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syms-things-5 · 4 years ago

Text

Clear The Area - Chapter Fourteen

Previous Chapter HERE

Warnings: Language, NSFW Language

Tags: @jennmurawski13 @kelbabyblue

Note: Apologies, this is a repost from yesterday for reasons I won’t go into now. i hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Fourteen

Sarah jostled with the mail as she entered their building, trying hard not to knock over the newest fresh plant currently adorning the entrance. They usually took it in turns to handle the post and whatever parcels the Supervisor had signed for that day but she was starting to feel a little short-changed as Shanna had consistently more post coming her way these days. Sarah realised she needed to get out more. Carting everything up the stairs was starting to become its own workout. Today’s treasures involved two Nasty Gal packages, a package from Pottery Barn, a box from Amazon, and what appeared to be a free sample of a Louis Vuitton fragrance. Sarah might just keep that last one to herself.

Jocelyn had sent another care package of sorts her way but it only served to remind Sarah that she had not called her folks in over a week. Ever since the accident, Jocelyn had been so consumed with worry that she had taken to sending Sarah articles ripped form magazines and gift cards for relaxation therapies. Despite Sarah’s many protests to the contrary, Jocelyn was sure Sarah was struggling with some form of undiagnosed PTSD. She’d read about it in a magazine. “If affects upwards of half a million American every year, honey.”

After successfully dodging the neighbour’s schnauzer, she eventually reached their floor and was just about to turn her key in the lock when the door swung wide open. Before she had time to react, she was brought face to face with a stressed-out Shanna, hair dripping wet from a shower. Not her favourite Shanna it had to be said. Not even in the Top Ten.

She grabbed Sarah by both shoulders. “I don’t know what I’m going to wear, Sarah! I’ve got less than an hour!”

“And hello to you, too!” Sarah smiled broadly, almost comically so, before Shanna lowered her head in embarrassment and moved out of the way so Sarah could physically get into her own home. She held the packages up. “Maybe there is something in here?”

Shanna shook her head. “No, they’re more summery. More formal.” She’d started fluttering around Sarah in a panic. “Do you still have that leather midi skirt? Do you think I could fit into it?”

“Uhh yeh it’s in the back of my closet somewhere.” she remembered. “Might be a bit warm, though? What are you gonna wear with it?”

“Well it’s a punky kind of bar, think it has live music and stuff so I thought maybe that Rolling Stones t-shirt and the maroon boots? Keep my hair down and casual?”

“So basically all of my clothes?” Sarah retorted. Shanna pressed her hands together in prayer and gave her the best pitiful smile she could manage, one she knew Sarah couldn’t resist. Shanna seemed to genuinely like this guy and if this guy was as charming and as smart as she told her he was, Sarah was sure she would like him, too. Hell, he’d be best friends with Scott and Chris in no time so long as he enjoyed football, Sam Adams, and didn’t put points on Shanna’s licence.

“Give me five minutes and I’ll see what I can pull together. Do you wanna borrow that heart necklace of mine? If you’re wearing your hair down, it’s probably best you avoid wearing earrings unless you want me to cut you out of them again.” Sarah shouted as she walked into her room unaware that Shanna had followed her closely behind.

“Oh god I hadn’t even thought that far. You know what, I might just cancel. This is just too much right now and I’m not even sure if he really likes me as anything more than a friend.” She feigned a dramatic flop onto Sarah’s bed, one arm landing across her forehead. Sarah delved through her closet to locate the desired items. If Shanna was threatening to cancel the date already, it must be serious.

“How many of you are going to this club?” Sarah asked, emerging from the closet doorway.

“Don’t know. Think three or four from my department and another couple from his?” she responded, hopelessness evident in her voice. Shanna never did well with vagueness where guys were concerned; everything had to be black and white with her.

“Come on, you’ve still got time.” Sarah encouraged as she carried some clothes and a couple of pairs of boots towards the bed. “Dry your hair and we’ll figure this out, OK?”

“Have I told you how much I love you lately?” Shanna pouted and Sarah tried to shrug off the pit growing in her stomach from her words. Shanna used every ounce of energy she could muster to get up and drag herself back into the bathroom leaving Sarah shaking her head.

It was only a rare occasion when Shanna took less time getting ready in the bathroom. Sarah had fond memories of shouting through the door back when they were at college and deciding to move in together required a complete 180 degree shift in her expectations. Still, in less than half an hour, here she emerged fully dressed, primer and foundation applied, and hair dried accordingly. It was a miracle of epic proportions and if she hadn’t shoved some false eyelashes into Sarah’s hand, Sarah would have snapped a photograph to send to the family as evidence that their little girl was growing up.

Thanks to her professional, steady hand, Sarah was always the eyelash-fixer among their group. While fixing a couple of lashes to the corners of her eyes, Sarah’s phone buzzed. It buzzed a couple more times in quick succession and she would have managed to ignore it had it not been for Shanna’a roving eye.

“Looks like someone wants you.” she murmured, trying her hardest not to move as Sarah held the glued lash in place with some tweezers.

“It’ll just be Audrey probably.” Sarah responded in no rush to check for herself, keeping a firm hold on what she was doing.

Shanna tried glancing to her side one more time to catch who it was but couldn’t quite make it out. It buzzed again. “I’d hate for you to miss out on a date with Greg on account of helping piece my pathetic love life together. Oooh maybe we could double-date!”

Shanna’s exclaim nearly caused Sarah to lose her grip on the tweezers but a sharp intake of breath convinced Shanna to give up the inquisition. “Sorry. Sorry.” she held her hands up as an apology before feeling Sarah’s hands relax as she moved across to the other eye.

Sarah was pleased to see Shanna eventually leave their apartment. Not because she wanted the peace particularly but just because it was nice to see her get excited over a guy that wasn’t Ben. She looked gorgeous, too. Sarah was quite proud of her work. If it wasn’t to be a proper date, it definitely would be after tonight. Robbie would be an absolute fool to miss out.

It was only when she slumped dow onto the couch and spent the next hour or so flicking through television channels that she remembered her phone had buzzed earlier on. She reluctantly peeled herself off the sofa and retrieved it from where it had originally landed on her bedside table. Honestly, it was like Shanna had taught her nothing.

From just two messages, Chris had attempted some mild flirtation with her before asking her if she knew what in God’s Name Penhaligon’s was.

Sarah 8.19pm: Perfume I think. Pretty old school brand. Why?

Chris 8.23pm: Mom wants it for her birthday. Never heard of it before. Scott thought it might be some kind of scarf??

She googled the name to make sure. Last thing she wanted was to end up ruining Lisa’s birthday celebrations with a present she absolutely did not want. Her birthday was something she took with increasing seriousness as each year passed by and her children and grandchildren grew older in front of her eyes. There was always a party of sorts, a massive cake, perhaps a theme, and a “suggestion list” for possible gifts. Well, they say “suggestion” but rarely did anyone dare deviate from “the list”. Sarah hadn’t yet considered buying a present but if Chris was already looking, she would no doubt need to catch up.

Sarah 8.34pm: Yep, pretty certain it’s a perfume. Pretty pricey. Good shout.

Sarah started scanning through her phone as another couple of messages caught her eye, some she had accidentally missed from earlier in the day. One from Audrey. One from Greg that she was not expecting.

Greg 7.02pm: Great news! 29th is set up. All you need to do is say the word! Don’t know how long I can hold the spot open so let me know as soon as you can. Have a great evening x

It took her a moment to register what he was talking about.

Chris 8.37pm: Cool THX What are you wearing??

Sarah stared down at the phone. She felt light-headed. There was far too much going on for this time of the day. She wiped at her forehead with her sweater sleeve and took a deep breath.

Sarah 8.41pm: You wouldn’t be interested lol

Chris 8.42pm: try me..........

He had a surprising habit these days of cheering her up.

Sarah 8.46pm: Nah I look a mess. Get out while you can.

Her phone started ringing almost as soon as she’d pressed ‘send’, Chris’ name flashing on her screen. She contemplated not answering now that her mood had taken a turn but she knew he would work out something was wrong and immediately dive over.

“Hey,” she answered, trying for a jovial tone but coming up just south of delirious.

“Hey you,” he smiled through the phone, happy to hear her voice. “In all the years I have known you, Bernette, not once would I describe you as looking like a mess.”

She laughed down the line. She made the right decision.

“...you are far too cute to ever be a mess. Do you know that? Like, I can already picture you with your sweats on, your hair tied up, soft skin...” he trailed off with a low sigh that she was sure was filthier than he intended it to be. “Man, that really does something to me.”

“You really know how to charm a girl. Have you figured this Penhaligon’s thing out yet? Was I right?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

She laughed again. “Sorry. Sorry. I’m not great with flirting over the phone. You should know that by now.”

“Then do it with me in person.” he proposed as if it was the easiest solution in the world. As if she wasn’t going to be distracted with thoughts of work and studies enough to not focus on him entirely. And he didn’t deserve to be second best.

It would have been all too easy to allow him to come over. Forget about overthinking things again. There truly was no one better at making her feel good about herself these days. Like, honest, through-the-bone good about herself, whatever that entailed. Goosebumps raised on her skin at the thought.

“I’m pretty whacked to be honest and...”

“What’s going on? Are you feeling alright?” he asked, concern evident in his tone. Whatever he had been pottering about with in the background had stopped all of a sudden.

“Yes! Yeh, I’m fine. Just...I dunno, boring. Plus, it’s Friday night! You should be out with the guys or whatever. Shan said Scott is having issues with Zach again. Is he OK?”

He laughed at her second lame attempt to deflect. He knew something was going on and he knew she knew he wouldn’t give up easily.

“Is Shanna there?” he asked.

“No, she went out with some friends.”

“So why don’t you ask me to come over and I’ll make you feel better than fine?”

She was lucky she was sat down or that her legs were crossed underneath her as she lounged on the couch, her back against the arm rest. His tone was causing her to feel things she shouldn’t be focussing on. What must it feel like to always be confident of your effect on people?

“Do you wanna come over?” she asked, treading lightly, not entirely anxious should he decline.

“I’ll be there in twenty.” He ended the call almost as abruptly as he had dialled it.

She remained where she sat for a moment, Greg’s text message still lighting up her screen. She wasn’t expecting for things to suddenly be so easy for her and it was strange how opening herself up to more possibilities could cause her to feel so immobile.

She would need to move at some point and as a helpless and as confused as she now felt, she knew it would look far too obvious to Chris if she bid to make herself up. She also didn’t really have the energy to do so. Lord, Chris really should have taken the out when he had the chance.

“Have I just walked into a teenage girl’s bedroom?” Chris asked, taking a look around as he entered the apartment not long afterwards. He clearly found the scene amusing although Sarah couldn’t under stand why. It was partly Shanna’s home after all. He should be used to girly mess. “What’s going on?”

“Shan has a date. I was helping her to get ready.” Sarah replied, humourously holding up the hairdryer like a trophy before dumping it back in her bedroom. “Sort of, actually. She doesn’t quite know if it’s a date date or a friend date.”

“I was told those didn’t exist.” Chris smirked, reaching for a bottle of water from her fridge.

“Well, she’s dressed up for one. Looks gorgeous.”

“I think you look gorgeous.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Chris, you don’t need to make any more effort, OK? You’re already in the apartment.”

“I think it bears repeating is all.”

He swallowed half the bottle of water before fixing her with a semi-quizzical stare. He tried to figure out what was going on as he watched her potter around the kitchen table, swiping something away into a cupboard, phone grasped in her hand. “What’s going on? You sounded weird on the phone and now you look like it as well.”

“Nothing’s wrong.” she answered far too quickly and tried to shrug it off but his body language told her he wasn’t buying it. She wasn’t sure what was bothering her more in this moment; him knowing her too well, or that he knew he knew her too well.

“OK, alright, well, it’s Friday night and I’m happy just hanging out and doing whatever but you can also talk to me as well. I’m not a monster.”

“It was her turn to look back at him, unsure of her next move or indeed his. she wondered if he was very likely regretting his decision to meet her now when twenty minutes in the opposite direction would take him to one of his favourite downtown dive bars. Instead, he rested against the side of the kitchen doorway, arms folded, a softness still present in his facial expressions. He seemed hesitant of what to say and she didn’t like the slight awkward air surrounding them. She didn’t want to venture into work-territory either.

“Do you want me to go, Sarah?”

