.”

There it was, the tenseness fled the room – you’d managed to break through the icy front the angel had constructed. The thought that Dean also hadn’t mentioned the angel was funny crossed your mind - a self-satisfied smirk blossoming across your lips.

“That’s not what you meant,” he frowned at you, forehead knitting in consternation.

“No Cas, that’s exactly what I meant,” stepping closer, motioning to place a hand commiseratively on his arm, you wavered, instead electing to hook your thumbs in your pockets, rolling onto your heels, “well look at that, not even five minutes and we’ve already bonded over that flap-mouthed Winchester.”

Staring wordlessly into your eyes, the angel’s expression regressed to a state akin to mild perturbation.

Right, you remembered with a blink, missing brothers, priorities. Clearing your throat in a compulsion to fill the silence, you spun around, walking toward the table, retreating from his disquiet eyes, “Alright then, what do you know about this case they are working?”

“Nothing,” he swept along beside you, seeming to have zero regard for the conventional boundaries of personal space, “only that Dean asked for my assistance.”

You didn’t mind the intrusion – the angel smelled wonderful, and distracting. You weren’t entirely sure the scent of distraction was even a thing until now – the soft sigh slipping past your lips confirming without a doubt that it most definitely was a thing - a thing that was very distracting indeed. Winchesters, some part of you not yet intoxicated by the angel’s proximity prodded. Reining in your wandering imagination, you angled your neck to peer into his face, praying he didn’t sense how flustered you felt in his presence, “Same. Sam’s text said they needed backup, to meet here, that’s all. No details.” You idiot, your brain scolded itself, quit praying, he’s an angel, he can probably hear you.

Cas returned your gaze - the prolonged eye contact being something that should disconcert you, but didn’t coming from those brilliant blues. He squinted at you curiously, nostrils subtly flaring. Then, as if shaking off a sudden chill, he twitched, taking an uneasy step back, tongue darting out to wet his dry lips. He peeled those reflective blue pools away from you, electing instead to study the ceiling, “It’s been five hours and twenty-four minutes since I arrived to find the bunker empty. Their car is missing from the garage and neither of them is answering my calls.”

“Okay,” you pressed your lips thin, the reality of actual worry setting in, “well, there has to be something around here to give us some idea of where they are…”

“Perhaps Dean’s computer will help,” Cas interrupted, “he left it in the library.” He fled to the far door, you trailing not far behind. Cas approached the unassuming piece of technology with trepidation, glancing sidelong between you and the table.

“No computers in Heaven?” You quipped, sitting in the chair and scooting closer to the table.

The angel gave you an almost reprimanding glare, “I find them to be needlessly complicated machines.”

“Uh huh, well, I’m sure you’re good at a lot of other things,” raising your hands apologetically, you rubbed your palms together before flipping open the laptop. The visual of a well-endowed scantily clad Asian bombshell folded into an impossibly bendy position greeted your eyes. Biting your lower lip, bodily wincing in empathy for her plight, you pondered aloud, voice cracking, “I mean, is that even possible?”

Cas’ hand gripped the chair back as he leaned over your shoulder to study the screen in a genuine attempt to answer your question.

Salacious moans and groans began to emanate unsolicited from the speakers. Cheeks flushing red hot, you quickly bashed the escape key several more times than was actually necessary to close the window. You gulped hard in a failed attempt to squelch your riled nerves.

The angel’s warm breath puffed across your ear as he spoke, affect flat, “No, I do not believe that position is physically possible for a typical human form to attain. She appears to be modified.”

“Yeah, uh, thought so,” you stammered, mouth dry, the tiny hairs on the back of your neck standing at attention. Your fingers hovered over the keyboard, paralyzed at the thought of what Dean’s browser history might reveal next. Realizing you’d really prefer not to have an angel literally over your shoulder for the distinct possibility of discovering more porn, you twisted in the chair to address him, winding up closer than expected, nose-to-scruffy chin, “Hey, uh, maybe you should check their rooms? Could be some clue there we could use.”

He rigidly straightened up, a wave of relief whooshing across his features. Nodding agreeably, he disappeared into the hall.

You exhaled a heavy sigh, diving unhindered into the task at hand. You quickly discovered that before Dean embarked on a colorful journey into the world of online adult entertainment, he had spent a significant amount of time researching a town in New York called Clifton Springs. There seemed to be a historically repetitive spate of unusual deaths in the town occurring every 13 years, and due to begin once more in a few days. It immediately struck you as something the brothers would be compelled to investigate, and certainly something for which they’d want back up in the form of another kick-ass hunter and a powered-up soldier of the Lord. It did not, however, give you any idea as to why they were missing days before the mysterious deaths were slated to begin. Maybe they got a head start? Forgot to leave a note? Forgot to charge their cell phones? You began to absent-mindedly chew your fingernails, lost in thought.

“These were on Sam’s desk,” the organic plop of leather on wood shocked you from your reverie.

Your eyes roamed over the collection of news clippings and leather bound journal Cas spread out before you on the table. The journal was open to a page of particular interest, chronicling John Winchester’s hunt at Clifton Springs Sanatorium, precisely 13 years prior. “That’s it,” you pointed at the journal, “Clifton Springs, it’s all over Dean’s history too. It must be where they are headed.”

