#saw the killing joke video on a video about blue monday i think and i pointed at the screen saying MORNING IN LA! lol

[picspammer]

Love Like Blood by Killing Joke directed by Peter Care Morning In LA by White Lies directed by Chris Hugall

[soft-boi-eli]

Hello Hello!

I just wanted to say I love your fics!

ALSO!

Could I request a CC!SBI X Gn! Insomniac Reader! Where the reader is an insomniac (Obviously-) but is somehow a pro at MC!

Like they are basically god at the game! They also REALLY enjoy horror games! They don’t get scared easily and LOVE horror movies! They basically love anything horror/creepy-

ANYWAYS!!

The reader lives off of ramen and Monster energy drinks (For fun-)! They have a Twitch (Which has about 18 mil followers and 14 mil subs!) and a YouTube channel (Which has 20 mil followers!)

They mainly play horror games (Obviously-) and MC!

You can do headcanons or scenarios/images with the SBI! Maybe like playing a horror game together or MC? OR! Maybe some things they do together? Or when they meet up? Or-to many ideas Nightmare-

ANYWAYS!

I don’t really care! And don’t worry about taking too long on it!

ALSO!

Maybe we could be friends? Only if you want too!

Remember to eat, drink, and get enough sleep!

<3

Yes. I lovesthese ideas and I'm gonna choose headcannons due to they are a bit easierfor me to write.

And yes I'm perfectly fine with being your friend! I'm actually happy to make friends on this app so yeah!

Pronouns:nonbinary

Tw: cussing. Insomia, mentions of horror movies. Mention of horror games. Fluff.

SBI with a horror streamer friend head cannons.

*Ahem* tommy wanted to paly a game with you so you choose a game that didn't look like horror until the middle. He screamed at the jump scare and it made both of your chats so happy.

When phil decides to play with you there is literally a silence after a jump scare. Everyone thought he had a heart attack and honestly so did you until he spoke up about accidently hitting his mute button when he jumped.

Wilbur. He's a bit better then tommy but more scared then phil would be. Any little noise won't get him but when it starts to get noticeable the noiseless to him. The jump scare, he'd fall out of his seat and stay on the ground for a bit. You ask if he's good and he literally doesn't answer. He's dead. You killed him. Congrats.

Techno. He'd handle them a bit better then everyone else. Not as good as you but heisnt very paranoid. He literally runs at the noises trying to get jumpscared. While you run after him telling him to stop because if he doesn't then you'd lose and die. And technoblade never dies.

If you all play together both tommy and wilbur pussy out. Techno last the longest and phil the second longest. While you remain the ruler of horror games.

Now how you all met was dream invited you to the dream smp to add to the chaos. Needless to say it got extremely chaotic due to you being on almost 24 hours. You first ran into techno. He seemed confused and skeptical.

You both found eachothers love for potatoes. You set up camp quote close to techno but not too close.

Phil popped in when he needed something for a build and noticed a new name. Talked to you in chat and asked to join your VC. You both found each other talking for a bit.

Wilbur was next. Wilbur got curious over the new person and just hoppedinto the same VC as you techno and phil. He was quick to realize that you were a famous youtuber. Mainly for your horror videos and your extreme Parkcore skills.

In minecraft that is.

Tommy noticing that all of you were in the same VC joined in with shouting. He was low key jealous that everyone was obsessed with you. Then he saw why.

You literally cracked jokes at his shouting.

"Is that an angry pomeranian? Nah nah. It's an angry child. Even better an angry blonde!" - you.

He was shocked and immediately started joking and laughing with you. He wasn't fully angry for long.

Now about your diet. When they heard that you had only eaten ramen and drank angry drinks they were concerned. You lived quite close to techno so when you guys met up he was shocked that you looked as healthy as you did.

He hated the fact that you literally didn't eat anything else.

You told him occasionally you have something other then ramen but you were just too lazy to really cook anything and that you didn't feel like burning the house down.

One month phil, tommy, wilbur, and techno decided to organize a month long sleep over so that they could celebrate your birthday. Phil being quote the father figure cooked different, but easy dinners every night just so you didn't eat only ramen that day.

When they actually arrived though you got a text from Phil asking about your address in your dms. Not think much of it you just sent him your location.

You were going to take a small nap. Just to bost your energy before you went and streamed later that night.

As you were sleeping there was a car heading to your house.

Phil, wilbur, tommy, and techno were all just existing in the car. And when they arrived to your house they didn't expect to actually see a clean house.

You woke to a loud knock.

When you opened the door in your half dazed state you expected a package. But to see four people standing on your porch.

You nearly jumped out of your skin.

You were stuck there blinking at them.

Finally snapping out of it you let them in. Confused on why in the ever loving fuck they were here.

Phil explained they were here to celebrate your 21st birthday and they were here for a month.

You stared at them for a while. Confused on what to do since you haven't had people over in almost 2 years.

But you got use to it.

So when you got done streaming and smelled something other then ramen you were thrown off guard. Like what was that. I haven't smelled that in years.

But after the second day you got use to it too.

For your birthday phil literally made a feast.

Like he found your favorite food other then ramen and cooked it. With that he prepared everything you could dream of.

