#finally giving jerry a proper design | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

honeyhan-123 · 4 years ago

Text

The Artist ~ III

Summary: When Steve meets the reader at an art class he immediately becomes enticed and maybe, just maybe, she can help heal his wounded heart.

Warnings: none (smut in later chapters)

Word Count: 2.6k

AN: I am so sorry it took my a while to come out with the next part of the series but I hope y’all like it. Also Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to everyone!

As always a massive thank you to the beautiful @imanuglywombat who designed the amazing moodboard.

Series Masterlist

My Masterlist

Part One ~ Part Two

Steve had woken up the next morning in a funk. It had started the night before when he had awkwardly walked back to the tower with Bucky. He wanted so badly to say something, to say anything to the other man but everytime he tried, he was just reminded of that night and his heart shuddered in his chest. He had thought they were finally in a good place again but it still hurt. He knew he was being selfish but he couldn’t help it. He had waited so long to finally get Bucky back and to have him so close but not in the way he wanted was torture for Steve.

It was as though the entire tower could feel Steve’s sour mood as hardly anyone bothered him throughout the day. He had spent most of it in the gym, either destroying yet another punching bag or sparing with his teammates as they drifted in and out of the room. The hours that he didn’t spend in the gym were occupied by a small amount of paperwork and mission planning.

They had recently caught wind of some illegal arm dealing off the coast of Portugal and while it would have normally been left to the authorities, they had reason to suspect they were dealing with alien tech so the team had been brought in. There wasn’t much information circling about it so Steve knew he still had a couple weeks to plan but it still made him slightly ansty being so unprepared.

The hours passed slowly but finally it was six o’clock and Steve felt no guilt as he packed up for the day. There was a slight spring in his step as he left Avengers tower with his sketchbook tucked under his arm and his sour mood from earlier was almost completely forgotten. His legs jiggled as he took the J train out to Brooklyn, equal parts nerves and excitement ransacked their way through his veins.

To help pass the time as the train rushed through underground tunnels Steve watched those around him. Not like he would on a mission trying to figure out whether or not they were actually civilians but as he imagined an artist would watch them. He tried to figure out how he would draw each and every and every passersby. He tried to memorise the way the old lady’s smile lines deepened as she spoke to who Steve assumed to be her grandson, or the way the little boy looked up to her with complete adoration in his eyes.

He felt so much more at ease than he had all day as he stepped off the train and began the short walk towards the studio, his mind never once drifting to his brunet best friend. Despite the darkening sky the streets were packed as people bustled around and Steve had to squeeze his way through the throng of people. He smiled as he passed a group of carolers despite it only being late November. The familiar tune of ‘Good King Wenceslas’ floated through his ears and he stooped to donate a hefty sum in their collection tin, earning him a round of ‘thank yous’.

The studio was only a block away so when he finally dashed up the steps, he could still hear the melodic voices of the group. As he pulled the door open, a warm gush of air washed over him and he couldn’t wait to get inside but he heard someone call out to him that made him pause.

‘Hey! Hold the door please!’ He turned as you came bustling up the stairs, your face barely visible behind the large canvass you carried. Steve stood back and ushered you in ahead of him and you gave him a small ‘thanks!’

Already starting to feel a little too warm in your multiple layers, you set down the canvass just inside the entryway and shrugged out of your heavy winter jacket. ‘It’s bloody cold out there isn’t it? I reckon we’ll get some snow for sure this year.’ Steve nodded his head somewhat absentmindedly, trying to tear his eyes away from you.

‘I - uh - yeah, I hope so. It used to snow heaps in the city when I was growing up but it’s been a while since we’ve had a proper winter.’

‘Oooh that must have been so nice! I’ve always wanted a white Christmas like in all those Hallmark movies but I grew up in Australia so that was never going to happen.’

‘You’re from Australia?’ The slight twang of your accent had been one of the first things Steve had noticed about you, but he thought maybe the average person wouldn’t have been able to tell. It definitely sounded like you had been in New York for a while.

‘Yeah, Melbourne actually. I moved here after university. I have no idea why though. Probably some preconceived notion that to be an artist, you have to struggle in New York for a bit first.’ You laughed as you mocked yourself and Steve smiled, knowing exactly what you meant. ‘What about you? Are you originally from the Big Apple or are you a newbie like me?’ Your eyes locked with his as you asked and Steve felt his smile deepen.

‘I was born and raised here in Brooklyn actually.’

‘Right of course, you literally said you grew up in the city earlier. Sorry about that.’ Steve shrugged away your apology telling you not to worry about it. The door was pulled open and you tried to move out of the way as a gust of cold air drifted inside following another class member who you smiled in greeting at.

‘We should probably head in, it’s nearly seven.’ Steve said as he checked his watch. ‘Do you need a hand with that?’ He gestured towards the large canvas leaning against the wall.

‘Oh yeah. If you wouldn’t mind? It’s just a bit awkward to carry by myself.’

‘Not at all.’ He easily lifted it into his arms and followed as you led the way down the hallway and into the studio. He had no choice but to follow as you headed towards one of the easels towards the front of the room, where you had sat last week. Even though he didn’t want to be noticed by the rest of the class, Steve couldn’t resist the temptation of sitting down in the empty stool next to yours.

He watched as you pulled out your oil paint and started setting them on a very used palette and Steve was reminded of last night. He wasn’t sure if he should bring it up, as you hadn’t mentioned yet, but he thought maybe you just hadn’t seen him. After all he and Bucky had been towards the back.

‘I uh, I saw you last night. At Ronan’s bar for the wine and art night.’ He clarified, determined not to seem creepy. ‘I was going to say hi but you seemed a little busy.’

‘Oh, really? I’m so sorry I didn’t even notice you were there! But how good is it!? $25 for unlimited wine plus some art fun. It’s just a shame they only run it during winter.’ You looked slightly remorseful and Steve couldn’t help but agree.

‘I didn’t realise that. I just found the flier over the weekend and decided to give it a try.’

‘Well I’m glad you did. If you don’t mind me asking, why the sudden interest in art?’

‘Oh, well I don’t know really. One of my friends, Nat, found my sketchbook that’s basically been abandoned the last few years and wouldn’t stop nagging me to get back into it. She and Tony are always pushing me to have a life beyond work.’

‘Tony as in Tony Stark?’

It only crossed Steve’s mind as he nodded that perhaps not all of Tony’s employees were on a first name basis with him. He needed to be more careful with the words that came out of his mouth. Eager to shift the conversation away from Tony he quickly divulged even more personal information. ‘I uh, I think it might have something to do with my friend, the one I told you about last time.’

‘Oh?’

‘Yeah, growing up he was practically always my muse and we’ve only recently found each other again - he had to go away for a while. Maybe it’s because he’s back again that I’ve found the inspiration…’ He drifted off, unsure of what he was saying. ‘That probably didn’t make any sense.’

‘No, no, it did. I totally get what you mean. I used to have this dog, his name was Bear and growing up I used to draw him all the time. But when he passed away, I just didn’t feel that spark anymore, you know? It took me a while to find it again but when I did everything just made sense again.’

Steve was refrained from replying by the entrance of Madame Maxine to the studio as she quickly called the class to order.

‘Today we have the wonderful Jerry modelling again. Since it is his second week, he will be modelling nude for us today.’ Her attention drifted back to Jerry who was wearing a dark red silken robe. ‘If you could please derobe Jerry and get settled into position B that would be brilliant.’ Jerry nodded and followed her instructions, setting himself down on the stool in front of the class. Steve had to admire his confidence. He knew that even if it was purely for art he could never model nude for anyone, he struggled enough doing promotional shots when he was fully clothed.

Steve was too aware of you sitting next to him for the next hour. Everytime you shifted on your stool or bent to mix some more paints he noticed and his eyes followed your movements. As a result his own sketch was barely half complete by the time the hour was up and the small bell rang. He would definitely be voting to keep the position.

Your painting on the other hand was beautiful. Despite the limited time you had not only managed to capture Jerry as he was, but also his essence. Steve was enraptured and stammered his way through a maze of compliments which you humbly shrugged away.

‘I just have experience with Jerry, he modelled last winter and he works here part time too.’

‘He works here?’

‘Yeah Maxine rents out the studios to aspiring artists if they need a large space. I had this massive project over the summer on three canvases that were each four by five meters and my apartment is a shoebox so it never would have worked if it weren’t for Maxine.’

‘Wow, that sounds impressive.’ Steve could hardly imagine working on as big a canvass as you were currently using, never mind one nearly three times the size. ‘How long did it take you to finish?’

You glanced down, slightly avoiding his eyes. ‘It’s not… well it's not technically finished yet. I’m so close to being done with it but I just…’ You trailed off, unsure how to put it into words.

‘There’s something missing?’ Steve filled in for you and you nodded eagerly.

‘It’s almost right but everytime I think it’s done I realise just how much I hate it and I have to leave the room to stop myself from painting over it again.’ Although Steve had never done something quite on the same wavelength he could relate to the need for perfection. He had lost count of how many pages he had ripped out of his sketchbook and thrown in the trash only to start all over again.

‘What’s it of?’

‘It’s a collection, mainly of my favourite places in New York and it’s all about the human footprint… or at least, it’s meant to be.’

‘If it’s anything like your painting of Jerry I’m sure it’ll be incredible.’

Steve didn’t have to be able to see it to know that your cheeks would be flushing with heat at his compliment. He didn’t understand why you doubted yourself so much, it was clear that you were incredibly talented. ‘Thank you, you’re far too sweet.’

Maxine clapped her hands once again calling the attention of everyone. ‘It is now that time where we decide if we would like Jerry to stay as he is or if we would like him in a new position. Raise your hands for the same pose.’ Steve eagerly raised his hand along with you and most of the class.

After a quick headcount Maxine nodded firmly. ‘Well that settles it, Jerry, if you would be so kind as to return to position B.’ Once again the silk robe fell to the floor as Jerry repositioned himself on the stool and Steve promised that he wouldn’t let himself get as distracted by you this time around.

By the end of the second hour Steve had a half decent looking sketch that paled in comparison to yours but he had long since resigned himself to its fate.

‘Your painting is amazing.’ He told you truthfully and you smiled up at him abashed.

‘Thank you Steve. That really means a lot.’

‘Well, it’s definitely true.’ Once again, Steve’s heart constricted in his chest as you flashed a sweet, bashful smile his way. He really felt a little ridiculous, being so completely enticed by someone he had only just met but being with you, it just all felt different.

He watched as you packed up your paints and helped you carry the drying canvas over to the corner of the room where Maxine said you could leave it for the night.

By the time you were by the coat rack you and Steve were the only students left in the studio, everyone else had filed out fairly quickly. Steve shoved his coat on and quickly plucked your own from the hook, holding it out for you.

He wondered briefly if he was perhaps overstepped but the smile of gratitude you flashed him put him at ease as you daintily slid your arms into the open holes. ‘Thank you.’

‘Anytime.’ He walked with you out of the building and down into the street.

‘Well, I’m heading this way.’ You pointed in the opposite direction of the train station and Steve felt a brief flash of chagrin. He wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye just yet and he got the feeling that you felt the same.

‘I’m the other way. But uhh…’ The invitation to coffee at a cafe just down the street was on the tip of his tongue as his phone rang. ACDC’s Back in Black rang through the cool night air, breaking any tension that had been building up.

You flashed what looked like a remorseful smile and raised a hand in farewell. ‘I’ll let you get that, but will you be at Ronan’s next week?’

‘Yeah, yes. I will.’ Steve hadn’t really thought about returning to the little bar but if that’s where you were going to be, that’s where he would be too.

‘Great! I’ll uh, see you there.’ You flashed him that sweet and bashful smile once more before turning on your heel and getting lost in the crowds of New York.

Steve watched you go for longer than he really should have and by the time he finally fished his phone out of his pocket Tony had nearly been sent to voicemail.

‘Tony, what’s going on?’

Tags will be added in a reblog

Series Masterlist

My Masterlist

Thanks for reading!

#Steve rogers #Bucky barnes #marvel #mcu #stucky #steve x reader

24 notes · View notes

everwitch-magiks · 4 years ago

Text

dance with somebody (ch. 16)

start from ch. 1 | back to ch. 15

When Dex steps into Chowder’s bedroom, his single knock on the open door no more than a nostalgic habit, these days, as opposed to a present requirement, he’s certainly not expecting to be faced with, well. With this.

