#i will never let anyone forget how jane got taken it's so genuinely sad to me

[janeromeroshow]

enamoured with new additions to the fog being taken straight from the situation they're in.

jane shows up in the fog soaking wet and coughing up water, delirious and terrified. she's shivering, in shock, and still somehow half-asleep.

[arvinsescape]

Me for Me.

A/N: I personally struggle with a lot of these insecurities so if anyone else does please know my inbox is always open.

Summary: Y/N is closed off and Tom finds out why.

Warnings: Couple of swear words.

W/C: 2K.

At first Tom thought he’d upset you in some way or another without meaning to. You’d been cast in a film together and while you were always pleasant, he found it difficult to get close to you. When he’d asked you if there was anything he’d done you’d laughed and said no, said that he didn’t need to worry. Every time he tried to hang out after set you’d politely reject and make your way back to your trailer. He decided he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

“Hey, Jane.” He collared your agent as she was walking past.

“Tom, what can I do for you?” She replied, Jane was lovely.

“I was just wondering if I’d upset Y/N somehow and she won’t tell me what I did.” He asked as he scratched the back of his neck.

“She hasn’t said anything why?”

“Well, I don’t know she just seems difficult to get close to, like we have a laugh on set but then when I try and do something outside of set she just disappears.” Tom said as Jane sighed.

“Look Tom, Y/N’s like that a lot of the time, she’s quite closed off. It’s not my place to talk about it though.” She said with a sad smile and Tom sighed.

“Is she still in her trailer?” He asked and she nodded as he made his way towards your trailer and knocked, you looked shocked when you saw him standing there.

“Tom, hey, what are you doing here?” You asked with furrowed brows.

“Any chance we can talk?” He asked and you hesitantly nodded as you let him into your trailer.

“What’s wrong, did you wanna go over some stuff from the script?”

“No, I actually just came to talk to you.”

“Oh.” You said as you both sat down.

“Look, if I’ve upset you please will you tell me. I really feel like I’ve missed something.” He said as he sighed.

“You haven’t done anything, look I just struggle to let people in, that’s all.” You said as you smiled at him and he nodded.

“Wanna talk about it? We don’t have to if you don’t want.” He said and there was something about the way he said it. Something seemed safe about telling him, that he wouldn’t tell anyone else and you really enjoyed working with him, he was a really nice guy. You sighed as you spoke.

“I just have a lot of insecurities you know. I’ve had a lot of people use me in this industry to get where they want to be and then cut me off like we never knew each other.” You swallowed and he looked at you as you spoke, attention fully on you. You felt tears brim your eyes as you carried on.

“I’ve had people that claim to be my friends talk shit about me and then when I asked them about it they just said that everybody talks shit behind everyone’s back regardless of who they are to them. Which I get it, your anger gets the better of you sometimes and I can understand that but some of the things they said had nothing to do with anything I did to them, it was about my looks or my acting, that sort of stuff. That started a lot of insecurities for me, I always fear that people don’t actually like me or that they put up with me for a short time before I bore them.” You let a few tears slip as you spoke and sniffled.

“I feel like I’ve never really had a best friend you know. Never really had someone who gets me, never really had someone who itches to tell me things first. It sounds so childish but I just wanna be someone’s first thought for once you know. Even the boyfriends I’ve had have treated me like that.” You were crying now as you let it all out, knees pulled up to your chest and you felt guilty for a second. Tom probably didn’t wanna hear this.

But you were wrong Tom did want to hear this because now he understood. You won’t get close to him or anyone else because you’re scared that they’ll turn out like everyone else. He understood now that all you really wanted was a friend, someone who would stick by you and tell you when you’d annoyed them or upset them, not talk shit behind your back. You wanted people in your life you knew you could trust but so many people had let you down that you’d become guarded. Tom moved towards you and moved your legs so he could pull you into his chest as you cried.

“Hey, it’s not childish to want a proper friend you know.” He said as he rubbed your back. “I get it, you don’t want people to hurt you so you don’t give them the chance and I understand that. I want to help, be someone you can rely on, call a friend. I care you know, I came here to find you because I care.” He said as he continued to rub your back as you cried into his chest.

You cried for a while before you eventually calmed yourself down and Tom didn’t let go for a second, he just held you because that’s what you needed. You’d expected him to get bored and leave you crying to yourself. When you’d composed yourself you pulled away from him as you wiped your nose on your hoodie and sniffled.

“I’m sorry about your shirt.” You laughed as you gestured to the puddle of tears you’d left there.

“It’s fine. I’m sorry my prying made you cry so much.” He said and it was sincere, he meant it.

“It wasn’t really you. I’ve just kept it in for so long you know. It felt good to get it out. No one’s ever really asked me about it.” You said, it was true no one had taken it upon themselves to find out why you only ever interacted with people on set. Maybe he did care.

“We get on so well on set I genuinely want to spend time with you outside of it you know. I would love to wind down properly with you, laugh about the shit that’s gone wrong, you know.” He laughed as he moved a few strands of hair out of your face and you sniffled again.

“God, I must look a right state.” You laughed. “Listen, I’m sorry if I’ve been standoffish I just don’t wanna put myself in that position again. I would love to do all those things but I’ve just held myself back you know.” You sniffled again and he nodded.

“Well I am prepared to show you that you can trust me and it’s okay if that takes time, I just wanna get to know you.” He smiled and it seemed so genuine you nodded, he seemed like a safe place you’d not found in a while.

He did prove to you that he cared. He invited you to so much, he seemed genuinely interested in you and your life, work, anything. You became inseparable on and off set, you really did become best friends, you even considered his brother a best friend and it made you feel so good to be able to have people around but of course, filming wrapped up, press tours were done and the movie was out. You became filled with the dread that this would be it, he was gonna drift away now.

You were sat at home thinking about the last time you’d heard from Tom and it had been almost a week but you knew he was busy and you hadn’t reached out either. You were pulled from your thoughts when your phone vibrated. Tom. You quickly answered.

“Hi.” You said probably overly excited.

“Hey. I’m so sorry I’ve not called or texted this week, I’ve been so busy seeing family and getting shit sorted at home.” He said and you smiled.

“No it’s fine, I didn’t call or text you either.” You reasoned.

“Yeah but I said I’d call and I didn’t forget I just ran out of time most days and it’d be way too late at night to call you.” He explained.

“Tom, it’s fine.” You laughed.

“Listen, I’m your way again in a couple days, you wanna hang out? I miss you and I know Harry does too.”

“That sounds amazing.” He wanted to see you. He really does care. You by this point of course had a crush on him and you didn’t know if he felt the same but it didn’t matter because he was just being the one thing you really wanted and needed: a best friend.

You met up with the boys as planned and it was amazing. You had a lot of fun and when they were heading back to their hotel Tom had asked if you wanted to go for dinner the night after and of course you agreed. So here you were, sat in a nice restaurant, enjoying the best company.

“So Y/N, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.” He said as he looked at you and you smiled.

“Anything.”

“Look, when we first started hanging out I really enjoyed it, you were funny and we got on so well that at some point I started to like you. I didn’t wanna make it seem like that was why I was getting close to you because it wasn’t, the crush came after the friendship. I know you don’t like letting people in and I respect that but I would love it if you could let me in, you know completely. Let me be there for you as partner and a best friend.” He said and you felt tears brim your eyes.

He’d gotten to know you and then started to like you. He didn’t base it off your looks, he based it off your personality, something you’d not had before. Most men had wanted to date you and then didn’t want to get to know you. But Tom was the opposite and it filled you with a happiness that you’d never felt before.

“If you don’t like me back, that’s fine but at least I’ll know. It won’t change anything, I’ll still be here as much as I am now.” He finished and you smiled at him.

“So you like me for me?” You asked.

“I really really do. Of course, you’re beautiful on the outside but that doesn’t compare to how beautiful you are on the inside. Like I said, I really did come to find you that day because I cared and I wanted a friendship. I developed my crush on you a couple of months later. I’ve always found you attractive make no mistake about that but getting to know you was amazing because you are an amazing person.” He said.

“I really like you too.” You said and he grinned.

“So you wanna make a go of it? I promise things won’t change, I really do like you for you.”

“Yeah, I wanna make a go of it.” You said and he smiled as he leant over the table to give you a kiss to which you happily returned.

Tom really did prove a lot to you, he was there for you all the time and he showed you what it was like to be loved properly, you made new friends through him, people you could trust and people who didn’t let you down and for the first time in a long time you were genuinely happy with your life.

[vintagedaydreams]

TLNRS-Part Six (Marcus)

Without further ado- part six!!

Warnings: some cursing, brief illusion to panic attacks, low self esteem

Enjoy!!

@kettnerjanea @jelly-fishy-babie @the-graceful-ace @amwolowicz @batsdothings @waxingmoonstone @littlebabybatthings @mauvette268 @katsav17 @batsuperflashmartianwonderman @imyourapocalypse @chubbybbt @bepo-is-sorry @raindancer2004 @artaxerxesthegreat @bethanymccauley @bloodsweatandsnapple @kawaiipoplover268 @legithraclya

The next morning found you down in the kitchen for breakfast, a silly grin on your face and a happy song on your lips.

Last night’s date had been...amazing. You didn’t know anyone could be that attentive and sweet and Marcus had blown even the Queen’s expectations out of the water.

You gave a happy twirl and goosebumps erupted over your skin as you remembered the hooded look in his eyes and the gentle way he had wooed you over the course of the evening.

It was way too soon for Love and you were still a bit wary and skittish of anything remotely romantic, especially with Vampires, this soon after the whole Carlisle debacle, but oh, did you wish and want whatever this was to come to fruition.

It was so nice to be appreciated and feel as if you were sought after.

“Sounds like someone had a good night,” Edward’s sudden voice came from behind you and you jumped with a yelp.

“Eddie!” you scolded, holding a hand over your heart, willing it to stay within your rib cage, “Don’t do that!”

To your surprise, Edward lifted his hands in the air, a serious look on his face.

“No harm meant, Y/N.”

Your brow furrowed- what the heck was his problem? It wasn’t like you thought he meant to scare you into an early grave.