She looked back up at him after a short spell spent staring down at her feet. “No. I don’t want you to leave. I’m just...there’s something...” she paused to re-evaluate her words. “You know what, it’s find. It’s nothing major. Of course I’m glad you’re here now.”

He pushed himself off from the counter and moved towards her, accepting of the greeting smile now covering her face, the bottle of water still in his grip. “Cool. Shall I follow your lead then, or...?”

“Do you wanna watch a movie or something?” she suggested, more casually than he would have liked. She didn’t know what to say to him now that all of her brain space was taken up with possibilities and wanting to call Audrey with the news. Chris hadn’t factored in watching a film but she seemed like she wanted a little peace and quiet and he had pretty much dived into the apartment as soon as she gave him the green light, eager as he was to see her without threat of Shanna walking in at any point.

“Movie sounds good.” He bobbed his head in agreement, content in their surroundings for now.

At some point towards the end of Searching, Chris quietly excused himself to go to the bathroom. Realising something was about to happen and not wanting to have to explain it to him after he returned, Sarah put the film on pause and headed into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. She had held him at an arm’s length for most of the night, the couch seeming longer somehow, but was now feeling a slight chill despite the thick sweater reaching midway down her thighs. He would no doubt have been cosy to snuggle up to but she was still pondering Greg’s message and couldn’t concentrate on much else.

Her demeanour hadn’t gone unnoticed by Chris. A couple of times he caught the glare from her phone screen illuminating her face from below and wondered who had gotten her attention this evening. He stopped himself from making an obvious joke and was disappointed that she hadn’t noticed him glance across at her several times during the movie. He wasn’t much interested in watching it. Telling the truth, he’d seen it via a DVD screener Matt had sent him months earlier but she’d mentioned she was looking forward to watching it and in all honesty, he had figured they would curl up together and he would have still gotten something out of it.

“Chris? Do you want a cup of tea?” she hollered from the kitchen doorway. No response for what seemed to be a long, long minute. She switched the kettle off and began pouring him one anyway. She could always drink two if he didn’t want it.

“Chris?” she shouted again.

She walked into the lounge to place the cups down and clocked the bathroom door ajar and seemingly empty. Maybe he left without telling her. In all fairness, she wouldn’t have been surprised or annoyed. She’d barely given him a moment of attention for the last two hours.

She wandered slowly down the hallway first passing Shanna’s bedroom before reaching her own and finding him stretched out across the bottom of her bed. She giggled and leaned on the side of the doorway. He looked rather comfortable. A little too comfortable. Maybe he wanted some company?

“What are you up to, Evans?”

He tilted his head up to find her standing there. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to notice I was gone.” He leaned up further and rested on one arm to fully take sight of her. His eyes appeared a little dopey, a thing that always seemed to give away his nefarious intentions. From the angle he was now lying in, the size of his bicep looked ridiculous. It could not have been an accidental move and she’d be lying if she said it wasn’t working for her.

“Are you bored? You can absolutely go if you have a better offer, I promise I won’t mind.” she offered by way of an apology but he stayed looking at her, not moving or responding to her offer. Being caught under his glare like this was unnerving to say the least. His hair looked a little messy from where he had been lying down yet he still made zero effort to move at all.

“I’m not bored.” He finally spoke, sincerity lacing his voice. “Are you? You seem distracted tonight.”

She didn’t know how to respond except to say he was right and to apologise again. She hadn’t figured out what to say to Greg yet so explaining her thought process to Chris wasn’t going to get her very far. It was times like this, when he was looking at her like that, that she wished she had the confidence to try and shut him up the old-fashioned way.

“Come here...” It was barely a whisper and she would have doubted he had spoken at all if it wasn’t for the hand he was now holding out towards her. He didn’t blink once.

She couldn’t refuse him and moved slowly to stand in the middle of his now-parted legs hanging off the end of the bed as he sat up. She watched as he closed his eyes when he felt her fingers smooth through his hair. There was something so calming about her touch, the deliberate graze of her nails sending little shocks down his spine. He wasn’t normally fussed by a woman playing with his hair even if occasionally he liked it when they pulled on it but something about her slow, tender touch was unlike anything he had felt before.

He moved his hands to the side of her thighs before pulling her legs down to either side of him. “I love looking at you from here.” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist making sure she couldn’t get away from him.

She moved in to kiss him, softly at first before she felt his tongue glide along her bottom lip, a wordless request for her to open up. He paused for a second, taking her in while she caught her breath before kissing her deeper than before. She pulled his t-shirt up from the hem and he reached up over his back to grab it and whip it off in record time. Not one of his proudest moments, it caught on his watch as he tried and failed to fling it to the side of them and he made a mental note to try that move again when he felt her chuckle against the side of his neck. He didn’t much mind being a dork in front of her. She knew he wasn’t as cool as he made himself out to be.

His hands found their way into her hair as he caressed the strands out of her face. He loved how silky it felt between his fingers and how faintly it smelled of coconut, her signature smell by now. Her hands gripped his wrists before slowly moving up his biceps and grasping at his shoulders while he pulled her down onto him to allow her to feel how hard he was becoming from her touch. He wanted to know she was only thinking about him. She felt him push up into her core and arousing her even more. His breaths were getting shorter while his hands moved down her sides in an attempt to hook into her leggings and drag them down and off her body. She moved a hand away from his shoulders to help him with his mission but a tapping sound soon broke her from her reverie.

“Wait.” she was still holding on to his arms to steady herself until things went quiet and his hands froze on her waist. Their breathing levelled out quickly and Chris threw her a confused look. “Do you hear something?”

“What?” He gasped. “No, nothing.” He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her back down to kiss him hard. His hands firmly gripped her ass until she was putting pressure back where he wanted it. She quickly forgot what she was thinking about while he moved her slowly along his growing length. He moved one hand up her side, dragging her sweater up with it so his fingers could finally feel her skin underneath. Her hands were pushing down on his chest a bit harder and in a moment that took her by total surprised he quickly flipped them over so she was lying underneath him, completely encased by his strong forearms.

Kissing her was so easy he couldn’t believe he hadn’t done it sooner. Her lips were soft, some of the softest her had ever touched. He figured she kissed like she wanted to be kissed, and he wanted to kiss her back like no boy had ever kissed her before. It was soft and hot and breathy and turning him on immensely. Neither was trying to win a battle but rather seeking and enjoying their closeness, the sharing of this one single sensation, outside world be damned.

The prospect of being uninterrupted was giving him all kinds of ideas. Her breathing was hot against his skin and he knew she was in the zone with him. They’d never particularly been slow and up until this point, he hadn’t much minded but he knew there was some part of her she was holding back and honestly, it was thrilling to him that he was determined to figure her out.

Pinning her underneath, one hand reached down and grazed the inside of her thigh. A little more pressure just over her clit caused her breath to hitch with a sudden squeak ever so slightly until they smiled back into their kiss, tongues massaging together. Honestly, he could carry on doing this for hours if he knew for sure there would definitely be another time they had this opportunity.

She opened her eyes to find him resting so close above her and evidently relishing the way she was lightly tickling the back of his neck with her fingers. Another languid kiss followed before he caught the side of her neck between his teeth and pushed himself against her core, her wetness increasingly apparent to him. She was growing accustomed to his need to tease her like this that she almost missed the scraping sound that had returned, only this time it was louder and sounded like it was coming from just down her hallway. She would have loved nothing more than to continue focussing on the hot breath now ghosting across her neck and shoulders but, panicking, she grudgingly pushed him off her.

“Fuck, what is that?”

Helpless and slightly dazed, all he could do was watch her get up from the bed to stand by the door. With an ear close to the gap, she listened out for another sound. Quieter than before, she swore she heard what sounded like shuffling followed by something being dropped on the ground.

Spying him about to protest, she shook her head. “Nope. Nope, that’s definitely something.” She proceeded to tiptoe out of her room and down the hall towards the kitchen, her bare feet treading ever so lightly and managing to dodge the one creaky floorboard. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting to find but felt a brief surge of confidence knowing the vision of Captain America might alarm whoever was attempting to break in to her home and presumably try to murder them both. He was 6 foot and built like a tank, he could absolutely save them both if push came to shove.

Of course, no one was there that she could immediately see. Maybe something had fallen off the wall instead, or perhaps had been knocked over by a strong breeze coming in via the open window in the lounge? Maybe she was hearing things after all or maybe it was a burglar but they got startled and ran away when they heard footsteps inside. Maybe it was just their neighbour moving around next door but it sounded a little too close for that. She resorted to the only thing she could think of in that moment and picked up a spatula just in case.

Chris was reluctantly putting his t-shirt back on when he followed quietly behind her, shaking his leg to relieve some of the tension in his boxers. Something banged again but this time she was sure it was coming from outside of her front door. He could now hear it as well but wasn’t entirely sure what she was hoping to accomplish with a plastic spatula in her hand.

She held her finger up to her lips to stop him from making any noise and peered through the peephole. She couldn’t see anything. Gingerly, she decided to open the door and jumped backwards when there, on the ground hunched up and leaning against the door frame, was a rathe intoxicated Shanna. Her bag had been emptied in a hurry like she’d been trying to locate her keys, and her coat was falling off her shoulders. She was half-asleep.

Chris snorted from somewhere close behind Sarah unable to contain himself, instantly familiar with the view in front of him. Sarah exhaled with some kind of relief that they were safe from a mass-murderer.

“I don’t believe it...” she spoken quietly.

“I do!” Chris could barely stop the laughter coming out now.

She and Chris moved to help her into the apartment, each grabbing her under one arm. Chris bared the majority of her weight while Sarah carried her bag and as a many contents as she could find. They managed to manoeuvre her into her bedroom where she promptly fell forward, head first, onto her bed,

“Fuckin’ waster,” he laughed heartily before Sarah punched his arm to stop him from waking her. the room fell silent for a moment before the unmistakeable sound of Shan snoring took over. Chris closed the door behind them before following Sarah to the kitchen where she collected the remaining items that had fallen out of her bag. Picking up her phone, she checked for scratches.

“Well at least she didn’t lose it this time,” she held up the mobile to him but noticed he couldn’t stop grinning. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” he shook his head. “I just wish I’d taken a picture of her. Scott would have a heart attack. Always told her she couldn’t handle her drink!”

“i don’t know how you’d explain getting hold of a photo of her.”

“Oh yeh, good point.” he chuckled in reponse. They regarded each other for a moment, Chris clearly hopeful they could pick up from where they left off.

“I think you should go,” Sarah thought apologetically.

He paused before answering, expecting her to have been joking. “Why? She’s passed out on her bed. She’ll be asleep for hours. Do you have any idea how many times I have seen her like this?”

“Have you any idea how many times I have seen her like this? She’ll wake up in the middle of the night and get into bed with me and it’d be a lot easier to handle if I didn’t have to explain to her why her bother was also there.”

“Sarah, we could throw a rave and she wouldn’t wake up.”

He was making no effort to move, instead fixing her with a stare waiting for her to recognise how ridiculous she sounded. His hands pinched at his hips and he looked a foot taller than before

“Seriously, Chris, you’re just going to have to leave.”

He took a couple of steps towards her, bare feet padding along the hard, cold floor. “I haven’t see you all week.” He moaned, hands reaching out for her hoping the memory of where they had been would be enough to convince her he should stay.

“That’s not true. You saw me the other day.” It was a weak response. Even she knew that.

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

She offered back nothing. She had no response. He was disappointed and equally as frustrated with his lack of a decent comeback. He should definitely stay. He should be rocking her world right this moment and whispering filthy things into her ear but instead, all he could do was stand there and shake his head in defeat. When he made eye contact with her again, she looked somehow smaller in some way and he found it hard to continue being frustrated with her. He understood what she was doing as much as he didn’t want to.

Resigned, he shuffled towards her and embraced her in a hug. She felt him semi-hard against her tummy, briefly doubting her choices. It stirred something exciting inside her to think she could make him feel that way and mentally chastised Shanna for cock-blocking her. She felt bad for kicking him out like this.

“I promise I’ll make it up to you.” she whispered.

He loosely pulled away from their hug and looked down at her. He playfully raised an eyebrow and looked down at her lips, still pink and swollen, before chastely planting a kiss on them.

“I am absolutely going to hold you to that.”