“Then we should depart immediately,” he began to gather the papers into the journal.

You slid away from the table, standing, closing the laptop and sticking it under your arm, “Great, I’ll just grab my stuff. Who knows, we might even beat them there. I can hardly wait to see the looks on their faces. You know, after I tear them each a new one for leaving us in the dust.” You stepped toward the map room, pausing to spin on your heel, inquiring, “Um, what should I know about this whole flying business anyway? I mean, I’m sure Dean was exaggerating when he described the experience.”

The angel’s shoulders dropped. He ceased collecting the papers and shifted his gaze up slowly to focus on you, sad resignation churning in his eyes, “We must travel by car. My wings, I-I can’t…not anymore.” He pressed his eyes shut, chin dropping to his chest.

“Right, of course,” your stomach sank, the deep pain caused by your assumption clearly evident by his reaction, “I’m sorry, for whatever happened. It must be hard for you.”

His eyes opened again, shining wetly as they sought out yours, “Thank you. It’s been an,” he hesitated, searching for the right word, “an adjustment.” He glanced away, closing the journal, placing it carefully inside his coat pocket.

“I’m parked out front, unless you want to take your car,” you started back toward the map room to get your bag.

The angel remained silent in answer.

You looked over your shoulder to find him studying the floor between his feet, arms swaying loosely at his sides.

Sensing your observation of him, he confessed, “I took the bus. I’m between vehicles.” His chin lifted, tone hopeful, “But since I do not require sleep, I can drive through the night. That is if you don’t mind me driving your car.”

“Yeah Cas, that’d be great,” you smiled warmly. Your heart went out to the angel - he served as proof first impressions can be entirely incorrect. He wasn’t some fierce all-powerful soldier unaffected by the injustices of the world. He experienced hurt just like the rest of humanity, and the only thing keeping you from running across the room and hugging the wounded angel tight was the thought that it might make the subsequent lengthy car ride a bit awkward considering you’d only just met. Fishing the keys from your pocket, you tossed them his way.

He caught them without looking, a small smile erasing the sadness from his aspect as he made his way to your side, “Dean sometimes allows Sam to drive his car. Even a demon, Meg, once, but never me.”

“Yeah, well Dean doesn’t drive a car, he drives a surrogate child,” you grinned, scooping up your duffle and making for the stairs.

Marching close behind you, he mused, “I always wondered why he refers to it as a baby.”

You halted at the landing to peer once again into the depths of the angel’s expressive ocean blue eyes, “Don’t tell him I said that.”

Eyes sparkling, Cas nodded assent to keeping your comment secret, allowing a charming half-smile to quirk his lip sideways.

Continue Reading Act II:

webcricket.tumblr.com/post/156992581745/nudge-theory

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flirting-with-psychology · 8 years ago

Text

On Saturdays, I like to… Chill

Where would you like to be a missionary to? A hot guy

What’s better — toilet paper rolled over top or underneath? Over the top

Which Scooby-Doo character are you most like (Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred, Velma, the monster, Scrappy?) I haven’t watched it

If you had to endure one natural disaster (i.e. hurricane, tornado, etc), what would you pick and why? Earthquake. But a minor one just so I could see what it feels like

What movie or TV show do you take guilty pleasure in watching? Pretty Little Liars. It’s only a guilty pleasure because I think all the characters suck but I watch it anyway to know what happens

If you had to describe your day as a traffic sign, what would it be? Yield

What traditional stereotype would you classify yourself as? Band geek

What “group” did you belong to in high school? The band kids, hence band geek

If you wrote a book about yourself…what would it be about? My many hundreds of crushes

If your house were burning down, what would you take and why? My stuffed animals Bruno and Muffin for sentimental value, my crush log and my computer because they have the important info

Describe your favorite pair of PJ’s. Purple and white stripes, sleeveless top and shorts

How many handbags do you own? A lot

If this were your last day alive, what would you say to your friends? I have no idea. I’d waste all my time trying to decide what to do

What is your very favorite part of your day? Seeing my friends if I get to

What is your best scar? Tell the story of how you got it. I was playing cats and dogs with my neighbor and ran facefirst into a brick planter

You win a million dollars, but you have to give half to a charity. Which charity do you pick, and what do you do with the rest of the money? Probably a humane society or something similar. Save some, shopping spree some

Describe your dream wedding where money is no option. Maybe a Disney wedding or a beach wedding

What kind of deodorant do you use? Secret

If you were a spy what would your alias be? One year I came up with the alias Summer Va Telle for a fashion line so maybe that

Do you have a birth mark? Where? Does it look like anything? I’ve got just some random freckles, no shapes

You are planning the most awesome dinner party of your life. Which 3 celebrities/historical figures (past or present) would you add to your guest list to keep the dinner talk interesting? J.K. Rowling, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Taylor Swift

What is your favorite sport, and which team of that sport do you cheer for? Football I guess, and my school’s team

Which would you rather have a kiss or a hug? Why? A kiss because it’s been awhile and it shows romantic/sexual interest

If you could be a pair of jeans what style would you be? Why? Flare jeans because that’s what looks best on me

You have multiple personalities, describe some of them. Idk?

