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girl4music · 3 years ago

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BUFFY REWATCH - S04E22 - Restless

Tara: “I think it’s strange. I mean, I think I should worry that we haven’t found her name.”

Willow: “Who, Miss Kitty?”

*shot of their kitten, playing with a ball of red yarn in slow-motion*

Tara: “You’d think she’d let us know her name by now.”

Willow: “She will.

*looking down at Tara*

She’s not all grown yet.”

Tara: “You’re not worried?”

Willow: “I never worry here. I’m safe here.”

Tara: “You don’t know everything about me.”

Willow: “Have you told me your real name?”

Tara: “Oh, you know that.

*Willow smiles, reaches for something. Shot of a paintbrush dipping into ink jars*

They will find out, you know. About you.”

Willow: “Don’t have time to think about that. You know I have all this homework to finish.”

*the camera pulls back so we can see Tara is lying face-down on her bed, naked, and Willow is painting on her back*

Tara: “Are you gonna finish in time for class?”

Willow: “I can be late.”

Tara: “But you’ve never taken drama before.

*shot of Willow dipping the paintbrush again, moving it across to Tara’s back, which is covered with Greek symbols*

Might miss something important.”

Willow: “I don’t wanna leave here.”

*Tara twists back to look at her*

Tara: “Why not?”

*Willow stands up, looking down at Tara. She turns away toward a dark red curtain. Walks over to it*

Willow: “It’s so bright.

*pulls back the curtain to reveal a brightly sunlit desert. The light falls on Tara, who looks over. Looking back at Tara, still holding the curtain open*

And there’s something out there.”

*shot of the desert, straggly plants, rocks. We briefly see something (someone?) moving, then it’s gone. Shot of the kitten stalking forward toward the camera, in slow-motion*

I have been so anxious to get to this episode and write my meta. For all the time I’ve brought up Willow’s insecurities, this is the one and only episode that lays them all bare for everybody to see, if - and this is important -, you are clever enough to decipher the code of visual symbolism and possess the ability of interpretation. Pretty much all of the episode ‘Restless’ requires you to interpret what you see. You’re not told straight-forwardly what the dreams, each of the core 4 Scooby members have, are about and that’s precisely what I love about it and why it is probably my most favourite episode of the whole show.

Now, obviously, I’m only going to be talking about Willow’s dream in the episode because if I were to do an analysis of every character’s dream, I’d be here all day and this recap would be incredibly long. I would suggest watching YouTuber Passion Of The Nerd’s analysis for it to get the whole picture. Much of what I will write here will draw from that as I agree with quite a lot of it and think it makes a lot of sense in understanding each character. Every character has fears, worries and insecurities, and that’s what these dreams are specifically about, but Willow’s go much deeper than can be witnessed in all of the show due to her “hiding” them under a “thinly-veiled” persona of who she wants to be. For the most part, you only get to see who she wants you to see. It is not until this episode that all of Willow’s real thoughts and feelings take center-stage - quite literally. There’s a reason why both her dreams in ‘Nightmares’ and ‘Restless’ have her performing on stage. The former, being more about stage fright and about wanting to go unnoticed. The latter, about acting like something she’s not and “putting on a show” of confidence and security to the other characters, who she fears knows about “the real her”, and the audience watching her. Now, “the real her” is as ambiguous as this entire dream sequence is - meaning: it depends on your point of view who Willow is. And this is why I clash with @confusedguytoo about Willow often regarding my views and opinions on Willow. They see something different to me. However, I’ll let them better explain that if they so wish to. I’ll only explain what I see - in Willow - and in this episode.

I relate Willow’s insecurities to her accumulation of power and need for control. For me, much of what I interpret in ‘Restless’ ties in and very much foreshadows Willow’s magic addiction and ‘Dark Willow’ storyline in Season 6 because, to me, Dark Willow is less about the Magicks and more about power and rage, (Anya interjects here: “and vengeance, don’t forget vengeance”). So I will go through the meaning of Willow’s dream in ‘Restless’ from the way I interpret it and in my own words:

Starting off, we have Willow sat on Tara’s bed with Tara (well, actually Tara is laying down on it and Willow is sat on it.) Tara is turned away from Willow as Willow paints some writing on her bare back (see Passion Of The Nerd’s analysis to know what is being written because it’s very significant to the scene.) This part of Willow’s dream has more to do with Tara than Willow, but it’s important to remember that it’s all from Willow’s perspective. Willow worries that there’s something about Tara that Tara isn’t telling her. Something she’s not “facing her” with and letting her know bothers her. But other than that - she has no worries. She feels safest with Tara and, as I’ve previously mentioned in another recap, is much more invested in the relationship they share than Tara is at this point in it. And the scales don’t actually equal in that because Willow becomes uncomfortably and unhealthily invested in that she starts to abuse Tara in such a way where she wants to make sure Tara pays the most attention to her. And magic has always been the best way for Willow to have “her will be done” well before Tara entered the picture of her life. And so, she knows it’s her bread and butter to getting her way.

Moving on, we now see Willow walking the halls of Sunnydale high school and Xander and Oz are in the dream. No Tara. Meaning this part of the dream is something passed in her life but still very present in her mind. Although this is of the past, the dialogue between all 3 characters is about Willow’s then-future. There is mention of Tara and of the drama class they will take in college. I interpret this to mean that Willow can’t entirely let go of what was to focus on what is or what will be. Hence why Oz is in the scene and why he says “Oh, I’ve been here forever” when Willow asks him if he’s ever took the drama course - at which point we see Willow trying to take something out of her locker but can’t seem to get it open. I interpret this to mean she’s locked out and cannot access that part of her life anymore despite still thinking about it, and specifically Oz, in it. You see, Oz may have followed Willow to college, but he never stayed. Their relationship was only one that existed in high school and Willow has regretfully moved on from Oz and entered a new relationship that exists in college and will last beyond that. She cannot access her high school life anymore. She cannot access Oz anymore. Thus, their love affair was tied to their high school life and Willow no longer goes there.

At this point we see Willow walk out of the frame, leaving Xander and Oz behind, to stand backstage of a production in their drama class - of which Willow has never even rehearsed for and hasn’t even had her first drama class yet. And the characters of Harmony, Riley and Buffy are dressed up in costume ready to perform the play and tell Willow that she’s late but she’s “already” dressed in “costume” and “already” in “character”. Giles then enters the scene as the stage director and his dialogue in rallying his actors to get ready to perform reveals that this play is all about Willow. In fact - she’s the main character in it (go figure) and everybody in the audience, including the cast, is there to watch her perform.

“Acting is not about behaving, it’s about hiding. The audience wants to find you, strip you naked, and eat you alive, so hide.” - Giles.

Next Willow goes behind the stage curtains (which are red to represent a vagina, apparently, according to Whedon in the commentary track for ‘Restless’) and finds Tara among them with her who tells her that things aren’t going very well. Willow says that drama class is not being done in the “proper” way, she doesn’t know what to do, and the play’s starting soon. Tara then tells her that the play’s already started and that’s not the point anyway. Willow doesn’t understand. As the play happens without Willow, Tara disappears, and what was following Willow attacks her.

Buffy saves her and we go back to Sunnydale high school. This time we’re in a classroom. It isn’t clear which class but it’s presumably English as Willow reads out a book report on ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Before she does that though, Buffy tells Willow that the play is long over and asks her why she’s still in “costume”. Willow responds that it’s not a costume, she’s just in her outfit of the day. Buffy tells her that everybody already knows about her and to take her “costume” off, to which Willow panics and refuses. Buffy rips her “costume” off of her to reveal her wearing the clothes she was wearing on the very first episode of the show. Now, Willow stands in front of a full classroom of her peers (both from high school, college, and the Scooby Gang) mocking her for her appearance and her reaction to being totally exposed to what she believes everybody perceives of her as the truth of who she really is. Still a shy loser. The dream sequence ends with what was following Willow and attacked her throughout; the first Slayer sucking out her soul and leaving the real Willow paralyzed in her sleeping state. Unable to escape from her personal Hell.

So what does it all mean? Well, it really all depends on the way you interpret her dream. Some things about Willow and what she thinks and feels are clear, some are not. But how I’ve interpreted her dream in ‘Restless’ is that Willow, despite appearing a much more confident, secure and assertive person, doesn’t have any belief in herself when it comes to her value and requirement of her from her peers, friends and lovers… Or everyone that’s not her. Her need for validation in who she is and what she can do from everyone. Her worthiness in her work. Her ability and capacity to love. Her appearance to whoever perceives her. Especially the ones she loves. And her insecurities run so deep in this that even she doesn’t recognize them. She’s not aware to how much she’s acting like someone she’s not in order to please, in order to have attention, in order to feel of use to people. Now, it is not that she is still the loser. She’s definetly evolved into a much more worldly and well-rounded person since her high school days. Stronger, smarter, wiser, and more confident. It’s just she doesn’t believe in it and she absolutely fears no one else does either. In her mind she’s still the lonely nerd and she’s doing the most to make sure people don’t see that. Even though she has the belief that they do and always will. So her need for power and control all stems from these deep unconscious insecurities. Magic just happens to be the most effective tool for her to accumulate this. And she only becomes addicted to it in Season 6 because she relies on it to make her special. Even though she’s special as she is - with or without magic - to which Tara does her damnedest to make her aware of and believe. And she’s about the only person in the show that achieves it - until, of course, her death… Which, of course, triggers Dark Willow.

Willow's need for power and control as Dark Willow is channelled through rage and pain and so no amount of it is enough. Willow isn’t enough without Tara. None of these fears, worries and insecurities are the truth of Willow. But getting her to believe in and trust in that is next to impossible. Tara is only capable of it because she’s the one thing in the show that Willow truly loves. Is truly committed to. Is truly invested in. And she feels like she means and is nothing without her, without her love, without her attention, without her validation, without her light. She abuses her the most because she’s the one person in all of the show that she covets the most. That she doesn’t want to be without, that she feels the safest and is the happiest with. That she won’t let leave her life. Yes, it’s unhealthy. But true love can be when there’s so much inner turmoil. When there’s such a storm inside threatening to be unleashed with every bad day. Every screw up. Every "spaz" feeling. That's what it stems from. A loser mentality.

That is Willow’s entire predicament throughout the whole show and why her character representation, development and evolution is the greatest, the most profound, the most detailed, the most poignant. This is a character that you absolutely fall in love with very early on. To see them go from that gentle-natured, quirky, inspiring and endearing person to one of the most abusive, frustrating, corruptive and destructive people is hard. Fortunately, they’re given the endgame they deserve and become the hero. They learn to balance both sides to who they are - the dark and the light - and they become exactly who they want to be. Someone of great power and control. Someone that is valued and loved. Someone that matters. Whether she believes it or not is up to you. 😉

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bartramcat · 4 years ago

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CSI/GSR: Long vs. Short Term Arcs

Okay, this is very off the cuff and inspired to some degree by @addictedtostorytelling and the discussion of Morgan and Greg and Hodges. Some stray things:

We know that the only thing decided about Sara Sidle pre-show was that she was meant to be Grissom's love interest.

At some point, before CSI continued to be a ratings juggernaut that Zuiker figured Grissom would go deaf, and that would be how the show would end.

When Grissom turned Sara down in Play With Fire, TPTB had decided that was going to be the end of that.

Things no one could have predicted:

The overwhelming worldwide success of the show, necessitating a workable resolution to Grissom's deaf storyline.

That no matter what, whenever Grissom and Sara are onscreen together, there is "something" there.

Billy and Jorja both were invested in GSR.

It seems to me the combination of the above is what gave us Season 4. In terms of GSR, a case could be made that they were starting all over again in a serialized novel sort of way.

Now I confess to knowing absolutely nothing about the Harry Potter novels, but, in my youth, thanks to Masterpiece Theatre, I did read all of The Forsyte Saga and Trollope's Palliser novels. What serialized novels have in common is that, for the most part, each novel stands on its own, but the author feels the need to continue to explore aspects of his characters beyond the original scope of the original novel.

In that regard, I suppose we could see 1-3 as a kind of GSR entity on its own. Grissom gets promoted and brings the girl he loves to Vegas, only to discover he can't have both the job and the girl. Beginning in 2, Grissom has two simultaneous arcs: the fear of going deaf and his unresolved feelings for Sara, with the first further compounding the complications associated with the second. What he doesn't discover until season 3 is that his "push me/pull me" relationship with Sara drives her to another man, a fact which utterly devastates him to an extent he could never have imagined.

Still, it is the deaf arc that is of more overriding concern: if he can't hear, he not only loses his job but also his entire sense of self at that point in time. Resolving his feelings for Sara will have to be backburnered, so he decides not to punish her for getting a life, as, at that point, he has no life to offer her, since he's not even sure what his life will be.

Meanwhile, back in Saraland, she discovers Hank is a dog and ends the relationship. If GSR were bad soap opera, the fact that Sara was seeing Hank would have been seen as a primary impediment. The thing is it never was. To me it's just one more nail in the Sara low self-esteem coffin. Also, if it were soap, the lab explosion and Grissom's unconscious revelation of his feelings for her would have led to some kind of positive resolution. The problem is that Grissom's deaf arc is still in play, not to mention all of his other relationship with Sara fears.

Sara misreads the situation; she thinks, finally, he might be ready to take the plunge, but she's completely wrong. By bringing their relationship to an either/or position, she basically pushes him into outright rejecting her, thus ending this phase of their arc. Ironically, Grissom's deaf arc gets resolved in the very next episode, but, by then, he really thinks it is "too late."

The thing about 4, besides it being incredibly hard to watch Sara descend into the abyss, is that, for the first time, the show makes it unequivocally clear that Grissom is both sexually attracted to Sara and in love with her. (The first doesn't always imply the second, although we learn later, for Grissom, it does.)

While Homebodies explores Grissom's fears that he won't ever be able to keep his loved one (Sara) safe--perhaps foreshadowing--Invisible Evidence certainly spells it out that his attraction to her is as physical as it is intellectual and emotional. I doubt anyone could watch those "pin me down" seconds out of context and not think that was a man who was about to fuck the shit out of her. (Of course in context it can't happen, but the desire is certainly there.)

Overall, however, outside of that, Grissom goes out of his way to distance himself from Sara: that "too late" thing again. Then the show throws Butterflied at us (and him), wherein it is made abundantly clear he is in love with her and regrets turning her down. What he doesn't know is that she hears everything he says, which twists the knife. She wasn't wrong: he does have feelings for her, only those feelings aren't strong enough for him to risk it, to take a chance on love.

So what we have for the rest of 4 is Grissom continuing to distance himself from Sara under the misguided belief that he has killed any feelings she had for him, while she continues to sink into depression and alcohol dependence. Given his distancing, he seems unaware that something isn't right with her until late in the season, and then it hits him between the eyes and in the gut in Bloodlines.

In a weird way, 4-6 is the inverse of 1-3. If Season 1 begins with a lot of light-hearted flirtation (and off the charts sexual chemistry) and ends with a seemingly insurmountable rift between them, 4-6 begins with the rift and works its way to their becoming an actual committed couple in a seemingly stable relationship. Of course the frustrating part is that the show neglected to tell us when, where, and how, although it's pretty evident that, for Grissom, Bloodlines is the catalyst for him to try to rebuild their relationship. I do not think he did so thinking the end result would be a "beautiful life" with Sara. More than likely, the best he hoped for was for them to be friends again.

As an aside, in the middle of 1-3, we have Cassie James, Grissom's personal Cassandra, telling him "You don't know what you need until you find it." While Grissom's "need" for Sara is couched purely in work terms throughout 3, season 4 into 5 shows a man who has seemingly come to terms with the fact that he both loves and needs her. The first half of 5 shows him far more in tune with her, and they begin to be comfortable together again. While I think he is perhaps at a place where he might occasionally daydream about the possibility that someday they might be together, I also suspect he thinks that ship has sailed.

And that is why he is completely floored in Snakes. Seemingly out of nowhere, she more or less tells him she's still in love with him, although, unlike in Play With Fire, she has no expectations that he can ever reciprocate her feelings. She, too, thinks that ship has sailed, but, now, she is reconciled to that fact.

I suppose the question for me has always been whether or not he goes to her in Nesting Dolls and tells her that it matters to him, not as her boss but as a man, why she's so angry, if Snakes doesn't happen. A large part of a believable narrative is that one thing must naturally lead to another. As a narrative arc, from 4 to mid-5, we get the following:

Invisible Evidence makes it clear that these two people are still sexually attracted to one another, even though neither one would consider acting on it at this point.

Butterflied confirms Grissom is in love with Sara and regrets turning her down.

Early Rollout tells us Sara may have a serious drinking problem.

Bloodlines is Sara at her lowest point, having been pulled over for a DUI, which signals to Grissom just how miserable she is.

In early 5, they begin to rebuild their camaraderie, with Grissom occasionally kind of sort of flirting with her, in his fashion.

Snakes confirms that, despite everything, she's still in love with him.

After her meltdown in Nesting Dolls, Grissom goes to her and coaxes her to tell him her deepest secrets, after which he comforts her, although what transpires between them after he takes her hand, like so many things GSR, is left vague.