Shan finally made an appearance the following morning looking like death warmed up. She’d somehow managed to remove her clothes but had a pyjama top on backwards and her hair was sticking out in all directions. She had Sarah’s expert eyeliner and a false lash smudged down one cheek.

Sarah was eating breakfast and checking the news on her phone when she saw the creature from the black lagoon emerge into her kitchen. Stifling a laugh at the sorry sight standing before her, she felt a pang of sympathy seeing every step cause her pain. Shan just pouted at her before taking a seat at the kitchen table, resting her forehead in her hands while Sarah fixed her a glass of juice and some aspirin. She took it gratefully before groaning.

“Remind me never to do shots again.” she stressed. Sarah knew it wouldn’t last, not with that Boston blood coursing through her veins. “Was Chris here last night?”

Sarah froze, a sudden ring clouding her ears. “Erm, no, he wasn’t.” She turned to put her bowl in the sink and tried to hide any blushes. She didn’t know who felt more like shit in this exact moment.

“Oh I could have sworn I heard him is all.” Shan said, more to herself than to anyone else. “God, it’s good he wasn’t. He’d have a ball game seeing me in that state. How awful was I?”

“Not very,” Sarah lied again.

“How did I even get home?” she asked, trying to piece together the flashes of memories that kept racing through her mind.

“Um, I think your friends dropped you off in a taxi and you somehow managed to get up the stairs but then I guess you couldn’t find your keys...?” Shan managed a puzzled look. “You were slumped against the front door.” She refilled her glass with juice. “You’ve been in bed for, like, twelve hours.”

“Shit, we must have started early.”

“Well it happens to the best of us.” Sarah sat next to her and pushed a loose piece of hair out of her sweaty, red face. “Your hair looks OK! I don’t think there is anything stuck in it this time.”

Shanna laughed for the first time before her head panged in revenge.

“So? Did anything happen with Robbie?” Sarah asked, a cheeky grin crossing her face. By the look on Shanna’s face, the answer was a resounding “no” but it could very well have been the alcohol-induced hurricane currently running though her head.

“Well, it was a great night regardless. You’d love the bar. I think we ran into that guy, the porter from your hospital? Pat something? Did you know he plated in a band?”

“Um, no, not at all. Wow.” Sarah was trying to picture Patrick with an array of different instruments to see which suited him before remembering the awkward time he attempted to drum Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’ with two scalpels. “Actually, he does seem the type. I’ll have to let Audrey know. She’ll love this.”

“He sounded pretty decent. It’s not just punk music or heavy rock. I think we should all go one night. Maybe as part of Mom’s birthday week.” Shanna perked up a little, proud of the idea that had materialised in her head against all odds. “It’s amazing what people can do when they put some effort in. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Where you might be now if you just took a chance.”

Following a night of heavy drinking, Sarah wasn’t expecting such an existential conversation at this point in the day. But it was a good point regardless. She grabbed her phone from the table and typed out a message to Greg.

“Yes. I’m in.”

#chris evans #chris evans fic #evans fic #chris evans x original female character #sarah bernette #clear the area

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sergeant-donny-donowitz · 5 years ago

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Instincts (Omar Ulmer x Fem!Reader)

Inglourious Basterds Imagine

Requested by owba-chan

@war-obsessed, @owba-chan, @inglourious-jules

Let me know if you guys wanna be tagged in these! :)

It sounded like a great idea. The best one Aldo had in a long time... at least, to the four of you.

Hirschberg, Smitty, Omar, and you.

The four youngest basterds, inseparable, and in the eyes of the enemy, somehow unstoppable. As the youngest, you were all underestimated by the older basterds when you first stepped foot in France. That was all in the past, what with your combined kill streaks and your utter refusal to fall. That was it...if one of you fell, you all did. The basterds were your brothers, and those three were your world. And if they were your world, Omar was your life... If a nazi so much as touched any of them, the last thing they'd see was your rifle between their eyes, and your smirking revenge behind it. If anything ever happened to you, if you got so much as a scrape, those three made sure that a scalp was off in the blink of an eye... Knowing that, Aldo knew there was 'no way them nazi fucks takin' em kids down.' Not without a fight to the death. That was to be expected. Even as basterds, you were still soldiers. You were only human. You weren't really elusive spirits in the woods that vanished without a trace. Donny wasn't really a golem. You, and everyone in your camp knew very well that any day could be any or everyone's last. So you lived, and laughed together every second of every day. And you and Omar quietly, but completely loved each other every second of every day... But that day was different. That whole mission felt different. You were uneasy. You usually never were. Usually, that last parting glance, and knowing nod from Omar comforted you. This time, it stung you, it sent a shiver down your spine, it made your heart skip a beat. You froze for a moment as you watched your favorite people in the whole world split up, for the millionth time. Nothing could go wrong. Not now...not like this. Not after he gave you his pocket watch. It wasn't a ring, but it was enough. He was more than enough. And you were his everything, and he never let you forget it. It shouldn't have gone wrong, you were the basterds. But, in the end that didn't really matter. You were just soldiers. You'd infiltrated an underground warehouse where documents about the war's worst crimes were kept. Some of the nazi's new weapons were there, along with a prototype for a plane...

Your usual sneak attack tactic was not enough.

The turrent of bullets from both sides, the sirens, the commands were deafening. It became one blaring indistinct roar. The flashing lights were clouded by the smoke from grenades. The ground shook from the explosion and march of boots. You never lost your footing. You took down each and every nazi in your line of sight. It wasn't enough... The lights and alarms flared on, the haze from the grenades barely cleared away. You moved outside. You waited, arms crossed, expecting to see your boys' faces pop through as always. You kept waiting. Far on the other side of the warehouse, Hirschberg pulled Smitty's arm around his shoulders and held him up. He had shrapnel in his leg and side, but he looked around desparately trying to find you and Omar. "OMAR?! OMAR?! Y/N?! WHERE ARE YOU?! Y/N, GODDAMN IT!" Smitty grunted, trying not to pay attention to the pain until he knew where the rest of his friends were. "Wait." Hirschberg stopped, "What's wrong, pal? You hurtin' too much? W-" "I heard something. Listen..." It was then that the two heard a faint cough. Smitty pointed down one hallway, "There." Hirschberg nodded, held out his gun in one hand, and held his brother up with the other. "Omar..." Omar was laying on his back in a pool of his own blood, looking up into the smoke around him. He managed to smile a little when he recognized the faces.

He realized, there were only two... "Where's Y/n?" Smitty looked to Hirschberg, "I didn't see her..." Omar tried to pull himself together, "Y/N?! Y/N WHERE ARE Y-" He broke out into a cough as blood dripped down his lips. Hirschberg set Utivich down gently, and put his hand over Omar's chest in an attempt to calm him, "Hey, relax! We'll find her. She's alright, I swear." Omar was silent. Utivich gritted his teeth, and winced, "Omar. Look at us, you're gonna be ok. We're gonna find y/n and-" Omar shook his head, "She can't see me like this..." Smitty and Hirschberg looked at each other. Their hearts broke in the realization. They always had their suspicions. They always knew it would happen at some point...especially when Hirschberg thought he saw the glint of a gold chain in her pocket. Utivich held his hand out, as much as it hurt him, he couldn't lose his brother. Not like that. "We're not leaving you behind." "No. I don't want her to see me like this. I don't wanna hurt her..." Hirschberg shook his head, "We're not leaving you." It was then that they heard an echo thundering from the other side of the warehouse, beyond the smoke, more alarming than the siren, they heard the distant call of your voice. "GUYS?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Even in it's distant, muffled form, your voice was music to Omar's ears. He wouldn't mind if it was the last thing he ever heard... A faint smile spread across his lips. Hirschberg smirked, "I thought you said you and Y/n weren't going around." Omar chuckled weakly as he laid his head back down, and Smitty grimaced a little, but confirmed his theory. "That's what she's got, isn't it? Your watch, the chain. You really love her, don't you?" Omar made direct eye contact with them. "Don't let her see me like this." Hirschberg kneeled by him. He wanted to make Omar smile, like he always did. But he involuntarily lowered his voice, in an almost unnatural state for him, he was trying to comfort Omar. "She's gonna see you the way you always are. Loud. Clueless. A jackass." Omar smiled a little, but could barely his his eyes up to meet theirs anymore, "Don't say no to a dying man." Smitty shook his head, "No." Hirschberg sighed as he stood up, and looked at Utivich. "No...he's right." "What?! But-" Hirschberg nodded, "I know...I know Smitty. Look at him... he really gave his watch to her. You know her. She always talks about him." Omar smiled a little, though his eyes felt heavy, he closed them. Hirschberg looked to Smitty, "He's right. We can't let her see it...Y/n loves him. It's gonna ruin her." Smitty sighed, clenched his jaw, he dropped to his knees, and looked at Omar, "Hey...hey, I'm staying here then." "Don't let her worry about you. Just go." Smitty felt Hirschberg's hand on his shoulder, "Come on, kid." "What?! No!" "It's gonna be ok." Hirschberg pulled Utivich away from Omar, and he looked back at him, and repeated, "it's...it's gonna be ok..." Omar nodded once, his eyes soft and kind. They were silent as Hirschberg helped hold Utivich up, and the few minutes it took to find the way out felt like a million years. It felt like a million more when they saw you. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere! Where were you? Where's...Where's Omar?" Hirschberg glanced at Utivich, and stuttered for a moment, "I...I don't know..." You looked him dead in the eye, "Hirschberg." "I don't know, y/n!" He set Utivich down, and started pressing against his wounds, slowing the bleeding, and avoiding looking at you. "Gerold." No one. Not a single soul got away with calling him that, and lived to tell the tale. And no one, not a single sould could ever get away with lying to you. Gerold Hirschberg knew that. "Where. Is. He." You looked at him, and you looked at Utivich. He was bawling up his hands in the grass, and clenching his teeth. It wasn't just the pain and the blood that hurt him. You knew that the second you looked into his red, teary eyes. You turned toward the door, and froze for a second. "Y/n..." Hirschberg held onto your forearm, staining your jacket with blood. Some of it wasn't Smitty's... "Y/n, don't go in there." You turned to look at him, and he knew what he had known the moment he met you. Nothing was ever going to stop you from getting what you wanted. If it was a scalp, or Omar's heart, you'd get it. If it was to see Omar, you would. But you didn't just want to see him. You wanted to save him. You just couldn't lose him.

You rushed through the warehouse, following a trail of Utivich's blood drops. You were caught in a doldrum among the clearing smoke, flashing lights, and blaring sirens as your eyes set on a pool of blood. Your knees shook as you found Omar laying in it. "OMAR." You had never run so fast in your life. "Y/n?" His eyes shot open, as he grabbed your wrist instinctively. Whenever you were in danger, he tended to do that. He tended to try to hold you back, to protect you, to stop any harm from ever coming to you. You pressed your lips together, and clenched your jaw as you felt the knot in your throat strangling you. "It's ok...It's ok, Omar, I'm here now... I'm here." He shook his head, gasped for breath, "No. Go." He gasped for breath, and let go of you, "I don't want you here." "I'm not going anywhere." You met his eyes, making it clear to him that you were not playing games.

His heart broke, even as it's pulse faded. He could never stand to see you in any kind of pain. "Please don't cry." His bloody, trembling hand held your cheek.

"You're gonna stop talking like that. I'm gonna fix this. We're gonna make it out of this. We're gonna make it to the end." Omar smiled softly, in appreciation of the reminiscent dream you shared. But he shook his head once, "No, kid...this is the end." You ignored him. You desparately ignored him as you did everything you could to save him. You weren't a medic. You weren't even a nurse. But you watched. Every time anyone ever got hurt, you watched, and you learned.

You knew a thing or two.

It wasn't enough...

But you didn't want to think of that. You did everything you could to stop the bleeding, to save Omar's life...

After what felt like a lifetime, you managed to build up the courage to look at his face. His pale, defeated face. You saw something you never saw before.

There was a tear slipping down his cheek as he shut his eyes as he whispered, "I didn't want you to get hurt..."

"Baby, I'm-" "I'm going now, y/n..." "Omar, don't say that!" "I'm sorry..." Another tear slipped down his cheek as he shut his eyes, "I love you..." "OMAR!" In that moment, in his last breath, everything was beautiful in his eyes. Nothing hurt. Your voice was distant and muffled, drowned out by his final pounding heartbeat. In that final split second, it was almost like listening to the laughing, light-hearted, loving way you used to giggle his name. The love in your teary eyes was as strong as it was in your angry and loving eyes. It was unbelievably heartbreaking to him to have caused you any tears. He simply loved you. He loved you more than anything, and hearing and seeing you one last time brought him peace. Even among the sirens and the blood, somehow, everything was beautiful to him, nothing hurt.