“What’re you doing?”

Chowder looks up. He’s sitting cross-legged on the floor with a myriad of different colored post-it notes spread out around him. Dex crouches down, picking up a couple of the notes (yellow and pink, respectively) to skim through their contents. Louis, helped solve Halloween cupcake disaster, 2 points. Hops, volunteered to do dishes entire week, 6 points.

Dex raises both eyebrows towards Chowder. Chowder, meanwhile, is staring down at the colorful mess surrounding him with a decidedly troubled expression. He sighs.

“I’m figuring out my dibs.”

“With a points system?” Dex prompts. He’s not sure if he’s impressed or concerned. “Looks ambitious.”

“I just don’t want anyone to think that I’m being unfair,” Chowder explains glumly. He picks up a green post-it (Jader, gave up half his vanilla scone at breakfast, 1 point) and stares at it dejectedly. “Or that I don’t care about them. Oh no, what if I pick Jader, and then Joyo inevitably assumes that I hate him? I could never do that to Joyo."

“Dude,” Dex says. He’s trying very hard not to smile. “You don’t have to make a decision yet, you know? It’s not even Christmas.”

Chowder frowns.

“It's almost Christmas.”

“I suppose,” Dex agrees carefully. “Are you sure this isn’t just some big procrastination project? Got any big finals looming, hm?”

“Finals,” Chowder scoffs. “Are finals really more important than the precious feelings of our hardworking underclassmen?”

“Oh my God. What’s all this?”

Nursey strolls into the room without knocking. He places a kiss on top of Dex’s head and then plops himself down between Dex and Chowder, his hand lingering softly at Dex’s nape.

“Chowder is having a bit of a dibs crisis,” Dex fills him in.

“Oh, man. Hard same.” Nursey frowns. “I was dead set on giving mine to Ford. Of course Ollie and Wicks had to go and snag her, first.”

“She and Tango seem pretty happy up in the attic, though,” Dex points out. "And this way, you get to be hausmates with both of them this year."

“I suppose that's true," Nursey allows. Then he shrugs. "And I guess I’ve still got Louis. He’s let me borrow his good bluetooth speakers basically this whole semester, so. Might be an option."

“What?” Chowder exclaims. “No, wait, I might pick Louis. You two couldn't maybe give me some time to figure this out, before you stake your claims?"

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works, C,” Dex tells him gently.

“That’s definitely not how it works,” Nursey agrees, his grin playful yet his tone kind. “If there’s someone you have in mind, Chow, you should just go for it. You snooze, you lose."

Chowder whips his head around, aiming his wide, pleading eyes at Dex.

“You’re not considering Louis, too, are you?”

“Honestly? I wish I was considering anyone.” Dex sighs. “I would’ve gone with Whiskey, but obviously that’s out, and I feel like the Waffles have gotten this strange aversion to doing any of those dibs type favors for me since I became captain. I think they don’t want to act like they’re sucking up for the wrong reasons, or something.”

“Maybe give them some proper incentive?” Nursey suggests merrily. “If word got out that you’re, like, completely undecided about dibs, I’m sure both the Waffles and the Scones would be falling all over themselves to please you. Might be fun to watch.”

“Nah. I’ll figure it out eventually.” Dex shrugs. “Graduation is still really far away. I’m not gonna worry about it, yet.”

“It’s not that far away,” Chowder disagrees. He sounds serious. “Guys, it’s almost Christmas. That means we're graduating in less than six months.”

Dex very nearly flinches. Six months? How is that even possible?

“That can’t be right,” Nursey says slowly. His expression has turned uncharacteristically unchill. “Fuck. Why haven’t I applied to more grad programs, yet?”

“I need to start looking at job listings more seriously,” Chowder chimes in. He's looking down at his post-its with an expression that’s unusually difficult to read. “I guess I can't put it off forever."

“Hey,” Dex says. He’s trying his best to sound reasonable, despite his own inner turmoil. Suddenly, the feeling of Nursey’s hand that’s still resting at his nape seems more important than ever. “It’s not over yet. We’ve still got a whole semester.”

“Yeah,” Nursey says quickly. “Yeah, you’re right. And even after, it’s not like you guys are ever gonna be rid of me. Got your backs, remember?”

“That's true,” Chowder agrees quietly. He’s not smiling, Dex notes with no small amount of concern. Especially considering the fact that Chowder kind of hasn't smiled at all since the start of this conversation. His whole expression looks wrong, somehow, without that familiar spark of effortless joy. “It’s all happening so fast. I wish everything could slow down, just a bit.”

“We’re just gonna have to make every moment count,” Dex says firmly. Impulsively, he reaches for Chowder’s shoulder. “We’re here for you, man. You know that, right? We're always gonna look out for each other. Always."

“Of course. Yeah, of course.” Thankfully, that seems to do the trick – Chowders lips curl into a soft grin. "Ugh. I think I'm just gonna go through my notes for that UX design final one more time. Can't be more stressful than trying to choose a single Waffle for dibs."

"Or a Scone," Nursey reminds him brightly. "There's some good freshies, too, let's not forget."

"Says you, who's got your eye on Louis, too," Chowder points out with an amused roll of his eyes. "I may be panicking, Nurse, but I'm certainly not stupid."

"Ah, and here though myself completely subtle." Nursey grins. "Weren't you gonna study?"

"Actually, yes." Chowder gets to his feet, only to immediately pause. He narrows his eyes towards Nursey. "But if you lock down Louis while I'm stuck cramming user interface design techniques, you can expect some serious payback."

"Chill, man." Nursey's grin softens. "Look, I haven't actually decided on Louis yet, but if it would make you feel better we could have some sort of dibs treaty until the end of finals week. After that, it's anyone's game. Sounds good?"

"I suppose that’s fair." Chowder nods, and Dex is relieved to see the genuine smile he offers in return. "I think I left my books downstairs, so. See you guys later."

He pads out of his room, leaving Dex and Nursey alone in the sea of post-its.

Immediately, Nursey scoots a little closer to Dex.

"Just us, huh," he remarks, his tone a clear attempt at casual even though his smile indicates otherwise. "D'you wanna get lunch, or something?"

Dex hesitates.

"I've actually got some things I need to work on," he says carefully. "Could we maybe meet up later?"

"Sure. Of course." Nursey's response comes just a little bit too quickly. "That's chill, man. Whatever you need."

Dex studies his boyfriend's expression for a moment. It's been a concern of his, ever since he started setting aside time to work on his secret project, that Nursey might eventually start to realise there's something Dex isn't telling him. Dex has been monitoring carefully for any sign of doubt or confusion on Nursey's end, and this is the first time he thinks he's seeing exactly that in the subtle frown that's replaced Nursey's relaxed smile from a moment earlier. Obviously, it's the opposite of what Dex hopes to achieve with his secrecy.

Thankfully, the solution is very simple.

"Hey," Dex says quietly. "It's for you."

Nursey looks puzzled.

"I'm doing something for you," Dex clarifies. "That's why I've been a little busy, lately. It's going to be a surprise."

"Oh," Nursey says. He sounds surprised, already. "You're… Huh. What is it?"

Dex grins softly.

"A surprise. Duh."

Nursey raises a curious eyebrow.

"Don't I get a hint?"

"You really don't understand the concept of a surprise, do you?"

"Fine. Be that way." Nursey smiles a little excitedly, and Dex relaxes a bit. "I suppose I'll see you at dinner, then? The guys all want to go to Jerrys.”

"Actually, can we do dinner just you and me?" Dex asks quickly. "There's been so much team stuff, lately, and I've honestly kind of missed us. Tonight, I want to just... Order in. Preferably from someplace that makes a mean garlic bread. And after, we should put on Netflix and get in bed so I can cuddle you while you rant about the dubious plot changes in another one of those Austen adaptations."

Nursey blinks. For some reason, he's staring at Dex with a serious look in his eyes, one that's only vaguely familiar.

"What?" Dex asks, a little self-consciously. Was it something he said? “You like those period dramas. Don’t you?”

Nursey drops his gaze. He takes Dex's hands in his and holds them gently, almost like they're something delicate, like Dex is someone precious and worthy of protection.

"You're in love with me," he says quietly. "Aren't you?"

Oh, shit.

It's true, is the thing. And honestly, Nursey can’t have been unaware of it up until this moment. Really, he must have known. Dex might never have said it in so many words, and they’ve technically only dated for a few months, but it’s not like either of them are blind to the fact that they were dancing around this thing between them for several years, before. That goodnight kiss out on the porch at the very first kegster of the fall was never the beginning.

Dex briefly considers making some sort of joke to downplay this moment, if only to stop Nursey from being completely obnoxious about it in a minute or so. Except, the heavy look in Nursey’s eyes compels him to make a different choice.

"Yeah," Dex says, almost steadily. "I am in love with you. Quite hopelessly, actually."

Nursey’s breath hitches. He squeezes Dex hands tightly, and then he’s leaning over, capturing Dex’s lips in a fiercely desperate kiss that leaves Dex completely breathless. And if Dex didn’t feel it so completely, just then, in every achingly delicate touch of Nursey’s fingers against his cheek, his throat, all the way down his chest, he might’ve been a bit anxious about the fact that, technically, Nursey didn’t actually say it back.

As it is, Dex isn’t worried. If anything, he’s amused.

“You’re welcome,” he chirps gently after they break apart. “I guess I should be thankful you didn’t just tell me to chill, or whatever.”

“Fuck you, man,” Nursey breathes out, his voice breaking in a way Dex didn’t expect at all. “Also, just, shut up, okay? You already know that I’m writing literal fucking poetry about you, about your freckles and your eyes and your hips and your smile and your stupid fucking lips, okay. I’d like to think you’ve been able to safely assume that I’m more than casually into you.”

“I’d like to think that’s the impression I’ve given you, too,” Dex says slowly. He feels a little confused. Suddenly, he’s tempted to drag Nursey across campus to the wood workshop and just show him, right now, to expose everything that he’s dreaming and hoping and wishing. “Nursey. Hey, Nurse. Look at me.”

“No, you’re right.” Nursey takes a breath. He meets Dex’s eyes with a watery smile. “I don’t know, man. It just hits differently, when you say it out loud. Feels more real. It’s like you spoke it into existence.”

“Maybe something for your next poem,” Dex teases gently. This moment feels too fragile, somehow. He racks his brain for some way to break the tension. “Did you ever read me the one about my hips?”

“Um.” Quickly, Nursey looks away, his smile suddenly more of a bashful grin. Bingo. “Did I mention that one, just now?”

“You did.” Dex grins, too, taking in Nursey’s clearly flustered expression with interest. Oh, this is gonna be good. “Tonight, okay? Read it to me, tonight.”

“I don’t… It’s not my most coherent work, probably.” Nursey clears his throat, and Dex grins a little wider. It’s not often that he manages to make Nursey this unsettled. “I mean, I’ll see if I can find it.”

“Suppose I’ll just have to inspire a new one, if you don’t,” Dex suggests slyly.

“Actually,” Nursey breathes out, already moving to climb into Dex’s lap. “That sounds-”

“Oh my God!” Chowder exclaims from the still open door. “We’ve been over this! You both have your own rooms, okay, you’ve literally got zero excuses for getting your freak on right in the middle of-”

Dex presses his lips briefly against Nursey’s before scrambling to his feet, quickly slipping past Chow into the hallway.

“Sorry, Chowder!” he calls out over his shoulder as he takes the stairs two steps at a time. “Love you, Nurse! Bye!”

“That’s a fine, isn’t it?” Pips calls from the living room as Dex practically sprints past. “Hey, wait! Major fine! Pay the fuck up!”

Dex let’s the door to the Haus fall shut behind him. As he makes the now familiar trek across campus, he doesn’t stop smiling for a single moment.

ch. 17

#check please #omgcheckplease #omgcp #will poindexter #chris chow #derek nurse #nurseydex #dexnursey #dibs #friendship #romance #chirping as flirting #dance with somebody #evie writes #fanfiction

27 notes · View notes

existentialvoidofexistence · 4 years ago

Text

50 questions tag

Tagged by @inevitable-anna

1) what colour is your hairbrush? I have a black comb that i use sometimes, but I rarely brush my hair unless I’m washing it bc it goes frizzy and I’m very lucky to never get knots

2) name a food you never eat. Anything with soy sauce

3) are you usually too hot or too cold? Both, sometimes at the same time

4) what were you doing 45 minutes ago? Sleeping I think

5) what’s your favourite candy bar? Cadburies fruit & nut

6) have you ever been to a professional sports game? Yeah it sucked i hate football, but the local basketball team is pretty cool

7) what’s the last thing you said out loud? Yelling “love you too” down the stairs to my dad as I got ready for bed I think

8) what’s your favourite ice cream? Not a big fan of ice cream but either a 99 or ben & jerries phish food

9) what was the last thing you had to drink? Excluding water bc that’s boring it would have been slightly flat irn bru

10) do you like your wallet? Idk I don’t particularly have strong feelings about my wallet it’s okay I guess

11) what was the last thing you ate? Pizza I think

12) did you buy any new clothes this weekend? No but I bought this case.