Edward’s head tilted a little behind him and you looked over his shoulder to lock eyes with Jane.

“Oh, hello,” you said with a small, uncertain smile. The Volturi has all been incredibly welcoming and helpful, but the Witch Twins had been more standoffish than the rest.

Which you could understand. After all, you were a human, and an Unwanted Mate at that.

Edward’s eyes narrowed in your direction and you gave a small sigh.

Honestly, you loved Eddie like a brother but the mind reading thing was a bit tiresome at times.

And it wasn’t like you were wrong!

You were human and you were an Unwanted Bond Mate.

Simple as that. No amount of positive thinking or good self esteem was going to change that.

You turned your attention back to Jane as she shifted and stepped further into the kitchen.

“You are okay?” the blonde vampire asked emotionless, ruby eyes darting from you to Edward and back again.

You tried valiantly to tramp down the warmth that blossomed in your chest at her question.

It was nice to know that she cared, even if she was just asking out of what was probably duty to one of her Kings.

You were suddenly grateful that Jasper didn’t like you enough to hang around like Edward.

One invasive-talented vampire was enough.

A gentle throat clearing reminded you that you had yet to answer, so with a very red face, you assured her that you were fine.

Jane stared you down for a few moments, long enough for you to start fidgeting, before giving a single nod and disappearing.

You turned wide eyes to Edward who just shook his head with a chuckle.

“I have no idea,” he smirked and you rolled your eyes.

Uh huh. Sure.

“Where’s Bella this morning?” you asked curiously as you continued to make your breakfast.

“Packing for our return trip,” Edward said quietly after a moment and you froze, all happy thoughts of Marcus disappearing as it dawned on you.

They were returning to Forks.

You probably should too.

Your mind started to race. What was it going to be like, back in Forks with the Cullens? Could you even stand to see them every day? Would their sudden apologetic and sad demeanors make you give in when you should stay strong or would their attitudes change back to how they were once you were out of Italy? Did you even want to stay in Forks? What if you didn’t have your job when you got back? What if you never recovered from being an Unwanted? What if—

A cold hand was suddenly on your shoulder and you were drawn back into a gentle, brotherly embrace.

“Breathe, Y/N,” Edward murmured into your hair. “Just breathe for a few moments, okay?”

You nodded as best you could with your head tucked into his chest, but dutifully took a few deep breaths.

Why were you like this?

You were pretty sure that normal people wouldn’t be freaking out over a sentence as simple as, “She’s packing”.

Then again, what exactly was normal anymore? Since apparently vampires existed and had their own version of the Mafia.

Edward snorted and you gave a somewhat shaky smile.

Well, at least you were entertaining to someone.

“You are not going to be forced to go back with us, Y/N,” Edward said softly after a few quiet moments. “I am sure that Aro would welcome you here.”

You raised your head to frown at the vampire. “I am not going to be a charity case.”

To your surprise, Edward actually rolled his eyes.

“Aro thinks many things about you, Y/N, but charity case is not one of them.”

You blushed at the slight reprimand and burrowed your face back into Edward’s chest.

A gentle hand ran through your hair and Edward added quietly, “There are a lot of people who care for you, Y/N. Never forget that. And those same people would do everything in their power to make sure you were taken care of and provided for. You have a way of endearing yourself to people quickly and we vampires are no different. Those that want to take care of you do so because of you and who you are, not because of any sort of pity.”

That warmth was back, unfurling in your chest like a flower blooming on a warm spring day.

You squeezed the vampire in front of you in a tight hug, mentally sending your thanks.

You needed to hear that.

“Anytime,” came Edward’s murmur and then you found yourself suddenly seated at the table in a rush of wind.

Your forgotten breakfast was placed in front of you with the order to eat.

“You’ll feel even better when you have something on your stomach. And then you can decide if you want to stay or come back to Forks.”

You weren’t exactly sure what epiphany Edward thought your food would give you, but by the time you had finished eating, you still were no closer to figuring out what to do.

Should you stay or should you go?

What really was waiting for you back in Forks?

But then, what was really waiting for you here?

You gave a soft growl, a pathetic sounding one compared to the ones the vampires could produce, but it made you feel marginally better.

Maybe you could just go...live in England on your own. No vampires, no Mates, no supernatural.

Just the English countryside, horseback riding and rain.

You smiled big, this was a great solution!, and turned back to Edward who was looking at you in a mixture of both amusement and disbelief.

“Y/N,” he started after a moment, “what on Earth makes you think that’s going to be an option for you?”

Your jaw dropped.

“An option for me?” you parroted. “I’m a grown ass woman! Why wouldn’t it be an option?!”

Edward snorted in pure amusement now and took a seat across from you at the table.

“Y/N, there are too many vampires interested in your well being to let you go off on your own somewhere. And,” he continued, holding up a hand when you opened your mouth to interrupt him, “English is very wet, very rainy and very cloudy. Not the ideal place to try and get away from creatures that thrive in the shadows.”

You snapped your mouth shut.

The man had a point there.

Which kinda sucked. What a good excuse to move to the UK.

“Why don’t you come back with us, Y/N?” Edward suggested when your thoughts didn’t leave England.

Your eyes locked onto tawny gold.

“At least for a little while. That will give you a chance to get everything in order if you don’t decide to stay.”

You studied his face while you thought it over.

It would be good for you to go back. Get back to the familiar and comforting.

And maybe even get on with your life.

Although…

“I know it sounds kinda crazy, Edward, it being so soon and all, but I’m going to really miss everyone here.”

The mind reader picked up on exactly who you would miss the most and he gave a gentle smile.

“I can assure you the sentiment would be returned, if he wasn’t going along.”

You blinked once. Twice. Three times.

And then, “Wait, what?”

Edward leaned back in his chair, an air of smugness radiating from him.

“Marcus. King Marcus. The one with the beautiful eyes and the amazingly kind heart you haven’t stopped thinking about?”

You blushed red at that.

“He decided to come along with us to Forks,” Edward continued, “if you had decided to join us.”

“But why?” you asked in genuine confusion. Why would he want to go to Forks of all places?

Edward leveled you with a look that said, ‘Really?’

You leveled a look right back at him.

“He’s known me for a few days, Eddie. And we’ve had one date- if you can technically even call it that. Seems a little premature for him to go galavanting across half the globe for someone he just met.”

Edward leaned in, elbows on the table and face serious and close to yours.

“Y/N. Listen and listen good. You are worth it. Whatever my sire has said and done, however my coven has treated you, forget about it. I told you- you endear yourself to people quickly. The Volturi are no different. What they feel for you is true and all because of you. Bonded or no, Unwanted or no, they care for you. As do I. Don’t be so hard on yourself or surprised that Marcus would travel with you to Forks. There are more that would come if they could.”

“Young Edward is right,” a low, gravelly voice said from the doorway and you snapped your head over to see Marcus standing there, Volturi robes blending in with the shadowed doorway.

“You sell yourself much too short, Cara Mia. I am going with you to Forks because I wish to. Because I do not want you to have to face Carlisle and his coven alone. And because I very much want to see where this attraction between us may lead.”

Marcus stepped into the room and slowly made his way to your side before lowering himself elegantly to his knees.

“However,” he continued quietly, “should you wish me not to go, I will remain here in Volterra.”

You blinked dumbly at him.

“You mean, I have a say in this?” you asked in surprise.

Edward made an odd sound and Marcus looked stricken.

“Y/N,” he said earnestly, “you will always have a choice.”

You looked between the two of them and then your eyes went wide.

“No, that’s not what I meant! I mean it was, but not necessarily like that! Just...it is surprising to me that I would have a say in whether you went to Forks or not, because...well, of the obvious.”

“Why would you think you wouldn’t have an input into whether I accompanied you to Forks or not?” Marcus asked quietly.

You rose a brow. “You mean other than the fact that you’re a King? A Vampire one at that? You can go wherever you want- why would my opinion matter? I’m just me- human and decidedly not a royal.”

“But perhaps I am just Marcus- a man trying to woo a woman he’s beginning to care very deeply for. A man who wouldn’t want to press his luck and go anywhere he wasn’t welcome.”

Silence reigned in the kitchen. Marcus was looking intently at you, you were gaping probably quite unattractively back at him, and Edward was pretending to be engrossed in the ceiling to give you two the illusion of privacy.

“Y/N,” Marcus whisperer, cold hand lifting to gently cup your cheek. “May I accompany you to Forks? And act as your Protector?”

Edward’s attention was now focused intensely on the two of you, but you paid him no mind, your own attention captivated by the King kneeling at your feet.

“Yes,” you finally managed to murmur. “Please.”

A soft smile curled the edges of the Vampire King’s mouth and he smoothly stood.

“Then I have preparations to finish. I shall see you when we depart tonight, Y/N. Until then.”

With a kiss to the back of your hand, he was gone in a swirl of robes and a gust of wind.

Dazedly, you wondered if Aro’s flamboyance was contagious.

After a few minutes, you snapped out of it and looked over to see Edward looking at you with an unreadable expression.

“...What?” you asked cautiously.

“King Marcus,” Edward started, before stopping, his expression warring somewhere between joy and caution.

“King Marcus what?” you finally demanded when it seemed he wouldn’t say anything else.

“He asked to be your Protector.”

“Yeah? And?”

“And you agreed.”

“Yeah? And?!”

Edward’s honey gaze met your own.

“And he has formally claimed you. He is your Protector and you are his Charge. Your battles are his battles, your enemies are his enemies. He wants nothing more than your safety and happiness.”

You gaped as Edward leaned forward to add lowly, “He would now die for you.”

[sabineelectricheart]

A Boring, Old Farm Girl

Summary: Alex thinks the Farmer to be boring and plain. He came to regret this assessment.

Rating: K+ - Suitable for more mature childen, 9 years and older, with minor action violence without serious injury. May contain mild coarse language. Should not contain any adult themes.

Words: 2000

Notes: First time around here. I think it came out pretty well. I hope you like it!

It has been five years. Five years, damn it, and yet I am still here, like some idiot waiting for his saving grace, a saving grace I know that will never come. That I hope never comes.