What is the best thing you have done in your life? Some of my videos

If you were blind for the rest of your life… what would you miss seeing the most? Cute boys

What household chore do you hate the most? Vacuuming

What is your most disappointing moment in life? Probably the ever-growing stack of rejections from boys. Each one isn’t so bad on its own, but it adds up

When have you laughed the hardest? Cried? I can’t remember

If you had a “theme song” that played whenever you walk into a room full of people, what would it be? "I can hear the bells” from Hairspray

What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Their face or hair

What time period from the past would you most have liked to live in and why? Medieval times, although I’d probably hate it after I got over the romanticized-ness of it

What is the best reward anyone can give you? Love

If you had a band what would you name it? Idk

Do you like fruit? Vegetables? I like most fruit, I tolerate some vegetables but I don’t like them as much

What can someone do to encourage you? Show enthusiasm

If you could be one for just 24 hours, what cereal box cartoon character would you be? Why? Cap’n Crunch

What was the best thing that happened to you this weekend? Made the moment calendar

What is your favorite animal? List three adjectives to explain your choice. Wolf I guess? Idk about adjectives. I know I’m being boring but I’m tired

What is your favorite color? List three adjectives to explain your choice. Green

It’s a very hot and muggy day. You desperately want something very cool and refreshing to quench your thirst and revitalize your body. What would you drink — either make your own or store-bought. Lemonade

You discover that the person you’re head-over-heels interested in loves a good homemade & handmade dessert. What will you concoct when you have this person over? First of all I’d probably never get to have them over, second of all I probably would not make them anything because I’m a pussy and it seems to romantic when I’m trying my hardest not to be any more obvious than I already am, third of all I can’t cook

What would you leave in your will for the person you care about the most? I don’t know, I don’t really have anything other people would want besides to remember me by, so they can pick whatever they think is best

What do you consider to the most valuable thing you own: when you were a child/teenager/now? Child: Monetarily probably my American Girl dolls, emotionally my stuffed cat Muffin. Teenager: Monetarily my iPod, emotionally still Muffin probably. Now: Monetarily my laptop, emotionally Muffin and Bruno

What’s the kindest act you have ever seen done? I don’t know

If you could have any job in the world, which one would you want? Maybe making music videos

What are your best/worst subjects in school and what subjects would you want to learn now? Probably best at science, worst at writing. I’m majoring in film production and psychology

What are you most talented at? General creativity

What is your worst nightmare today? Spiders

How often do you clean between your toes? Shit I never think to do that

What is your favorite way to waste time at work without getting caught? Watching netflix, they don’t care if I waste time

If you could have had the starring role in one film already made, which movie would you pick? Phantom of the Opera

If you were to perform in the circus, what would you do? Animal tamer If you could eliminate one thing you do each day in the bathroom so that you never had to do it again, what would it be? Makeup removal

You were just given a yacht. What would you name it? Some pun on Star

If you could have been told one thing that you weren’t told when you were a teenager, what would you like to have heard? Lottery numbers lol. I honestly don’t know because I’m stubborn and I need to figure things out firsthand

You’ve just been hired to a promotions position at Kellog Co. What would you put in a new breakfast cereal box as a gimmick? A puzzle piece, and you have to find the person who has the other half. Or some form of that that you could do online because your partner might live on the other side of the world

Just like “Everybody Wang Chung tonight!”, what action would your name be if it were a verb? What?

Name your favorite song. Don’t have one at the moment If you were to get a tattoo, what would it say or what would the graphic be? Maybe Carpe Diem

If you could play any musical instrument, what would it be and why? If you already play an instrument(s), what do you play and why? I play clarinet, I like the sound I guess

When trick-or-treating as a kid, was there any kind of candy that you didn’t like to get? There were always ones I liked more than others. I guess I wasn’t a huge fan of the nut ones

Why do you live in the Washington DC area? I don’t

What is your favorite memory of Christmases past? I don’t have distinct Christmas memories because I celebrate Hanukkah

What is the most outrageous thing you’ve done for God? I don’t believe in God

If a movie was being made of your life and you could choose the actor/actress to play you, who would you choose and why? Maybe Lea Michele, I think she kind of looks like me, but other people don’t really see it

Paper or plastic? Plastic What was the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten? Orange peels

What do you keep in the trunk of your car? I don’t have a car

When you were in grade school, what did you want to be when you grew up? Why? A teacher, a scientist, and an artist, and I don’t feel like answering why because this is tumblr not english class and I don’t have to

If you owned a CB radio what would your “handle” be? What?