It's always been curious to me that after their conversation in Unbearable that the curtain is drawn on exactly what the nature of their relationship is. I have always read, from Big Middle on, that they act like a couple, albeit a couple in the workplace. We get very little entree into their private interactions, so when and how they became lovers is open to individual interpretation. It isn't until the final scene of 6 that the show bothers to tell us they are lovers, and, judging by their interactions in Way to Go, have been a couple for some time.

I don't know about anyone else, but I think they seem married in that scene: completely comfortable with each other in a way that more or less screams that scenes like the one we are finally privy to have been occurring for a while.

In any event, 4-6 is a pretty remarkable journey in GSR land, as the two characters move from barely being able to speak to one another into a full-fledged love affair.

The amazing thing to me is that both the 1-3 and the 4-6 segments follow a logical progression, with each small insight or revelation explaining both choice and behavior--and leading into the next arc in their relationship.

It really is good stuff.

#csi #csi: las vegas #gsr #gil grissom #sara sidle #grissom x sara #mytext

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enviedear · 4 years ago

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dreams → draco malfoy

DESCRIPTION ⌙ in which draco tries to make amends with his old bestfriend he pushed away. the girl who saw the best in him, and still might.

PAIRING ⌙ draco x fem!reader

WORD COUNT ⌙ 2.6k

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

you knew what was to come before it actually came. you could tell from the way he acted. instead of confiding in you, he would ignore you. instead of listening to you, he would find an excuse to leave the conversation.

your best friend was not your best friend anymore. but you were a hopeful third year then, and the thought of a diminishing friendship seemed ridiculous.

it was a horribly cold day when it all happened. you were sat near the frozen black lake, watching snowfall when you had heard the familiar call of your name.

when you turned around you had seen your best friend, draco.

“i’ve missed you! come sit beside me and catch up,” you exclaimed.

“i can’t do that, y/n.” he had said, simply.

you still remember the way you looked at him. your eyes were full of innocent confusion.

“draco what are you talking about? are you scared of getting your ass wet from the snow?” you had teased.

“no. i just can’t be around you anymore.” his eyes were colder than the air around you.

you didn’t say anything, just continued looking at him. none of it had felt real. sure draco wasn’t the nicest boy in your year, but he was your best friend. this all had to be some joke. a cruel joke, but a joke.

“i can’t hang about some ditzy hufflepuff. if i want to keep my friends i can’t be seen with you. and if i want to date pansy i can’t have some lovestruck girl around me all the time, can i?” he had hissed.

lovestruck? no. not at the time, in third year you only wanted a friend.

“oh. okay, i’m sorry for bothering you then.” you had mumbled.

and that was that. nothing else was said between the two of you. you had quickly abandoned the notion of watching the snowfall, and instead, slipped into your empty dorm room.

you had made your way to your bed, closed the curtains, and laid there for hours. the thoughts in your head keeping you awake. you’d missed dinner, and your dorm mates had brought you some without a word. that night, it rained. it was a terrible thunderstorm.

but the thunder seemed to match your pain, and it comforted you a little. and after that night, you started enjoying every thunderstorm.

you were now in your sixth year, and many things had changed. mainly, your feelings toward a certain blonde slytherin.

“if i were parkinson i’d feel so embarrassed for myself.” your best friend, ruth giggles.

the two of you were at dinner, and ruth had a perfect view of draco and pansy.

“why? what’s happening?” you ask.

“well, she’s trying to hold his hand but he’s much too focused on his turkey leg to take notice of her. poor girl, you’d think she’d figure out the bloke doesn’t like her.” ruth sighs.

you roll your eyes, “pansy would put up with anything for malfoy. she’s so dependent.”

it was a horribly rude thing to say of course, but it was true. you were sure everyone knew that parkinson would do anything to get into a relationship with malfoy.

“well, i’m all done. want to head to the library with me before it closes?” ruth asks.

you nod your head and grab your bag.

the walk to the library after dinner had become part of your daily routine, and if it weren’t for ruth you know you’d probably forget to study most days.

the two of you find a table to sit at, and take out your books. it’s only november, so the workload isn’t too heinous yet. you choose to review your potions notes and begin to study ahead for the upcoming lesson.

you’re in the middle of reading a section about the elixir of euphoria when ruth tells you she’s going to head to bed.

“okay, goodnight. i’m going to finish this and then i’ll be down there.” you smile at her.

she bids you goodnight, and then you’re left alone. by the time you finish, it’s well past bedtime. but lucky enough, you’re a prefect. the fact always comes in handy for you.

you pack away your books and begin heading for the hufflepuff common room. you’re just outside the library when you see someone pass by the adjoining corridor.

the dim light makes it impossible for you to determine who it is, so you follow after them.

“excuse me! no one is to be out of bed right now. i’m going to have to give you detention..” you trail off, making eye contact with the familiar grey eyes of your childhood.

“y/l/n.” he says, almost surprised.

you don’t say anything, you simply pull out a detention slip and hand it to him.

“get to your common room, malfoy.” you mutter, turning around.

“are you still mad at me?” you hear him ask, his tone light and careful.

“whatever are you talking about?” you glare, turning to face him once more.

“you know what i’m talking about, y/l/n. i think you’re giving me this bloody detention because you’re still upset i didn’t want to be your friend in third year.” he spits.

you feel your ears grow hot before you reply, “we’re not kids anymore. i’ve moved on and so should you. leave me alone, malfoy.” and with that, you leave the boy standing alone.

the next day is much the same as usual. you start the day with charms, struggle your way through advanced transfiguration, and go to herbology. after lunch, it’s time for your free period.

most days, ruth accompanies you outside near the black lake to sit and relax. with everything going on in the world these past few years, you’re glad to have a friend you can confide in. today, however, she’s stuck retaking a charms test. so you’re all alone this evening.

the cold november air casts goosebumps on your skin, but you’re too focused on your thoughts to care. all day, you’ve found yourself reliving last night with draco. you’ve played the situation out so many times you’re convinced that at this point, you’ve come up with every single way the conversation could have gone.

maybe you could have be nicer to him? maybe you shouldn’t have spoken at all? maybe you should have put him in his place more?

all of these thoughts bombard you, and make you feel just like you did back in third year. weak, confused, and hurt. you didn’t even know why you were thinking of draco so much in the first place.

well, maybe you did know. even though you weren’t friends anymore, you still looked out for him. there were plenty of times people would speak badly of him for things he couldn’t change, and you’d be quick to defend him.

you also always listened in to any conversation where his name was brought up. at this point, you were sure it was instinct.

you didn’t like draco anymore, but you still loved him. granted, not the way you loved him as a child. no, now you have a love for him that rivals any love poem, song, or illustration.

and you hate it. you don’t know why you love him, and it doesn’t stop you from loathing the person he is now. though, you’ve often let your mind slip into a different scenario. one where draco never stops being your friend. he doesn’t care for what others have to say. and after school the two of you fall in love and live in a cottage in italy.

but the only cottage you can possibly see in your near future is hagrids’. so you always stop the thought before you can become too invested. all your wishes for a different life with draco can never come to fruition anyway.

you check your watch and see it’s time to head inside for dinner. you’ve almost reached the greenhouses before you’re violently pulled backward, causing you to fall straight on your ass.

you look up and are greeted with the very face you told to leave you alone.

“great, it’s you. have you come to hex me for your little detention?” you remark, getting to your feet.

“you’re such a brash person to be in hufflepuff, has anyone ever told you that.” draco spits, before lighting his tone, “sorry i didn’t mean— i just need to speak with you.”

“so you flung me on my ass?”

“i didn’t mean to!”

you narrow your eyes at him, “i don’t want to speak with you. for the last time, leave me alone.”

“y/n you don’t understand i don’t have anyone else to talk to!” he shouts.

“oh so now you want to talk to me! just because your other friends are too busy now. what is it they’re busy with draco, helping the dark lord?” you seethe.

he huffs and looks down, not saying a word.

“that’s exactly what it is, isn’t it? keep me out of it, malfoy. i don’t want to be a part of your pathetic ideology.” you jeer.

he keeps his gaze on the ground when he mutters, “i don’t want to be a part of it either. that’s why i wanted to speak to you,” he looks up and stares right into your eyes. “i need help.”

your mind goes a mile a minute. you can’t stop looking at him. you don’t know if this is real or not but you reply before you properly think it out.

“what do you need from me?”

you see him relax a little. his eyebrows lower, he slouches a bit, and his eyes become softer. he looks more like the draco you knew. the thought makes your stomach drop and your mind race.

“can i take you somewhere?” he asks.

you nod your head and begin to follow the tall boy. he leads you into the castle, and up to the seventh floor. he looks at you before telling you to stand where you are and walks up and down the corridor three times.

you look at him confused and are about to suggest that maybe someone hit him with a confundus charm when suddenly a door appears in front of you.

“the room of requirement?” you ask, amazed.

draco doesn’t say anything as he pulls you into the room with him.

the room in question amazes you. there are millions of things that capture your gaze. it makes you feel extremely small.

“what are we doing here, draco?” you quiz.

“i’m going to show you something but you have to promise not to judge too quickly,” he stresses.

“i can’t just promise you—“ you stop yourself, taking away your defenses, “i won’t judge you draco. just get it over with.”

he lets out a deep sigh before lifting up his sleeve on his left arm, and you know what it is before he shows you.

a dark mark.

“draco, that’s kind of hard not to judge,” you affirm.

“i know. y/n, but i didn’t want it. he— he made me. my bloody father ruined everything. now i have to play as the dark lords' pawn. he’s asked me to do the unthinkable...” draco falters.

“what do you mean? what’s the unthinkable?”

the boy in front of you begins to look even more broken and hurt as he no doubt begins to think about whatever is troubling him.

“dumbledore. i have to kill him.” he says, tears pooling out of his grey eyes.

the confession causes you to step closer to the boy. you search his face for a lie, but come up empty-handed.

“you don’t have to, draco! you can go into hiding with me. we can go into the muggle world. do not do this, draco.” you plead.

“y/n you don’t understand. the dark lord will kill my mother if i don’t. she’s doesn’t deserve to die because of father’s mistakes or my cowardice. i have to do this. i just need one person to know that i never wanted to do it.” he tells you, desperately trying to wipe away his tears.

you can’t bring yourself to say anything, so instead, you wrap your arms around him. he’s still cold from the breeze outside and he shakes a little still from his confession. but you hold onto him and rub his back.

“i’m so sorry for everything. for third year, for this. i’m sorry y/n. i know you told me that i shouldn’t be worried about something that happened when we were kids, but i can’t help it. i never forgave myself.” he whispers into your ear.

“i know you’re sorry, draco.” you whisper back.

he pulls away from you and puts a hand on your cheek, “i was scared. you made me a good person and it scared me. and i loved you. salazar, did i love you.”

you furrow your eyebrows, “you loved me? back in third year?”

“so much. i never stopped really. i thought about telling you so many times over the past few years, but i could never work up the courage. then this happened and—” he sighs looking down at his mark, “well i thought i should tell you before everything happens.”

“i love you too. i hated not having you in my life.” you confess.

“i’ll never leave you again. i know it’s a lot to ask of you. i want you to tell me if you don’t want to be a part of this. you don’t have to put up with my fucked up life.” he expresses.

“i know you’re good, draco. i’ll make sure that after all of this is over, you’re not seen as something you’re not. when harry kills him and ends it all, i’ll be here. i want to be here for you, and i will.”

his eyes take in your words, watching your lips. the two of you are so close you can smell the deep and musky fragrance of his cologne. you feel the beat of his heart. his eyes bounce around from your mouth to you eyes, looking more asking each glance.

finally, you begin asking him the same question without the use of words. he doesn’t hesitate and connects his lips to yours. there’s electricity to the kiss. the motion causes your world to become brighter. you feel as though you’re opening up a part of your soul that hasn’t been touched in years, making you lean in deeper. the two of you are exploring parts of yourselves and each other, and before you can figure one thing out the kiss takes you to a new revelation.

the kiss starts to become even more hungry and intense. draco slips his free hand to the back of your neck, and you bring your hands to his soft hair desperately trying to pull him even closer. you feel your face get hotter and your stomach flutters more. draco’s lips are like the violent thunder you’d grown so accustomed to loving over the years. it makes you yearn for more, even though you know you have everything. you have every single fiber of the blonde boy. his soul is yours, and yours is his.

when the two of you pull away, nothing is said. you both silently come to the same conclusion, what you two share now makes up for what was lost.

“i’m so glad i never moved on from you.” he professes.

you smile a little at his wording, thinking back to the previous night. looking back in it now, you don’t understand why you’d ever lie to him.

“i never really wanted you to.” you say.

even though nothing is perfect and your situation had too many issues to write down, you and draco feel comfort and ease the both of you haven’t felt in a long time.

this time, you won’t let it escape you.

#—myfics !#draco x y/n #draco x you #draco malfoy fanfiction #draco malfoy #harry potter #draco one shot #draco x hufflepuff!reader #draco malfoy angst #draco malfoy x y/n #draco lucius malfoy #draco malfoy x reader #draco imagine #draco fanfiction #hufflepuff!reader #stephs200challenge

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wewontstaydead · 3 years ago

Text

Burtonverse Headcanons

Harvey's suits are made from some of the finest water-resistant material available in 1989, which makes them e x p e n s i v e

Still in law school ten years prior, working nights as a cook in a diner and spending weekends winning boxing championships(edited)

Although he generally dislikes facial hair and does his best to shave at least every other day if not daily, he has a striking and well-tended mustache that's become his look

He keeps his liquor cabinet well stocked with scotch and has a number of different glasses available, highball and lowball in particular(edited)

He's got more than one nickname, and the one used depends on whether you like him or you don't; his favorite is Gotham's White Knight

Wasn't a member of any gangs in Gotham, but still mostly lived on the street as he was raised an orphan; he has an intensity that means most people won't mess with him

He is more than happy to offer favors for favors

Known as a ladies man and possibly even a womanizer; often seen at public events with a new woman on his arm, sometimes leaving with an additional one

This was not previously the case - Gilda had been the apple of his eye until she left

Often plays his luck with his female associates, mostly for fun but also to see if he can; still respects others' relationship status in the long run but will still flirt anyway

Smokes cigars like a chimney and almost always has one in hand(edited)

Willing to work under the table with private investigators, photographers, and other criminal sources to gather information needed to take out the big names - more than willing to make a deal, but not afraid to blackmail if needed

Has blackout curtains in his bedroom in case he's had to work on a case overnight; on the Joker case, he was a workaholic, in and out of the house and his office at all times of night, his sleep was restless and wakeful, he usually ate in his office and ignored calls from Gilda intending to call her back later

She left sometime between a Monday and a Thursday; she had told him she would support him so long as he didn't leave her behind, and that was a promised he'd made as part of their wedding pact(edited)

In some circles, he's known as Two-Face, and he doesn't think that's a fair moniker in Gotham City - no matter your intentions, or how strict your moral compass, everything there is grey

Disregard for the influential families in town, Cobblepots, Sionises, Elliots; one exception was the Waynes, at least before Bruce's parents were murdered - they seemed to be genuinely good people who wanted what was best for the city. Their murder had been the turning point, and people started flocking to men like Carl Grissom for help

Old news that Jack Napier had killed the Waynes, but the death of Grissom at the hands of the Joker prevented him from gathering the evidence needed to prove it was a targeted assassination; the death of the Joker had left little reason to keep digging through the boxes of evidence raided from Grissom's office

Considers himself a gentleman through and through and will rarely say a word against a woman unless it's entirely necessary

Harvey knows what he's good at and is willing to work on expanding his repertoire, but he also recognizes that he can't do everything himself; that's part of the reason he's willing to hire/blackmail someone like Selina to do some dirty work for him, because he can't slink his way through vents and rafters like she can

After law school but prior to running for District Attorney, Harvey had run a firm partnered with John Bernstein, and the two had been inseparable for a time; Bernstein actually ran against him for the DA spot, claimed to know a lot of things about Harvey that the public didn't, including that Harvey had invested money in a number of buildings and apartment complexes in the older parts of town that needed some work; on paper, that work had been done; Harvey turned those accusations around on Bernstein and eventually won the DA spot

Wickedly proud of his job and often vengeful when the bad guys go to his enemies for help instead of trying to work something out with him

Still wears his wedding ring occasionally in private, but most of the time has removed it

Half is work is done via the slow ass dot matrix printer on his computer, half is done on the typewriter he keeps in one corner of his office

No siblings, no cousins, no real friends besides Bruce Wayne and doesn't talk to him much; still on decent terms with Gilda, talks with her over the phone, but it's rare to see her in person

Tries to make full use of a resource and wring it dry before pulling in someone or something else - some call him a cheapskate, but he doesn't like throwing money at problems if he doesn't have to

Growing up on the streets, he was used to scraping by with whatever coat or blanket he could find and managed to skirt the edges of frostbite most of the time

Has grown quite used to living more above his means; Gilda had enjoyed it as well and helped him develop the majority of his vices

Dislikes the Mayor and wants to oust him, but doesn't want the job for himself

#[ justicehastwosides ]#v; ghosts and goblins #this is stuff I came up with writing something out with a friend off of tumblr #lots of headcanons for Billy Dee Harvey - we didn't get much further than the Christmas Day speech though

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keelywolfe · 4 years ago

Text

FIC: The Royal We ch.5

Summary: Finally the concluding chapter of 'The Royal We'! Wonder what's gonna happen here, hmmmm.

