#if all goes as planned i get tori on the last day near the end of the event
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oaogaghhg ROAD TO TORI GOING REALLY WELL ACTUALLY i am coming for his christmas-coded ass <3 trying to be max efficient abt the one copy im going for and going for ~400k/500k pts a day so that i can make the best use of normal bp refreshing and spend as few dia as possible so that i'm still set up for the upcoming gachas with mao cards and ideally the hinata center event...
#leo composes#leo gambas#wataru bday event threw a small wrench in the plans but just a small one#i'll do it for wataru#if all goes as planned i get tori on the last day near the end of the event#so using as little dia as possible#my plans got thrown off by the mao 3* in the rinne FS taking 30 pulls to come home LOL#but i got FS rinne and a dollhouse midori dupe so im not too mad abt the 30 pulls#cant rmr if eichi FS or sweet hunt gacha shows up first but either way itll be another mao card to pull for
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SLEEPOVERS
ft. himemiya tori
Š tokusaatsus 2022

warnings: none
Itâs nearing the end of the day, and fine practice is just finishing up. Everyone is sweaty and slightly exhausted, except youâwho has been sitting in a corner the whole 3 hours, scrolling through your phone and calling out the occasional piece of encouragement.
âGreat job, everyone,â You chirp, sitting up with a back-cracking stretch. âGosh, Iâm exhausted.â
âYou didnât even do anything!?â Tori cries, lying spread-eagled on the floor.
âUntrue,â You stick your tongue out at him. âIâve been working on PR. ES is so lucky to have me, do you know how many rumours Iâve had to disprove?â
âYes, yes,â Eichi steps in. âYouâre both very important members of fine. Tori-kun, speaking of, isnât it your birthday soon?â
âYes, tomorrow,â Yuzuru answers in lieu of the shorter boy.
âOh, really?â You grin. âYâknow, we should all have a sleepover or something. So we can be the first people to wish Hime-bocchama~â
Eichi appears deep in thought. âWell, as much as I love the idea, I do have some meetingsâŚâ
You and Tori exchange a single glance and, well, you know what they say. Great minds think alike, and all that. As if you had planned it in advance, you both give Eichi your patented puppy dog eyes in perfect unison, a full frontal attack from two different enemies. Tori even goes the extra mile and widens his eyes enough that tears start pooling. Youâre impressed.
âPlease, oh, please, Eichi-samaâŚ?â
âCome on, senpai, pretty pleaseâŚ?â
Eichi hesitates, and you can see his resolve weakening. âI supposeâŚâ
The last straw is when Wataru slings his arms around both of your shoulders, much to Toriâs visible disgust. His eyes are sparkling with mirth. âOh, how amazing â A time that we may all spend together, to celebrate the birth of our dear himegimiâŚâ Eichi heaves a theatrical sigh, but thereâs a glint in his eyes.
And thatâs how you tell youâve won.
A fancy-ass car comes to pick you up from the dorms and take you to the Himemiya house, and you feel terribly underdressed inside a car thatâs basically a mini version limousine. It only gets worse when you actually walk inside. The servants all smile at you when you pass by, used to seeing you around when you come to talk to Toriâor more commonly, Yuzuruâabout scheduling. Some even wave at you when you pass.
âAh, Y/N, youâre here!â Eichi smiles when he notices you hovering in the doorway. Wataru hangs upside down from the rafters. You smile. âMaybe you can tell usâwhat do you typically do at these sleepovers?â
Youâre kidding. You gape unattractively when youâre faced with three (four, if you count Tori, whoâs trying his absolute best not to look at you) inquisitive gazes. Itâs then you realise that youâre surrounded by a bunch of weirdos whoâve never had normal childhood experiences. So it all falls on you to teach them.
âWellâŚâ You hesitate. âWeâd normally do something likeâŚâ
After a wild few hours of gossip (Yuzuru, despite what most may think, was a master of trash-talk), makeovers (this was a minefield of insults from Tori about your âhorrible skincare routineâ and âmediocre productsâ, like, you canât all be rich as fuck), snacking-and-movie-watching (Disney marathon of all the classicsâyou arenât a heathen), as well as one narrowly avoided crisisâEichi suggested a game heâd heard from Hiyori. You donât know what you were expecting but it certainly wasnât SMASH OR PASS. Only by diverting his attention back to Ratatouille were you able to breathe a sigh of reliefâthe five of you ended up snuggled under your various covers.Â
âSo,â You say to the room at large. âHow was your first ever sleepover?â
Thereâs a moment of silence, before Tori speaks. âYou know, for a commoner⌠Youâre not so bad at these things.â
You grin to yourself. âThanks, bocchama.â
Then itâs like the floodgates open, as Eichi lets slip his own comments, followed by Wataruâs exclamations and Yuzuruâs quiet thoughts. You giggle softly. âIâm glad,â You say, and you mean it. âHappy birthday, Tori.â

notes!
WC: 677 words
reze txt happy birthday tori! we love you, our cutie tori-sama! may you continue to work hard and stay fabulous this new year <3
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End Up Here | Owen Patrick Joyner
Requested:Â Yes/No
hi!! could you please write a fic where the reader is an actor on jatp and the cast have a sleepover and some of them decide to play seven minutes in heaven, and the reader ends up in the closet with owen who they have a massive crush on and they end up making out in the closet? love your writing!!
A/N: Special thanks to @calamitykaty and @vrthngiwnt for letting me bounce some ideas off them and giving me some of their creativity. Love you both!Â
Pairing: Owen Patrick Joyner x Reader
Song(s) used: Into The Unknown - Frozen II / Drag Me Down - One DirectionÂ
Warnings: Itâs just light and fluffy.Â
Words: 6,411
How in the holy hell did she end up here? Here. In Savannahâs closet, kissing one of her best friends whom sheâd had a crush on for weeks now. Kissing Owen Joyner. It was only this morning they were still bullying each other playfully during dance training. It was only a month ago the two had met.Â
A month ago she got the call from her agent that she got the gig. She was going to be in a Kenny Ortega production. A freaking Kenny Ortega production. After being a fan of his work since she was literally a child, she finally got the honor to work with him on a project. Albeit as more of an extra, but still.Â
A member of popular girl Carrie Wilsonâs band. Dirty Candy singer #3. Member of Dirty Candy. No matter how she put it, it still all seemed so surreal.Â
The first day of bootcamp, y/n was extremely nervous. This was her first ever project and she wanted to do it right. This was something so close to her heart as she, herself, had lost her mom and lost the love to dance and sing for a while too until she found the strength again through friends and family.Â
Besides, getting to play a mean girl did seem a lot of fun.Â
âOh, hey,â a girl greeted. She had long blonde hair that cascaded into curls down her neck and shoulders, and big brown bambi eyes twinkling at her. âIâm Savannah. Youâre a Dirty Candy member?â she introduced herself and asked you, in one go.Â
âUh, yeah! Iâm member number three,â she chuckled awkwardly before reaching out her hand towards her. âIâm y/n,â she said with a smile that reached her ears. Savannah looked at her hand and then grabbed it, and pulled her in for a hug.Â
A surprised shriek arose from member number three before she wrapped her arms around the 5 foot something specimen that clung to her for a while.Â
âI canât wait to get started!â Savannah clapped her hands excitedly when she had pulled away from the hug.Â
As time went by, a lot more people filed into the room. Some of them y/n recognized, like Jeremy Shada, but also some of the fellow dancers seemed very familiar. Probably from dance classes back in High School or College, she thought.Â
âOkay, letâs get this started!â A man of medium-build with a baseball cap on his head and a smile on his face clapped his hands, and rubbed them together as if planning some sort of scheme. âIâm Paul Becker, Iâm the choreographer and along with Tori and Louise, my assistants, Iâll be getting you prepped for all dance rehearsals.â He pointed at the two girls on the first row. One of which y/n knew from college, Tori. A petite brown girl who was so sweet and kind, and a masterpiece of motion. Y/N remembered how she always outshone everyone in class.Â
Kenny Ortega stood next to Paul, smiling at the group of talent heâd accumulated, and said, âWeâre just gonna start with some icebreaker games today to get to know each other better and then really get to work.â Y/N glanced around the room to check if she was the only one that seemed nervous. Halfway through the room, she made eye contact with a tall blonde boy with what she thought was the most adorable smile ever. She shot him a smile back before focusing on Kenny again. âIâm assuming not everyone knows each otherâs names yet, so I suggest we start with the name game?â he looked at Paul, who gave a nod of assent.Â
âLetâs all sit down in a big circle,â Paul said, rotating his finger to indicate the circle. Savannah, standing closest to Y/N, grabbed the girlâs hand and brought her closer to the rest of the group before they both sat down, along with the others.Â
âThe premise is to remember everyone elseâs name,â Kenny began, âSo, for example. Iâll start and say Kenny, then Paul, whoâs sitting next to me goes âKenny, Paulâ, then Tori has to go âKenny, Paul, Tori,â and so on and so forth. Got it?â All participants nodded their heads.Â
A groan is heard from the other side of the circle, âIâm gonna have to remember so many names!â The blonde guy with the cute smile from earlier whined. The group burst out laughing at his annoyance.Â
âWell, letâs hope you remember the names better than the lyrics to your audition song, huh, Owen?â Kenny retorted teasingly, sending the rest of the group into another fit of laughter as the blonde boy glared at the director.Â
Y/N made a mental note to remember his name. Owen. When she looked at him at that moment, she recognized him from somewhere, but couldnât put her finger on where or how.Â
âOkay, so, Iâll start,â Kenny said and repeated his name.Â
âKenny, Paul,â Paul said, then looked at the girl next to him.Â
âKenny, Paul, Tori.â Everyone then averted their eyes to the blonde girl sitting next to Tori.Â
âKenny, Paul, Tori, Louise.â Everyoneâs eyes then went to the girl sitting on y/nâs right, who sheâd met before.Â
âKenny, Paul, Tori, Louise, Savannah.âÂ
Her heart beated faster as everyoneâs eyes were focused on her as she repeated the names, âKenny, Paul, Tori, Louise, Savannah, y/n.âÂ
She looked around the circle with a smile as the girl next to her continued. Her eyes stopped at Owen, who was looking at her too with a tender smile on his face. Instead of simply shooting a smile back, she mimed âPay attentionâ. His shoulders jolted from the soft chuckle that came through before he focused on the next person.Â
The game went on for a while until it reached Owen. Y/N could tell from the look in his eyes that he was struggling to remember them all. There were a lot of names to remember, thatâs true, but y/n thought it was pretty simple to remember.Â
âKenny, Paul, Tori, Louise, Savannah, y/n,â he halted his gaze on her for a split second before continuing, âSacha, Jadah, uhmâŚâ His eyes flicked back to y/n, begging for help. She started mouthing the names along, and even though he couldnât really lipread, the help was welcome. âKyra, Halle, Jeremy, Madison, Owen.âÂ
Of course, he knew the last two people before him, but Kyra and Halle seemed difficult names for him to remember.
âThat wasnât so hard, now, was it?â the boy next to him slapped him on the shoulder as the group burst out into laughter. Owen, however, couldnât help but smile as he looked at y/n.Â
âYeah, it wasnât that bad,â he mumbled and shot her a thankful wink.Â
Charlie then ended the circle, and though Kenny wanted to go around the circle once more, the contradictory moans and complaints made him finish the game and tell everyone to get up off the floor. Paul grabbed a rope from the ground near the wall-covering mirror and handed one end to Kenny. The latter looked around the room for a second before calling out y/nâs name, beckoning her to come over. Confused and a little embarrassed, she walked over to the director.Â
âYouâre about the average height of everyone here, so we need your waist,â he told her, chuckling. The soft caress of his hand on her shoulder made her calm down a little as he guided her to the middle of the room. Paul and Kenny then secured the rope at the height of her waist. One side on the barre, the other on a hook in the wall. âIâm gonna split you into two groups and make it a competition,â he then said and looked around the room to see who could make a great team.Â
âLetâs do Dirty Candy against Julie and The Phantoms?â Paul suggested, âJadah with the Phantoms team and Sacha with the Dirty Candy team? And Louise can join the Phantoms team too, to balance it out.â Kenny let his eyes wander over the two groups as they scattered towards each other.Â
âYep, I like that,â he then said and clapped his hands. âPremise of this game is to get across the rope together. Thereâs no going under it, itâs not a game limbo dancing. Okay? You gotta brainstorm and get across using teamwork.âÂ
âWhat does the winner get?â Owen asked, a smirk playing on his lips as he and his team huddled together on one side of the rope, closest to the mirror.Â
âIf Team Dirty Candy wins, they get to see your audition tape,â Kenny promised, immediately wiping off the smirk on Owenâs face as everyone on team Dirty Candy cheered and giggled. âIf Team Phantoms winsâŚâÂ
A boost of confidence rushed through y/n as she exclaimed, âNo need for that, Kenny. Team Dirty Candy is gonna win!â Sacha and Halle lifted their hands, so y/n hit hers against them in high fives.Â
The director laughed at that while Owen kissed his teeth, an amused smirk playing at his lips. âWeâll see about that,â he said. âKenny, whatâs in it for us?â The directorâs eyes darted from y/n to Owen and back, picking up on the connection that had formed between them with just non-verbal communication.Â
âWhat would you say if I could get into possession of home videos from when y/n was younger.â Y/Nâs eyes widened at this. She had almost forgotten her parents used to be buddies in college with Kenny, and he and her dad worked together on a couple of projects.Â
âYep, okay, youâre going down, Dirty Candy!â said Owen threateningly. âHow is that fair, Kenny?!â y/n exclaimed, glaring at Owen as he cackled.
âAbout as fair as you seeing my audition tape!â he yelled, but still had that amused smile on his face that told her he wasnât actually mad at her.Â
She pressed her lips together into a tight line before turning to her team. âWe have to win this thing, guys.â All four other Dirty Candy singers and Sacha nodded their heads determinedly, and threateningly turned back to their opposing team.Â
âYouâve got half an hour to get everyone across. Every time a person touches the rope, everyone whoâs already crossed over has to go back,â Paul explained in a stern tone. âTeams ready?â Both teams huddled up into a group, ready to brainstorm quickly. Y/N looked up, locking eyes with Owen straight away. He glared at her as she pointed two fingers at her own eyes, then pointing them to him. â3-2-1⌠GO!â Paul pressed the timer on his phone as the two teams began frantically discussing.Â
âI used to be a gymnast,â Kyra started in a hushed tone. âIf I can get onto someoneâs shoulders, I can summersault my way off?âÂ
âDonât you need a mat for that on the other side so as to not break your ankles?â Halle asked, her eyebrows knit together in confusion. The gymnast of the group shook her head, and so the discussion continued.Â
On the other team, Owen was taking the lead in their discussion. He seemed to just have a game plan ready in his mind. There was no way the other team would ever be allowed to see his audition tape. It was way too embarrassing.Â
âWeâre gonna start with Charlie and me on our knees in front of the rope. Louise or Jeremy, one of you is gonna stand on both our knees and hop over. Then, whoever went over is gonna mirror us on the other side, so the next person has to step onto your thigh as they step over. Weâre just gonna continue like that until Iâm the last one here. Iâm able to just jump across.â His teammates looked at him as if heâd just spoken Chinese. Blinking eyes and mouths ajar.Â
They had five minutes left and on both teams, the second to last person had just gone over. Now, only Owen and Y/N were left standing on their side. Glaring at each other when they noticed this was match point, both of them stepped back for the run-up, and leapt over the rope at exactly the same time.Â
Their teammates cheered as both teams huddled into a group hug. Kenny and Paul stood on the sidelines, applauding both teamâs efforts.Â
âI think we have a tie,â Kenny announced once the cheering had died down.Â
âSo, what does that mean?â Owen asked, glancing over at y/n anxiously. It would be fairest to have both their prices or no prices at all.Â
âI think our two team captains can decide that,â Kenny said, pointing at both Owen and y/n, who had started this little war in the first place. âDo you wanna see each otherâs videos, or is no one ever gonna see anything at all?â
Y/N and Owen glanced at each other, trying to communicate what each of them were feeling in that very moment. Owenâs eyes searched her face as she bit down on her lip. It wouldnât be fair for me to see her old family videos. Those are kind of private, he thought.Â
âI think weâre good,â Owen replied and offered the girl a smile as she nodded her head agreeingly. âThis was a fun game, I donât think it needs a price.âÂ
âAgreed.âÂ
Kenny and Paul told them to take a break before they got to the real dance training. Before y/n could join Savannah to their bags, Owen stopped her with a wide smile plastered on his face.Â
âNice job, y/n,â he said, opening his palms and holding them out to her. Y/N hit her hands on his in a double low five as a giggle escaped her lips.Â
âYou too,â she said.Â
The rest of the day was spent dancing, or at least for Y/N. The first two hours, they had dance training together, but then they were split up into groups again. Y/N had more dance rehearsals with the girls from Dirty Candy while Madison and the boys went to try out some songs they were going to sing on the show.Â
From that first day on, y/n knew that this wasnât just going to be a work relationship she was building up with these people. She felt in her stomach that these people were going to become her best friends, her family. And she wouldnât want to change it for the world.Â
At the end of bootcamp, y/n was proven absolutely right. They had become the best of friends, and almost like a family. And they had yet to start filming. The next few months were going to be even more fun, especially that final night of bootcamp since Savannah had invited everyone to a sleepover at her place.Â
Though y/n was half certain Savannah only did it to get her and Owen together, she was still excited about it. The blondie knew y/n had a thing for the tall blonde man ever since the first day, but she hadnât done anything about it as she wanted to keep it professional.Â
But of course Savannah didnât quite agree to that.
The night of the sleepover, Savannah invited a few of the closest people over to her place. She literally went all out on this night. There were bowls of different varieties of chips scattered around tables, stacks of red cups on her kitchen counter, candles and fairy lights everywhere. Though, y/n was kind of apprehensive about the candles being a danger, she didnât really say anything about it. It wasnât going to be that kind of night, she thought.Â
She even got them matching PJâs. On the backside of six of the white T-shirts was TEAM DIRTY CANDY printed in a bright pink while the other five -- since Louise couldnât make it -- read TEAM PHANTOMS in purple. She bought pink shorts for the girls on her team, purple ones for the girls on the other. For the boys, she brought grey joggers.Â
Y/N appreciated the effort Savannah put into tonight. It was something she would do, too. She was a sucker for an over-the-top party and went all out herself on every occasion.Â
âI made a non-alcoholic Sangria punch for everyone,â she said as she pointed to the large glass bowl on the kitchen counter near the stack of cups. âWho would like some?âÂ
Team Dirty Candy was complete while Team Phantoms missed two people. Two people who were often late for everything. Charlie and Owen. Of course they hadnât arrived yet. It didnât surprise y/n very much. Half an hour late. They were half an hour late.Â
âWeâre so sorry,â Charlie apologized to Savannah, âBut this one over here was taking so long to get ready.â The brunette boy rolled his eyes as he thought of the dallying of the blonde one next to him.Â
âYou were barely ready when I was,â Owen countered and gladly took the punch-filled cup Savannah handed over before making a beeline towards the others who were gathered on the couches in the living room.Â
His eyes immediately landed on y/n and his smile grew wider. âWell, look who finally showed his face, Dorian Gray.â His eyebrows knitting together made y/n realize he hadnât the slightest clue about English Literature. âThe Picture of Dorian Gray? No? Never read it?â Owen slowly shook his head as he slid down on the couch next to her. âOKâŚâ
Y/N turned to Jadah, who was sitting next to her, completely ignoring Owenâs confused eyes. âWho the fuck is Dorian Gray?!â he yelled at Charlie, his eyes wide as he grew more and more annoyed.Â
âRead a book!â Halle and y/n yelled in unison, and Halle even threw a pillow at him, reminiscent of that scene in The Heat where Melissa McCarthy threw a book at Michael McDonaldâs face. The two girls fell into a fit of laughter, along with pretty much everyone else but Owen. He was too busy wiping the Sangria punch that had spilled with the impact of the pillow, off his jeans.Â
âHow about we get into our PJâs and get this party started!â Savannah suggested, followed by an excited whoop. The girls all got up quickly, following behind Savannah while the boys stuck around the living room. They decided they needed to give the girls some privacy and would change after.Â
âSoâŚâ Madison started when they were in Savannahâs bedroom, changing from their cute outfits into even cuter pjâs. âYouâre gonna tell Owen how you feel tonight?â she asked y/n, her eyebrows wiggling suggestively up and down.Â
âFeel about what?â y/n asked as she tucked her Team Dirty Candy shirt into her pink shorts.Â
âAbout him!â Jadah exclaimed with wild eyes. âItâs clear you have a massive crush on him, girl!â Y/N looked around the room at the other girls, who were all just nodded their heads in accordance.Â
Y/N scoffed after a few seconds of silence. She was thinking about confiding in them and telling them the truth, but it was no use. There was no way she and Owen could ever become a thing. She was supposed to be strictly professional as it was her first job.Â
âI donât have a crush on Owen,â she stated, grabbed her stuff and left the girls in the bedroom. After neatly folding her jeans and the top she had been wearing that day, and putting it into the backpack sheâd taken with her, she made her way into the kitchen for some more punch. All while her mind went crazy.Â
Sure, she had a definite crush on the blonde actor, but there was no way she was ever going to act up on those feelings. Owen probably didnât even feel the same way about her anyway. Besides, she promised herself she would focus on her career instead of dabbling into relationships that probably wonât even last.Â
The girls re-entered the living room at the same moment y/n went back with her full cup of Sangria. âAlright, boys, the bedroom is yours. Itâs just around the corner,â Savannah told them, pointing to the door sheâd left open.Â
The four boys got up and, after receiving the pjâs from Savannah, disappeared into the bedroom. The complete quiet returning in the room. It made y/n a little anxious that the girls werenât even talking. Mostly because she knew what they were thinking. They had told her a bizillion times already.Â
âYou could at least ask him!â
âHe might say yes!âÂ
âYou should act on your feelings!â
âThis is gonna make you crazy!âÂ
Sheâd responded to that last one with, âIf it doesnât, you ainât doing it right.â It shut them right up for a while. Until now, it seemed.Â
âLetâs put some music on and get this party really started!â Tori suggested, hitting her hand against the red cup she was holding, excited to get dancing. Savannah agreed and grabbed her phone from the coffee table, connecting them to the speakers. It didnât take long after that for music to begin filling up the silence.Â
Into The Unknown from Frozen II chimed through the room. All the girls gasped. All but one. She cursed at herself for feeling this way and basically being a buzzkill right now. She didnât want to be this way, but the thoughts about Owen kept consuming her.Â
âI can hear you but I won't Some look for trouble while others don't There's a thousand reasons I should go about my day And ignore your whispers which I wish would go away, oh Whoaâ
Tori and Madi turned to y/n as they sang along with Idina Menzel, trying to convince her to get up and belt the song with them.Â
âYou're not a voice, you're just a ringing in my ear And if I heard you, which I don't, I'm spoken for I fear Everyone I've ever loved is here within these walls I'm sorry, secret siren, but I'm blocking out your calls I've had my adventure, I don't need something new I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow youâ
The other four girls now sang to y/n as well, in an attempt to persuade her to party along with them. She wanted to, she really did. But y/n wouldnât be y/n if she wasnât a little stubborn at first.Â
âInto the unknown Into the unknownâ
Madison reached out her hand, but y/n slapped it away and got up on the sofa, belting out the last line of the chorus while the girls looked at her in awe. They knew she could dance and act, but they had no idea the girl had pipes.Â
âInto the unknownâ
As the girls belted out the rest of the song, the boys walked into the living room again in their Team Phantoms and Team Dirty Candy shirts, stumbling upon the scene of y/n on the sofa and the girls surrounding her as if they were her fans at a concert. All seven of them were singing the song at the top of their lungs.Â
Owen couldnât help the smile finding its way to his lips as he watched y/n in her absolute element. Though she be but small, the girl took up a large part of his heart. Ever since they met a month ago, her snarky remarks and her hunch for competition made him fall head over heels in love with her. And as the month went on and they became closer and closer, he kept avoiding asking the one question that was on the tip of his tongue.Â
For now, being friends was enough for Owen if it meant watching her do stuff like this.Â
âAre you out there? Do you know me? Can you feel me? Can you show me?â
Charlieâs voice made Owen snap out of his thoughts as he asked, âWhen are you going to ask her out, man? This whole âjust friendsâ thing is killing you.â Owen sighed at his best friendâs words. It wasnât that he was wrong as much as he just didnât like hearing the words out loud.Â
âIâm fine, Charlie. Thereâs no way we could ever be together. Y/N is way too professional for that. And she might be right, you know? This is her first gig, if she wants to pursue this acting debacle, she has to be.â Owen didnât even believe any of the words that rolled off his lips, but itâs what heâd settled on to ease his own mind.Â
âNot with that attitude,â Jeremy mumbled.Â
âI just donât know what to do, okay?â he said and headed over to the concert y/n was giving the girls. The moment he came into her range of vision, she turned to him and sang the very last lines to him, and him alone, causing butterflies to well up in his belly. Â
âWhere are you going? Don't leave me alone How do I follow you Into the unknown?â
âWoah, y/n!â Halle exclaimed as she shook her head in disbelief.Â
âYeah! Woah indeed!â Savannah added, âYour voice! Girl!â Y/N chuckled, and grabbed the hem of her pink shorts as though she was wearing a dress and curtsied at the praise.Â
âThank you,â she said, and though she was playing it off coolly, her cheeks colored pink.