13) what’s the last sporting event you watched? Bold of you to assume I would willingly watch sports

14) what’s your favourite flavour of popcorn? Salt is the only acceptable flavour

15) who was the last person you texted? I’m assuming sc messages count so the gc with my sister and my ex-gf-turned-best-friend

16) ever been camping? Many times I love it

17) do you take vitamins? Not particularly i do occasionally though

18) do you go to church every Sunday? Im not Christian so no

19) do you have a tan? Only on my arms

20) do you prefer chinese or pizza? Pizza, but like proper homemade/restaurant pizza not shitty takeaway pizza. If ur getting a takeaway get curry or fish and chips they’re the best.

21) do you drink pop with a straw? If they give me a straw yeah but i wont go out of my way to get one

22) what colour socks do you usually wear? i only replaced my school socks last week so probably still white

23) do you drive over the speed limit? I don’t have a full license yet so I don’t drive

24) what terrifies you? Dead bugs and also Adolphus Huxley’s A Brave New World. And lowkey moomins.

25) look to the left what do you see? Cheese

~~~ several weeks later ~~

26) what chore do you hate the most? So long as my brother also has to do chores I’m not fussed

27) what do you think when you hear an Australian accent? Ongoing genocide and systematic oppression of the indigenous peoples

28) what’s your favourite kind of pop? Irn bru

29) fast food or drive in? Neither i can make much better food myself thanks

30) what’s your favourite number? 11

31) who’s the last person you talked to? My mum

32) favourite cut of beef? Mince but u gotta season it with nutmeg and stock and either worcestershire sause or paprika and cumin and be at least 50% carrot or ur doing it wrong

33) last song you listened to? What If Tomorrow Comes (I finally watched Black Friday with my sister)

34) last book you read? The Wide Awake Princess by E.D. Baker (shhhh i loved it as a kid)

35) Can you say the alphabet backwards? lol nah

36) favourite day of the week? Thursday bc it’s D&D day

37) how do you like your coffee? In tiramisu

38) favourite pair of shoes? My comfy red boots, my black low-heeled combat boots, or my nice tan sandals, depending on my outfit and the occasion

39) what time do you usually wake up? 9:30-10:30

40) sunrise or sunset? Sunrise

41) how many blankets are on your bed? One and a duvet but its too hot for either rn

42) describe your kitchen plates. Old and white

43) describe your kitchen at the moment. Smells nice

44) do you have a favourite alcoholic drink? Probably some kind of cocktail but I haven’t been to a restaurant or pub since turning 18 bc lockdown so my opinions are currently limited to “beer and wine/champagne/prosecco suck” and “vodka and cider are ok I guess”

45) do you play cards? You’re not really on holiday unless you play cards at least every other day

46) what colour is your car? Don’t have one but the family one’s grey

47) can you change a tyre? I’ve never even seen anyone change a tyre

48) favourite state/country/provence? Almería! We used to go to a lil town called Huercál and it was great. Especially the restaurant/bar thing just out of town, it was run by a guy called Eneth and there was a big-ass open fire at the end of the room where he cooked everything, and also a bunch of dogs and birds - if ur in the area go see if it’s still there for me 💚

49) favourite job you’ve ever had? The week i spent working at the children’s trust charity in the accounting department (it was work experience dw im not useless enough to get fired after a week)

50) how did you get your biggest scar? idk which is biggest probably the one from where i whacked my head on the shutter of an ice cream stall and had to get it glued back together

~~~

Tagging @femmebos @mexicanfairy @clockwork--frog @aveasorae @lilolilyr @showstoppingnumbrr @just-a-side-kick @a-little-slice-of-fandom @sunflowermycelium @mischief-pixie @jane-seemore @lucyisanerd @spiiderbiites @youvebeengnomed @peanutworm @cliyoh @sunrise-designer @isappho @woulddieforkhoward @the10amongstthese3s @bi-owen-harper @writingvenusian @the-quiver-of-aros @dontforgetpluto

(Obviously theres no obligation to fo it its rlly long but like... I love y’all and im interested)

9 notes · View notes

insanityclause · 5 years ago

Link

I don’t think that Harold Pinter intended his play “Betrayal” to be a comedy; its subject matter doesn’t particularly lend itself to being one. But the current production at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway may set critics and theater historians alike into a philosophical frenzy about the humorous subtext of Pinter’s semi-autobiographical play.

Starring Zawe Ashton, Charlie Cox, and an indomitable performance by Tom Hiddleston, “Betrayal” is loosely based on, or inspired by, Pinter’s affair with BBC personality Joan Bakewell.

Told in reverse chronological order, it starts where the story ends, with Emma (Ashton) telling Jerry (Cox) that she has told her husband, Robert (Hiddleston) — Jerry’s best friend — about their affair, which technically ended two years ago, but took place over the course of seven years.

What Jerry — whose wife is mentioned, but not seen, on stage — doesn’t know at the time is that Robert has known about the affair for four years.

What follows is a trip back through time, visiting prominent points in their interaction with each other, including Emma and Jerry’s break up, Robert’s discovery of the affair, and of course, the start of the affair.

These moments naturally play out with a significant weight, displaying the fissures that can crack the foundation of love and romance, but there is a brilliant undercurrent of satirizing British propriety in the midst of the various betrayals that occur throughout the story.

It’s so funny that it’s almost shocking that Robert holds himself with such decorum with Jerry in the scenes that take place after the audience is aware that he knows of his wife’s infidelity and his friend’s betrayal.

It’s almost like his own pride doesn’t allow him to admit defeat. Or that defeat will not shake his definition of proper conduct when addressing Jerry directly. What makes it work is Hiddleston’s delivery of dry witticisms that sound almost self-deprecating, but also stabs into the hearts of the two people he refuses to give up in spite of their cuckolding of him.

Most people in the U.S. may know Hiddleston as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he is so much more of an actor. He is phenomenal. The moment he does emotionally open up as Robert is powerful. The amount of waterworks and emotion coming out of almost every crevice in his face when Emma admits her affair to him is astounding and I’m impressed if he is able to pull that off at every performance. It is bold, courageous, and impeccable.

Cox — also a Marvel alum from the Netflix “Daredevil” series — is also great as Jerry, but there seems to be a disbelief that Emma would choose an affair with Jerry, especially as the final scene plays out, which makes her going forward with it seem unintentionally laughable. I almost would prefer to see Cox and Hiddleston reverse roles as Hiddleston comes off more sexually dynamic than Cox does and may be more convincing as the seducer.

Ashton, though, is the excellent glue that holds the plot together. Considering the play’s title, she doesn’t betray her character’s motivations to either man unless she has to. For at the beginning of the play, she admits that she has moved on from Jerry to a client of his. Ashton makes sure that Emma is in complete control of her relationships, even when she admits her affair to Robert.

Does she regret anything she does in the play? That’s open for interpretation. She has apparent chronic infidelity issues, so her empathy for both Robert and Jerry remains questionable.

Also fantastic is Soutra Gilmour’s scenic design along with Jamie Lloyd’s direction. Gilmour’s minimalist set along with Lloyd’s staging creates a beautifully fluid and intimate presentation. Using two chairs and a dual turntable stage, the transitions between scenes are very fluid and efficient and utilize the presence of the characters not in the scene — but on stage — beautifully, keeping them ever present in our minds.

Everyone involved excellently executes “Betrayal,” and Hiddleston in particular, is an early contender for best actor.

43 notes · View notes

bilbos · 6 years ago

Text

Pretty Stranger || Colin Wilson

word count: 6.8k

requested: yes || no

author’s note: written for the lovely @thepensieve <3 this is also an au where Colin has just moved to Seattle and isn’t a hockey player!

~ ~ ~

You sigh, laying down on your quilt. It’s a sunny day out and it’s oddly warm for this time of year. Normally, June isn’t extremely hot, but today is defying that. As such, almost everyone is out enjoying the weather at Green Lake, but it’s nice being around so many cheerful people. There’s something refreshing about it and brings a small smile to your face.

Currently, you’re trying to sketch out a couple of tattoos for some clients of yours. They’re pretty open with the designs and you can’t decide if that makes it easier or harder to design them. So far, you’ve settled on two designs and are trying to come up with one more. Working at one of the more reputable tattoo parlors means that there was never a shortage of clients that were waiting to be impressed, so you always spent more time than necessary working on what was asked of you.

You close your eyes for a few seconds, meaning you don’t notice the cat that’s decided to curl up on your blanket. It’s only when you roll over and almost smoosh her that you notice her. She’s a tabby and an absolute sweetheart, bumping her head into your hand, hoping for some scratches.

“What are you doing here, sweetie?” you whisper.

She settles back down once you start petting her. You notice a collar on her, and slowly go to check it. Thankfully, there’s a number on there and you give it a call.

“Hello?” a voice answers, confused.

“Uh, hi, I think I have your cat?” you reply. “I’m over at Green Lake, the part near Ben and Jerry’s.”

“Oh! I didn’t even notice she left! I’ll be there…soon?” the person says. “I live a few blocks from the lake, so I don’t know how long it’ll take me.”

“No worries, I think she’s content laying right where she is,” you reply. “Oh! I’m also on a yellow quilt if that helps?”

“Thank you! I’ll be there soon,” the person says.

You set your phone down and pick your sketchbook up again. This has been an odd addition to your day, but definitely not unwelcome. It’s about fifteen minutes later when you notice a cute guy looking around, a bit confused. When he notices you, he smiles and walks over.

“Hey, I think you found my cat?” he asks.

“Yeah, this would be her,” you answer.

“I appreciate you calling, she’s been sneaking out a lot more,” he explains. “It’s just been so warm and I don’t have air conditioning yet, so I’ve been leaving the windows open.”

“She sure is adventurous,” you comment. “But, uh, I hope you have a good day!”

“Oh, uh, yeah, thank you,” he replies, as he picks up his cat.

He does a sort of awkward wave as he walks off. You shake your head a bit and decide to call it a day. Obviously, you aren’t going to be able to focus anymore on the designs, so you start packing up. There’s always tomorrow to finish them up since you still have some time before the final consultation meetings.

~ ~ ~

Even though Green Lake isn’t a convenient place to hang out considering that you live in Wallingford, it’s still one of your favorite places in Seattle to chill. There were other great parks, but at least here, there was a bit more to lend a bit of inspiration for you.

It’s been a couple of weeks since you were last there, and there were even more designs you needed to work on, so it’s time to buckle down. You were there for a couple hours when you notice a cat walking up to your quilt. It appears to be the same one from when you were here last. Sighing, you call the owner’s number again.

“Uh, hello?” the owner greets.

“So, uh, your cat got out again? It’s the same person from a couple weeks ago,” you explain. “I’m in the same spot.”

“I’ll be there soon,” he sighs.

Not too much later, you see him walking towards you again. He smiles softly and picks up his cat. She meows loudly and looks mildly upset that she’s being picked up.

“I guess I really should get on that air conditioning thing, huh?” he says to his cat. “Can’t have you keep sneaking out on me, sweetie.”

You laugh. “I think that would be smart. It doesn’t ever really get too hot here that often, especially this time of year, but when it does, it’s completely miserable.”

“No doubt about that,” he replies. “I’m Colin, by the way.”

“Y/n,” you reply. “Well, I hope she doesn’t sneak off for the rest of the day.”

“Thank you again!” he says, awkwardly waving again.

You just shake your head, smiling and getting back to your designs.

~ ~ ~

It takes Colin’s cat sneaking out to Green Lake and laying on your quilt four more times before he actually decides to sit and talk with you. Not that you were hoping for it before, but you’re definitely not complaining now.

“So, what is it that you’re doing out here so often?” he inquires.

“I’m a tattoo artist and I’m working on designs for final consultations,” you answer.