Tags: Spicyhoney, Kustard, Established Relationships, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Part of the ‘by any other name’ series.

~~*~~

Read it on AO3

Read it here!

Edge woke far later than normal to the sound of the shower running. He jerked halfway upright in the bed, briefly disoriented, before the events of the day before came back to him in a rush. The baby shower planning, the discussion with Stretch about having children, or rather not having them, Janice’s son getting lost, and learning that Stretch’s abilities as a Judge allowed him see Monster souls, including his own.

Small wonder he’d overslept, Any one of those things would be tiring but put together it was entirely too much for a single day, particularly one where he and Stretch finally came upstairs in the wee hours of the morning, barely taking the time to shed their clothes before flopping together into their bed.

At least Stretch seemed to be somewhat recovered if he were up to taking a shower. Edge sank back against the mattress, kicking the blankets from his feet as he stretched with joint-popping bliss, luxuriating in a moment of uncommon laziness. As stressful as the day before had been it had also been cathartic in some ways, certain issues clouded between him and Stretch discussed then cleared away.

This morning his leg felt fine even without the brace, without even a trace of a pain. It was actually healing as the doctor promised it would, despite Edge’s occasional loose interpretation of their directions, and as time passed it would keep getting better until the injury was only a memory and an occasional ache on very cold days.

Getting back to normal, that was all. The term ‘normal’ when it came to their lives was certainly up for creative interpretation, but it honestly felt like they were getting to it. Of course, that was dependent on nothing new cropping up in their lives and it surely would. It didn’t matter, whatever came he and Stretch would face it together.

Thinking of togetherness, Edge rolled out of bed and made his way to the ensuite bathroom. Muffled strains of music were coming through the closed door and when he opened it, it poured out, bright and pop-cheerful. Behind the shower curtain, oblivious to his audience, Stretch was singing along. He’d always have a lovely singing voice, husky sweet and pitch perfect but it was the lyrics gave Edge a pause.

“i’d get down on my knees, i’d do anything for you…ohhhh, i don’t want anybody else, when i think about you, i touch myself…”

Well, that was an invitation if he’d ever heard one.

Edge only took long enough to strip of his pajamas, casting them off in a rare messy pile on the floor before sliding around the shower curtain. He was ready for Stretch to yelp and jump, catching him before he could slip on the wet porcelain. His lovely bones were slick with water and soap and he was blinking through the spray, his pale eye lights still bright from the surprise.

“holy shit, babe,” Stretch sputtered, licking water from his teeth. “a little warning would be nice!”

Edge only shifted Stretch in his arms, settling him with his spine pressed firmly against Edge’s chest. At his silent urging, Stretch let his head drop back against Edge’s shoulder, huffing a groan as Edge murmured against his skull. “And miss the chance to sweep you off your feet?”

“you can get in your gropes without giving me a—oooh,” Stretch broke off and Edge smirked, mouthing lightly at his scapula as his hands wandered lower, his bare fingers seeking out places he knew were sensitive, pressing and stroking until Stretch shivered in his arms despite the heat of the water pouring down on them.

“What was that?” Edge crooned. “I couldn’t quite hear.”

“baaaaaabe,” Stretch moaned. He squirmed, his pelvis scraping tantalizingly against Edge’s. “this isn’t fair.”

“No? I was only trying to confirm the truth of your statement,” and before Stretch could ask, “Do you, then? Touch yourself when you think about me?”

“heh.” That squirm turned into a deliberate grind and Edge caught his breath, “want a demonstration?”

As it turned out, by the time Stretch was finished ‘demonstrating’, they both needed another shower and Edge was never more pleased to have splurged on their hot water heater. The chance to hold Stretch in his arms for longer without any chilly surprises was well worth the extra cost.

~~*~~

It was a few hours later that Edge was finishing buttoning his shirt, giving his husband a sideways look where he was still sprawled out on the bed, entirely naked except for a single sock that was still sagging at the ankle. The other was in his hand, waiting for its owner to either work up the energy to put it on or to abandoned it to its lonely fate.

Tipping the scales in favor of wearing might be in order. “Are you planning on putting that sock on or do you need longer to bond?”

“i’ll put it on as soon as i can feel my feet,” Stretch sighed out dreamily, “babe, you sure know how to make an entrance.”

“In a variety of ways,” Edge said serenely. “I do well with entrances.” He sat on the side of the bed next to Stretch and leaned in to give him a lingering kiss before snatching up the sweatshirt beside him and dropping it on his head. “Come on, get dressed, we need to check on the chickens. I believe there may have been an event we missed.”

Stretch lurched upright, fighting his way out of the clinging folds of the sweatshirt to give Edge a stricken look, “fuck, i forgot!” The sweatshirt was only half on when he started for the door and he was still struggling to pull it over his skull when he made for the stairs.

“Pants!” Edge shouted after him. Their neighbors asked so little of them and he really didn’t think that no unexpected nudity was an unreasonable request.

A shout floated back up, “bring ‘em with you and i’ll get the coffee going!”

Edge only shook his head and retrieved a clean pair of track pants from their dresser. However this might end, at least it would be with a reasonable amount of dignity.

Well, that might be a tall ask of Stretch and if he couldn’t be clothed in dignity, pants would have to do, so long as it wasn’t the bare minimum.

Edge stifled his grin and headed for the stairs, pants in hand and ready to share that particular witticism with his husband. Anytime was a good time for pun to Stretch, but over morning coffee held a certain brewtiful appeal.

It was with puns exchanged (among them was Stretch declaration that so many jokes this early was a latte to handle) and coffee in hand that they finally made their way to the chicken coop to investigate yesterday’s happenings. The morning air was still tinged cool, only hinting at the afternoon’s predicted warmth and Stretch shuffled through the fallen leaves to the coop door where Noodle and Dumpling were already waiting impatiently for the bringer of their breakfast.

“yeah, sorry, gals,” Stretch set his coffee cup down outside the coop before opening the door. He leaned over to give them each a brief pat before heading to the feed trough. “i know, we’re running late. let’s get you fed before checking on your sis, okay?”

“I wouldn’t get your hopes too far up,” Edge cautioned. He set his cup alongside Stretch's and followed him inside. “I can’t even calculate the odds of her not only finding a fertilized egg but also managing to hatch it.” Her finding an egg at all was a question that Edge already decided not to look into too deeply.

“i can calculate it and trust me, it’s a lot of decimal points. don’t worry,” Stretch said as he measured out a scoopful of feed. “i won’t. not even sure i wanna meet whatever’s supposed to come out of the cryptid egg she stole. hope nugget isn’t too disappointed when her basilisk doesn’t hatch.”

The sound of feed pouring into the trough was enough to summon the smallest of their wayward poultry. Nugget poked her small head through the coop’s door flap, chirring inquisitively, and then darting out to beeline right for the feed. Hungry indeed, she didn’t detour even briefly in Edge’s direction, intent on her pursuit of tasty grains.

But it wasn’t Nugget that had their attention. Behind her, coming from the coop was a faint sound, a peeping reminiscent of those Edge heard on the farm back when he was considering whether to invest in chickens of their own. Stretch only stood frozen, staring at the coop door and Edge was the one who finally opened it and stepped inside.

They’d persuaded Nugget to abandon the plastic bucket she’d nested in for one of the coop boxes, lining it with soft hay and that was where the sound was coming from. The single caged bulb overhead didn’t provide much light and Edge peered into the darkened nest, his sockets narrowed. Nearly buried into the hay was a tiny ball of yellow fluff. Edge reached for it, scooping it cautiously into his hands and bringing it out into the light.

Stretch hovered over his shoulder anxiously, “is that…what is it?”

From the rounded cup of his hands, a tiny, billed head poked out. Webbed feet shifted against his palm as the little creature peeped anxiously, its eyes dark against the bright yellow fluff.

“it’s a duckling! holy shit!” Stretch managed to keep his delight to a muted squeal, reaching out with cautiously grabby hands. Very carefully, Edge deposited it into his hands, watching as the little bird settled against the warm bones. “this is way better than a basilisk!”

“I believe the neighbors will agree,” Edge said dryly, watching as Stretch very gently inspected their newest acquisition, petting that feathery softness. “Is it male or female?”

Stretch rolled his eye lights. “welp, all the years i spent studying physics instead of zoology are letting us down here, babe. i’ve barely got ‘duck’ cleared, if you want a more detailed report, you’re gonna have to hire a pro.”

“Understood,” Edge said. He looked out the door at their backyard, freshly layered in falling leaves. “What on earth are we going to do with a duck?”

Stretch only held the little duckling closer to his chest with a gasp, “we can’t get rid of it!”

“Of course not,” Edge said, exasperated, “I’m not suggesting we drop it off at the local livestock orphanage, it was a legitimate question. We’ll need to make arrangements for it, ducks may have different nutritional needs than chickens. It will need some sort of pond to swim in and—” He broke off as Stretch gave him a look. “What?”

That gentle smile matched the softness in Stretch’s eye lights as they briefly flashed into hearts, shining with love, “nothing, babe. you’re really gonna let me keep cheese?”

Edge blinked. “Did you just call that duckling ‘Cheese’?”

“yeah.” Stretch grinned. “short for cheese and quackers.”

“Oh, for—” Edge sighed. “I walked right into that one.”

“headfirst,” Stretch agreed. “don’t feel bad, i left the door wide open.” At that moment Nugget came wandering back into the coop and started to make concerned motherly noises. Stretch hastily set the duckling, no, Cheese back into the nesting box. Nugget hopped up into it, squirming back to bury her child beneath the bulk of her feathery warmth.

“guess introductions are over.” Lacking a tiny duckling to hold, Stretch settled for flinging his arms around Edge and giving him a hard squeeze. “c’mon, hot coffee waits for no fowl and cold coffee is foul, so let’s get ours.”

“You’re an endless font of hilarity, love.” Edge followed him out and the two of them retrieved their cups. By unspoken agreement, they settled to sit at the patio, sipping their coffee as the trees rustled softly around them.

His phone buzzed, breaking the silence, and Edge checked it to see a text from Papyrus. Ah, another loose end from yesterday’s tapestry to tie up. He opened the text to find not a jumbled of excited words but a picture. Of Undyne in a hospital bed, looking both weary and elated, Alphys at her side, but it was the small bundle in their arms that drew Edge’s gaze.

The only thing visible from the swaddling of striped blankets was the child’s face, the same deep blue skin tone as their mother and a small tuft of red fronds falling over their forehead. Childbirth seemed to have left a certain squashed quality to that face that hadn’t had time yet to fade, puffy cheeks and swollen eyes, and as Edge studied the picture another text came through.

It’s a girl!

A girl, a little niece to spoil and teach, and Edge could already picture her toddling along and joining the other children as they followed Stretch around very much like ducklings as he taught them science and experiments, spending his weekends building snowmen and painting excited faces. Without making any undue assumptions, Edge could imagine the formidable child that Undyne and Papyrus’s genes would produce and the adventures that might come of it, the coming years would certainly be interesting and—

“is that the baby?”

Almost, Edge twitched his phone away before Stretch could see the picture. But none of yesterday's upset or melancholy appeared, Stretch only looked at it with an appropriate expression of interest, smiling widely.

“aww, what a cutey,” Stretch cooed. “tell undyne she does good work.”

“I will,” Edge agreed, and did so. Before he set his phone aside, another picture came through, this time with Papyrus holding the baby, the very vision of a delighted uncle and why his arm was in a sling, Edge decided not to ask. The story of Undyne’s labor and delivery was likely an epic one and not to be heard before plenty of coffee. He was nearly ready for a second cup when Stretch spoke again.

“so,” Stretch began. He shuffled his feet against the porch, his coffee cup held tightly in both hands. “you wanna get started on the pond today?”

Edge smiled faintly. “Of course, love, best to get it ready before Cheese needs it.”

He watched as Stretch lit up, equally delighted by his answer and his ready use of Stretch’s chosen name. It was hardly more ridiculous than Noodle, Nugget, and Dumpling, and besides, their baby deserved the best, too, did it not?

A pond and some research into their little duckling’s needs, that was the challenge for the day and Edge was more than up for it, so long as Stretch was by his side.

Edge set his cup on the table and reached over to take Stretch’s hand in his, slender fingers tangling with his own. He ran his thumb over Stretch’s wedding band, the smooth metal body-warm. Together, no matter what, and Edge was ready for that adventure as well and any that came along with it, for the rest of his life.

Even when it included unexpected additions.

-finis

#spicyhoney #papcest #keelywolfe #underfell #underswap #underfell papyrus #underswap papyrus #by any other name

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armsdealing · 4 years ago

Note

❤ matt and neil & nathaniel and matthew. thank you

ULTIMATE SHIP MEME / inbox cleaning + not accepting. / @undones

ah yes, our two ships with exact same names --

putting both under the cut as to avoid length.

matt and neil.

who’s more dominant: i generally don’t think in those terms for either of them? it’s a balanced relationship. they communicate and reach compromises or decide between each other the best course of action. sometimes, matt takes more of the initiative for certain things, but that’s simply because neil is inexperienced regarding relationships -- and he still gets to decide whether he’s comfortable or not at any given point. and i believe that once neil is more comfortable, he’ll probably take the initiative just as much.

who’s the cuddler: matt loves a good ol snuggle

who’s the big spoon/little spoon: matt is definitely the big spoon to neil’s little spoon.

what’s their favorite non-sexual activity: listen these people met through sports, and yeah i’m sure matt enjoys a good scrimmage session (especially considering neil is a striker and matt a backliner so each gets to practice against their opposing roles) but there’s also other things in their lives i’m sure like.... matt tries to get neil interested in videogames, probably simple ones like mario kart (would be funny if neil found himself crazy competitive about it all of a sudden) and such and, eventually, if he likes them, some other ones. matt likes to do things with neil, anything at all. neil’s had such a crazy life, he figures domestic, idyllic things are actually new experiences.

who uses all the hot water: matt does not like to shower with hot water for too long anyway and he usually switches to warm/cold.

most trivial thing they fight over: neil the jorts need to go. stop dressing like you’re 46.

who does most of the cleaning: they both take turns and pull their weight but since matt does most of the cooking neil usually gets the clean up afterwards.

what has a season pass on their dvr/who controls the netflix queue: usually matt is the one picking things unless neil has interest in something in particular.

who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working: matt?

who leaves their stuff around: matt!

who remembers to buy the milk: neither.

who remembers anniversaries: i feel like they’re meaningful to the two of them and both remember, but they don’t necessarily celebrate them in a grand way.

who cooks normally: i said it.... it’s matt.

how often do they fight: basically never. i mean, some arguments are bound to be had, but it’s usually over minor things, or big things and not generally out of anger but concern. they’re never fights since they never let it escalate to that point.

what do they do when they’re away from each other: they begin to spend a lot of time away from each other since matt graduates college and neil stays studying at palmetto, and then later when neil gets into his own professional team and what not, so they’re used to the long distance. they text and facetime often.

nicknames for each other: neil sometimes gets called babe what’s His thoughts on this.

who is more likely to pay for dinner: both are likely cuz both got money.

who steals the covers at night: neil!

what would they get each other for gifts: matt would get neil clothes or exy related gear and neil can always give him hiking gear. can’t go wrong with any of those things.

who kissed who first: matt kissed neil first :’)

who made the first move: matt. see above!

who remembers things: i feel like neil all around has a better memory than matt for things.

who started the relationship: it was a mutual decision.

who cusses more: this one genuinely makes me think? i feel like neither is big on swearing, they just do it when it feels right.

what would they do if the other one was hurt: skulls would get Busted!

who is the dirty talker: hmmm... it’s matt. but like, he’s not that much of a dirty talker in the first place.

a head canon: we’ve said it before but imma say it again: they once kissed in celebration of neil scoring and everyone went apeshit.

matthew and nathaniel.

who’s more dominant: matthew is generally kind of a dominant personality, not overbearing with it but he is just in certain aspects (mostly the professional). out of the bedroom they’re pretty equal. in the bedroom, matthew is more the one setting the scene, nathaniel is more just relaxing and being taken care of. not submissive, just willing to be guided.

who’s the cuddler: nathaniel is more of a cuddler and generally more physically affectionate, but matthew enjoys it just the same.

who’s the big spoon/little spoon: they actually take turns with that, it depends on the mood!

what’s their favorite non-sexual activity: pillow talk is a frequent thing, even the nights they don’t have sex they spend at least a few minutes in bed every night talking about the day and the kids and one another before they go to sleep. they also like to go on walks together with cinnamon (their dog), playing with their pet, reading together quietly in the living room or watching tv -- they’re the sort of couple that will sit and watch dumb reality shows just to criticize how silly things are getting. the hilarious part is when they get actually a little invested.

who uses all the hot water: it’s not usually a problem that presents itself at their home.

most trivial thing they fight over: listen, they’ve been married for decades now. they don’t fight, but they bicker in a good-hearted fashion quite a bit, usually about events in the aforementioned tv shows (whether that guy really deserved to get the rose or not, etc), or about whether they dislike or not this new brand of quinoa over the old one, or about whether the new curtains make the living room feel inviting or they simply make the room feel hot. matthew is nitpicky and deadpan; nathaniel is playfully argumentative and a wisecrack. do they both know these topics are trivial and don’t really affect the larger picture? yes. does it stop them from discussing them? not at all. it’s how they communicate. they’re at that stage were they can be 100% honest with each other and it doesn’t lend itself to a bigger deal than it actually is. and sometimes they make each other laugh.