Your blood incinerated you with hatred for the enemy. They took the things you loved the most. They took your family, your country, your people, and the man you loved. And... There was nothing you could do. You could scalp a million nazis, and it wouldn't change a thing.

You watched your world burn down in that moment, all the stars fall from the slies, and the seas sweep over your dreams. It hit you...

Nothing, nothing at all lasts forever. Not the war, not the world, and not this... Something else hit you. Not a thought, not a single word. Just an instinct. You pressed his chest, over and over, desparately trying to resucitate him, and get his heart to beat once more.

There were nights where his heartbeat was the only thing that could block out the memories of marching boots, and guns. It was the only sound that could lull you to sleep. You were lost in your world of desparate hope as tears fell from your eyes onto him. You felt as if your heart would tear through your chest. Your mind was blank as you looked down at him. You went on for what felt like a million years, every memory of every mission, every campfire, every glance, and every kiss raced through your mind, until you couldn't handle it anymore. You broke down. It really was over... You collapsed over his bloody chest, you clung onto him, and sobbed. For the first time in your life, you gave up. There was nothing else to do. The war would go on, and so would your life... Your heart ached as you instantly felt the emptiness. Omar was your life. You had it all planned out. You and Omar had it all... You pressed your face against his chest, desparately hoping to hear something, anything. "Omar..." It was then that you felt something press against the back of your head. You figured it was Smitty or Hirschberg... maybe even one of the older basterds. Maybe they'd realized that you'd taken too long. You felt someone gently running their hand on your hair, and you looked up. Omar's eyes were open, he was smiling weakly, "Y/n..." "Omar?" He grinned, "Yes ma'am?" "Omar!" You flew. You propped his head up in your lap. You started to tear his shirt to wrap it around the wound, you did everything you could, and when you were done, you held on to him. You held on to him because he was everything and more to you. He mumbled, "I'm sorry..." You shook your head, "No." "I didn't wanna hurt you," he coughed a little, and you rested your hand on his chest, "You didn't. You did nothing wrong." "I tripped the alarm." "You did something wrong." You smirked a little and he gave a weak chuckle that resulted in more coughing. He looked up at you. He saw the glint of the watch in your pocket. He remembered what he was fighting for. You'd already said yes. He wanted to hear you say I do... He realized that you were everything he could ever need or want. The war wasn't over, but some day it would be. And when it did, he wanted to be there with you. Nothing would get in the way of that. Not the basterds' teasing, not the missions, not even that bullet. And when he heard a distant, angry, bostonian growl, "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THEY GOT OMAR?!" and a gaggle of basterds storming the warehouse, he smiled. The nazis that did it wouldn't get very far. With the distant sound of a clanging bat, and Aldo's interogations, Omar realized something. It wasn't over. The basterds' work was far from over. In fact, it might never be done. And as he looked at you, he smiled. Omar was ok with that. He was more than ok with that, as long as he had you.

#Omar Ulmer #inglourious basterds imagine #aldo raine #aldo the apache #Inglourious Basterds #Donny Donowitz #Hirschberg #smithson utivich #Quentin Tarantino

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derangedhyena-zoids · 5 years ago

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You know what there doesn't seem to be a preponderance of on Zi?

Kids.

fair warning: this is a goddamn mess of a horseshitpost about history, population and reproduction dynamics, and chucklefucking about character genetics that I have unfortunately have actually spent time thinking about because my brain literally doesn't accept "idle" as a state.

this probably gets a little weird and also contains mention of sensitive topic (tagged) so please be aware of that

Ok so

Compared to say, the society pictured in Fuzors (which doesn't comply with the xCentury-verse sufficiently and thus gets ignored by me), NC0 seems equally prosperous but a lot more resource-strained. Not "at that time" but simply as a way of life.

Nobody thinks of themselves as resource-poor, but nothing is terribly robust except in the largest cities (eg the modern day rebuilds of the old capitals, Guygalos and New (Helic) City.)

This isn't a secret. It's more or less been the case for the entirety of humans' colonization of the planet. That's why locale self-sufficiency is so important and why there's huge stretches of nothing everywhere. You simply cannot live wherever you want. The environment is fucking hostile and You Will Die.

So first off, let's be real: when you first colonize a planet and want to establish yourselves there, there's going to be rules/procedures in place regarding reproduction to make sure nobody ends up genetically representing too much of the population. It'd take a bit to get to the point of non-directed (and/or non test-tube) reproduction even being allowed.

Basically, space humans colonizing alien planets gonna have hella birth control tech available. There are no "oops" offspring. I'm inclined to think it's actually something that's been modified on a very base level (read: likely genetic modification, is heritable) level, that would require outside intervention of some kind (eg chemical) to make reproduction possible.

The point of "safe to naturally mingle" would likely correspond with the eventual, initial tech-dip as the stores of things from initial arrival were finally depleted (because it was probably planned out that way), and tech that was arrived with started to go offline permanently.

They'd have to be settling into what they could do and make with the resources available on Zi, meaning that avoiding uncontrolled population growth was still a huge priority, because the let's-successfully-establish-civilization mindset would still be thoroughly ingrained at that point.

There'd be hundreds of years of "danger zone" population levels where large adverse events could've easily wiped them all out if they weren't mindful. But, they were, and humans colonized Zi successfully (...again), good job, hooray

The overarching society-level birth control was well-codified in the various cultural groups that arose. But these inclinations did change over time as larger and more friction-prone groups formed (read: the Empire, over time, became large and in charge, discontent developed and huge chunks of people kept trying to detach. Eventually the Republic cropped up. You need more people to be a bigger thing.)

Any desire to handle the population with kid-gloves all but went out the window as the first conflicts started and people were killed. These conflicts eventually escalated into the long-standing wars between the Empire and Republic, and restrictions on reproduction basically went away. (+depending on who was in charge things may have even Yikes'd in the other direction)

(just a canon-fyi I'm not following the Battle Story in the slightest, I'm only trying to make the xCentury anime(s) function. Zoids' various canons are like Transformers' canons - A MESS)

Before these wars started happening, not much besides the occasional natural disaster, accident, or simply old age killed anyone. People can live a long time on Zi! Much longer than usual.

Why? Because a lot of human common human pathogens from Earth simply *wouldn't exist* there (space humans are gonna be really careful to not tote that shit around), so there's only really lifestyle-related issues, latent or new-mutation genetic problems, and any micro-organisms on Zi that mutated sufficiently to be able to affect people. (which is not really a stretch if we're going by the thought that Zoidians were long-evolved humans. The Zoidians were there a LOT longer than humans have been)

so. modern day. I have NC0 a few hundred years after CC/GF. As a whole I think the human race on Zi is relatively young, but a lot of the oldest information (like "exactly when we fucking got here") was lost in Imperial/Republican wars.

Those went on for hundreds of years themselves, enough to establish mass Zoid manufacture as The Way Of Things(tm) and otherwise entrench what became the norms for human society there. (I STRONGLY suspect there's still a lot of residual Imperial/Republican tension in places/families and that Backdraft was founded by, for lack of a better word, Imperial sympathizers with a longstanding grudge against a unified GF-run government *coughhh Alteil cough* but... I digress)

Humans are at a perfectly serviceable population. I actually hesitate to put a number on it because I don't know what # value would properly represent "a sustainable amount of people on a barren planet with very limited resources" but it'd be a sizable population (I'd guesstimate tens of millions). I imagine the GF, being the unquestionably-global governing body*, is relatively authoritarian as far as the core population and major cities go. They obviously can't tightly police the whole planet, but they can certainly keep an eye on it.

This doesn't mean it's a dystopia or that the GF is evil or that it's anything bad, really. I sort of picture it being run by Committee, likely made up of various descendants of powerful families ([insert 10 tons of political intrigue here that I'm picturing, it's amazing, ANYWAYS]) Zi's government is definitively a plutocracy.

There were plenty of people on the planet who were ambivalent towards the Empire and the Republic's nonsense and just carried on what social norms and culture that had been established by the early colonists. Many didn't LIKE that all the fighting was happening because innocent, uninvolved people kept getting killed, and that sucked because they just wanted to live quiet lives in secure towns and be left alone.

There was also a desire for more law enforcement in general, since gangs, bandits, and the Zi equivalents of sovereign citizens kept causing problems. So when the Guardian Force was established initially to wrestle peace into place, it was largely welcomed and people were very, very glad to get rid of hundreds of years of war.

This also meant a lot of people had kids because things became markedly more stable. In fact what led up *to* New Century was probably several solid centuries of strong population growth, establishing additional stable strongholds in habitable areas (new cities were established and built up), modernization and other general signs of prosperity.

So, all this blah blah blah leads up to several key realities for New Century:

-There isn't a strangehold on population growth, nor are there formal limits. However, the chemical-whatever that causes the inbuilt birth-control to fuck off is under the purview of - or at least monitored by - the government. So... there's that. It's also overwhelmingly likely that people have figured out other sources for this over time, if for some reason they're distrustful.

-This inbuilt bc is in effect for everyone. Both folks involved have to be on board. I mean, it'd technically be possible to surreptitiously slip some of the chemical-whatever to an unwilling partner? But it's not like that would be difficult to figure out.

-Family units range from what we'd recognize as a 'family' to entire towns sharing children/parenting responsibilities. Monogamy is the norm but polygamy isn't weird. People can be pretty sexually loose and it's not frowned upon at all - because let's be real, NC0-society is at full-on bread-and-circus levels of operation. There seems to be a moderate anti-intellectual bent and Zoid battles are the height of achievement. People are chasing highs as a way of life.

Topically relevant individuals' headcanon:

I think Steve's wife died in childbirth (having Leena.) It neatly explains what happened to her and Layon's unhealthy obsession with Leena.

Feel like Bit and Brad both were raised in the more "communal" type of settings.

Harry's family comes from old Republican money.

Stoller came from a family that's the equivalent of a house in the south that has confederate flags everywhere. Except they're Imperial.

ARE YOU STILL HERE? GOOD LORD WHY. WELL NOW THIS IS A SHITPOST ABOUT ZOIDIAN HYBRIDS AND OTHER ANCESTRY FUCKERY

Remember in some other post I wrote I said that when you start to hybridize Zoidians in, reproduction becomes more difficult? That's IN PART because of the bc thing, and in part because general genetics fuckery. But once you *had* a hybrid you had very robust individuals, who initially lacked a fully functional version of the inbuilt bc. Over time that was mixed back in, but there were at least a couple janky generations.

Literally every hybridized line in existence is either from Hiltz or Ryss. Fiona didn't reproduce (wasn't for lack of trying. Both her and Van being bonded to the same Organoid caused problems in that department.)

Ryss had two kids with Raven. The reality of Raven aging and dying sucked. The reality of her kids, grandkids, etc aging and dying sucked. Though her immediate offspring lived a lot longer than progressive generations did, as the bloodline became more diluted, a slightly-improved human lifespan became the norm. This was incredibly depressing to Ryss and is a large part of why she fucked off to the middle of nowhere to live with things that wouldn't age out and die on her. It's also why she didn't continue to have children.

Hiltz... Hiltz fucked (and well, raped) a lot of people (50% as a power/hate thing and 50% because he's from the Feed-Fuck-Fight club) and some of the people that lived to talk about it had offspring. The same aging issues were in effect for these offspring, but unlike Ryss's family they didn't have the benefit of anyone explaining what the fuck was going on. So they had a strange time.

Remember that these direct hybrids would've been of age squarely in the aforementioned, post-GF "everyone is having kids" time, so a fair number of distinct new lines were created and persisted. There was also a weird range of ages involved, because the direct hybrids lived A WHILE and could have offspring for most of that time.

Now, in the context of "many years later", this means a fair number of people carry these genes in varying dilutions. It's not a large amount in the context of the entire human population. It's a handful of family lines with increasingly baffled histories. But family groups frittered a lot in the aftermath of GF, so a lot of that knowledge was functionally lost.

Basically no one has any idea anymore, what little idea that they had in the first place. The only families with distinct and traceable genealogies are the rich/old-money ones.