The next song started to play, which was Golden by Harry Styles, and the other three boys joined the rest of the group. Charlie, Sacha and Tori hopped onto the couch with y/n, belting out the song and sipping from their punch.Â
This was what the sleepover mostly consisted of; singing along loudly to whatever song was playing, sipping from the punch and munching on the snacks Savannah had laid out for them. For at least an hour, they sang and danced until their feet started to ache. Up to the point where only y/n, Savannah and Madi were left standing. The boys and other girls had taken a seat on the couch, watching the performance they were giving them.Â
Y/N had enough of their lame asses, so when her favorite One Direction song came on, she made her way over to the couch and took a hold of Owenâs hand first. âCome on, Golden Boy! Sing with me!â Little did she know everyone glanced at each other knowingly upon seeing this.Â
âIf I didn't have you, there would be nothing left The shell of a man that could never be his best If I didn't have you, I'd never see the sun You taught me how to be someone, yeahâ
Owen finally caved in and sang along with the girl in front of him, eyes locked and filled with absolute admiration.Â
âIâm⌠gonnaâŚâ Savannah muttered, but when she realized they didnât even hear her, she ushered everyone out of the living room and into the kitchen, leaving the two alone in hopes they would confess their undeniable love for each other.Â
The boy twirled her around a few times, making her giggle before they fell into song again, making up some moves as they went. Neither of them even noticed the rest of the group was gone and watching them from the kitchen.Â
âAnyone wanna bet nothingâs gonna happen?â Sacha muttered and frustratedly sipped his drink. Heâd seen the way y/n looked at Owen that first day and just knew something would blossom between them. Everyone could see it. The sparks were ignited that very first day, and now they were just waiting for them to fan the sparks into a flame.Â
âIf I didn't have you there would be nothing leftâÂ
Y/N reached her half empty red cup towards Owen like a microphone as he echoed part of the line. His green eyes never left y/nâs face. It almost felt reminiscent of the way Madison and Charlie sang at bootcamp as Julie and Luke.Â
âNothing leftâ
âThe shell of a man who could never be his bestâÂ
âBe his bestâ
âIf I didn't have you, I'd never see the sunâ
âSee the sunâ
âYou taught me how to be someone
Yeahâ
âIâll give you ten dollars if Owen doesnât stop at the end of the song when y/n hits those high notes,â Charlie told Sacha. The latter nodded his head in confirmation of the deal.Â
At the end of the song, during the very last chorus, Owen had to stop singing in awe of y/nâs voice as she hit the high notes Harry Styles reverberated in between the other boysâ voices. She had the most unique voice he had ever heard. It had a bit of a rasp to it, and it quickly became his favorite sound in the whole world.Â
Charlie chuckled, shaking his head at the couple as he exclaimed, âCalled it!â and held his hand out for Sacha to give him the ten dollars. The blonde guy gave the older one a puzzled look. âI said Iâll give you a tenner if he didnât stop. But he did, so. Hand it over, buddy.âÂ
Sacha rolled his eyes but went to grab the last ten bucks from his wallet and handed it to Charlie who happily socked it away.Â
Another song started playing, making y/n gasp as her eyes averted from Owenâs to the kitchen where the rest of her friends were seated, watching the entire scene. âTori! Do you remember the choreo to this one?!â she shrieked out. Tori offered the rest an apologetic smile before joining y/n in the living room and getting into the steps with her while Owen staggered into the kitchen.Â
Madison and Savannah exchanged glances, deciding to put their mischievous plan in motion with a simple nod of the head. âAlright! Letâs play truth or dare!â Savannah called out and beckoned everyone into the living room where y/n and Tori whined at the disruption of their dance.Â
âOh, shut up, you guys do that dance almost every day in rehearsal!â Kyra countered while she jumped over the back of the couch. With a chuckle, Tori and y/n joined the others on the couch. Tori took a seat next Jadah while y/n went to sit on the end of the U-shaped couch, next to Owen.Â
âIâll start!â Madi shouted, raising her hand. âJadah! Truth or dare?â Savannah and Madison agreed to handle it subtly and not get to Owen and y/n straight away.Â
âDare,â Jadah replied courageously, a wide smile on her face to show off her pearly white teeth.Â
âCall one of your contacts in your phone and tell them you had a pregnancy scare,â Madi said as a smirk tugged at one corner of her mouth. Jadah grabbed her phone and opened her contacts. âJust scroll through and weâll say stop,â Madison added.Â
âSTOP!â Madi and y/n shouted in unison.Â
Jadah looked up with her eyes wide, âItâs Sarah Jeffrey,â she giggled and pressed the name before putting the device at her ear to listen. A silence fell over the room as they all watched Jadah carry out the dare.Â
A smile played on y/nâs lips as she watched the young girl talk, but couldnât help but zone out. She was suddenly incredibly aware of how close she was to Owen. He had one leg tucked under the other as she rested her forearm on his knee, leaning into his body as his arm laid on the back rest behind her. She could feel his heart beating against her ribs and his fingers softly graze her arm every now and again.Â
âJadah, your turn,â Savannah said, making y/n realize she had missed that entire conversation. It didnât seem like Sarah Jeffrey said something too incredulous since everyone seemed to act quite normal. For as far as normal goes in this group.Â
âSacha! Truth or dare?âÂ
âDare!âÂ
âUhmâŚâ Jadah pursed her lips as she thought. âTry and seduce the person next to you.â Sacha looked to his left, at Jeremy, and then to his right, at Charlie. He thought about it for a moment but turned to Charlie in the end.Â
âI have too much respect for Carolynn,â he told Jeremy, which made the engaged boy chuckle as he played around with his ring. He definitely missed Care.Â
Sacha cleared his throat before placing his hand on Charlieâs cheek and forcing the boy to look him in the eyes. Charlieâs smile faltered just before Sacha spoke, âYou⌠Are so beautiful, you made me forget my pickup line.â His voice was hushed, barely above a whisper. Charlie visibly swallowed at the pretty boy in front of him. Before he could register it, Sacha had kissed his own fingers and placed them on Charlieâs lips. The older boy coughed, blinking his eyes rapidly as he turned to the group again.Â
âWoah-kay! Next!âÂ
The group burst out into laughter until Sacha called out Savannahâs name.Â
âIâm gonna pick âtruthâ,â she said with a smile, which vanished almost straight away when she got booed. âWhat? Somebody's gotta pick truth!âÂ
âWho is the sexiest person here?â Sacha asked, wiggling his eyebrows.Â
âEasy, all of you,â she uttered, shrugging her shoulders, âY/N!â She pointed at the girl to her right.Â
âLetâs go dare,â the unknowing girl answered with a smile as she shifted in Owenâs arms.Â
â7 minutes in heaven with the person to your right.â The sentence flowed out of her mouth a little too easily. Y/N knew Savannah had done this on purpose, and now she wasnât sure if she should hate her best friend or be thankful for the little push in the back.Â
Y/N slowly turned her head to face Owen, only to find out heâs already getting up. Her arm fell from his knee and she tried to keep her balance from the sudden lack of support of her body. He held a hand out to her to help her up, but y/n wasnât sure if she should do it. This could just about change everything in their dynamique.Â
âA dare is a dare, y/n,â Madison added innocently, egging the girl on.Â
The girl inhaled deeply before gently placing her hand in Owenâs and letting him pull her up. Savannah led them towards the closet where they kept their coats, and opened the door for the couple.Â
All the way down there, y/nâs mind couldnât stop racing. What was she going to do? Were they actually going to kiss? Or was this his way of telling her in private that he didnât feel the same? Maybe she should just not give him the chance to say anything and break her heart. Maybe she should just kiss him to have at least experienced having his lips on hers so she could stop daydreaming about it.Â
The closet door shut behind her, and she was left in the dimly lit cramped space with just a bunch of coats and Owenâs silhouette. Nowâs her time to figure out what she should do. Nowâs her time to decide.Â
âWe donât have to if you donât want to, I--â before Owen could finish his sentence, y/n attacked his lips with hers, pressing them together in a short, but sweet kiss. When she pulled away, she felt a heat rising to her cheeks. His lips taste better than she had ever dreamt of. How was she now supposed to forget about that? This was a terrible idea.Â
Or at least she thought it was until he took this as permission to go forth with the whole seven minutes in heaven thing their friends wanted them to do. Hell, he wanted them to do it.Â
He kissed her feverishly, his hands gripping at her waist as he tried to pull her closer and closer, even if that was almost impossible since her body was already pressed against his without any space left for imagination.Â
She kissed him back as if her life depended on it, her fingers tangling up in his blonde hair. This was something she had fantasized about for a month. Every time they talked, she couldnât help herself but glance at his lips and wonder what it would feel like to press hers to his. Since that very first day of bootcamp, she knew there was something about him that she couldnât put her finger on. But now she did. It was an attraction. Pure attraction. The way metal attracts a magnet.Â
âIâve wanted to do that since you so confidently told Kenny you were gonna win that game,â he panted, pressing his forehead against hers. âI didnât think you felt the same.âÂ
âI have had a crush on you since you smiled at me that first day,â y/n admitted, a smile forming on her face as she stared into those beautiful eyes of his. They reflected back in exactly the same way they did after those ice breaking games on day one.Â
He lifted his head to get a better look at her, raising his eyebrows, âThatâs all it took? OKâŚâ Y/N let out an airy laugh as she hit him on the chest playfully. âSo, what do you say to a date?âÂ
âNothing, âcause a date canât speak,â she wittily answered. Owen scoffed and rolled his eyes, but couldnât withhold a smile reaching his cheeks. âAll jokes aside, I think I would say yes to a date.â She reached up and stroked a strand of his hair from his forehead.Â
âYou think?â he asked.Â
âMmh, no, Iâm pretty sure.âÂ
That just widened Owenâs smile before he dipped down to meet her lips again. A loud uproar was heard from the other side of the door at that moment. The couple in the closet giggled upon hearing this, knowing exactly that their friends had been eavesdropping.Â
âCanât believe they set this all up,â y/n said, shaking her head and placing her forehead against Owenâs chest. She inhaled his fresh scent of musk and sandalwood. A calming smell she had come to love.Â
âYeah... me neither,â he chuckled, âHow did we end up here?â  Â
*
*
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JATP taglist: @hannahhistorian92 @marinettepotterandplagg@thequirkybookaholic @bookdealer5 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @hemmingsness @iainttakingshitfromnobody @ifilwtmfc @angryknightstatesmantrash @kiss-themoongoodbye @rudysbay @thedarkqueenofavalonâ @caitsymichelle13â @calamitykaty @wiselight @kcd15â @vicesvsvirtuesfanfic @stars-soph @kinda-really-lost @notasoftiÂ
#julie and the phantoms#julie and the himbos#julie and the fat ones#jatp#owen patrick joyner#owen joyner#owen x reader#owen joyner fic#owen joyner one shot
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For the Girl in the Garden
now also on AO3!
Beau is already at the top of the building. The night before the Games begin, she canât sleep. Maybe none of them can. But itâs Beau who goes prowling, silently, through the place thatâs more than half prison.
She doesnât expect the garden. Maybe Caduceus planted it--she thinks she recognizes some of the plants and trees from home. Not all of them--thereâs one flower, illuminated by a skylight, that looks unsettlingly like a gunshot wound.
From here, the lights of the Capitol are filtered, fractured. Beau pads through the containers, a wire she hadnât even known was there loosening in her chest. For the first time since the Reaping, she doesnât feel like she is being watched.
She sees Jester from the cover of a blooming tree. Thereâs an open courtyard, near the edge of the roof, thatâs bordered on all sides by silver wind chimes. The broad-shouldered girl is bent over something in her lap, her shoulder-length hair shining blue in the lights from the nearest skyscraper.
Beau thinks about leaving her there. Sheâs frozen, at first, by someone elseâs presence in this place sheâd thought was hers alone. Then, when Jester doesnât even flinch--the wind chimes are ringing occasionally in the breeze--she could just leave.
And then Jester starts speaking. âAre you there?â
Beau freezes again, thinking sheâs been spotted. But Jester only leans back and looks out through the bars of the balcony, revealing a book in her lap.
âIâm in a bit of a pickle, I think, Traveller.â She laughed a little. âIâm going to do my best, you know, tomorrow. Iâm not going to let you or Mama down. But Iâm just...Iâm maybe a little worried. Youâre here, right? Youâre listening?â
Thereâs no answer. Jester sniffs, and laughs a very small laugh. The thing that gets to Beau is that itâs still soft, that laugh, not bitter at all, just...sad.
She doesnât realize sheâs made the decision to come out until the wind chimes are ringing around her, and Jester spins around with a gasp. Her brilliant smile falters a bit, when she sees Beau. Like she was really expecting someone called the Traveller to show up and rescue her from all of this.
Beauâd watched the Reapings. Jester was maybe the first Career sheâd ever seen who wasnât a volunteer, who wanted to be here as little as she did. Still, itâs one thing to hesitate when your name is called out of that big stupid lottery. Itâs something else to have a smile like hope , the night before the Hunger Games.
âHey,â she says, already regretting her decision. She crosses her arms, forces herself to walk over to the balcony and lean against it.
âI didnât think anyone else was up here,â Jester wipes hurriedly at her eyes. She scrambles to her feet and stands there with the book clutched close to her chest, staring nervously at Beau.
âYeah, I didnât even know this place existed until now.â Beau turns to look out over the brilliant lights of the Capitol, leaning her elbows on the cold metal railing. âI think my mentor might have started it.â
âCaduceus?â Jester asks, like she knows him. âIt makes sense. Heâs really lonely when thereâs no plants around.â
That does make Beau look over at her, because there are some things you just canât learn from the televised appearances of past victors. Jester shrugs and comes over to lean on the balcony as well, book still wrapped tightly in her arms.
âI like talking to people. And a lot of victors stay at the Chateau, you know. When theyâre visiting the District.â
âHuh.â Beau hadnât thought of that. Sheâs barely even seen the other mentors, certainly hasnât gotten to know them. Even Caduceus, whoâs kind in his own way, is distant. And Beau gets it, sure. Itâs been decades since District Twelve has had a victor--decades of watching kids die, up close and personal. But when heâs pretty much her only fucking chance of winning, she needs more than kind and distant . âSounds like you know him pretty well.â
âOh, I donât know,â Jester shrugs again, and sighs. She turns to look back at the garden, the weird lights of the building across the street staining her skin blue. âIâm sure you guys are super tight. With all the strategies, and the planning, and that score you got, Beau!â
âBeauregard,â she says, sharply. The silence cuts across them like a knife--Beau wouldnât have been surprised to find blood, from the sudden ache in her chest. But itâs so fucking easy to let Jester talk, to act like theyâre friends . And thereâs a good chance Jester is going to be dead by noon tomorrow. Thereâs a chance, not as good but still fucking there, that Beau will be the one to kill her.
So she lets the silence hang, and breathes through the stupid pain, because itâs better now than later.
Jester is looking at her. Beau can tell from the way the shadows cut across her face, the bright light of the outside and the dark of the garden. âCan I tell you a secret?â Jester says, and then goes on before Beau can answer. âI always hated the Games.â She really whispers it, leans so close that Beau can feel their shoulders press together. Beauâs still facing out, looking stubbornly at the blinding, maddening lights of the city that hates them. Thereâs something dangerously safe about the way theyâre standing, Jester still looking at the garden but close enough that Beau can feel her breath.
The words still raise all the hairs on the back of her neck. Beau glances back, sees Jester watching her. Waiting.
âYou canât say shit like that,â Beau whispers back, too afraid to raise her voice. Jester smiles, and then she laughs , shockingly bright.
âItâs okay I already checked for bugs,â she says, looking back over the garden. âThey do a lot of that in the Chateau too, you know. Carlos taught me how to find all the best little gadgets. But there werenât any here even when I got here, so I knew it was safe.â She does a little dance, even, wiggling back and forth like a puppy looking for praise.
Beau canât quite believe it--not just like that. It was fine for folks in the Seam to mutter in their shacks at night, but people like her father didnât tolerate shit like that. It could affect his business relationships . Beau had learned from a very young age not to say what she was thinking, especially when it came to the Capitol.
âThe Gamemakers will still get you,â Beau says, flatly. âYou think it canât get any worse? Youâve seen some of the shit theyâve pulled.â
âBeau,â Jester says, but she says it all weird, stretching it out and then dropping the end like a rock. âI really mean it, you can say whatever you want up here. Itâs a little zone of truth, just for us.â Her voice gets all light and airy, barely perching on each word. Sheâs smiling again.
Beau scoffs, but she canât fucking help but smile back. âYeah, right.â
âSeriously, whatâs one thing youâve always wanted to say.â Jester swirls away from the balcony, and Beau turns to watch her dance across the courtyard, running one hand across the chimes as she goes. âCome on, Beau,â she says, raising her voice a little over the growing clamor. âITâS OUR LAST NIGHT!â
âFuck it!â Beau pushes off the railing, sticks her hand into the middle of a wind chime and yanks . âFUCK CEASER FLICKERMAN AND HIS CRAPPY HAIR!â
Jester laughs again, wilder, and shakes a whole pole so that every wind chime attached to it goes off. âFUCK THE REAPING AND EVERYONE WHO RIGS IT!â
âFUCK THE GAMES, AND FUCK THE CAPITOL!â
Even lost amidst the clamor of the bells, the words frighten Beau, and she goes still. Slowly, Jester stops her spinning, and the chimes start to fall silent. They come to rest standing in front of each other, half lit by the garish world around them. Somewhere out there, Capitol people are partying. Sponsors and Gamemakers are finalizing bets on their lives--her life. Beau is standing less than a foot away from Jester, and it feels like something has shaken loose inside her. Or maybe itâs the world thatâs come apart, just a little bit. Her throat hurts.
âCan I tell you a secret?â she asks, and doesnât wait for Jester to nod before she goes on, âI kissed a girl the day before the Reaping.â
Jesterâs hands fly to her mouth, but she doesnât look horrified. And Beauâs still talking, she canât stop, something is broken and all her blood is leaking out.
âHer name was Tori. We were friends. She was like, my only friend. Weâd get up to all sorts of shit--she was from the Seam, her mom was Ripper, we used to run hooch for...but none of that fucking matters. She had these gray eyes, like storm clouds.â
âDid you love her?â Jester squeaks out from between her fingers, and Beau laughs. Itâs nothing but a single sharp bark, full of all the anger she canât afford to feel.
âMaybe? How would I know? We were out back of her house, getting drunk on white liquor, and I...I kissed her.â
Jester is still mostly frozen, her eyes as big as plates, her hands still cupped over her mouth. Suddenly, Beau realizes what sheâs doing, how stupid sheâs being, and has to look away. She barely manages to stop herself from running, just walks really quickly back towards the roof access door. âSorry, I. Iâm sorry, that was dumb.â She wraps her arms around herself as if trying to contain a wound, a broken rib.
âItâs not dumb.â Jester puts a hand on her arm, and Beau stops. She doesnât even flinch, though she does think about punching her. No one can see her like this. She feels a tear run down her cheek and hates herself for it.
âItâs not dumb, Beau.â Jester repeats, ducking into view. âI think itâs really beautiful.â
Beau laughs. Itâs not even a laugh, really, just a disbelieving snort that got out of control. âI threw up like, an hour later. And then the fucking Reaping happened, so...not like either of us are going to do anything about it.â She takes a few deep breaths, but they keep hitching into sobs and she can not cry in front of this girl. âAnyway, I gotta. Get some sleep. Big day tomorrow.â She tries to smile, and even for her she knows the expression is ghastly.
âYeah,â Jester says, the sadness creeping back into her smile. âYeah, weâd better rest up. Good-night, Beau.â She curtsies before darting back to pick up her book, and Beau takes the opportunity to slip away. She doesnât think, out of everything thatâs happened tonight, that she can stand to say good-night.
#hunger games au#cr#critical role#beaujester#beauregard lionett#jester lavorre#this is the fic that made me make a series on AO3#its the only one that's 'proper' fic length
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Hello hello hello! A week has passed and I am back from my mini break. I am going to indulge in a little travel report here, so those of you who have no interest in sitting through someone elseâs holiday pictures â no offense taken, I totally understand! â please just scroll down to where you see the header for the round-up. All your tumblr Armitage needs will be satisfied down there đ.
Tbh, it was lovely to leave the confines of my home town and finally venture out a little bit farther afield. In fact, it only occurred to me as we were on the road, that I hadnât left Dublin at all since mid-January đą. Ireland is not really that big â it reaches about 500 km (300m) from top to bottom â but the terrain here is characterised by rocks and hills, which makes for small, windy roads, especially as the infrastructure does not need to be as car-friendly as in other, more populated countries in the world. So donât be surprised if you see the estimated travel time in the map below.
Yes, it takes more than 4 hours to travel 287km (178m) in Ireland. đ If you look really closely at the map you will actually notice a black jagged line running through the land. That is the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. Our route this time took us the Northern Irish way, crossing into NI near Belturbet and then exiting again via Pettigo. The border is still âgreenâ, i.e. there is no visible sign that you have actually moved from one jurisdiction to another. (I can usually only tell by the difference in road surface đ and the fact that the speed signs are suddenly in miles/h and not in kilometer/h any more. Itâll be interesting to see the Brexit regulation work out the issue of the United Kingdomâs *only* land border while keeping both EU customs rules as well as inner-Irish peaceâŚ) This is the shortest way of getting up from Dublin in the centre of the East coast, into the Northwestern corner of Ireland, which is part of the Republic and called County Donegal.
Our journey took us even longer than the estimated 4 hours, but then we also had to switch drivers in order to relieve my mother-in-law (77) and take a lunch break. We eventually arrived in Dunfanaghy in the late afternoon where my father-in-law had specifically booked rooms with a view in the plush Arnoldâs Hotel. At first I was a bit taken aback at the layer of dust in our otherwise lovely room but then I realised that it meant the room had not been used in months and we were the first occupants since reopening the day prior, i.e. no lingering viruses there⌠From our luxurious king-size bed we had views out to the beach. (Click all images to enlarge!)
View from the bed
Village idyll
Busy despite the Covid crisis
Dunfanaghy beach at low tide
I have to say I was a bit skeptical as regards the attitude of the holiday makers towards keeping safe from the virus, though. Dunfanaghy was packed to the gills with tourists, particularly from Northern Ireland. (The weekend actually coincided with the traditional, Protestant celebrations of the Battle of the Boyne on the 12th of July every year. This is a significant date in NI, marking the victory of Protestant king William III over Catholic king James II, celebrated with drums, huge bonfires and marches by the Orange Order. It continues to be a controversial tradition within NI, with (some) Catholics offended by the celebration of this victory, while (some) Protestants insist on their right to express their traditions.) As part of the UK, NI has had a different approach to the Covid crisis than the Republic, and tbh I was not really that impressed with the general lack of social distancing displayed last week. (It goes without saying that it was *not only* NI people who were far too close for my comfort; there obviously were also plenty of Irish holiday makers there, too.) Within the hotel, there were hand-sanitisers at all exits and corridors, so it was easy to keep hands clean. In the restaurant, the staff wore PPE masks and the guests were seated well apart as fewer tables than normal were set up. So I felt relatively safe in there. But I hardly saw any face masks worn in the village, people were congregating in big groups outside pubs and shops, and it felt as if there were no covid restrictions at all. All that made me very angry. On our walks, particularly in the very busy Glenveagh National Park, people would not keep distance even though the paths were more than 2 meters wide, and on the parking lot, cars parked directly side-by-side. But then again, at least we were outside, and Glenveagh is an absolutely stunning place.

Glenveagh
Glenveagh Castle
In the kitchen garden of Glenveagh
Bag End?
Entrance to the kitchen garden
Wild life very close by
I have been to Glenveagh a good few times before. Itâs a stunning valley with a 19th century hunting lodge castle at the centre. There is a formal garden through which you enter the castle grounds, but what I had not see until now was the amazing kitchen garden. The little gardenerâs cottage under the large tree somehow reminded me of Bag End.
The best thing, of course, is the beaches and dunes and the mighty North Atlantic.

Tramore Strand
Horn Head
View of Tramore from the dunes
Horn Head from Dunfanaghy
I was thinking of Squirrel/Radagast who had commented about wild flowers before I left for the North, and I took a good few photos of flowers.
Native Irish orchid
Calla lily â associated with the Irish struggle for freedom
The weather was â Irish. We had two days that were predominantly dry, with only a little bit of drizzle here and there. Only on our last day the weather really turned against us, which was annoying as we had planned to go walking with my in-laws a bit. But well, a bit of wet doesnât deter my hardy in-laws. There is no bad weather â only inappropriate clothing. So we trudged off on a two-hour walk in the Ards Forest. I think I was the only who got drenched to the skin. Yep, even after 20 years I still havenât learnt⌠or bought the right equipment.

Typical family picnic. In the rain. Sharing 1 bottle of Guinness, 2 apples and 2 sandwiches. No lie.
However, we did also get a bit of sunset in, and so the tripâs best memory is this â a sundowner from Horn Head with the ragged shape of Tory Island in the background.