who does most of the cleaning: they’re both pretty tidy, but in different angles. matthew wants things to look clean, and nathaniel wants things to look good. matthew enjoys minimalism; nathaniel likes clutter. they take care of it together, with the help of all their children.

what has a season pass on their dvr/who controls the netflix queue: nathaniel usually picks the movies and shows.

who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working: they’re house owners, it’s largely a problem they have to work out together. nathaniel is the seasoned handyman of the two, though -- he usually gets that fixed.

who leaves their stuff around: their kids. out of the two, nathaniel is just a little more forgetful.

who remembers to buy the milk: there’s a corkboard chore chart in the kitchen (yes they’re that kind of parent -- at least mostly matthew -- but it’s actually pretty cute. outside his own office, that’s where he likes to put the kids’ drawings) and whoever has to buy the groceries (be it them or one of their older kids) is the one who has to remember. but it’s both matthew and nathaniel who sit down together and figure out what needs to be bought in order to write the grocery list.

who remembers anniversaries: matthew has the better memory. he usually reminds nathaniel a week in advance to figure out if they’re gonna plan something or just chill out.

who cooks normally: they’re both very good cooks and usually, they cook together. but nathaniel has more natural talent and intuition, matthew is just better at following recipes.

how often do they fight: like i said above, these two have been together for a long time. they’ve had their fair share of small, medium-sized, and big fights/arguments, but nowadays they’re more likely to have a calm discussion. since they’re so honest and used to conversing with each other, fights born out of misunderstanding or lies are virtually non-existant. it has to be something to do with the children, maybe some problem they may be facing, so it’s as often as such circumstances may present themselves.

what do they do when they’re away from each other: at the beginning of their relationship there periods of distance between them due to the nature of their jobs. nowadays separation is rare, but if it’s to visit family or some kind of work-related errand then they just text, call each other every day to have their nightly conversations and do what needs to be done.

nicknames for each other: it’s actually a deal for them that there’s a pointed lack of nicknames for their given names. matthew is never matt, and nathaniel is never nate. it’s always their full names. matthew, overly formal dummy that he is, does not like nicknames used on him, or to use nicknames for others (unless that person expresses desire to be called by them, in which case he will respect their wishes). since nathaniel actually enjoys this (like you mentioned to me the other time), then that is usually what they call each other. of course, there will be also be the usuals (baby, honey, sweetheart) peppered in.

who is more likely to pay for dinner: they’re married. but back when they were just dating, just starting to date, matthew liked to pay.

who steals the covers at night: nathaniel.

what would they get each other for gifts: clothes, framed photographs of them as a couple or the family, gardening or baking tools (for nathaniel), boat stuff (for matthew); nathaniel loves keepsakes, to matthew has prepared albums of pictures of them when they were younger, or their kids when they were younger, or even drawings the children have made, as well as digitized copies of all of them including home videos. matthew likes chess, whittling and wooden figurines, so nathaniel once commissioned a handcrafted chess set for him.

who kissed who first: matthew kissed him first.

who made the first move: matthew.

who remembers things: matthew has the better memory, but both remember the important things.

who started the relationship: both of them.

who cusses more: nathaniel. never around the kids, of course.

what would they do if the other one was hurt: drop everything and go to where the other is.

who is the dirty talker: matthew, surprisingly.

a head canon: it was matthew who taught daniel (their youngest, a toddler now) how to talk, but it was nathaniel who taught him how to walk. matthew argues this was a mistake.

#( matt & neil. )#( matthew & nathaniel. )#answered ooc.#survivedsa

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chalamalabingbong · 6 years ago

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Timothée Chalamet, Steve Carell, and Director Felix van Groeningen Discuss Addiction and Fatherhood

In ‘Beautiful Boy,’ the trio brings to life the true story of a father coping with his son’s addiction—and reckoning with the limits of paternal love

By Thomas GebremedhinOct. 3, 2018 10:17 a.m. ET

ON A QUIET stretch of beach in Northern California, a father takes his son surfing. Bodies flat against their boards, they paddle away from shore. As the waves grow bigger the boy, forging ahead on his own, disappears behind a curtain of water. Then, just as the father begins to panic, the boy emerges, triumphant, riding a wave back to him.

The scene, which arrives early in Belgian director Felix van Groeningen’s English-language debut, Beautiful Boy—co-written with Luke Davies—casts a long shadow over the rest of the film. Adapted from a pair of best-selling memoirs by a father and son, David and Nic Sheff, the story recounts the painful transformation of one family grappling with drug addiction. David, a well-meaning journalist played by Steve Carell, has always been close to his son Nic (Timothée Chalamet), but as Nic begins experimenting with drugs, eventually spiraling into a full-blown addiction to crystal meth, David is forced to question just how well he knows his boy, where he went wrong and how he can get him back.

Beautiful Boy—produced by Plan B Entertainment (Moonlight, 12 Years a Slave) and shot over 40 days in Los Angeles and San Francisco—has a nonlinear structure, with devastating episodes that reveal the extent of Nic’s dependency (“It takes the world from black-and-white to Technicolor , ” he says of crystal meth) played against sweeter moments between father and son. The film comes as drug addiction remains a national pandemic, but while it poignantly humanizes a difficult issue, it’s not on a mission. Its appeal lies in more universal preoccupations: what it means to be a family, the conflicting impulses in any parent to both protect their children and set them free, and the search for wholeness and identity.

Last month, van Groeningen, Carell and Chalamet reunited for the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and for their first group interview about the project. The mood in the room was playful and tender as everyone greeted each other with hugs. While they sat for their portraits, fiery R&B tracks floated down from a sound system; at times, struggling to sustain serious, camera-ready expressions, the trio burst into fits of laughter. Were there similar moments of levity on the set of Beautiful Boy, despite the grave subject matter?

“Oh, sure,” Carell says. “We wanted to honor the material, but we actually had a lot of fun, too. Because that’s part of life. Even within the darkest moments.”

Thomas Gebremedhin: This is a heartbreaking movie. How do you prepare for something like this?

Felix van Groeningen: I’ve touched on the subject [drugs] in my other films, but in a very different way. So I went to Al-Anon and AA meetings. I visited rehab centers. But, obviously, David and Nic were the biggest source of information for me. Getting the details felt important, and so my bibles were the memoirs.

Steve Carell: Being a father really gave context to my approach. Specifically, my love for my own children gave context to how I was approaching this guy, which isn’t too far from how I would imagine trying to navigate this experience if it was something that fell into my life. A week before we started shooting, my son, who was 11 or 12 at the time, out of the blue asked whether marijuana is a gateway drug. This was on the way home from school; it’s clearly something that they’d been discussing. We’d had vague conversations about the dangers of drugs, but not a more adult conversation about it. It’s terrifying on even such a simple level having that discussion. I didn’t want to make a wrong turn. I assume David went through many of the same things, wanting to do everything right but realizing there is no right or wrong path.

Timothée Chalamet: For me, the first thing to pull from is the experience of being a son, a son in a family, and having a great relationship with my father. There is a recognizable physical context to that. From a hundred feet away you can tell by the way people hug whether they’re family.

TG: I want to touch on that father-son dynamic. The chemistry between you two is so apparent in the film. How do you create that connection off-camera?

SC: I don’t think you do. I don’t think it’s something you consciously generate. I don’t want to speak for Timmy, but we immediately liked each other. We immediately felt a connection. I never felt there was an acting exercise that we were using to try to feel more connected. In Timothée I saw an incredible, soulful, generous person. I liked him enormously from day one. And since I’m exactly the same kind of person, I expected him to feel the same about me. [Laughter] But it was very natural.

TC: I feel so immensely filled with gratitude that I have Steve and Felix and other people that I’ve been able to work with at a young age that have been, I don’t want to say paternal towards me, but it’s a form of that, and I…. [Felix gets up to pour himself water] As he’s leaving!

SC: [Laughing] Felix doesn’t feel the same way.

FVG: I was so happy we took two weeks to rehearse. I always do it. It gave us time to know each other. I was very nervous in the beginning, and it gave me time to calm down and to be myself. English isn’t my first language and, I mean, I’m working with movie stars! I needed that time. But as Steve said, it wasn’t like we were artificially getting there.

TC: I was very soothed by Steve’s warmth and kindness—

SC: Keep going.

TC: But really, I was and am a huge admirer of Steve’s work, and I knew this was going to be a bridge for me to cross. It was good for me to realize upfront, OK, that’s going to be a hurdle, especially [since we’re playing] father and son. I needed to get it out of my head.

TG: What were the most challenging scenes for you to film?

TC: I found the sequences on the phone challenging. It’s the nature of the movie that those phone calls are emotional climaxes. And generally, as an exercise, phone calls are challenging as an actor because you don’t typically have the other person there with you. So I was very grateful that each time there was something on the phone, whether it was Andre Royo [who plays Nic’s AA sponsor, Spencer] or Steve, we were always there for each other.

SC: For me, it was when the character of David makes choices that would be difficult for me, or any father, to make. There’s a sticking point in your subconscious, maybe, about how you would handle a situation. By his own admission, David makes tough choices, and sometimes as an actor, or just a human being, you evaluate what those choices are. Sometimes they conflicted with what I imagined I would do, but ultimately I realized it’s probably what I would do. Making that shift was interesting to me.

TG: Right, there are several forks in the road for both David and Nic throughout the movie, but the scene that felt critical to me is when David has to establish some kind of boundary with Nic.

SC: It was a terrifying scene. A moment any parent would dread. It’s hard to even imagine getting to that point, where you have to make that kind of choice while still desperately loving your child. The whole thing is terrifying and tragic and common. That’s the other thing—every day while we were shooting this, if any of us mentioned to other people what we were working on, the stories and personal connections were a bit overwhelming.

TG: Well, last year was the deadliest on record for overdoses.

TC: Yeah, more than car crashes.

TG: This isn’t a preachy film, but how do you hope it will play a part in that discussion?

FVG: I think it’s about giving people a face and a voice. I hope this film gives insight into how complex [addiction] is. A lot of movies touch upon it from just one side. But there’s something unique about [Beautiful Boy]. It’s two points of view of the same story.

TG: When you went back home to your families after a day on set, were you able to leave work at work?

TC: Certainly in any film, whether it’s your relationship to the characters or people or the context of environments, it naturally blends with your experience. It would be dramatic to say that there was no escaping it, and yet we were in it—we shot for 40 days or something, and I just kept thinking, Keep moving, keep going.

SC: This one was hard to leave on set. Every night I came home and hugged my kids a little tighter. My wife and I would talk every night about what we shot that day and how it felt and just the vibe. It didn’t feel like a job. We had to be invested in this because, beyond the fact that it’s a harrowing and relevant story, it’s true. These are real people. I definitely brought it home.

TG: On a lighter topic, there’s the film’s soundtrack: Nirvana, Neil Young, Fiddler on the Roof. It’s all over the place. Felix, how does music inform the story? And Steve and Timothée, as actors, how did you use music to creatively build out these roles?

FVG: The idea came from the books. Music was so important to David and Nic. There’s something beautiful about how it unites them. David mentions in his book a lot of songs that he can’t listen to anymore. So we put some of those songs in the movie. At some point my editor [Nico Leunen] and I wanted to use a classic film score together with songs, but then [Leunen] came up with the idea to drop the score and just use the songs. It made us take a risk.

SC: It’s a language that David and Nic used to speak to each other. As the addiction sets in, their relationship becomes frayed and that language does as well. Music is David’s bread and butter; these are the people he interviews. And he incorporates his son into that world at an early age—it’s both of their worlds.

‘ This one was hard to leave on set. Every night I came home and hugged my kids a little tighter. ’

TC: Yeah, music was a big part to Nic’s character. I remember we were shooting on the campus of USC, and we got into trouble because my portable speaker was playing “Heart-Shaped Box” too loudly. For Nic it was Nirvana; I was listening to Eminem when I was 5 or 6 years old, and it did feel important. It’s an effect of growing up in America, or the world, in a digital, consumerist age, that you’re communicated these messages of self-destruction and alienation.

TG: Timothée, you’ve played coming-of-age roles before, most notably as Elio in Call Me By Your Name. Elio is different from Nic, but they’re also both struggling with their identity. Did you take anything from that role and put it into this one?

TC: That’s a really good question. If there’s a through line it’s the immediacy and the urgency, the moment-to-moment visceral nature of what it is to be young. For Elio that’s a life circumstance that all of us should be so fortunate to go through, to fall in love, but also he’s coming to terms with his sexuality. For Nic, it’s facing this goliath of an obstacle, not only addiction but to one of the most powerful substances known to man.

TG: Did David and Nic give you all any advice?

SC: I didn’t meet Nic until we were shooting, but I met with David. He couldn’t have been more gracious. I think [he’s] very brave to even allow this movie to be made. There’s an incredible trust that he put into Felix and everyone involved that we’d get it at least marginally right. But he took a very hands-off approach with me.

TC: I went out with Nic and [his sister] Daisy to eat, and it was just as Steve said, the greatest gift I got from Nic was the confidence to be Nic. I felt an understanding. I think they understood our biggest goal and mission was to get their story right.

Felix van Groeningen PHOTO: MARK PECKMEZIAN FOR WSJ. MAGAZINE; STYLING BY EMMA WYMAN

FVG: But just in the authenticity and in the heart of it—we didn’t have an obligation to it. It’s not a biopic in that sense, and that’s an advantage, I guess.

TG: Steve, you’re also playing Donald Rumsfeld in Backseat and Mark Hogancamp in Marwen—what’s different about playing a real, living person as opposed to a fictional character?

SC: A fictional character leaves much more to the imagination in terms of the performance and development and backstory. One is complete invention, and the other is completely tethered to the real world. It’s not easier or harder to portray either. I’m really excited that David and Nic [are attending the premiere]. From time to time I would talk to David and ask, “How surreal does this feel to you?” There was one day we were doing a scene on the beach, and David and [his wife] Karen [Barbour] came to visit. It was a simple scene, nothing overly dramatic, but David was elated. He was so full of emotion. I could tell that it really hit him.

TG: What do you ultimately hope this movie communicates? What do you think the lasting impression will be?

FVG: It’s a harrowing story, but it’s a beautiful family. To see all of this happen in a family where there’s so much love and understanding makes it even more harrowing, maybe, but it’s a family that believes in unconditional love, and they use that as a way out.

TG: That’s a great note to end on. I do have one last question though, unrelated to the movie. Timothée, have you seen the Instagram account @chalametinart?

TC: Yes! [Laughs]

FVG: What is that?

TG: It’s an Instagram account where they photoshop Timothée into classic paintings.

FVG: Oh, yeah! Wasn’t there an account about just his hair, too?

SC: [Looking at @chalametinart on a phone] Oh, it’s beautiful. [To Timothée] Well, you have your selection of Christmas cards now. •

#wsj #timothee chalamet #steve carell #felix van groeningen #beautiful boy

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salexectrian-heir · 6 years ago

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Loki: Chapter 8* (NSFW)

Pairing: Solavellan Rating: E* (not every chapter is E, most are rated T. Chapters containing explicit content will be marked with an asterisk* Summary: Lavellan rescued a mischievious sphynx kitten outside her work who loves her dearly. But his destructive habits start to get out of hand when he steals her attractive neighbor’s underwear… repeatedly. [Previous Chapter] [Read on AO3]

Unfortunately, her focus evaded her at the hospital. She filed four charts in incorrect places (thankfully Dorian caught them in time), spilled soup down the front of her scrub shirt at lunch, and slipped in a puddle of some sort of fluid that had been left unattended to in the hallway. It didn’t smell of urine from what she could tell, but she wasn’t about to go sniffing it. She groaned as she sat up, careful not to touch whatever the wet substance was that brought her down. Her pants though were a lost cause.

“Having a rough day, my dear?”

Her stomach dropped. As if her day couldn’t get any worse. She had been avoiding the Chief of Surgery all morning because of the file mix up, and of course this would be the moment the Chief found her.

“What gave it away,” she asked weakly, looking up to meet the impenetrable stare of Dr. De Fer. To her surprise, the Chief looked slightly amused.

“In my own experience, nothing is more detrimental to a young doctor’s career than a lack of focus.”

The tips of Anise’s ears began to burn. “I apologize Chief, I’m just...off today.”

“I know, darling. This isn’t like you. Take an hour for lunch to collect yourself and your thoughts,” Vivienne drew herself to her full height, eye her speculatively, “and perhaps a fresh set of clothes. When you return please come see me in my office, there is a matter of paramount importance we need to discuss.”

The Chief sauntered out, causing a few of the other staff members down the hall jump back to get out of her way. No one messed with the Iron Lady. The second Vivienne was out of sight, and earshot, Anise groaned and pulled herself off the floor, taking part of the mysterious liquid with her. She peeled the wet clothing from the back of her thighs and did her best not to cry. How in the world was she supposed to make it to the end of her shift in one piece and prepare herself to have The Conversation about the future of her relationship with Solas if the world repeatedly reminding her it was against her?

The sound of wheels creaking drew her attention from her wet pants to the nurse that was scurrying down the hall pushing a mop bucket towards her.