Your sleeping habits. Let's dig into those.

I'm in no place to talk as right now it's 3:05 in the morning. And here I am.

But when they are over they don't let you stay up till no 3-4 in the morning. They all know the importance of sleep.

But there are those nights where no once can sleep and it results in a late night stream. And streaming for hours none the less.

The amount of accidental all nighters everyone has pulled was immense. But that's what happens with jet lag, adhd, and insomnia.

Literally you get tired randomly. Sleep for only 3 hours. Wake up. Drink coffee, energy drinks, highly caffeinated tea. And don't sleep till late at night.

Pillow forts.

It's a must and it happens. Horror movies, pillow forts, and snacks. Like you all are in this massive fort, watching horror movies, one by one you all are falling asleep. You and techno were the last up due to technos active mind and your body not letting you sleep.

You two literally just vide there, changing the movies from horror to some silly animated movies, like how to train your dragon, frozen, Luca, and many others.

You two pull an all nighter and it's actually a bet to see how long anyone else takes to notice.

You bet an hour. Techno says all day.

You won. Philza notices the worse eye bags under both you and technos eyes and immediately starts scolding.

He is papa bird and he won't let anyone of his children neglect their needs.

"Did you even drink water at all? You guys should of been sleeping not binge watching horror movies all night!" -philza

You could only offer a smirk, along with a laugh.

"I think we did I just can't fully remember. Also we were watching animated films. Not horror. Surprised you didn't wake up to let it go." - you.

You turn to techno.

"You owe me 15 bucks pig boy!"-you again.

Handing you the money he rolls his eyes. "Yeha yeah. Rub it in." -techno.

Ah yeah they found a horror game that you were scared of surprisingly. It was actually surprisingly you hadn't played it yet.

Outlast.

You had been holding off that game until you finished your other one but here you were. Bored out of your mind.

So you decided fuck it.

That game teriffed the shit out of you. It was so good though.

When you screamed they all came rushing up due to the fact that you never scream.

They say you out of your chair, on the floor, blinking. They thought you were hurt.

But you sat up and looked at your computer.

"Damn. That was actually really good." When you looked behind you and found the boys all staring you smiled and waved.

"You need something?"-you

"You screamed. We heard a thud. We thought you fuckin died!" -tommy.

"No I'm alive. My soul almost divorced my body but it's still quite here."-you

That day made highlights.

The popular y/n actually got jump scared. The one person who never screamed at horror games screamed.

When they left you were sad yes but they were still your best friends. Ready to talk when ever you want.

Sometimes I think that you guys talk all through out the night. Them forgetting that you were actually in a different time zone.

Sometimes they pop into your streams, be it MC, horror, you just talking to your fans, or even the once in the blue moon, cheerful games.

They just pop in and start talking to you. And you talk back like they were there since the beginning.

Phil is now one of your moderators too. Along with tommy, wilbur, and techno. When they pop in they make sure no one picks on you.

And since you are now close to the SBI. You are now part of it.

You didn't choose the fans did. But they are your new family. No matter what.

Even if they disagree with your eating habit.

Or energy drink addiction.

Or insomnia.

Or you mainly playing horror games.

Or you basically living in your streaming room.

Or even the nearly 24 hour streams.

I could go on but I'm not gonna.

I'm tired. But I can sleep. 2 days and I get to have a tour of my new school.

And it took so long to finally get into it.

We have been going through a huge hassle even before school started to get me enrolled.

And then we had to get me into this program.

But now on Monday I get to go in. Get a tour. Then start either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Anyway hope you liked. It's now 3:50 and it's no proof read I'm sorry

[mrsdeanwinchester19]

The Interview

Steve x reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Summary: The Avengers have interviews with a news outlet and it doesn’t go as expected

Type: Fluff and humor

Warnings: None

Author’s Note: This was inspired by the Jiminy Glick/Jimmy Fallon interview

The Avengers compound was almost completely quiet, Steve was the only one awake.  He doesn’t normally stay at the compound anymore, preferring to stay at his house, but they got in late from a mission last night and fell asleep after taking his suit off.  The only noise came from the drip, drip, drip of the coffee maker as he mentally tried to prepare for the interviews the whole team has today.  Everyone had been assigned a journalist for a news outlet called The New York Sun.  They were doing a piece on the Avengers, hopefully they won’t try to turn it into an exposé, but it’s not like they would find any information that isn’t already on the Internet after Natasha decrypted and released SHIELD’s files.

Bucky stumbles into the kitchen in a long gray and purple striped robe, looking like he just woke from cryo.  “Good morning sunshine,” Steve jokes.  Bucky glares at him before taking the cup of coffee that Steve had prepared for himself before walking back out.  “FRIDAY,” Steve says to the air.  “Set an alarm for everyone’s room.”  He smiles slightly when the loud alarm starts blaring in all their rooms.  

Sam slams his door open and looks around frazzled.  “What the hell, man?” He clearly woke up thinking there was some kind of attack happening.

Steve simply shrugs his shoulders in response.  “You need to get ready.”