So, in the NC0 cast I officially headcanon 5 folks as these dilute-hybrids. You know most of them; Sara, Vega, and Brad, but I'm impolitely adding Stoller and Iyaga (Ehga?) to that mix because reasons.

Brad and Iyaga are from Hiltz's line. Sara and Stoller are from Ryss's. Vega is unique in that he draws from BOTH; Ryss from his mother's side and Hiltz from his father's. Sara had a *really* hard time actually having a kid as a result of that particular genetic fuckery. IMO this explains some of her behavior towards Vega - by the time she had him she was so emotionally estranged by both the loss of Vega's father and the loss of numerous pregnancies (and by that time was more involved with her 'backdraft career'), she struggled with BASIC AFFECTION.

anyways, thanks for coming to the world's most useless ted talk

*ZBGF is like world-police, GF is world-gov, ZBC is a branch of ZBGF that keeps battles in line (and monitors usage of things). The GF is "background", in that it's using the more-friendly-seeming ZBC as its eyes and ears while keeping track of things on a higher level.

p.s. the bc thing is actually adapted from another story of mine's background, so don't worry I didn't spend ALLLLLL this time thinking about that for this only sdhgfjdfdf

#headcanon #tw rape

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sanhatipal · 5 years ago

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Tagging Game

I was tagged by: @emily-cheshire and @i-prefer-the-term-antihero . Thank you both so much! I really enjoy these,but thus time I was super slow,I got no excuse , forgive me ;-;

I made the questions purple '^'

How tall are you?

5 feel 1 inch. That is 154cm. Yeah,tiny,and full grown. I used to hate it,but I've come to terms with it. Also it's my king Arturia's height,at least that's something to be happy about.

What colour and style is your hair?

Pitch black,and well...not really styled? It's pretty long, comes down to the middle of my thighs,and is a strange mixture of straight and wavy(straight the first foot or so,then gets wavy as we go down,curls at the tips) but I swear I've never styled it. It's side parted,with irregular accidental bangs formed from when a part of my hair got caught in rubber cement a few years ago,and I chopped them off close to the scalp,and they grew to become bangs, because obviously they're shorter than the rest. I usually keep it tied in a Jack Vessalius type braid that reaches my lower waist :")

what color are your eyes?

Brown, slightly reddish

do you wear glasses?

Aye,and I'm pretty blind without them.

do you wear braces?

What’s your fashion sense?

....it only exists while buying the clothes,while getting dressed....I put my hand in the cupboard and pull out something,if I'm ok with it I wear, else put it back in and pull out something else if I don't like it

That being said,I like simpler clothes with soft fabric. I wear either knee length or slightly longer dresses/frocks(the simplest type,with a stitch at the waist),or jeans(full length,black,blue or brown because anything else gets dirty too easily) with formal collared shirts or casual tops. If it's not collared, I like to have at least part of my collarbones exposed, but all cleavage hidden(yeah I'm picky). Most of my wardrobe is red,so much that my mom gets scared if I reach for something red in a shop, but also a lot of white, brown,maroon and peach,and a few blues, purples and pinks.

And oh yes,black heels, practically the only thing I wear, and everyday the same pair,unless there's some event or trip or something where I know I'll have to run, then I take the effort to take out converse shoes and the pain to tie laces.

Full name?

You all already know. Sanhati Pal.

when were you born?

27th May '97, in the height of the sticky Indian summer. That too around noon.

where are you from and where do you live now?

India,and I still live in the same city too.

what school do you go to?

I graduated from school in 2016. I went to an all-girls' convent. Now I'm in medical school,which is I guess actually university?

what kind of student are you?

The kind that absolutely hates studying but does it dedicatedly anyway. It's ALWAYS been that way. Teachers think I'm studious,but trust me, I'm not. I just push hard.

do you like school?

I loved school from the later half of 6th grade onwards. I guess 7 and half years in the same place gave me a sense of control. I still love my school and muss it. But college... not really. But then I get restless at home without regular classes or work,so I guess I do,to some extent.

favorite subject?

Back in school, Physics, Literature and Biology. Now, Forensics (though no way in hell will I take it up for post graduate atudies) and Orthopaedics.

favorite tv shows?

My head isn't really working but if anime counts,I guess SKET Dance, 07-ghost,Your lie in April,Fate series, Anohana, Little Busters, fmab, Fairy Tail, Noragami, Chihayafuru, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki kun....what else?

I enjoyed the shows 101 things that changed the world, and You have been Warned, I guess?

My favourite shows at 10 were Art Attack and Backyard Science

Oh ! The first ever TV show I'd ever watched was incidentally an anime called Heidi,girl of the Alps, when I was 5. I recently rewatched it twice,and while there might've been a nostalgia factor for me,I definitely recommend watching it! It's there on YouTube!

favorite movie?

Good grief..... Uh... I'm just gonna list some randomly without order: Brave,Bridge to Terrabithia, Into the Woods, Kimi no na wa, Coraline, Maquia when the promised flower blooms, Brother Bear, Song of the Sea, Spirit Stallion of the cimmaron, Kiki's Delivery Service,Laputa the castle in the sky.

favorite book?

THIS IS AN IMPOSSIBLE TO ANSWER QUESTION but.... I think The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis is a good candidate. I love high fantasy and adventure like Narnia,LOTR,but also slice of life books like Ruskin Bond's Room on the Roof. Most of my favourites centre around children or young teen protagonists,and while 90% are in the English language, there are some in Bengali that are close to my heart too. Basically, everything I illustrated in Inktober 2018.

do you have regrets?

Aye,too many to count but that's okay. I've accepted them and moved on. I've acknowledged my faults. I'll never forget,but I won't whine.

dream job?

Book illustrator and doctor. I'm already halfway through the process of becoming a doctor, it's what I've always wanted and I'm happy, but I still crave to illustrate children's novels,YA fantasy and Light Novels.

do you like shopping?

...I never thought about it.. I guess it depends on what I'm buying and with whom,if it's art supplies,knick knacks, interior decoration,books or plushies,DO I ?!! But if it's clothes.....eh. Oh yes,I only go out with my mom,I don't like spending my money,I know if she's with me, she'll pay,and unlike classmates who insist on buying stuff, she'll make sure I don't buy unnecessary stuff I'll regret later.

what countries have you visited?

None

scariest nightmare you have ever had?

Something I saw when I was 6,or at least that's what had ever frightened me so much. And not once, 2-3 times. I honestly don't remember much,but it had something to do with a possessing virus that turned the host's eyes light(i.e. in our case, yellowish,given the usual colour here is brown),made them kill or something,and jumped to a different host if they died. There was something to do with burnt banana trees too(what the hell), though I don't remember well. It had frightened me so much back then that for a few weeks I'd run whenever I saw people with golden irises(incidentally,there were two or more such people in the neighborhood I lived in then),and after that freak for a few months. But that's all in the past,and it kinda makes me laugh at myself now.

Look at me loving Gilbert Nightray more than anything and anyone else now, it's proof that I've long since gotten over that dream.

any enemies?

Probably yeah. It's not something I've actively avoided,and with a temper like mine, you're likely to make some. But hey, that's okay. Also,I don't consider myself an enemy,more like a hurdle at times,and a malfunctioning machine at others.

do you believe in miracles?

I do. It's a miracle we haven't gotten hit by trucks or died till now. It's a miracle we're alive. Life in itself is a miracle. There are a million ways to die,even without people killing each other,in spite of trying to prevent it. And I've grown up seeing these,and I will keep seeing them for the rest of my life. That is the life of a doctor. I've come to realize how fleeting and fragile this life is,and come to treasure it. There are terrible things in this life, but it's also precious,and I've come to be grateful for it. I don't pray for miracles,I don't believe they'll work that way, I've seen too much to think that way. The fact that we're here right now is a miracle in itself. I will never ask for a miracle,but will always be grateful for all the miracles I already have.

how are you?

I'm fine, nothing wrong at the moment.

I tag(it's ok if you don't want to): @maddyisenough @moody-marshmallow093 @madness-of-lost-memories @miloomezai @k-amui @lolpurple @bagel-san @anyone else who wants to do it

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shawnsassymendes · 7 years ago

Note

PROMPT #12 JUST CAUSE ITS SO ME "Ha! Joke's on you! My whole life is a mess!"

ok but like same

warnings: drunkness written by a person who has never been drunk before, kind of suicidal talk, also like self deprecation and stuff, yeah i got carried away a bit

word count: 1.4k

Masterlist

____________________

“y/n? You here?” Shawn asked as he walked into his apartment.

He had been at a Halloween party with you when you suddenly disappeared. He asked around and someone told him they saw you getting an Uber.

“Where else would I be? It’s not like I would have stayed at that stupid party.” You hiccuped from the living room floor. “Models draped around like fucking couch throws, making me feel worse than I already do.”

Shawn entered the room only to see you surrounded by empty beer bottles.

“Is that beer? y/n, you don’t even like beer.” Shawn mumbled, gathering the bottles scattered around the rug.

“How do you know that?” You raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’ve been best friends with you since forever. I know that you don’t like beer. You don’t even like to drink.” He sighed, knowing whatever’s gotten you like this was bad.

When he finally looked at you, his eyes widened.

“Jesus, you look like a mess.” He said, taking in your smudged make up, crooked nurse’s hat, crumpled dress, and hair that resembled a bird’s nest.

“Ha! Joke’s on you! My whole life is a mess!” You chortled, taking another swig of the bottle in your hand.

“Don’t say that, y/n. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you drunk. What’s gotten you like this?”

“Life. Life is just super duper crappy. I’m just tired of it. Not tired enough to like take my own life, don’t worry. Just like, ready to sleep for a bazillion years. I guess that’s not that far off from taking my own life now, is it? But who cares, right? I doubt anyone’s even gonna notice!” You exclaimed, throwing your hands in the air and spilling some of your drink in the process.

“Of course people are gonna notice. I’m gonna notice. Hell, I’m gonna do way more than just notice!”

“Hey, you got anything stronger than this?” You asked, ignoring him and motioning to the beer in hand. “Like…vodka? That’s strong, right? I don’t fucking know shit about alcohol, I’m like…shit, Shawn! I’m almost 19! That’s like…almost 20! That’s a lot of years!” You giggled, letting your head fall back onto the couch.

Shawn looked at you and sighed. He slowly picked you up and headed towards his bedroom. You were sleeping in the guest room, but he still wasn’t done with this conversation. And he knew you were only gonna spill if you were this drunk.

“Shawn, where are you taking me? I like the floor. It’s nice.” You yawned, putting your head on his shoulder. “Woah. You’ve got like, super broad shoulders. Like the hot guys in the movies. I’m so lucky to be living with a super hot guy. Did you know that I like, combust whenever I see you?”

“You do?”

“Yup. Cause like, you’re the perfect package. You’re hot and smart and talented and sweet and not rude and considerate and just a good person. Did I mention that you’re hot? Cause you really are. You’re gonna make some girl super duper lucky someday.”

“Some girl? Why not you?” Shawn asked, loving the feeling of your head on his shoulder.

“Why would you wanna be with me? I mean, I just told you. I’m a fucking mess.” You laughed once again, as if what you were saying wasn’t completely self destructive.

“I think the real question is why wouldn’t I wanna be with you? And another one for that matter, why are you a mess?”

“So many questions, Shawn, so many questions. Get me out of this tight ass dress, then we’ll talk.” You mumbled.

“W-What?”

“Not like that, don’t worry. I just wanna get into something comfy. Like-like your green hoodie! That one’s amazing! Ironic, too! My fat ass wearing a fucking cross fit hoodie! Hah!” You laughed as Shawn put you on his bed.

“I think we’ve had enough of the self deprecation for tonight, don’t you think?” Shawn huffed, taking out his pink Vans hoodie instead.

“Oh, but it never stops. It’s always going on. In here.” You tapped at your forehead, going cross eyed when you tried to look at your finger.

Shawn came over to you and helped you wiggle out of your dress. He pulled the hoodie on for you and carefully extracted the cap and it’s bobby pins out of your hair.

“I’m gonna get you some water, alright?” He asked, hand stroking your cheek softly.

“Okie dokie.” You sighed and nuzzled your face into his hand further.