“Awh, shite. Don’t tell me you slipped innit?”

Anise cringed and nodded. “Do I even want to know what it is?”

The nurse shoved her short sandy hair back off her forehead with a rough gesture, “Jus lemonade, I dropped it coming in.” Despite her crass attitude, the woman did appear upset, “Hope you didn’t get hurt.”

“Lemonade is walk in the park.” Anise let out an amused sigh. It was just lemonade, “I’ll be alright. Thanks.”

“Wait, did you think it was piss or something?” The woman snorted, “I can’t believe your not tweakin’ out!” The nurse cackled. “Damn if I knew you weren’t one of them serious docs with a stick up their arse I woulda said something worse.” Her mouth split into a grin. It was infectious. “Maybe I should start a rumor. “The Herald of the OR slipped in ji--”

“Don’t you even dare,” Anise threatened half-heartedly, passing the nurse as she started to mop the mess.

The woman’s continued cackles echoed down the hall as Anise turned the corner. Perhaps she would make it through after all.

She did survive, to her great relief. The rest of her day after her interaction with Sera, she had learned the nurse’s name from Cole--another nurse, who knew everyone and everything about everyone and somehow still didn’t have people to sit with in the cafeteria for lunch--went smoothly. Anise made a mental note to take lunch more often to keep lone nurse company. It appeared they could both use it.

Her meeting with Vivienne was better than she could have imagined. It was not about her filing error--though it was discussed and reprimanded briefly--but about a personal matter of the Chief. Vivienne Vivienne confided in Anise that White Spire Hospital in Orlais was going to have an opening in their Chief of Surgery position, and had invited her to apply--and that she was considering it. It wouldn’t be for another year or two, depending when the current Chief decided to retire, but the application and interviewing process apparently was long and grueling. They wanted Vivienne to apply as early as possible. This news was to be kept between the two of them until Vivienne found out more information about the position and her chances of being selected. Vivienne also mentioned just before she released Anise that if she was selected, and did accept the position, she did not intend to make the transition alone. She would still be keeping her eye on Anise as the White Spire had many fellowship opportunities, including specialized trauma. Anise nearly fainted.

She had a lot to think about regarding her future. This news was something she immediately wanted to share with Solas, but stopped herself from stealing a moment in an on-call room to text him. After last night, she still couldn’t shake the feeling his “considerations” was going to translate as “I can’t date you anymore because I don’t see a future with you”, and that thought alone was enough to shut her down from sharing this exciting development in her life.

And later at the end of her shift, when she was changing out of her scrubs and into her street clothes, another idea manifested.

Maybe when he says old-fashioned, he truly means that in regards to physical intimacy.

She lightly beat her forehead against her locker. She had been truly an ass last night in the laundry room if that was case. She had just assumed he would be okay with sex and hadn’t even thought about asking him. If that was the conversation they were going to have, she would make sure to start off apologizing for misinterpreting his boundaries. But something in the way he kissed her had her doubting that line of thought. The way he claimed her was raw, passionate, and physical… the insinuations of his tongue left her mind reeling with fantasies. But then again, someone can still believe in not being sexually intimate and still be physically intimate to a certain extent. Neither of them had even brought up the idea of being exclusive, so she again had just assumed he was okay with the loose labels.

He was throwing her for a loop.

By the time she got home, she a mess all over again, mind consumed by what Solas’ considerations were going to be. Her stomach was tying itself into knots. She didn’t want to lose him, and the weight of that realization scared her too. She had several past relationships that she over invested herself in, some which hadn’t been “official” or “labeled” in, some that were healthy, others that were… less so. And one engagement that ended because of a miscarriage.

Her head dropped into her hands.

If he learned this about her, would he leave her? End it?A little voice at the back of her head chided her that he was too good to be true. She was getting ahead of herself. They had to actually decide what they even were first. She ignored the negative thoughts as best she could as she went through motions of getting ready.

Loki lurked around her ankles as she flitted around her apartment, between her bedroom and the bathroom. He held a one sided conversation, meowing and chirping at her sensing her distress. When she finally sat down on her freshly made bed, in her underwear, he jumped up into her lap and headbutted her bicep, purring loudly.

“Hi baby boy,” she cooed, earning her a few scratchy licks to her bare upper arm, “I am at a loss. I don’t know what to wear.”

An undecipherable yowl met her ears.

“I want to look nice, but not like I’m trying too hard,” she answered him, idly stroking the spot between his shoulder blades he liked so much, “I don’t even know what I’m getting into. Gods I suck at dating.”

Loki placed his paws on her chest and pushed himself up, sniffing her chin. His cold little nose bumped the underside of her jaw.

“A dress might be over doing it,” she said, eyeing the teal dress she wore on their first date from the open doors of her closet, “but jeans seem too informal. A skirt maybe…”

She scooped Loki off her lap and dumped him on her pillows. He made an adorable grunt like sound as he hit their soft surfaces. Anise pulled the only two skirts she owned from the closet and laid them out on the bed, one loosely pleated white one that came to about mid thigh and one black empire waisted pencil skirt. . She perused through her limited selection of tops that matched the styles, and finally settled on a very pale pink cropped tank that was stitched with vertical grooves to pair with the white skirt. To finish it off she grabbed the floral printed kimono shawl she had received from her sister-in-law for Wintersend and a pair of nude flats.

“Loki?”

The mewl he gave she took as meow of approval.

Anise knocked on his door promptly at six. Her nerves fluttered around her ribcage like butterflies trapped in net. Whatever he was cooking was wafting from his apartment, filling the hall with an intoxicating was intoxicating scent, making her mouth water. He answered almost immediately, eyes widening as he took in the sight of her standing before him.

“Hi,” she said meekly, reaching up to smooth a piece of hair behind her ear. She had worn it down tonight.

“Hello Anise,” he greeted, voice leveled and low, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

He took a step back and made a sweeping gesture to let her in. He had corner apartment, and was lucky to get more windows than most tennants. Curtains were half drawn to let him some of the dying light from the sunset illuminate the room. His apartment was much different than hers, much more minimalistic in its decor. A black leather couch lined one of the walls that had a coffee table in front of it, with notepads, pens, and other important looking documents spread out over its surface. A brief case laid against one of its legs. A door off to her left was slightly a jar with dim light slipping through the crevice. She could only assume it was his bedroom as there weren’t any other doors to be found. His kitchen opened up into the living room, the two places bleeding into one. A small table was neatly set for two with glasses of wine poured for each, and a fresh cut of crystal grace had been placed in a vase in the center. Tiny candles in little glass jars also adorned the table top, casting flickering shadows that danced across the table cloth and reflected off their glasses. And from the corner of his place, a record was playing. Something with an acoustic guitar and a soft, masculine voice. It was hopelessly romantic. And she hopelessly loved it. How was she supposed to bring up topics she dreaded when she was surrounded by such magic?

He pulled out her chair with a warm smile, an offer for her sit while he served. Her stomach was doing flips. No one she dated previously had treated her this way. Pulling out chairs? Cooking dinners? Usually that was her job. It was overwhelming different and yet comfortable simultaneously. She didn’t know what to make of it. To think this might be the first and last chance she ever had with him made her heart ache.

“How was your day?”

His question was so innocent, so domestic, so genuine in the way he voiced it that the fragile wall, the one she had spent all day amassing to keep him out until she had uncovered his considerations, came crumbling down. Caving against her will, she let out all her frustrations, including the embarrassing fall and the confrontation with her Chief.

“What did Dr. De Fer want to speak with you about?”

He placed a delectable plate of salmon and roasted vegetables over a fresh bed of salad before her, and her mouth stopped working as she stared down at it. After a beat she realized she was gaping and not speaking.

“Oh,” she said, quickly meeting his eyes. He was smirking. “She shared with me some great news, actually.”

“Which was?”

“The White Spire has invited her to apply as their Chief of Surgery.”

His eyes went wide. “That is quite an honor.”

“That’s an understatement,” she said with a laugh, waiting for him to take a seat with his own plate before picking up her knife and fork, “she was ecstatic of course. She wanted to know what my thoughts on the position were, and if given the opportunity, if I would follow her there essentially..”

“That is amazing, Anise.”

As she glanced over the table at him, she noticed the gleam in his eyes. He was proud of her. The butterflies steadily grew more restless in her breast as the tension between them heightened.

“It would be the chance of life time honestly,” she said, averting her eyes as she blushed, and took bite of the fish. It took all her self-control not to moan as it melted in her mouth.

“Gods, Solas this is incredible,” she praised, covering her mouth with her hand as she spoke with a mouthful as not to be rude.

His mouth pulled into a crooked smile. “Most Arlathan recipes are.”

She playfully rolled her eyes. “I should have guessed. How was your day by the way?”

He filled her in on the paperwork he had been attending to for Evacorp as they ate. He spent his time editing new clinical trial confidentiality and consent forms as a favor to a coworker. It sounded tedious and boring and too much like he was being being taken advantage of. Someone else’s paperwork was not something he should have had to do on his day off. His demeanor even shifted while he was talking about his work, even in his body language as he excused himself to flip the record. It aged him in some regard, the light in his eyes diminishing and his mouth perpetually pulled into a frown as he spoke of the board of directors and how important it was to get this project done before its deadline. She wanted to bring back some life into him, wanted to chase away that gloom that seemed to perpetually cling to him, one he brought back after every flight.

“Solas,” she said interrupting him, reaching a hand across the table to lay upon his, “you don’t seem very happy in this position. Why don’t you change jobs?”

He contemplated her words, selecting his own carefully. “It’s….complicated.”

“Complicated like us?”

The words left her before she could censor them, and the tension that had been simmering between them spiked. She had meant it as a lighthearted joke, an easy way to segue into what needed to be brought up… but his reaction told her he did not take it that way.

He withdrew his hand from hers and stood abruptly, collecting the things at his place and hers. “It’s difficult to explain,” he said quietly, before walking back into the kitchen to scrape their plates.

She followed, taking the napkin off her lap and tossing it into the trash on her way.

“Solas,” said apologetically, tugging gently on his elbow to get his attention, “please, tell me. Let me in.”

This was it. The moment she had been worrying about all fucking day.

“Anise, getting to know you and spend time with you has been wonderful.” He set the dishes in the sink. “The way I feel about you, I have not felt in years,” his his lips twitched into a sad smile, “You are more than I deserve.” He raised his hand as if to touch her cheek, but then thought better of it and retracted at the last second.

His words flooded her heart, filling it with such pressure she feared she might burst. Her fingers curled tighter around his arm as her heart rate sped up. “But?”

“But,” he echoed, peeling away her grip. He stared down where he held her hand, lips pursed and brows knotted. The silence cut her like scalpel, incision digging too deep. And then a new thought came to her. One that morphed all her earlier fears into one.

“But you don’t want to have to choose between your job and a relationship.” Her voice sounded very small as it left her. “Getting physical in our relationship more seriously would only make it that much more difficult to end.”

He held her gaze. “My job would be an obstacle in the relationship, as much as yours would. We’ve managed to live around them but eventually… we’d want something more stable, consistent. It would be something we could face together if…. I digress.” He shook his head and released her hand, tucking his own behind his back. “That is not my reason for my hesitancy. You deserve someone closer to your own age. To share in the experiences that come with being young, not someone jaded by time... ” he trailed off.

Her mind raced. His age? Sure, he was older...but what difference did that make when she was approaching thirty herself?

“I don’t understand..?”

“Anise,” he shifted his weight, “I am twelve years older than you. I have little to offer you that hasn’t been spoiled already. I am afraid it will bother you. I don’t want to start something and progress further if you’ll regret being with--”

She pressed a finger to his lips. His eyes widened in surprise.

He thinks he’s damaged...

“Solas, ask me how I feel about your age.”

“Anise, I--”

“Ask me how I feel.”

He closed his eyes with a sigh and leaned into her touch. “How do you feel… about my age?”

“It does not bother me in the slightest,” she said reassuringly, taking a small step closer to him, “In fact, I… I find it charming.” She felt the blood rush to her face at her confession. Now reflecting on the gap...she realized she liked it… found it attractive even. She dropped her hand and her gaze. “For once, I actually feel comfortable enough to let someone take care of me, I’m so used to being the responsible one. And maybe it is because you’ve had more time to figure out what you want in a relationship that makes you better at it, or at least to me…”

Two fingers pressed against her chin, making her tilt her head up at him. What she saw in his searching eyes made her heart burst, sending a cascade of fire through her veins.

“You mean that?”

“Of course I do,” she matched his low whisper, “I’ve already made my decision. I’m in this, fully.” She leaned into him, running a hand up his chest. “I’m here, I’m ready. I’m willing. If you are…”

He cupped her face. “I am.”

They stood transfixed in that moment, their decision made and hanging in the silence between them.

“Then prove it.” Anise swallowed. “Kiss me.”

All the pent up frustration and tension she had rattling inside her melted away once his lips touched her own. It was gentle, questioning. He lingered, unwilling to break it but not pressing forward. She could tell by the way he held his body he was holding back.

“Like you mean it,” she breathed against his skin.

At that, he pulled away slightly. His grip on her chin forced her to look up into his smoldering, heavy lidded gaze. His brow arched as he stepped forward, making her step back. A whole new sensation overwhelmed her senses, a liquid kind of heat that spilled down her spine, and pooling lower still in her belly. She suddenly felt too hot, as is she were on fire but not quite ablaze. The tips of her ears burned as he continued to look at her that way. A dull ache began to throb between her thighs as his other hand glided up her hip, guiding her back further still. Her back hit the counter and she breathed in sharply. He chose that moment to advance, surging down and claiming her like he did on the night of Wintersend. His hand slipped around her thigh, hitching it around his hip to lift her up onto the edge of the counter’s surface. She took in all of him, breathed him in as she parted her lips to run her tongue along the seam of his mouth, diving in when he let her pass. Her fingers curling into the sweater she knit as he deepened their kiss.

A whimper escaped when his mouth broke their rhythm and left hers to explore, as did his hands. His breath spilled over the exposed expanse of her throat, hot and heavy leaving searing wet kisses on every inch he could find as he dragged his hands up her thighs, pushing up the fabric of her skirt. Fingertips danced over the soft skin of her legs spreading them slowly before they shifted downwards to caress her inner thigh She didn’t even try to stifle the shudder it coaxed.

Her stomach clenched, as did the rest of her body, as his fingers reached the barrier of damp lace that was her underwear.

“If this,” he traced the edge of her thong before hooking his index finger through it, “is something you want, I will give it willingly.”

“Yes. ” The word tumbled from her lips in a rush as she gripped his shoulder.

He chuckled so softly that she felt it vibrate against her more than she actually heard it.

“I do believe you owe me a pair for how many your kitten has taken from me.”

She gasped as he pulled,sliding the pair she was wearing down her legs, off her knees and let them fall past her ankles.

“I’ll collect my prize later,” he murmured against her cheek, pressing insistent kisses along her jaw, “come with me.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist and slid her arms around his neck as he picked her up. She felt the thong fall of her foot onto the kitchen floor, but she immediately let it slip from her mind as she had more, pressing, things to focus on. Such as the size of the welcomed hardness she felt against her as she clung to him.

Creators, she was going to ache tomorrow.

He led her to the bedroom, eyes locked on her. She couldn’t break his hold, it completely entranced her. How he managed to seize her so wholly with a simple stare was beyond her. And honestly she couldn’t care how easy she fell prey to him at this point. This confidence of his, this intimate side of him, was incredibly sexy and it had been oh so worth the wait.

She shed him of the wintersend gift once they reached his bed, tossing the sweater somewhere out of reach, followed by the undershirt he had donned beneath it so she could finally drink in the sight of him, bare chested before her. His gaze lost a fraction of its intensity the longer she stared, hands ghosting across the surface of his body without actually touching him. He was in good shape, no doubt about that, but he had softer lines whereas a younger man might have been more defined. She found it so much more overwhelming attractive. She wanted to trace every dip, indentation, and crease with the tip of her tongue..

It dawned her there was no reason for her not to.

Tuckin her legs beneath her to kneel, she reached for him and splayed her fingers across his torso. She leaned in, kissing each freckle she saw dotted on his skin, tongue gliding across the surface of his abdomen, tracing grooves she found that had been softened with age. His breath hitched as she reached his navel and her fingers found the button, and zipper of his slacks.

If he was allowed to tease her...

His pants hit the floor.

“Your underwear looks so much better with you filling them out,” she murmured, lips pressed lightly over the swell in his briefs and laid a chaste kiss there. His fingers twisted in her hair reflexively.

“Ani--”

Her name turned into moan as she tugged the fabric down, exposing him fully. She wasted no time dragging her tongue along the length of his cock from base to tip before taking him entirely into her mouth. It wasn’t long after she her mouth and hand had settled into a steady rhythm that his hips began to buck in tandem, and a small curse of praise fell down to her ears.