“Oh, that’s cool! Do you always come out here to work?”

“Only when it’s nice out. Otherwise, I just go to one of the five million cafes here.”

Colin snorts. “5 million seems to be a low estimate.”

“Ah, see I was just talking about Wallingford alone.”

“Wallingford?”

“Uh…yeah, it’s one of the neighborhoods here. Right next to this one, actually,” you explain.

“I’m new here, so I haven’t learned all the neighborhoods yet. But you drive all the way out here to sketch?”

You shrug. “It’s nice out here and I used to come here all the time as a kid. It gets pretty busy when it’s nice out, but it’s not as bad as some of the other parks.”

“Oh, that’s neat.”

You laugh softly as you nod. “So, you’re new, huh?”

“Yeah, I came out here for a job and I haven’t had a chance to explore much.”

“I could, uh, show you around if you want? Unless you already have someone to show you around?”

“I actually don’t. That would be really nice.”

You smile. “Well, you already have my number, so let me know when you’re free!”

“Sounds good, y/n.”

~ ~ ~

The first place you insist on taking Colin to is the Seattle Art Museum and Pike Place Market. There’s an amazing exhibit going on at SAM that you’ve been wanting to check out and considering it’s so close to the market, it would be a shame to not go there as well. You also insist on taking Colin to breakfast at one of your favorite places: Biscuit Bitch.

“They’re able to advertise like that?” Colin asks, hesitant.

“Dude, they’re food is good enough that they can probably get away with worse. Trust me, you’ll fall in love,” you explain.

Colin takes your word for it and is definitely impressed. “Well, I hope the rest of the day lives up to this.”

“Considering I’m taking you to one of the most iconic parts of the city soon, it better live up to it.”

He laughs as he follows you to the museum. SAM looks pretty boring from the outside, seeing as part of it is a boring grey building. But when you step inside, it feels like a proper art museum. Colin seems intrigued.

“Any particular reason that you wanted to take me here?” Colin asks. “I thought we would go straight to the market.”

“There’s something special about this place. And it helps give you a better idea of the history of Seattle.”

“I thought this was an art museum, not a history museum.”

You shrug. “They overlap a lot.”

Colin takes your word for it and follows you through the museum. He seems interested enough, but you can tell that this definitely isn’t what he would normally do in his free time. However, you decide to keep looking through the different exhibits, making the ticket price worth it.

A couple hours later, the two of you make your way out to the streets again. Colin was pretty quiet throughout the museum, so you hope the market will give you both some energy back again.

“Ready to check out the market? We can grab some lunch down there as well,” you suggest.

“Yeah, I’m down for that. That’s where the cheese place is at, right? I keep hearing about this cheese place I need to try.”

“Ah, yes, Beecher’s. We’ll definitely go there. I’ll have to take you to the chowder place some other time, then.”

Colin smiles. “Glad to know that you aren’t tired of me yet.”

You snort. “Please, you let me hang around SAM for hours, even though I could tell you were getting bored.”

“I wasn’t getting bored.”

“Colin, you don’t have to lie about it. I know that it can be a bit boring sometimes, I’m not too offended.”

He laughs and follows you down to the market. After walking out of the dining part of the market, everything becomes much livelier. Colin looks around, excited.

“Where should we go to first?” he asks.

“There’s some cool shops right around the corner here.”

He follows you, grabbing onto your wrist as the crowd thickens for a moment. You smile softly and don’t bother to say anything when he doesn’t let go. When the two of you get into the main shop area, Colin looked around, curious.

“I heard something about fish throwing?” he asked.

You nod. “It’s right over here, but I can’t guarantee that they’re doing anything, though.”

“Can I catch one?”

“If you buy it.”

He frowns for a second. “I’m debating if I want to carry a fish around all day.”

You snort. “Please, nobody will care here. And this is our last stop for the day, so you won’t have to worry about stinking up your car.”

“Oh, this is it?”

“What do you mean this is it?” you asked, slightly shocked. “Wait, are you being sarcastic? Please tell me you’re being sarcastic.”

Colin laughs, as he nods his head. “Today’s been amazing, y/n. Thanks for getting me out of the house today.”

“Let’s just hope your cat didn’t come looking for me today. You did close the window, right?”

“I’ve been super careful, I promise.”

You roll your eyes as you stop. Colin looks around briefly, then smiles when he notices that you’re at the fish market. Thankfully, a couple of people have bought fish, so he gets to see them singing. Afterward, the two of you meander around all the shops, enjoying some of the weirder items that are being sold.

“I think it’s time for you to be introduced to Beecher’s.”

~ ~ ~

It’s a few weeks later, and well into July, when you and Colin take another day for a mini-tour of the city. You weren’t quite sure what to do with him at first, but then you decide on taking him to Queen Anne. There’s a coffee place that you want to go back and visit, but you didn’t have enough of a reason until now.

“So, what’s the plan for the next adventure?” Colin asks.

“Queen Anne, but since the parking is kind of a bitch over there, we’re going to walk a bit to explore there,” you answer. “I hope you like stairs.”

“You’re gonna make me walk up stairs? I thought you liked me,” he whined.

“It’s not that bad. Besides, there’s some amazing views there. Like Queen Anne has one of the best views of Seattle and it’s easier if we walk there. I promise it’ll be worth it,” you explain. “And if you really hate it, then you can just uber back to your car.”

Colin huffs. “Fine. But only because our first trip was so much fun.”

You smile brightly at him and you notice a faint blush on his cheeks. The Galer Crown stairs are one of your favorite parts of Seattle that isn’t super popular. People hate the idea of stairs enough to avoid it, so it’s never been too crowded. And it’s a wonderful way to see the city in a new light as well.

The next time the two of you are free is on a Saturday, which means traffic is a bit rough, even for an early morning. Thankfully, there’s still parking at the bottom of Queen Anne and as you hop out of the car, Colin just groans.

“I can’t believe I agreed to this. It was a horrible idea, really,” Colin comments.

“Oh, please, like you weren’t texting me nonstop about this for the last week.”

“Honestly, I should really stop hanging out with you after this. I do enough exercise at work.”

“Colin, your cat would never forgive you if she never got the chance to see me again.”

“She sneaks out enough to see you, I think you’ll both live.”

“Maybe I’ll just keep her then.”

Colin gasps. “You wouldn’t dare.”

You just smirk.

“God, I can’t believe I agreed to this,” he sighed.

“Just shut up and follow me,” you say. “I promise it won’t be that bad after the first 100 stairs. You just get used to the pain after that.”

Colin just groans again as the two of you start walking. After about half an hour, you take a right instead of continuing up the stairs. Colin looks at you, slightly confused, but you can tell that he’s relieved that the stairs have stopped for time being.

“Where are we going?” he asks.

“You know how I said Queen Anne has one of the best views of Seattle? I hope you’re ready for this,” you reply.

A few minutes later, the two of you are walking into Kerry Park and Colin just stops for a moment, taking in the view. You smirk, knowing the feeling.

“It’s even prettier at night,” you comment.

“How can it get prettier?” he whispers.

“Trust me, the city never stops amazing you, I promise. I’ve been living here for almost my whole life and it hasn’t stopped yet.”

Colin just smiles and walks up to the railing. You let him have his moment, remembering how in awe you were the first time you came here. No matter how many times you’ve come here, you always enjoy the view of your city, but there’s just something magical about seeing it the first time.

“Can we just call it a day here?” Colin asks, hopefully.

“It’s only a little bit longer and then I promise we’ll be done. There’s a café I want to take you to.”

“But there’s so many cafes here, I think we can skip out on this one,” Colin tries to reason.

“Trust me, El Diablo is worth it. It’s honestly the best coffee in this neighborhood, I swear.”

“You better not be lying, because if you are, we’re really going to stop talking.”

“You know, you’re finally starting to settle in here. Only someone truly from Seattle would break up a friendship over a coffee.”

“No, that’s just common sense,” Colin replies.

You raise an eyebrow.

“Okay, fine, maybe I am becoming a bit snobbish about my coffee,” he replies, petulant.

It takes another 15 minutes to get to the café, but you can tell Colin is liking the vibe so far. This place has a super laid-back aura to it, and doesn’t even feel like it’s in the middle of the city. It’s also one of the few places in the more expensive part of the city that doesn’t feel like it, either.

“I’d suggest one of their special hot chocolates. The spicy one is particularly good,” you remark.

“Okay, last time I checked, I’m one of those white people who can barely handle a jalapeño,” Colin replies.

You snort. “It’s not that type of spicy, I promise.”

Colin looks at you hesitantly, but then nods. “I’ll give it a go, but you’re gonna owe me so much if I don’t like it.”

“You got it.”

You order for the both of you, as Colin grabs a table near one of the windows with comfy chairs. When you sit down with him, he smiles.

“I’ve been having a really good time with you,” he comments.

“Well, I sure hope so,” you joke. “But I’m glad. I know it can be really hard to make friends here.”

Colin shrugs. “It isn’t the worst. I just think making friends as an adult is hard. There’s always so much going on.”

“Just have to keep things fun and understand that everyone is busy. Besides, quality over quantity at this point.”

Colin nods. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

~ ~ ~

Things for you and Colin get a bit hectic from there on out. Colin gets busier with his jobs and has his weekend in the middle of the week. Now there’s a surge of students leaving for college, your free time gets packed with friends getting matching tattoos.

When it’s all said and done, it barely leaves any time for you to show Colin around. You’ve taken him to a couple of restaurants and the Pacific Science Center, but not much else. You would feel worse about it if you both weren’t so tired all of the time.

Finally, in November, an opportunity arises for you to show him around again and for Colin to officially meet your best friends/coworkers.

“So, some of my coworkers and I are going to the zoo next Thursday and I want to know if you want to join,” you say next time you see Colin. “I can’t believe you haven’t been there yet and now that it’s November, all the lights are up.”

“I don’t want to intrude,” Colin says, hesitantly.

“Oh, please, they’re all dying to meet you. Besides, this is a chill day and nobody’ll be mad if I bring you along. And you haven’t been there yet. It’s a yearly thing, too, if that makes it any better.”

“I guess,” Colin replies, still a bit unsure with himself. “I just have to see if I can shift my appointments or not. It can be a bit tricky this time of year because people are taking a lot of time off.”

“No worries, just thought I would ask,” you reply.

~ ~ ~

You end up not hearing about the zoo again until the day before you’re supposed to be going. Colin texts you asking if it’s too late to join in. You decide to call him.

“Please, like I would turn you away,” you say the second he picks up his phone.

“I know, but I just managed to get my last appointment covered, so I wasn’t sure if it would be too last minute,” Colin replies.

“That’s exactly why I couldn’t turn you away. Having you sit all alone in your house while I’m having fun at the zoo is the saddest thing to think about.”

“You’re just being dramatic,” Colin groans.

“I can’t be dramatic if it’s true.”

You can feel Colin rolling his eyes through the phone, which makes you laugh.

“I can’t believe I’m friends with you, y/n. But text me the details and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

~ ~ ~

Your friends don’t stop teasing you the second they find out that Colin is going to show up. They know exactly how much of a crush you’ve started developing on him in the recent weeks and now they’re finally meeting him in person.

“I can’t believe it’s taken this long for us to meet him,” Jeremy says, excitedly. “And don’t say it’s because we’re too much to handle. Lord knows you’re the worst to handle out of all of us.”

“You’re so rude, Jeremy,” you groan.

“Good to know you’re the worst of them,” Colin comments.

You startle a little, before laughing. “Well, good to know that we’re all getting off on the right foot.”

Colin shrugs. “If I can put up with you, I’m sure I can manage them.”

Your friends all laugh and Jeremy throws his arm around Colin’s shoulders.

“You’re going to fit in just fine here, Colin,” Jeremy says.

Before heading into the zoo, you introduce Colin to the rest of your coworkers, Liza, Mackey, and Zoe. Colin insists on buying your ticket (insisting that it’s his turn to pay for hanging out) and you notice your friends all trying to hold back their laughter. This just makes you blush.

The first exhibit you all go to is the penguins. It’s feeding time, so they’re all swimming throughout the water. No matter how many times you’ve seen them, this is always one of your favorite places to stop. Colin notices how excited you are and smiles. Jeremy nudges Liza, who points it out to Mackey and Zoe.