So, that was my summer holiday 2020. Four nights away with family. It was actually really lovely, especially as my f-i-l is now getting really old. This may have been his last trip up to Donegal. It was lovely to spend time with him and my m-i-l who are still very active and who are interesting to chat to. I was especially delighted that Little Miss Guylty came along, too â not just for myself but also for the grandparents for whom her presence is particularly special. And I had four nights of sound sleep that really recharged my batteries. So much so that I can now jump energetically into this weekâs tumblr round-up:

 Badtennantwolf has put together a set of icons. I am including the set here for the first four pictures of RA at SDCC in 2015 as we recently had a chat about that occasion (and the famous dragon beanie throw) elsewhere
Richardarmitagefanpage reminds us of a Hobbit Extended Editions rewatch organised by One Ring Net for 21 July
Some dramatic Guy of Gisborne gifs, season 3, by riepu10
LOL. Including this mainly for the spot-on caption by thewarriorandtheking
*sniggers* Mezzmerizedbyrichard has come to the aid of many hot and bothered Mr Thornton admirersâŚ
I have always been somewhat intrigued by that pock mark on Richardâs arm. Maybe he had it removed or something, because I also remember pictures from around the same time where he sported a blue plaster on his bicep. Picture posted by hobbitoferebor
Goodness me. 13 years ago. Yes, he looks a good bit younger. And full-on Gisborne-sideburns. Gifs by riepu10
Eyelash porn courtesy by mezzmerizedbyrichard
Ignore the wig and enjoy the nose! Richard as Claude Monet, giffed by mezzmerizedbyrichard
Lehnsharksâ Thorin drawings
BTS footage of Richard as Thorin was few and far between, so here are a few precious scenes, giffed by riepu10
Daniel Miller/Trevor Price looking ominous⌠Gifs by riepu10
One of nfcomicsâ What A Guy Wants⌠interesting metaphorâŚ
There we go. Sorry for the whole long holiday crap. I can faithfully promise that that is it for this year *sardonic laugh*.
However, before I go and more importantly, just a quick reminder:
Itâll be August soon and that means⌠RA birthday auction time!!! Donations of items have been coming in and it is high time for me to start organising and promoting, soon. Watch this space for more info!
Have a lovely weekend,
Sonja â¤ď¸
 2020 Armitage Weekly Round-up #28 Hello hello hello! A week has passed and I am back from my mini break. I am going to indulge in a little travel report here, so those of you who have no interest in sitting through someone else's holiday pictures - no offense taken, I totally understand!
#Daniel Miller#Guy of Gisborne#John Thornton#Richard Armitage#Thorin Oakenshield#Weekly tumblr Round-up
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Belief: Part 8

A/N: We are getting near the end! I hope everyone has enjoyed so far. I know I have loved writing Devi and Eric's relationship.Â
Disclaimer: I own naught but my own plot and the crazy stick figures I toss within.
Rating M ( Language, Violence, There will be smut, Angst, Tragedy, Romance, Fluff)
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**I promise I have put the read more option in but it has been glitching. Also, if I have forgotten anyone and you want to be tagged or removed just message me!**
Part 8
The first rays of morning light were streaming in through the window at an unfamiliar angle. The sheets of the bed had a different feel against my skin. For a moment it was disorienting, and I lifted my head to look around. To get my bearings.
Movement from across the room caught my attention and I saw Eric buttoning his uniform pants up and watching me carefully. Warily even. Knowing why he was doing that, I huffed and threw myself back in frustration. Nearly as much frustration as I had felt drifting to sleep last night even if it was in his arms.
âDios, te dije que no estaba borracho anoche.â I said in a pout.
I could hear his chuckle at that. I rolled to my side, propped up on an elbow and watched him get dressed. It was, as promised, ridiculously early. The sky was still mostly dark outside the windows of his bedroom. He tucked the tight black undershirt into his pants. Like yesterday at Erudite, he was wearing the more formal uniform that the leaders wore when dealing with other factions.
âYeah, you told me you werenât drunk, but the track record with you drinking and waking up clueless is pretty damn bad. Excuse me for erring on the side of caution with you, Devi.â He had grabbed his boots and came over to the side of the bed I was on, sitting on the edge and pulling me up while he was talking.
I let out a sigh as he framed my face with his hands and kissed me softly at first then it turning deeper with all the frustration of still not doing what we both want so much. I was coming to see that when Eric set his mind on something there was nothing that could sway him.
Not even a naked woman, fresh from the shower, in his bed.
There had been some heavy making out in the car and when we got to his apartment. Then that iron will had snapped into place and he had made the declaration that he had already told me once he wasnât going to let anything happen if I was drunk or even if I had been drinking. He was going to keep with it.
My temper had flared and I had been about to go home but he convinced me to stay. I had also come up with a plan that would hopefully make him forget that declaration. So I had taken him up on the offer of staying and even of his shower. I completely left the shirt and boxers he had set out for me on the bathroom counter and laid myself out on his bed. When he came back into the bedroom I had seen that wild beast that lurks in him just wanting to get out. He had stomped into the bathroom, grabbed the clothes I left behind and stalked his way to me.
There had been a wrestling session that still didnât break him no matter how much I tried to rub up against him. I finally gave in and put the damn shirt and shorts on. I had to admit it had been nice to be wrapped up in his arms and falling asleep together.
Eric pulls back from the kiss with a groan as an alarm goes off on his phone. He picks it up, looks at it, and then looks back to me. He smirks at me.
âIf you hurry up and get dressed I have just enough time to treat you to that shit you like from the deli.â
Well, that is an offer I donât intend to refuse. He laughs as I get tangled up in the covers and almost fall as I leap off the side of the bed in my hurry.
Chairman Andrew: Amity Elder Cain. The Chair recognizes you. You may proceed.
Amity Elder Cain: Thank you, Chairman. I would like to address the complaints put forth against Amity in regards to the use of Peace Serum. I must confess that this is not a new complaint, it is well documented that the faction of Candor has always held a grievance against my faction on this matter. We recognize that they believe the peace we maintain is a lie. That is their opinion, but I would remind everyone gathered here that from the time of the cities founding, this has always been our way. Each faction has the leave to govern themselves as they see fit.
Dauntless Leader Eric: Point of order.
Chairman Andrew: Dauntless Leader Eric. We recognize you. Please proceed with your point of order.
Dauntless Leader Eric: The entire purpose of these proceedings is because of the fact that each faction has been left to govern itself as they saw fit. It has led to where we are now. Our city was on the brink of war. What any of our factions have done prior to today should have no bearing on how we are to continue if we want to truly move forward.
Chairman Andrew: Well said. I would like to remind Amity that we have all admitted change must happen to be able to move forward. We were all in agreement of this, however, if you wish to continue, please do so. The floor is yours again.
Amity Elder Cain: Thank you. You are correct, Eric, that we need to find a way to move forward. Our concern is that these sanctions are coming from a place of prejudice and pettiness. While the use of peace serum might be hard for others to understand, for us it is a way of life. As much as seeking knowledge is to Erudite. As much as honing one's body to be a weapon is to Dauntless. As much as dedicating long hours of toil is only one of many ways Abnegation gives in sacrifice. As much as regularly undergoing the rite of truth is to Candor. For Amity, it is our way to ensure that we can help maintain peace and harmony, for all of the city. It helps to rid us impurity of spirit so that we can connect to others with kindness and love.
Chairman Andrew: Thank you, Cain. I would like to remind everyone that the argument is not to fully remove peace serum from use within Amity, only that the following conditions are placed on the use.
The first is that Amity will no longer serve peace serum to those visiting their faction. This means that they will have to make available alternatives to the items that normally have serum laced into them for these visitors. It will still be expected that visitors maintain the peace and failure to do so could see them being administered an injection of the serum, but under close monitoring and only under certain conditions.
The second is that Amity will no longer be allowed to give any dependent peace serum in items of food or drink. If it is felt that an injection of peace serum is required, then a case for that will be submitted and will be reviewed by the person in charge of handling those cases of discipline. It will be imperative that someone highly trained in being able to determine the correct dosage for each individual case is present.
Are there any further arguments for or against these sanctions?
Chairman Andrew: Dauntless Leader Tori. We recognize you and give you the floor.
Dauntless Leader Tori: Thank you. I would like to address the last statements of the Amity Elder Cain. You claim that the use of this peace serum is what allows you to maintain kindness, love, and peace. I ask where is the kindness when you have taken the will of others away? As far as the adults of the faction, I am willing to allow that as an adult, they have the right to choose what to put in their bodies. Peace serum is a mood, mind and even physically altering drug. Think about that. It is a drug and as such should be handled with care. The proposal before us now is not one submitted out of a long-held grudge or prejudice. I would remind everyone that this was proposed by Erudite and seconded by both Dauntless and Abnegation. Erudite has provided data from various testing compiled over years to be able to safely say that the administration of this drug is dangerous but especially to dependents.
Amity Elder Cain: Point of order.
Chairman Andrew: We recognize you Amity Elder Cain. Proceed with your point of order.
Amity Elder Cain: I would like to point out that it is years of testing and data that led to divergent experiments. Experiments that were highly illegal and in the end proved to be based on false data.
Chairman Andrew: Quiet! Order, please. Thank you. Amity, I remind you that the matter of divergents and the illegal activities regarding those has been closed. The ones responsible have been punished. There will be no further mention of that or them in these chambers. This is a warning to you all, but consider this a final warning to you, Cain. I will not allow these proceedings to be filled with reminders of the past we are working hard to move forward from.
I give the floor back to Dauntless.
Dauntless Leader Tori: Thank you, Chairman. I would just like to conclude with the following questions, or thoughts, for us all to consider. When it comes to the use of peace serum; Where is this kindness when a dependent chooses the faction they belong? The ones we tell to trust the test, who do and it isnât Amity they receive. Where is your kindness when their bodies are riddled with pain and their minds are clouded with agony when they no longer have the peace serum they have been fed every day of their lives? You preach love and peace but there is none for those that arenât in your faction. You purposely make the ones that leave you to suffer, in punishment, because they dare to want something different. Where is your understanding and love? Where is the kindness in holding functions where all the dependents of a certain age are called together, required even, given this serum unknown to them, and then put in a situation that only promotes contact they might not have wanted while not under the influence. Contact with others they may not have wanted at all. Where is the kindness in removing the choice from them? If this was such a way of life, if this was all safe and there was no harm in it; why arenât all the caretakers of dependents administering this serum to their charges? Why is it that a very good percentage of your own factionâs adults would never stand for giving their children this serum, at least not on the levels that others are? By their very own words, they have said that they would never treat their children that way.
Our duty to our children is to guide, nurture and protect until the time of their choosing when they are old enough to make their own decisions and choose their path in life. The very act of having of children living a life largely under the influence of this serum strips all of that away. Make no mistake, this is abuse. You might not be raising a hand to the child but physical harm is being committed just as surely.
Abnegation leader Layla was brave enough to step forward and speak on her own experience as a former Amity that transferred to Abnegation. She spoke of the months of physical pain as her body fought against not receiving the drug she had been ingesting at every meal for her entire life in Amity. If that werenât enough, there were the emotional and mental torments as years of emotions she wasnât given the tools to deal with bombarded her. Where was the kindness for her when not one of her relatives even spoke to prepare her for what she would face? It was known that it would happen, they even said as much to her when they next encountered her on visiting day. They even tried to coax her back to the faction, telling her to defect, so that she might be welcome home in peace and love. Does that sound like the way to maintain this peace, love, and harmony to you?
âWhatâcha reading?â Sadie asks me as she slides onto the bench opposite me at lunch.
I look up at her and smile in greeting. I put my tablet down on the table and tried to concentrate on my lunch. Swallowing down my first bite and the emotions from what I had been reading at the same time. âJust some of the information from the council meetings that started after the shit Erudite caused.â I shrug after I answer trying to seem much more indifferent than I felt at all.
AJ frowns at me with a bite of food in her mouth. âWhy would you want to read that crap? Itâs boring as hell.â
Before I can answer, from beside me, Vera slaps her hand down on the table with a huge mischievous smile. âI got it! Coulter figured out our girl doesnât respond to the normal ways of torture so has found something new. S&M Candor style. Who needs chains, whips or handcuffs when you have all that sexy law stuff.â She eyes me slyly. âOr maybe he just found a way to put her ass to sleep so she will stop trying to climb his shit every night.â
I flush in embarrassment and snort out a laugh then toss some food at her as my friends laugh at the lame joke. It was embarrassing as hell but right now I was also thankful for it. I could use some humor even if it came at the expense of my friends messing with me.
They havenât let me live down the morning I stormed into the gym where they were waiting for us to do our normal workout. It was obvious I was trying to work something out and they had bugged me until I snapped out that Eric wouldnât fuck me so I had to get relief somewhere.
This had been the second morning I had woken up in his bed and we had only slept. Only this time I hadnât had a damn thing to drink. He was the one that had messaged me with the âinstructionsâ to get the key he had left for me from Marlene so I could let myself in. I had done so thinking that would be the night. It turned out he got in so late that I was so dead asleep and I hadnât even woken up when he crawled into bed. To say I woke up mad as hell when I realized this was an understatement. Not even him taking me to get coffee had been able to sweeten my mood.
The laughter died out and we resumed eating.
âSeriously though, why are you reading that stuff?â Sadie asked with genuine curiosity. My friend was from Candor originally and worked in the legal side of administration.
She said she was nothing more than a glorified secretary but I had heard Tori praising her more than once for her helping to get something over on Candor, or having pulled through on getting things ready that is needed when processing someone into their system.
The meetings and minutes from them would be more up her alley. She actually enjoyed that kind of thing while I usually stuck to reading things, ironically enough, coming out of Erudite in regards to new advancements and medical techniques.
âDid you know that it wasnât just Erudite and Dauntless that had...sanctions...is the word they use...after everything happened?â I ask in between bites.
She nods in agreement but the others are looking just as confused as I was when I was told.
âYes. I can understand why a big announcement wasnât made but from what I have read nothing in the sanctions were too bad.â
âWhile I agree, I donât think my old faction is likely to,â I mumble around a piece of chicken.
âAmity? What could they have possibly been punished for?â Vera asks with a snort. âThey are the faction of kindness and peace.â
Sadie and I exchange glances. While AJ and Vera are friends, the only one to know much about my past in Amity, besides Tori that is, would be my roommate. I was still suffering the effects of withdrawal and dealing with my new emotions well after initiation. We had been roommates from the start and she was in initiation with me.
She saves me from answering by shrugging. âI guess you would just have to read it. It might be my Candor prejudice but if you ask me, that kindness and peace seem pretty artificial.â
âThey put that serum in everything, right?â AJ asks, finally catching on.
I nod and eat quietly.
âYeah, that would suck then. Never being able to just...be anything other than happy all the time.â She replies with a scowl.
Once again my roommate saves the day and changes the line of conversation to plans for the weekend. Which they whine a little half-heartedly that I wonât be there to party with them. I make the appropriate responses to their good-natured jokes and suggestions but my mind is back on what I discovered about the archived meeting transcript.
It had taken some digging. At first, I had been resolved to start from the beginning but the curiosity had just eaten away at me until I had to refine my search. It also didnât help that this particular sanction hadnât taken place until this last year. It is clear that the information had taken time to compile to be presented.
Elijah had been the one, per the information I was reading, to put forth the objection for Erudite. This came after one of the âvisitsâ the factions are making. Then it was backed by Abnegation and Dauntless. The objection from my faction didnât surprise me but the one from Abnegation did to an extent.
I was struggling with the emotions I felt just reading Toriâs words. I canât imagine what hearing them in person would have done to me. I just couldnât understand why she wouldnât have told me about all of this.
I know she doesnât like to get emotional so maybe that was why. I am glad that she is absent from lunch along with Eric. I donât think I would be able to hold back in bringing it up and just how much it meant to me that she fought for me. There was nothing else it could have been with the examples she used. I also knew that Eric had a part in everything. Why else would his own brother be the one to present not only the argument but the research he had to undertake as well?
But had it been about me specifically at the time? He has said before that I wasnât invisible to him but what does that mean really? Could it mean that even then, maybe even as far back as our initiation, he felt something?
That whole time I had felt so alone. I felt hated even. Like I would never really belong. That I would always be an Amity playing at being Dauntless in their eyes. In a way, I have always thought even those close to me now still saw me that way.
Lunch was in full swing around me. Voices colliding together along with music that always seemed to be playing, though I had never bothered with trying to figure out where it was coming from. There was so much life and happiness in Dauntless. Not the kind I had been used to in Amity but knowing what I do now, I see that this isnât the manufactured happiness that had been there.
It struck me as I sat with my friends and having read proof of just how much I meant to at least one person, that I was home.
The upcoming trip to Amity had had me feeling doubtful and worried. Filled with fear and sick to my stomach. That somehow going there would confirm my worst fears.
That all started to fade for me as I began to understand what it is like, for the first time in my life, to be truly loved.
There is a steadily dwindling pile of paperwork on my desk that I am blowing through in my anxiousness to be done and to get out of the clinic. It is Friday and the end of my work week. It is also the night before I will be heading to Amity with Eric.
My body is buzzing with anticipation. Every night since the dinner at Erudite I have slept at Ericâs. After the morning I had woken up in his bed completely frustrated that we still hadnât done anything, I promised myself I wouldnât do it again. It was too much torture. I didnât understand how Eric was keeping himself together like he was.
I have to admit that when Eric wanted to be, he was a smooth talker.
He started out with a message asking if I was going to be at his apartment. I had told him no and of course, that didnât sit well with him. I could just hear the command in the question he repeated even if it was just another message. That didnât get any response from me at all.
Next, he had called. His voice a seductive purr and hinting that I would be woken up in a pleasurable way. So I caved and was in his bed when I woke once again in the morning to him just stepping out of his bathroom, already half dressed.
He had outright laughed at my venomous glare at him and then said he never specified anything into how or when I would be woken up. It turned out the being woken in a pleasurable way equated to him having already started the coffee and making me breakfast while I showered to get ready for my day.
That had been the routine when Eric didnât have to leave out too early and when he did, he always ended up taking me to my favorite place to get some kind of pastry and coffee. The first time we had gone in there together, the woman behind the counter looked like she might pass out at Eric being there. Then he had ordered something for himself, a full sneer on his lips, and she had actually let out a little whimper of fear. As she scurried off I laughed at the absurdity of it. Eric was too pleased with the entire thing. It had clearly made his day.
âI love the smell of fear in the morning.â He had mumbled close to my ear. He explained to me this was a play on a quote from a favorite movie of his called Apocalypse Now.
Eric had a playful side to him. One that he didnât let anyone but those closest to him see and I was now on that list of what I was sure consisted of maybe four people. As enjoyable and butterfly inducing as all that was, I was still left feeling frustrated. There was only so much I could take and I was on a mission.
The plan for today was to get out of here early, get home and pack, then put on something seductive to surprise Eric with.
The knock on my door brought me out of my scheming. I looked up to see Four in the doorway and frowned at him.
âI have a few initiates that need to be looked at. The other nurses are already with other people.â He explained, his eyebrows all wrinkled up in worry.
I nodded and rose to go take a look. It was a bit strained between us. We hadnât really talked again since that lunch when he was obviously not happy I was with Eric. I have seen him in passing but he is busy with being the leader stuck in the compound while the others are off doing visits or other things. He is also still in charge of training, though he isnât there all the time like in the years past. For the activities that are most likely to get injuries though he is usually there.
I was trying to remember what the initiates were scheduled for. They have moved past the ranked and scored fights and I know they started their fear sims.
âRappelling and wall climbing accidents.â He told me while shaking his head after I had just asked.
âAh, ok.â
The boy who had fallen when doing the wall climbing wasnât bad off. Some deep bruising of the ribs and back area where he had fallen. The girl was a bit worse off, she would need a splint on a few fingers that she slammed into the wall when trying to catch herself after going down the rappel line wrong.
With that done I left them to rest a bit and went back to my office. There was just a bit more for me to take care of there and I could leave. If I got it done fast enough and filed away I would be out of here at least three hours early.
I had just gotten back to my desk when I heard someone following me in. I turned to see it was Four and plopped I in my seat with a frustrated sigh.
I knew the expression on his face. I was preparing for a lecture of some kind. I guess it makes sense he would choose now to do it. Tori and Tris are out of the compound but more importantly so is Eric. I wonder if he even really needed to bring the initiates considering Christina is one of the trainers and had been bringing them in so far.
He made his way over to the chairs on the opposite side of my desk and sat. âI wanted to talk to you, Devi.â
âI thought you would be busy with all the other leaders gone or tied up this week.â
He gives me a nod, his forehead still scrunched up. âI have been or I would have tried to do this sooner. I am honestly surprised that I even need to be having this conversation with you.â
I tried to keep my temper under control and remember that Fourâs intentions are good here. âThen why are you?â
âBecause I am worried, Devi! This is Eric we are talking about. You know how he was in training. If anything he has gotten worse than he was then and he was just starting out. I donât remember him once even looking at you until that night in the pit and I can bet the only reason he is now is that he knows you are my friend. He doesnât have a great reputation with girls and you deserve better.â
âOk,â I say slowly and close my eyes.
âOk? So you agree with me? Good, because I really donât wantâŚâ
âStop. Just stop.â I snap out. âI donât agree with a damn thing you just said Four and I am trying not to lose my shit here on you.â
It is quiet as I talk calming breaths. âMira, I know you think you are just being a good friend but you are not. You are trying to act like my father and tell me what I should or shouldnât do. Who I should or shouldnât see. It wouldnât matter if you were here talking to me about Eric or someone else my answer would be the same. It is my choice and mistake to make if it is one. Which it isnât by the way. The only mistaken thing here is your insinuations. Do you not even realize how what you said made me feel. That is impossible for Eric to have any interest in me for me? Donât even get me started on the fact that you just automatically assume he has nothing better to do with his time than to mess with you.â
Four pales and shakes his head about to say something but I hold my hand up to continue. âI get that you two have issues. I get that you might not like the way he goes about things and I know he doesnât like the way you go about things either. Ask yourself this though, what do you know about Eric? Have you ever tried to find anything out other than he was working with Erudite and he can be an abrasive dick?â
âDo you know anything about him?â Four snaps out at me defensively.
âI know more than you most likely. Do I know everything about him, no, but what I do is what all that matters to me. Let me ask you, how many people here know anything about you before you came to Dauntless?â
I already know the answer, very few people really know anything. Even I only know vaguely it had something to do with his father but not the details. I also know that the only person to know everything is Tris. I know he sees where I am going with this and he sighs, looking away.
âThatâs different.â He says without looking at me.
âWhy because itâs you? Other than the methods he uses for training and your rivalry in training, what else has he really done to you personally?â
Four runs a hand over his face and looks back to me. âI guess saying that he lives to make my life hell wouldnât matter to you?â
I laugh and shake my head. âThat wonât work with me Four. I know you find reasons to make his life hell just as much. You question every move he makes and you do it publicly. Does it not say something that he hasnât called you out publicly on it to this day when he could? You badmouth him constantly, telling anyone who will listen just how horrible he is. He has yet to pull rank and have you brought up on charges. He has yet to try and fight you again. Yeah, you guys exchange words and glares. I know that he can push your buttons just as bad but that is all it has been. Iâm not saying you have to become best friends, but even you have to see it would be better for the faction if you worked together.â
I am surprised at how calm I am about this but I also mean every word. I sigh and let him digest that then continue. âAs far as whatever is between Eric and me. It really isnât anyone elseâs business. You can be worried as a friend, but a real friend would say...you know what..I donât necessarily like it, but I am here for you. Believe me, I have heard that enough from Lynn, Sadie, Vera, and AJ.â
A throat clears from the doorway to the office and both our heads snap to look at it.
âCĂłgeme,â I mutter when I see Eric leaning against the door jamb of the wide open door.
His arms are crossed over his chest, his one leg crossed over the other. He looks like he is relaxed but the tension in his arm where the vein is pulsing like mad lets me know he is anything but relaxed.
Four stands and looks at me seriously. âI donât like it, but I am here for you.â He mutters out with a tense jaw as if the words are killing him to say.
Then he eases away from the desk and to the door. Eric still stays in the same position, the two eyeing each other as Four closes the distance then pauses in front of him. I stand slowly, just knowing I am going to have to put myself between them in a second.
I am surprised when Eric straightens then moves out of the door to let him pass. Four goes by him, still not taking his eyes off Eric, then gives this little head nod and turns to walk away completely.
Eric steps back into the doorway, through it, and then shuts the door firmly. I am at a loss for what to say honestly. He makes his way over quickly with two long strides of his legs.
âDid you mean all that?â He asks, in that hushed tone he can get.
I nod in response, swallowing to try and get my dry mouth to work properly and form words. âHow long were you there?â
âI saw him go into your office behind you. You two didnât close the door and I got curious.â
âSo. Everything then.â He crowded in close to me. The wild man was back but there was something else burning in his eyes as he cupped the sides of my face then pulling me into a kiss.
It is a hungry and impatient kiss, his tongue plunging into my mouth after I had barely opened it to receive him. He curls his tongue along mine while his fingertips apply the slightest of pressure against my scalp as he tries to get me even closer. Our height difference prevents it from happening, so with a growl, his hands shoot down until they are digging into the cheeks of my ass and he yanks me up. My legs wrap around his waist tightly as my hands go to his hair, tangling in it as much as they can when it is still styled with that gel he uses.
I move my hips against him but I am too high up and groan in frustration. We are still kissing when he goes to the seat I had just vacated and situates himself in it with me straddling him. We feverishly make out like a couple of teenagers, getting nowhere near the level of satisfaction we really want and just making ourselves even more frustrated.
He pulls back from a kiss we barely surfaced from other than long enough to get air and I find myself gasping.
âYou didnât even hesitate to shut him downâŚ.â He mumbles against the skin of my neck. It is so garbled I at first donât understand him.
I pull back with a frown. âWhy would I?