Suddenly he was pulling her off him and being shifted up the bed, shedding the rest of her clothes as they went. His mouth collided with hers as soon as she had settled back against his pillows. They felt like clouds wrapped in silk against the bare skin of her back, drowning her in the illusion that she was floating despite the pressure of his body pressed to her. She was all too aware of the weight of his cock as it laid on her inner thigh, hard and thick. A jolt of pleasure coursed through her like live current as his fingers dove between her thighs and found her clit, working her so easily up to the point the throbbing in her core was inescapable and all consuming. And when his slender fingers slipped inside her, she let him know just how pleasurable it was, unable to refrain from being silent--or still-- any longer. When her whimpers turned into pleas, he finally withdrew from her and reached to the nightstand drawer to their left and dug through it. He found what he was looking for, and heard the crinkle of a wrapper being ripped a few seconds later. She didn’t think her heart rate could have scaled any higher, but it did. After the condom was rolled on, he coaxed her open and settled between her legs, pausing to catch her gaze, the question was written all over his face. Are you sure?

Before he could even ask, she nodded and said, “Take me.”

With an effortless movement, he thrust up and in. She made a lewd sound at the sensation of being filled so fully, the ache of being stretched in ways she hadn’t in so long. He was gentle at first, the rock of his hips slow and measured as he pulled out watching her reaction. Each thrust forward carefully pressed. It was a tender thing, really, what was transpiring between them. One of his hands slid into hers and she clasped their fingers together just above her head in the sheets. The other found a home cupping her cheek. His face was so expressive, no longer held back by a rigid composure she was sure he kept up for appearances. She wanted to trace the emotion she found there with a finger tip, but that would mean relinquishing her grip on his shoulder and she wasn’t about to let go of him, not now, not ever.

The gradual, intimate pace changed when she started canting her hips into his rhythm. She still ached but it had grown into a satisfying one. An ache she realized she wanted--no, needed--more of. His thumb caressed her lower lip as he grinded into her. She met each vigorous thrust with a subtle roll of her hips, angling him deeper to hit that one spot…

She gasped when he did, ragged and high pitched as she arched into him. With one simple movement he had managed to make the muscles in her core pull taut. The sensation causing her nails to dig into the blades of his shoulders. His thrusts faltered at her exclamation.

“Don’t you dare stop,” she said in a breathless moan, freeing their entwined hands to grip his hip, to coax him further. Harder.

The pace they set after could only be described as desperate, her body writhed under his relentless devotion, coiling tighter and tighter. Each of his thrusts fell faster, rougher, deeper until it became all too much. What had started as a groan at the back of his throat erupted into a harsh cry as he came, crashing into her. The last few erratic rolls of his hips coupled with the sound of his climax and the deft fingers that suddenly caressed her clit finished her off, setting her free to ride several tidal waves of ecstasy.

They collapsed in a blissful heap, limbs entangled and chests heaving, neither making an effort to move for several minutes. She curled her fingers around the base of his neck and nuzzled her nose long his jawline, savoring the way the rapid beat of his heart pulsed in time with hers. He hummed something against her forehead, elven she thought, too dazed and thoroughly fucked to actually comprehend anything at this point. Chaste kisses were being placed along the crown her head, her temples, and eventually down the bridge of her nose.

She gazed up at him through half-lidded eyes and smiled up lazily at him. “You know,” she said quietly, “for a brief time I was a little nervous that when you mentioned being old-fashioned…” she trailed off heat crept down the back of her neck, suddenly embarrassed at her assumption.

“That I would be opposed to sex?” The question was laced with mirth that reflected in his eyes as he pulled himself up to gaze down at her. The soft laugh that escaped him turned into snort, and something in her twisted pleasantly at the sound. “I’m not that old fashioned.”

The flat look she was trying to give him was ruined by the smile that broke across her mouth. “Solas, you haven’t let me pay for any of the dates we’ve gone on, you open car doors for me, you--”

Her words were swallowed up by another kiss, and the subsequent giggle too. She could feel him smiling through the motion and it tugged at her heart in all the right ways. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he sat up, taking her with him.

“You are going to have to let me indulge you everyone once in a while,” he murmured against her mouth, “please.”

“I’ll take it into... consideration,” she teased, nipping at his lower lip.

At that, he chuckled exasperatedly and shook his head. “You would.”

#Solas #Solavellan #Solas x Lavellan #Solavellan fanfiction #dragon age fanfiction #HAVE AT IT YA FILTHY ANIMALS #THROWS THIS GARBAGE AT Y'ALL AND RUNS

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skye-huntress · 7 years ago

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Before The Storm: What Would It Take To Convince You?

The finale is nearing release and soon the story of Chloe and Rachel’s first adventure will conclude but I have one more major choice to get to before that. Before The Storm has been an amazing experience so far and I never thought I could be so invested in Chloe and Rachel’s relationship, given I am and forever will be Pricefield trash. I particularly adored the Tempest play where I as Chloe tried my best to play the role perfectly to impress Rachel. Then she blindsided both Chloe and I by being the one to go off script with an impromptu proposal live onstage. For an accurate depiction of me during that scene see Mr Keaton, the drama teacher, who was watching from behind the curtain.

I thought I’d already reached the highlight of that episode but the scene that follows only escalated the level of feels. Rachel and Chloe are walking together on a deserted street under streetlights still high on adrenaline from the performance. Rachel chooses this moment to try to convince Chloe they should leave Arcadia Bay together that very night. It is clear she is very eager to get away, not wanting to be around her lying father anymore and avoid the fallout of his supposed cheating. There is no argument that will convince her to wait any longer, not that Chloe isn’t also desperate to get out of town as well. So Rachel is talking and hyping up the life they will have together but Chloe can’t keep her doubts to herself any longer. She wants what Rachel is offering but she fears there is a chance that Rachel will back out of it. I think what Chloe really fears in this moment is that Rachel might not truly want to spend her new life with Chloe. As for Rachel, she is evidently a little frustrated that Chloe does not trust her word so she asks the question: “What would it take to convince you?”

The moment the question reached my ears, I didn’t need to see the options to know where Chloe’s head immediately went because that’s where my mind went. There was very little hesitation in deciding what option to pick but the way Chloe “answers” the question is what really makes this moment special for me. She knew what she wanted to say but couldn’t bring herself to say it, because of fear, embarrassment, doubt and a bunch of other emotions tying her tongue in knots. That is something I have experienced many times in my life, most recently when I started coming out a few months ago. Then there was the way she awkwardly moved closer, leaned in, immediately pulled back, not really sure what she is doing. Never have I ever related to anything more in my life. I wasn’t watching Chloe trying to ask a girl she'd crushing on for a kiss, I was watching myself.

Rachel is a smart girl though, she easily deduced what was going through Chloe’s head and no words needed to be said. Of the three iconic kisses that Chloe has been part of in the entire series, I have to say this was my favourite. The first with Max was spontaneous, almost silly and kind of surprised both characters. Their relationship was still healing and neither were really ready to even admit there was any romance there, plus Chloe was still hung up on Rachel. The second kiss was too tragic. It was a goodbye but also an admission of the love they felt for each other and realisation of what could have been. The kiss between Chloe and Rachel is more pure. They are just two people who in the moment want to express what the other means to them. They broke away once and barely had time to catch their breath before they went in for a second time as music started playing! This was romantic.

It should be acknowledged that this scene plays out differently depending on how the player develops Chloe’s relationship with Rachel. With the way I play, Rachel not only knows what Chloe feels but has grown to trust and like her enough to open up about herself and admit her own feelings. She doesn’t have to go for the second kiss, but she does so willingly if her bond with Chloe is strong enough, otherwise she seems to turn into a bit of a tease. I will also point out though that the tattoo that Chloe asks her to get is canon, though that doesn’t necessarily mean the choice is canon. Since we know Chloe and Rachel do not end up leaving that night, Rachel could have chosen to get the tattoo herself as a promise to Chloe that they will eventually leave Arcadia Bay together. It would also explain why Chloe is so insistent that Rachel wouldn’t leave town without telling her. In this moment I do wholeheartedly believe that Rachel is 100% sincere about wanting to leave with Chloe. However, it seems their plans fell apart the moment she found out what her dad was really hiding from her.

#life is strange #life is strange before the storm #before the storm #chloe price #rachel amber #amberprice #lis choices

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simsstuffmarie · 7 years ago

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100 Questions To Invade My Personal Life

I haven’t been tagged by anyone but I just thought I’d give it a go as I’m bored! Found this on @angelisims Simblr 😁

1. What's your middle name, and do you like it? My middle name is Marie and I do quite like it actually...it's pretty common lol

2. Are you artistic? Yeah I love doodling and just drawing random things occasionally

3. Have you had your first kiss? Duhhhhhh! I have a boyfriend!

4. What is your life goal? To be successful in my personal goals

5. Do you have any experiences with a famous person? I met Princess Diana when I was little, and a few years ago when I was doing my family tree I found out that my 5th cousin is Michael Douglas lol

6. Do you play any sports? Only if sleeping is classed as a sport?!?!

7. What's your worst fear? Being unhappy and unsuccessful....oh and spiders and heights

8. Who's your biggest inspiration? Myself....never aspire to be anybody else because it will never make you happy

9. Do you have any cool talents? Not really....I can fit my fist in my mouth! Does that count?

10. are you a morning person? HELL NO!!!

11. How do you feel about pet names? Me and Will have them....so I don’t really care. I never really call people by their proper names anyway 12. Do you like to read? Yes. But I rarely get time to sit down with a good book without being interrupted by someone 13. Name a list of shows that have changed your life. Grey's Anatomy - I’ve loved that show since episode one Band Of Brothers/ The Pacific - Just amazing True Blood - Yeassss Vampire Diaries - Ermmmmm....is their one member of that cast who isn’t hot?!

14. Do you care about your follower count?

I’m not overly obsessed with it, but it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when I see I’ve got a new follower (love you all btw!!)

15. What's the best dream you've had?

I can’t really remember my dreams

16. Have you ever kissed someone of your same gender?

I always kiss my girlfriends....not in a passionate way, just a little peck! Especially when we’ve been out for the night haha

17. Do you have any pets?

Not personally, but I treat my boyfriends' dog like he is mine

18. Are you religious?

Nope

19. Are you a people person?

I get a bit anxious and stressed out/ short tempered if there is a lot of people around in large crowds

20. Are you considered popular?

I don't think so..............

21. What is one of your bad habits?

Self-doubt

22. What's something that makes you feel vulnerable

Being around people who “look better” and are in better physical shape than me

23. What would you name your children?

Girl - Raynor Boy - Finn

24. Who's your celebrity crush?

Tom Hardy, Kellan Lutz, Charlie Hunnam, Shemar Moore, Jamie Dornan, Henry Cavill, Tyson Beckford.....I could actually go on forever!!

25. What's your best subject?

Human Biology, physiology and anatomy

26. Dogs or cats?

Both

27. Most-used social media besides Tumblr?

Facebook

28. Best friends name

Vikki, Hayley and Nikki

29. Who does your main family consist of?

Me, my mum and my older brother

30. Chocolate or sugar

Chocolate

31. Have you ever been on a date?

Several

32. Do you like rollercoasters?

Only if they have over-the-head supports....not just the lap bars

33. Can you swim?

Yes, but not very well

34. What would you do in the event of an apocalypse?

My boyfriend and me actually always have this discussion and have it all worked out! There's an old prison near where we live and an abandoned army base just up the hill - and the town centre is only 10min walk away! Perfect!

35. Have you struggled with any kind of mental disorder

Anxiety - increasing at the moment.

36. Are your parents together?

Nope - divorced when I was really little

37. What's your favourite colour?

Any warm colour

38. What country are you from/do you live in?

ENGLAND!!!

39. Favourite singer?

P!NK, Adele, James Arthur

40. Do you see yourself being famous some day?

Nope

41. Do you like dresses?

Yeah, as long as it isn't too tight

42. Favourite song right now?

Thunder - Imagine Dragons Skin - Rag’n’Bone Man

43. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?

No, if you’re old enough to do it, you should be mature enough to talk about it.

44. How old were you when you first got your period?

I was quite late starting. I was 15.

45. Have you ever shot a gun?

Yeah

46. Have you ever done yoga?

Yep

47. Are you a horror girl?

I don’t mind them, but they can all be quite similar

48. Are you good at giving advice?

Great at giving it. Crap at taking it!

49. Tell us a story about your childhood.

My dad used to be in the army and we lived several places. When we lived in Cyprus we used to visit the old ruins and amphitheatre and there were loads of lizards that used to hide in the cracks of the old buildings. I decided I wanted one of them to take home so I grabbed hold of its tail, but it was stuck and I kept pulling and pulling and eventually the tail actually came off of the lizard! Immediately I started crying.

One Christmas 9also when we lived in Cyprus actually) I wanted snow on the Christmas tree, but we didn't have fake snow, so I decided to use my mum's expensive face cream and smothered the tree in cream.

The same Christmas, me and my brother woke up before my mum and dad and decided to “sneak” into the front room to open the presents. When we got to the front room door, the handle had been taken off the door and closed, so we decided to go around the back door, which was also locked. Then tried looking through the windows but they had put bin bags all over the windows and drawn the curtains. We went back in and decided to sit my the front room door until they woke up, but we fell asleep and they found us asleep by the door on the floor.

50. How are you doing today?

Yeah, I’m OK. Thanks for asking

51. Were you a cute kid?

Newborn - yea I think I was Toddler - I was cheeky Child - Scrawny Teen - awkward

52. Can you dance?

When I’ve had a drink

53. Is there anything you do that you can't remember ever not doing?

Breathing? Eating? Drinking?

54. Have you ever dyed your hair?

Yeah quite a few times actually, just not for a long long time now

55. What colour are your eyes?

They change depending on my mood - green/blue/hazel/grey

56. What's your favourite animal?

Hedgehogs - I want one

57. Have you ever made a huge fool of yourself?

All the time!!!

58. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?

My mum and I are close (even though she annoys the hell out of me) But me and my dad not really because he left when I was young. We still always saw him, but it sometimes feels like I don't know him properly...IDK....

59. Do you have good friends?

The most amazing friends....

60. Are you close with anyone of the lgbtq+ group?

I know loads of different people...I don’t really label anyone. If you’re decent to me then I’m cool with you...

61. What's your favourite class?

I don’t really have class at university....

62. List all the tv shows you are watching.

Love Island, Big Brother, OITNB, Sons Of Anarchy, Prison Break, Benidorm, Grey’s Anatomy

63. Are you organised?

I try to be

64. What was the last movie you saw? Opinion?

Split....it was actually quite good

67. Which tv character do you relate to most?

I have no clue

68. What are some things that stand between you and complete happiness?

Finances

69. If you received enough money to never need to work again, what would you spend your time doing?

Travelling the world

70. What would you change about your life if you knew you would never die?

Nothing....because every decision I made before has made me who I am now

71. What would you do differently if you knew that no one was judging you?

I don’t care if nobody judges me

72. If you could start over, what would you do differently?

Nothing

73. Would you break the law to save a loved one?

Definitely

74. When was the last time you travelled somewhere new?

Today

75. When you think of your home, what immediately comes to mind?

My bed

76. What have you done to pursue your dreams lately? How about today?

I got off my arse and got myself into university

77. What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Everything! Nurse, Air Hostess, Vet, Super Model, Ballerina, Solider, Farmer, Roman, Pop Star, Barbie, Nightclub Owner, Architect, Interior Designer.....

78. If you dropped everything to pursue your dreams, what would you be risking?

Nothing...because real friends and family support you no matter what.

79.When did you not speak up, when you know you really should have?

That's really personal and I don’t wanna talk about it.....sorry.....

80. Describe the next five years of your life, and your plans, in a single sentence

Finish my degree, get a job, buy my own house, get married and have children

81. What would happen if you never wasted another minute of your life, what would that look like?

Skinny

82. If you could live forever, how would you spend eternity?

Seeing new things, trying new food, living!

83. How would you spend a billion dollars?

Same as above - maybe invest half of it and buy a new house and treats for my closest

84. If you could time travel, would you go to the past or the future?

Future - there is no point in trying to change the past as it got you to the place you are now....Live and Learn

85. What motivates you to succeed?

My family, friends and boyfriend

86. What dream that you’ve had has resonated with you the most?

It was an awful nightmare - about my brother and mum being murdered in front of me

87. Would you rather live in the city or the woods? Why?

The woods - because it's peaceful

88. Do you believe in life after death

Yes

89. What teacher inspired you the most? How did they?

They all thought I’d fail. Love proving people wrong. It makes me fight for everything

90. What’s your fondest childhood memory?

Living in Cyprus

91. If you could have dinner with any one person, living or dead, who would they be and why?

My Grandad - I miss the old grumps

92. What would you have to see to cry tears of joy?

Some of these really beautiful videos about people helping in the time of need, really romantic marriage proposals, and probably my first ultrasound scan if I was pregnant

93. What is the hardest lesson you had to learn in life?

You need to make a decision for yourself. Never be pressurised into it. It may be a tough one to start with and it will probably make you cry for years and years to come. But somewhere it was the right decision for you.

94. What do you think happens after we die?

Life carries on....

95. What would you do if you could be invisible?

Sneak into loads of celebrities houses because I’m nosey

96. What's something you can't do no matter how hard you try?

Roll my tongue and roll my R’s

97. Would you want to choose the sex and appearance of your offspring?

Nope - they'd be perfect no matter what

98. How did your first crush develop?

Not very well lol

99. Is there a feeling you are trying to ignore? What is it?

Anxiousness and regret

100. Do you live or do you just exist?

At the moment I just exist - but I’m trying to live

I’d like to nominate people, but it is actually really long, and took me forever to do. So if you fancy doing it, just tag me because I’d love to read them all.