Throughout the rest of the day, the same thing keeps happening. Either you or Colin will smile at how excited the other is getting, which makes your friend group nudge each other insistently. A few hours later, all of you exit the zoo and decide to grab dinner at a small Mexican restaurant that isn’t too far away.

After you’ve all been seated, Colin speaks up. “I’m glad I came today. It was really fun.”

“We’re glad you came too,” Mackey says. “We don’t get to meet a lot of y/n’s friends outside of the tattoo shop, so it’s good to know she wasn’t making you up.”

You groan, as you lean back in your chair. “You’re all the worst and I regret introducing you to him.”

They all just roll their eyes. The waitress comes up, which quiets the conversation for the time being. Zoe keeps looking over at you, trying to figure out your feelings. You know that she’ll badger you enough at work tomorrow, so you leave it be.

“So, how did you all meet? I know that you guys work together,” Colin says.

“That’s actually how we know each other,” Zoe replies. “Y/n was the only one who grew up in the area, so she took us under her wing.”

“Is that her thing? Showing people around the city?” Colin asks.

Mackey snorts. “Yeah, she’s basically an unofficial tour guide. She’s always dragging us around the city to try something out.”

Colin nods. “So, how did you all get into tattooing? It’s cool, but I feel like nobody really sets out to do that?”

Everyone settles in comfortably after that question, more than happy to let him in on a slice of their personal life.

~ ~ ~

After Colin heads out once dinner is done, your friends turn on you immediately, ready to pounce.

“Can’t this wait until work tomorrow?” you groan.

“It could, but we want details now, when nobody is eavesdropping,” Liz comments.

“I mean, he’s super cool, you all saw that. And his cat likes me, which is a huge plus,” you reply. “I don’t really know what else to tell you all.”

“How long have you known that you liked him?” Mackey asks. “Because those were some serious heart eyes you were giving him when he was asking about your work.”

You snort. “It’s not that serious yet, we’ve barely hung out. I know that I’ve known him since June, but we’re both so busy. I feel like I’m still getting to really know him.”

“I would beg to differ,” Liz mutters. “All of your mid-day coffee breaks with him would speak otherwise.”

“Look, we’re just friends right now and that’s totally fine. I promise I’ll be fine with it, okay?” you reply. “You all like him, which means he isn’t going anywhere. And I don’t want to ruin that.”

“We wouldn’t keep Colin around, you know. If he broke your heart,” Jeremy says softly. “We like him, but not at that cost.”

You shrug. “I’ve managed through worse things.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to,” Jeremy replies, pulling you in for a hug.

~ ~ ~

It’s almost a month before you’re able to take Colin out again. Currently, it’s pouring down rain, which is pretty normal for December in Seattle. Thankfully, most of the aquarium is inside, so you don’t feel bad taking him here. Sure, it might ruin the fun of taking him to see some of the weirder sculptures nearby, but you’ll still take him there, regardless.

“I feel like this is something we should have done on the same day as the zoo,” Colin comments.

“Trust me, this is a totally separate adventure,” you reply. “There’s other things to see around the area, too. I promise it’ll be worth it.”

“Well, you still have yet to fail me, so I’m gonna trust you.”

You smile softly at that, and lead Colin into the aquarium. He insists on paying for your tickets again this time (“it’s only fair since you keep showing me around”), which doesn’t help your emotions. You drag him to the more outdoors part of the aquarium so that you both have time to dry off later.

“Oh, they’re so cute,” Colin whispers, when he sees the seals. “I didn’t realize we were going to be seeing anything so cute today, y/n!”

“Are you telling me you don’t find sea life cute?” you joke.

“I mean, so many things are straight up scary,” Colin comments. “And I don’t really know what I was expecting, if I’m being honest.”

“I promise there’s tons of cool stuff here. How do you feel about touching some stuff?”

Colin blanches at the thought.

~ ~ ~

“This was fun,” Colin says, as the two of you make your way out.

“Like you said, I haven’t steered you wrong yet,” you reply. “There’s something else that I want to show you really quick. It’s going to be a little bit weird, but it’s a lesser known iconic part of Seattle.”

“If you’re saying it’s weird…”

“Just follow me.”

Colin hesitantly follows you down the pier. There’s a huge fountain not too far from where you are right now that you need to show him, and it leads nicely into a walk near the water. Even though it’s still drizzling out, you think it would be a nice way to end the afternoon.

Once you get there, Colin freezes. “What…is happening?”

“It’s the Father and Son fountain,” you comment. “I guess some guy wanted to leave a million dollars to SAM, but only if they were able to secure a fountain with a nude male figure. Thankfully, Louise Bourgeoise agreed.”

“I honestly can’t believe they went through with it,” Colin remarks.

You snort. “Of course they did. The park wouldn’t be as exciting otherwise.”

Colin just lets out a slightly distressed noise. “Not that it isn’t cool, but it certainly is…a choice.”

“There’s a rose garden not too far from here if you want to check that out,” you reply. “I mean, it’s kind of a maze, but not really?”

“Yeah, we can go.”

Thankfully, the drizzling is letting up by the time you and Colin get to the rose garden. Considering it’s December, there isn’t much in the way of flowers, but there’s still some bouquets scattered around. Colin doesn’t say much, but he keeps glancing at you, like he’s trying to make up his mind about something.

“You doing okay?” you ask.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I just…” Colin grabs your hands before speaking again. “Is it okay if I kiss you?”

“Oh,” you whisper. “Yeah, that’s more than okay.”

Colin smiles softly and leans in. Kissing him doesn’t lead to fireworks or makes you feel like everything is just complete. But it does feel like home, like he would never try to hurt you. When he pulls back, Colin gives you a searching look.

Smiling, you quickly kiss him again. “Does this make our next adventure a date?”

He laughs. “Yeah, I would like that a lot.”

~ ~ ~

In all honesty, you can’t believe that you haven’t taken Colin to see the troll earlier. Maybe it wasn’t a full day type of event, but you can’t live in Seattle and not see it. Besides, maybe you could convince Colin to check out Westlake while the Christmas decorations are up while it’s still before Christmas. You could see them after the 25th, but that isn’t as fun.

“Remind me why I have to see this?” he asks. “I know it’s an important part of Seattle culture and all of that, but like…I can just look at pictures.”

You sigh, exasperated. “You very well know that isn’t the same as seeing it in real life. Besides, I can’t believe that you’ve never been to Fremont before. It’s like…the most hipster part of the city.”

Colin fakes offense. “You wound me so deeply.”

You laugh and just shake your head. “Also, I’m hoping the fact that this is only a quick stop will convince you to go to Westlake with me. Mackey and Zoe said that they would be able to come with, too.”

Colin has clicked extremely well with your friends and has melded into your friend group seamlessly. It makes you happy to know that he was able to find some good people to be around.

“We haven’t even officially been on one date yet and you already know how to get me to do things,” Colin groans.

“I mean, we were friends beforehand. Just because we’re doing dates now doesn’t mean I suddenly forgot everything about you.”

Colin just rolls his eyes. “Let’s go see this troll then, I guess.”

When the two of you walk up to it, Colin tilts his head a little bit. You can tell that he doesn’t quite get it, which you suppose makes sense.

“Do you know why they decided to make it? That’s like…my real question here,” Colin asks.

“It was part of an art competition since they wanted to try and do something to clean up under the bridge. Obviously, this artist won, and that’s…really it,” you explain.

“People here are so weird,” Colin whispers.

“And yet you agreed to go on a date with one of those weird people,” you retort.

“Still trying to figure that one out, if I’m being honest,” Colin jokes.

He kisses your head and grabs your hand, then looks at you with a questioning glance.

“You don’t have to ask me to hold my hand, you know,” you say.

Colin shrugs. “I wasn’t sure and I thought it would be better safe than sorry.”

“Well, just know that I’m good with it from here on out,” you reply. “Now, do you want to hang out here a bit more or do you want to go to Westlake?”

“You already convinced me to go to Westlake,” Colin points out.

“Only because I said Mackey and Zoe were going to be there. I promise that they won’t be mad if you don’t want to go.”

“I have to see all the sights, don’t I?”

~ ~ ~

When you find Mackey and Zoe at the outskirts of Westlake, you can see them eyeing you and Colin suspiciously. Subtly, you shake your head, knowing that they would want to ask you about how your date has gone up until this point. Zoe rolls her eyes as Mackey just sighs. They should know at this point that you’re a bit tight lipped about certain things.

“So, how was the troll?” Mackey asks.

“I mean…it was fine I guess?” Colin replies. “It’s cool and I guess I get why it’s an iconic part of Seattle, but it wasn’t that exciting.”

Mackey gasps loudly, as Zoe just stares at Colin in confusion. You just laugh as he starts to look a bit distressed.

“You can’t say that where people can hear you,” Zoe whispers.

“But-” Colin starts.

“There are no buts about it, sir,” Zoe says, shutting him off. “Now it’s time to admire the Christmas lights and most importantly, the tree!”

“I still don’t get what the deal with this is,” Colin comments. “Like, I know that it’s pretty and everything, but…”

“Half the point is that it’s romantic,” Mackey points out. “And you and y/n are practically dating, so you have to take her there. Also, it helps getting you in the spirit.”

“Just be happy that y/n hasn’t dragged you to Molbaks yet,” Zoe says, a dead look in her eyes.

“Hey, it’s amazing there during the holidays, so I don’t get what you’re complaining about,” you reply.

“But it’s the same thing every year,” Mackey whines.

“Well, it’s not my fault that you don’t know how to have fun,” you retort.

Mackey fakes offense, as Zoe and Colin laugh. You look at them all, and just shake your head.

“Whatever, it’s your loss,” you reply. “I’m sorry I like to have fun.”

“You should take me,” Colin says, after a brief pause.

You frown a little bit. “You were just commenting on the fact that you don’t get the point of seeing the Christmas decorations in a major part of Seattle. What’s convincing you to see the decorations at a nursery?”

He shrugs. “You haven’t steered me wrong yet. For the most part.”

“You’re the worst,” you say. “Are you never going to let me live down taking you to the troll?”

Colin smiles widely. “Nope.”

Mackey and Zoe watch this exchange with amusement and you just know that they’re going to tell Jeremy and Liza about it before the work day tomorrow. You know that they’ll all tease you about it through the whole day, but you know it’s coming from a good place.

Walking through the rest of Westlake is pretty calm and when you get to the tree at Macy’s, the three of you pause on the sidewalk, where there’s other people looking at the tree. Sure, it’s not that big of a deal, but there’s always something fun about just walking through the city with no worries. Colin takes your hand and squeezes it, smiling softly to himself.

~ ~ ~

Somehow, December turns into January, which turns into February and March. The beginning of the year is always a busy time for the tattoo shop. People want to start their year off with a tattoo or they want it mostly healed by the time summer comes around. In February, there’s more than enough couples getting matching tattoos.

Because it’s so busy, it means that you’re at the shop more than you’re at home or hanging out with Colin. You don’t mean for it to happen, but it does. And Colin understands, but it doesn’t make you feel any less bad. It’s also been a while since you’ve seen Mazy, his cat, which makes you just as sad not seeing Colin.

One day, you notice Colin walking into the shop, which isn’t too unusual, as he’ll occasionally bring you lunch. But he normally gives you a heads up, in case you have appointments during his normal lunch time, so you’re a bit confused. Then you see him holding Mazy, and you’re even more confused. Thankfully, you’ve just wrapped up a session with someone, so you make your way over to him.

“What do I owe for this honor?” you inquire.

“Jeremy said I could bring her by,” he answers. “Says she might help with a client that’s a bit scared.”

You wince, knowing exactly which client he was referring to. She’s a sweetheart, but her pain tolerance was low and her tattoo required multiple sessions. Mazy loves being held, so hopefully she could help keep the client distracted.

“That’s actually not a bad idea,” you comment.

“I mean, I also miss you, so that’s my other reason for coming over,” Colin admits, sheepishly.

You roll your eyes. “We’re getting dinner tonight.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t miss you any less.”

“You’re impossible,” you joke.

Glancing at the clock, you notice you only have thirty minutes until your next appointment, meaning you need to get your station sanitized. You look at Colin sheepishly, but he just rolls his eyes and follows you back.

“When’s your next day off?” he asks.

“I have this Sunday and Monday off,” you answer. “Why?”

“Nothing, just have a small something planned out for the two of us,” Colin replies.

“Better be good, considering I was planning on laying on the couch for those two days.”

“I promise it’ll be worth it.”