Once everyone had gotten up and gotten ready, they all have a meeting in the common area.  Tony orders them not to say anything the people don’t know about already, don’t say anything about each other, and definitely don’t talk about relationships or family.  

The journalists are spread out around the compound, each in their own room, so Tony tells them where to go to meet their journalist.  Steve goes into the conference room to see one chair turned away from him.  When he closes the door, the journalist spins their chair around and sets their papers on the table.  Steve is immediately struck by how beautiful the interviewer is. Long Y/H/C hair tumbling over her shoulders, bright Y/E/C eyes staring into his baby blues.  She’s wearing a tight black skirt and a white blouse that Steve can slightly see her lacy bralette through.  

“Steve Rogers, nice to meet you,” she says, extending her hand.  Steve grips her soft hand in his rough one and shakes it.  He can’t help but notice the lack of a ring on the hand he didn’t shake.

“Nice to meet you too Miss…” he trails off.

“Y/N.”

“Miss Y/N.  It’s not often we do interviews, just press conferences,” he says, sitting down across the table from her.

“Well, normally I interview celebrities, so this is a nice change of pace,” she answers.  Apparently Steve isn’t a celebrity in her eyes despite the fact that he’s a national icon and has been since World War II.  

“What would you like to know?” Steve changes the subject.

“I want to know about your journey.  I want to know how-” she checks her notes, “-Steve Rogers got to where he is today; but not too much detail because I don’t actually care.  You were born where?”

“I was born and raised in Brooklyn-,” Steve explains, but she cuts him off.

“-Isn’t that wonderful? Poor Brooklyn or Newsies Brooklyn?”

“Uh, it was more poor Brooklyn.”

“Poor Brooklyn, okay. And I’m assuming from the grammar…limited education.”

Steve nearly has to keep his jaw from dropping at her audacity.  To keep his mouth from opening, he clenches his jaw as she continues with the questions.  He may not be a genius like Tony, but he’s smart.  While Tony’s head is filled with ideas for inventions, his is packed with military strategies, fighting styles, and a lifetime of wise advice that the team never wants to hear.  Then, at night, what takes over his mind is how embarrassing the Rappin’ with Cap videos about hot lunches and tooth decay are.

She continues before he has a chance to respond, “There are a lot of words you don’t say.  Rumors are you don’t swear, is that true?”  Steve nods his head in affirmation.  “Why?  Are you scared of saying the words or something?”

Steve sighs, used to this kind of response.  “I just think it sounds unintelligent and unprofessional.”

“Ah, and with your lack of education you want to sound as smart as possible.  So, moving on, you stopped producing weapons.  You said ‘I’m not gonna do it anymore’.  Why is that?”

“Yeah, that uh, that wasn’t me, that was Tony.”

“And you are…?”

“Steve Rogers.”

She gasps, “These questions are not- I’m not prepared for this!  Alright, improvising.  Here’s one, how are you alive?”

“I beg your pardon?” Steve asks, not quite understanding if she’s referring to his age or a certain mission he shouldn’t have come back from.

“You went into the ice. Human cells are mostly made of water. When water freezes, it expands. Your cells should have burst.”

“They think that the serum prevented it from happening.  The doctors said that instead of the water in my cells expanding that when it got cold it clumped together and turned solid.  I’m not a scientist though, that’s something you would want to ask Bruce or Cho, they tried to explain it to me.”

“Bruce isn’t a medical doctor, right?” she asks.

“Right.  But he studied the serum, attempting to replicate it and now that I’m here again he’s trying to learn more about it.  I was basically a pin cushion for him in the beginning, he took so much blood.”

“Alright, last question. I wanna ask you about your relationship with Bucky Barnes.”

“He’s a very good friend-“ Steve begins.

“Lover.”

“What?”

“Is he your lover?” she asks again.

“No, he’s just a friend; basically my brother,” Steve defends.

“Admit it in this interview, he’s your male lover!”

“You’re just trying to get a reaction out of me!” Steve says.  He knows he shouldn’t let her rile him up at all, but he can’t help it when the entire interview has been to hold.

“I’m not trying to get a reaction.”

“Yes you are, you’re trying to get a reaction out of me by saying ridiculous stuff like this!”

“I’ll tell you the reaction that I’m trying to get over, I’m trying to get over the fact that I thought this was with Stark!”

“You gotta be shitting me.”

“Oof, Rogers, you kiss your wife with that mouth?  Or should I say you kiss Bucky with that mouth,” she says.

Steve pulls at his own hair before walking out of the conference room.  She’ll find her own way out.  What the hell kind of interview was that?  The questions were almost nonsensical, followed no pattern or sequence, and apparently she thought she was interviewing a different person.  He’s been angered by interviewers before, especially when they try to work in “gotcha” questions, but never straight up insulted like this with the education comment.  He’s not sure if the others are done with their interviews yet but if he needs to talk to them, he can text.  He’s headed home.

  You unlock your front door and drop your purse after closing the door. Before you even get a chance to turn on the light, a voice calls out.  “Limited education?”

You jump a bit and put your hand on your chest.  You look over to see a dark figure on the couch.  He stands up and slowly walks over until he’s in the light shining through the front windows from the street lights.  “I think you deserved it,” you say.