While Shawn was in the kitchen, he couldn’t stop thinking about what’s been happening in the last few years. He’s rarely had the time to sit and have a deep conversation with you like he usually did. And whenever you guys did have some alone time, you would talk about his career. Never about you. You were with him most of the time, but that doesn’t mean he knew what you were thinking most of the time.

When Shawn returned to the bedroom, you squealed. “My night in shining doctor’s costume has brought me some water! I shall rejoice!” You exclaimed, sitting up on the bed.

You slowly took the water from Shawn with both hands and gulped it down in a matter of seconds.

“y/n, tell me what’s going on.” Shawn muttered, taking the empty cup from you and putting it on the bedside table.

“I’m cold, come cuddle with me and I’ll tell you.”

Shawn lifted the blanket and got into bed with you. You put your head on his chest and let out a sigh.

“We haven’t cuddled in a long time.” Shawn mentioned, hoping to get a conversation going.

“Yeah, you’ve been like super busy and I’ve been avoiding you.”

“You have?”

“Yup. It’s why my life is more of a mess than it usually is.”

“Why have you been avoiding me?” Shawn asked, trying to keep the hurt from showing in his voice.

“You know why my life’s a mess? Because I’m in love with my best friend. And I thought I couldn’t get any more cliché. And I know that you don’t like me, so I decided to avoid you. It was a stupid plan really, and I knew we would both end up getting hurt.”

“So why did you go on with it?” He countered.

“Because I knew I was gonna start getting pissed at you. And I was right, cause I did when you were seen with Hailey Baldwin and Kendall Jenner. And because I was avoiding you, I didn’t get an explanation as to why you were hanging out with models way better than me. And I wasn’t just angry because I love you, but also because those aren’t people don’t like the real you. They’re only friends with you and they only wanna be seen with you because you are The Shawn Mendes.” Your nose scrunched up in disgust.

“So you think I’m dating one of them?” Shawn raised an eyebrow at you.

“I know you’re not. If you were, then you would be more open about it.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you don’t like me hanging out with them, then?”

“Because then it’s gonna sound like I have feelings for you.” You rolled your eyes at him as if he should’ve known this.

“But you do, don’t you?”

“I do, but I can’t tell you! You’re not gonna tell Shawn, are you?” You mumbled as your eyes began to flutter shut on their own accord.

“Who do you think I am, y/n?” Shawn asked, looking at you laying on his chest.

“The Shawn my brain made up in a drunken haze to get me to talk about my feelings for you. You’re not so slick brain, can’t outsmart me.” You said, passing out in Shawn’s arms.

Shawn’s heart was beating way too fast. He never thought you reciprocated his feelings. He never thought that you would think of yourself like that. Not in a million years. To him, you were the strongest, most confident person he knew.

But a determined look graced his face because he knew what he was going to do.

He was going to prove you wrong.

____________________

not my best work i’ll admit, but this got too out of hand i don’t really like how i ended it but oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Tag list: @handwrittenmendess @dreamingwithmendes @negative-love @our-love-world@crxssourbones @mildmendes @siennarossi

#shawn mendes #shawn mendes x reader #shawn mendes blurb #shawn mendes fluff #Shawn Mendes imagine #shawn mendes fic #shawn mendes writing #shawn mendes angst #shawn mendes smut #shawn mendes imagines #shawn mendes fanfic

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xiuminscheeks · 7 years ago

Text

11 Questions Tag

i was tagged by @oh-beyond

OK so my 11 questions will be based on this little scenario:

You find yourself with your bias in an elevator that breaks down…

1. He is a whiny baby… what do you do? How do you act around him?

(my bias in exo but i have to choose one to answer the questions so i will choose kyungsoo)

i would just laugh, can you imagine whiny d.o?

2. Do you act around him like you know him or like you don’t?

like i know him

3. There is an obvious language barrier… do you try talk to him in his language (google translate, etc…) ? Or do you go for English and he can figure it out himself?

a mix of both

4. He starts crying… do you decide unstanning him? Or do you lend your shoulder to cry on?

he could cry on my shoulder, im not heartless

5. He finally faints in your lap… do you take advantage? You stare? You touch his eyelashes to make sure they are real? His cheeks? Anything else?

i would just try to wake him up

6. He regains consciousness and he asks you if you’ve touched him… would you be honest?

yes

7. Do you try making him laugh? Or you act all uninterested to create a mysterious aura so he gets curious? What is your tactic?

try to make him laugh to feel better

8. If you decide on telling you stan him. What would be your questions to him? Would you admit he’s your bias or make him jealous telling him you like a different member?

i would try to act cool but also show him how much i respect him as an artist and human being

9. If you act like you don’t know him, would you still try to impress him?

maybe...

10. You are taken… if he asks you if you have a significant other… would you lie?

nope

11. The lights of the elevator go off and he’s scared and gets too close and his hands are too handsy… would you stop him? Or…?

if i was single, i wouldnt stop him. its a one in a million opportunity right ?

by @yeolology

1 What’s on your desk/workstation?

anything you can imagine

2 I’m taking you for bubble tea. I’m getting a watermelon milk tea - what are you getting?

i dont like bubble tea, sorry...

3 What’s your most memorable childhood cartoon?

recess

4 We’re going to the cinema - what movie that’s out rn would we go to see?

maybe baby driver

5 Do you paint your nails? What are your usual colours and what do you have on now?

i usually avoid painting them, but if i do i choose either blue or burgundy

6 What’s your default outfit? Is it smart or casual?

jeans and t shirt

7 If you had to show your bias one of your most embarrassing moments, which one would it be?

i really dont have one tbh

8 Recommend me a coffee and a good album?

i stopped drinking coffee and for album any exo album will do

9 What does your room look like? What colour are the walls, what’s your bedding like, are there any decorations?

is very simple, while walls, cream color bedding and a painting above my bed

10 What’s your top 3 favourite smells?

flowers, rain and cookies

11 What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

im really lucky cause i never had one

by @caticorn61

1. Original bias in your ult group?

exo, always exo

2. How did you get into kpop?

i blame chanyeol

3. What’s the best way kpop has changed your life?

i met you guys <3

4. If you could start your own group, what concept would you have and what position would you hold?

i could never!!!!!!

5. Fave look of your bias? (Era wise)

monster era maybe

6. Fave pet of the members?

this is a tough one but maybe vivi

7. Fave mv of your ultimate group?

call me baby

8. Favorite fanfic??

i dont have one

9. Have you seen your bias group live?

*cries in klingon* no

10. Favorite EXO blogs and why?

it will take me an hour to answer so i wont

by @rlydontlikeme

1. Favourite drink in coffee shop?

hot chocolate 2. What colour are the walls in your bedroom?

white 3. Which of your senses is the most sensitive?

touch 4. What is your small goal that you want to accomplish before 2017 ends?

lose weight 5. What is your favourite smell?

rain 6. What is your happiest memory?

a day at the beach, i was really happy that day <3 7. If you could whatever you want with your bias for 24 hours, how would your day look like?

i would just let them get rest 8. Do you like spicy food?

YES 9. What is your favourite childhood toy?

a doll 10. Describe the item on your right without using it’s name

flyffy and white 11. Favourite bias era?

monster era

by @perfectkimjongin

1 What’s your zodiac sign?? Do you believe in it and do you think yours is accurate?

cancer and nope 2 What song always puts you in a better mood?

exo thunder 3 What’s your favorite and least favorite food?

fave pasta and least maybe beans 4 This ones not really a question. Use this to talk about your bias. Anything you want. Vent out all your love.

...i just love them... 5 What’s a talent/skill you wish you were good at?

maybe piano 6 Do you collect anything? Would you like to collect anything?

no and maybe hardcover books 7 Hint to me your bias wrecker without actually saying their name.

i dont have one 8 Books, movies, or tv shows? Whichever one you chose: what’s your favorite?

book, harry potter <3 9 Describe you ideal vacation. Where are you going? What are you gonna do there? Who are you bringing?

me and exo in Thailand, swimming and laughing all day long 10 What’s your favorite cereal?

any kind is ok 11 Which line in an exo song is your favorite?

i dont have one, sorry

im gonna tag @kaelynrachelle @altheias @typicalfangirl07 @laylienn @xiu-dangerous @amerikaikong and @velociraptorscreeching (you dont have to do this if you dont want to 😘)

my questions

1 do you have a dream job?

2 last song you listened to?

3 scariest movie you ever saw?

4 the most boring fictional character?

5 what’s the last thing you bought?

6 morning shower or night shower?

7 whats the color of your hair?

8 any piercings?

9 tea or coffee?

10 describe a lazy day at home?

11 if you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?

#thank you for the tag #this took me forever but it was fun

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stvrmwitch · 7 years ago

Text

50 Bookish Questions Tag!

Thanks to @enogreads for tagging me :)

1. What is your favourite book and/or book series of all time?

All-time favorites are always a stretch for me because the books that matter most to me shift based on what I need at the time, but The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and We Are Okay are books that make me feel at home. And the child in me is saying, “don’t forget to mention the Wayside School books!” so you know, those too.

2. What is the longest book you have ever read? How many pages?

Maybe Deathly Hallows? gr says it’s 784 pages.

3. What is the oldest book you have ever read? (Based on its written date)

I don’t have a lot of interest in old books, but probably Gulliver’s Travels.

4. What is a book series that everyone else loves but you do not?

Divergent. Though my main frustrations are with the writing not the story I guess. Other than that I never caught onto the Percy Jackson train. Don’t hate it, just don’t love it.

5. What book or book series would you like to see turned into a film/ TV series?

Ah yes. So many. Screenwriting is not something I’m pursuing but it’s a hobby, and everything I read gets the “could this be adapted” thought process. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet would make a perfect limited miniseries, but could also be serialized based on the concept. Beauty Queens would be great as anything from a musical to a tv show to a movie to a comic book tbh. Ramona Blue has a “shot over a long weekend with unknowns and maybe one biggER name star who’s also producing” indie vibe. Ditto for We Are Okay. The Song of Achilles should be a miniseries as well; one of those massive budget, A-list cast, premium cable shows. I could go on, but I’ll spare you.

6. What is your favourite stand-alone book?

Ari + Dante

7. What is a book that you feel glad for not reading?

None I can think of.

8. What is a book that you feel guilty for not reading?

I feel somewhat guilty for not finishing The Dark Wife because it feels like I’m not showing wlw solidarity, but as much as I go hard for the concept, the execution was so disappointing to me.

9. What is a book you have read that is set in your country of birth?

Fun Home

10. What is a book that you own more than one copy of?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the only one except for plays. Like I have Shakespeare anthologies plus some individual plays. And I have the off-Broadway and Broadway copies of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

11. What horror book made you really scared?

I don’t read horror!

12. What book do you passionately hate?

Ok so I’m like passionately not impressed by this book that I’m also lowkey obsessed with. It’s not good. Elements are but overall I don’t like it. but I’m just so intrigued that I’ve read it multiple times and made a million notes. It’s Fated by S.G. Browne. Every time I hope it will be less not good and it never happens.

13. What is the biggest book series you have read? How many books are in it?

There’s no way it’s not Harry Potter.

14. What book gives you happy memories?

On the Banks of Plum Creek

15. What book made you cry?

Y’all I cry so easily. The Song of Achilles tho...... sobbed.

16. What book made you laugh?

When Dimple Met Rishi is really sweet and pure and I’ve literally lol’d a few times.

17. What is your favourite book that contains an LGBTQ+ character?

Ramona Blue, currently. I’m also a big fan of The Sidhe.

18. Have you read a book with a male protagonist? What is it?

Lmao aren’t they all... um yeah idk I just looked over at my bookshelf and one of my new faves is Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor.

19. Have you read a book set on another planet? What is it?

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. (The Barsoom tales were, like, a thing for me after I was assigned that one in college.)

20. Have you ever been glad to not finish a series? Which?

Not really? I’m kinda keeping The Last Star at arm’s length because The 5th Wave was such a terrible movie and made my excitement for the series disappear. But I’m also trying to get over that because one shouldn’t necessarily impact enjoyment of the other.

21. Have you ever read a book series because you were pressured?

Probably the Hunger Games. I really wanted to get them read before the movie came out and I couldn’t avoid spoilers. Plus my college roommate was reading them at the same time so it was a good time to squee together. So pressured, but not in a bad way.

22. What famous author have you not read any books by?

Douglas Adams. Hitchhiker’s Guide has long been on my tbr but I’ve been itching to read it lately.