~ ~ ~

Turns out that Colin has planned for the two of you to go to Discovery Park on Sunday. It’s a beautiful park, and is the largest one in the city. On a sunny day like today, the mountains will be out and some flowers might already be in bloom.

“I can’t believe you’re taking me somewhere,” you remark. “It’s usually the other way around.”

Colin shrugs, as he parks the car. “I thought it was about time. Besides, I remember you mentioning the fact that it’s been a while since you’ve been here.”

You look over at him in confusion. “I did?”

“Yeah, you told me back at New Years that you wanted to come here again in the spring. Said it feels like home.”

You snort. “Well, that explains it. I was probably drunk off my ass when I told you that. It’s true though. There is no bad part of the park.”

“I know, I came here last week to scope it out.”

“You came here without me?” you exclaim. “I’m so proud of you! Look at you growing up and exploring the city without me. Soon, you won’t even need me around.”

Colin just rolls his eyes and gets out of the car. You follow suit, and start walking down the main pathway with him. He takes your hand and swings it in-between the both of you. Quiet moments like this always make you feel more at peace and content. Being with Colin the last few months has been amazing, in part because of how much fun the two of you had together, but also because he just made you slow down and enjoy things.

“You know, showing you the city has made me love it again,” you comment.

“I didn’t realize you ever fell out of love with it,” he replies.

“It’s just…I started getting fixated on the things that needed to be improved on. There’s so much shit going on here that’s hard to ignore and you just…forget to take in what’s around you. I think when Mazy found me, she knew that I needed to just slow down.”

“Mazy? My cat?”

You shrug. “I mean, she probably didn’t. But I like to think of it like that. Makes meeting you feel more purposeful, I guess.”

Colin smiles widely and pulls you in for a kiss. You kiss him back, but pull back quicker than you would like to.

“We’re still in a public park, you know. Can’t get arrested for public indecency or whatever.”

Colin just rolls his eyes. “Come on, I’m taking you to the bluffs.”

“You’re not going to push me off, are you?”

“Are you suggesting that I’m going to murder you in broad daylight? I promise you I’m much smarter than that.”

“But Mazy would miss me! And what about the rest of my clients at work? You can’t have them without an artist, Colin.”

He laughs as he replies, “Ah, yes, that definitely convinced me. Don’t want your coworkers getting swamped with your work.”

“Just watch, I’m going to shove you off of this cliff and show you who’s boss.”

“So dramatic,” he sighs. “Let’s just go to the bluffs, I promise that I won’t push you off them.”

You eye him suspiciously, but then just break out in laughter before grabbing his hand again. Colin shakes his head and the both of you continue to walk down the trail. There’s plenty of people out enjoying the park, but you still feel like there’s some illusion of privacy. It takes a little while to get to the bluffs, but when you do, you see the mountains out in full view.

There’s an open bench, so you drag Colin over to sit on it. For a few minutes, the two of you sit in a comfortable silence, just watching the clouds float through the sky. Then, Colin looks over at you seriously.

“Is something wrong?” you ask, concerned.

“No,” he whispers. “I just love you so much.”

“Oh,” you reply softly.

He leans over and kiss you softly on the lips. You deepen the kiss for a brief moment before you pull back. Colin searches your face, looking for an answer.

“I love you too, you know,” you say. “You have to know that. I just don’t show anyone around my city.”

“Except for your coworkers.”

“Yeah, but they’re my ride or die, and now you are too. You’re not going anywhere.”

Colin snorts. “Good, considering we still have so much left to see.”

You can’t wait.

#colin wilson #colin wilson imagine #nhl imagine #hockey imagine #mine #sldjfhs this was basically a love letter to my city lmao #also this is the longest hockey imagine that I've written :')#long post

47 notes · View notes

majority-leader-mitch-mcconnell · 5 years ago

Text

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Response to Trump

Transcript of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's response to Impeachment.

---

Last night House Democrats finally did what they had decided to do a long time ago they voted to impeach President Trump over the last 12 weeks House Democrats have conducted the most rushed least thorough and most unfair impeachment inquiry in modern history now they're slapdash process has concluded in the first purely partisan presidential impeachment since the wake of the Civil War the opposition to impeachment was bipartisan only one part of one faction wanted this outcome the houses conduct risks deeply damaging the institutions of American government this particular House of Representatives has let its partisan rage at this particular president create a toxic new precedent that will echo well into the future that's what I want to discuss right now the historic degree to which House Democrats have failed to do their duty and what it will mean for the Senate to do ours so let's start at the beginning let's start with the fact that Washington Democrats made up their minds to impeach President Trump just before he was even inaugurated here's a reporter in April of 2016 April of 2016 Donald Trump isn't even the Republican nominee yet but impeachment is already on the lips of pundits newspaper editorials constitutional scholars and even a few members of Congress April 2016 on Inauguration Day 2017 the headline in the Washington Post the campaign to impeach President Trump has begun that was day one in April 2017 three months into the presidency a senior House Democrat said I'm gonna fight every day until he's impeach that was three months into the administration in December 2017 two years ago Congressman Jerry Nadler was openly campaign campaigning to be the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee specifically specifically because he was an expert on impeachment that's the Nadler his campaign to be the top Democrat on judiciary this week wasn't even the first time House Democrats have introduced articles of impeachment it was actually the seventh time they started less than six months after the president was sworn in they tried to impeach President Trump for being impolite to the press for being mean to professional athletes for changing President Obama's policy on transgender people in the military all of these things were high crimes and misdemeanors according to Democrats now this one just a few people scores scores of Democrats voted to move forward with impeachment on three of those prior occasions so let's be clear the houses vote yesterday was not some neutral judgment the Democrats came to with great reluctance it was the predetermined end of a partisan crusade that began before President Trump was even nominated let alone sworn in for the very first time in modern history we've seen a political faction in Congress promised from the moment the moment a president election ended they would find some way to overturn it a few months ago Democrats three-year-long impeachment and search of articles found its way to the subject of Ukraine House Democrats embarked on the most rushed least thorough and most unfair impeachment inquiry in modern history chairmanships inquiry was poisoned by partisanship from the outset its procedures and parameters were unfair in unprecedented ways Democrats tried to make chairmanship into a de facto special prosecutor notwithstanding the fact that he's a partisan member of Congress who'd already engaged in strange and biased babe he scrapped the precedent to cut the Republican minority out of the process he denied President Trump the same sorts of procedural rights that houses of both parties had provided the past presidents of both parties president Trump's council could not participate in chairmanships hearings present evidence or cross-examine witnesses the House Judiciary Committee's crack at this was even more a historical it was like the speaker called up Chairman Nadler and ordered one impeachment rush delivered please the committee found no facts on its own did nothing to verify the shift report their only witnesses were liberal law professors and congressional staffers no mr. president there's a reason the impeachment inquiry that led to President Nixon's resignation required about 14 months of hearings 14 months in addition to a special prosecutors investigation with President Clinton the independent counsels inquiry had been underway literally four years before the House Judiciary Committee actually dug in mountains of evidence mountains mountains of testimony from firsthand fact witnesses serious legal battles to get what was necessary this time around House Democrats skipped all of that it's been just 12 weeks 12 weeks more than a year of hearings for Nixon multiple years of investigation for Clinton and they've impeached president Trump in 12 weeks 12 weeks so let's talk about what the house actually produced in those 12 weeks House Democrats rushed and rigged inquiry yielded two articles two of impeachment they're fundamentally unlike any articles that any prior house of representatives has ever passed the first article concerns the core events which House Democrats claim or impeachable the timing of aid to Ukraine but it does not even purport to allege any actual crime instead they deploy the vague phrase abuse of power abuse of power to impugn the president's action in a general indeterminate way speaker Pelosi's house just gave in to a temptation that every other house in history has managed to resist they say that again speaker Pelosi's house just gave in to a temptation that every other house in our history has managed to resist they impeach a president whom they do not even allege has committed an actual crime known to our laws they've been peached simply because they disagree with the presidential act and question the motive behind it so let's look at history Andrew Johnson impeachment involved around a clear violation of a criminal statute albey albeit an unconstitutional statute Nixon had obstruction of justice a felony under our laws Clinton had perjury also felony now the Constitution does not say the house can impeach only those presidents who violate a law but history matters history matters and precedent matters and there were important reasons why every previous House of Representatives in American history restrained itself restrained itself from crossing this Rubicon the framers of our Constitution very specifically discussed this issue whether the house should be able to impeach presidents just for quote mal administration just for mal administration in other words because the house simply thought the president had bad judgment always doing a bad job they talked about all this when they wrote the Constitution the written records of our founders debates show they specifically rejected this they realized it would create a total dysfunction to set the bar for impeachment that low that low James Madison himself explained that allowing impeachment on that basis would mean the president serves at the pleasure of the Congress instead of the pleasure of the American people we're making the president a creator a creature a creature of Congress not the head of a separate and equal branch so there were powerful reasons mr. President while Congress after Congress for 230 years 230 years required presidential impeachment to revolve around clear, recognizable crimes even though that was not a strict limitation powerful reasons why for 230 years no house no house opened a Pandora's box of subjective political impeachments that 230 Year traditions died last night now Mr. president House Democrats have tried to say they had to impeach President Trump on this historically thin and subjective basis because the White House challenged their request for more witnesses and that brings us to the second article of impeachment the house titled this one obstruction of Congress what it really does is impeach the president for asserting presidential privilege the concept of executive privilege is another two century-old constitutional tradition president starting with George Washington have invoked it federal courts have repeatedly affirmed it is a legitimate constitutional power House Democrats requested extraordinary amounts of sensitive information from president Trump's White House exactly the kinds of things over which presidents of both parties have asserted privilege in the past predictably and appropriately president Trump did not simply roll over he defended the constitutional authority of his office no surprise there it's not a constitutional crisis for a house to want more information that a president wants to give up that's not a constitutional crisis it's a routine occurrence the separation of powers is messy by design here's what should have happened here's what should have happened either the President and Congress negotiate a settlement or the third branch of government the judiciary addresses the dispute between the other two the Nixon impeachment featured disagreements over presidential privilege so they went to court the Clinton impeachment featured disagreements over presidential privilege so they went to the courts this takes time it's inconvenient that's actually the point due process is not meant to maximize the convenience of the prosecutor it's meant to protect the accused but this time was different remember 14 months of hearings for Richard Nixon years of Investigation for Bill Clinton 12 weeks for Donald Trump Democrats didn't have to rush this but they chose to stick to their political timetable at the expense of pursuing more evidence through proper legal channels nobody made chairmanship do this he chose to the Tuesday before last on live television Adam Schiff explained to the entire country that if House Democrats had let the justice system follow its normal course they might not have gotten to impeach the president in time for the election no goodness in Nixon the courts were allowed to do their work in Clinton the courts were allowed to do their work only these House Democrats decided due process is too much work they'd rather impeach with no proof well mr. president, they tried to cover for their own partisan impatience by pretending that the routine occurrence of a president exerting constitutional privilege is itself itself a second impeachable offense the following is something that Adam Schiff literally said in early October here's what he said any action that forces us to litigate or to have to consider litigation will be considered further evidence of obstruction of justice that's Adam Schiff here's what the Chairman effectively said and what one of his committee members restated just this week if the president asserts his constitutional rights is that much more evidence he's guilty if the president asserts his constitutional rights is that much more evidence he's guilty that kind of bullying is antithetical to American justice so those are House Democrats two articles of impeachment that's all they're rushed and rigged inquiry could generate an act that the House does not even allege is criminal, and a nonsensical claim that exercising a legitimate presidential power is somehow an impeachable offense Mr. president this is by far the thinnest basis for any house-passed presidential impeachment in American history the thinnest and the weakest and nothing else even comes close and candidly I don't think I'm the only person around here who realizes that even before the House voted yesterday Democrats had already started to signal uneasiness uneasiness with its end product before the articles even passed the Senate Democratic leader went on television to demand that this body redo House Democrats homework for them that the Senate should supplement Chairman's shift sloppy work so it is more persuasive than chairmanship himself bothered to make it of course every such demand simply confirms that House Democrats have rushed forward with the case that is much too weak back in June speaker Pelosi promised the House would build an ironclad case never mind that she was basically promising impeachment months months before the Ukraine events but that's a separate matter she promised an ironclad case and in March speaker Pelosi said this impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there is something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan I don't think we should go down that path because it divides the country end quote by the speaker's own standards the standards she said she's failed the country the case is not compelling not overwhelming and as a result not bipartisan the fair was made clear to everyone earlier this week when Senator Schumer began searching for ways the Senate could step out of our proper role and try to fix the House Democrats failures for them and it was made even more clear last night when speaker Pelosi suggested that House Democrats may be too afraid too afraid to even transmit their shoddy work product to the Senate mr. president looks like the prosecutors are getting cold feet in front of the entire country and second-guessing whether they even want to go to trial they said impeachment was so urgent that it could not even wait for due process but now they're content to sit on their hands this is really comical Democrats own actions concede that their allegations are unproven the articles aren't just unproven they're also constitutionally incoherent incoherent frankly if either of these articles is blessed by the Senate we could easily see the impeachment of every future president of either party let me say that again if the Senate blesses this historically low bar we will invite the impeachment of every future president the House Democrats allegations as presented are incompatible with our constitutional order they're unlike anything that has ever been seen in 230 years of this Republic House Democrats want to create new rules for this president because they feel uniquely enraged they feel in uniquely enraged but long after the partisan fever of this moment has broken the institutional damage will remain I've described a threat to the presidency this also imperils the Senate itself the House has created an unfair unfinished product that looks nothing nothing like any impeachment inquiry in American history and if the speaker ever gets her House in order that mess will be dumped over here on the Senate's lap if the Senate blesses this slapdash impeachment if we say that from now on this is enough then we invite an endless parade of impeachable trials future houses of either party we'll feel free to toss up a jump ball every time they feel angry free to swamp the Senate with trial after trial no matter how baseless the charges we'd be giving future houses of either party unbelievable new power to paralyze the Senate at their whim more than arguments more incomplete evidence more partisan impeachments in fact mr. president this same House of Representatives has already indicated that they themselves may not be finished impeaching the House Judiciary Committee told a federal court this very week that it will continue its impeachment investigation even after voting on these articles and multiple Democratic members have already called publicly for more if the Senate blesses this if the nation accepts this presidential impeachments may cease being a once-in-a-generation event and become a constant part a constant part of the political background noise this extraordinary tool of last resort may become just another part of the arms race of polarization real statesmen would have recognized no matter their view of this president that trying to remove him on this thin and partisan basis could unsettle the foundations of our republic real statesmen would have recognized no matter how much partisan animosity might be coursing through their veins that cheapening the impeachment process was not the answer historians when regarded this is a great irony of our era that so many who profess such concern for our norms and traditions themselves proved willing to trample our constitutional order to get their way it is long past time for Washington to get a little perspective President Trump is not the first president with a populist streak not the first to make entrenched elites uncomfortable he's certainly not the first president to speak bluntly to mistrust the administrative state or to rankle unelected bureaucrats and heaven knows he's not the first president to assert the constitutional privileges of his office rather than roll over when Congress demands unlimited sensitive information none of these things none of them is unprecedented I'll tell you what would be unprecedented it will be an unprecedented constitutional crisis if the Senate literally hands the House of Representatives a new partisan vote of no-confidence that the founders intentionally withheld destroying the independence of the presidency it will be unprecedented if we agree that any future house that dislikes any future president can rush through an unfair inquiry skip the legal system and paralyze the Senate with the trial house to do that it will under this presser it will be unprecedented if the Senate says second hand and third hand testimony from unelected civil service servants is enough to overturn the people's vote it will be an unprecedented constitutional crisis if the Senate agrees to set the bar this low forever it is clear what this moment requires it requires the Senate to fulfill our founding purpose the framers built the Senate to provide stability to take the long view of our republic to safeguard institutions from the momentary hysteria that sometimes consumes our politics to keep partisan passions from literally boiling over the Senate exists for moments like this that's why this body has the ultimate say in impeachment the framers knew the house would be too vulnerable to transient passions and violent factionalism they needed a body that would consider legal questions about what has been proven and political questions about what the common good of our nation requires Hamilton said explicitly in Federalist 65 that impeachment involves not just legal questions but inherently political judgments about what outcome best serves the nation the house can't do both the courts can't do both this is as grave an assignment as the Constitution gives to any branch of government and the framers knew only the Senate could handle it well the moment the framers feared has arrived a political faction in the Lord chamber have succumb to partisan rage a political faction in the House of Representatives has succumbed to a partisan rage they have fulfilled Hamilton's philosophy that impeachment will quote connect itself with the pre-existing factions in list all their animosities and there will always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated more by the comparative strength of parties and by the inte by the real demonstrations of innocence or guilt Alexander Hamilton that's what happened in the house last night the vote did not reflect what had been proven it only reflects how they feel about the president the Senate must put this right we must rise to the occasion there's only one outcome that is suited to the paucity of evidence the failed inquiry the slapdash case only one outcome suited to the fact that the accusations themselves are constitutionally incoherent constitutionally incoherent only one outcome will preserve core precedence rather than smash them into bits in a fit of partisan rage because one party still cannot accept the American people's choice in 2016 it could not be clearer which outcome would serve the stabilizing institution preserving fever breaking role for which the United States Senate was created and which outcome would betray it the Senate's Duty is clear the Senate's duty is clear when the time comes we must fulfill it