Whatever happened to all my dreams of travelling the world? Of enjoying everything that life could offer? What happened to becoming a championship-winning gridball player?

I guess you happened.

Where did all my dreams go? Just when, exactly, did I lose sight of all my goals, all my dreams, of everything?

…I guess it was around the time I lost you.

*_*_*_*_*

It was the First day of Spring when I first saw you. You were walking down the lonely street of the town, stopping by every villager you met for a greeting and a polite introduction.

Back then, you were just some ordinary, plain looking girl to me.

Your eyes, normal, your features, normal, your looks, normal. Every single thing about you just screamed 'normal', and that was the kind of girl I would never waste my time on. There were better pickings to be had.

Little did I know that you were anything but normal.

*_*_*_*_*

I am stuck here in my stupid house, too big for just myself, with absolutely no one for company. I have never been that good of a grandson, and I suppose I could not fault my grandparents for passing away so closely to each other. I have never been that good of a friend or neighbour, either, so I am mostly treated with contempt.

I just wish I would have someone to talk to me, to keep me occupied and to make me remember that I am alive, that I am a human being. Anyone, anyone at all would be good enough.

Though, if I am being honest, I suppose I do not want just anyone.

I want you.

*_*_*_*_*

A few days later, you came to my house and introduced yourself. Due to their old age, my grandparents did not spend much time out and about, and you found it to be polite to come and make a cordial visit.

Even your name was a plain name, and so I began calling you Farm Girl, admittedly derogatorily. Yoba, I am an idiot.

You brought cookies, I thought them to be too dry, and animated conversation. My grandmother absolutely adored you, and demanded for you to come more often. You complied, and so became a permanent fixture around our house.

You were just some other Plain Jane, of those you meet in every corner, and I swore to myself, I would never be caught spending time with such a boring person like you.

It is strange how someone I thought to be so boring managed to change my life so much.

*_*_*_*_*

I hate myself for calling you boring and plain all those years back. I should never have thought that way about you.

You were beautiful, funny, amazing, wonderful and anything but plain, but, as I now know, what is said and done cannot be taken back, no matter how damn hard you want to.

*_*_*_*_*

You started visiting every day, and you started talking to me. I could not avoid you forever, so I let myself be caught sometimes when my grandmother was serving tea, I let myself be convinced to stick around for a minute or two, and so you began talking to me.

I guess it was not so much your voice as your personality that attracted me to you.

Your personality, it was anything but normal. It made me want to know more about you, to always want to be with you.

There was just… Something so…

There was something so special about it, about you, that I always found myself being drawn to you.

And from them on, I found myself always hanging out with boring old Farm Girl.

*_*_*_*_*

I still remember calling you that. Boring Old Farm Girl. A stupid nickname, made up by a stupid boy that knew nothing of real life. It was not fair to you that I called you that, and yet, you put up with me.

I guess that is just one of the many things that made me want to get to know you, and it was one of the many things I missed most when I lost you.

Comparing you to Haley, of course I would pick her. She just got this… Energy about her. She is pretty and cute, and definitely not boring. She was exciting in all the right places to turn heads of naïve boys like me.

No matter what you did and what you said, the entire valley routinely picked her over you, so I guess I should be kinder with myself on that point, but then again, I always thought myself to be better than everyone else.

I guess, she just seemed like the right choice for me, but she was not.

You were always the right one for me, Farm Girl, and I guess that is exactly why I chose Haley over you. I found myself drawn to you, but I had to tell myself that Haley would always be the right one for me.

No matter how damn much I wanted to hug and kiss you, I had to tell myself this.

"She's Boring Old Farm Girl. Boring, boring, boring old Farm Girl."

It became my mantra, something I would repeat in my mind again and again whenever I gazed upon you, but you know when I told this to myself the most?

It was when you told me you loved me.

*_*_*_*_*

It was the Twenty-Sixth of Summer when you told me…

Told me… That.

We were in my room, and I can still remember how the conversation went exactly, word for word.

"So, Boring Old Farm Girl, who do you think is the prettiest girl in this village?" I asked, gauging for a reaction. I do not know why on Earth I asked something such as that, but I did.

"Well…” You pouted, as you did when you thought too hard. “I’d think I will say Penny."

"Penny?” I asked in disbelief. “She's just as plain as you!"

I laughed at you for thinking Penny, the only girl in town who was just as normal-looking as you, was pretty.

"What's wrong with that?” You defended, your pitch raising. “Well, who do you think is the prettiest?"

I know I should have said you. I should have said you. I should just damn said it was you.

"Haley, duh.” I snorted. “She's pretty and cute, and way cooler than you, Boring Old Farm Girl."

You did not say anything after that, and I should have gotten it.

Why could not my dumbass mind just process it?

"Hey, why so quiet? Sad that I think Haley's hotter than you?" I teased you, meaning it only as a joke.

A long silence passed before you said anything, refusing to look me in the eye.

"Heh. You know what, Alex? I am sad. And you know why? Because that's how you'll always think. You'll always think of me as Boring Old Farm Girl, and you'll always think that everyone is prettier or nicer or better than me."

"Hey, come on, cannot take a joke, little Plain Girl?" I continued teasing you, still not getting the message.

"Yeah, I guess I can’t." You smiled at me sadly, and never had I seen your eyes so full of sadness.

With that, you made your way towards the door, and just before leaving, you said these words.

"You know what the sad thing about this is, Alex?" You said to me, your voice threatening to break any moment.

"Boring Old Farm Girl loves you." You whispered just loud enough so I could hear, and without another word, you took off.

"Boring Old Farm Girl loves you."

*_*_*_*_*

You know why I remember this conversation so vividly?

Because it haunts me. It haunts me every single damn day of my life, and I just cannot get it to go away. Because getting it to go away would mean erasing one of the few memories I actually have of you, and I cannot bring myself to do that.

Even though they are all bad memories, I do not want to forget them. I cannot forget them. They are all I have left of you, and I have to hold on to them as tight as I can.

When in fact, I should have held onto you as tight as I could, when I actually had the chance.

*_*_*_*_*

As I was digesting what I had just heard from you, Haley barged in, with her annoyingly happy attitude.

She started rambling on about something, probably some girl stuff I would not care about.

Everything you said always interested me. It was probably at that moment I realized that you were the one I wanted. You had always been the one I wanted.

*_*_*_*_*

It is ironic, huh?

The moment I realized that you were the one I really wanted was just a few minutes after I lost you.

Even though I had only known you for a year, I know now that I had always been utterly and irrevocably in love with you, and I would always be in love with you.

But it is just too late now, isn't it?

No matter how damn much I want you, I still cannot have you.

After the… Incident happened, we never talked to each other and never even looked at one another when we crossed paths.

Yoba, I missed you. I missed your chatter, your jokes… Well, I guess I just missed you.

Do you know why I am still here? Because I cannot bear to leave you. Even though we do not speak, I still love you.

I guess I have no right to say that, because I am the one who ruined everything. It is my fault, and like what I have already said, no matter how damn hard I want to take back what I have said and done, I cannot. I know now that it just does not work that way.

*_*_*_*_*

A little over three years later, on the 26th of Summer, you got engaged with the town doctor. A boring, old man.

I was invited to your wedding, but I could not do it. I could not see the woman I loved promise to love another man forever.

And so, while everyone gathered at the church to watch you and Harvey get married, I stayed in my house, and for the first time ever, I cried for you, for me, and for what could have been, us.

*_*_*_*_*

So, like I said. It has been five damn years, and I am still here. I have no dreams now. I have no goals in life. I lost all of them the moment I lost you.

You are content with Harvey now and I know he will treat you well, so I am genuinely happy for you. I am glad you have found someone who will never call you boring or plain, and who will always think you are the prettiest and the nicest person on Earth, and will always want you and no one else.

So yes, I am happy that you have someone who can take care of you and protect you, to do things for you that I could never do. I know Harvey will never call you Boring Old Farm Girl or Plain Girl, so I am glad you are with him now. I do not want you to break up with him for me, of all people.

Even though I want to be with you so much that it hurts, I know Harvey is the right one for you, so all I can do now is sit here in my boring old house, all alone.

Alone, regretting all the things I have done to you. Alone, wishing I could be with you. Alone, missing you.

*_*_*_*_*

Stardew Valley Masterlist

[camillemontespan]

oblivion [raleigh carrera] [part two: leap of faith]

Part One if you want to catch up

Warnings: Discussion of drugs, near death

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

Fiona gave Raleigh the green light in the end. After their heated argument regarding Marina’s care, she threw her hands up and said, ‘Fine. Do it your way, look after her instead of sending her to rehab. I’ll just tell you I told you so.’

She stormed out of the room, rejecting phone calls from media outlets who were desperate to find out about the fallen popstar who lay asleep in the hospital bed. 

Raleigh sighed and slouched down onto the chair by the head. He picked up the TV remote control and turned on the television. The voices of newsreaders filled the room. 

‘Marina Cortez, the 25 year old singer who has dominated the music charts this past year, has been taken to hospital after a suspected drugs overdose,’ the news anchor told the viewer. ‘Please note, the following video images may be difficult for you to watch as they are graphic in nature.’

The screen then switched to a shaky video of Marina, lying comatose in a stretcher, being loaded into an ambulance. Paparazzi surrounded the vehicle and members of the public were taking photos on their phones, filming and shouting her name. Raleigh clenched his fists, wishing he could jump into the TV screen and beat them all to a pulp.

The screen reverted back to the newsroom. The news anchor turned to his co-host. ‘Katie, what do you think about this? She’s hit rock bottom, hasn’t she?’

The female co-anchor with a huge blowdry and face caked in bronzer nodded, trying to look sad. ‘Absolutely, Gerald. This is a far cry from the innocent girl we were introduced to on One in a Million. She is pictured falling out of clubs, screaming at paparazzi, wearing next to nothing.. It’s such a shame.’ 

The screen changed to a video of Marina in her car being surrounded by paparazzi. She was wearing aviator sunglasses and her black hair was pulled up into a messy bun. Raleigh knew she was wearing sunglasses because she was crying but didn’t want anyone to  know; it was a thing she admitted to him before they parted ways. ‘Move bitch!’ she was screaming at the camera. ‘Fucking move or I will run you over!’ 