#nonsims #personal #100 questions

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yuniesan · 8 years ago

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The Cinderella Promise (RUCAS AU) - Chapter 1

Summary: Riley Matthews went to Las Vegas for her best friend and her Uncle’s joint Bachelor/Bachelorette party, but fearing that she would never find happiness she hides out in the hotel bar drinking away her sorrows. While there she meets a handsome stranger with a proposition that would change her life.

Billionaire Businessman Lucas Friar went to Vegas for a business meeting, but after being denied the CEO position at his family’s company, for being known as a player/heart-breaker, he comes up with a plan to win them over if only he finds the perfect “wife” to play the part.

One year was all he asked for, once the clock strikes twelve on their one-year anniversary they would go their separate ways.

But what happens with they start to fall for one another?

Chapters [0.5]

Chapter 1 – How did we get here?

Riley could feel the beat of her own heart in her head and she didn’t like it, she wasn’t the type to get drunk mainly because she never had time to go out and have fun. Yet for the first time in her adult life she was waking up with a hangover and she didn’t know what to do to get rid of it and she hated it. She knew that she was in her hotel room, and she was there because her best friend Maya and her Uncle Josh were getting married in a week and they wanted one last hurrah before the wedding in a joint bachelor and bachelorette party in Las Vegas. The trip was costing Riley money she didn’t have, her savings was taking a hit with the wedding and she knew that it would put a dent in her plans for another year. She loved her best friend and she was happy that she was the maid of honor but the money she was spending to make her best friend happy was causing her a lot of grief.

She opened her eyes and looked around the darkened room, the blackout curtains made it impossible to see anything and she didn’t want to knock the lamp over and have to pay for it. When she reached over towards the nightstand she noticed that it wasn’t where it had been when she checked into her room. There wasn’t a lamp on the table at all, she automatically thought the worse, had she broken the light? It would make it impossible to walk on the floor if she did but she had to go to the bathroom so she needed to find another way around. She started to roll over to the other side of the bed to get to the lamp there but she hit resistance, when all of a sudden she heard the soft sounds of someone next to her.

Maybe it’s Maya, she thought to herself but when she touched the arm she knew that it wasn’t her best friend the blonde beauty. The arm was toned and the hand was larger than her best friends small petite hand. Oh god I brought some random guy into my bed last night, she screamed in her head. The inner monologue in her head wasn’t making the situation any better, in fact she knew it was only making it worse. She knew she needed to get out of the room as fast as possible but she couldn’t see anything so she didn’t know where to go, she wasn’t even sure she was in her room.

The man groaned next to her and pulled her close to his body snuggling the side of her leg before his breathing evened out holding onto her. She didn’t know what to do and she had to use the bathroom as if her life depended on it. She laid down and the bed thinking that she could slowly work her way down to the edge of the mattress and replace her body with the pillow behind her head. She slowly worked her way down until his arm reached the bottom of her breasts, she knew she had to move quickly but the feel of his body next to her sent tingles throughout her body. No man had been with her since her last boyfriend betrayed her, but she wasn’t going to deal with whoever was next to her until she at least went to the bathroom before she embarrassed herself in front of a complete stranger.

As she slowly tried to move his hand off of her breast she realized her mistake as he pulled her close and started groping her. She did the only thing she could think of doing at that moment, she screamed.

❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤

Maya and Josh were celebrating in front of her and she was truly happy that her friend had found love after all the heartache she had gone through growing up. Riley was happy for Maya but in her heart she was also sad because Maya had gotten so much happiness and Riley couldn’t get out of her funk, ever since High School she was always doing too much for everyone else that she honestly forgot to stop and think about herself. She had gotten a full scholarship to one of the top schools in the country only to drop out freshman year because her mother had gotten sick and her father couldn’t keep up with his day job and the café that her family owned. Her brother Auggie was too young to help out at home and he was always with their mother whenever she went to an appointment, so Riley did was she always did she stopped her own life to help out, that was eight years ago and even though her mother had recovered Riley couldn’t get herself to focus on something for herself because she still worked for what she thought was best for her family.

Now she was in Las Vegas for her best friend’s bachelorette party and she couldn’t muster up happiness for her. Her last relationship ended in disaster and she hadn’t seen her ex since the relationship ended even though she knew that he didn’t want to let her got when they broke up, but he had gone too far and she didn’t want to remember the memory. She was convinced that the world didn’t want to give her a happy ending, or maybe she had been to helpful with everyone else that she didn’t know how to help herself.

“Whatever,” she said. Instead of standing around and bringing down the happy mood around her she walked off to the nearby bar and asked for shots of their strongest liquor.

“Liquid courage,” bartender said but she just glared at him before he walked away. She didn’t want to fake a smile for anyone she just wanted a drink.

She didn’t like to drink at all but she wanted to loosen up so that she could at least pretend to have a good time with everyone instead of feeling down about her own life.

❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤

The screaming next to him is what woke Lucas up, not the fact that he had been absently grabbing something he had thought was a pillow, but was actually someone’s breast. He groaned at the sound of whoever was screaming in his ear when his head was pounding. He knew that he had too much to drink the night before but his entire life was up in the air all because his father thought it would be funny to add a clause to his will that he wouldn’t be able to become the CEO of Friar International unless he got married before his 30th birthday, and even though that was three years away he had worked harder than anyone he knew to make sure the business didn’t flounder because of his father’s dealing. Now he had to deal with a board of directors who thought he was a playboy, thanks to his best friend Zay who had flaunted his many relationships in front of the board the day before. When Lucas’ last relationship had been over two years before but Zay’s ideal best friend was the guy in college who had dated three girls at one time, which only happened once and only because he made the plans as a bet.

Now the ear splitting shriek was making him wish that he was still that guy because he could have shut the woman up with a kiss but since he didn’t remember a lot about how they had gotten to where they were he couldn’t do that. Instead he reached for the light switch next to the end table and turned on the light to reveal a pretty brunette with chocolate brown eyes staring back at him. She had stopped screaming when the light switched on and started looking around the penthouse suite that he had asked for when he had set up the meeting in Las Vegas. He wanted a place away from the glow of the lights and the tallest of the hotels in the city had what he needed, and it was very private because even though he was trying to woo the board he also wanted to have some semblance of control over his life. Something that the brunette next to him didn’t know about and it unnerved him.

“I’m dressed,” she said looking him up and down.

He was shirtless he knew that, normally he slept in his boxers because he couldn’t stand the restriction of pajamas when he was asleep but he knew that he was still wearing his slacks under the sheets.

He sighed and looked up at the face of the beautiful woman in front of him, “Yes you are,” he said out loud but wished she wasn’t because it would mean that he would be able to explain why she was in his room. “Now can you explain to me why you were screaming, in my room, at seven in the morning.”

“Well you grabbed… um… you grabbed my boob and started groping and I didn’t know you and I usually don’t let guys grab me like that. I thought I was in my hotel room but my guess is that I’m not since I’ve never seen this room in my life and I pretty sure this isn’t even the same hotel,” she stopped and got up onto her feet. “Um I’m just going to um…” she walked off towards the bathroom and closed the door.

He heard the click of the lock and sighed to himself, he was in his room with someone he didn’t know, all he could remember was his friend talking to him about some ridiculous plan about finding a wife while they were in Vegas and getting married by the end of the weekend before flying back to New York for a business meeting that he had with the London and Paris offices about the solar farms he wanted to invest in.

❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤

“Lucas it’s a good idea, you can find a contract wife and I have a license to notarize the paperwork without it getting out to the press,” Zay said as they walked through the lobby of the hotel they were looking to invest in. His best friend was a lawyer for a firm in New York and knew the ins and outs of the laws they needed to use for the company.

“Zay, you’re insane,” he said trying to get away from his friend’s plan. “Let me just have some time to think, the deal for the hotel is finished and I have a meeting at seven in the morning on Monday so I would like at least one day off this week before I fall apart.”

“Okay but you have to think about it because if you got through this hurdle the company would be entirely yours and you wouldn’t have to worry about the board.”

“Zay I have the majority of the company share, I think that it’ll be okay, yes I want the company, I was the one who saved it from the disaster that my father and my uncle started but in the end I still have to contend with my Uncle who still wants control and right now I can’t deal with any of that if I don’t get to relax at least once,” he said trying to hold onto his anger. He hadn’t had a day off since he finished his MBA, he had gone to school for only four years but he had taken more credits than he should have and his days off were few and far between hence he once ended up scheduling three dates in one day but the girls hadn’t minded because they were all after one thing, his money.

“Sure go ahead, I’m going to go head back to my room, my flight is at three in the morning, I have some company luncheon tomorrow afternoon so I have to leave early. But seriously think about what I said.”

“Whatever man,” he said before turning towards the hotel bar and sitting down next to a woman looking to drown herself in hard liquor. The glass in front of her was still half full with brown liquid, but all he could notice was that her hands were too small for the glass but she sighed and took the drink and swallowed it in one gulp.

“Can I get another one please,” she said to the bartender but he ignored her. Lucas knew that she wasn’t drunk, but apparently she wanted to be.

“A penny for your thoughts?” he said without thinking about his own struggles.

She looked over at him and smiled, for a moment he thought he saw the stars in her eyes but stopped himself from telling her.

“Life sucks sometimes, I just want to forget for once,” she said to him before she sighed.

“I know what you mean,” he said as the bartender came over and filled her glass, he asked for the same. “Come let’s go find a table and you can tell me your problems and I’ll tell you mind. It’ll be therapeutic.”

“Just what I need,” she said and followed him. He wondered if she had ever heard of stranger danger the way she so easily walked away with him but it was Vegas and most girls he saw there were looking for a good time not to be reminded of their lives.

When they reached a nearby he motioned for her to sit in the booth and he slid in front of her. He couldn’t help but smile at her, she had looked adorable trying to drink something that she was clearly not used to.

“So what’s going on with you?” he said still questioning himself about why he was drawn towards this woman who he had just met.

“My best friend is getting married next week, and it just put my life into perspective,” she said looking down at her hands.

“Wouldn’t that be a happy occasion?”

“You would think, but in reality I always helped her, especially when she started dating her fiancé, I always thought she needed to be happy because her childhood wasn’t the best but in helping her, and helping when my mom got sick, I sort of lost myself. I feel like I don’t know who or what I want to be. My relationships all sucked, I haven’t had any luck falling for anyone and I really wish I would have gotten the chance to go back to school. I wanted to write for a living, but I also wanted to one-day work in an industry that I had a passion for.”

“Let me guess you never found out what your passion was and now you’re regretting everything because you sacrificed so much for so long,” he said with a sigh, he had wanted to become a veterinarian when he was little but as he grew up he had become fascinated with changing the world through his family’s company, but in the end that went to hell very quickly.

“Yeah, I don’t have a passion, and I want to go back to school and find it but I can’t leave my family, even though they don’t need me anymore.”

“Maybe it’s time you left your family,” he said thinking about how he was trying to save his family’s legacy while building his own by rebuilding the company from the ground up.

“I wish but my father is overprotective and there are days when I swear he would go into my apartment just to make sure I haven’t fled the country or something.”

Lucas laughed because he wished his parents had been like that, all he had was cold and distant parents growing up. His mother had died while he was in high school and his father died recently which made his will impossible to contest on the grounds of insanity.

“What’s your story?” she asked him.

“My father put a clause in his will before he died and it was only revealed to me a month ago, but he died two years ago. I feel like he’s trying to control my life because he didn’t have any control over his. But I love my job and the company my grandfather started and I’m determined to make it something great.”

“Can I ask… what was the clause?” she looked up at him and he knew that she was trying to find out if his life was worse than hers.

“I have to get married if I want to inherit the company.”

She laughed for the first time since they met and he couldn’t help but be fascinated by the joy in her eyes. “Oh my god, that’s so funny.”

“Yeah well if it was your life you wouldn’t think it was so funny.”

“True, but it isn’t my life,” she sighed as she stopped laughing.

“Then let’s drink to our crappy lives, and how other people interfere with our happiness.”

“Here, here,” she said.

❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤💜❤

He remembered that he had ordered the whole bottle of their best scotch and the two of them worked on the bottle throughout the night, the longer they drank the more incoherent the memories became. He couldn’t figure out what was happening, they hadn’t had sex that much was true but he couldn’t help but think that he was missing something very important. When the glint of a white gold wedding band on his hand pulled his memories out of his mind. He remembered the drunken deal that the two had made and how they were going to solve both of their problems in one quick move. They were going to get married. The door to the bathroom opened and she stepped out looking at him as if she had noticed the band on her finger. The band glittered along with a huge diamond ring to match.

“Um… did we get married last night?” she said, he could tell she was as shocked as he was about what was happening.

“I think we did but I can’t remember a lot of what happened.”

#rucas #au rucas #au liley #liley #rucas fanfic #liley fanfic #gmw fanfic #yuniesan #fanfiction #the cinderella promise #adult rucas #gmwfanfiction #thecinderellapromise

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ewebresults · 5 years ago

Text

8 Law Firm Marketing Strategies

If you’re a law firm wanting to add new clients, adopting law firm marketing strategies is your best chance to make this work.

Over the past decade, law offices have popped up on every corner around town. Competition is fierce. It can be frustrating to see your law firm struggling to find new clients.

Let’s see how:

Market Your Law Firm with These 8 Marketing Strategies

1. Redesign Your Website to Work for You

Website design has transitioned from static informational pages on the web to engaging, interactive selling machines.

Useful websites have compelling calls to action and subject-specific landing pages. Prospective clients who land on your website still need information, but they want tailored information specific to their needs.

If your legal website is as old as five years or longer, a website redesign may be one of the law firm marketing strategies that prove most effective for your business.

Have you had the same design for 5+ years? It’s time for a website redesign.

2. Maximize Your Online Listings

Online listing platforms such as Yelp, FourSquare, Hotfrog, and Thumbtack can provide “set it and forget it” marketing for your law firm. Google and other search engines use accurate online listings as an indicator for search ranking.

Additionally, online listings provide your website with valuable backlink and increased exposure.

In addition to the well known national level listing directories, many local and niche directories exist as well.

Clients are searching for answers to their legal questions.

3. Invest in Content Marketing

Adding high-quality content to your website is one of the most valuable law firm marketing strategies for multiple reasons. The first and most important is that content can be used to address potential client pain points and answer their questions.

Many clients aren’t searching online for law firms. They are searching for the answer to their legal question. When they land on your content, provide with the solution they need, and thus you gain their trust. In turn, they are more likely to retain you for legal services.

Adding a blog and consistently adding high-quality content that your ideal client is searching for will establish your law firm as an industry authority. This is the first step towards building a relationship.

4. Dive Into Social Media

Did you know that the number of local business pages on Facebook has reached 65+ million and that 88% of social advertisers use Twitter? IThat means you should also have a social media presence.

Social media is an opportunity to pull back the curtain on your business and reveal what makes your firm different, better, and more authoritative. The social media platforms that will be most effective for your firm will depend on your target market.

Social media is an opportunity to pull back the curtain on your business and reveal what makes your firm different, better, and more authoritative.

5. Pay Attention to Online Reviews

Managing your law firm’s online reviews involves a few regular tasks. Merely hoping that clients will review your business on their own is not an effective strategy. Combining the following is the right way to maximize your review exposure:

Ask your past clients for reviews. Send them a direct link and make it as easy as possible.

Respond to every review. Acknowledging every review left on Google, Yelp etc. shows good will.

Respond to negative reviews. Sometimes a negative review can have positive results when your response is professional.

Taking an active approach and setting goals for how many reviews your firm will receive each month is one of the law firm marketing strategies that is often overlooked but mostly effective.

6. Grow Your Email Lead List

An overwhelming majority of Americans use email daily and it remains one of the best ways to reach consumers.

Email marketing is reported to have more than a 4,400 percent return on investment for small businesses, like law firms.

Before you can send amazing video content and engaging written content, you will have to grow your list. You may be tempted to purchase an email list, but don’t do it! Building your list will dramatically improve the effectiveness of your email marketing and keep you from being reported as spam.

You may be wondering how to grow your email list. Here are a few practical ways:

Provide an opt-in, such as a checklist or downloadable ebook in exchange for an email address.

Ask existing clients for referrals.

Create a monthly newsletter and encourage website visitors to subscribe.

Run a giveaway and collect emails as part of the entry.

Email marketing can have more than a 4400% ROI for law firms.

Start with one or two strategies to grow your email list and commit to it.

7. Create a Referral Program

Word of mouth remains one of the most powerful law firm marketing strategies for any business. When friends and family share their experiences with your law firm and recommend you, clients will begin to pour through your door.

Create a referral program that provides an incentive for your past and current clients to champion your services and bring in more clients. The motivation can be a $50 Amazon gift card or a free hour of service.

Encourage your clients to refer your business, and in turn, you taken care of them in some meaningful way.

Word of mouth is one of the most powerful marketing strategies for any business.

8. Don’t Forget About Snail Mail

While most modern day marketing strategies place an emphasis on digital marketing, physical mailings can still be effective.

Design a postcard and send it out to past clients reminding them of your services, alerting them to any changes, and encouraging them to refer their family and friends.

Many times a simple physical reminder is all it takes to bring in more billable hours.

Snail mail can actually be effective if used correctly.