“Oh really?” he asks.

“Yes.  Texting your wife that you’re getting in and then staying at the compound?”  You walk closer to him.  “I stayed up for hours worried that something happened to you in the last few minutes of the flight and you said I’m not allowed to call you during missions.”

“I’m sorry babe, my phone died and I passed out when I went to go take off my uniform.  Can you forgive me?” he asks, wrapping his arms around your waist.

You look up at him then at his chest.  “I mean, a massage would definitely help…”

He laughs.  “I was about to ask the same thing of you, especially after FRIDAY showed Tony the full recording of my interview and then had an almost two hour phone call with me about it.  He’s gonna kill me when he finds out the interviewer was my wife.  Actually it’s gonna be when he finds out I got married and didn’t invite the team.”

“Well don’t worry about it,” you say, setting your hands against his chest and feel his strong heart beating beneath his skin.  “He’ll understand since you two weren’t on good terms at the time. In other news, I wrote you a shining review about how you’re smart, selfless, brave, kind, and how sexy your ass is.”

He laughs and leans down to kiss you.  The kiss is chaste but sweet.  “We’re having dinner with the team on Thursday.”  

It’s Monday today so that gives me only 3 days to mentally prepare to meet the people most important to him. “Are you sure?” I ask nervously.  

“Of course!  You already know Bucky and he loves you.  I’m sure the rest of the team will too.  Besides, how else will we explain the great article about me when Tony saw the interview.”

“Did you tell them they’re having dinner with you and your wife?” I ask.  I have hung out with Bucky and Steve dozens of times.  He comes over for dinner at least twice a week and he was the best man at Steve’s second wedding.  Because Tony and Steve had been split apart, he really wanted Bucky at his wedding, even though he wasn’t fully recovered yet.  I think Steve would’ve put him in a straight jacket had it meant he could be there.  Bucky also wanted to be there more than anything, he was just terrified he would ruin Steve’s day.  So after telling Bucky, you had a small, second ceremony that Bucky was able to attend, along with Steve’s Wakandan friends. We may end up having a third ceremony that the team can finally attend.

“Nope.  I just told them team dinner on Thursday and they have to be there.  But for now, how about we head to the bedroom and get reacquainted?” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows and biting his full lower lip.

“Yeah, you need to take care of your wife that you left alone for a week.  Otherwise you’ll get an article about your secret addition to glazed donuts and soap operas!”

Taglist: @imanuglywombat​

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS | CHAPTER 5

Rating: Explicit.

‼️TW: Reader is EIGHTEEN! Recreational drug use, smoking and alcohol consumption, deeply internalised self-loathing, very questionable moral standards. Daddy kink taken half-seriously. BDSM themes in later chapters - explicit content will come with it's own TWs. FIRST PERSON POV.

Summary: You're Peter's classmate, a child of rich and famous but uncaring parents. Getting paired up for a lengthy project with the boy was an interesting turn of events and you don't know whether to feel blessed or cursed when you develop, seemingly, a perfectly normal, harmless crush on Tony Stark. Fueled by feelings of inadequacy and boredom, your life spirals out of control - and you're lucky your newfound friends are there to pick up the pieces even if you cannot find it in yourself to believe these amazing human (and not so human) beings voluntarily give you more than a fleeting glance and an offhanded thought. And they brought cake!

A/N: Revenge is sweet but a well-timed dick joke is sweeter. xoxo gossip girl. Please supervise one Bucky Barnes on the internet. Questionable music taste. Detention is the price we pay for justice. Bruce Banner is too precious for this world, too pure.

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub ​ @mostly-marvel-musings @vozit​ @littlegasps​ @pilloclock​ @shereadsinquiet​ @downeyreads​ @hermione-grangers-wife​ @individualistfem​

Beta read by the lovely and patient @miscmarvelwritings ! 🎶🎵I love you biiitch ain't ever gonna stop loving you biiitch 🎵🎶

"Initiate phase one," I added a growly undertone to my whisper, holding my phone inconspicuously, as if I was making a simple phone call. There was no answer but I didn't expect one: I was testing the voice recorder app that I had downloaded for the sole purpose of documenting and relaying the inevitable fall of one Flash Thompson. 

Making my way through the crowd of students during the busiest time of the day, I made the most intrigued and outraged facial expression I possibly could. Spying my targets, I leaned against a nearby wall, putting a hand over my mouth in fake outrage, keeping my eyes wide and trained on the opposite wall. Just as I had predicted, the two sophomore girls started giving me side-eye by minute two of my staring and finally approached me as I contemplated the wall for whole five minutes.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" The brunette asked, her blonde friend hanging a step back.

"Yeah, totally," I mumbled. "I'm, like, shook beyond imagination, but nothing, like, bad."

The girls traded a curious look, seemingly coming to some sort of conclusion. The greedy gleam in their eyes had me internally cheering. "What happened?" The blonde one asked, coming closer.