He doesnât answer, just scowls and gives a frustrated huff that my scrubs are in the way of him getting to my bare skin. He is avoiding answering or doesnât even realize that he said anything. I ask again, trying to make him look at me. âWhy would I have hesitated, Eric?â
His hands still, he is still wearing that scowl, but he is looking right in my eyes.
âYouâre done for the day.â He sighs and closes his eyes then opens them again after just a brief pause. âAre you done for the day?â
My lips twitch in amusement at that. I nod in agreement. âYes. I had a little bit of paperworkâŚâ
That seemed to be good enough for him because he doesnât let me finish before he is standing while he grumbles out a âthank fuckâ. He barely remembers he is still holding me when he starts for the door until I shriek out that he needs to put me down. He looks at me with a glint in his eye then shakes his head and lets me down.
I have time to grab my bag before he grabs my hand and then leads me out of the door. There are a few nurses around that look at us and I hear Shauna laughing saying she would see me after the weekend. He doesnât let go of my hand at all as we walk through the compound.
âAre you taking me home with you?â I ask breathlessly and with a smile as I remember that I had asked this same question when he carried me from the pit. The night was still hazy but I had slowly started to remember things. That was one of them.
He looks down at me and smirks wickedly. âYou bet your fucking ass I am, little one.â
I shiver from the promise in his eyes and the wickedness of his smile.
#divergent fanfiction#divergent au#eric coulter fanfiction#eric x oc#romance#fluff#smut#eric coulter#oc#jai courtney#diane guerrero
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For the writing asks, 4, 11, and 31, please.
4. name three authors that were influential to your work and tell why
Oh God, ONLY THREE?!
J.K. Rowling. I think she really challenged my perception of fantasy, because her work is so character-focused, as opposed to lore-focused. I heavily agree with George R. R. Martin and his perception that the fantasy genre is oversaturated with an obsession over lore that it fumbles with pathology, and Iâve put fantasy books down over that very reason. Her dedication to character development, character interaction, and mystery made a huge impact on me. I look for fantasy stories that have these specific elements because of her.
Stephen King. He has a power over pathology and character psyche that only has one rival (that I have found so far). He can get really weird at times, but there are novels, such as Dreamcatcher, The Green Mile, and the Shawshank Redemption that are just outright beautiful in what they say about the human condition (the Mist as well, but itâs on the opposite end of the spectrum in comparison to the others, squarely in the horror genre, but itâs brilliant, and King himself said the 2007 adaptation was better than his original story, and I agree).
Cormac McCarthy. Speaking of having a rival, I swear, if my future self would tell me that I would never grow enough in my skill to envelope some of his mastery over prose and pathology, I should just end my life right now and spare this fandom the rest of my worthless garbage. The Road, No Country for Old Men, and Blood Meridian are amazing works of literature.
Neil Druckmann. Okay, so Iâm cheating because I have to list The Last of Us as one of the greatest examples of near narrative perfection (especially in a video game) I have ever experienced, and this is another writer that really blew my mind in terms of character development. My work is wasteful, dreadful and horrendous in comparison, but Iâll risk the delusion into thinking I can somehow one day aspire to write like this.
11. do you listen to music when writing?
The short answer is YES. The long is answer is that Iâm a soundtrack whore. I canât write without music, itâs impossible (I mean, I reference music in my work all the time, haha). I tend to listen to a lot of soundtracks from epic fantasies because they are very versatile and very appropriate since I refuse to confine myself to one genre (fuck fluff and angst). I do listen to Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger and Cross, and Shadow Hearts, but Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lost, and Fullmetal Alchemist are up there in what I play when I write, among like a hundred others (ones for fluffy stuff are very different, like the Last Unicorn, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kikiâs Delivery Service). If Iâm not in the mood, I will stick to piano-orchestrated or piano-electronic pieces, especially by brilliant songwriters such as Agnes Obel, Regina Spektor, Vanessa Carlton, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple. If I need to be happy, itâs Lindsey Stirling, Beats Antique, and Shakira. If my symptoms are firing and I canât focus, then classical (Chopin and Bach are faves, but I adore them all). My mother is a classical pianist, so I canât help myself but be so reliant on music.
31. easiest part of writing
Of the actual writing process (like writing a chapter out), I canât say there is an easy part. Itâs all labor-intensive, and all exhausting on the mind. But what I find easy is the outlining process. With that, I can just let my imagination go and play, and write in details that Iâll be excited about fleshing out later on. I find the outlining process so intuitive. It is also my philosophy that everything has to be relevant, so I can easily cut out and add scenes and sub-plots that I know will work out or wonât work out. For example, in my sequel fic, A Powerful Enough Dream, I planned two sub-plots: one where Aqua confronts Ardyn, from FFXV who killed her parents. The other was a post-Aquanort scene, where she goes to the world of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Itâs my favorite Disney Renaissance film, and since it was a dream in KH:DDD (and I really hated what they did with it), I wanted to explore Aqua confronting her internalized ideas of light and darkness in comparison to corruption in the Catholic Church, and what it meant to have faith that things were going to turn out alright - or having hope to keep going despite how frightened she is. Neither of these I could tie into the main plot (because I wonât stick a sub-plot in there if I canât advance the main plot in any way). So they both got cut. Iâm talking WAYYYY ahead of where I am in the story right now, but it was easy to cut them off without having to waste time writing them.
Ask a fanfic writer!
#ask game#after-the-lights#answered#these were awesome questions#but man i wish i could add many more authors#i just can't pick a few#i respect so many
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So I tend to make a lot of playlists. As you know, Spotify makes a playlist of the songs I listened to the most, but I felt the need to make a narrow list for each month I experienced during this year. Analysis as followed:
1. January - Lights Up, Harry Styles - I was hopeful. I had big shiny plans, as we all did. I felt good about things mostly.
2. February - Almost (Sweet Music), Hozier - We worked in the yard, dug a pretty pond, installed a waterfall. Things were beginning to take shape. The early spring was gentle and sweetly scented.Â
3. March - hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have, Lana Del Rey - A moment of devastation. All hope was lost for a moment. Fear and despair took over. Hope was dangerous.
4. April - God, Tori Amos - This was the month of rage and frustration. I listened to a lot of Tori Amos. I cursed God and his minions who allowed this to happen. Those who clung in bad faith to heresy. Those who refused reason and abandoned logic.Â
5. May - Stupid Love, Lady Gaga - After all the pain and rage, I had little left but Love to cling to. I partied with myself in my own living room. I danced all alone.Â
6. June - Husavik, Eurovision Song Contest - When everything has just gone all wrong, what can you do but surrender to the absurdity of it all? This year I made time to let go and just enjoy the little things. Not taking life too seriously.
7. July - the last great american dynasty, Taylor Swift - After 4 stages of grief, the last is acceptance. This was the new normal, we had to get through it. Maybe things would be better soon, but it wasnât looking good. The world was ending. Might as well have a marvelous time.
8. August - Walking on Broken Glass, Annie Lennox - Summer lingered and was brutal. In a time where I usually frolic in the sunshine, agoraphobia and depression took root like weeds. Fighting it was hard and painful. But life goes on even if we are tired of it.
9. September - Grigio Girls, Lady Gaga - A good glass of pale, cold wine and 4 hours in a Discord server are sometimes all you need. We rose a glass to friends near and far.
10. October - Come Undone, Duran Duran - Fall finally made it. Of all the spooky seasons, this one was by far the most ghostly. I felt lucky to be alive. I turned 28 in a year that made no sense what so ever. I felt like I lived in the Twilight Zone. What should have been my favorite month, felt like a whole month of pretending it was all going to be alright.
11. November - Not Ready to Make Nice, The Chicks - We watched with bated breath for days. A moment of anticipation, followed by elation. Then the sadness just came back. But that grief gave way to rage, and at least i felt something more than indifferent. The whole month was steel grey and cold, and I kind of liked it.
12. December - Willow, Taylor Swift - I would be trite in saying, âNothing ever goes according to plan.â But itâs the damn truth. Terrible things. Good things. This was the year of things happening. All my plans got wrecked. I accomplished nothing but staying alive. But under the shooting stars and converging planets, me and my co-conspirator made new plans. I still donât understand what all this year was about, but it was not a wasted year.
13. Epilogue -Â Once in a Lifetime, Talking Heads - This has just been a weird year. Some people will try to say that this year created a reset button for everyone. That we are allowed a fresh start after this is all over. Well, this is still not over. And most of us find ourselves exactly where we were, or worse. The class divide is wider than before. This once in a lifetime year will put off reverberations for a few lifetimes; however, all of this is the same as it ever was.
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The Messenger
Summary: Reader goes off to the Continental Army camp with an important message and reunites with Alexander.
Pairing: Alexander x reader
Word Count: 1,222
Warnings: A couple of cuss words, time period sexism, writing that progressively gets worse
A/N: Ahhhh, Iâm so excited and nervous since this is my very first time writing for Hamilton. The version of Alexander used in this story is from Hamilton. Hope you guys enjoy it!!
The air smelled of petrichor, pine, and the stench that only a group of men who havenât showered in weeks could produce, mixed with alcohol. Though these said group of men had long since left the area, the smell lingered throughout the woods. With the sun beating harshly against your skin, beads forming on your forehead and the wind hitting your face, hair slipping from the bun it had been in and flowing in the wind, you gripped the reins tighter, knuckles turning white. Face scrunched into determination, you allowed your body to starve itself of the much-needed sleep and rest that it needed, if only until you reached your destination.
You had been riding since the first rays of the sun had managed to pierce the dark purple sky. On a different day, you would have gladly stayed in bed for a few more hours, wrapped in blankets, or stopped to admire the way that the sky blossomed with hues of pink, orange, and yellow but every second you wasted, the possibility of hundreds of people dying became greater.
It had been months since you had been recruited by the continental army to become a spy for them, or rather, months since you volunteered. Though the position of a soldier would have better suited you, it would have demanded that you disguise yourself as a man, something you would have done if it werenât for the fear of being discovered. So instead, you settled with prying information from the British men when their minds were foggy with alcohol and infatuation.
A daughter of a tory did have such opportunities at her disposal, especially when your father and the British generals insisted that they should have a party at least every week, minds convinced with the thoughts of victory of the king and the defeat of the colonies. You did what any sensible woman with the thirst of seeing her country rise would do and you got off of your arse and walked to the men who donned their red uniform with pride. You would flutter your eyelashes, giggle at any joke they made, and inquire about plans, allowing their egos to visibly inflate as they bragged, believing that you didnât understand anything that they were saying because you were a woman.
Last night, in the middle of the party, one of the generals toasted to the king and boasted that in three days time, the colonies would have been defeated by Britain's very best men. You had talked to the very same general later before leaving, claiming to be feeling sick.
You could see that the forest was thinning, and the end of it was near, marked by the sudden sight of a plethora of white â turning a light yellow â tents. Flicking the reins, you chose to ignore the screams of some of the men who ordered you to stop as you rode through the camp, heading straight for the middle of the camp. It wasnât until a man had stepped in front of your path, musket pointed directly at you, did you stop, pulling the reins back and holding them tightly as you were nearly thrown off of the horse.
âDismount the horse, maâam.â The man yelled, glaring at you.
Furiously, you were whipping your head left and right, trying to find a face that you recognized. âI need to see the general.â You announced, not even glancing down at the man.
âOff of the horse.â He said louder this time, anger seeping into his words. By this time, a small group of men had started to form around you, each one pointing a musket at you like the first man.
Relief washed over you when you saw a somewhat short man walking with a much taller man, his dark hair pulled into a low ponytail. âAlexander!â You screamed, capturing his attention when he turned around at the sound of his name.
Though you were quite a large distance apart, you could still see the way that his brown eyes were suddenly alight with recognition and the way that his expression, which was previously in a serious, turned into a mixture of love, surprise, and excitement, all in one.
It only lasted a couple of seconds, quickly turning sour when the man standing in front of you once again yelled at you. Alexander began walking towards you, eyes on the man.
âLee, what the hell? Do you know who this is?â Alexander questioned the man, Lee, with coldness, voice hinting disgust in the edges.
Lee scoffed and began to lower his musket, glaring at the both of you. âOf course the woman who rode into camp like a mongol knows you.â He spat, using the word âwomanâ as if it were an insult.
Before Alexander could say anything back to him, you said his name, warning in your tone as you started to dismount, leg swinging off of the horse and jumping to the ground. He mumbled something along the lines of ârightâ and placed a hand on the small of your back, leading you to a large tent, looking back and giving Lee a deathly look.
-đť-đť-đť-đť-đť-đť-
You laid on a cot, a blanket draped over your body, trying to keep warm as the chilly air bit any exposed skin. One arm was nestled under your head while the other one drew soft patterns on Alexanderâs cheek. You watched closely as his eyes fluttered closed when you pressed your lips against his jaw.
It had been hours since you had arrived at camp with information for the general. You had explained what the British general had told you, having written everything so you wouldnât forget the moment that you had left the party. Within minutes of you finishing, General Washington had told Alexander to write to the group of men that had been sent out earlier in the week to change directions, the latter man writing like there was no tomorrow, trying to finish up the letter as soon as possible. You were given a smile of gratitude from the general that would usually wear a serious expression before being lead to Alexanderâs tent to rest from your long ride.
You basked in the peace that was in the air, one that only surrounded the two of you in a bubble. There were few moments like these that you had with your dearest Alexander, with him being the aid-de-camp of Washington and you residing with your tory parents whilst being a spy left very little time for the two of you.
Placing your hand against his chest, you gave a small sigh. âI must leave tomorrow in the morning.â You mumbled quietly, fearing the words would shatter the small world that engulfed the two of you. They did. âMy father will have a fit if he finds out that I wasnât actually visiting my sister.â Alexander hummed in response, the motion causing his chest to rumble against your head slightly.
He opened his eyes, brown orbs looking down at you. âY/n, when the war is over and we win, I want to formally ask your fatherâs permission to court you.â
You grinned, kissing him gently in response before pulling away slightly, nose brushing against each other while you looked into his eyes. âIâd love that Alexander.â
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NOTE: More sensuality. Dry-humping.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Some time around five in the morning, Anna gave up on sleep completely. Sidling over to Elsa's desk, she 'borrowed' a piece of paper and a pencil. She wasn't going to get any more sleep, so she may as well use the time to plan.
Kristoff. Elsa had to fall for Kristoff, not her. They had to get married and have kids â and maybe when Anna was back in her own time she could try and help fix their relationship then, too. However, she had to figure out how to make all of this happen without screwing everything up as badly as she had been so far or she would never get the chance.
So by the time she made it to Kristoff's that morning, seeing that he was up early and doing the family laundry, she had something a little more concrete to work with. About the only plan she could see that would do the trick. The problem seemed to be that Anna was "cool" and appealing, and Kristoff was just boring in a relative sense. Maybe she couldn't exactly make herself less attractive to her young mother, nor could she make Elsa purebred-hetero, but she had a possible solution to put her dad back in the running.
"Alright, walk me through this again," he sighed as he tossed in the dryer sheet. "You're going to the dance with her, but she's going to end up with me? That's doesn't make sense."
"It's just a backup plan, Dad. Uh⌠I mean, rad. I mean, that doesn't make any sense, either." Shaking out her head, she tried to push through and cut to the chase. "You can still ask her during the party, but if it doesn't work, I think you sailing in like Batman will make her notice you."
Nodding, he slammed the door and it started tumbling their clothes. "Fine, fine," he sighed as he turned back to the basket, picking out a few clothes to toss in the washer. "And I do love Adam West. But the part I don't get is, how am I saving her from you? I mean, she's your friend."
'Oh, honey,' she thought. He was looking at her with an expression almost as naĂŻve as his words. "WellâŚ" Clearing her throat, she turned away. "Elsa's a sweet girl. Nervous and kinda delicate. So when I get a little rough with her⌠she'll want someone to save her from that."
"Rough how?"
"Handsy." When Kristoff was still just blinking at her, she went on, "Come on, not even you can be this dense! I'm gonna take advantage of her!"
"WHAT?! You mean you're gonna touch her on her, herâŚ" As he gesticulated, Anna winced to see that her paternal grandmother's bra was in one of his hands. "But you're both girls! A-and- ohhh, what the hell?!"
"Kristoff, calm down!" Taking the bra from him, she tossed it into the washer and tried to ignore how red his face was getting. Probably a lot like her own. "It's just an act! Besides, if you stick to the schedule, I won't even get any further than pushing her down and looking at her funny, right? Just enough to make her worried, and for you to look like the hero."
He still looked incredibly unsure, but at least he wasn't arguing anymore. Still, she knew what he was thinking because she was thinking it, too.
"Look," she sighed, somewhat morosely. "I'm not going to hurt her for real. I promise. Like you said, she's my friend, and⌠and I care about her a lot. So chill."
Finally, he smiled. It was a little weak and lopsided, but hey, it was there. The moment was broken when the dryer gave a particularly loud thunk. Kristoff jumped; Anna shrieked. For a moment, the only noise was the sound of the machine, cheerfully chugging along.
Then Kristoff started laughing. Heart still thundering in her chest, Anna could only glare at him for a few moments. His face was redder than before, face screwed up in mirth. Were those tears in his eyes? But then he didn't stop. Every time his laughter slowed, all he had to do was look at Anna and it renewed. Soon she was giggling along with him. Slowly her irritation was replaced with something else: a feeling of camaraderie â foreign, much like most of the positive emotions she'd experienced in relation to her father thus far had been â overcame her.
"C'mon, dude," she said between hiccups of laughter. "It's not that funny!"
Kristoff disagreed. "You didn't- didn't see your face!" he chuckled.
It took more genuine effort than she expected, but eventually Anna did get her giggles under control. They parted company, confident of their two-fold plan. First, they would try to help Kristoff "schmooze" his way into Elsa's heart at the party itself. Then, if that earned them no progress, she would go through with Plan B. Given that they both seemed to loathe it, Anna could only hope that Kristoff would be successful.
                     ~ o ~
The day of the party, Elsa started passing out her future address to all of her friends and close acquaintances. Not that she knew that's what it was; only that it was an empty space in which to arrange a bash. She was able to talk Al into helping to get together some of the essentials, and he promised he'd grab some of his teammates for the task. Everything was shaping up great.
Meanwhile, Anna had wheedled a little more cash out of Doc for two more outfits: a party outfit, and a prom dress. The fuchsia mini skirt and fishnet leggings made her feel stupid, almost as much as the denim vest over the black long-sleeve button-up, but she knew everybody else would be wearing similar fashion disasters. She just had to grin and bear it.
"You excited?" she hissed to Elsa as they were getting ready to leave the school. She was a little sad; this would be her last 'school day' with her. Weird as everything had been, she would definitely miss seeing this part of her mother's life.
"I wanna hurl, dude," Elsa confessed with a shaky sigh. "This is the first real party I've ever kinda-sorta thrown myself. It has to be bad, or I'll be a bogus bimbo from now until graduation."
"Those are a lot of B-words." Suppressing the worry that this would cause a resurgence of the urges from the night before, Anna linked her arm with Elsa's as they headed to Ariel's shiny Nova. It wasn't a great car overall, but at least it was fairly new, and she had the use of it most days.
"Oh⌠hey," Elsa breathed, glancing down at their arms and then back up at Anna's face.
"We got this."
"We got what?" she asked. Anna could kick herself for lapsing with the lingo so often. "O-oh, you mean the party? Yeah, I'm sure it'll be tubular. Or⌠reasonably sure."
"It's gonna be amazing," Anna insisted. "Everybody's gonna have fun tonight. The key is to let them have their own fun â no micromanaging!"
Elsa merely nodded her head. Honestly, it wasn't something Anna was overly concerned about. There was gonna be some food and soda and apparently Elsa had some 'really neat tunes, totally not square'. She had no idea why her mother was so stressed.
"You're coming, right?"
Oh. That may be why she was worried. Keeping her frown to herself, Anna nodded. "Yeah! Gotta make sure no one messes up your little shindig."
"Shindig?" she snorted, eyes alight. "What is this, the 50s? Who even says that anymore?"
"I do!" Anna defended. Elsa shook her head, a smile still playing at her lips, but she said nothing more.
They walked the rest of the way in silence, each seemingly having no idea how to continue the conversation. It was only when they neared Elsa's friends that she spoke.
"Thank you, Tori," she said honestly. Sincerely. "For all you've done."
"Ahhh, it was nothing." Anna tried to play it cool, but obviously wasn't doing too well. Not when Elsa paused in her steps to face Anna fully. "Hey," she said softly. "What brought this on?"
Elsa shrugged and didn't say anything for a moment. "I justâŚ" she began. "I just get the feeling you're going to be leaving soon, so..."
"What? Oh⌠well, yeah, probably am." How did she know she was leaving? Still, she had to do better. "Definitely am. Gotta head home, y'know?"
"Right! So I wanted to tell you in case I don't get the chance or- or in case something changes." Change? What could change? Anna's mouth was already open and primed to ask when Elsa interrupted. "So thank you, Victoria."
"Well⌠I'm⌠okay." She decided not to fight Elsa on that, since she really wasn't exactly sure what she would be fighting against. In truth, if they hadn't already technically crossed lines, hadn't masturbated next to each other, she probably would have leaned up to kiss her on the cheek â to reassure her. Instead, she merely squeezed her bicep. "You're welcome. But you honestly don't have to thank me; I just think you're a⌠rad chick and want to help you out."
"After what happened, I'm not sure I deserve that," she sighed as they got closer to the car.
"What do you mean?" But Elsa didn't answer. They were too close to Ariel now, which Anna understood⌠but she still had to wonder what Elsa had been going to say. Did she completely blame herself for their straying over the line and into the Danger Zone? That wasn't fair.
"Ready to crank this party to eleven?!" Ariel was asking them, blotting out the rest of Anna's inner musings. Along with her, Elsa and Jasmine immediately cried out in unison "IT GOES TO ELEVEN?!" and Anna could only shake her head and laugh, wondering where this wonderfully ridiculous version of her mother had gone.
                     ~ o ~
A few hours later, they had the model home as tricked out as it could possibly be. Somewhere, they had dug up an actual deejay, and he brought a crate full of the best early-80s new wave and rock hits. Even a little disco, despite how most of them rolled their eyes to see the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack amongst his selection.
They also grabbed a few folding chairs and added them to the plain, boring couch and armchair that had been in the living room. There was no TV â or rather, the one in there was just a cardboard display to give the impression of an actual TV â but they didn't really need one. They quickly set up a drink and snack station in the dining room, and put out bowls of chips and some dip on the coffee table so there would be more than one place to grab food.
"Looks good so far," Jazz was saying as she looked around at their work. "Wish we had more Pepsi Free, and more Coke Classic than New CokeâŚ"
"Well the New Coke was on sale," Ariel said. "We're not exactly millionaires."
"Well, Al is bringing some supplies, too," Elsa reasoned, "So we're probably gonna be set no matter what." She was currently rearranging the table, making sure they had enough coolers full of ice â and enough room in them â for the various drinks. She was nervous and scared of failing, that much was obvious.
"So, who's coming?" Anna asked. Ariel and Jazz were, bless their souls, entirely unhelpful. Jazz could only name one person â "Al!" â and Ariel gave a shrug.
"Word probably passed around the school," Elsa said. "Have you never thrown a party before?" They all turned to Anna.
"Oh, heh, well, not exactly. Where I'm from parties tend to be a little⌠different." She'd been invited to them, of course. After the first one she'd never gone again. Parties were loud and obnoxious things. When someone inevitably brought out the alcohol, she added 'scary' to that list. Drunk people were scary. And most seemed not to realise what it did to them, what it turned them into â both in the short term, and in the long term.
Realising that she'd been staring at Elsa as those thoughts swirled in her head, Anna shook her head. "I guess I'm just not a huge party girl," she said.
At first, Elsa and her friends laughed a little. Then when she realised Anna wasn't joking, the blonde leaned in a little closer. "Wait⌠are you serious? But you're the coolest girl I know!"
"Maybe⌠sobriety is cooler?" When they only stared, she wilted and mumbled, "Yeah okay, didn't expect that one to work. But for real, I'm just not much of a drinker, sorry."
Of course, that would be the exact moment Al and his posse showed up with the keg and a couple bottles of harder liquor. Anna swallowed her disappointment and helped them set up, getting everything ready and appointing one of the jocks â some giant beefcake who called himself "Herc" â as the one to watch the table and make sure nobody drank themselves stupid. Not that she really trusted him to do that.
Around the time the first few guests began to show up, Elsa took Anna aside and whispered, "Why are you doing all this?"
"Huh?"
"This party. If you're not a partier, then why would you go to all this trouble to help set one up?"
Her thoughts went to Kristoff, who was probably trying to parallel park outside as they spoke. "Oh⌠just trying to be a good friend, I guess."
"Ah. Well, I want you to know I appreciate-" But that was as far as she got before she was being dragged away by Ariel to help greet and mingle. That was just as well, since it gave Anna an excuse to head for the refreshments and grab herself some caffeine.
She was also hoping to run across Kristoff. She'd told him to be early â "but not too early!" â but so far she hadn't seen hide nor hair of him. Twenty minutes later, by the time the party was getting into full swing, he still hadn't arrived.
A little irritated at his lack of punctuality, she made her way out the front of the house. There were kids strewn everywhere. It wasn't too bad yet â no one was truly drunk, which was nice. And down the street a little, still close enough to be visible in the light, was a familiar face.
"Kristoff!" Anna called, jogging towards him. He gave a start, and lifted a hand in a wave, but he didn't move forward to meet her. So that was the first thing she asked him about. "What the hell? Why aren't you in there yet?"