If you were given 24 hrs to live, what would you do? Blow it all trying to think of something good to do

If you were in the “Miss America” talent competition, what would your talent be? (Note: both guys & gals have to answer this question) Dancing? Idk, most of my talents aren’t really performable

What do you think the most ultimate gift of the world is? Love

What is your earliest childhood memory? I think I remember sitting under the table not wanting to turn 3

What was your favorite TV show when you were growing up? Clifford and Arthur

If you had one extra hour of free time a day, how would you use it? Waste it on Tumblr

What CD is in your CD player right now? I don’t have a CD player

The great theologian Andy Warhol stated that everyone gets 15 minutes of fame. What happened during your 15 minutes? Hasn’t happened yet

Name the most famous person you’ve had a face to face encounter with. I met Channing Tatum at the Telluride Film Festival while he was walking down the street and I asked for a picture and he said yes as long as we keep walking so we don’t draw too much attention and then he took the selfie on my phone

Name your favorite children’s story. Harry Potter

If you could spend 15 minutes with any living person, who would it be and why? Taylor Swift to talk to her about her songs

What person in the Bible do you most closely identify with? Lucifer? Idk

What article of clothing most closely describes your personality? Necklaces

If you were to write a book what would it be about? Something fantasy

How many rings before you answer the phone? Until I reach it

What is the first thing you think of when you wake in the morning? Going back to sleep, and whatever guy I’m into

If you won a million dollars, what would you do with it? Save most, buy a car, go shopping, go on vacation

If you had to, what part of your body would you get pierced? Another ear piercing

Who was your favorite teacher and why? Right now my film teacher because he’s fun and is basically the only teacher at my school who makes the kind of films I want to do

What makes you feel the most secure? People laughing at my jokes

Who do you admire the most? Tracy Turnblad from Hairspray

Have you ever had a reoccurring dream? What was it? I used to as a kid about hooks on the ceiling and gradually growing waves

What was your nickname growing up? Didn’t have one

Who was your hero when you were a child, and what did you do to be like them? Didn’t have one

Peanut or plain? Peanut or plain what?

What is your favorite cartoon character & why? Flynn Rider because he’s sexy af

How did you learn to ride a bicycle? My dad taught me

Based on something you’ve already done, how might you make it into the Guinness Book of World Records? Once I thought I could make the longest paper clip chain. I think I got it about 4 or 5 feet

What’s the closest you’ve come to becoming a pop star/winning an Oscar? I’m studying the same field of work, that’s about it

When was the last time you did something for the first time? What was it? Couple weeks ago my band went to a bowl game for the first time

What is your concept of a fruitful day? Idk spending more time accomplishing things than lazing around

What was your favorite thing to play with as a child? Why? Toy cats and dogs

If you could be any animal in the world for 24 hours, which animal would you be? Why? A cat, you can do a lot probably

Have you ever jumped out of a plane? No

If you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be? Spiders, if there were no adverse consequences in the balance of the bug ecosystem

What is your best personal characteristic? Creativity

What is your favorite quote? Carpe Diem

If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do? Spy on people and maybe pull pranks

What is your favorite weird food combination? Bagels and Sunny D

If you had to be a flower, which one would you like to be and why? A lily because they’re pretty

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three books and three people would you take with you? A survival guide, Harry Potter, a journal, a hot guy, an outdoors expert, a friend

My biggest pet peeve is… Annoying mouth sounds

What is your favorite commercial? What commercial annoys you the most? My favorite is the Audi Prom commercial. My least favorite is just whatever I’ve seen 10 million times in a row on youtube or streaming sites

What’s the most interesting “Ice Breaker” Question you have ever been asked? What’s your favorite thing about yourself

If you could be an ice cream flavor, what would it be? Why? Chocolate

Name a turning point in your life that makes you smile/cry. Joining band

If there were a holiday in your honor what would it celebrate? Singles Appreciation Day

What clubs were you a member of in High School? Are you still interested in any of the same things? Marching band which I still do, writers’ guild which I don’t

If you were to be on a reality TV show which one would you be on and why? Jeopardy

If you could be anything in the world, what would you be and why? Happy

If someone rented a billboard for you, what would you put on it? I’d try to make it creative

If you had to enter a competition for the “Most Uselessly Unique Talent,” what would your talent be? Touching my hands together behind my back so that they overlap

If you were a Smurf, what would your name be? I haven’t seen the smurfs

What is your worst personality characteristic? Not having anything to talk about

If you had to be a teacher of something, what would you teach? Elementary school

How would you like to be remembered? As funny, attractive, and creative

What is one thing that you constantly think about (other than material things)? Boys

What do you like best about your hometown? The playgrounds?

Something interesting you might not know about me is… I don’t think there’s anything interesting people don’t know about me at this point

#survey

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space--cadet-glow · 6 years ago

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Translation: “The Minish Cap” in German, Part 21: Slippery Slope of Droplets

We brave the Temple of Droplets and discover that... That... That... Oktoroks are wraiths now??? Here is my translation of the German version of "The Minish Cap" to English!

My translation key: DT: „direct translation" (translated word for word) EQ: “English equivalent” (as in, as close to an English-sounding sentence as it’s gonna get) DT/EQ: „"direct translation/English equivalent" (for when the DT is so similar to an EQ that it’s practically English already) OE: “official English (translation as given in the European English version of “The Minish Cap”)“ (NOTE:) "anything I need to point out” (exactly what it says on the tin) BG: „backwards German” for the Minish language in reverse form

My translation work under the cut.

ITEM GET: „Flossen erhalten! Drücke A zum Schwimmen! Drücke B zum Tauchen!" DT: „Fins received! Press A to (the) swimming! Press B to (the) diving!" EQ: "Received the Fins! Press A for swimming! Press B for diving!" OE: "You got the Flippers! Press to glide through the water and to dive!" (NOTE: Fins... Flippers... Same thing, right? Another wording could be "Press A to swim! Press B to dive!", but those are verbs, not nouns...)