"I'm not sure if I should tell that to anyone," I stammered, watching them bodily move forward. "Well, okay, I can't keep quiet. But you must never, ever speak of it or I'll get expelled or something," I said nervously. They both nodded so rapidly it reminded me of Funko Pop figurines. "You know the senior guy, Flash? Brown hair, kinda hot?" Again, they both nodded, conspicuously grinning. "I think I just saw him in the closed girls bathroom on the third floor with, like, some brunette from Ms. Johnson's History class," They both gasped. Predictable. "But that's not the worst! They were like, y'know," I made an obscene gesture with my hand and they instantly covered their own mouths with their palms in shock. "And the chick was like 'is it in yet?' and he was like 'yah' and I just closed the door and ran, oh my god I hope they didn't hear me," I squealed at the end, playing the part of a mortified teenager.

All three of us giggled uncomfortably for a moment. The blonde girl stared at me suspiciously. "And what were you doing there?"

I faked a nervous stammer, looking around briefly and showing them my lighter for a moment. They both gasped and nodded in recognition. "Don't tell anybody or my mom is going to have kittens," I pleaded. Both of them nodded solemnly, noticing their own group of friends approach. I used the brief moment to get lost in the river of pupils and by the time they turned around to introduce me, I was already at the opposite part of the hallway.

For the time being, everything seemed peaceful. There were a few giggles and side-eyes directed towards Flash Thompson but nothing out of the ordinary. He was disliked by most of the student population even if nobody dared to admit it outright. I took care to walk around without my earbuds for the day and pulled out my phone to record the most interesting conversations around me whenever I caught the tell tale signs of a gossip mill beginning to run its course around the school.

"Oh my god, I heard about this girl that was caught fucking Flash in the girls bathroom and she literally said 'is it in yet', can you imagine the shock, jeez!"

"Some chick literally just rejected Flash because his dick was too small."

"Rebecca from AP chemistry told me someone saw Flash's micropenis. Poor guy!"

"I wonder if his girlfriend dumped him because he can't do shit, I mean, he doesn't look like the type to eat the kitty."

Those were just the highlights of the Friday afternoon. Come the weekend and the news of Flash's unfortunate condition will make the rounds through every single group chat that the school has and by the time Monday rolls around, nobody will have a clue who started the rumour in the first place. I had to carefully select the girls who were to distribute the rumour and I was happy with the outcome: Marissa and Layla with their squad of chatty, bored rich girls were the perfect choice. I thought they would jump at any opportunity to cause drama and I was right.

It was sufficient to say I was bristling with pride as I cut and compiled the audio track from today's school day before sending it to the group chat.

Clint, Peter and Natasha appeared online as soon as the message delivered and I was delighted at their response. Romanoff's kind words, specifically, made me all warm and mushy inside. I didn't resist the feeling, basked in it even as I did a happy dance around my room. Peter's nonsensical string of emojis was another point of laughter for me. 

It wasn't exactly the smartest way to go about killing Thompson's reputation... Alas, simplicity is the way to success when it comes to large crowds of teenagers. That tiny little vindictive part of me was very much looking forward to the weekend and the results of the inevitable distortion of the rumour I had started. Who knew, maybe by Monday Flash Thompson would not only have a micropenis but horns and hooves as well.

Near bedtime, I had all the avengers send me their regards and thumbs up. I answered the flurry of texts as quickly as I could but there was no point in keeping up with ten or so people constantly streaming their questions, opinions and comments. 

I settled on a single easiest response: pulling my dad's old uni sweatshirt over my tiny lacy pajamas to preserve some modesty, I settled in front of my mirror, turning on my Bluetooth speaker to play "Boss Ass Bitch". In true gen-z fashion, I put on my best resting witch face and solemnly lip-synced to the song's eponymous chorus. My eyeliner was sharp enough to cut paper and my prismatic highlighter glittered enigmatically in the cold light of my blue lava lamp.

The response was, once again, delightful and I genuinely belly-laughed at the adults' attempts to meme after Peter. His blushy face emoji started a whole nother conversation that I didn't participate in but watched from the sidelines with glee, snorting every time his friends and mentors gently teased him about the very obvious crush he harboured on me. 

Seeing Peter starting to go absolutely nuts, I interjected with an offer (more like a dare) of a lip sync battle. He jumped on the bandwagon, immediately going offline to undoubtedly film an epic video of what I thought would be dorky-dancing to some hipster song. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a pre-recorded tik tok video of him and Ned fighting with lightsabers while mouthing the words to Fergalicious that played over the Imperial March.

Weirdos. I still followed him on the app, though, it was pretty funny.

Bucky interjected with a very well executed rendition of "Bring Me to Life": he was wearing his full Winter Soldier get-up, complete with an AK-47, dramatically serenading Steve who looked seventeen shades of done with his partner's antics. Wanda's following twenty second voice message consisted of nothing but pure hysterical laughter, summing up everyone's reaction to the video. Bucky was going to go viral one of these days...

Obviously, I had good competition and nobody else seemed to want to participate so I rearranged my surroundings a little bit and stood up at my full height and swapped the old sweatshirt for a cute crop-top hoodie. My thigh-highs were on display and with my make-up, I looked like a proper internet e-girl. I leaned against the mirror as I mouthed along to the song with my best interpretation of the famous Lucifer smirk, seasoned with a tiny bit of angelic innocence: "Doctor, doctor, give me the news, I got a bad case of loving you..."