Looking away, he mumbled some pathetic excuse. Something about not being wanted at the party, an "I'm sure Elsa doesn't want me here." But this was the same old self-esteem issue, so Anna punched him in the shoulder. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make him flinch and look up.
"Dude," she said. "This isn't an invite-only gig. And trust me, you're just as welcome as anyone else." Before long, everyone would be too drunk to care whether a 'nerd' was there or not. Plus⌠they did say Anna was cool. She could invite whoever she wanted! "And besides, you're already here. May as well make the most of it."
She practically had to drag Kristoff towards the house even when she received a reluctant agreement from him. Anna refused to allow him to back out now, not with all the effort she had put into this.
"Just try and strike up a conversation with her," she encouraged him once they were inside. "She won't bite, you know that."
"Fine, fine! Wow, you're pushy!" But he didn't fight her on it, either; seemed to be how he handled most situations.
Back inside, she left Kristoff to approach Elsa and focused exclusively on pigging out on snacks. The potato chips seemed especially bland to her for some reason, and she couldn't decide if New Coke was an acceptable alternative to the stuff she was used to. Stubbornly, she refused to have a single sip of anything alcoholic; she told herself it was only because she needed to remain focused on getting her parents together. Which was mostly true.
After a good fifteen minutes, she floated back out to the living room to find them. However, neither Kristoff nor Elsa was there. Poking her head around the other rooms, she finally had to drift down the hallway to locate one of them.
Elsa was lying on one of the beds, staring up at the ceiling. Ironically enough, it was in the room that would later become Anna's. Even the awful grey feature wall was the same. When she heard Anna come in, she sat up on her elbows, then sighed. "Oh, it's you."
That didn't sound good. Gently closing the door behind her, Anna took a few steps into the room. "What's going on? What are you doing in here?"
Elsa shrugged. Sitting up fully, she curled her legs up under her chin. Anna took it as an invitation to sit near Elsa's feet. She smiled to herself â the Elsa of her time would have had kittens to see shoes on the bed.
"Just wanted to get away," she finally admitted.
"Not having fun?"
Closing her eyes, Elsa sighed as she turned her head in the direction of the door â it made her sway a little bit. "No, no, it's not that. I just⌠Kristoff asked me to the dance tomorrow."
"OH?!" Anna perked up at that. Perhaps it was lucky that Elsa wasn't looking at her, though, because immediately after, she deflated. If Kristoff had asked her, why was she hiding out here? She was almost too afraid to ask. Fortunately â or perhaps unfortunately â Elsa wasn't finished.
"He's a great guy, but IâŚ" she trailed off. Sucking in a breath, she turned her gaze to Anna. Her hold on her knees tightened, and Anna couldn't tear her eyes from Elsa's. "I realised that I⌠really want to go with someone⌠someone else."
Oh. Fuck.
"Y-yeah?" Anna managed to sputter. She wanted to run, but she managed to force herself to stay still.
"Yeah. And⌠I think I made a mistake." Her head nodded toward a cup on the previously-empty bedside table. "I thought maybe it would make me feel less upset about the whole situation, but instead now I just want to cry."
This was a tough situation. One of her hands drifted over and patted Elsa's forearm; it was about as neutral a location as she could manage. "Sorry. I really thought you two⌠w-well, it doesn't matter right now." It did, of course, but she couldn't explain without risking a time paradox.
"Oh, I like him more than I expected. I almost said yes, but then I thought- I⌠Tori, I just want to go with you. Can't I pick you up in my car, a-and we'll go to the dance together? No grody stuff, I p-promise!"
"ElsaâŚ" Whatever she was going to say died on her lips at the look in Elsa's eyes. Vulnerable, weak. She couldn't do that to her, couldn't destroy what little hope and faith Elsa had. Not right now. And they still had Plan B. "Okay. As long as you swear to me-"
"Pinky swear." Elsa actually did hold up her pinky, and Anna snickered as she took it. But her mother remained serious all the while. "I know⌠know th-that you were pretty wigged about that. Because we're friends, and you already have a⌠w-well, anyway. Sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about." Then she pushed Elsa a little more firmly against the bed. "Now, just relax here for a little while. I'm gonna get you some food to help soak up the drink."
"Will that work?" she asked, vaguely watching â barely helping â Anna take off her shoes and setting them on the floor.
"I've had practice," Anna muttered under her breath. Cleaning up after her again.
But the bitterness Anna had come to associate with cleaning up her mother's messes didn't come. Looking back at the bed, at the girl sitting forlorn atop the covers, she knew why; this Elsa wasn't her mother. Not yet. This Elsa was just a teenage girl who'd done the same thing countless girls before, and countless after, would do: drink at a party.
Leaving Elsa momentarily, she went out into the wild to forage for some food. Despite the lack of flavor, most of the crisps had vanished. There was some dip and crackers left, but Anna wasn't sure that she could trust it. Eventually she found another, unopened container in one of the coolers. It was a little damp from the ice, but the creamy goodness inside was untouched.
While scrounging around for another packet of crackers, she spied Kristoff standing off to one corner. Sighing, she knew she'd have to talk to him before the dance. But that could wait.
Upon returning to the room, the first thing Anna noticed was that Elsa hadn't moved at all. "I brought dip," she said. "There weren't many chips left but this'll soak it all up a little better."
Glumly, Elsa nodded. Her lips pursed into a point. She looked miserable â and Anna had a feeling that it wasn't the depressing effects of the alcohol. "Why do you hate drinking so much?" she asked, probably more as a distraction than anything else. "I never met anyone who hasn't tried it."
Anna lifted her shoulders, resuming her seat next to Elsa and opening the dip. "I have tried it," she admitted, passing her the container and moving on to the crackers. "And I don't hate it, exactly. More like I hate what it does to people. And I don't just mean like⌠getting wasted and then having a hangover the next day. I mean the⌠when you drink⌠or when someone you love drinks⌠and they don't ever seem to stop. And they just aren't the person you know because they're always the drunk version, and they can get mean sometimes."
Putting the dip on the bedside table, Elsa picked up a cracker and loaded it with a gratuitous amount of dip. "C'mon, I'd never be wack like that, though. It's just a drink here or there."
This time, Anna couldn't look at her, blinking rapidly. The words were out before she could stop them: "You can't promise that."
She was a little surprised to find a hand on her cheek, forcing her to look up. The cracker had been abandoned in the dip, and Elsa was looking at her with the fiercest eyes she'd ever seen.
"Then I pinky promise," she said. If Anna had been teary before, it was nothing compared to the effect that simple sentence had on her.
"Alright, alright. I believe you," she breathed, but more because she wasn't sure how else to handle this situation anymore. Elsa was looking at her with more love in her eyes than she ever remembered seeing from them in the future. Not that she never loved her; she knew her mother did, in ways that she could manage despite her depression and general dissatisfaction with her life.
But that future Elsa would never have leaned in to take her mouth gently the way this one was.
'Not again!'Â Anna thought furiously. But again, she had as much difficulty fighting off the advances of her amorous friend-who-would-eventually-birth-her as before. She did back up, but Elsa simply followed. Within moments, Anna found herself on her back, Elsa lying atop her.
She needed to stop, but the longer it went on, the more she found she didn't want to fight Elsa off. Some part of her understood that she needed to, that it was important, and that she knew nothing good could come of this if she let it continue. Furthermore, with or without their chromosomal connection, there was no way she could stay with Elsa knowing how she would turn out. That woman from the future was most definitely not her type.
But this one was. This Elsa was everything she went for in a woman; sensitive, thoughtful, sweet, and kind. Just impulsive enough to know how to have fun, but not some kind of reckless wild child who would hurt her, or get her hurt. And a knockout besides.
"I know," Elsa finally breathed when she broke the kiss, gazing down at Anna's stricken face. "I know what I said⌠a-and I won't. But⌠I can't lie to you, Tori. I can't lie to myself."
Anna wasn't thinking. Couldn't think, not when her mind was full of nothing but the kiss they had just shared. She knew her mistake when she leaned up, none-too-gently, to press their lips together again. Her hands came to wrap around Elsa's head, fisting in her hair and holding her close.
Okay, so perhaps this wasn't the sort of relationship she'd ever wanted with her mother, but⌠there was love. Real love. Anna didn't know how deep it ran through Elsa, but it was there for her. Elsa's lips were soft, and this time, she could appreciate how they felt, kneading into hers. The fact that her hands hadn't moved at all since the beginning, still resting on Anna's cheeksâŚ
Punz wasn't nearly this tactile. Elsa made her feel so wanted. So needed.
But she didn't completely lose herself in the kiss, in the feeling of Elsa atop her, moving gently against her. There was a tiny voice at the back of her head that was asking one little question that she couldn't ignore much longer:Â What happens now?
"Tori," Elsa breathed briefly when their lips parted, before they moved to Anna's neck, nibbling gently at her skin. She was unpractised in many facets of relationships, but here she excelled. Anna had to close her eyes and suck in a breath, just to keep some of her wits about her.
"Elsa, I⌠I d-don't knowâŚ" What didn't she know? "I don't know if⌠if I can⌠do much more than⌠than thisâŚ" That was a much more moderate reaction compared to what she meant to say, but at least it was a toehold.
"We both feel it," she insisted, ghosting her lips over Anna's again. Her eyes were bright, and Anna couldn't maintain contact. "Don't we? And⌠I'm sorry about that girl, back in wherever, but⌠can you honestly tell me it's this good with her? This bodacious?"
"I haven't had the chance to f-find out," she replied with a shaky sigh. Maybe she could distract Elsa. "I, um⌠we were supposed to have our big night, but I ended up coming here instead. It⌠I was really looking forward to it, we've been kind of awkward potatoes until now."
"Potatoes?" she snickered, reaching up to brush Anna's hair from her forehead. It seemed she had backed off from kissing her again â for the time being, at least. "That way with words you have is pretty weird. But I dig it."
They just looked at each other for a moment. Both were trying to catch their breath; it wasn't the activities, nor any kind of exertion that caused it. When Anna could finally speak, it was to as a question. "Did you⌠mean it?" Her voice was soft. "What you said earlier?"
Elsa's head tilted, just a little. "What did I say earlier?"
"You-" Anna had to stop to swallow. This shouldn't have been this difficult! She'd already snogged her, and they had come pretty close to doing way more than that once before; asking a question, in comparison, should be a cakewalk! The problem was, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Wasn't sure if she could handle such raw truths from Elsa.
No. She had to know.
"When you⌠you said you wanted to go w-with⌠me. To the dance," she added, unnecessarily. Elsa's head jerked back a little, eyes widening a fraction.
"Of course!" she cried out, obviously not having the same issues as Anna. "I mean, what kind of a skank do you think I am? I don't kiss random people for no good reason, Tori. I, um⌠I kinda have to like them first, and⌠you're the first person I've liked this much. Don't you see that?"
Then she did it again, almost as if to prove it to both of them. Anna tried to summon up some of the disgust she knew she should be feeling, but it didn't seem to be in proper working order at that moment. Even trying to think about having come out of Elsa's vagina, something she thought for sure would kill the mood for her, just seemed to make her think about that part of her future mother's body in general⌠which she decided was only making things worse, so she gave up.
At least, she tried to give up. Elsa wasn't making it easy, what with the kissing and moaning and- was she grinding? Anna's hands left Elsa's hair, sliding down her sides to rest at her hips. It only encouraged more movement. The fervour with which Elsa claimed her mouth only seemed to grow, and Anna could only partially blame the alcohol.
Only partially, because here she was responding to that advance without having touched a drop.
"Have I told you," Elsa panted, breaking away for a moment to look Anna in the eyes, "just how hot you look in fishnets?"
"Huh? Really?!" Her mind blanked. Elsa was still staring at her, hair framing her face as she panted. It was blatantly obvious that she was as affected by their actions as Anna felt. Fingertips slid through her bangs, combing them gently. "Wait, whoa, be careful⌠this is getting close to⌠to a repeat ofâŚ"
"I'm just being honest." Elsa shrugged, though there was a dangerous glint in her dark eyes. "I'm jealous; on me, I'd just look like a cheap hooker. But you pull it off. 'Red hot' instead of 'red light'."
Elsa was moving closer again. The temporary distraction had seemingly worn off, and now she was gunning for the girl she had no idea was related to her. "Red light?"
"You know⌠like in 'Roxanne'."
"Oh- yeah. Community. Alternate timelines and shit."
"Uhhh, sure, whatever that means." Once again Elsa pulled that odd little expression â the one of amused confusion. And then it had vanished because she leaned down once more to fuse their lips together. She broke away for a second to murmur, "Definitely red hot," before returning.
Anna didn't have the will to stop her. It was becoming all to easy to forget that this was her future mother, lying atop her â grinding into her. It was too easy to forget, to pretend that she was just another girl who was sweet and warm and wanted her.
It was an odd feeling, this one of desire and need, that Anna didn't know how to deal with. So she didn't; she just kissed Elsa back with equal passion, needy hips rolling against hers. Putting the worries out of her mind for a moment. She was grateful for her denim jacket and skirt, because they hid the worst of her arousal; protected her from it.
Elsa let out a moan, right into Anna's mouth that sent sparks shooting through her. She didn't know if she was happy or not when Elsa's mouth moved, sliding down her throat. Her hips never stopped moving; in fact, they seemed to speed up.
"Elsa�"
"Nng⌠ToriâŚ"
It was blatantly obvious what has happening. Anna had heard that same noise only the night prior, though then they'd had some distance to distract them. Some mild formality of teacher-and-student that didn't exist here. Some part of Anna wanted to draw it out, but it was quickly snuffed out by her more logical side. She shouldn't want to draw it out â she should be able to stop it completely! But it was becoming more and more difficult to remind herself of who this Elsa would become, and rather just think of who she still was.
And at the moment, that was a horny teenager riding her to oblivion in the spare room of a house party. She could sense when Elsa was getting close; it was in the way she panted against Anna's neck, hands scrambling for purchase before their lips realigned. Elsa moaned as their tongues slid together, hands gripping so tight she could almost make Anna bleed.
And then her mother came, tipping over the edge of rationality and into her mind-numbing finish.
Her body shuddered for a long while afterward as they lay there. It was Elsa who had broken the kiss moments afterward, pressing her head into Anna's shoulder for some kind of stability, some kind of support. Her breath was hot and damp in the small space, and Anna could feel her eyelids fluttering, gently scratching at her skin.
Poor Anna could only lie there beneath Elsa, staring up at the ceiling. There was only one thought going through her head: this should not have happened. But then, that same thought had been spiralling since the beginning of the week. Since she'd stupidly interfered with her parents' first meeting.
This really was some fucked up karma.
Elsa squirmed atop her, shifting her body so she was no longer lying completely over Anna; instead, she sat up. Anna could still do little but look at her, eyes wide. Elsa was so beautifully trashed, hair frazzled, complexion a dappled red. Now, her eyes weren't nearly so dark as they stared down at Anna.
Already, the guilt was setting in. Elsa looked like she wanted to run, but was too afraid to move. The space between them was a rubber band, stretched and ready to snap. There was no heat left; only blinding shame.
Space. She needed space, now.
Sitting up, she couldn't voice the gratefulness she felt when Elsa slid back, off her and onto the bed. Anna felt like she had to say something, but wasn't sure what she could say. She couldn't even determine what Elsa was thinking; there was nothing but stony silence and averted gazes. When they did speak, it was Elsa who gave the first choking cough..
"I'm⌠I'm s-sorry," she said, voice low. "Wasn't⌠wasn't thinking."
Anna doubted that. She most certainly was thinking â just not from her head. "It's okay," she said. It sounded hollow, even to her own ears. "You're pretty wasted. I know⌠look, I really don't hold it against you, I⌠I couldn't. It's okay. But maybe we should, um, should go and rejoin the party. Everyone's probably wondering where the host is."
Elsa seemed unsure, but she also seemed to realise that distance was something Anna needed. So, climbing from the bed, she nodded. "Yeah⌠probably."
Though Anna wanted to apologise, what could she say? She really didn't think this was a smart plan. And she wanted to kiss Elsa again just to show her that everything was fine, and that she didn't hate her, or think she was a bad person for being a little buzzed and letting her emotions run away with her. Maybe that was a bad idea, but she had to do something.
"I'm really looking forward to the dance, though," she wound up whispering as she stood next to her. They were about even in height now that Elsa was shoeless. "And⌠I won't pretend I could ever forget this moment. Just so you know."
Of course, she mostly meant it was traumatising and she'd spend years in therapy to figure out how she could ever have let this get so far. But luckily, Elsa took her words at face value. Her smile was soft, and she leaned forward to give Anna a little peck on her cheek.
"Me, too. It's gonna be rad to the max."
As they left, Anna added, "And you keep saying I look hot, but you look even better; that minidress is killer."
"Killer?" Elsa mused with a little chuckle, barely glancing down at her purple outfit. The one that showed evidence of arousal standing at firm attention on her breasts â though thank heavens, it showed nothing else. This time, Anna couldn't help staring for a half-second before she tore her eyes away. "Hmm⌠I like the sound of that. It's 'killer'." Then she reached down to take up Anna's hand. "Ready when you are."
Anna was more than ready. But as they exited the room and made the way down the hallway, she wondered whether Elsa really was prepared. The closer they got to the living areas, the more tense she seemed to be. She walked slower than usual, and her hand tightened around Anna's.
The moment they moved into the light, Elsa dropped it. She covered the movement quite well, heading towards where Ariel was standing. The redhead was watching Jazz and Al hit it off, and Elsa made a show of gushing about it as soon as she arrived. Anna had been expecting it, and while she knew it shouldn't, it still hurt a little; the fact that Elsa didn't feel comfortable enough to keep holding her hand. But that was how it had to be â for both their sakes.
Shaking away the lingering disappointment, she glanced around. Kristoff was standing where he had been the first time she had come out of the room. He looked like he was still holding the same cup, and if Anna had to guess, he probably had the same drink. She sighed to herself before making her way over to him.
"Hey, man," she said. "What's up?"
He didn't say anything for a moment. The first indication he gave that he was going to speak was simply a nod in Elsa's direction.
"So⌠I guess the rumours are true?"
Anna froze. Her heart stuttered along for a moment before it too seemed to still in her chest. "Wh-hah, what do you mean?"
He looked away, then pointed to the corner of his lip. A quick look at Elsa confirmed Anna's fear: she was wearing lipstick. A light red shade that was obvious even through the dimmed lights of the house.
A light red shade that was, obviously, evident on Anna's own face. And probably not just her lips, eitherâŚ
She rubbed at her neck, and the spot Elsa had pressed her face into and kissed within an inch of its life. She had to be careful. The panic rising in her, threatening to send her running for the bathroom, would only get Kristoff to abandon all efforts to get Elsa to date him. There had to be something she could say that would undo the damage done by something as innocuous as beauty products.
"Y-yeah," she laughed. It sounded forced, but at least she got her throat to cooperate. "Apparently, she was a little tipsy, and VERY friendly. But um, I don't think the rumours are something you should worry about."
His nod didn't seem to convey that he agreed with her. "Mmm. I mean, maybe not, but she was definitely a lot closer to you than I've ever seen her with any of the guys at school. But I mean⌠I am a little surprised."
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, Anna." His cheeks pinkened a little. "If I wasn't so wrapped up with her, I'd think you had a crush on me."
"WHAT?!" That came out a lot harsher than she meant, so she cleared her throat. "I mean, um⌠how did you get there from⌠from anywhere?!"
"Spending all this time trying to help me? Cleaning up my act, trying to make me a winner instead of a wimp? It's like⌠you really care about me. I've never felt that from any girl before. Elsa, a little, but that's it."
This was too far. Anna needed a breather, and she needed it right away. "As a friend," she managed to tell him firmly as she backed away toward the kitchen, and the door that would lead to the garage. "Just a friend! Okay? But y-yeah, I'm in your corner, compadre."
Only once she was away from the party did she hear how stupid that sounded. Compadre? More like just 'padre'. Somehow, she had managed to walk into 1985 and charm not one, but both of her parents into thinking she was their ideal mate. At least with Kristoff it seemed to be purely because Elsa was unavailable and no other woman caught his eye; at least his future wife remained his first choiceâŚ
But what about Elsa? Her needs were much stronger, focused on her future daughter and no one else. Flattered and strangely intrigued as Anna was by the prospect, she had to refocus on the task at hand: getting them to hook up so she could safely return to her own time period and take twelve showers.
                      To Be ContinuedâŚ
#Fractal The Future#fruipit#forkanna writes#elsanna fanfiction#Back to the Future#jess the writer#elsanna
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Just Friends ~ I'm Cool As Fuck  (part 40)
A/N this chapter barely has anything to do with 5sos lmao. Just a heads up for the next chapter, it will be confusing but hopefully not too confusing, Iâm warning you now.
Harper White is best friends with Luke Hemmings, they always have been. Not only is she friends with the rockstar, but with the rest of 5 Seconds Of Summer, as well as a really nice girl named Erika.
Harper has a few secrets, she can play all the instruments the boys play and many more. Itâs a talent she has kept hidden, only very few people know.
What will happen to the six teens, wondering around the world together?
Warnings: language and the tiniest piece of smut
***
Iâve been really busy these part few weeks, with saying goodbyes, moving, setting things up, buying new stuff for my flat, basically just moving. Itâs been pretty stressful but at the same time really fun. So far Iâve loved every minute of this all, Iâm a pretty independent person when it comes to family, especially since my brothers moved out, usually staying in my room and keeping myself to myself, so to live by myself has been really nice.
Iâve pretty much set everything up, I just need some bits and bobs. I took everything I need with me in my suitcase, the rest I had my parents send out to me. The flat came fully furnished, of course I got a few pieces of furniture myself, but I mainly just needed home stuff.
If you couldnât tell, I got the flat and Iâm very happy about it. My brothers and Evie came over to help me buy and set up the few stuff I got. Iâm telling you now, IKEA instructions are useless. We all sat on the floor trying to figure out what goes where. Evie ended up just laying on the sofa, we all joined her shortly. After a couple of hours, we worked out how it works and moved everything to where I wanted it. I couldnât be anymore happier with it, I love it.
One thing I dearly miss from home is my studio, I donât have anything with me right now, nor anywhere to put everything if I had at least some instruments. Itâs annoying because Iâve had loads of lyrics pop up in my head, but havenât been able to put them into anything. Iâve only just written them down, it kinda makes me sad. Music has always been my escape from everything, so to not have anything is really quite hard. I just end up listening to music if everything gets a bit too much.
I havenât needed to run away from anything, only when I got here becuase I missed Luke and the guys. Iâve been really happy with my life recently, although being away from the people I love, Iâm a lot happier than I thought Iâd be. I thought it would take me weeks, possibly months to get over it all, but no, Iâm excited for this new chapter in my life. I may not have my soulmates with me but they are living happily in their lives.
We have talked quite a bit, no where near as much as we used to but itâs more than I expected.
Iâm really happy with my life right now, of course I want my friends and boyfriend by my side but as opposed to not having them by my side all the time, Iâm coping really well.
Right now Iâm just talking to Luke, via text.
Luke: you make me really happy, also horny but thatâs not the point.
Me: are you trying to say something?
Luke: maybe
Me: did you come off stage with an boner again?
Luke: yes. I canât help it! The song reminded me of you and then my thoughts procrastinated into other things.
Me: oh poor sexually frustrated Luke
Luke: this isnât funny, Harper! Iâm sitting in Michaelâs dressing room with a huge erection, I need help
Me: why canât you do it yourself? and why are you in his dressing room?
Luke: because youâre my girlfriend. It would feel weird if I looked up stuff. We all went in here, it will look suspicious if I went to my own dressing room.
Me: maybe I donât wanna help you out
Luke: you better get ready for the long ass night youâre in for when I get home
Me: ooooooh, getting dominant here are we?
Luke: Harper, please do something :(
Me: give me a minute
Luke: fuck
I laugh at my phone before going into my lone bedroom. Changing into my most sexy jet black underwear and then going to my wardrobe to grab Lukeâs flannel, knowing he will recognise it. I stole this from him before he left, I needed a few items of his that reminds me of him. I took a few of his shirts and a couple of flannels. To make up for it, I slipped a load of notes in his luggage, just things that will make his day a little, for example have a great day or love you to the moon and back. Just to name a few.
Slipping on the flannel and then kneeling infront of my mirror, like the pose Halsey does in Hold Me Down but just still. Taking a few pictures, before I put my clothes back on and send them to Luke.
Luke: oh, baby girl
Me: donât leak anything because you arenât exactly tecsavy.
Luke: thatâs really not something Iâm thinking about right how.
Me: just go do your business then come back to me
Throwing my phone onto my bed and then making my way into the shared kitchen.
âOh hello.â I smile as I notice someone is in here.
âHey, you are?â The girl with blue streaks in her hair asks.
âIâm Harper, I moved in a couple of weeks ago.â I inform her.
âOh, right. Iâm Tori by the way. Iâm number 39.â She grins.
âIâm number 37, the one with the squeaky door.â I chuckle.
âThatâs you?â She laughs. âAre you here for university or just live here?â
âIâm here for university. How long have you been here?â I ask.
âA couple of years. Iâm in my final year of uni. I love drawing, painting, graffiti, anything art related really. What are you studying?â She questions.
âThatâs really cool. Iâm studying philosophy.â I answer.
âWhere do come from, youâve got a slight accent.â She notices.
âOh, I come from England, but live in Australia.â I explain.
âRight. I lived in Germany for a year when I was 18.â Tori says.
âI went there with my best friend at Christmas time once. It was really pretty.â I say.
âIs your best friend here or in Australia?â She asks.