The screen switched back to the blowdried newsreader and her Botoxed beyond belief male colleague. 

‘Hopefully, she will make it back to the nation’s good graces,’ Gerald said and that was when Raleigh turned the TV off in disgust. Why did Marina have to apologise? Why did she have to make the effort? THEY were the ones who destroyed her. The paparazzi were like rabid dogs, the fans were  relentless with their adoration and expectations for Marina to be perfect all the fucking time. The newsreaders who discussed her on their breakfast shows like she was nothing. They had made her into a commodity, forgetting that she was a person

She was a 25 year old girl from a tiny town in America. She had a little brother, Nico. She doted on her grandmother. She loved to read old books like Jane Austen and quote the passages to him. She liked going to football games. She loved her guitar. 

He rested his head in his hands, trying to hold himself together. 

Raleigh jumped when he heard the tiny, gentle voice beside him. ‘Hey Raleigh.’

He turned to see Marina looking at him, her eyes glimmering with tears. ‘Marina,’ he breathed, leaning down to pull her into a hug. His hand caressed the back of her head. She felt so small and fragile, like a little bird. He could feel her tears sliding down his neck. 

‘Shh, honey, it’s okay,’ he whispered. ‘You’re safe. I got you.’

Her voice came out like a choke. ‘I’ve really fucked up, haven’t I?’

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

All Raleigh could do was hold her. He resisted every urge to kiss her desperately, begging her for forgiveness. When they parted, Marina lay back down but her pinkie finger was hooked around his. Tiny contact, but still contact. 

‘You’re coming to stay with me,’ Raleigh told her. ‘I’ve cleared it with Fiona.’

Marina blinked. ‘Why am I staying with you?’

‘Because rehab clearly doesn’t work,’ he told her bluntly. ‘Plus I want to be there for you. I want to look after you, keep you safe-’

‘Why?’ Her voice was thick and she was looking down at her hands. ‘Everyone leaves me in the end. You left me. Why come back now?’

‘I’m so fucking sorry,’ Raleigh whispered. ‘I fucked up. I should never have left you in the first place. I promise, I’m not going to fail you again. I love you-’

He stopped talking. He hadn’t meant to say that. 

Marina looked up at him now, her eyes big and watery. They were red rimmed; god, she looked awful. She looked broken. 

‘How can you tell me you love me when you left me alone in the dark?’ she asked. ‘I needed you. I know it wasn’t  obvious at the time but I really fucking needed you.’

Raleigh caught her hands, making her stop. ‘I know. I was wrong. I just want to make this up to you. Let me help. Please.’ 

It was like arguing with Fiona again. He was exhausted from having to repeat himself. 

‘I heard you were on the way to the hospital and my heart stopped,’ he continued. ‘I thought this was it. I genuinely thought I was going to lose you.’ 

Marina was studying him now, wary. Raleigh persevered. ‘I knew that if I lose you, I’d never forgive myself. I have so many things I want to say to you, so many apologies, but nothing is going to change the fact that I abandoned you when you needed me most. I was selfish; I thought I was saving you by leaving, as I was the one who introduced you to drugs and everything else in the first place, but I realise now that I left because I was guilty. I could see you going down this dark path and I fucking knew it was my fault, so I left so I didn’t have to face the consequences.’ 

He sighed and looked down at the floor. ‘I was pathetic,’ he spat. ‘So, Marina, you being in this room right now.. It’s my fault. I’m so sorry. I got you into this mess so I’m going to get you out of it.’

The room was silent. Marina looked like she was going to cry again. ‘Rehab didn’t work for me,’ she whispered, finally. ‘What makes you think your methods are better?’

Raleigh smiled sadly. ‘Because I’ve been through this and my way works. You just got to take a leap of faith and trust me, Marina.’ 

Marina chewed her lip and looked conflicted. Raleigh worried that she would tell him to get out and take his knight in shining armor role with him. 

But she didn’t.

‘Okay,’ she whispered. ‘I trust you.’

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

Raleigh left Marina to sleep. Striding with purpose down the hospital corridor, he went through the staff only hallways and out of the staff exit. Still no paparazzi at this door, thank God.  Raleigh got into a cab and asked to be taken to his destination. 

Marina’s apartment was on a boulevard filled with palm trees and upscale restaurants. She had come a long way in the world. Raleigh let himself into her building. The doorman recognised him and let him through. 

Fiona had given Raleigh Marina’s key to the apartment. As he entered, he braced himself.  He hadn’t been here for months. 

The floor to ceiling windows in the  open plan living room/kitchen looked out over the LA skyline. Raleigh ignored the bottles of vodka littered on the kitchen island and he ignored the white powder that was sprinkled haphazardly on the glass coffee table.   He ignored the doorway to the bathroom where Marina had been found underwater

He found Marina’s suitcase in the dressing room and began to load it with clothes. Not her ‘famous’ clothes which consisted of crop tops, tiny dresses, high heels and ass grazing denim shorts. No. He picked out clothes that were comfortable; cosy oversized sweaters, cute t-shirts with slogans, jeans and suede boots. He found a scarf and hat. 

Where they were going, the weather was not constant sunshine like LA. Where they were going was so different, it was going to be like another world. 

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

Marina was discharged three days later after being kept under surveillance. Raleigh was waiting for her outside the hospital room, suitcases in hand.  ‘Ready?’ he asked. Marina nodded mutely and eyed the suitcases. 

‘You brought my suitcase?’

‘Yup. Packed it myself.’

Marina groaned. ‘Oh god, tell me it doesn’t have only bikinis and lingerie in it.’

Raleigh was about to protest but stopped when he saw her smiling. Good. She had a tiny bit of sparkle back. Marina took her suitcase and followed Raleigh as he lead her down the staff hallways. 

‘How bad it is outside?’ she asked. ‘I imagine they want to eat me for breakfast.’ 

Raleigh grimaced. ‘Not good,’ he told her honestly. ‘But there’s no photographers out this way so we should be safe-’

They weren’t safe. Paparazzi were crowded out the secret exit and waiting for a glimpse of Marina. Clearly, someone had tattled to the press that Raleigh had been using secret doors to get in and out.  Raleigh heard Marina whimper and he instinctively wrapped his arm around her, holding her close to him. ‘It’s okay, honey,’ he murmured. ‘Keep walking, the car is there.’ 

‘Marina! How are you feeling?’ one photographer shouted. 

‘Give us a smile!’

‘Are you and Raleigh back together?’

‘Pop’s bad couple reunited!’ 

Raleigh kept Marina walking, trying his best to get her past. He could see her bodyguard, Hank, striding through the photographers towards them, with his hand out. ‘Get out of the way!’ Hank hollered. Raleigh passed Marina to Hank, who was basically a 6’6 human shield. Hank protected her from the swarm and managed to get her inside the car, keeping her hidden from the flashes. 

‘Is she off to rehab?’ a photographer asked. ‘Surprised she’s still alive!’ 

Raleigh whipped around at that comment. ‘Who the fuck said that?!’

‘Raleigh, come on!’ Hank shouted, storming back to where Raleigh was being surrounded. ‘We don’t have time, get in the car.’ 

Hank grabbed him and hauled him to the vehicle, opening the door quickly and shoving him inside. Raleigh stewed on the thoughtless comment made by that photographer until he remembered he had more important things to deal with. He turned to see Marina with her head in her hands, crying quietly. 

‘Marina, shh..’ he whispered, gently wrapping his arm around her. ‘It’s okay, you’re away from them.’

She looked at him with her brown eyes filled with anguish and croaked, ‘I wish I had fucking died.’ 

Horror filled Raleigh’s heart. He pulled her into his chest, holding her tight. ‘Don’t you fucking say such things, Marina,’ he said. ‘I won’t stand for it. I’m so relieved you’re here. You’re alive and I thank God that you’re beside me right now. We’re going to fight this, okay? Where we’re going, media can’t follow. They can’t stalk you or scare you. You’re safe.’

Marina rubbed her eyes harshly and let out a breath. ‘Where are we going?’

Raleigh smiled. ‘Michigan. My mom’s place.’

[oscar-isaacs-number-one-bitch]

“Mary Poppins Returns” Movie Review

Mary Poppins Returns is the long-awaited sequel to the beloved 1964 Disney classic, Mary Poppins, which originally starred Julie Andrews as the titular nanny who helped the Banks family to become closer in their time of need. Now, the Banks children are all grown up, and Michael Banks (Ben Wishaw) has fallen on some tricky financial hardship after the passing of his wife, and may be about to lose their home, which he lives in with the three children they had together. Jane (Emily Mortimer), his sister, is helping out as best she can, but it seems to no avail…until, that is, Mary Poppins (this time around played by Emily Blunt) comes back to Cherry Tree Lane. Her first order of business? That she may look after the Banks children once more, but is she can, she’ll help Michael’s children embrace their own worlds of imagination, and remind him what it’s like to be a child again.

As a disclaimer first, let me say this: many reviews are pointing out that this film seems to follow all the same plot beats as the original without adding all that much to the overall story. Given the fact that (although I’m sure I saw it many times) I do not remember the original Mary Poppins all that well, I cannot faithfully or in good conscience say the same. What I can say is what I did honestly think of the film itself, without such a note being implemented into my review. So, how does the sequel stack up now that it’s been 54 years since the original classic? It holds up just fine, albeit with a few noticeable (if ultimately inconsequential) flaws.

Mary Poppins Returns (from what I can tell) does serviceable justice to the original, while still trying to remain its own thing. Musical films are hard enough to do, especially as sequels to beloved classics, but director Rob Marshall and company have chosen perhaps the singular most beloved classic Disney musical (at least in non-animated form) of all time to test their sails out on, and for the most part, they pull it off. From the very opening frame, one can tell that we’re in for something that may not take off, but could still be quite a bit of fun while we’re on the ground, and fun, we do have. Even all these years later, if a sequel isn’t done correctly, one will fail to care about these characters between the showy moments and the blockbuster spectacle of it all, and while occasionally the movie takes some missteps in that department, for the most part we still continue to care for Michael’s plight. The scenes in which he and Jane are reflecting on their childhood, and in particular one where Michael is taken briefly into a song of sadness remembering the passing of his wife, are genuinely moving and do conjure emotional resonance in that very special Disney way they know how to do.