Ezelo: „Brrr... Klapper!... Eine eisige Kälte ist das...!" DT: „Brrr... Rattle!... An icy cold/chill is this...!" EQ: "Brrr... Shiver!... An icy cold/chill this is...!" OE: "Brrr...chatter chatter... I'm freezing in here...!!"

Ezelo: „Wenn wir das Element nicht schnell finden, werden wir auch zu Eis!" DT: „If we the Element not quickly find, become/will we also to ice!" EQ: "If we don't find the Element quickly, we'll also become like ice!" OE: "If you don't find that element quickly, I'm going to turn into a hatsicle!!"

Ezelo: „Beeil dich, Link!" DT: „Hurry yourself, Link!" EQ: "Hurry up, Link!" OE: "Hurry up, Link!" (NOTE: Slightly idiomatic. Also, hey! Yahtzee! A line of dialogue finally matched up between translations again!)

Ezelo: „Ha-Ha-Halt!!! Der Boden ist ja aus Eis!!!" DT/EQ: „"St-St-Stop!!! The floor is indeed also ice!!!" OE: "What?! This floor is made out of ice!"

Ezelo: „Pass auf, dass du nicht hinfällst und auf mich fällst, Link!" DT: „Watch out, that you not fall over and on me fall, Link!" EQ: "Watch out, so you don't fall over and fall on me, Link!" OE: "Be careful not to fall and freeze your backside to the floor, Link!"

Ezelo: „Ooh! Das ist ja Tageslicht!!!" DT/EQ: „"Ooh! This is indeed daylight!!!" OE: "Hey! The sunlight's shining through!"

Ezelo: „Wie schön warm das Licht ist! Da geht es einem gleich viel besser!" DT: „How beautifully warm the light is! There goes it immediately much better!" EQ: "How beautifully warm the light is! It's immediately much better!" OE: "Ahhh... It's so nice and warm. I can feel myself starting to defrost again." (NOTE: Idiomatic...)

Ezelo: „Sieh mal genau hin. Da ist doch etwas im Eis eingeschlossen!" DT: „Look (softener) exactly (x). There is still something in (the) ice trapped!" EQ: "Take a close look. There is still something trapped in the ice!" OE: "Hm. It looks like something is frozen inside this block of ice..." (NOTE: „hinsehen"... And idiomatic with softeners... German Ezlo is the embodiment of the German language...)

Ezelo: „He, Link! Sieh doch!" DT: „Hey, Link! Look still/just!" EQ: "Hey, Link! Just look!" OE: "Link, why don't you go take a look?"

Ezelo: „Ja so etwas!" DT: „Indeed so something!" EQ: "Indeed, something like that!" OE: "Hey...!!" (NOTE: Idiomatic.)

Ezelo: „Link! Wir haben das Element gefunden!!!" DT: „Link! We (x) the Element found!!!" EQ: "Link! We found the Element!" OE: "Well done, Link! This looks to be the element, all right. But what will we do?"

Ezelo: „Aber leider... ist es von dickem Eis umschlossen." DT: „But unfortunately... is it of thick ice enclosed." EQ: "But, unfortunately... It is enclosed in thick ice." OE: "We can't even touch it while it's trapped in that ice..."

Ezelo: „So kommen wir nicht ran! Vielleicht kann man das Eis irgendwie schmelzen?" DT: „So get at we not (x)! Perhaps can one the ice somehow melt?" EQ: "So, we can't get at it! Perhaps one can melt the ice somehow?" OE: "We'll need to melt it off somehow..." (NOTE: „rankommen"... Idioms. German Ezlo will be the death of me.)

Ezelo: „Link! Wo bist du? Bist du noch da?" DT/EQ: „"Link! Where are you? Are you still there?" OE: "Link! Where are you? Are you still there under me?"

Ezelo: „Bei dieser Finsternis sieht man die Hand vor Augen nicht mehr..." DT: „With this darkness see one the hand (in) front (of) eyes no more..." OE: "In this darkness, you can't see your hands in front of your eyes anymore..." EQ: "It's so dark, I can't see my beak in front of my face!"

Ezelo: „Sei vorsichtig!" DT/EQ: „"Be careful!" OE: "Watch your step! I don't want you to trip over anything..."

Ezelo: „Oh!!! Tageslicht!!!" DT/EQ: „"Oh!!! Daylight!!!" OE: "Of course! Sunlight!"

Ezelo: „Wenn wir die andere Seite auch öffnen, können wir das Eis," DT: „If we the other side also open, can we the ice," EQ: "If we can also open the other side, we can" OE: "Once we get some sunlight in to melt the ice,"

Ezelo: „das das Element umschließt, wegschmelzen!" DT: „that the Element encloses, melt away!" EQ: "melt away the ice that encloses the Element!" OE: "that element will be as good as ours!"

ITEM GET: „Lampe erhalten!" DT: „Lamp received!" EQ: "Received the Lamp!" OE: "You got the Flame Lantern!" (NOTE: The English version could've literally just called it "Lantern"... And German went off the deep end with... "Lamp"... Bröther... Either way, this thing replaced the Fire Rod.)