âHe is on tour right now, with my other friends.â I explain.
âTour?â She furrows her eyebrows.
âYeah, he is in a band, 5 Seconds Of Summer, ever heard of them?â
âI think Iâve heard of them but never listened to them.â She shrugs.
âTheir pretty cool, anyway I came in here to make some lunch.â I chuckle and take my stuff out of the fridge.
âThereâs actually a party going on at one of the boyâs flats, down by the university. Would you wanna join me?â She offers.
âItâs not really my thing.â I sheepishly say.
âIt would be great to meet everyone.â She reasons.
âSure, what the hell, this isnât high school anymore.â I shrug.
âDamn right. So it starts at like 9, but weâll probably go around half nine.â She explains.
âPlease donât let me get shitfaced, last time I did, I ended up getting a tattoo of my boyfriendâs name.â I beg and show her Lukeâs name.
âIsnt he the one in the band, thatâs also your best friend?â She furrows her eyebrows.
âHe is my best friend as well as my boyfriend. We grew up together, our parents are friends.â I tell her.
âOh, right.â She nods. âIâll leave you to make your lunch, Iâll come knock on your door when we should start getting ready.â She smiles.
âOkay, thanks for the invite, Iâll see you later.â I wave.
She walks out the kitchen and I smile to myself, before putting my pasta on to boil.
I lean against the counter top and begin to type in the group chat. âHoly shit!â I yell slightly as a cat comes slyly walks in.
âROGER!â Someone calls.
I hold my phone to my chest, as I wait for them to come. I miss my cat Bess, so to satisfy my cat cravings, I sit cross legged on the tiled floor. The cat comes right up to me and rubs itself against me.
âAwe, who do you belong to?â I ask.
I thought we werenât allowed to have pets in this place.
âROGER?â The same voice calls, this time a lot closer. âOh, there you are, I canât lose you in the first week of having you.â A girl with red dyed hair walks in.
âUm, a couple of questions,â I start off, âfirstly, cute cat, secondly cool hair, thirdly I thought we werenât allowed animals in this building.â
âThank you,â she smiles. âSheâs a shared cat between everyone in this hall.â
âShe?â I question.
âHer name is Roger, yeah. I mean, how many people name their cat Roger, let alone their female cat.â She explains.
âRight,â I nod my head. âHow long have you guys had uhm, Roger?â I ask.
âTwo years. She is very friendly, as you can see. Everyone loves her. Sheâs kinda part of the whole community. If you didnât guess already, the landlord is a bit quirky. Each floor has one, most of them are abandoned/rescued or the one noone wanted, so he decided to give them each a home. Here we are a few years later. Everyone has their turn of taking care of him/her, I just started taking care of him and I have him till the end of the month.â She explains. âOh and she can be out in the halls, but needs to be supervised. She is allowed in other peopleâs rooms, but in my room when he needs feeding and stuff.â
âThatâs really cool. Which floor has the youngest?â I question.
âApparently the top floor, the one above us, got a new one last month. He is still a kitten.â She says. âIâm Izzy by the way.â
âHarper.â I shake her hand.
âYouâre the person that just moved in right?â She asks.
âYeah, Iâm surprised I havenât really met anyone yet, I just met Tori.â I tell her.
âSheâs really nice, total babe.â She laughs. âIâm gay by the way.â
âMy friend from back home is gay too, unfortunately sheâs take, so I canât play matchmaker.â I sigh.
âIf they break up hit me up,â she jokes and I laugh.
âWill do.â
âThanks.â She winks. âSo, are you going to the party tonight?â
âYeah, Iâm going with Tori.â I smile. âAre you going?â
âOf course. Iâd never miss an oppertunity to regret my decisions.â She exclaims.
âYou should come with us.â I offer.
âReally?â She asks.
âUnless youâve got other plansâŚâ I trail off.
âNo,â she shakes her head, âwell, guess Iâll see guys later.â She smiles and begins to walk off.
âCat, Izzy.â I remind her with a sigh.
âFuck.â
***
Itâs nearly time to go, Iâm just finishing off my make up. Iâve dressed in a tight fitting black dress, with some ankle boots. I havenât dressed up like this in ages, itâs actually really nice, I mean, I wouldnât want to dress like this everyday but I feel very confident in myself.
âIâm a YouTuber, my friend Erika and I run it.â I explain.
âReally? How have I been so isolated about all this? How long have you been doing it?â Tori asks.
â3 or 4 years, I think.â I answer as I lean forward into the mirror to do my mascara.
âWhat are you guys called?â Izzy questions.
âJust Erika and Harper.â I shrug and put on some red lipstick.
âJesus fucking Christ, you guys have 1 million subscribers?â Tori exclaims.
âYeah,â I sheepishly say, âwell 1 and three quarters.â
I run my hand through my loosely curled hair. I should really get my hair cut again, itâs really quite long, just under my boob.
âNearly 2 million.â Tori breathes.
âNearly,â
Standing up and smoothing out my dress, before going to get my phone, for the vital picture before going out.
Weâve gotten to know each other quite well over these past few hours. Izzy is a real free spirit, kinda hippy but not, sheâs also really out there fashion wise. Tonight she is wearing a denim flared jump suit, which have tiny hand sewn flowers on it, with some see through heels. It looks pretty cool actually and really suits her. Iâve only spent a few hours with her, yet she is so different to everyone Iâve ever met. Sheâs kinda like Pheobe from Friends.
Tori is cool too. Sheâs very different from Izzy but they get along really well. Theyâve been friends, but never really gotten to know each other. Tori is your basic white girl, but not the annoying kind; you know the ones Iâm talking about? Sheâs really funny and is fun, sheâs the kinda person thatâll call you up, and ask you to go for some ice cream or something.
In the short time Iâve known them, I already love them to pieces. I feel as if they are gonna be some good friends for the next few years and a lot of memories are gonna be made.
âYes! Work it! Get that picture! Just like that! Yes! Get it! Oooo! Work it! Girl!â Tori says as I take the pictures, causing us all to laugh.
âIâm gonna post this to my account, so a lot of people will see this. Is that okay with you guys?â I ask for consent.
âItâs fine with me.â Izzy shrugs.
âYeah, same.â Tori nods.
I post them on all my social media platforms with the caption: What should our squad be called?
In the span of five minutes, my phone blows up with notifacations.
Dicks and Chicks
Michael: youâre replacing us already?
Erika: dude, we were supposed to be together forever!
Ashton: who is the girl on the right?
Calum: you all look hot to be fucking honest
Luke: dude! Thatâs my girlfriend.
Calum: Iâm so scared
Me: jeez, calm down guys! I knew you all loved me. You hardly expect me to just be left alone for three yearsâŚ
Maddie: no on likes you Harper.
Me: shut the fuck up, Maddie. I have more friends than you.
Luke: where are you going anyway?
Me: weâre going to a party
Luke: nooooo, Iâm not there to protect you :(
Me: Iâll be fine. Oh and Ashton, thatâs Izzy, sheâs gay
Maddie: oooooo, thatâs my territory
Erika: ahem
Maddie: soz babe :/
Luke: be careful out there, remember that you have a boyfriend
Me: how could I forget Calum?
Calum: đđ
Luke: fuck you
Me: no, Calum does that
Calum: damn right
Michael: trouble in paradiseâŚ
Ashton: leave my boyfriend alone, Harper. Cashton 4 lyfe
Me: maybe I should replace you guys.
Laughing at my phone and then stuffing it in my bra. âWhats so funny?â Izzy questions.
âUm, my friends back home. We have a group chat and we are just messing around.â I answer. âPre drinks?â I offer.
âParty time!â Tori cheers.
âGod, yes.â Izzy sighs and we make our way to the kitchen.
Tori grabs three shot glasses, whilst Izzy mix up a drink, and I just sit on the counter top, calling up an Uber.
âTo a great night!â We all say in unison, bringing up our glances and then downing them, cringing at the sour taste.
âHoly shit.â We all mutter.
âPretty sure this just pure vodka, Izzy.â I claim. âKinda nice,â I shrug as the taste lingers in my mouth.
We do another round and eat some stodgy food, before getting into our Uber.
***
Weâve been at the party for around an hour now. Iâm really enjoying it so far, Iâm just pressed against a walls, observing everybody. Some people are absoloutly smashed, a few people are off their face on drugs, and a lot of people are just chilling out in their own little groups of friends. Tori and Izzy have left me to go pee and get a new drink.
Iâm okay on my own though, just sipping on my bottle of beer. Iâm a little tipsy, Iâm no where near drunk and I donât plan on being either.
âHi, Iâm Blake.â Someone introduces themselves and he leans on the wall with his shoulder.
I look to my left and see a boy with blonde hair, in a quiff and outstanding bright blue eyes.
When I first came in, Tori and Izzy warned me about this whole group of people, especially Blake.
âIâm Harper,â I nod.
âSo youâre famous?â He blurts out.
âUm, no.â I say and take a sip of my drink.
âThen why did someone come up for a picture with you half an hour ago?â He questions.
âBecause Iâm cool as fuck, why wouldnât you want a picture with me?â I state.
âIs that so?â He asks and I nod. âSo this isnât you with Luke Hemmings?â He questions and pulls out his phone with a picture of Luke and I. Weâre just on Michaelâs sofa, laughing together.
âNope.â I tell him and take a swig of my drink.
âYou wouldnât happen to be⌠dating him would you?â He questions with a smirk. âNo.â I shake my head.
âSo this isnât you here, here, oh and here?â He asks and pulls up a photo of Luke and I holding hands, then me and him looking at each other with loving eyes, the last one is of Luke and I making out on the night of my birthday.
âWhat do you even want?â I question.
âIâm not quite sure yet, but you seem interesting.â He muses and rests an arm on my shoulder.
âYou know, Iâm not an object. I may not confess on who Iâm dating, but I do have a boyfriend. So if you could get your fuck boy-ness away from me, thatâd be great.â I tell him.
âAnd this is what I like about you.â He claims.
âYou donât know me.â I laugh.
âBut Iâd like to, firstly you seem pretty cool, Iâve been observing you this whole time youâve been here, same as you have, secondly youâre really hot.â He explains.
âAm I supposed to fall in love with you, because under all this fuck boy youâve got a heart of gold, and nobody really sees who you really are?â I questions with a grimace.
âIf you want.â He shrugs.
âYouâre really annoying. This type of stuff happens in America, not England- wait, no, this stuff happens in movies.â I whine.
âYouâve got a bit of Aussie in you, I hear.â He says.
âI grew up in Aus, then moved over here when I was seven, moved back when I was thirteen, spent the rest of my teen years there, this is the first time Iâve lived here for a while.â I explain with a bored expression.
âCan we take a picture together?â He asks.
âWhy?â I question.
âBecause youâre cool as fuck.â He quotes.
âDonât use my words against me.â I laugh. âFine, weâll take one picture, because Iâm cool as fuck.â
âWasnât that hard was it?â He mutters and takes his phone out of his pocket,
He holds his phone in front of us and we both smile into the camera.
âLuke is gonna be mad, when he finds this.â I mutter with a chuckle.
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Chapter 6
âThe last time that I had these thoughts I just kept going on about it.â
â
âHey.â I shut my locker and jumped with a start. I looked to where the open door had been to see Vic leaning against the locker next to mine.
âUh, hey?â I said carefully.
âMy house. After school. Three-thirty.â Without another word or giving me a chance to respond he left. I looked around the hall but no one had been paying attention to our little interaction. I tugged on my hair a screeched through clenched teeth.
âYou okay there, Kell?â I sighed and turned around. Lynn was approaching me with Jenna and Savannah next to her.
âJust great,â I said sarcastically. Lynn picked up on my mood in an instant.
âWhatâs up, princess? Did Prince Charming make life confusing again? Could you not fit your foot in the slipper?â
âWhat?â
She shook her head. âForget it. Whatâs wrong?â
âYeah, like Iâm gonna tell you.â
âSo she was right?â Jenna laughed at Savannahâs comment. I didnât answer. I didnât want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that sheâd guessed that Lynn was right. Unfortunately, you canât hide things from girls.
âCâmon Kells, what did Vic do this time?â Jenna asked. I sighed and motioned for them to follow me. It was lunch time, and I was just putting my books away when Vic approached me, for whatever reason. I didnât have any classes with him today so maybe that was why we came up to me, but why did he invite me over?
âHello, Earth to Kellin. You in there, bud?â I blinked a couple times and noticed Savannahâs fingers in front of my face. I hadnât realized that I walked into the lunch line, or that the girls had been trying to get my attention.
âSorry,â I said. The four of us went to our usual table and sat down. Tyler, Trent, Ashley, and Tori were already there.
âHello beautiful people,â Trent greeted us. The girls brushed it off while I sat there a little uncomfortable. It wasnât that Trent made me uncomfortable; it was just that his comments caught me off guard. I hadnât come out to anyone yet but I sure as hell knew who I was attracted to. Trent was certainly a cute guy, not really my type but he was attractive.
âHow have you guysâ day been?â I asked to regain composure.
âHad a test in physics. So much more math than I was expecting,â Tori explained. Savannah patted her head.
âItâs okay,â she said, âyouâll get âem next time.â
âI never said I failed,â Tori shot back defensively. Savannah laughed.
âAnyway, Kellin was just about to tell us about what just happened with him and Vic in the hall.â
I shot Lynn a look and shook my head. It seemed like all I ever did was talk about Vic, not that any of them minded. I had to remember that I hung out with a bunch of girls and homosexual guys who loved to gossip about the schoolâs badass. Every little bit of information I gave them was cherished.
âI think Iâm gonna pass on spreading rumors today. Maybe next time.â I didnât say another word and ate my lunch instead. Jenna and Trent looked disappointed but I saw Lynn give them a look to drop it. Instead we proceeded to talking about how our weekend had been, aside from the group hangout on Saturday.
âWhat about you, Kell? Howâs your day been?â
I mulled over Ashleyâs question. In all actuality my day had been pretty boring; it was Monday after all. I went to class, went to more classes, then lunch. The most exciting part of the day was when Vic came up to me, although I guess that couldnât count as exciting. Interesting to say the least, but not exciting.
âKellin?â I blinked. I hadnât noticed that Ashley was trying to get my attention.
âOh, sorry. Um, my day was good. Ready to get it over with,â I responded quickly.
âI hear that,â Tyler said. âActually, Iâm ready to get this week over with.â
âItâs literally Monday,â Savannah pointed out.
âAnd?â She shook her head with a smile as she got up to throw away her trash.
âIâll see you guys in a bit. I need to go be one with nature.â
âIs that her way of saying she needs to use the bathroom?â I asked. The girls laughed since they were the ones in earshot.
âNo silly,â Tori answered, âsheâs literally gonna go be with nature.â That confused me more.
Tori and Lynn explained that Savannah was a self-proclaimed hippie who loved spending all her free time around animals and the outdoors. Since she was trapped within the walls of the high school though, she found time and ways to get outside and be one with the trees or something like that.
Sav was back in ten minutes and then we were all off to class.
âSo, are you gonna tell us what he did or no?â Sav asked as we neared the classroom.
âWhat who did?â
âDonât play dumb, Quinn.â I rolled my eyes.
âNo, Iâm not.â
âBut why not?â
âBecause,â I said sternly. I let the conversation drop there as I walked ahead of her and Lynn into the classroom.
I slowly realized that I was becoming the center of attention in my little friend group, but for the wrong reasons. They seemed to only want to hang out with me to get dirt on Vic. I wanted friends but I didnât want to be used for entertainment. That was what my friendship with these people was turning out to be.
âKell?â I looked up from my notebook to see Lynn standing over me. âSorry about Sav; she can get a little pushy.â
I nodded. I had noticed.
âItâs alright,â I said although it was a lie. We didnât need to get into an argument right before class.
âNo, itâs not and Iâll tell her. Itâs just that weâre all used to it since weâve known each other for years. Iâll tell her to back off with you until you get more comfortable with her.â
I wanted to tell her not to do that, but the simple fact that she was defending me took all the doubt about my friendship with her from my mind. Yes, Savannah was pushy, but Lynn was friends with her. Good-natured Lynn Gunn, who after my first day of class was my automatic friend, who thought of herself as my best friend, was friends with her and so many other great people. Maybe I was overreacting in the moment.
âThanks Gunn, youâre good people.â
âOh, Iâm not,â she said, âbut I can fake it canât I?â She finished her sentence with a wink before taking her seat next to me. I couldnât help but smile.
Savannah joined us and soon class started. Of course it dragged on but things were chill between the three of us. Once the hour was up the three of us walked out of school together.
âYou donât have anything to do tonight, do you?â Lynn asked me. I shook my head.
âNot that I know of.â Mom was going to be working but she told be sheâd me off by ten since she wasnât planning on taking on an extra shift. Rick would be home by dinner but things were kind of weird between us since the weekend. At least they were on my end. He didnât actually seem to notice.
âCool, letâs go to the mall. Have you been?â
âTo a mall? Yeah, I think so.â
âHey, I donât appreciate being out-sassed,â Savannah said in a playful hurt tone.
âSorry princess,â I apologized. She stuck her tongue out at me.
âOkay, but we should totally go!â Sav said excitedly. âThe mallâs huge and thereâs this fountain and pond with the cutest turtles and ducks that you can play with and there are some fish and-â
âCalm down, girly,â Lynn interrupted. She turned to me. âAs you can see, the mall has a lot of fun things. So what do you say, you wanna hang?â
Before I could open my mouth to respond I felt an arm sling around my shoulders and the body heat of another person against me.
âSorry ladies, but little Kellin here isnât going to be going anywhere. We have other plans.â
The girlsâ eyes nearly popped out of their heads as they looked between me and the guy whose arm was around me.
âDonât fucking stare,â he said forcefully, âget gone!â Without a single word Lynn and Savannah went off into the parking lot. I stared in shock at the spot they were once in before turning to the person next to me.
âWho are you?â
I had never seen this person before in my life. Actually, that was a lie. I had seen him once, with Tony. He was sitting with him at the pizza parlor that night when Tony tried to talk me into accepting Vic. This person was tall with tattoos covering his arms, like Tony. He was thin like Tony too, but had stronger features. While Tony had a baby face, this person looked like he could kill you with a single stare.
âNow, now Kellin, thatâs no way to talk to me,â he said. I gulped inwardly as he stared me down. âCâmon buddy, letâs go for a ride.â
With a tighter grip on my shoulder he led me to the parking lot. I had no idea where we were going. Was he kidnapping me? No, right? He wouldnât do that. No one who goes to the same school as you would kidnap you, right? I didnât know what to think.
âWhich car is yours?â he asked. Without thinking I pointed down the row of cars that were still parked to my blue sedan. âCool,â he said. He took his arm away from me and walked to my car. I stood there confused.
âUm, whatâs happening?â I asked when I was finally able to form words.
âJust unlock the car.â I hesitated but did it when I saw the stern look he was giving me. I knew it was a dumb idea but it was better than getting beaten to a pulp.
The stranger, who still hadnât told me his name, got in the passengerâs side and shut the door while I stood there wondering what the hell had just happened. Some guy Iâd never been formally introduced to just got in my car without my consent. I could get him arrested for this, right? I was contemplating this as the familiar sound of my horn rang out. I sighed and rolled my eyes before making my way to my car.
âGlad you could join me,â he said when I sat in my seat and shut the door.
âWho are you and what do you want?â
He chuckled. âI guess I should explain that, huh?â I didnât answer. âOkay, okay. The nameâs Mike. Mike Fuentes. Also known as MikeyWhiskeyHands or Vicâs little brother, whichever you prefer.â
I looked at him questionably. MikeyWhiskeyHands? Vicâs brother? That still didnât explain why he was in my car.
âYou gonna say something?â he asked. I pursed my lips, thinking of a response that wouldnât be too out of line. This guy was related to Vic so rubbing him the wrong way would be bad news for me.
âI know that look,â Mike said. âIâm nothing like Vic, let me clear that up now. Yes my brother is a jerk sometimes but heâs a good kid. No I donât use fear tactics like he does. No Iâm not gonna beat you up. Yes youâre perfectly safe with me, and yes, Iâd like for us to be friends after this.â
âAfter what?â I asked.
âSee, my brother likes to act on impulse a lot. He doesnât think things out until after the thing happens. So when he asked you to come over today he forgot to give you an address or directions, basically any useful information. Thatâs why Iâm here. I was kinda voluntold to accompany you to our home. Plus he kinda left without me so I wouldnât have a choice in the matter. Can you believe that? He texted me twenty minutes before class ended to tell me to find you and bring you home. What a jerk.â
I sat there and tried to take in whatever it was that he had just said. He had a chill vibe but boy he could talk once you got him started.
âAnyway,â he said when he noticed that I wasnât going to respond, âI think we should get going. I need to get home anyway and do chores and you and Vic have something to do. I donât know, he doesnât tell me anything. Or maybe he did and I wasnât paying attention. Thatâs probably it.â
âSo he didnât tell you why he invited me?â That was something that still hadnât been cleared since Mike introduced himself to me.
âNope. Again, he doesnât tell me shit sometimes. Youâd think weâd be closer than that but no, he likes his secrets.â
âRight, so where?â I asked as I turned the key in the ignition and started the car.
It was a ten minute drive to Mikeâs house. He would interrupt his direction-giving with random spurts of whatever thought popped in his head. It wasnât frequent but I could tell that there was a lot going on up there. Soon I was parking the car on the curb in front of his house.
âHey,â he said as we walked up to the house, âIâve gotta let you in on something.â
âWhatâs up?â
âWell, before you go up there, I think you should know that Vicâs very-â
âVicâs very what?â I looked at the now open door to see Vic standing there with his arms crossed across his chest.
âPushy,â Mike said while still looking at me. âVicâs very pushy.â
âWhatever,â Vic said. Mike shrugged at me, sort of an âI told you soâ shrug, before going inside.
âAlright,â Vic said. I looked in his direction as he walked back into the house. I stayed in my place on the porch, not knowing if I should follow him. âWell?â he asked when he turned around and saw me standing there. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and followed him inside.
âLetâs get this over with.â
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March To Leave heads to Westminster as Met deny water cannon claims
Brexit protestors have slammed the âBrexit Day betrayalâ by MPs, as Theresa May deal is voted down in for a third time by a majority of 58. Â
There were cheers from some factions in Parliament Square after the defeat was announced, but elsewhere the reaction was muted with many people expecting the vote to fail.Â
Thousands of pro-Brexit marchers have stopped the traffic around Parliament Square, chanting âwe shall not be movedâ as well as âBrexit nowâ and âBye bye EUâ.
Pro-leave protestors banging drums on a float with a âliberty bellâ did a lap of Parliament Square following the vote result.Â
The March to Leave procession set off earlier than expected today, with hundreds of demonstrators walking from Fulham to Parliament Square.Â
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage joined the route near the Tate Britain, less than a mile from Parliament Square. Asked about when he wanted Brexit he said: âTonight at 11 oâclock.â
âBelieve in Britainâ: Brexiteers make their voice heard as they arrive in Parliament Square, with banners including a Harry and Meghan wedding poster, Union flags, and a âParliament versus the peopleâ banner
Pro-Brexit protestors take part in the March to Leave demonstration, as they walk along the River Thames with many holding âBelieve in Britainâ banners
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage MEP was spotted joining the march near the Tate Britain, about a mile from Westminster. Asked when he wanted to see Britain leave the EU he said: âAt 11 OâClock tonightâ
Female protestors stand in front of a police officer by the gates to Westminster wearing capes of national flags. A sign behind the girls claims âa Brexit delayed is a Brexit betrayedâ
A Brexiteer confronts a Remainer in front of Westminster. Met Police expect protests to last through the day, and have announced preparations for road blocks
Aerial shots show protestors begin to fill Parliament Square and block off traffic on the roads around Westminster. Brexiteers have been heard chanting âwe shall not moveâ and âBye bye EUâ
An aerial view of Parliament Square shows the numbers of protestors who flocked to central London to express their anger about the state of Theresa Mayâs Brexit planÂ
The European Commission released a statement following the result of the vote saying a no-deal on April 12 is now the âmost likely scenarioâ.Â
The statement reads: âThe Commission regrets the negative vote in the House of Commons today.
âAs per the European Council (Article 50) decision on 22 March, the period provided for in Article 50(3) is extended to 12 April.
âIt will be for the UK to indicate the way forward before that date, for consideration by the European Council.
âA âno-dealâ scenario on 12 April is now a likely scenario. The EU has been preparing for this since December 2017 and is now fully prepared for a âno-dealâ scenario at midnight on 12 April. The EU will remain united.
âThe benefits of the Withdrawal Agreement, including a transition period, will in no circumstances be replicated in a âno-dealâ scenario. Sectoral mini-deals are not an option.âÂ
Tommy Robinson addressed crowds outside Parliament to announce Mrs Mayâs defeat this afternoonÂ
Brexiteer campaigners were spotted converging on the road in front of Parliament to stop a pro-Remain van with a display screen showing quotes from Nigel Farage, which had been circling Parliament square all morning.Â
The mob then pointed and shouted âshame on youâ at the van, which continued to display the quotes.
The Nigel Farage-backed group are on the final day of protest walk from Sunderland to Westminster, arriving in time for the UKâs original EU departure date.Â
Scotland Yard has had to dismiss claims from UKIP that a water cannon could be deployed at protests to âprovoke Brexiteersâ, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been seen on a controversial bus tour around the capital.Â
Police began ushering people to the pavement and created a blockade around the protestors to let taxis move through as the chaos continued.Â
Later this afternoon âOh Tommy Robinsonâ chants began ahead of his arrival at a rally.