The magic, too, is not lost on anyone. The opening sequence/musical number may not be one of Disney’s stronger sequel introductions, but once Mary Poppins does show up, things begin to brighten almost immediately (quite literally as the clouds around her depart). This magic is nowhere more prominent than in the upbeat musical numbers director Rob Marshall and lyricist Scott Wittman have written, paired with a fun and soaring score from composer Marc Shaiman, the two strongest of which by far are “Can You Imagine That?” and “Trip a Little Light Fantastic,” on or the other of which I’m sure is locked in for a Best Original Song nomination at this year’s Academy Awards. But these aren’t the only Oscar nominations this film is sure to muster.

The visual effects of the film are also brilliant and astounding, reminiscent of the 2D-mixed-with-live-action style for which the film’s predecessor was known. Seeing the art pop into brilliant color on screen is a real treat, and if anything, this aspect of the film will charm you into utter bliss, if but for a small set of moments. The color is not just reserved for the visual effects either. The costume and production design in the film is simply brilliant, everything brought to life in such brilliant color you’d think you were watching The Wizard of Oz in 1939. One can safely expect a slew of below-the-line nominations at this year’s Oscars for things like Sound, Visual Effects, Production/Costume Design, and Original Song, but don’t be surprised if we also see one top-category nomination as well – that nomination being Emily Blunt as the title character.

Most of the performances in the film are anywhere from serviceable (in the case of Lin-Manuel Miranda, still a bit more comfortable of a stage actor than a screen one) to genuinely good (Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Colin Firth, Julie Walters), and the returning cameo by Dick Van Dyke is full of boundless joy, but absolutely no one outsteps the ever-lovely Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins. It’s a perfect recasting, and if it’s not, it’s certainly the closest we could hope for given Julie Andrews’ absence. Blunt embodies the charm, care, and comedy of the character of Mary Poppins so perfectly she’s well-deserving of a Best Actress nomination for her work here, should one come along. In every frame, with every line, she never misses a single emotional beat or drops the vocal cadence of the character and it truly is an astounding thing to see her move across the screen with the same confidence with which Julie Andrews did all those years ago. She is truly magnificent. It’s a marvelous, and (dare I say) flawless resurrection of the character, and marks a second banner performance in Blunt’s career this year alone (paired with her brilliant work in A Quiet Place), displaying her range as an actress like never before.

Then again, I did mention earlier that this film was not without some noticeable flaws. For one thing, it’s simply too long. That’s not to say that I was ever bored or that what I was seeing on screen didn’t add to the story at all, but there are sequences, even in the musical numbers, that could have been cut down for time; as long as they are, the movie feels like it’s taking its sweet time getting to wherever it’s trying to go and on occasion loses the sense of magic or urgency because whatever scene one is watching keeps going on…and on…and on…and on and on forever until finally you think you’re getting back to one of the quiet moments of the film…and the bombastic score takes over again instead of letting you rest. In fact, there’s an entire musical number placed between the second and third acts of the film that seems only to exist so that Meryl Streep can do one of the film’s less catchy musical numbers and never show up in the narrative again. It’s a fine performance, but it just seems so unnecessary by film’s end, one wonders why Disney would just stop the narrative cold in order to give some cinematic fan service that doesn’t add to it really at all (then again, this is the company that made Solo, so I guess it follows.)

Another thing the film suffers from, besides an over-emphasis on nostalgia instead of narrative, is a slight (if only barely so) lack of focus between its two conjoined storylines. Mary Poppins is off with the children having adventures while Michael struggles to save their home, and while all the magic and visuals of the Mary Poppins storylines are genuinely fun, I just wish we had gotten to spend a little more time with Michael as a character, to see the nuance of how he got to be where he is and how he’s responding to all of what’s going on. For long stretches of the narrative, he seems to have been forgotten almost entirely, only for the film to put him back on screen and say “oh, yes, the reason this is all happening, we can’t forget to let you know that’s still here,” as if an afterthought.

And speaking of afterthoughts, there are a few more of those scattered in the film, one of which has to do with a decision that was made about Colin Firth’s character that reminded me of Zemo from Captain America: Civil War. No, Colin Firth doesn’t have a master plan to drive Mary Poppins and the Banks’ apart and make them fight each other (though that would be an interesting thing to see), but without spoilers, the writers of Mary Poppins Returns do something with his character that seemed unnecessary given that Michael already has time to struggle against. In addition to this, while I certainly enjoyed the charm of Emily Mortimer’s performance, the movie just doesn’t give her much of anything to do other than be there, and seems not at all interested in exploring her life outside of her relationship to Michael. We never see where she lives or get to follow her to any of her pro-worker rallies or anything, she’s just kind of there, and feels like less like a character in her own right because we never see that she has a life of her own. That’s a real bummer considering how well Mortimer plays the character for what screen time she has.

Still, it’s not a bad film or even just okay by any stretch of the imagination (something this film relishes in stretching, by the way). Mary Poppins Returns is, simply put, safe. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t also fun. Emily Blunt is marvelous as the titular character, and despite some overlong pacing and unnecessary character/story beats, it mostly holds together as an enjoyable family film one can see over the holiday season. The visuals are fantastic, the music is good apart from two numbers that do reach that level of great, and on a costume/production design level alone, this film should show up at this year’s Oscars. It may not be practically perfect in every way, but it gets most of it right.

I’m giving “Mary Poppins Returns” an 7.8/10.

[underthebluerain]

Watched Thor: Ragnarok yesterday. Some of it I liked, some of it I loved, most of it was a mess, some of it I hated. The things I loved made me really emotional and saved it from being a wholly bad experience. The things I hated are the reason I am really glad I didn’t spend money on it.

Fair warning, this "review” is as messy and disjointed as the film. Also long.

-The moment the movie started with Thor’s monologue it was clear it was 100% off tone with the Thor universe. Like what.

-The first woman we saw in Thor was Jane Foster doing scientific research. The first women we see in Ragnarok are two unnamed fanservice extras who are presumably skurge’s conquests and are there for the guy to show off to, with barely any lines, no important role and (I think) never seen again. Just a thought.

-I will admit, I did fid some moments funny and genuinely enjoyed them. Others were just ridiculous, a sign they completely ignored the kind of story and especially characters they were showing. And the moments that should’ve been dramatic but that were played in a funny way, even worse. Like Thor and Loki’s reunion. Thor thought he was dead, again. Honestly. Take away all the emotional depth why don’t you. (Yeah I still laughed but it was a Robbed Angst Moment).

-Not to be That Guy but... Loki’s in-universe The Dark World play has Lady Sif and the Warriors Three in a bigger role than they had in it (since they are present at Svartalfheim) and also has Jane in it so 1) it’s keeping both Sif and Jane UNLIKE THIS MOVIE and 2) how shitty is that the in-play acknowledges these characters and the film proper doesn’t. I am so tired of Marvel’s self-referential “haha let’s lampshade the fact that the women are missing but not actually do anything to remedy it!” also unashamedly used in AOU and Antman.

-The bit they showed us about the play I liked in general though, it had plenty of Bro Feels. And Odin!Loki mouthing “I didn’t do it for him” lol but also aww. Also interesting that Sif and the W3 were included (just like in his deleted TDW imagining. He really wants Thor’s friends to like him damn) worried about him and Sif was sent to get help...?? They are not helping me forget about sifki tbh

-Also I shouldn’t be surprised that something serious like Loki’s origins was mentioned only to be funny but like... what?? He seriously decided to let everyone know?? Really?? And is this play seriously how he decided to do it?? When was this?? Was everyone chill with it?? When did he become cool with it?? 

-Was Jotun!Loki called a blue icicle or did I hallucinate that

-Literally the only mention of Jane is of how she dumped Thor and him saying he dumped her instead. Besides Jane being missing, several reasons why this is shitty: 1) again, only one mention of her in the entire film 2) the only mention has her referred to only insofar as her relationship or lack thereof with Thor goes 3) Thor wouldn’t be trying to save face regarding the breakup, he’d just be sad about it 4) it isn’t a good enough reason to have her missing, fuck you.

-Thor to Strange: “Who are you and why should I care” lmao same

-Hela being Odin’s daughter is so out of left field. The backstory regarding her helping Odin win the realm even more so. What?? Just what??

-On the other hand, nice to see the fishiness about Odin and Asgard’s treatment of other realms acknowledged as shitty. But they still had Odin’s only scenes  being good to his sons...?

-I am conflicted about Hela’s design because on the one hand I am gay and find it sexy but on the other I kind of resent they gave her the Black Skintight Catsuit™ of Sexy Female Characters.

-The W3 didn’t deserve those sudden deaths and Thor didn’t deserve to not find out about them.

-I SO loved Thor and Loki’s interactions. I'VE MISSED THEM SO MUCH

-The mural with the family was nice. I didn’t like how frigga was depicted lower than her husband (and this even though she’s taller...) and looking at him/the ground while the men are looking forward, but it does make sense given Asgard’s sexism (as established in other movies, because apparently now they have an all-women army. Ok then why was Sif being the only female warrior a big deal?? Answer: this movie doesn’t give a shit about continuity)

-So... Odin was ashamed of how he got the realm... but he still made a hugeass mural about it??

-I do like hearing Odin get called out. also Odin manipulated history, who else isn’t surprised?

-Again with the humour being used to reference a tragic past event: Loki’s apparently telling the Sakaar gang (whom he barely knows) about how he let go of the Bifrost. As if it’s a funny anecdote. They all laugh. What.