Get Started on Lawyer Marketing with eWebResults

Follow these 8 law firm marketing strategies to rejuvenate or grow your legal business for years to come. Need some help? Have any questions? Talk to the experts at eWebResults.

Get in touch with us by clicking the button below or by calling us at 713-597-2656.

8 Law Firm Marketing Strategies | eWebResults – Houston, TX

The post 8 Law Firm Marketing Strategies appeared first on eWebResults | Internet Marketing Houston SEO Company.

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#IFTTT #WordPress

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ewebresult · 5 years ago

Text

8 Law Firm Marketing Strategies

If you’re a law firm wanting to add new clients, adopting law firm marketing strategies is your best chance to make this work.

Over the past decade, law offices have popped up on every corner around town. Competition is fierce. It can be frustrating to see your law firm struggling to find new clients.

Let’s see how:

Market Your Law Firm with These 8 Marketing Strategies

1. Redesign Your Website to Work for You

Website design has transitioned from static informational pages on the web to engaging, interactive selling machines.

If your legal website is as old as five years or longer, a website redesign may be one of the law firm marketing strategies that prove most effective for your business.

Have you had the same design for 5+ years? It’s time for a website redesign.

2. Maximize Your Online Listings

Additionally, online listings provide your website with valuable backlink and increased exposure.

In addition to the well known national level listing directories, many local and niche directories exist as well.

Clients are searching for answers to their legal questions.

3. Invest in Content Marketing

4. Dive Into Social Media

Did you know that the number of local business pages on Facebook has reached 65+ million and that 88% of social advertisers use Twitter? IThat means you should also have a social media presence.

Social media is an opportunity to pull back the curtain on your business and reveal what makes your firm different, better, and more authoritative.

5. Pay Attention to Online Reviews

Ask your past clients for reviews. Send them a direct link and make it as easy as possible.

Respond to every review. Acknowledging every review left on Google, Yelp etc. shows good will.

Respond to negative reviews. Sometimes a negative review can have positive results when your response is professional.

Taking an active approach and setting goals for how many reviews your firm will receive each month is one of the law firm marketing strategies that is often overlooked but mostly effective.

6. Grow Your Email Lead List

An overwhelming majority of Americans use email daily and it remains one of the best ways to reach consumers.

Email marketing is reported to have more than a 4,400 percent return on investment for small businesses, like law firms.

You may be wondering how to grow your email list. Here are a few practical ways:

Provide an opt-in, such as a checklist or downloadable ebook in exchange for an email address.

Ask existing clients for referrals.

Create a monthly newsletter and encourage website visitors to subscribe.

Run a giveaway and collect emails as part of the entry.

Email marketing can have more than a 4400% ROI for law firms.

Start with one or two strategies to grow your email list and commit to it.

7. Create a Referral Program

Encourage your clients to refer your business, and in turn, you taken care of them in some meaningful way.

Word of mouth is one of the most powerful marketing strategies for any business.

8. Don’t Forget About Snail Mail

While most modern day marketing strategies place an emphasis on digital marketing, physical mailings can still be effective.

Design a postcard and send it out to past clients reminding them of your services, alerting them to any changes, and encouraging them to refer their family and friends.

Many times a simple physical reminder is all it takes to bring in more billable hours.

Snail mail can actually be effective if used correctly.

Get Started on Lawyer Marketing with eWebResults

Follow these 8 law firm marketing strategies to rejuvenate or grow your legal business for years to come. Need some help? Have any questions? Talk to the experts at eWebResults.

Get in touch with us by clicking the button below or by calling us at 713-597-2656.

8 Law Firm Marketing Strategies | eWebResults – Houston, TX

The post 8 Law Firm Marketing Strategies appeared first on eWebResults | Internet Marketing Houston SEO Company.

#Website Design Houston #SEO Houston #Branding Houston

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seminarsacademy · 7 years ago

Text

Doberman Dan – How To Make Big Money From Small Lists

Released for the first time ever… my PROVEN system reveals…

How To Make BIG Money From Small Lists!

Here’s how I made an extra $205,000 last year… working part-time from home… with a list of only 130 people…

And why I think YOU can do it, too! Dear Friend, If you want to make an extra $100,000 (or more) this year only working a few hours a month from the comfort of your own home… …this will be one of the most exciting messages you’ve ever read. Here’s what it’s all about: I recently added up the income I brought in from my list over the last 12 months. When I shared my results with a few veteran marketers, they were completely blown away. (I’ll explain why in just a minute.) They INSISTED I share my secrets for making more money than most doctors… while only working part-time. To give you a brief glimpse of how I did this, here’s the breakdown of the extra “side money” I made: First run of a specialized 8-week coaching program – $45,000 (9 attendees x $5,000) Second run of a specialized 8-week coaching program – $80,000 (10 attendees x $8,000) Mentorship Bootcamp two-day event – $80,000 (8 attendees x $10,000) That’s a total of $205,000 from just three programs. And a small investment of my time averaging only about 3 hours a week. And ZERO dollars invested in advertising and marketing. Now here’s the thing that blew away even the most experienced online marketers… That $205,000 Was Generated From A List Of Only 130 People! Which means, on average, I make $1,576.92/year per person on my list. And that’s just from those three extra one-time only programs. I’m not including subscription, consulting, copywriting, royalty and equity income generated from this list in the previous 12 months. If I were to include that other income, my number would jump up to $4,269.23/year per person on my list. (Give or take a few pennies.) Heck, even the $1,576.92 per person I’m getting is UNHEARD of compared to the results of most other info marketers. Here’s Why This Is Important To YOU… I did all this stumbling around in the dark, screwing up time after time and learning as I went. The hard way – by making almost all the possible mistakes. That’s why I’m convinced that almost anybody can do this. And you can probably even do it BETTER than I have. Conventional thinking says that to make a lot of money with an email list you need a lot of subscribers. Not so, dear friend. Not so. I’m proof you don’t need a huge email list to make six-figures (or more) a year. You can do this with a teeny tiny list. (Like I said, mine was only 130 people.) Heck, you can do this starting today… even if you have… No List At All! But you gotta know the secrets to making big money from small lists. And that’s EXACTLY what you now have the opportunity to discover. Because I’m going to give you all the skills, tools and guidance you need to do it. I’m SUPER excited about sharing everything with you. However, I’m not gonna “hard sell” you. If I have to do that, I’m not talking to the right person. Instead, I’m going to tell you three things: 1. What it’s all about…

2. Who it’s for… and…

3. Who it’s NOT for…

First of all, here’s what it’s all about: Last year I tested a new marketing system that worked better than anything I’ve EVER done. Like I said, even though I made a bunch of mistakes, it brought in an extra $205,000 with only a handful of emails sent to a list of just 130 people. Since then, I’ve learned from my mistakes. And I’ve tested and tweaked to get it working even BETTER. Now it’s working so darn well, I’ll NEVER go back to the old way of doing things. That explains why — unlike most info marketers — I rarely come out with new products anymore. I’m so thrilled with this new and improved way of making money… and it’s so darn profitable… it has replaced almost EVERYTHING. And I’m confident it will work just as well for you, too. In fact, if you do what I say you’ll do even better than I have. Although the only way we can know that for sure is if you get the chance to learn it from me firsthand. That’s why I’m willing to walk you through the entire system… step-by-step… from start to finish… with a new program called… How To Make BIG Money From Small Lists! I’m excited because I’m going to help you get this system set up and making money for YOU… as fast as possible. So you can cram copious quantities of cashola into your soon-to-be copious coffers. If you choose to join me in How To Make BIG Money From Small Lists I’m going to reveal my entire system to you… A to Z. That way you, too, can make a hefty 6-figure income working part-time from the comfort of your own home… doing work that’s simple, fun and rewarding. I’m going to provide you with EVERYTHING you need to make this system work for YOU… so you can start enjoying the money and FREEDOM this system gives you! Here’s everything you’ll get… Video Module 1 – Charting The Course: You’ll see exactly how to determine how much income you need to create your ideal lifestyle. Then, how to create that income as quickly as possible. To get you from where you are now… to where you WANT to be. Video Module 2 – Market Selection: If you don’t get this part right, you’ll wind up spinning your wheels and only making a fraction of the money you could, and SHOULD, be making. You’ll discover my “ace-up-the-sleeve” secret for making SURE you choose a proven and INSANELY profitable market. Video Module 3 – How To Develop The Perfect Offer: You’ll see how I develop high-ticket offers that will have people lined up and BEGGING you to take their money. Video Module 4 – Lead Generation: You’ll discover the very best ways to get traffic and attract high paying clients. If you don’t yet have a list, you’ll discover the most effective way to build one FAST. Even better… I’ll show you how to do it if you only have a “bootstrap” budget. (I’ve done it with a budget of ZERO.) Video Module 5 – How To Convert Your Leads: This has been the most counterintuitive thing I’ve discovered. Because the less you do… the more leads you convert into high-paying clients. In fact, since I’ve honed this part of the system, I’ve gotten 90% conversion on the last two programs I promoted. And I’ve distilled this down to a simple and easy-to-follow script that ANYBODY can use. This process and script works so darn well… and it’s so EFFORTLESS… you’ll throw out all the other stuff you’ve tried in the past. Video Module 6 – Clients… What To Do With Them, How To Keep ’em Happy… And How To Keep ’em: If you’re worried about what to do with your clients once you get them, worry no more. Now you’ll know EXACTLY what to do. And how to get results that’ll keep ’em sticking around… and giving you more and more money! These are the secrets I WISH I had back when I was first starting out… ‘cuz I could’ve made a LOT more money with a lot less effort. But that’s not all. I’m also including something I’ve NEVER revealed before… EXTRA SPECIAL BONUS Video Module 7: Behind The Scenes Secrets Of Successful Newsletter Publishing! I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again… Everything good that has happened… and is happening in my business… is a direct result of my newsletter. EVERYTHING. Yes, a good “ole skool” newsletter. Delivered as God intended a newsletter to be delivered… in paper & ink. Although nowadays, almost nobody understands how to make a newsletter work. Not even the big shot marketing gurus. Still, there’s a FORTUNE to be made with a newsletter… if you know how. I do. And soon, you will too… when you join me in How To Make BIG Money From Small Lists. I’m gonna pull back the curtain and show you EVERYTHING about my super successful newsletter publishing/membership business. Including the behind-the-scenes secrets for making the REALLY big money. I’m not talking about the subscription income from your newsletter. (Although the recurring income is nice.) I mean the 5-figure and 6-figure deals a real paper & ink newsletter can generate for you. Listen, NOBODY in the marketing world has ever revealed this stuff outside their closed door “inner circle.” Because there are only a handful of us grizzled veterans left alive who still know it. (And nobody else wants to let the cat outta the bag.) I had to learn it all the hard way. But you don’t. I’ll let you in on every last detail when you decide to join with me in How To Make BIG Money From Small Lists. But that’s not all. You’ll also get… EXTRA SPECIAL BONUS Video Module 8: “Superhero Writing Secrets!” I’ve written a lot of stuff over the years about copywriting… and all the editorial/content writing secrets I’ve learned over the past two decades. But this is something new. Something I’ve NEVER revealed before. Let me tell ya… NOTHING works better than “Superhero Writing” for… Celebrity positioning…

Building a rock-solid relationship with your clients… so they stick with you for YEARS…

And getting MAXIMUM retention and lifetime customer value (LCV) from each and every person on your list. (That means YEARS of dependable, stress-free income for you.) Once you know this secret, “Superhero Writing” will be your master key to the kingdom… because… It’s MAGNETIC to money… Can be created out of thin air… Makes you stand head and shoulders above EVERYBODY else in your marketplace… Turns you into a specialist… not a generalist. (Specialists make EXPONENTIALLY more money.) Makes you a celebrity in your market. (And celebrities make EXPONENTIALLY more money than even specialists.) Works in any media… As powerful as “Superhero Writing” is, you’ll put it on STEROIDS when you use it in a print newsletter! (I use it in my newsletter… and I have the highest retention of ANY newsletter in my market!) But we’re not done yet. Not by a long shot. I’m going the extra mile to make SURE this will work for you as well — or BETTER — than it has for me. That’s why you’re also going to get… All my copy templates needed to make this system work for YOU. (Emails, website copy, my CRAZY high-converting script… EVERYTHING! All the stuff written, tested and used by me to make an extra 6-figures a year… working only part-time. You’ll get it all! Simply make a few tweaks, adapt the copy for your offer… and you’ll be ready to launch in no time at all.) My virtual guidance – On the video modules I’ll lead you through the entire system, A-to-Z. You’ll see how to customize everything for your business… so you can start putting money in your pocket as soon as possible! Listen, I know you get pitched all kinds of bogus “make a million dollars per minute” schemes these days. Probably on a daily basis. But this ain’t one of ‘em. This is specialized stuff and it’s not for everybody. So let me tell you… Who This Program Is For… Coaches, consultants, authors and speakers… People who sell any kind of information products… People who have any kind of high value skill that helps others… People willing to do a little part-time work to make an extra 6-figure income each year… People who are willing to talk with other human beings – as opposed to hiding behind their computer and only sending emails. Still with me? Great! Now I can move on to… Who This Program Is NOT For… People who sell scammy “get rich quick” and shady biz-op stuff. (Ever notice that the guys who do this have never been successful in any legitimate business… other than selling fraudulent get rich quick crap?) Dudes and dudettes who want to hide behind their computer and not interact with real living, breathing human beings. People who only want to sell products as affiliates. People who are constantly stuck in “information gathering” mode but never actually start anything. (Look, if you’ve been lurking in this online marketing world for a while, that’s okay. Just as long as you’re ready to actually start creating something for your future NOW.) People who have no desire to sell information products, services, advice, consulting or coaching. Listen, this is a PROVEN system. One I’ve invested lots of time and money into figuring out. And since it has such an extremely high value… because you can use it to make as much money as you desire… and create the kind of lifestyle you’ve always dreamed about… It Ain’t Cheap! But hey, I’m sharing skills that have paid me almost a quarter of a MILLION dollars over the past 12 months! Simply from doing some fun part-time work.

Just a few months ago eight people paid me $6,000 for the EXACT same information you’re going to get. Heck, even if I charged you $100,000… you second-mortgaged your home, sold all your earthly possessions… and sold so much of your blood plasma that you stumbled around like a hollow-eyed heroin addict… it would still be a screaming bargain. In fact, if you don’t make back at least $100k in the next 12 months, you’re just slacking off. (It works THAT well.) But don’t worry. It ain’t gonna cost $100k. (Although it should.) And you won’t pay $6,000 like my recent coaching clients. The fee is only $497. Yes, I know that’s not exactly pocket change for some folks. However, if you do what I say… your return on investment could be 500 times that the first year ALONE! THAT’S how effective this is. And yes, it CAN work for you! Just like it has for these folks… Here’s What Some Good “Salt Of The Earth” Folks Are Saying About My Strategies…

“$87,000/Year ‘Auto-Pilot’ Business Started In Only One Month!” “After all the thousands I’ve invested in various courses and materials, Dan’s advice has been the most valuable in helping me build a profitable health and fitness publishing company. His coaching allowed me to start a new business from my kitchen table with practically no capital… and create a part-time business in only one month, currently on track to make $87,000 its first year… completely on auto-pilot!.” – Chris Stella, Boston Massachusetts

“$12,500.00 Our First Month In Business!” “Wow! Using just one of Dan’s simple strategies, we made $12,500.00 our first month in business. And we’re barely getting warmed up. Doberman Dan is the real deal, and if you have a chance to learn from him, you are a fool if you don’t take it.” – Brocton Rye, CEO Steam Engine Solutions, SteamEngine.solutions

“More Progress In 3 Months Than The Last YEAR!” “Just wanted to say that I have accomplished more in the last 3 months with your coaching than I have in the last year. You have given me the inspiration, hope, support and friendly kick in the arse I’ve needed to get done what I’ve need to do, to launch in the next month or so. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.” – Adam Bonola, Sydney Australia

“Almost $2 Million My First Year!” “With Dan’s guidance I launched a new business the very end of last year. It has grown quickly and in my first full year in business I did a little under $2 million. If you ever get the opportunity to work with Doberman Dan I highly recommend you take it.” – Kevin Wichtendahl, Adel, Iowa

“Over $5.5 Million In Annual Sales!” “Your newsletter and advice have helped me build my online auto parts business to over $5.5 million in annual sales. I believe any industry can take your easy and powerful strategies and apply them to grow their business. You are definitely an outside-the-box thinker. It’s a breath of fresh air to learn from someone out there applying the strategies they are teaching, and not someone who’s just a talking head out to take my money. I can tell you really care about your clients.” – Brian Hanson, Jacksonville, Florida

“TRIPLED Our Sales In Only 12 Months!” “We only had time to implement two of the unique programs Dan provided us to boost sales and profits. Even with the limited time we had to invest, within the past 12 months we’re just a tad shy of TRIPLING our sales.” – Steve Young and Mike Ledeboer – ASResearchLabs.com Look, none of these people have any advantages over you. That’s why I’m 100% confident this will work for you, too. Remember, I told you I’m not going to pitch you hard on this. So there’s no hard close… No “putting you at a crossroads”… No summary of benefits… No long list of bogus bonuses with hyper inflated values… No strong arming you… None of that manipulative crap. However, if you think this is for you…

Doberman Dan – How To Make Big Money From Small Lists

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