1 note · View note

softupshur · 5 years ago

Text

The Follow-Up (sequel one shot)

It’s the follow-up that nobody asked for!

This is a sequel to “Sullivan, you ARE the father!” so if you haven’t read that one, you should check it out so this one makes sense.

Ao3 link if you’re into that kind of thing

Daytime television hasn't been the same since Maury's untimely death. Though the media blames faulty wires on set for the incident, you know better. You're one of the few who saw the final episode through its one and only airtime. Everyone tells you it was just a nightmare, that the episode is nothing more than an urban legend, yet you still hear the twang of the banjo when you close your eyes.

Dr. Phil and Jerry Springer now reside in the empty time slots, but there comes a day when you turn on the TV to find Maury smiling through the designated audience applause. You rub your eyes once, twice, three times, but Maury's visage remains. At first, you dismiss it as a rerun, but as you reach for the remote, you catch a pair of familiar faces.

Sullivan and Otis sit on Maury's couch. In their rustic attire, they look largely the same from their initial appearance, though Otis is visibly shaken and sporting bandages over his left eye.

"It's good to see you two again," Maury says, though his brow furrows at Otis. "But looks like things have been a bit rough in Temple Gate. You okay there, Otis? Something happen?"

Otis opens his mouth to reply, but Sullivan speaks over him. "He fell down the stairs." He puts a hand on Otis's shoulder. "Isn't that right?"

When Maury looks to Otis for confirmation, he lets out a shaky laugh. "Yeah...the stairs...clumsy me."

His answer placates Sullivan so Maury can continue. "Now the last time you two were on this show, we were here to find Seth's father and give him a family."

The screen behind Maury switches to Seth backstage. His bowlcut is still horrendously off-center, but you smile as he waves to the camera anyways.

A blip of static cuts out the first few words of Maury's following statement. You really do need to get that outdated TV replaced. "--revealed that Sullivan was the father."

The show cuts to a clip compilation of the previous episode. It's just as you remembered. The curiously untitled book, the CD's roasting over the fire, the glint of the hunting knife. The final moments are conspicuously absent.

"And since then you two have been working through your differences to raise Seth together. Give us an update on how that's going."

Once again, Sullivan talks over Otis's attempted answer. "I hate to say it, Maury, but the boy hasn't been pulling his weight."

The scandalized gasps of the audience give Otis the courage to rise from his seat. "I'm not pulling my weight!?" He points an accusatory finger at Sullivan. "I'm the very backbone of our house and you know it!"

Sullivan snarls. "Sit, child! Lest I exorcise you again!"

That shuts Otis up as he rejoins Sullivan on the couch.

It's Maury who speaks on Otis's behalf. "Now, Sullivan. Let's take a moment to look at Otis's side of the story. If this relationship is going to work out, you're going to have to listen to what the other has to say." He turns to Otis. "Now what do you mean about being the 'backbone of the house'?"

"Well, Maury. Not only do I take care of Seth all day, I also do all the cooking, all the cleaning, and all Papa does is sit on his fat -bleep- all day watching trashy daytime television!"

"The boy is speaking in tongues!" Sullivan declares. "I can't be expected to care for a household, when I am granted charge over my flock. It's no sin for a man to seek rest in his own home. For even God rested on the seventh day."

"That's a load of bull," Otis grumbles.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"You see this insolence, Maury? The child has lost all sense of decency and goodwill and try as I might to correct him, I am forced to seek outside help."

"Hmm...let's see about that," Maury says, cuing a new video.

The camera focuses on a wooden house. It sits in the middle of barren desert and uneven terrain. As the crewman walks to the door, it opens to reveal Otis emptying out the dustpan. His unruly hair is tied back in a bandana and he's wearing an apron. He still has both eyes.

"Glad you made it." He leads the cameraman inside. "Now I can show you what I have to put up with."

The camera pans through a living room littered with children's toys and white tablets as the TV plays an obsolete soap-opera.

Otis rushes over with the broom to sweep up the tablets collected in a small pile by the couch. "I've told him at least a dozen times that if he's going to eat in the living room to use a placemat. Is that really so much to ask? I just want some order in this house." Rather than empty out the dustpan, Otis takes it to the kitchen and opens up a cabinet filled with dozens of prescription pill bottles. You recognize a handful like Xanax and Oxycontin, but many are unknown to you.

Otis removes a few of the bottles and undoes the child safety caps. He sets the dust pan on the counter beside the collection, and observes each pill before placing them in their proper containers. "You see what I'm dealing with? And is anyone around here to help? No! It's all me!"

"Who ya talkin' to?" Seth trots into the kitchen. He tugs on Otis's apron first then gasps at the camera. "Hi Mistah Cameraman!" He reaches for the screen with muddy hands. If not for Otis pulling him back, he'd have dirtied the lens.

"I'm so sorry. Please excuse me for a moment." Otis drags a protesting Seth to the sink and the camera pans to the door. A low rumble sounds on the other side before it flies open. In the frame stands Sullivan.

"Where's dinner!?"

Back to Otis.

"Coming right up!" Otis releases Seth and rushes to the stove, frantically firing it up and fishing through the pantry. "Now as I was saying--"

"Who're you talking to in there!?" You could hear the chair's strain as Sullivan plops into it.

"No one, Papa!" Otis's tone is considerably hushed when he continues. "Anyways, the old man is eating us out of house and home." He slams the pot on the stove. "He had 12 eggs yesterday. 12! Do you know how hard it is to keep up with that kind of demand? I asked all over the place, but all anyone had was six. And that's not even taking me and Seth into account. I'm just short of having to do highway robbery to keep this house afloat!"

"Keep it down in there!"

A half-empty wine bottle whizzes past Otis and shatters against the wall.

A flurry of bleeps ends the video as the camera fades to the present-day.

"Well, Sullivan." Maury leans back. "What do you have to say about all that? It looks like Otis works very hard around the house. Don't you think it'd be nice to show a little appreciation?"

Sullivan throws his head back and laughs. You swear you could smell the stink on his breath as he wheezes. "Do not be swayed by the wayward child's filthy lies. For he knows not of what he speaks."

"And you think you could shed some light on this?" Maury asks.

"Naturally. When you see my side of the story, you'll realize that the Lord tests me by way of placing this insolent wretch in my path." He's seething now.

"Now we'll see about that."

The camera cuts back to the same desert home. Sunken in an armchair, Sullivan addresses the camera. He holds a bottle of wine in one hand and at least a dozen pills in the other.

Seth is wrestling with the child safety cap of the Vicodin in the background.

"He doesn't get the damn pills right. I'll tell you that much." Sullivan shoves the pills into his mouth and washes it down with a swig of wine. You wince as it dribbles down his chins. "Now you see these two capsules." Sullivan holds up two identical pills. "One is Xanax and the other for my Oxycontin."

Seth throws the bottle against the wall as Sullivan explains the supposed differences between the pills.

"I even labeled the damn boxes so he doesn't strain his simple mind."

The camera zooms in on the bottles labeled in bold sharpie.

"So pray tell why I found these both with the Morphine." He finishes off the wine and drops the bottle to the floor. He doesn't bat an eye as the glass shatters. "Mark my word, the boy is trying to send me to an early grave."

Seth is now jumping up and down on the bottle to no avail.

"And don't get me started on the food."