ITEM GET: „Sehr praktisch! Einfach mit dem Knopf an- oder ausschalten!" DT: „Very practical! Simply with the button on- or turn off!" EQ: "Very practical! Simply turn it on or off with the button!" OE: "This handy item lights up the night! Press the button to turn it on or off."

Ezelo: „Du hast es geschafft, Link! Nun können wir uns das Element nehmen." DT: „You (x) it created, Link! Now can we us the Element take." EQ: "You did it, Link! Now we can take the Element." OE: "We did it, Link! Now we can take the element!" (NOTE: Idiomatic and conversational past.)

Ezelo: „Puh! Das war harte Arbeit..." DT/EQ: „"Phew! That was hard work..." OE: "That was a lot of trouble, but we finally did it, and..."

Ezelo: „...Nanu?!" DT/EQ: „"...Well?!" OE: "What in blazes!?"

Ezelo: „Irgendetwas stimmt hier nicht!!!" DT: „Something right here not!!!" EQ: "Something is not right here!!!" OE: "Hey, something's not right here!!"

Ezelo: „Wa-Was soll das denn?!" DT: „Wh-What should that then?!" EQ: "Wh-what is this about?!" OE: "What!? What's this?!" (NOTE: Idiomatic.)

Ezelo: „Dieses Kraken-Gespenst hat uns das Element weggeschnappt!!!" DT: „This Octopus-Wraith (x) us the Element snatched-away!!!" EQ: "This Octopus-Wraith snatched away our Element!!!" OE: "That stupid Octorok stole our element!" (NOTE: ...Octopus... Wraith...???)

Ezelo: „He! Steh nicht dumm rum, Link! Schnell, verfolge es!" DT: „Hey! Stay not stupidly (around), Link! Quickly, follow it!" EQ: "Hey! Don't stand around stupidly, Link! Quickly, follow it!" OE: "Don't just stand there! We've got to go get it! Link! Now!" (NOTE: „rumstehen"... And another way it could be is, "Don't stand around like an idiot, Link!".)

ENDGEGNER: GROßER OKTOROK (BOSS: LARGE OKTOROK) BOSS: BIG OCTOROK

ITEM GET: „Tropfen-Element erhalten!" DT: „Droplet-Element received!" EQ: "Received the Droplet-Element!" OE: "You got the Water Element!"

ITEM GET: „Das Tropfen-Element enthält die Kraft, Feuchtigkeit zu spenden." DT: „The Droplet-Element contains the power, moisture to bestow." EQ: "The Droplet-Element contains the power to bestow moisture." OE: "Water quenches thirst, ends drought, and nourishes life. The Water Element is the embodiment of that power." (NOTE: So, in other words, the Water Element is a leaky faucet.)

Ezelo: „Brrrrrrrrrrr... Puh! Ich dachte, mir friert die Nase zu!" DT: „Brrrrrrrrrrr... Phew! I thought, for me freeze the nose (x)!" EQ: "Brrrrrrrrrrr... Phew! I thought my nose was freezing!" OE: "Brrrrrrrrr... I almost froze my beak off in there!" (NOTE: „zufrieren"... Separated word nonsense again...)

Ezelo: „Wa... Was ist das denn?!" DT/EQ: „"Wh... What is that, then?!" OE: "Wh-wh-what?!?"

König Gustaf: „... ..." DT/EQ: „"... ..." OE: "... ..." (NOTE: Interesting. Very interesting.)

König Gustaf: „Kind..." DT/EQ: „"Child..." OE: "O young one..."

König Gustaf: „Kind, das du versuchst, Prinzessin Zelda zu retten..." DT: „Child, that you seek, Princess Zelda to rescue..." EQ: "The child that seeks to rescue Princess Zelda..." OE: "Child who seeks to aid the princess of Hyrule..."

König Gustaf: „Mein Name ist Gustaf..." DT/EQ: „"My name is Gustaf..." OE: "My name is Gustaf..." (NOTE: Pretty much every language calls him "Gustaf", except for Italian, which spells it "Gustav".)

König Gustaf: „Der König von Hyrule aus ferner Vergangenheit..." DT: „The King of Hyrule from distant past..." EQ: "The King of Hyrule in the distant past..." OE: "I was king of Hyrule, countless ages ago."

König Gustaf: „Komm hierher zu mir..." DT/EQ: „"Come hither to me..." OE: "Stand before me..."

König Gustaf: „Dann wird sich ein Weg öffnen..." DT: „Then will itself a way open..." EQ: "Then, a way will open..." OE: "Only then will the path open to you."

Ezelo: „Nanu? War das ein Traum? Eine Illusion?" DT/EQ: „"Well? What that a dream? An illusion?" OE: "Hmph! Was that...just a dream?"

Ezelo: „Er sagte, er sei der König von Hyrule, aber..." DT/EQ: „He says he is/was the King of Hyrule, but..." OE: "He said he was a king of Hyrule."

Ezelo: „Oh, Link, schau mal auf die Karte! Da ist etwas markiert!" DT/EQ: „"Oh, Link, look (softener) at the Map! There is something marked!" OE: "Wait! Look at your map, Link. There's some kind of mark on it."

Ezelo: „Also war es doch kein Traum!" DT: „So was it still/indeed no dream!" EQ: "So, it was indeed not a dream!" OE: "Hm. I guess that means it wasn't a dream!"