Needless to say, I won the competition. Eventually Wanda joined in, looking menacing and ominous with her dark clothes and Natasha's red hair flashing somewhere in the background; even Tony did a round (AC/DC as his soundtrack of course) with one of his Iron Man suits but nothing beat my stunt and the reaction that it caused.

I had accidentally called out Bruce with the choice of my song and his teammates gave both of us a lot of cheeky comments about it. We relented and flirted with each other a bit as the conversation flowed into more mundane discussion; I said my good nights somewhere between Tony's bitching about the hobbies of my generation and my nightly skincare routine. The little green heart that I'd become accustomed to over the past few weeks greeted me just as I was about to lock my phone.

Bruce was really too precious for this world. My crush on him was different than the one on Tony, it mellowed out in comparison. I wanted him to hold me, to stroke my hair, to call me his darling and wrap me up in one of those dorky button-ups that he insisted on wearing in spite of Tony's unwanted, however very valid, fashion advice.

For all that's worth, the scientist probably knew or at least suspected and had the good grace to play along just enough to satisfy my deep need for attention... Without crossing any actual lines. It was frustrating, it was disappointing but I had virtually nothing to complain about. Besides, I didn't want to lose the quirky friendship that we had. Banner was, probably, the least judgemental person I knew and I wasn't about to trade that for an awkwardly stolen kiss.

Monday and Tuesday passed in a flurry of giggling and snorting every time Flash walked by. His girlfriend broke up with him, very publicly, accusing him of cheating and he didn't even deny it - just insulted her and stormed off, leaving even his friends looking lost and clueless. I started dragging Peter and his two pet nerds along with me just about everywhere I went in case Thompson decided to do something stupid again. If judging only by the looks he was throwing our little company, he was on his way to figuring out who began nibbling at his reputation.

The week was coming to an end and the rumour began dying off, slowly. That just didn't sit with me, I wanted the fucker gone. Due to the obvious time constraints, I approached MJ regarding Peter - after a brief argument, we came to an agreement regarding Peter's safety should I need to leave him alone in the hallways or at lunch. 

I needed to do this alone so if I got caught, I won't drag them down with me. Granted, I would probably get something like a suspension and the school will attempt to call my mother (she never picks up) but that's about it. That's where her reputation comes in handy-people consciously avoid dealing with her, she can be that unbearable.

But first, I needed to get a teacher that's on my side. After carefully considering the candidates, I settled on my Social Studies professor - he taught the college-level classes and was overall a very chill, nice dude. And he disliked bullies with a flaming passion. So it didn't take me long to work him into a righteous fury - just a quick chat over a cup of tea in his homeroom and a few pictures of Peter's bruised face, complete with my own pleading puppy eyes. We agreed Mr Davies would "accidentally" leave the teacher's lounge unlocked during third period and I would sneak in. The plan wasn't foolproof but if it worked, not only Flash, but also his whole misogynistic, bigoted family would go down.

As I was leaving, Mr Davies looked up at me with a bright smile: "Give them Hell, alright?" And I suddenly noticed he was, in fact, very attractive. The smile brought out the fine wrinkles around his mouth, the crow's feet around his eyes - he smiled a lot. Silver strands mixed in with the wooden brown of his hair.

I let my eyes slide over him briefly before baring my teeth in return. "I owe you one," I don't know what possessed me to say that. My mouth really had a mind of its own sometimes. The room suddenly became hot.

"Sure," He replied, totally oblivious.

On Friday, I made myself a small nest in the empty classroom opposite the teacher's lounge and sat waiting for the signal from Mr Davies - he'd tap on the door once and I'd quietly go inside the teacher's lounge, retrieve Thompson's file and make my way back to the empty classroom to grab my backpack and carry the file to my locker for further examination. 

The first part went successfully and I managed to snag Thompson's file. It was heavy and hefty, all the evidence of his rowdiness compiled into one flimsy plastic folder. There were A LOT of pink slips and I rejoiced internally: at least there was a paper trail of his exploits. The principal didn't do anything about it which was... If not against the rules then at least frowned upon; the plan was to take copies and anonymously submit them to the school board prompting at least an investigation into the blatant disregard for Flash's immoral and illegal behaviour.

On my way back I stumbled upon the principal herself which got me not only a stern talking to, but a whole detention for skipping class. Whatever, I was too elated from potentially ruining the life of a dumb fuck who ruined my friend's face.

Surprise came in the face of Mr Davies, who, having heard the commotion in the hallway, stepped out of his class and saw me being lectured by the principal. 

"I'll take her for the detention," I heard the familiar voice behind me. The principal nodded solemnly and I had no choice but to sigh in resignation. "Three thirty, be here," He nodded to me, walking back, looking way too smug for his own good. So I wasn't the only one excited about the successful completion of stage two of my nefarious plan. Cue evil laughter.

[all-things-skam]

Jens’ season: chapter nine

Saturday, February 29th

Feeling the bed shift next to him, a smile broke out on Jens' face as he remembered last night's events. His plans had completely shifted and he couldn't be more happy - sorry, Robbe.