The scene cuts to Sullivan seated before a feast fit for a king. Slabs of juicy meat are piled on top of each other, mashed potatoes overtake half the plate, rolls are precariously balanced in the mix, and freshly cut vegetables scatter the servings. Three large plates are required just to hold everything. Sullivan's eye narrows at Otis and his meager servings.

"Child, are you trying to starve me out?" Sullivan bites into a chicken leg.

Otis sighs. "No, Papa."

"Then how do you expect me to get by on such scant portions?"

"Uh…"

Before Otis can respond, Sullivan snatches a roll and chicken leg from his plate. "Wretched child…"

The show returns. Maury has his chin in his hand, as if in deep thought.

Sullivan and Otis stare intently. Even the audience is silent as they await a response.

You only release your breath when Maury speaks.

"You both make compelling arguments, but if we're going to settle this, we're going to have to take a trip backstage. Let's see what Seth has to say about this." Maury motions for the camera to follow him backstage where Seth is jumping up and down on the couch. "Heya, sport."

"Hi Mary!" Seth bodyslams the couch when Maury sits beside him.

"Are you happy to be back on the show?" A glint of red appears in Maury's eye. It must be a reflection of the camera.

"Uh-huh! This couch is way bouncier than m'bed at home!" He gets up to resume his jumping, but Maury places a hand on his shoulder to settle him.

"Hold up, lil guy." Maury coughs into his sleeve. "We want to ask you a few questions about your family."

"Okie-dokie!"

"So what do you think of your home now that your dad is in the picture?" Maury's voice drops as he speaks.

"I love it lots!" Seth hops to his feet. "I have a mommy AND a daddy now! Thanks Mary!" He throws his arms around Maury and you jump at the inhuman scream that follows. The lights flicker before shattering. For a moment, the screen is completely black until the camera switches to night vision. In the haze of green and black, you watch Maury's eyes roll to the back of his head. His face contorts beyond the realm of human possibility and he hisses as he lashes at the camera with newly-grown claws.

The camera falls to its side and you see Seth's shoes as he picks it up. He lifts it just as Sullivan and Otis rush in.

"It's as the Lord prophesied! That child is of The Enemy!" Sullivan points to the camera. "Its unholy power has granted the demon dominion over its vessel!"

Maury lunges towards Sullivan, but recoils as he holds out his jewel-encrusted crucifix. "Spirit of our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Most Holy Trinity--" He pauses to shout over his shoulder. "Don't just stand there! Get me my gospel and my shotgun!"

For once, Otis doesn't protest as he rushes off-camera to fetch the untitled book and a shotgun. You no longer question where he got the shotgun.

Sullivan takes the firearm and aims at Maury. Though he fires straight through the heart, Maury continues to writhe and hiss. Blood gushes from his eyes as Sullivan keeps him at bay. "Get me the holy water!" he shouts at Otis. "The evil is strong with this one!"

"But we didn't bring any!"

"Any water will do! I need only bless it under my name!"

Your ears are ringing from Maury's screeching.

"Hurry!"

"Where am I supposed to find water!?"

"Oh! I know, I know!" The camera bounces with Seth. "It's in the lil fridge! I'll get it!"

As Seth runs to the backstage mini-fridge, you hear Otis and Sullivan offscreen.

Otis is sobbing. "We can't keep doing this."

"Silence! "Sullivan snaps. "Our being here is no accident! We were sent here by the Lord to combat this evil! Do you shirk the Lord's will!?"

"But Papa!"

As they bicker, you're confined to Seth's view of the mini-fridge. Though he grabs a small water bottle, he also takes a root beer float and personal ice cream. He toddles back to Sullivan and hands him the water before returning to his post. He sets the camera down as Sullivan blesses the water bottle.

Otis crumples to his knees and weeps.

Root beer sprays everywhere and cascades over the camera lens while Maury howls.

The TV cuts to commercial.

You bury your face in your hands.

#Sullivan Knoth #Otis Walsh #Seth Walsh #Outlast ocs #please enjoy the author's descent into madness #I promise one day I'll write for canon OL characters again #but for now I'm having fun with this self-indulgent madness #writing #fanfiction #fanfiction was a mistake

3 notes · View notes

darkenedrosepetals · 6 years ago

Text

Worth

Chapter Two

Ezekiel was accustomed to the turbulence that came with the first day of summer camp. It was why he insisted on the meticulous preparation to keep things running as smooth and painless as possible. It was not to say problems were completely avoided, as there was always a problem that needed his immediate attention.

Such was the case now at the front desk with an overly concerned parent who was re-enrolling her son. Unfortunately, last year the dear boy by whose name was Theo, had an allergic reaction at lunch. The mother declared it was the result of poor practices in the kitchen and demanded that whomever was in charge be fired and replaced.

Ezekiel was certain poor practice was not the cause. He was certain that his kitchen staff followed the rules and made sure not to cross contaminate any of the foods and to properly inform the children of the food choices. Although, he knew it was not uncommon that things happened such as the kids sharing their food from their own home prepared lunches.

So, to say, he handled the situation as careful as possible. He kept his composure, but he was inwardly glad that interaction was over. He couldn’t afford to be rattled. Not this early in the day.

Ezekiel plastered on a smile as the next parent stepped forward with their child. A woman with short curls, bright blue eyes, who was dressed in a modest sundress that stopped a bit under her knees. The young girl was a splitting image of her mother with the exception of her strawberry blonde hair.

“Good morning,” he greeted warmly. “How may we help you?”

The woman returned his smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’d like to sign my daughter up for summer camp.”

Ezekiel nodded, handing her the necessary paperwork, clipboard and a pen. “Yes Ma’am. Please complete this application. If you have any issues or questions, I will be happy to assist you.”

“Thank you,” The woman accepted the clipboard, their fingers brushing briefly. She beckoned for her daughter to follow her to the area designated for filling out paperwork.

Ezekiel cleared his throat and reached for his thermos, his mouth suddenly dry. The water was enough to snap him back to his senses for the time being to continue assisting Debbie at the front desk. He snuck a glance at the woman and her daughter. Her brow was pinched as she concentrated on filling in the many lines of information. He knew the packet was lengthy, but he was a thorough person and disliked surprises.

More children appeared, some with their parents and others were alone. Many had their ID cards ready as they were already accustomed to the check in process. He greeted each of them, some by name and the other just as warmly even though he didn’t know their names yet.

By the time the small crowd of parents and children was cleared, the woman returned with the paperwork and clipboard. Debbie thanked her and scanned for the lines for any need corrections or missing information. After a few beats, she nodded and smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Peletier. Am I saying that correctly?”

“Yes Ma’am,” she stammered.

Debbie smiled gently, sensing the woman’s nervousness. She began to explain the remainder of the application, which was mostly details pertaining to the basic rules of the center and proper protocols should issues arise. She then accepted the due payment, making the correct change and producing a receipt. She then made copies of the paper work and created a temporary ID tag. After all of that was done Debbie turned her attention to the young girl. “This is for you to keep with you at all times until you get your official one. It contains your name and ID number.”

The girl accepted the sticker and promptly put it on her shirt. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

Ezekiel couldn’t stop from grinning. The young girl was meek in nature but showing to be respectful. He leaned forward and read her name tag. “Sophia. Is that correct?”

Sophia nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

Ezekiel stretched out his hand. “Welcome to Summer camp.”

----

Carol felt like it was the first day of school all over again for Sophia. She was sure she was over reacting, but she couldn’t shake the feeling. She supposed that this is how it would be when it was time for Sophia to go off for college. She shivered. She didn’t want to think about that just yet.

The entire process was a lot simpler than she anticipated but she was still on edge the entire time. The fact that she was going behind Ed’s back in signing Sophia up summer camp was both exciting and nerve racking. She was quick to decline the option for Sophia to be picked up in the mornings. She would just take Sophia to the center after Ed went to work for the day. Fortunately, Ed went to work two hours before the center opened and returned in the evenings way after the recreation center’s closing hours.

Sophia said her goodbyes, hugging Carol tight around her waist before following the waiting camp counselor. Despite the unease in her gut, she felt pride in knowing that she was finally able to do something for her daughter.

“She’s in good hands Mrs.Peletier,” The man said as if he was listening to her thoughts.

Carol nodded and readjusted her purse strap. She hadn’t paid any real attention to the man behind the desk, instead giving it mostly to the younger woman. It was a habit she was trying to break, but was still struggling to do. It was a habit that helped avoid confrontation with Ed. He didn’t like if she showed too much “attention” to other men.

The little streak of rebellion inside her was quick to remind her that Ed was not here at this very moment. So, she allowed her eyes to study the man behind the counter. Her eyes roamed to his tag that read ‘Ezekiel’. It was foreign on her tongue, and she decided that it was perfect for the man that sported long salt and peppered dreadlocks and had a rich, smooth voice. One that commanded your attention. While filling out the paperwork, she’d listened to the brief interactions of Ezekiel with the other parents and children. He appeared genuinely pleased to see each person and his voice reflected as much.

So, to say, Ezekiel’s assurance of her daughter’s wellbeing set her at ease.

“Thank you,” Carol said quietly. She made eye contact this time, realizing with a start that Ezekiel had rich, expressive eyes. They were warm, like his voice and had the power to pin her where she stood. On top of that, his easy smile was contiguous. Quickly she averted her eyes and made way to exit the lobby. On her way out, she noticed the boy from the grocery store named Henry. He had a small back pack this time.

Carol wondered suddenly if Sophia would befriend Henry. It wasn’t that Sophia was anti-social but she was quiet by nature and shy, so she didn’t have too many friends. She was hopeful, as she didn’t want her daughter to grow up without having some type of social life. One that involved much laughter and plenty of memories to last a life time.

----

Ezekiel leaned against the door frame of the cafeteria, watching the room slowly fill with children. Some of bursting with energy, greeting their friends while other trudged along clearly still sleepy. His eyes fell to the one of the newest members, Sophia Peletier. She had seated herself at one of the round tables and was curiously looking around at the other children. He noticed the way she tugged nervously at her fingers and chewed at her lip.

So far, no one came to sit with her as they passed by. Which was to be expected as she was new and many of the children weren’t. Some of the children were obvious with their judgmental stares, while other were just as nervous and averted their gazes.

By the time everyone was in the cafeteria. Ezekiel joined Jerry who was waiting at the podium. The tall man offered a thumbs up, signaling that they were ready to roll.

Ezekiel grabbed the microphone causing a hush to fall open the room. He cleared his throat and began his speech. It was the usual, a full greeting to the children, a run down of the rules and the necessary protocols. The talk lasted no more than twenty minutes, opening the floor for Jerry to say his share and even initiate the brief ‘get to know a new buddy’ session. It was a activity they developed to help break the ice between the old and new members.

“Alright, Alright everybody let’s make this quick,” Jerry grinned, waved his hand. “For those of you who are currently sitting alone at a table, please join the nearest table to you. C’mon don’t be shy. No one’s gonna bite.”

Ezekiel watched as each person that was sitting alone did as they were told. His eyes automatically located Sophia among the crowd. She was hesitant at first but joined a table that seated two other boys he knew, as they were regulars to recreation center for going on three years now.

“Now, please introduce yourselves and talk about something you like to do.” Jerry instructed the room. Then, after a hearing a couple of groans, he added. “Even if you know each other already, just welcome one another back and catch up.”

Chatter began amongst the tables, and even some laughter erupted in some areas. Again, Ezekiel attention drifted back to Sophia’s table and was pleased to see her accepting a hand shake from one of her table mates. She was sitting taller now, seeming a little more confident than before. It was a good sign.

The job of being a camp director required that Ezekiel not only be observant but mindful to the behavior of the children taken under his care. It was heart breaking, to know not all of the children lived happy, healthy lives. He wasn’t there to judge, but rather show as much kindness and affection to them as he possibly could.

There was something about Sophia Peletier that made Ezekiel want to keep a special eye on her.

‘”She’s in good hands Mrs.Peletier”

Ezekiel mentally shook himself. It was both corny and a little creepy now that he thought of his earlier statement. It wasn’t the first time a parent was unsure of their choice, but this time he could feel something was different. He felt the need to assure Carol Peletier that she wasn’t making a mistake. Perhaps it was because he could see the inner conflict that was taking place behind those solemn eyes. Or the way she studied him so deeply before nearly running out of the lobby.

Ezekiel huffed and shelved the thought for later.

#king ezekiel #carzekiel #twd carol x Ezekiel

5 notes · View notes