-Just let Hulk stay there and rot Thor

-Hulk is an asshole, I didn’t need more reasons to hate him but they gave them to me

-They didn’t just made an AOU reference they actually had the gall to show me ooc!nat and fucking brutasha AGAIN EW EW EW WHY FUCK aaand I officially hate Taika Waititi. I am SO glad I didn’t go see this movie in a theatre can you imagine giving more money to be traumatised with the same shit again omg

-Lmao they literally threw in a line in just to give Banner more degrees than Jane, Phd’s actually, so his are more important right? The male ego truly is astounding

-I thought we’d see more of Valkyrie’s backstory and her grudge against Hela, but at least we got something. Also her name wasn’t revealed?? Was it in the credits? She is cool though. I liked that her introduction was not at all dignified (falling off the ship bc she’s drunk? lol. Wasn’t expecting it tbh) but she got her dignity back. I’ve seen it mentioned that her story of “badass warrior leaves after traumatic battle and becomes jaded drunk who pretends not to care about anything but eventually finds it in herself to come back and fight for what’s right” is a story usually reserved for men and it’s great that she got it.

-I feel so defeated that Asgard had to be destroyed.

-The rock alien was quite funny.

-Thor has literally lost his home, his girlfriend, his mother, his father, several of his friends (not that anyone told him) and his fucking eye give this boy a fucking break

-Thank god Thor didn’t end up believing Loki was dead again bc I would’ve gone there and killed him myself tbh

-I think one of my main problems with the film is that I actually enjoyed the adventure, some of the humour and few emotional moments, but it ignored and/or glossed over so much that was important that it’s not as gut-wrenching as its predecessors. To sum up: this movie was a good fic, but not a good enough Thor movie, you get me? Especially given how this is probably the very last Thor movie.

-Even without watching the Infinity Wars trailer it’s obvious Loki’s taken the Tesseract you little shit. I hope Thor knows and is like “take it out let’s see what we do with it hmm?”

-Fuck, I really enjoyed Loki and Thor’s relationship in this movie. On the one hand, the movie robbed them of several emotional moments (Thor finding out Loki’s alive, their reunion, a longer confrontation), but on the other the humour gave them several great scenes of sibling banter and backstory that I loved so much (even if some of it didn’t make sense like the snake anecdote: cute, funny but nonsensical). And despite the movie’s light tone not fitting with the other films’, I... feel like it did kinda fit their relationship here? The film made it work. I still wish we’d gotten more emotional scenes and arguing and angst, but I did like to see that it’s been quite some time since their grievances and that has sort of caused them to cool over a bit, so things are calmer, lighter. And that allows Loki to act less like a “I’m gonna betray you” (which is still there, but he doesn’t play it up so much), and above all allows Thor to say, “look, this has been fucked up for a few years, I don’t think trying to stay together will work”. Which I think is both sincere and reverse psychology. Sincere because Thor has been through a lot of pain and he knows Loki has too, so he doesn’t think he can handle having Loki there but not being able to trust him, and if Loki wants out he’s not gonna force him to stay. And reverse psychology because he’s hoping so bad that he’ll want to stay, that he’ll choose to. Freely. And he knows that the only way he will make a free choice is if he thinks Thor has made his and that it’s to stop pursuing him. I AM EMOTIONAL

-AND LOKI DID COME BACK TO HELP AND THOR FUCKING BELIEVED HE WOULD OKAY

- “IF YOU WERE REALLY HERE I MIGHT HUG YOU” “I’M HERE” GFHXKCJDLKLXKS

-WHAT THE FUCK WHERE IS MY HUG

-AND THEY DID END THE MOVIE TOGETHER SIDE BY SIDE WITH THOR AS KING AND LOKI AS ADVISOR AND GOING TO EARTH AND FACING WHATEVER DANGER IS COMING TOGETHER AND I AM VERY EMOTIONAL OKAY

[marcusssanderson]

70 Quotes On Being Happy With Where You Are in Life

Our latest collection of quotes about being happy to help you see the brighter side of life.

Being happy is extremely vital and something that every person ultimately wants in life.

Being happy leads to a wide array of benefits for our performance, relationships, health and much more.

Besides making us feel good about ourselves, happiness is a positive emotion that drives our ambitions and motivates us to wake up every morning to pursue our goals and dreams.

So how can we attain happiness?

For us to do this, we need to take personal responsibility for our own happiness.

We have to accept the fact that our happiness is our choice and something to be found within us.

Regardless of all the negative events that often occur in our lives, we can all maintain our happiness by learning to interpret whatever circumstances we deal with in a positive light.

Although external behaviors and events have the ability to trigger off negative thoughts, that can only happen if you allow them to.

Overall, happiness makes us healthier, more productive and ready to use our Everyday Power to reach our full potential.

Below are some inspirational, wise, and uplifting quotes about being happy that will help you develop the ability to be happy under all circumstances.

Quotes about being happy regardless of where you are in life

1.) “Being happy is something that each of us determines, it is not something that we find outside of yourself, it is within us and our choice.” – Catherine Pulsifer

2.) “The happiest people seem to be those who have no particular cause for being happy except that they are so.” – William Ralph Inge

3.) “Happiness is a deep sense of flourishing, not a mere pleasurable feeling or fleeting emotion but an optimal state of being.” – Matthieu Ricard

4.) “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”– Abraham Lincoln

5.) “We don’t laugh because we’re happy – we’re happy because we laugh.” – William James

6.) “Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”― Anne Frank

7.) “Happy is entirely up to you and always has been.”― Janette Rallison

8.) “Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason, you’re in trouble, because that reason can be taken from you.”― Deepak Chopra

9.) “The secret of being happy is accepting where you are in life and making the most out of every day.”- Anonymous

10.) “Nothing can bring you happiness but yourself.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quotes about being happy with who you are

11.) “The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are, and not who people think you are.” – Goldie Hawn

12.) “I enjoyed my life when I had nothing… and kinda like the idea of just being happy with me.” – Joey Ramone

13.) “Being happy in your skin that’s what it’s all about.” – Koo Stark

14.) “Be happy with being you. Love your flaws. Own your quirks. And know that you are just as perfect as anyone else, exactly as you are.” – Ariana Grande

15.) “Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad!”- Norm Papernick

16.) “True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self.” – Joseph Addison

17.) “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama

18.) “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”- Marcus Aurelius

19.) “I would do my damn best to be more happy than not.”― Adam Silvera

20.) “Happiness doesn’t have to be chased…it merely has to be chosen.” ― Mandy Hale

Quotes about being happy with what you have

21.) “The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don’t have.” – Woody Allen

22.) “Be happy with what you have. Be excited about what you want.” – Alan Cohen

23.) “If being happy is important to you, try this: instead of regretting all you lack, celebrate all you’ve got.” – Brian Vaszily

24.) “I just find myself happy with the simple things. Appreciating the blessings God gave me.” – DMX

25.) “Happiness is not having what you want. It is appreciating what you have.” – Unknown

26.) “Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.”― Hafez

27.) “Just think how happy you would be if you lost everything you have right now, and then got it back again.”- Frances Rodman

28.) “Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.”- Rabbi Hyman Schachtel

29.) “Do not forget to hope and happy be.” – John McLeod

30.) “It’s not my job to make you happy. It’s your job to learn that only those who quit selfishly seeking their own happiness find it.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich

Quotes about being happy and what it means

31.) “The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” – Henry Ward Beecher

32.) “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”– Mahatma Gandhi

33.) “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

34.) “Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”– Helen Keller

35.) “Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.” – Margaret Lee Runbeck

36.) “I don’t care about having money. It’s about being happy, man.” – Skrillex

37.) “We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.”– Anne Frank

38.) “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” – Denis Waitley

39.) “Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.” – Walt Whitman

40.) “The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”- Allan K. Chalmers

Quotes about being happy and letting go of the things that make you sad

41.) “You can never be really happy if you keep holding to those bad memories which makes you sad.” – Anurag Prakash

42.) “Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.” – Frank Tyger

43.) “One of the simplest ways to stay happy is by letting go of the things that make you sad.” –Tinku Razoria

44.) “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”– Albert Schweitzer

45.) “Happiness is where we find it, but very rarely where we seek it.” – J. Petit Senn

47.) “If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present.”― Roy T. Bennett

48.) “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

49.) “I laugh as much as I can and cry when I have to, without apology. I think that’s happy.”- Maya Angelou

50.) “If you want to be happy, you need to set your mind on happiness.” ― Ana Kostovska

Quotes about being happy with yourself

51.) “Happiness is the art of learning how to get joy from your substance.” – Jim Rohn

52.) “Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don’t give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm and genuine people.” – Tena Desae

53.) “If you want to be happy, be.”– Leo Tolstoy

54.) “When I am myself, I am happy and have a good result.” – Jack Ma

55.) “Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness.” – Ayn Rand

56.) “Happiness is not in our circumstance but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are.” – John B. Sheerin

57.) “You are happy when you are enthusiastic and action-oriented, not when you are luxury and pleasure oriented.” ― Debasish Mridha

58.) “Success means being happy with who you are and bringing happiness to those around you.” – Jane John Nwankwo

59.) “If you feel happy, Smile with all your heart. if you’re down, smile with all your might.” ― Paul Ian Guillermo

60.) “You choose to be happy. You don’t become happy just because the circumstances lead you to happiness.” – Ryan Cooper

Other inspirational quotes about being happy

61.) “Talking about someone who makes you happy actually makes you happy.” – Elizabeth Scott

62.) “Being happy never goes out of style.” – Lilly Pulitzer

63.) “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – Dalai Lama

64.) “What’s fulfilling is being happy and being able to help other people. The simple things.” –  James Arthur

65.) “Be believing, be happy, don’t get discouraged. Things will work out.”― Gordon B. Hinckley

66.) “The key to happiness was achievable dreams.”― Nicholas Sparks

67.) “Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.”- Jacques Prévert

68.) “I am a kind of paranoid in reverse. I suspect people of trying to make me happy”― J.D. Salinger

69.) “Is happiness equated to wealth, money, possessions, or is it value you find in doing your job well, having a loving family, your health, and an inner peace?” – Catherine Pulsifer

70.) “Embrace being perfectly imperfect. Learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself, you’ll be happier.” ― Roy Bennett

Which of these quotes about being happy was your favorite?

Happiness matters so much. If, for instance,  you asked parents what they want above all for their children, most of them would respond with something like: “I really just want them to be happy.” This is because happiness is the one thing we want most for those we love the most.

We hope these quotes about being happy have inspired you to take responsibility for your own happiness.