Ezelo: "Lass uns in der Heiligen Stätte das Element übertragen!" DT: „Let us at the Holy Site the Element transfer!" EQ: "Let's transfer the Element at the Holy Site!" OE: "We should head there once we've infused your sword with that element. To the elemental sanctuary!"

Aiya: „Der Pfeilköcher kostet 600 Rubine. Damit kannst du viele Pfeile tragen." DT: „The Quiver costs 600 Rubine. Therewith can you many Arrows carry." EQ: "The Quiver costs 600 Rubine. With that, you can carry many Arrows." OE: "That quiver for 600 Rupees! It holds many arrows, as you can see."

Aiya: „Kaufst du das?" DT: „Purchase you this?" EQ: "Will you purchase this?" OE: "Will you buy it?"

POSSIBLE REPLIES: „Ja." oder „Nein." DT/EQ: „"Yes." or „"No." OE: "Buy" or "Don't buy"

ITEM GET: „Großen Pfeilköcher erhalten! Jetzt kannst du mehr Pfeile tragen!" DT: „Large Quiver received! Now can you more Arrows carry!" EQ: "Large Quiver received! Now you can carry more Arrows!" OE: "You got a large quiver! Now, you can carry more arrows!"

Aiya: „Danke, dass du so viele Rubine ausgegeben hast!" DT: „Thanks, that you so many Rubine spent have!" EQ: "Thanks for spending so many Rubine!" OE: "Well! You ARE a big spender, aren't you? Thank you!"

#the bard of light rants #minish cap #the minish cap #the legend of zelda #the bard of light translates #the bard of light schedules #German #translation

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sierradorotheia · 7 years ago

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CURRENT FAVOURITES

Hey! So following up on some current favourites from the last one, almost five months later ♥

** SKIN CARE FAVES **

Kate Sommerville ExfoliKate Intense Exfoliator ~ this is in my FabFitFun Fall 2017 box that I was a bit hesitant to try on at first just because of my new found love in my Sephora charcoal exfoliator. ExfoliKate works better and not just because it’s on the pricier side- but because it really does work for my new acne’s. I use this every three days as a part of my night-time routine and I find that my skin soaks up my skincare products better right after.

Korean Face Masks ~ my brother’s girlfriend picked up some Korean face masks for me when she was in South Korea and we all know that the Koreans have a A+ rep with skincare products. I’ve retired peel-off masks just because it just never worked for me and I didn’t find it was worth the time. These face masks are so soothing and relaxing!

SK II Essence ~ my current skincare regimen breaks the bank but it’s the only one that works! I have finally taken the plunge and splurged on SK II essence and it’s the best decision I’ve had in a while. I know this essence is very pricey but because I only require four drops, twice a day, I know that the 160 ml bottle will tide over until the next Sephora VIB sale in November.

Essie Cuticle Oil ~ leaves my cuticles soft and easier to push back, and makes my manicure look better and healthier.

Dermelect Ridge Filler ~ another FabFitFun score. I love wearing this as is for about a couple days, and on the third day, I’ll usually apply my nail polish. It makes my nails look stronger. And did I say it looked just as pretty as is !

Verb Sea Shampoo and Conditioner ~ I recently decided to move on from drugstore hair products (i.e., whatever’s marked down at the grocery store) and use a higher-end line. Verb was actually not my first choice to try out, but my #1 is a bit on the pricier side so I decided to try something reasonable for now. The Verb Sea shampoo and conditioner together cost $32, which I can live with. The reviews were promising, so I decided to just buy it without sampling. I love the subtle smell, and the way it feels after blow-drying in the morning. I wash my hair at night and my scalp used to get extremely oily the next day with drugstore hair cares, and I never have that problem with these products. I also noticed the fallouts to be lesser and lesser. Loving my bouncy hair especially this summer season.

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish ~ I’ve had this product for God-knows-how-long, and for all I know, this stuff’s already expired... but it still works! I wish I can use this everyday, but I know I shan’t so I won’t. lol I use it during my makeup days and it improves my matte lipstick application.

Sephora Face Wipes ~ this is one of the items that I picked up on a whim while at a Sephora ~travel items~ counter, and I’m glad I did. I swear by my Garnier makeup remover but those don’t have that closure thingamajig so my last one just dried up when I forgot to close it properly. I tried the Sephora Coconut makeup remover wipes first, and I already ordered another one online of a different type.

Sephora Face Mists ~ do you ever just pick up something from Sephora when ordering online just so you qualify for a free deluxe sample? Just me? Anyway, this face mist was only bought for the deluxe sample reason and I was going through a phase of face-mist-craze so I figured why not? I got the coconut one first, and I fell in love with it- I liked the atomizer a lot, I liked the price point, and I like the soothing effects so I decided to purchase the other type. This is my go-to during no-makeup days (which is, every day) plus a spot-concealer. Can’t go wrong! I wish they make other kind in the future.