His heart began to swell, filled with endless happiness. He had thought Lucas was asleep when he confessed his feelings to him. That's why Jens allowed himself to say those three words. Given the Dutch boy's steady and slow breathing, he should've been asleep - but he wasn't -, which turned out to be a good thing. If he had been, Lucas wouldn't have reciprocated the words.

Jens felt his smile deepen. Lucas loved him back. Life couldn't be better.

At least, at 8am on a Saturday.

Lucas woke up not long after Jens, both still sleepy but also needy. He nuzzled his face into Jens' neck and along his shoulder, fighting sleep. That boy was really cuddly in the morning. Not that Jens minded.

Jens wished all his mornings would be like this. Warm, lazy and filled with kisses from the prettiest boy. It was as close to a perfect morning as it could get.

Lucas bit Jens' bottom lip and let it go with a 'pop'. ''Do we have any plans for today? Or are we staying in bed all day? Not that I'd mind.''

''We?''

The brunet hummed, blue irises looking up at Jens. ''I told you. It's my mom's weekend. I don't need to go home. I can stay here instead.''

A content smile formed on Jens' lips. ''I'd like that very much.''

Now that Jens had come out to the boys, he could officially introduce Lucas to them, but staying home and keeping Lucas for himself sounded better. Much better.

He leaned down to join their lips together, one of his hands sliding under the blanket and down Lucas' body. His hand was about to slide inside Lucas' boxers when his bedroom door opened and Lotte walked in, forcing their little 'fun' to end before it even started.

''Lucas!'' she squealed, eyes sparkling with joy the second she saw him in her brother's bed. Lotte jumped on the bed with them, clueless about what almost happened. ''I didn't know you were here.''

Lucas forced an awkward smile, cheeks flushed from the situation.

''Does Mama know?''

''Yes.''

Lotte knitted her eyebrows, staring at her brother, trying to figure out if he was lying. ''That's a lie. If she had known, you wouldn't have been startled when I came in.''

Jens groaned. If only she knew why he was startled... ''Lotte, can you go bother someone else? It's 8am, let me go back to sleep.''

''No! Dad left for work so Mama and I are making waffles downstairs.'' She turned to Lucas. ''Are you staying for breakfast, Lucas?''

The brunet cleared his voice. ''I guess I am.''

Grinning, Lotte took Lucas' hand and tugged, trying to drag him out of bed, but the curly haired one stayed under the covers, very aware that he was only wearing underwear. No matter how much he loved Jens' mom and sister, he didn't feel comfortable enough to be walking around like that in front of Jens' family.

''Why don't you go and make sure Mom doesn't burn the pancakes? We'll join you in a minute.''

.

Sunday, March 1st

Spending the weekend at Jens' made room for a lot of awkward situations.

Yesterday, Lucas almost stumbled into Jens' dad when exiting the bathroom after his shower. Is there any better way to be introduced to someone? Lucas wanted to be swallowed by the ground. Then, he got caught mid-changing by Lotte. Thankfully, his pants were still on.

Their making out session had been cut short this morning when Jens' mom walked in, catching them kissing in Jens' bed. Fenna didn't say anything, both boys being still fully clothed. She just deposited the pile of clean clothes and left, leaving the door wide open instead of just ajar. Message received.

Later in the afternoon, Jens decided to leave the house to get some fresh air - aka freedom.

While he was grateful that his parents agreed to have Lucas spending the weekend over - and sleeping in his bed -, he was tired of his family breathing down his neck or constantly being interrupted by his sister. They couldn't even sleep in or have some morning cuddles without Lotte coming in and jumping on the bed. Jens really needed to learn to lock the door.

It was cloudy and gray outside - a bit cold too -, but Jens wanted some time alone with Lucas. Can you blame him?

Spoon still in his mouth, Lucas hummed, eyes closed. ''This cake.''

''It's good, uh?''

The brunet nodded avidly, cutting another piece of his cake with his spoon. ''You, Belgians know how to make desserts.''

Jens shook his head, smiling. ''You and your sweet tooth...''

As if a cake wasn't sweet enough, Lucas had ordered the sweetest one on the menu: a chocolate mousse cake. Even though Luc had told Jens how much he loved chocolate, he didn't realize until now exactly how big of a sweet tooth he really had.

Jens watched the thick, yet smooth chocolate mousse disappear into the brunet's mouth. He cleared his throat and averted his eyes, reminding himself where they were. He tried to keep his mind from wandering to a dangerous place, but it wasn't easy. It seemed, sometimes, like Lucas made every minor actions somewhat suggestive, and he knew exactly the effect it would have on Jens.

''Want a taste?'' Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.

Turning his attention back to him, Jens nodded. Why not? He wasn't a big fan of desserts, but the chocolate mousse seemed really tasty. He opened his mouth, ready to taste the sweet desert, but Lucas put the spoon in his own mouth, making Jens frown and pout.

''Hey! That was for me.''

Lucas shrugged. ''Sorry, but this cake is just too good to share.''

''Tease''

Smiling smugly, Lucas blew him a kiss over the table before returning to his plate.

Jens pulled up his phone, snapped a picture of Lucas - he was just too cute to not capture this moment - when a notification from the selling app popped up. ''Yes!''