Did you enjoy these happiness quotes? Which of these quotes about being happy was your favorite? We would love to hear all about it in the comment section below. Also, don’t forget to spread some happiness by liking and sharing with your friends and loved ones.

The post 70 Quotes On Being Happy With Where You Are in Life appeared first on Everyday Power.

[iwannabearomancewriter]

Chapter 1:

Five years later…

“Here he comes!” I hear frantic whispers from outside my sad excuse of an office behind my circulation desk. I rolled my eyes to myself. I can hear all of the yoga pant wearing stay at home moms shuffling over to the window that faces the park and the playground. I chuckle remembering one of the younger volunteers sharing a joke with me last week about how the yoga pants were sad because they'd never be used for their intended purpose. I am wearing my most professional librarIan apparel of black pants, form-fitting white button down with black cardigan, and sensible black Mary Janes. Yes, it was the typical uniform of the mourning, but I wore it with style. I had lost my married weight over the years, so I now wear fitted women's shirts with pride. I pushed the tips of my shocking red bangs off my face for what seemed like the thousandth time today. In a moment of weakness last year, I decided to chop off my flowing waist-length locks only to chicken out after the stylist slashed only my bangs. So, now instead of looking classic and stylish, I looked like a recovering lobotomy patient. This afternoon I am hiding in my office trying to avoid the well-meaning moms who feel the need to find me my next husband. I've told them I will never remarry, but they think if I just meet the “right one” I’ll change my mind. I haven't told my library moms with their 2.5 kids about my gay ex-husband, so they think my attitude is unjustified. Ha! As if. My ninja skills are severely lacking because I can see through the window that someone has discovered my super secret hiding place. My assistant leans in the doorway with the biggest grin on his face.

“No playground for His Hotness today, Olivia! He's got a bag on his shoulder and he's headed this way!” Mark has a glimmer in his eye. He’s drunk the soccer mom, delusion-inducing Kool-Aid right along with the rest of them. These people think a middle aged librarian with no man and no prospects needs saving. Not bloody likely. I'm not British, I just like that phrase.

“Ladies... And gentleman.” I clear my throat to give all of the moms a chance to face me. Every week. It's like after they gave birth their hormones could not be stopped by logic or librarians. “It appears as if our bi-weekly entertainment is heading our way. Quickly return to your seats and buckle your smirks and sighs until the DILF has left the premises.” I kid you not, this spectacle I am witnessing happens twice a week. Mr. Hot Dad brings his daughter to the park twice a week. Of those two days, one of them includes a special visit to the public library to exchange his daughter’s books. The moms and Mark make quick work of looking like they weren't totally drooling over the man-candy now walking through the door. Their conversations start in the middle of sentences like they’ve been talking his entire time. Damn. They are good! In walks a man sent from the gods of some Latin country where men are steeped in the fine art of machismo… In a good way. Manliness just envelops him. You get too close, you could burn right through your panties. Papí struts back to the children’s section looking straight at me with an expression on his face that could be interpreted as “I am the man of your wettest dreams” or “Did I leave the iron on?”. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that this incredible specimen of man-candy does not iron.

I try to look as cool and calm as possible. I hate having to talk to the man when all of the hens in the henhouse are listening and watching. I and my total awkwardness around this man are their favorite form of entertainment.

Don't get me wrong, I love these ladies and their kids. Most of them are wealthy families who, upon discovering the Little Missus would be bringing forth their progeny, made sure to read every parenting book. Good, upper middle-class, hard working families who want to give their kids a head start in life. Their fervor for their children drives them to teach little Gertrude how to read by the age of three. Their children are smart, hardworking, and well rounded by all of their books and extracurriculars. Plus, I love my regulars. My stay-at-home moms who are just looking for something to fill the time until their darlings are ready to be driven to soccer, swimming, gymnastics, chess club; you get the idea. But through me they get to live vicariously. And they think this is a good thing! Little do they really know.

Forget that I'm a professional with an advanced degree attempting to teach their kids to have a lifelong love of reading. Forget that I've spent the past five years getting divorced, getting my Masters, and getting a real job and a comfortable enough existence after my husband left me… For Steve. God. Can this be over now? They all think this married guy is great practice for getting my confidence back. I just can't bring myself to tell them that the good lovin’ days are gone. Or more accurately, never were to begin with.

“Excuse me? Are you the librarian?” the extra tall panty melter with the broad shoulders and the hella deep baritone asks assertively.

I straighten my shoulders and walk out of my office with a forced smile on my face. I extend my hand politely, “Olivia Hastings. Yes, I'm the librarian.” I look him in the eye trying to convey that this is my domain and you will not fuck with me, but as soon as our eyes meet, that's when time stops. Happens. Every. Single. Time.

His eyes. I am such a sucker for brown eyes, but these are such a deep brown that I can't tell where his irises stop and pupils begin. I have never seen such lush eyes in my life. His eyelashes are so long that women across the planet are crying at the unfairness of it all.

He’s still shaking my hand... I think.

Is it warm in here? Or have I finally entered menopause? Sure I'm only thirty nine, but it could happen. It ain't like I'm getting any younger.

The heat radiating from my reproductive organs has been kick started after at least five years of neglect. Definitely not menopause. Good to know.

I drop my hand like it's on fire. On fire from the hotness standing in front of me. Gah! Get it together Olivia! He's a dad. He's a married dad! Dad, dad, dad, dad… DAD!

I lower my eyes to floor hoping to all things holy that he did not just hear my internal dialogue.

“Sebastian Arroyo. Pleasure to meet you.” I can almost hear a faint smile along with a very faint accent in his voice. Dios mio! Mr. Hot Dad shall henceforth be known as Señor Papí Calienté. Spicy! No. Picanté! Muy bien. Yep, he heard you. Stop it.

I look up at him again attempting a genuine smile, and I can feel my skin blush from the top of my head all the way to my girly parts. And when redheads blush? There's no hiding it. Nope. He knows exactly what I'm thinking or he's the most clueless DILF in North America. I see a mirthful light dance in his darkest gaze. I lower my eyes to the floor again.

���Is there something I can do for you, sir?” Or to you? Stop now!

“Yes. Mrs. Hastings…”

“Ms.” That wasn't obvious or anything. I cough to clear my head more than my throat. “Ms. Hastings.”

“My apologies. Ms. Hastings” he tilts his head forward just a bit, like he’s bowing his apologies. Nice. “I just finished talking to my daughter, and she reported to me that she has lost one of the books we borrowed months ago,” he states.

Oh yes. His daughter, Alexis. That poor girl. She loses everything she touches. With a dad that well put together, you'd think some of that Type A would have rubbed off on her, but, alas, no. Clueless would be a polite term for Alexis. And mom? She brings little Alexis by the library, too. However, she doesn't pay nearly as much attention to her daughter as Señor Papí does. Plus, the little missus might have been pretty once, but now there's so much plastic involved in her features, it's hard to tell what is her classic beauty and what is manufactured tripe. And you know that it's poisoned her brain as well. Ditzy as the day is long. What he sees in that god-awful woman I can only guess. And my guess? Papi here fell in love with whatever freaky shit she did with that pussy, and girlfriend fell in love with his cash. A marriage made in heaven. Insert eye roll here.

“Yes. I know Alexis,” I smile as sincerely as possible and direct my gaze to his ear. “Very sweet girl. I love her to pieces. But, she does have quite a difficult time keeping track of her library books,” and her brain.

Olivia, behave. It’s not like you're anyone to talk. How many times have you lost your keys today? Four and it’s not even noon. Pot? Meet kettle.

I attempt to look him in the eye again, but I just can't seem to do it. The stupid things flitting across my thoughts will blurt out if I don't keep my wits about me. The brief look I get of his face has me quickly turning away from him. Oh, look! My computer! I can use that for looking up books… And… Stuff. Go there, Olivia. The computer is your friend.

Mr. Arroyo follows me to my desk and speaks again, “Yes. This past year has been difficult for Alexis. Her mother and I,” he looks around the library as if to make sure he's not overheard. “We separated back in January. She has taken it very hard. Also, the custody arrangement is not ideal. I am not there to help her stay organized, and her mother, how can I say politely?… The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Holy. Shit. Señor Calienté is Señor divorciado Calienté! So he does see that his ex-wife is a plasticized ho. I gain a little respect for him in that moment, and I do a little dance inside my head. Right, Olivia. Like you've got a shot with this guy. The last man who got a piece of that is gay, remember, sexy lady? Okay, it's not like you turned him gay, that's not how it works and you know it. Still. You have less than a zero percent shot with Papi here, so keep it real, babe. Now, act like you know your business, and let the nice man-candy go on his merry way.

Reality throat fucks dicks in hell.

“Well, looking at her record, I can see that the book she lost is only a $4.00 paperback. I'm happy to just waive the cost, now that I know what's going on at home,” I reply with as much concern, gravitas, and not-glee in my voice as I can muster.

“Oh, no. That is not acceptable,” Sebastian replies forcefully. My eyes drift to the floor again. Would you look at that awesome industrial carpet? Oooh! A dime! I bend over to pick it up from the floor, and now I have something else to keep my attention. Score.

“Of course I will pay for the book,” Mi Papí continues. “I just wanted to make you aware of Alexis’s predicament. Divorce is hardest on the children, wouldn't you agree, Ms. Hastings?” He lowers his head to try to look into my eyes again, and his tone holds something I can't put my finger on. Our eyes connect, and it's like he can read me like a flashing sign on the strip in Vegas. I would almost wager that I can hear a tad of something lustful in his voice, and it's not just my overactive imagination. I swear!

“Well, speaking from experience, sir, I think divorce is hard on everyone involved,” I reply softly. I cannot believe I just said that. I said those words, and I looked through my lashes as I said them. I am flirting with him. I don't flirt with anybody. I gave up that dream a long, long time ago. What thirty nine year old divorcée librarian would dare flirt with a man so obviously out of her league? And seeing as most men that I find attractive are out my league? This is why I don't flirt. It's bad form for someone like me. We stand for several beats holding each other in our eyes. I could be mistaken, by all rights I'm sure I am, but I really think I see a little flirt action coming off of him, too.