Boscia Makeup Remover Cleanser ~ I remember the days when I attempted to use a makeup cleansing oil and it did not quite workout well for me, but I realised it’s because I wasn’t using a makeup wipe BEFORE using the cleansing oil. I also noticed that using a makeup removing wipe didn’t cut it at times, so I decided to use a cleanser once again. I love the cooling effect right after removing a full day’s worth of makeup, and I can tell it’s really unclogging them pores. I still use my regular face cleanser afterwards, and I’m ready to zZz.

Jo Malone Mimosa and Cardamom Perfume ~ price-wise, this is luxury. I was looking for a new perfume for the winter and took the Sephora Fragrance IQ and this is one of the results. I’ve been relying a lot on the Fragrance IQ to decide my next scent, and so far, it hasn’t steered me wrong. I am obsessed with the subtlety of this scent- so feminine, so floral. I want to add “it’s so me...” but it’s really not. Haha...

Soap and Glory Body Scrub ~ I’ve been obsessed with body scrubs and I like to treat myself with a polish/scrub especially after a greasy workout. I wish I can use these scrubs everyday- but that’s detrimental to the skin of course! This is my current scrub, and I’ve used a few from Soap and Glory before. This has a nicer scent that lingers on my body throughout the night and I can still smell it the next day after tossing and turning and literally rubbing my body in my sheets. Again, I’ll use this everyday if I could!

** MAKEUP FAVES **

Too Faced Peach Perfect Foundation ~ I saw this as one of the top-rated foundations in Sephora so when I went in for my complimentary makeover, I requested to have this used on me. I like the consistency and how it has that blurring effect on my face, but at the same time, not being too cakey.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation ~ I’ve always wanted to try this foundation but because I need to be color-matched before buying, I’ve put off for a couple of years. I also requested for this foundation to be used on me during a Sephora makeover and at the time, I didn’t like how it felt on my face. I used the sample I requested after the makeover and I liked it the second time around, and the coverage is surely buildable. I like how it looks on my face after a long day of makeup- and definitely long lasting.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Mascara ~ I stopped buying full-size mascaras and just heavily relied on the deluxe samples I get from shopping online at Sephora since there is ALWAYS a sample available for the taking. I’m buying a full-size of this one, though, because of the clump-free application and its amazing wand. You can literally apply multiple coats without that spider-webb-y look.

False Lashes ~ I know I’ve been too late in on the false lashes wagon, but I just recently started obsessing over them . I know I still need PLENTY of practice but when makeup gurus say that falsies put the whole makeup look together, they are not lying! I have short, pathetic Asian lashes and adding falsies make a ton of difference. I mostly apply lashes on bare eyes (i.e, no shadows) and I love the natural look it gives. For now I’m just practicing on cheap, Walmart lashes such as Ardell, Kiss, and a few things from nailpolishcanada, and I’m hoping to master the ~art~ of applying with a full-on eye makeup look.

Huda Beauty Matte Lipstick in Venus ~ I purchased this as a Lip Contour set and it came with a lip pencil and another liquid lipstick, but I enjoy this lipstick on its own as I’d say this is the closest shade of my lips. It’s long-lasting and doesn’t feel tacky- almost as if you don’t have any lipstick on. And I also like that it’s good even without a lip liner.

Becca Luminous Liquid Highlighter in Opal ~ my new holy grail! Crazy to think that this was purchased as a deluxe sample and I ended up LOVING the heck out this. The first time I used it, I was amazed by the glow it created even underneath a setting powder. I can almost use it on its own, but it just makes topping it with a powder highlight more longer-lasting and popping.

Becca Luminous Highlighter in Opal ~ I tried the cult favourite Champagne Pop before as my first Becca highlighter and for me, it didn’t live up to the hype that much. I wish I tried the Opal highlighter first; this, paired with its liquid constituent- girl your highlight can and WILL be seen from space.

Becca Sunlit Bronzer ~ I feel like I’m always on a hunt for a good bronzer, especially it’s almost summer time and sometimes I just go for the bronzy, warm look. I like how this fits the bill- not too light compared to the Too Faced Chocolate bronzer- and not to dark like the Nars Casino bronzer.

** MISC **

Muscle Roller ~ this was in my FabFitFun Winter 2018 box and boy oh boy, this is my new bestie. It does work wonders especially on intense leg days (it can be leg WEEKS at my gym sometimes) and works best especially for those who are so bad at skipping foam rolling at the gym (you know who you are!)

Analogue album by Odie ~ it was an album J shared to me- he wasn’t even all hyped up, just pointing out how this kid sounds like Kid Cudi- but one day I just let the whole album play and I was blown away. Perfect chill tunes. And it helped that Odie’s reppin Toronto!

CupShe Bikini ~ I’ve been seeing CupShe on my Facebook feed but I never actually bought anything from them until I saw this cute bikini set that made me say “I oughtta have those!”. I figured it would be my first ever CupShe purchase, and with the $2 shipping to Canada, it sure won’t be the last. Another plus? There weren’t any duties/taxes fee when they arrived. How awesome!

Yoga Jeans ~ I can’t buy jeans online just because it’s never true to size for me. We have a local boutique in town and I’ve had my eyes on this brand for the longest time and one day I was just walking past the store and saw that they have a 25% off store-wide event and I thought it was a perfect time to get my hands on these. They fit like a dream, they have the length that looks good on my 5′4 figure, and the material is stretchable. I would definitely buy these even in full price! So worth it.

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