The former BNP leader, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, addressed crowds outside Parliament to announce Mrs Mayâs defeat, saying:Â âSo Theresa May has lost her vote. Many people will be asking what does that even mean.
âIt means we were betrayed. Today is supposed to be our Independence Day.â
The crowd were then shown a documentary made by Robinson on a 50-foot screen.
He said of his documentary: âPanodrama proves everything, every single one of you already know: propaganda, slander, collusion, demonisation against every single one of us.â Â
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage MEP makes an appearance at the protest in front of Parliament surrounded by supporters holding Believe in Britain placards
The calls of protestors for both a no deal and a no Brexit are expected to continue right through the day as the Commons debates Theresa Mayâs Brexit dealÂ
Protestors, one with a purple and yellow Ukip rosette, march through Whitehall holding a âLong Live The Queenâ Union JackÂ
One man in a Union flag shirt holds an American flag over his shoulder as the Brexiteer group march down towards the media area at College Green. Protestors had staked out their territory around the green from the early hours of today
Nigel Farage congratulated the pro-Brexit marchers who had walked the whole distance from Sunderland, saying âitâs a bloody long wayâ.Â
âItâs a hell of an achievement and the symbolism couldnât have been greater. I wouldâve liked to have done more, Iâve just been too busy,â he said.Â
Brexit Party MEP for Scotland David Coburn, formerly of Ukip, said of the march: âExcellent, isnât it? Itâs like Cromwellâs Army.âÂ
Mr Coburn, wearing a kilt and wielding a Saltire flag, said: âItâs ridiculous, May has no intention of giving us Brexit. Itâs now an argument between the establishment and the people.
âThe trick has been shown, people see theyâre not going to get what they voted for. Itâs unacceptable.â
Mr Coburn said he resigned from Ukip as it had been âinfiltrated by the wrong sort of peopleâ.Â
Protestors begin to arrive at Parliament Square after the 14-day trek from Sunderland comes to an end. One woman, wearing a Trump MAGA hat stretches out a sign reading âFor Britain â For Brexitâ
A statue of Winston Churchill (right) watches over the gathered crowd. Hundreds of British flags appear to outnumber the turnout of European flags this morning
Hundreds of Brexit supporters converge of Westminster as the latest day of protest gathers pace. Signs reading âNo deal or no Toriesâ and âRespect the referendum and do your duty can be seenâ waving through the crowds
Ukip protestors make their way towards Parliament holding Union Jacks, party flags and âBelieve in Britainâ flyers
A massive Leave Means Leave banner is unfurled in front of Big Ben as one England supporter helps lead the march around Parliament Square
Londonâs Metropolitan Police are pulling in extra officers to deal with the 13 planned protests due to take place today as the UK was supposed to leave the European Union
The last stage of the March to Leave route took less than three hours to begin trailing into Parliament Square from Chiswick in west London. The route took in the banks of the River Thames, Fulham FC and Chelsea Harbour
Many on the march have been seen holding Union Jack flags, placards and banners, with several seen wearing hi-vis vests.
Conservative party member Colin Grostate, 67, said the vests were âa symbol from Franceâ.
The former black cab driver said: âWe support the populism. Germany, France, Spain, theyâre all starting the same thing and now the British are too.
âYellow vests means youâre in distress; when your car breaks down you put it on.
âOur politicians are not listening. Too many people are trying to stop what people voted for.â
Barry Lockey, from Sunderland, was on the March to Leave on its first rain-soaked day in the north east two weeks ago.
The 60-year-old lifeguard said of that first day: âIt was horrible mate, and pensioners were on it so I take my hat off to them.
âDown here in Parliament theyâre in their bubble with their votes with little margins and this and that.
âFor me itâs democracy at stake here and thatâs why Iâve come down, absolutely.â Â
Younger members of the march hold up banners with the slogan âLeave Means Leaveâ, a play on Theresa Mayâs slogan âBrexit means Brexitâ as Imperial Wharf at Chelsea Harbour
One marcher holds a sign aloft reading âRespect the voteâ as Union flag-wrapped Brexit supporters take part in the final leg of the March To Leave Rally on March 29
Marchers fill the street beside Imperial Wharf. The long walk from Chiswick to Westminster is the final stretch of their 14-day hike that started on a rainy day on the North Sea coast near Sunderland
A man who gave his name only as Miroslav said he left the former Yugoslavia for the UK in 1990, adding: âIâve lived in a dictatorship before and I donât want to live in a dictatorship again.â
The engineer, 55, was holding a large banner on the March to Leave procession with detailed caricatures of British politicians being controlled as puppets by senior EU figures.
Walking along the Thames opposite Battersea Park, he said: âIt cost a lot, but democracy has no price.
âI love Europe, but the EU have lied, they have ignored referendums, thereâs no democracy there.â
He compared certain EU methods of choosing its top officials as âworthy of Hugo Chavez or Vladimir Putinâ.Â
A Brexit supporter demonstrates outside the Houses of Parliament on a tense day of voting for the government, as Theresa Mayâs Brexit deal goes before the Commons for a third time
A large banner unfurls to read âHonour the voteâ â Protests are expected to block off the streets surrounding Westminster as dozens of Leave and Remain supporters have already arrived in Parliament Square to stake out their territory
The group has increased in size compared to the 80-strong crowd walking from Sunderland, police temporarily blocking off roads to allow them to pass through west London
The Metropolitan Police dismissed suggestions from Ukip leader Gerard Batten that water cannons could be deployed at todayâs protests, saying reports it could use them were âbaseless and falseâ. Â
Mr Batten is due to speak at a rally alongside ex-English Defence League chief Tommy Robinson against âTheresa May and her traitorous Toriesâ on Whitehall on Friday afternoon.Â
Westminster Council said it is aware of up to 13 separate scheduled protests and the Metropolitan Police said âappropriate policing plans are in placeâ.
The procession, which left Sunderland two weeks ago, is due to arrive at Parliament Square at around 4pm.
Hundreds of people were pictured at the start of the march toward Parliament earlier today. The March to Leaveâs previous walks had been mocked for a lack of numbers
The procession through London started in the Chiswick area of west London earlier than expected this morning
Starting the march in Fulham, leave supporters carry signs saying âIKEA have better cabinets than thisâ and âMPs versus 17.4m leave votersâ
Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, businessman and Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin and broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer will speak at the âBrexit Betrayalâ rally.
Organisers have said âit is now clear the Westminster elite are preparing to betray the will of the people over Brexitâ, adding: âFailing to deliver a true Brexit will permanently damage the British peopleâs faith in democracy.â
Westminster council said it was aware of expected rallies from groups including: the DFLA (Democratic Football Lads Alliance) Brexit Party; Stand up for Democracy; EU Leaving Party; March of Freedom; Proud British; A Night of Demonstration and Liberty; United Under Yellow; Rally to Rejoin the EU; Fridays for Future and Critical Mass.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks to supporters next to his âWe are all Londonersâ bus which had been touring London earlier today
UKIP supporters arrive earlier today, as leader Gerard Batten claims that the Met Police will use water cannon against them to âprovoke Brexiteerâ despite the force not owning any of the machines
A sharply dressed Brexiteer wear of Union flagged suit holding placards of new slogans created by the leave campaign
The Metropolitan Police said âappropriate policing plans are in placeâ to cope with âa number of demonstrations and protestsâ on Friday.
A spokesman said: âWe will always provide a proportionate policing plan to balance the right to peaceful protest, while ensuring that disruption to communities is kept to a minimum.
âTo date, protests have been largely peaceful and we have no intelligence at this time to suggest that will change.
âWe would like to reassure the public that officers will be ready to respond should any incidents or other spontaneous protests arise.â
Dozens of party planners will go ahead with their Brexit Day celebrations tonight, despite the UK not meeting the original deadline to leave the EU.Â
One âBrexit leaving drinksâ event which apparently has 2,600 attendees said they had to cancel due to low ticket sales after the Prime Minister May decided to âpostponeâ Brexit.
LondonSwedes, who were co-organising the event at Number 90 Bar & Kitchen in Hackney Wick said they âare still keeping the champagne on ice for the actual dateâ.
LondonSwedes founder Charlotte Ă
gren said: âThe postponement of the event was not an easy decision â but we felt a bit strange going ahead with âLeaving Drinksâ on a date that isnât necessarily close to our actual departure dateâŚor indeed if weâre even going to leave at all.
âWe tried to approach the event with as much positivity as possible for something thatâs become quite complex and full of some fairly nasty rhetoric coming from both sides of the argument.
âJust from the viral reaction on Facebook, it seems that thereâs a genuine appetite to put differences to one side and come together to celebrate â whether itâs the need for a stiff drink to ease the pain of leaving or indeed toasting this brave new dawn weâre about to embark on.â
A âUKâs leaving drinksâ event had attracted thousands of potential attendees to the party in Hackney Wick tonight, but organisers said it was cancelled because the government âcouldnât get their act togetherâ
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Chapter 4
âNot much has changed, I still feel the same, but Iâm slowly making progress.â
---
I stood in front of my open locker and picked up my calculus book. Lynn was leaning against another locker waiting for me to get my things for class and talking about some party or get together or something at her house this weekend. I wasnât really paying attention.
âHello, Earth to Kellin. Iâm gonna need you to respond to me.â I blinked a couple times after seeing her snapping fingers in front of my face.
âOh, sorry,â I said sheepishly.
âItâs okay. You ready to go?â I nodded and closed my locker. Lynn and I had calculus together. She may have been a junior but she was on track to graduating early so she was taking all AP classes along with some duel credit. She and I had two classes together today.
âSo, do you think you can come hang out? Youâd love the girls.â She was referring to her group of girlfriends who we sat with at lunch.
âI donât know. Being the only guy there would be kinda weird.â
âWeird how?â she questioned.
I thought about it. âOkay, maybe not weird but maybe uncomfortable?â
âWhat, are you scared of catching cooties?â she teased.
âNo you dork. I just donât wanna impose or something.â
âHow is it imposing if Iâm inviting you over?â
I thought about it. âOkay so that was dumb,â I said with a laugh.
âYeah, maybe a little,â she chuckled. âBut you should totally come over this Saturday. You can make friends and hang out with me, your favorite person in the entire world.â I laughed and shook my head. Lynn and I had only known each other for a little over twenty-four hours and she was talking like weâd been best friends since birth.
âOkay, okay, Iâll ask my mom.â
âYay!â she squealed. I chuckled and shook my head as we entered our classroom.
Class dragged on but with Lynn there passing me notes and dumb pictures it was bearable. An hour later we were headed to lunch.
We stood in line and picked out our food while making small talk. Mostly Lynn talked about the homework assignment weâd just received.
âI mean seriously, forty-five problems? Can you believe that?â
âShe said to just do the evens so technically itâs only twenty-two problems,â I said. She rolled her eyes at me playfully.
âStill a lot,â she mumbled.
âIf you want we can work on them together,â I offered. Her eyes lit up.
âSeriously? Wait, are you any good at math?â
âI figured out that we only had to do twenty-two problems so yeah, Iâd say I am.â
âJerk,â she mumbled with a smile. We sat at our table that was filled with more people than yesterday. Lynn greeted them and explained to me that they had a different lunch period on A days. Today was a B day. That was still something that I would have to wrap my head around, different days with different classes. We didnât do that in Michigan.
âSo, Kellin might be hanging out with us this weekend,â Lynn said happily. I smiled shyly as the table looked at me.
âHold on there pint-sized,â the red-headed chick at the table said, âwe donât even know this guy.â
âOh shut up,â Lynn said. The red head laughed.
âOkay well obviously Lynn likes you enough to invite you into our circle so we might as well get acquainted.â I nodded along to what the red head said.
âUh, well Iâm Kellin. This is my second day here and Lynn has been attached to my hip.â I added the joke for good measure. The table laughed so I guessed that was the right thing to say.
âHey Gunn, I like this one,â the red head said while looking at me. I smiled at her. âIâm Savannah and this is Tori and Ashley.â She gestured to a girl with burgundy red hair and a brunette.
âWho are we, chopped liver?â I looked behind me to see two guys and a girl approaching seats at the table.
âWell you werenât here,â Savannah said.
âBut we always are,â one of the guys with light pink hair said.
âWhatever,â Savannah said. âBefore these guys get their panties in a bunch, thatâs Tyler, Trent, and my smol little baby Kortney.â
âDo you have to keep introducing me like that?â Kortney said in amused disapproval.
âYes,â Savannah said sternly. Lynn and Jenna looked at each other and laughed.
âAnyway,â the guy with pink hair started, âIâm the one they call Tyler. What do they call you?â I noticed a hint of a southern accent that made me feel immediately comfortable.
âIâm Kellin.â
âNice to meet you, Kellin.â
âYou too,â I said with a nod.
Our table fell into easy conversation after the introductions. Turns out Savannah was from Oregon too, but she lived up north near the coast. Still, it was nice to know someone who shared that boring Oregon life with me.
âUh, whatâs he doing?â We all looking in the direction Tyler was staring.
âHeâsâŚlooking at us,â Ashley said.
âNo, I think heâs looking at Kellin.â I looked at Lynn before going back to the table we were staring at. Sure enough, Tony smiled and waved at me. If I wasnât confused last night then I sure as hell was at that moment. Why was he looking at me? Why was he smiling? Why did he just wave? More importantly, where was Vic to stop him? Surely Vic wouldnât approve of his friend being friendly to the guy he wanted to hurt. I gave him a hesitant wave back before turning around.
âYou know, he approached me last night,â I said. The table turned their attention back to me.
âWhat do you mean he âapproachedâ you?â Tori asked.
âI was getting pizza last night and he came up to me to talk,â I said with a shrug.
âTalk about what?â
âVic.â They all looked at me. âHe said that Vic isnât as bad as he seems and that I shouldnât take what he says or does to heart. He said that if Vic were really a bad person then he wouldnât be friends with him.â
âThatâs bull,â Savannah said.
âWhat do you mean?â I asked.
âI mean that that boy goes around like heâs the shit. He doesnât care about anyone unless theyâre in his group of friends. Everyone else is disposable.â
I sat and thought about what she had just said. In the last day Iâd learned more about Vic than anything, and it was all bad. I wondered if I would ever hear any concrete facts that proved that Vic was as good as Tony said.
The table had gotten over Tony and was talking about their weekend plans. Funny that it was only Tuesday and they were getting the details together now. Apparently Lynn and Ashley liked structure so they always planned ahead. Savannah didnât seem too into the plans so she talked to Tori, Trent, and Kortney. Tyler and Jenna took more interest in me. They asked me so many questions about my life that at first I thought was weird but it turns out that it was the southern hospitality in Tyler and just how Jenna was raised in Australia.
Soon lunch was over and we were all heading out separate ways. Lynn, Savannah, and I had AP environmental science together so I let them lead me to class.
âSo whatâs the plan for tonight?â Lynn asked.
âDetention,â I said. She and Savannah looked at me.
âYou didnât tell me you had detention. Why didnât you tell me you had detention?â
âBecause itâs kinda dumb. Who gives the new kid detention on their first day?â
âHeâs right about that, pint-sized.â Lynn rolled her eyes at the name.
âWhatever. You shouldâve told me.â
âWhy?â I asked.
âBecause I care about you.â
âBecause sheâs nosy and wants to know everything,â Sav chimed in. I giggled.
âBitch,â Lynn mumbled.
âPlay nice you two,â I said. We entered the classroom and sat together, me sitting between the girls. They filled me in on what I had missed in the last month and soon I was engaged in a conversation about the status of the polar ice caps.
The girls and I parted ways at the end of class. It was time for detention. I dragged my feet as I went down the large hall to the front office. Dr. Johnson instructed Vic and me to meet him in his office so he could assign our duties. From the looks of it Vic hadnât shown up yet so I sat in the waiting room as the receptionist said and waited for Dr. Johnson to call me in.
âWell arenât you a sight for sore eyes.â I rolled my eyes at the smug tone and comment but didnât acknowledge the person who had just spoke. âOh come on, I missed you.â
I scoffed. âFuck off.â
âOoh feisty. I like that.â I rolled my eyes.
âWhat do you want?â
âIâm just here to get this detention done that you got me into.â
âMe?â I scoffed. âYouâre the one who threatened me. Youâre the one who took my notebook. I was merely defending myself.â
âAnd how did that work for you?â
âWhat do you mean?â
âI mean, youâre in the same boat as me. Somehow weâre both guilty so I suggest you get over it.â
âGet over it?â I almost screamed.
âYes,â he said simply. My blood was boiling. I wasnât a violent person but at that moment I wanted to punch Vic Fuentes in his smug little face. Thankfully Dr. Johnson walked out before I lost my temper and actually went through with it. The thought still stayed in my mind though.
âSorry for keeping you two,â Dr. Johnson said. âLetâs get this done.â He gestured for us to follow him out of the office. We walked down a hallway until we reached the science hallway. He led us in a classroom and reached under a sink for a bucket.
âUh, whatâs this?â Vic asked as he was handed the bucket.
âYour punishment,â Dr. Johnson answered. âSince the regular detention doesnât seem to work I thought this would instead. There are beakers and test tubes that need to be cleaned as well as burners. You two will clean them until theyâre shiny. Iâll be back in an hour.â
âWait, what?â Vic asked with wide eyes. âYouâre making me do manual labor?â
âYes. Hopefully itâll keep you from screwing up again. Like I said, Iâll be back in an hour. If you get done with this room you can go next door and clean in there.â Without another word he left Vic and me alone in the room.
Vic huffed like a child whoâd gotten his toy taken away. It wouldâve been funny if I didnât hate being around him. Instead I took the bucket off the ground and went over to a sink to fill it up.
âWhat are you doing?â Vic asked.
âWhat Iâm supposed to,â I said simply. I put some soap in the bucket and reached for a beaker. I gently placed it in the bucket as well as some others and let them soak as I wet a sponge.
âYouâre really gonna clean this room?â he asked.
âYes.â
He chuckled. âWell, good luck with that.â I looked back at him to see him pick up his backpack and walk out the door. I wouldâve stopped him but he wasnât my priority.
I spent the hour cleaning the equipment and just thinking. I wasnât fazed by Vic leaving. Honestly, I was surprised that he stayed as long as he did. If I were him I wouldâve left as soon as Dr. Johnson did.
My mind went back to what Tony had told me last night. I had no reason to think about it other than the fact that I needed something to take my mind off of the menial task I was performing. So far Vic hadnât proved that he was a nice guy, but then again he wasnât a total jerk to me today either. I guess it helped that we didnât have any classes together. Detention was the first time I had interacted with him all day.
That was another thing that puzzled me. You always saw the bully torture the poor kid in movie by his locker. Heâd stuff him in there, knock his books out of his hands, dump food on him at lunch. Vic hadnât done any of that stuff to me. Was it because I was too new? In the movies that never mattered. Maybe he realized that picking on me for sitting in a chair was stupid. Then again bullies never used reason or sense. Maybe I had to stop basing my life off of movies.
Vic casually strolled back in ten minutes till our punishment was supposed to be over. I rolled my eyes as I finished drying the last beaker.
âWhat?â he asked. I shook my head. He didnât deserve my attention, yet I was giving him some of it. âSeriously, whatâd I do?â
âNothing,â I mumbled. I saw him shrug from the corner of my eye and sit in the seat he was in before he left.
âYou hate me, donât you?â he asked after a period of silence.
I sighed. âWhy, afraid of my answer?â
âI just wanna know.â I shook my head and turned back to my task. Why did he care if I hated him? He wanted me to fear him, right? Guess he couldnât handle not getting any attention.
âYou know,â he started, âIâve been meaning to tell youâŚâ I turned to face him.
âTell me what?â
âThat-â He was cut off by Dr. Johnson walking into the room.
âHello boys, howâd it go?â
âGreat,â Vic mumbled.
âWonderful,â Dr. Johnson said cheerily. âSame time tomorrow?â We knew we didnât have a choice so we didnât say anything. Dr. Johnson nodded and left the room. I turned to Vic.
âSo I guess Iâll see you tomorrow,â I said. I probably shouldnât have said anything but he hadnât moved since Dr. Johnson walked in. That didnât change in that moment. He blinked a couple times before gathering his things.
âWait,â I said, stopping him from walking out the door. He turned to look at me with a blank expression. âYou had something you wanted to say to me?â He blinked a few more times.
âOh,â he said like Iâd surprised him. âUh, nothing. It was nothing.â Without saying anything else he walked out of the room, leaving me standing there wondering what the hell was wrong with Vic Fuentes.
#Waterparks - Christmas#Vic Fuentes#Kellin Quinn#Pierce The Veil fanfiction#Pierce The Veil fanfic#Fanfiction#Fanfic#Playlist Love#Kellic#Kellic fanfiction#Kellic fanfic
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Remainers MPs will now push for a customs union and second referendum
Remainer MPs will push a combined customs union and second referendum next week that they claim WILL get support from a majority of MPs
All eight Brexit alternatives were rejected by MPs but final run-off set for Monday
Second referendum got the most votes but still lost, followed by a customs union
Architect of the poll Sir Oliver Letwin will change the law to force PMâs hand
Ken Clarke, who drew up the customs union plan, âconfidentâ it will win vote
MPs also plotting combining it with a second referendum to deliver soft BrexitÂ
By John Stevens, Deputy Political Editor For The Daily Mail
Published: 04:36 EDT, 29 March 2019 | Updated: 05:55 EDT, 29 March 2019
Rebel MPs will attempt to change the law within days to force Theresa May into accepting a softer Brexit â or even a second referendum â if her deal is rejected again today.
Backbenchers led by Sir Oliver Letwin will take control of the Commons timetable on Monday for a second round of indicative votes on alternatives to her plan.
A first attempt ended in deadlock this week after none of the eight options put to MPs secured a majority.
However, a plan to stay in a customs union was narrowly defeated by just six votes, while a proposal for a second referendum lost by 27.Â
The rebels last night revealed plans to take control again next Wednesday so that if a majority emerges on Monday they can put through legislation forcing ministers to act.
If they are successful it would put them on a collision course with the Government and could precipitate a general election.
Former cabinet minister Sir Oliver Letwin (pictured yesterday) will take control of the Commons timetable on Monday for a second round of indicative votes on alternatives to her plan â pushing Britain towards a softer Brexit
Cross-party groups of MPs were last night meeting to discuss how they could adapt the eight proposals in a bid to find a compromise that can command the support of the House.
Tory former Cabinet minister Ken Clarke, who drew up the customs union plan defeated by 271 votes to 265, said he was âreasonably confidentâ it would get over the line if the Commons does not pass the Prime Ministerâs deal today.
He told Sky News: âWe are very near, we lost by [six] votes. We will have another go on Monday. We will be able to get it through if the House goes dotty and rejects the withdrawal agreement again.â
Sir Oliver, the architect of the indicative votes process, said MPs would be looking for a Plan B to avoid No Deal if Mrs Mayâs deal fails to secure enough support.
He told BBC Radio 4âs Today programme: âAt some point or other we either have to get her deal across the line or accept we have to find some alternative if we want to avoid No Deal on April 12.
âAt the moment we are heading for a situation where, under the law, we leave without a deal⌠which many of us think is not a good solution.
âOf course, the issue is â and nobody knows the answer to this yet â whether we can get to the point where Parliament has a majority in favour of an alternative on Monday.â
These are the results of last nightâs indicative votes on Brexit, in order of preference. It shows that while MPs canât find a consensus they lean heavily towards a softer Brexit or second referendumÂ
Sir Oliver, who backed the Prime Ministerâs deal in both meaningful votes, added: âMPs will be voting on the basis of seeing what happened last time. And something else will have happened, which is that either the Prime Minister will have got her deal through on Friday, in which case all this is unnecessary and Iâll be breaking open the bottle of champagne. If it doesnât then I think people will finally see that isnât going to happen by April 12.
âI think quite a lot of Tories who didnât vote for any of the options because they were, perfectly honourably, taking the view that until they had a last chance to vote for the Prime Ministerâs deal they didnât want to commit themselves to anything else, may come round and say, âOK, weâll choose among these options.ââÂ
Ministers have warned that a general election may have to be called if MPs try to force the Prime Minister into accepting a proposal that contradicts the Tory manifesto, which ruled out membership of the single market and customs union.
But Damian Green, her former de facto deputy, last night warned: âIf this is the will of Parliament, any Government has to obey it.â
And Mr Clarke said there would be a âmajor constitutional crisisâ if ministers ignored a Commons majority for a Brexit alternative.
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Bercow sabotages Mays Brexit deal
John Bercow was today accused of sabotaging Theresa Mayâs Brexit after banning her from forcing a new vote on the same deal and told MPs: âI have never been pushed around â Iâm not going to start nowâ.
The Commons Speaker cited a Commons precedent from 1604 to inflict an extraordinary blow to Mrs Mayâs hopes of getting her divorce through Parliament â unless it is âsubstantiallyâ adapted with just ten days until Britain leaves the EU.
The PMâs Brexit plans have been left in tatters having spent days trying to convince the DUP, Tory Brexiteers and Labour rebels to back her deal at the last minute.Â
Mrs May will fly to Brussels on Thursday and must get a new breakthrough from the EU before presenting it to Mr Bercow, who would have the final say on whether a new vote goes ahead.   Â
If she fails her deal will be killed off with No Deal or a long-term delay to Brexit the most likely outcomes on March 29.Â
Mr Bercow told the Commons: âIf the Government wishes to bring forward a new proposition that is neither the same or substantially the same as that disposed of by the House on March 12, that would be entirely in order.