23. Who is your favourite author of all time?

Oscar Wilde.

24. How many bookshelves do you own?

Just bought two last week, so now I have six.

25. How many books do you own?

dont make me admit that. More than I’ve ever properly budgeted for, let’s say that.

26. What is your favourite non-fiction book?

Save the Cat! My interest in screenwriting led me to it, but it’s a really useful tool for novelists as well and anybody telling stories.

27. What is your favourite children’s/middle-grade book?

Hmmm... The Little Prince perhaps.

28. What is your next book on your TBR?

My library hold for Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari just came through this morning, so I’m going to get to that when I finish When Dimple Met Rishi.

29. What book are you currently reading?

When Dimple Met Rishi. So good. So sweet. And it features a girl in STEM wow amazing five stars for that.

30. What book are you planning on buying next?

Noooooooo. I just spent so much last week, and now that I’m apartment hunting, no more books. Tragic.

31. What was the cheapest book you bought?

There’s a great used bookstore in Boston with an outdoor bargain area and I think I’ve picked up stuff for $3 and under.

32. What was the most expensive book you bought?

Alright. Y’all already might’ve peeped me revealing that back in the day I was superwholock garbage. WEll. I have this “The Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester” donkey ass book that is $50 and I probably got a little discount but still paid really close to that amount.

33. What is a book you read after seeing the movie/ TV series?

Big Fish. I’m genuinely astounded that that movie came from that book. Like, the leaps from page to screen y’all.

34. What is the newest book you have bought?

these are all the books I bought at B&N last week

35. What three books are you most looking forward to reading this year?

Radio Silence, The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, and The Princess Diarist.

36. What is a book you love that has a terrible trope? (Love triangle, etc)

Ugh this is such a good question and here I am drawing a total blank.

37. Have you read a book in a different language? What was it?

Only some basic Spanish books when I took classes in middle and high school. Though my niece is in a bilingual program and brings home a lot of books with English and Spanish versions.

38. What is a book you’ve read that is set in a time period before you were born?

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

39. What book offended you?

WE ARE OKAY. ARE WE, NINA? ARE WE OKAY? nOPE

‘kay but I genuinely was offended because Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is compared to diner coffee and legit like.... no???????? Dunks never did nothin’ to you and ur rly gonna come for it like that??? ok, Nina. ur wrong, but ok.

40. What is the weirdest book you have read?

Uhhh. Yet again, she draws a blank!

41. What is your favourite duology?

Isn’t Strange the Dreamer meant to be a duology? The second book’s not even out and that’s my favorite.

42. What is your favourite trilogy?

Answering this question, I’m realizing that I haven’t read many trilogies in my life. Definitely The Hunger Games though. I just gorged myself on all three during a weekend-long summer storm.

43. What book did you buy because of its cover?

Wuthering goddamn Heights. I don’t even like that book, but the cover was phenomenal and I was like ok yeah Camille, let’s fkn do it

44. What is a book that you love, but has a terrible cover?

Aww that’s mean. I can’t think of any. I usually go for pretty covers and forget the rest. But I have the edition of Radio Silence with the cover I like less if that counts?

45. Do you own a poetry anthology? What is your favourite poem from it?

I don’t have an appreciation for poetry, sorry! I do own anthologies because I majored in English and had a writing concentration, but that’s literally the only reason I have them: they were assigned. So no favorite.

But since that seems lame and I haven’t been asked about short stories, I have a favorite from the 2013 Pushcart Prize XXXVII: Best of the Small Presses. It’s called “Juniper Beach” by Shannon Cain and it’s so wonderful. Really tight narrative woven together with zero snags along the way.

46. Do you own any colouring books based off other books?

Nope. Really wanted the Fantastic Beasts one but my wallet said ho don’t do it and for once, I listened.

47. Do you own any historical fiction?

I do not own any, but -and this feels totally like someone else’s memories- when I was a teen, I was all over Harlequin historical romance books oh my god.

48. What book made you angry?

See #39. I put that book down for weeks over it and told everyone I knew about the slanderous lies within.

49. What book has inspired you?

Paint It Black and White Oleander both make me want to be that good of a writer.

50. What book got you into reading?

Honestly my mother got me into reading, not any particular book, though imma single one out in a moment. Like my mom has literally never gone a day that I’ve been alive not spent reading. She got me started at the library young and I read my way through the whole children’s section. The Boxcar Children and the Baby-Sitter’s Club books were a big draw. And the one I’m singling out is On the Banks of Plum Creek which was a library discard. I read and reread that one about a million times. I’d loved books and reading but I’d never feasted on a book before that one. I never read the Little House series, my obsession was limited to that one book.

I’m tagging: @ozzery, @anassarhenisch, @midnightinkspill, @mariedtofiction, @rawr-booklover @booksandsweettea, and @thewizard-ofbooks

As usual, if you’re tagged please feel no pressure to play! And if you’re not tagged and you wanna play, please go forth and do so!

#tag game #book talk #about me #i try to switch up tagging ppl because it's hard to tell who wants to be tagged #also like #sorry if you've already done this and i tagged u

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midnightliar · 7 years ago

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the beautiful, luminous, inimitable @violaeade tagged me for 50 book questions!

1. What is your favourite book and/or book series of all time?

oh maybe everything leads to you by nina lacour! it just really gets to me

2. What is the longest book you have ever read? How many pages?

uhh idk what’s the longest harry potter book bc probably that? i dont... read books that long usually

3. What is the oldest book you have ever read? (Based on its written date)

ummm i think and then there were none by agatha christie? i dont keep track by time tbh but i dont read that many old books bc i tend to have trouble reading them

4. What is a book series that everyone else loves but you do not?

the raven cycle lol

5. What book or book series would you like to see turned into a film/ TV series?

oh god most of them? 99% of the lesbian ones for sure. percy jackson would make an excellent animated movie series imo. i’m clearly biased but tasu/teota would be great on screen.

6. What is your favourite stand-alone book?

most of the gay ones i read are standalones and theres so many good ones... i already said everything leads to you but we are okay and you know me well are also extremely good! of fire and stars killed me as well.

7. What is a book that you feel glad for not reading?

god. straight ones? ones that i heard are racist or homo/lesbo/bi/transphobic, but in general i’m picky abt what i read bc i don’t read that many books.

8. What is a book that you feel guilty for not reading?

i was gonna say i don’t feel guilty about not reading books i don’t like/don’t want to but that’s a lie- babe if ur reading this i am SO sorry i never finished the last chaos walking book

9. What is a book you have read that is set in your country of birth?

most of them lol that’s what i get for living in america. i read we are okay pretty recently which takes place in new york, the state i was born in, so that’s a bit more specific.

10. What is a book that you own more than one copy of?

i have 2 copies of redwall for no reason other than my high school library was selling one for a dollar so i bought it even tho i had it already. i have a couple copies of some of the a wrinkle in time books bc i got some of them as gifts a bunch.

11. What horror book made you really scared?

omg i don’t read horror but that one skulduggery pleasant short story about bubba moon or whatever freaked me the fuck out tbh

12. What book do you passionately hate?

um i haven’t read enough terrible books to say i hate them that passionately? but i rly kinda hated trc. oh yeah i read the first c*aptive pr*nce book in hs on the recommendation of a friend and it just made me so uncomfortable the entire time i really. did not have a good time with that one and i wish i hadn’t read it

13. What is the biggest book series you have read? How many books are in it?

skulduggery pleasant! theres 9 books plus short stories i still can’t believe i read all those

14. What book gives you happy memories?

aw sabrina answered this with the flywheel by erin gough and i have to say the same bc she sent it to me for my birthday, full of annotations of thoughts and jokes she made herself AND got it signed by the author, and i’ve uhhhh never felt so loved in my life

15. What book made you cry?

oh the book thief for sure. everything leads to you made me cry a bunch while rereading it even tho its not sad? thos were love tears. that happens a lot actually.

16. What book made you laugh?

skulduggery pleasant! there’s so many good lines in that one. my dad used to always hand me a book he’d just read and tell me to read a certain chapter he found hilarious but i never read the whole book but he always found hilarious memoirs too.

17. What is your favourite book that contains an LGBTQ+ character?

lmaoo like all the books i read are gay? the abyss surrounds us/the edge of the abyss have really unique lesbian characters because they’re so angry and vindictive and dumb and interesting and DRAMATIC so that one gets a shout out

18. Have you read a book with a male protagonist? What is it?

what the fuck is that (ok i legit just finished reading when the moon was ours by anna marie mclemore tho bc my gf rec’d it and it was p good)

19. Have you read a book set on another planet? What is it?

does fantasy count? bc then of fire and stars. uhh chaos walking is on a new planet. a wrinkle in time involves other planets too! wow i’m crushing this one

20. Have you ever been glad to not finish a series? Which?

the raven cycle lol i thought it was a finished trilogy when i started the first book so i just never read the last one and i am so relieved

21. Have you ever read a book series because you were pressured?

not really? i don’t really feel pressure, i value recommendations from my girlfriend friends way more than things that are trending or popular. i’ve read a couple that i blindly picked from internet lists that i didn’t care for tho but that was really a while ago

22. What famous author have you not read any books by?

pretty much any author we were supposed to read in high school. any classic or even modern famous author i probably haven’t read. i’ve read like a dozen books ever

23. Who is your favourite author of all time?

tbh nina lacour is really up there. when i was really young it was definitely gail carson levine. i rly loved anne ursu’s books as well.

24. How many bookshelves do you own?

only one! and a bunch of boxes that i never unpacked after we moved like 3 years ago. my mom wants to put a big wall bookshelf in our house somewhere bc this one didn’t come with any like our last house did but who knows if that’ll happen.

25. How many books do you own?

are u trying to make me count?

26. What is your favourite non-fiction book?

ohhh i don’t read much of this genre. i always avoided it as a kid and i’ve been meaning to get into it more but i haven’t yet. i’m really looking forward to reading a sally ride biography tho

27. What is your favourite children’s/middle-grade book?

the chronus chronicles by anne ursu were my JAM in elementary/middle school omg. i also really loved the may bird series which i didn’t read until high school.

28. What is your next book on your TBR?

i’m about to start georgia peaches and other forbidden fruit finally! my gf bought me 10 things i can see from here and i love her so whenever that arrive i’m probably gonna devour that. i want to reread a wrinkle in time soon since the trailer comes out this weekend! plus a million others

29. What book are you currently reading?

i literally just finished when the moon was ours which felt like it took me ten years to read and i haven’t started another yet but it’ll be georgia peaches bc thats the other one i got from the library and i already had to renew them haha

30. What book are you planning on buying next?

um this old west lesbian novel called backwards to oregon! i’ve been craving westerns lately but as always i’m also craving gay content

31. What was the cheapest book you bought?

i used to buy a ton of old paperbacks, usually goofy looking sf or fantasy novels from library sales for dollars or quarters so definitely those.

32. What was the most expensive book you bought?

i can tell u the most expensive book i got for free was a beautiful bound collection of hg wells stories that i just got from some book at bea before it was bookcon lol

ones i actually paid for... do art books count??

33. What is a book you read after seeing the movie/ TV series?

nah i usually have no intention of reading the book if i watched the show/movie first

34. What is the newest book you have bought?

akdjghksjgh a lesbian western novella called from the boots up for a few bucks on kindle

35. What three books are you most looking forward to reading this year?

the rest of the gay books i’ve bought but haven’t read yet! not your sidekick and labyrinth lost, i’m VERY excited to reread a wrinkle in time and i also really want to read stone butch blues

36. What is a book you love that has a terrible trope? (Love triangle, etc)

crush by sr silcox has the cutest lesbian teen summer romance AND one them is secretly a rock star avoiding her fame bc her controlling dad was turning into HIS dream instead of HERS akdjghksdjgh its fantastic i adored it

37. Have you read a book in a different language? What was it?

oh no i’m dumb as hell

38. What is a book you’ve read that is set in a time period before you were born?

for some reason dave at night by gail carson levine popped into my head first? that was my favorite as a kid and i reread it all the time and i think it took place in the 20s or 30s with all that good good jazz shit

39. What book offended you?

hm not sure how to answer this one

40. What is the weirdest book you have read?

idk the may bird series was pretty weird. gone by michael grant? i read the first for a high school book club and i just could not get into it or understand it even a little

41. What is your favourite duology?

ditty the abyss surrounds us & the edge of the abyss !!