No. Way. No way does Señor Calienté flirt with Olivia the Spinster LibrarIan. In no universe does that happen. Ever.

“Please,” he says, “Call me Sebastian.”

“Oh. Of course, sir,” I reply hastily blushing all the way. “Sebastian. Sir. I'm sorry. Good manners were drilled into me since birth,” I continue blushing wildly and rushing my words. I flip the dime over my fingers like I'm attempting a magic trick.

“And may I call you Olivia?” he asks so sweetly. I raise my eyes thinking, Honey, you can call me anything your little heart desires.

“Yes. By all means, please. Olivia… Yes… Sir… Sebastian,” my words just sort of stutter and putter until I run out of steam. You are so the epitome of smooth. Wow, a baby’s butt has nothing on your smoothness.

Sebastian pulls out his wallet and removes a ten dollar bill. “Oh,” I say shaking my head, “Please. On the house. I insist,” I move to push the money back towards him, but I stop short knowing if I actually touch him, I will most probably spontaneously combust.

He gets it, I think, because a small smile and that light in his eyes returns as my eyes quickly return to the beautiful industrial carpet.

“And, Ms. Hastings? Olivia?” He pauses. I would bet a million dollars he's doing that bending down thing to get me to look up again.

Why is he pausing? Why is he… Oh. Oh god, no. Nuh-uh. He wants me to look at him again. Please no. I can't. I hear a small cough. Shit. Piss. Fuck.

I look up reluctantly. The smile has given way to a stern, serious line of gorgeous lips.

“Thank you,” he says straightening his back as my eyes return to his. Cha-ching! One million dollars for the lucky, lucky lady! I see he's holding a card out to me. “Make sure to contact me in the future when you need anything to improve...,” and I swear he pauses. Pauses! “... The library you work so diligently to maintain.” It's not a request. The severe look on his face and the authoritative tone of his voice leave no doubt his words were most definitely not a request. They were a command. A command to call him when I need anything to improve… The library. With a pregnant pause. That pause was purposely left wide open for me to fill in with my pervy commentary. He just commanded you to call him. No. Olivia. Yo clueless? You have got to cut back on the alpha-male romances. That man did not command you. He's a lovely gentleman just looking out for his daughter and the library he supports. Señor Sexypants wouldn't flirt with some lowly libraran unless he was just doing it to make you feel better about your lot in life. Take your pittance, use him for your fantasies, and move the ever loving fuck on with your life.

I reach to take the card from him, and Señor Smoothness grabs, raises, and turns my hand over. The fire of passion blazes in the in dark centers of his eyes. I can feel the warmth of his exhale as he places the softest kiss on the inside of my wrist. White heat inflames my nethers. Guh. Ladies and gentlemen, all logic and reasoning have left the building. And the wetness in my panties could save California right about now.

“Thank you, again. Olivia.” He makes sure to enunciate every syllable of my name. He places the card and the ten dollars in my palm, folds my fingers around them, and gently releases my hand. Sebastian quite pointedly sears through my inhibitions with his dark, lush stare. Then, he smirks, turns, and walks out of the library.

What in the holy mother of hell was that?

[marcusssanderson]

70 Quotes About Being Happy Regardless of Where You are in Life

Our latest collection of quotes about being happy. Enjoy!

Being happy is extremely vital and something that every person ultimately wants in life. Being happy leads to a wide array of benefits for our performance, relationships, health and much more.

Besides making us feel good about ourselves, happiness is a positive emotion that drives our ambitions and motivates us to wake up every morning to pursue our goals and dreams.

So how can we attain happiness? For us to do this, we need to take personal responsibility for our own happiness. We have to accept the fact that our happiness is our choice and something to be found within us.

Regardless of all the negative events that often occur in our lives, we can all maintain our happiness by learning to interpret whatever circumstances we deal with in a positive light. Although external behaviors and events have the ability to trigger off negative thoughts, that can only happen if you allow them to.

Overall, happiness makes us healthier, more productive and ready to use our Everyday Power to reach our full potential. Below are some inspirational quotes about being happy that will help you develop the ability to be happy under all circumstances.

  Quotes about being happy regardless of where you are in life

  1.) “Being happy is something that each of us determines, it is not something that we find outside of yourself, it is within us and our choice.” – Catherine Pulsifer

  2.) “The happiest people seem to be those who have no particular cause for being happy except that they are so.” – William Ralph Inge

  3.) “Happiness is a deep sense of flourishing, not a mere pleasurable feeling or fleeting emotion but an optimal state of being.” – Matthieu Ricard

  4.) “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”– Abraham Lincoln

    5.) “We don’t laugh because we’re happy – we’re happy because we laugh.” – William James

  6.) “Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”― Anne Frank

  7.) “Happy is entirely up to you and always has been.”― Janette Rallison

  8.) “Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason, you’re in trouble, because that reason can be taken from you.”― Deepak Chopra

  9.) “The secret of being happy is accepting where you are in life and making the most out of every day.”- Anonymous

  10.) “Nothing can bring you happiness but yourself.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Quotes about being happy with who you are

  11.) “The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are, and not who people think you are.” – Goldie Hawn

  12.) “I enjoyed my life when I had nothing… and kinda like the idea of just being happy with me.” – Joey Ramone

  13.) “Being happy in your skin that’s what it’s all about.” – Koo Stark

    14.) “Be happy with being you. Love your flaws. Own your quirks. And know that you are just as perfect as anyone else, exactly as you are.” – Ariana Grande

  15.) “Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad!”- Norm Papernick

  16.) “True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self.” – Joseph Addison

  17.) “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama

  18.) “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”- Marcus Aurelius

  19.) “I would do my damn best to be more happy than not.”― Adam Silvera

  20.) “Happiness doesn’t have to be chased…it merely has to be chosen.” ― Mandy Hale

  Quotes about being happy with what you have

  21.) “The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don’t have.” – Woody Allen

  22.) “Be happy with what you have. Be excited about what you want.” – Alan Cohen

    23.) “If being happy is important to you, try this: instead of regretting all you lack, celebrate all you’ve got.” – Brian Vaszily

  24.) “I just find myself happy with the simple things. Appreciating the blessings God gave me.” – DMX

  25.) “Happiness is not having what you want. It is appreciating what you have.” – Unknown

  26.) “Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.”― Hafez

  27.) “Just think how happy you would be if you lost everything you have right now, and then got it back again.”- Frances Rodman

  28.) “Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.”- Rabbi Hyman Schachtel

  29.) “Do not forget to hope and happy be.” – John McLeod

  30.) “It’s not my job to make you happy. It’s your job to learn that only those who quit selfishly seeking their own happiness find it.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich

  Quotes about being happy and what it means

  31.) “The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” – Henry Ward Beecher

  32.) “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”– Mahatma Gandhi

  33.) “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

    34.) “Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”– Helen Keller

  35.) “Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.” – Margaret Lee Runbeck

  36.) “I don’t care about having money. It’s about being happy, man.” – Skrillex

  37.) “We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.”– Anne Frank

  38.) “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” – Denis Waitley

  39.) “Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.” – Walt Whitman

  40.) “The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”- Allan K. Chalmers

  Quotes about being happy and letting go of the things that make you sad

  41.) “You can never be really happy if you keep holding to those bad memories which makes you sad.” – Anurag Prakash

  42.) “Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.” – Frank Tyger

  43.) “One of the simplest ways to stay happy is by letting go of the things that make you sad.” –Tinku Razoria

  44.) “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”– Albert Schweitzer

  45.) “Happiness is where we find it, but very rarely where we seek it.” – J. Petit Senn

    47.) “If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present.”― Roy T. Bennett

  48.) “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

  49.) “I laugh as much as I can and cry when I have to, without apology. I think that’s happy.”- Maya Angelou

  50.) “If you want to be happy, you need to set your mind on happiness.” ― Ana Kostovska

  Quotes about being happy with yourself

  51.) “Happiness is the art of learning how to get joy from your substance.” – Jim Rohn

  52.) “Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don’t give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm and genuine people.” – Tena Desae

  53.) “If you want to be happy, be.”– Leo Tolstoy

  54.) “When I am myself, I am happy and have a good result.” – Jack Ma

    55.) “Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness.” – Ayn Rand

  56.) “Happiness is not in our circumstance but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are.” – John B. Sheerin

  57.) “You are happy when you are enthusiastic and action-oriented, not when you are luxury and pleasure oriented.” ― Debasish Mridha

  58.) “Success means being happy with who you are and bringing happiness to those around you.” – Jane John Nwankwo

59.) “If you feel happy, Smile with all your heart. if you’re down, smile with all your might.” ― Paul Ian Guillermo

  60.) “You choose to be happy. You don’t become happy just because the circumstances lead you to happiness.” – Ryan Cooper

  Other inspirational quotes about being happy

  61.) “Talking about someone who makes you happy actually makes you happy.” – Elizabeth Scott

  62.) “Being happy never goes out of style.” – Lilly Pulitzer

  63.) “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – Dalai Lama

    64.) “What’s fulfilling is being happy and being able to help other people. The simple things.” –  James Arthur

  65.) “Be believing, be happy, don’t get discouraged. Things will work out.”― Gordon B. Hinckley

  66.) “The key to happiness was achievable dreams.”― Nicholas Sparks

  67.) “Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.”- Jacques Prévert

  68.) “I am a kind of paranoid in reverse. I suspect people of trying to make me happy”― J.D. Salinger

  69.) “Is happiness equated to wealth, money, possessions, or is it value you find in doing your job well, having a loving family, your health, and an inner peace?” – Catherine Pulsifer

  70.) “Embrace being perfectly imperfect. Learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself, you’ll be happier.” ― Roy Bennett

  Which of these quotes about being happy was your favorite?

  Happiness matters so much. If, for instance,  you asked parents what they want above all for their children, most of them would respond with something like: “I really just want them to be happy.” This is because happiness is the one thing we want most for those we love the most.

Hopefully, these quotes have inspired you to take responsibility for your own happiness.

Did you enjoy these quotes about being happy? Which of the quotes was your favorite? We would love to hear all about it in the comment section below. Also, don’t forget to spread some happiness by liking and sharing with your friends and loved ones.

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