âWhat the Government cannot legitimately do is resubmit to the House the same proposition or substantially the same proposition that was rejected by 149 votesâ.Â
Asked if he was worried about the ramifications of his decision he added: âIâve never lost a wink of sleep over anything work relatedâ.Â
His 11th hour decision will infuriate No 10 who admitted that he had not warned them he was giving a statement â let alone what it was about â before dropping his Brexit bombshell this afternoon. Â
The PM learned the news at just after 3.30pm today and minutes later her spokesman said: âThe Speaker did not forewarn us of the content of his statement or the fact that he was making one. We were not given any advance warning he was going to say that.âÂ
Getting around Mr Bercowâs intervention could force the Government to end the current session early and hold a quick-fire State Opening of Parliament.
While technically possible it would kill off a raft of laws and proposals in progress in Parliament â many of which are Brexit related â but is a certain way to also kill off the Speakerâs bar on a new vote.
May loyalist James Cleverly confronted the Speaker and demanded to know why he had not made the ruling after the first vote on January 15 claiming MPs may have âvoted differentlyâ had he spoken earlier. Â
Commons Speaker John Bercow gave a last-minute statement to the Commons today on Mrs Mayâs Brexit deal, and effectively blocked a new vote
Theresa May is seen arriving at Downing Street this morning as her deal hangs in the balance and she could delay it. Boris Johnson dealt a heavy blow to her hopes of winning in the Commons after he refused to back it today
Mrs May faces an uphill battle to win a vote â if it happens â and needs to convince 75 MPs to change sides
The PM had planned to go to Brussels on Thursday and apply for a âlongâ Brexit delay unless MPs show they are ready to back her deal by Tuesday night.Â
This afternoon Mr Bercow invoked a precedent from April 1604 â used 12 times in the Commons since then â to warn the PM that she must significantly change her deal if she wants to force another vote on it before the scheduled exit day on March 29.Â
Why is John Bercow a controversial Speaker?
Brexit bias:Â John Bercow has revealed publicly that he voted for Remain in 2016, fuelling claims by Brexiteers he is trying to frustrate Brexit in the Commons.
The claims were fuelled by am anti-Brexit sticker being spotted in a black Land Rover parked outside Mr Bercowâs Commons home â he has insisted the car and sticker belongs to his wife.
Brexiteers were furious last week when he refused to accept an amendment that sought to rule out a second referendum on Brexit.Â
Bullying claims: John Bercow has been hit by a number of bullying claims. He is said to have subjected staff to angry outbursts for years, mocking junior officials and leaving staff âterrifiedâ.
A former private secretary Kate Emms has said she was left with PTSD after working for him.
Mr Bercow denies all the allegations. Â
His wife Sally: Sally Bercow has courted controversy since her husband was first elected. She infamously posed in a sheet for a magazine interview soon after Mr Bercow was first elected and she took part in Celebrity Big Brother.
A public Labour supporter, Mrs Bercowâs political views led to claims she undermined the Speakerâs independence.
In 2015 it emerged Sally had an affair with Mr Bercowâs cousin Alan â even leading the couple to move into the family home in Battersea while the Speaker stayed in his grace-and-favour apartment in Parliament.
Expenses: Mr Bercow faced persistent criticism of his official expenses, which have included lavish bills for chauffeur-driven cars, trips abroad and entertaining foreign dignitaries.
Mr Bercow and his family live rent-free in an opulent apartment at parliament, where the taxpayer foots a ÂŁ109 a month bill for the Arsenal fanâs Sky subscription.
Bias against the Tories: Conservative ministers and MPs have long-complained Mr Bercow favours Labour. He repeatedly hauls ministers to the Commons to answer Urgent Questions and Emergency Debates â far more often than has historically been the case.
He frequently reprimands ministers, often sarcastically, and his behaviour prompted the Cameron Government to launch a near-unprecedented attempt to remove him in 2015.Â
Mr Bercow provoked further fury by speaking out against Donald Trump and Brexit in defiance of protocol demanding he be impartial. Â
The Speaker cited page 397 of the Commons rulebook, Erskine May â and insisted todayâs ruling âshould not be regarded as my last word on the subject.â
Mr Bercow told MPs: âOne of the reasons the rule has lasted so long it is a necessary rule to ensure the sensible use of the Houseâs time and proper respect for the decisions which it takes.
âRulings of the House matter. They have weight.
âIn many cases, they have direct effect not only here but on the lives of our constituents.â
The Prime Minister was already considering whether to shelve the third Commons vote on her deal after dozens of rebel Brexiteer MPs including Boris Johnson refused to back her â unless a ârealistic prospectâ of success suddenly emerges, No 10 said today.
Mrs May would instead head to Thursdayâs EU summit and then ask EU leaders to agree a delay of Brexit of up to two years.
She had hoped to use that prospect to crank up the pressure on her MPs by holding a vote just days before Britain had been due to leave on March 29. Â
The Prime Ministerâs official spokesman said today if there is no Commons vote for the deal Mrs May would fly to Brussels and ask the EU for a longer delay, which would also mean Britain holding elections to the European Parliament this year.Â
The Government will have to table a motion by the end of business on Tuesday at the latest, giving rebel MPs including dozens of Tory Brexiteers until 10.30pm tomorrow to back down. Â
Boris Johnson last night urged MPs to vote down Mrs Mayâs deal for a third time if it is put to a vote this week and warned in his Daily Telegraph column that it gives the EU an âindefinite means of blackmailâ against the UK.Â
In a direct attack on Mrs May, Boris Johnson paints her and her team as collaborators in the âfinal sabotage of Brexitâ just 11 days before Britain is due to leave the EU.Â
Theresa May is being urged to quit as an incentive for Brexiteers to vote through her deal â but today it was claimed that No 10 could offer to sack her Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins instead, which is unlikely to sway many.Â
Today crisis talks with the DUP continue and if the Northern Irish party backs Mrs Mayâs deal a number of Eurosceptic Tories could follow â but a senior ERG source predicts that even with the DUP on board, the PM would still lose by 30 to 40 votes.Â
David Davis says if the DUP moves then she has a â50-50 chanceâ of winning but said still may not vote for the deal while former ministers Priti Patel and Dominic Raab are expected to rebel even if Mrs May manages to win over Arlene Fosterâs party.Â
But Brexit ringleader Jacob Rees-Mogg is softening as he insisted Mrs Mayâs deal was better than staying in for months or years, âhowever bad it isâ. Â
Mr Rees-Mogg told LBC: âI genuinely havenât made up my mind. There is a hierarchy.
âNo deal is better than Mrs Mayâs deal, but Mrs Mayâs deal is better than not leaving. I donât think we will get another chance to leave the European Union.
âDelay is denial. The thought that if you get two years for something better is hopelessly optimistic.âÂ
Brexiteers are marching to London to âsave Brexitâ today and arrived in Swainby, North Yorkshire, today on day 3 of the walk
Brexit: What happens next? Â
What happened last week?Â
MPs twice rejected Theresa Mayâs Brexit deal. They also voted against leaving with no deal, and now voted in favour of a delay.Â
What will happen next? Â
MPs have supported a delay, so May will have to request an extension to Article 50 from the EU.
Could Brexit be delayed?Â
If other member states agree to it, Brexit will be postponed, but May has said that this should be for no longer than three months.Â
If, however, MPs do not support her deal, she warned that the extension could be far longer.Â
 Could Brexit be stopped?Â
May has warned this is a possibility. While she will not revoke Article 50 herself, she has warned political chaos could see the Government replaced by Jeremy Corbyn or another pro-Remain administration. Â
Will the Prime Minister face a motion of no confidence?Â
It is possible. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has insisted he will only call another vote of no confidence if he has a chance of winning â but in January Mrs May precipitated one herself.Â
Will May just resign after a second defeat?
Unlikely but not impossible. Defeat would be another monumental blow to the PMâs political authority.Â
Will there be a general election?Â
There are mounting calls for one. Tory MP Charles Walker said yesterday if the House could not pass the deal, the current Parliament probably needs to be replaced so a new Government can be formed to tackle Brexit.
One of the advantages of an election is it would be much quicker to organise and resolve than a second referendum.
Could there be a second referendum on Brexit?Â
There are mounting demands for a new public vote â but probably not currently a majority in the Commons for it.
A new referendum would take at least six months to organise and run. This could be optimistic as there is no consensus over what the question might be.Â
 Mrs May could now tee-up a longer delay to Brexit at an EU summit on Thursday ensuring Tories who vote down her deal must also accept the blame for a lengthy delay to leaving the EU.
Her final pitch to Tory Brexiteers backfired yesterday after saying her opponents are unpatriotic if they do not back her Brussels divorce but warned them: âWe will not leave the EU for many months, if everâ.Â
The former foreign secretary urged her to postpone the vote and use a forthcoming EU summit to seek âreal changeâ on the Irish backstop.
Mr Johnson said: âIt would be absurd to hold the vote before that has even been attempted.â
Despite this pressure Mrs May received a string of major endorsements for her Brexit deal last night that gave fresh hope it could pass within days.
In a significant boost for the PM, former Chancellor Norman Lamont urged his fellow Brexiteers to focus on the âprizeâ of leaving the EU â and back the deal.
Writing on the page opposite, the Eurosceptic grandee warns wavering MPs that âhistory will not understand if it is Conservative MPs who prevent us claiming our self-governmentâ. Mrs May is hoping to build momentum behind her deal today with an agreement with the DUP that could bring dozens of Eurosceptics on board.
In a major intervention last night, Northern Irelandâs former First Minister David Trimble also dropped his objections to the so-called Irish backstop.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner praised Mrs May for securing âsubstantiveâ concessions on the backstop, adding: âThe chances of the PM getting the deal through Parliament have improved.â Former Vote Leave chief Matthew Elliot also came out for the deal, warning Euroscptic MPs: âItâs Mayâs deal or nothing.â
But, with the trickle of Eurosceptic MPs declaring their support still failing to turn into a flood, the prospects for the deal remain on a knife edge. Mrs May was last night still deciding whether or not to press ahead with tomorrowâs planned vote on her Brexit deal. Philip Hammond and Liam Fox both said it could be pulled if it looked like it would be defeated a third time.
Downing Street was braced for Boris Johnson to âdouble downâ on his opposition.Â
And Tory sources said fellow leadership hopeful Dominic Raab was also indicating he would help Labour vote down the deal for a third time. Â
âNo dealâ will prove to be the precursor to a very good deal indeed,â wrote the Tory MPs, including former ministers Owen Paterson, Sir John Redwood and David Jones.
âOur moral course is clear: it is not our fault that we are confronted by two unacceptable choices, but it will be our fault if we cast a positive vote in favour of either for fear of the other.â
Mr Johnson said Mrs Mayâs Agreement would leave the UK âin a position of almost unbearable weaknessâ for subsequent talks on trade, risking transforming the country into âa kind of economic colony of Brusselsâ.
The backstop arrangement â under which the UK remains in a customs union until both sides agree a trade deal â gives the EU âan indefinite means of blackmailâ, said the Brexit figurehead.
âUnless we have some change â and at present, in the immortal phrase, nothing has changed â it is hard to ask anyone who believes in Brexit to change their mind,â he said.
âThere is an EU summit this week. It is not too late to get real change to the backstop. It would be absurd to hold the vote before that has even been attempted.â
The 10 DUP MPs are viewed by Downing Street as pivotal, not just for the votes they provide but the influence of their stance on Conservative Eurosceptics.
Which Tory MPs have signalled they will vote against the deal AGAIN?
Boris JohnsonÂ
Owen Paterson
Priti PatelÂ
John BaronÂ
John RedwoodÂ
Adam AfriyieÂ
Lucy AllanÂ
Crispin Blunt
Peter Bone
Andrew BridgenÂ
Richard DraxÂ
Mark Francoix
Marcus FysjÂ
Chris Green
Adam HollowayÂ
Philip HolloboneÂ
Ranil JayawardenaÂ
Andrea Jenkyns
David Jones
Julian Lewis
Craig MackinlayÂ
Sheryll Murray
Andrew RosindellÂ
Ross ThomsonÂ
Michael TomlinsonÂ
Anne-Marie TrevelyanÂ
Sam GyimahÂ
Jo JohnsonÂ
Philip Lee
Dominic Grieve
Justine GreeningÂ
Guto Bebb Â
DUP MLA Jim Wells told BBC Radio 4âs Today programme: âWe still have a huge difficulty with the backstop, because we see it as a waiting room for constitutional change.
âWe could find ourselves locked in there forever in effect, and once you get in you can never get out. We have to have a mechanism where we can escape the backstop.â
Mr Wells said a proposed âgentlemenâs agreementâ that any changes to Northern Irelandâs relationship with the EU would be mirrored by the rest of the UK might prove âunenforceableâ.
And he denied that the DUP was taking part in a financial âauctionâ for its support, insisting that âmoney is not being discussed on the table at the momentâ.
Mr Wells estimated that as many as 30 Tory MPs will never vote for Mrs Mayâs deal, meaning that a third defeat was âinevitableâ with or without DUP support.
So far the number of Tories publicly switching positions falls far short of the 75 MPs Mrs May needs to change sides.
Bolton West MP Chris Green told BBC Radio 4âs Westminster Hour: âI want to vote against it because I donât believe when Parliament defeated it by the biggest margin in the history of Parliament that was because it was in any way a good deal, and the substance of the deal hasnât changed.â
But he added that a shift in the DUPâs position would have a âbig impactâ and the implications of rejecting the deal for a third time weighed heavily on him âbecause it could lead to a general election, and we donât know how that will pan outâ.
As part of the effort to put pressure on Tory hardliners and the DUP, Chancellor Philip Hammond and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox took to the airwaves on Sunday to make clear that the Prime Minister would not chance a third defeat on her deal.
And Security Minister Ben Wallace, a close ally of Mr Johnson who chaired his abortive bid for the leadership in 2016, urged the former foreign secretary and other Tory Brexiteers to back Mrs Mayâs deal.
Sparks fly as the Speaker drops a Brexit bombshell
Mr Bercow replied with a thinly veiled jibe at Mrs Leadsomâs length of time as an MP compared with his own
 John Bercow clashed yet again with his long-term parliamentary adversary minister Andrea Leadsom after setting off his Brexit bombshell in the Commons.
The Speaker has had an acrimonious relationship with the Commons Leader since she took up the post over issues including bullying of parliamentary staff.
He admonished her today for fiddling with her mobile phone during points of order, prompting her to take revenge by questioning his impartiality and ability to find a solution to the mess his ruling on a third meaningful vote had made.
Mr Bercow had replied to a request from Kingston MP Sir Ed Davey for a âSpeakerâs Conferenceâ to help solve the constitutional pinch-point by saying the last time he offered to hold one there had been little interest from her predecessor, David Lidington.
He then suggested that as Mrs Leadsom was âa notable reformer in other respectsâ she might âfeel she could have a key role in initiating such an important constitutional developmentâ adding: âIf she did i would be perfectly willing to play ball with it â it is nothing she and I have discussed, but you never know.â
She promptly got to her feet and said: âI just want to be very clear I am indeed a reforming Leader of the House of Commons and for me, treating colleagues with courtesy and respect is at the forefront of that reform.
âAny Speakerâs Council would have to have that at its heart and I simply would not be confident that would be the case.â
As MPs laughed: âWell so be it. I treat the House with respect, I have treated its members with respect, I chaired a previous speakerâs conference and there was no criticism of the way I did so.
âOne reason why the Leader of the House might not be well versed in that particular Speakerâs Conference and in a position to make a judgement about my chairmanship of it is very simply that it took place before the right honourable lady entered the House of Commons (in 2010).â
DUP MP Nigel Dodds on Friday denied cash was being talked about in discussions with the Government but insisted his party was keen to support the PMâs deal if they can
How will Brexit be delayed and will MPs get a vote on it?
Why is Brexit day set on March 29, 2019?Â
There are two reasons. The first because it is the second anniversary of Britain formally telling the EU it wished to leave by invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.Â
This triggered a two-year divorce negotiation that will expire on March 29.
The second reason is because British laws on leaving specify 11pm on March 29, 2019, as âexit dayâ.
Writing this into law triggered a political fight in the Commons because it was not actually necessary but the Government insisted on doing it.
What needs to happen for the date to be changed?Â
There are again two processes. First, Theresa May will need to go to Brussels and get political agreement for delay and the terms on which it happens.
The second is British law will need to be changed to amend the date of Brexit. This will require a vote in both Commons and Lords.
What will happen at the EU Council?Â
Whatever the terms of delay, the Prime Minister will ask EU leader for what she wants and then they will make a decision â without her. Brexit issues are decided only by the 27 remaining states, without a British say.
A delay to Brexit must be agreed unanimously â all EU states have a full veto.Â
Mrs May has said if MPs have passed her deal, she will ask EU for a short extension of a couple of months to sort out UK law. If MPs have not passed the deal, she will have to ask for a âmuch longerâ extension.
What needs to happen in the UK?Â
Once a new date is agreed, the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 has to be amended. This must be done via Statutory Instrument â a form of âsecondary legislationâ that changes the law without going through the full parliamentary process.
A minister will table the SI in Parliament setting out the new date for Brexit. The law says it must be done via the âaffirmativeâ procedure â this means there will have to be a straight vote in both the Commons and Lords, with no possibility of amendment.
Will it happen?Â
At this point, almost certainly. We know from last week there are enough votes in the Commons to block no deal. The EU also does not want no deal and is thought likely to agree both versions of the extension plan at the summit.
Can a no deal Brexit still happen on March 29?Â
Yes â if there is no political agreement on changing the date at the EU Council or Parliament rejects the SI, Brexit will still happen as the legal default.
Could Brexit happen on March 29 with the deal?Â
No â even if MPs pass the deal this week there is no practical way to get all the necessary laws through in time. Delay could in theory be limited to a couple of weeks, potentially. Â
âI know Boris very well and I know heâs passionate about leaving the European Union,â Mr Wallace told BBC Radio 4âs Today programme.
âIf he is passionate about that, he will recognise that voting for this deal is the way to deliver Brexit and the way to deliver leaving the EU ⌠I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for it.â Â
Conservative MP Sir John Redwood dismissed Theresa Mayâs Withdrawal Agreement as âa very expensive invitation to more talks about possibly getting out with a sensible trade agreement, or perhaps not, with the ultimate problem that Northern Ireland might not be allowed out at allâ.
Dutch PM says Theresa Mayâs Brexit approach is like the Black Knight from Monty Python
Monty Pythonâs Black Knight refuses to admit defeat after a duel against Graham Chapmanâs King Arthur, suggesting they call it a draw despite losing all his limbs
Dutch PM Mark Rutte likened Mrs May to the Monty Python character the Black Knight, who refused to give in even after having his limbs chopped off.
Mr Rutte was commenting on Mrs Mayâs wish to take her deal back to the Commons for a third vote â and could try for a fourth time next week.
He then compared her to the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail who is fighting a losing battle.
As a rival chops off his limbs he keep going insisting itâs a âmerely a flesh woundâ and âIâll bite your legs off!â.
Mr Rutte, who is campaigning in local elections in the Netherlands, told the countryâs WNL op Zondag television programme.
âI have a lot of respect for Theresa May â she reminds me occasionally of that Monty Python character where all his arms and legs are cut off and then says to his opponent: letâs call it a draw,â
âIf the British ask for a delay, interesting, but that was also my irritation this week â what do you want with that delay?â he said on Sunday. While the U.K. is âin a very bad position right now,â Rutte respects his counterpart in London. âSheâs doing incredibly, she goes on and on.âÂ
Sir John told BBC Radio 4âs Today programme: âIt violates the Conservative manifesto in many important ways. The manifesto is very clear that no deal is better than a bad deal.â
He said that âa lotâ of Conservative MPs shared his concerns, but declined to estimate how many would vote against Mrs Mayâs deal in a third meaningful vote.
âItâs a lot of people, and it goes far wider than the ERG (European Research Group), who have been particularly keen to have the right kind of Brexit.â
Sir John said that at this weekâs EU summit, Mrs May should say that âwe are going to be leaving on March 29 in accordance with her oft-repeated mantra, but that we would like a free trade agreement⌠and if they would just agree to talks on a free trade agreement we neednât impose barriers on each otherâ.
Some senior figures believe tomorrowâs vote should be delayed until next week, by which time Mrs May is expected to have requested an extension of Article 50. One Cabinet minister urged the PM to delay, adding: âWhenever it comes it is going to be incredibly tight. I think the DUP will come across but we also need Boris and Raab and Rees-Mogg to have a chance. Even then, we will need some more Labour MPs to come on board.âÂ
At the start of a crunch week on Brexit:
Philip Hammond angered Eurosceptics by saying it was now âphysically impossible to leave on March 29â following Parliamentâs decision to back a Brexit delay.
Dutch PM Mark Rutte likened Mrs May to the Monty Python character the Black Knight, who refused to give in even after having his limbs chopped off.
Former work and pensions secretary Esther McVey said she would reluctantly back the deal, but called for Mrs May and other âfeeble negotiatorsâ to quit.Â
David Davis urged Eurosceptic MPs to back the deal, saying it was âcapable of rescueâ in Brussels.
Mrs Mayâs deal suffered a record 230-vote defeat in January and lost again by 149 votes last week.
Ministers believe they are close to sealing an agreement with her DUP backers, which could see dozens of Eurosceptic Tories reluctantly fall into line behind the deal. Mr Hammond yesterday indicated the DUP could be handed more cash for Northern Ireland if they agree to back the PMâs deal.
He told the BBCâs Andrew Marr show: âThis isnât about money. Itâs about a political assurance â well, look, we are coming up to a spending review and we will have to look at all budgets, including devolved block-grant budgets.â
Gordon Henderson, a Tory MP who has voted against the deal twice, told the Mail: âIf the Government can find a formula that satisfies our DUP colleagues, then it will satisfy me.â Ministers were helped last night by Lord Trimbleâs decision to drop his opposition to the backstop plans in the light of fresh legal assurances that it could only be temporary.
In a paper for the Policy Exchange think-tank, he said: âThe Government has succeeded in securing substantive changes that will affect and limit the impact of the Irish backstopâ. The intervention from Lord Lamont, a patron of the hardline Leave Means Leave organisation, could also prove significant.
The former Chancellor, who served in the Thatcher government, warns fellow Eurosceptics that Brexit could be lost altogether unless they stop their infighting and back the PM.
He said it was âwishful thinkingâ to believe that Parliament wouldnât try to stop Brexit once it had been delayed. And he said there would be âall to play forâ in the second round of talks with Brussels, as long as the withdrawal deal was passed. He added: âTo assert as some Eurosceptics do that it is preferable to remain in the EU than to accept Mrs Mayâs deal is absurd. The PMâs deal is far from ideal. But it has one overwhelming advantage. Under her deal we will definitely leave.â
Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski, a member of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic MPs, said: âThe mood is changing. People are getting tired of the infighting at Westminster and in the Conservative Party. They expect us to get this across the line.â
Emma Lewell-Buck, who resigned from Labourâs front bench last week to vote against a second referendum, said she and other like-minded MPs wanted to see Brexit delivered with the current deal.
But some Tory hardliners suggested they would never back down. Andrea Jenkyns, a prominent member of the ERG, said: âThe British spirit is to fight on and not to back down to threats.â
Jeremy Corbyn yesterday warned he was ready to call a vote of no confidence in the Government this week if Mrs Mayâs deal is voted down again, potentially triggering an election.Â
He also plunged Labourâs Brexit policy into fresh confusion after revealing he could campaign to leave the EU if he succeeds in forcing a second referendum.
Third time lucky? So, what on earth happens next?
SCENARIO 1: THIRD TIME LUCKY Theresa Mayâs deal is finally approved. This is how it would play out.
TUESDAY: Prime Minister wins Meaningful Vote No 3 (just) after DUP and most of the European Research Group fold.
THURSDAY: Wins approval at EU summit for short delay to planned March 29 Brexit date.
MONDAY, MARCH 25: Mrs May begins approving deal and â crucially â changing March 29 Brexit date. Commons and Lords vote through the date change.
SCENARIO 2: DEJA VU Deal blocked for third time, but a two-year Brexit delay approved.
TUESDAY: MPs narrowly defeat Mrs Mayâs attempt No 3 to secure her deal. PM says she will now go to Brussels to ask for more time.
THURSDAY: Brussels summit of EU leaders grants a two-year extension; UK takes part in MEP elections in May.
MONDAY, MARCH 25: Backed by Jeremy Corbynâs Labour, May wins Commons vote approving two-year delay.
SCENARIO 3: NO DEAL BY SABOTAGE
We leave with no deal after a guerrilla war by Tory Brexit âultrasâ.
TUESDAY: MPs narrowly defeat Mrs Mayâs third vote on her deal. PM says she will go to Brussels to ask for more time.
THURSDAY: Brussels insists on two-year extension to Brexit.
MONDAY, MARCH 25: Hardcore No Deal Tory Brexiteers support a no-confidence vote in May.
Move paralyses Government. MPs fail to change Brexit date.
FRIDAY, MARCH 29: UK leaves EU without a deal.
SCENARIO 4: BLOCKED BY BERCOW
TUESDAY: Speaker John Bercow throws a spanner in the works by ruling that putting the deal to a third vote breaches Commons rules over repeated votes on same terms. Mrs May forced to go to Brussels with no approved deal.
THURSDAY: EU insists on two-year extension.
MONDAY, MARCH 25: Mrs May wins resulting votes to change Brexit date.
OR⌠She loses vote of no confidence. No Deal on March 29.
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