42. What is your favourite trilogy?

wow i really haven’t read that many trilogies esp ones i loved. i guess may bird or the chronus chronicles then!

43. What book did you buy because of its cover?

the maze runner! also bc i heard it was good but i hated that book so

44. What is a book that you love, but has a terrible cover?

honestly i can’t think of one rn

45. Do you own a poetry anthology? What is your favourite poem from it?

nope! i also hated poetry as a kid and have only tried to get into it recently. i have a book of sappho’s fragments and i want to get tracy k smith from the library but thats about it

46. Do you own any colouring books based off other books?

nope

47. Do you own any historical fiction?

thats possible

48. What book made you angry?

the maze runner really did?? for some reason and i don’t get mad that much but it just really had me steamin. sabrina also said grasshopper jungle and i’m inclined to say same lmao. i haven’t read it but seeing all the lesbophobia in not otherwise specified recently made me really mad and also upset

49. What book has inspired you?

aw inspired is a serious word to throw around. the miseducation of cameron post, idk if it “inspired” me but it was my first lesbian novel and that really did a lot for me.

50. What book got you into reading?

i think it was a wrinkle in time! or maybe roald dahl books before that, but a wrinkle in time was definitely up there, and maybe the shadow thieves by anne ursu

i’m tagging @reading-takes-you-places and @mywomensworld and anyone who wants to! i don’t talk to many people here but if you follow me and want to, go for it!

#boy this was so many questions and i really don't......read..............#but ily babe ty for tagging me <3 #long post

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fmlfpl · 7 years ago

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Lineup Lamentations - GW22 - Happy New Year Edition

Our Transfers, Captains, and Starting 11s for the week.

Extra long lambs this week because it’s a podless GW and I guess we have many things to say as well as many doubts. Ok here we go :)

WALSH

TRANSFERS:

OUT: Lukaku GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY TEAM, Paul, and RLC

IN (For -4 points): Quaner, Alli, and Eriksen

The Jesus injury gave me some pause over the plan to go heavy on Spurs attack for the double but in the end decided meh fuck it. I can always go for Aguero after he plays Liverpool if it seems a prime thing to do. A little bit worried about City scoring for fun without Dilva and possibly without Kevin. My team would still have the same problem of being thin if I did go for Aguero in for Lukaku so am gonna restructure and get in there with a big move this week for the double.

Alli was automatic as I've been feeling how he's been looking lately. Eriksen v Son was a close one for me. Son explosive, but has the slight shout of being rested whereas Eriksen seems pretty nailed regardless. Going to go for the minutes play here. Little bit of nostalgia for me as well getting in Alli and Eriksen who were in my GW1 squad and did me well back in the day.

I am a bit worried about Quaner playing this GW but at this point I just want to get the cheapest guy possible and he seems a good first choice lad. Also feel like Huddy aren't the hugest shout to significantly reinforce in the transfer window in attack so hopefully he keeps it up.

I'm keeping Stephens over RLC for the simple reason that RLC could be knocked and miss out. Points this GW feels enough of a reason to keep Stephens over RLC. RLC looks like a really bad FPL pick with Benteke in and him playing in a more reserved role anyway so he's off. Had a couple of tidy returns for me so thanks bro but see you later.

GK:

Adrian goes. Woah. First non-Pope time at GK for me for a long fucking time. Feels weird but also good. DGW keeper always a good guy to have and WBA at home seems as good a clean shout as you can have at this moment. If he gets 8 or so points it would be very nice.

DEF:

Five at the back again for me. Triple Chelsea defense are in as per....Christensen, Azpil, and Moses....which much to my fucking nightmare was only 1 Chelsea defender in GW21 after Conte subbed Moses before 60'.... it’s their first difficult on paper fixture since I've gone with the treble. But, looking at how fucking shit Arsenal have been a clean doesn't seem that insane here.

Phil Jones god and legend of the baps is the most auto thing of life. Preached patience with United defense on the last pod and it came in straight away which was tidy. Everton are the worst attack possible so fuck them. Clean seems likely.

Last guy is the Dunk of Lewishire. Dunk and BHA defense has been a massive unheralded star of the FPL season for me and any of you who have been rotating a BHA defender for some time. They welcome the completely rudderless and injured to fuck Bournemouth side. Get in Lew my absolute son.

MID:

New old friends Alli the middle fingering diving cunt is back in alongside Eriksen. Not sure how long I'll keep, or who will get fucked off first, but Coutinho will be coming in soon for one of these lads. Just bought lottery tickets in Spurs attack and if they are able to put in between 5-7 goals over the two games I'll be absolutely BUOOZZINNNNN and also probably flying. Kill to fly, fly to kill.

Salah looks like he's a little bit dead, but since I bought him at 9m removing him was not even a small consideration. Will just have to rely on the bench if he doesn't go.

Finally, Raz is in and looks a dead cert for a start after not featuring today. Good guy Raz.

FWD:

Just the solitary Harold this GW. Standard 541 here at FMLFPL HQ nothing to see lads.

BENCH ORDER:

Quaner, Stephens, Niasse.

Bunch of lads. Who knows who will play and who will not play but I have three guys on the bench so getting a full team out looks very likely. Good job by me.

CAP:

TRIPLE CAP Kane.

It's time for me. I want to use the chip on Kane and the fixtures are as good as you can hope for. No assurances that Spurs will have another DGW and even though there is 1 day off between I am willing to take the risk using the chip this GW. It will allow me to pump the WC the week OF a future DGW instead of the week before which is pretty tidy and honestly I think we overrate the chips a LOT. Sure they are good, but it's not the end all be all of life.

I think illness whatever is dumb and I'm willing to risk that he will make it for both games. He's on fucking form and has just had a nice rest. Harry will Harry, triple cap will triple cap. Let's go Kane drink the nectar of the hat trick gods and keep pumping the goal with your jizzum.

ALON

TRANSFERS:

OUT: Richarlison my love and Lejeune the fuck

IN (For my second -4 of the season): Arnie and Ogbonna

Are you not supposed to have a bevy around a recovering alcoholic? I’d imagine not. Or smoke fags around someone trying to quit? Probably poor form, that. But here we are. I’ve been enabled... :)

I took a hit, my first hit of the season last week, and it resulted in a net +6 points (including the -4) and a nice green arrow. MY BLOOD IS PUMPING IN THIS MOMENT!!!!!!!

Hit #2 quickly followed today and oo baby I’m feeling nice... My hands were shaking and I had the cold sweats with a beautiful woman in the nude calling out to me... but I slighted her and instead looked up West Ham defensive statistics and compared Arnie to Lanzini for a couple of hours and took the -4; the only thing that’s real...........!!!

Richar my beautiful Brazilian lover our fling has flung. Obrigado for the points mate but you have City and there’s a double gameweek on the cards. Two fixtures, albeit one of them bad vs. Spuds, and I just had to go for Arnie.

Lejeune being dead in what will be the most heavily rotated GW of the season with Salah already ruled out and RLC probably missing out lead me to the second transfer and the -4; I just needed some fucking guys. The upside is there to make up the -4 so I’m tagging along with everybody else and it leaves me with four doublers for the DGW which feels pretty nice. So let us go.

GK:

DDG and United up against the Eve feels like as easy a cleansheet fixture as you can get. Tidy 7 pointer from him last GW and faith restored.

DEF:

Kicking off with Jones up against the same blues of Eve should be easy workings. And you know he’s Phil Jones king of the fucking BONES. 9 pointer what else is new. Good to have you back Philip.

Otamendi straight the fuck in last week with an 8 pointer as he seems to do every week. Took the shittiest ass pen from Milivojevic but I will happily cash those points in. Ota such a great pick - maybe a double up on the way soon with Stoner. Would make a lot of sense to not keep clean here with like a Richarlison brace or something since I transferred him out but ya know, whatever.

Christensen I have starting but who knows if Conte will follow suit. No one knows a thing about Christensen our Chelsea darling boy and if he can find a way into the 11 but we can hope. He’s top quality but blah - it’s concerning - getting another Chelsea defensive asset is at least 1 million away so it’s fucking hard to do. Come on BOD get in there bro. I don’t care it’s Arsecast, you start Chelsea defenders confidently in all fixtures. That’s how they do it.

Lastly new lad Ogbanzo beans should go twice for me. If they clean against West Brom will just be suuuuuch a huge boost of life. If he’s on 2 or less points going into Spurs will feel sad and bad. Meh. Never know. Two bites of the apple get me something Oggy.

MID:

Gonna start with the man the myth the Egyptian fucking god legend Momo Salah. He’s in - of course he’s in would be foolish and disrespectful to bench him - but Klopp has ruled him out for 2ish weeks which is a bummer. So he’ll probably be back for Man. City but we’ll get more autosubs in this week. At the end of Lambs we’ll each post our benches too since it’s going to be rotational hell.

Raz goes straight in Home Watford sexual fixture on the table - didn’t start earlier today so should be in vs. Watford and hauling as usual. Although we’ll see how good/bad City’s attack looks with no Kev and no Daveed (who knows with Daveed).

SUON my Korean boo, my differential treater, been a huge part of my run of greens these Heung-Min points. Got a double fixture on the cards for this GW and I’m just hoping for a combined more then 90 minutes - that’s all we can realistically hope for. And he’s been fantastic. Love him. Should bring in some points.

And Arnie the new guy in the squad. Scary to transfer in a guy who you might want to transfer out very very soon - never feels quite right - but he’s got a double this week and is bang on form starting OOP up top. Lots of shots and big chances and creating shit and touches in the box - TIT ME ARNOLD ARNAUTOVIC!

FWD:

Two guys leading the line in this moment. Alvy Morata the absolute shit-house I don’t know how fucking hungover he must’ve been to not get anything in a 5-0 thrashing but fucking hell. At least I didn’t cap him and avoid that nightmare but I still rate him - but it’s troubling. He might have to go soon. For now I’m just chilling he’s still a good pick and nailed and whatever. Arsecast can’t defend much.

The other guy is Lord Harold of Kane. He’s an absolute must this week - the most must of any guy in any week that I can remember. He was sick a few days ago he’s probably fucking fine. Maybe I’ll be awake until 5-6am and see some sort of additional news but even without the news I think Kane is fine. I expect somewhere around 150 minutes from him this GW and with those fucking fixtures that is pretty insane to think that he will not at least double return... I mean no one is guaranteed points but fucking hell Harold is a great horse to bet on.

BENCH ORDER:

I’m sat on Duffy, Quaner, RLC in this moment.

RLC is a problem and think he should be third on most benches. Duffy good shout at a clean probably coming in for Mo and then Quaner likely to get some minutes even he doesn’t start for a one point cameo if anyone else is rested/rotated in my team. Feels fine.

CAP:

DON’T YOU MEAN..... TRIPLE CAP!?!?!!?!??!?! OOKKKKKKKK LET’S FUCKKKKKKKK IT’S ON BABABYBABBBABABABY!!!!!!!

You already fucking know. Kane the most nailed cap of any life but Triple Cap - I’m going there - fuck it. I’m here I’m there...

Earlier today I really wasn’t feeling good about the triple cap - mostly just apprehension that everything is coming too fast and I’m gonna fuck something up. It’s been a crazy festive period and I’m just like ok, I need to chill, the green arrows are flowing, I just need to fucking chill.... But fuck that shit.

I struggle to come up with any STRONG arguments to NOT triple cap Kane and that’s where we’re left. The only two arguments to not triple cap Kane are:

1. Only one day off between fixtures - can he really play significant minutes in both with one day off.

2. Illness gate / yellow flag / no news.

But those are fucking REEEAAAALLLY weak arguments for me. Illness gate I mean that was a few days ago now. He’s probably fucking fine and not sick anymore like an asshole - and he has Monday off as well to rest up. And speaking of rest up I think he’ll just have to play 70ish in both (maybe more if they’re not winning) and tough it out because he’s not a fucking baby he’s a fucking man. And he’s resting now and he’ll rest after.

The arguments FOR triple capping him in my opinion are pretty overwhelming. Best guy, check, incredible form, check, most important player for the team, check, on pens, check, exceptional fixtures, check... What more do you want? Goal involvement, check, mouth breather, check, childhood GOONA, check, one season wonder, check, golden boot merchant, check.

LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

#FML FPL #FMLFPL #FPL #Fantasy Premier League #Lineup Lamentations

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