Lucas glanced at his boyfriend, confused.

''Someone is interested in something I'm selling,'' Jens explained.

''What are you selling?''

''Oh, just games I don't play anymore.'' He shrugged. ''They were collecting dust.''

It wasn't a huge sale. Only some game at 7€, but, it was 7€ less to find to pay back the drugs Lucas had flushed.

Lucas frowned, taking a sip of his fancy coffee. ''Why are you selling your video games online? Can't you go to a game store for that? Jayden does it all the time.''

''Yeah, but they only offer discounts on other games. I need money.''

''What for?''

Jens sighed. He didn't want to involve Lucas any more in his problems, but he already knew about the drugs, so why not. ''Remember when you saved my ass and got rid of the drugs in my locker? Well, my dealer texted me and he wants his money. I have some cash from the weed I sold and other stuff, but what has been flushed needs to be paid too. I can't just tell him I almost got caught and had to get rid of them.''

''I can help. It's partly my fault that you have to repay him.''

Jens shook his head. ''No. It's my fault that I'm caught in this shit.''

''And, it's my fault that they're in the sewers somewhere in Antwerp.'' Lucas paused. ''We could always try to retrieve them...''

Jens wrinkled his nose in disgust. The pills had probably all dissolved by now anyway. ''Ew, gross.''

''So, are you taking my offer?'' Jens hesitated and Lucas smiled at him. ''You can pay me back if you want to. In cash or...other,'' he added, winking over the table.

''I'll think about it.''

.

Monday, March 2nd

''What the fuck, man? Why did you shoot me?''Jens asked through the headphone's mic as his character received a bullet to the chest.

''Sorry, I thought it was Aaron.''

Jens laughed, looking around on his TV screen to find Aaron and shoot him, laughing harder as he did so.

''Hey! Why is everyone trying to kill me?''

''Because it's fun,'' Moyo responded.

paused his video game when he saw Michiel's name on the screen. He bit his lip anxiously before opening the message.

Michiel: Where's my cash, kid? Ghosting me won't work. I need it by Thursday. Or else...

Jens stared at the screen for what felt like a lifetime. Michiel was now threatening him. Jens had to do something quick or he was going to be in real danger. Who knew what Michiel - or his men - were capable of? He couldn't tell Lucas why he had suddenly changed his mind and he felt bad for asking his boyfriend for money - Lucas wasn't his personal banker -, but he needed the money sooner rather than later.

Jens: Is your offer still standing? I don't think I'll sell enough shit by Thursday

Lucas: I told you I'd help, didn't I?

Lucas: When do you need it for?

Jens: Thursday

Lucas: Want me to come with?

Jens: No. I'll be fine

Lucas: Is that supposed to be reassuring?

Jens: I'll be fine, Luc

Lucas: Okay... but I want you to text me when you get there and when you leave just so I know you are safe

Jens: 👍

.

Wednesday, March 4th

The television was playing loudly when Fenna returned from work, some sort of anime on the big screen. She furrowed her eyebrows at the unfamiliar characters, her heart aching at the explicit content flashing across the screen. How can teenagers watch that?

''Sorry for finishing so late. There was a big car accident and I had to do extra time to help,'' she explained, removing her jacket and setting her bag down. ''Did Lotte eat already?''

''No, I let her starve,'' the teenager answered from the couch.

Fenna gave her son a look. ''Jens...''

He flashed his mother a smile. ''I'm joking. I reheated last night's leftovers.''

''Good. Where's is she?''

''Upstairs playing in her room. Want me to tell her to come down?''

Before he could call Lotte down, Fenna shook her head. ''No. That's good, actually. I wanted to talk to you.''

Jens frowned, trying to read his mother's face but failing. She came around to sit on the couch and he turned down the volume of the television.

''You...you were right. About your father. He lied to my face about this job, he lied to all of us.'' Fenna closed her eyes, her husband's lie still fresh.

She had gone to see Mohamed on her lunch break between shifts since the hospital wasn't far from his new office - and he wasn't answering his phone. When Fenna got there, she asked to see him and was told that he didn't work there and never had.

''After a lot of difficult thinking, I made a decision and I wanted you to be the first to know about it. Your father and I will be separating.''

''As in a divorce?''

Fenna nodded slowly. She didn't want to get a divorce - nobody does. Divorce felt like a failure to a lot of people. But, it was the right choice to make. ''I still love your father, but sometimes love isn't enough. Money might not buy happiness, but without money, we can't live in this house.''

''We?'' Jens repeated. ''That means we're going to...move?''

Exhaling a breath, Fenna nodded sadly. ''I didn't want to. I did everything in my power to stay here, but I can't afford this house on my own.''

Jens swallowed thickly, a wave of sadness flowing in. He wasn't one to get attached to things, but loved this house. He spent his whole life here. Every corner and walls held a memory. The staircase where he broke his arm when he fell with his bike when he was five, the dining room table where him and his mom used to sit and work on his spelling homework, his bedroom where he had his first makeout session and the place he lost his virginity.

''What about Dad?''

He didn't want to be insensitive, but where will his father go? Clearly, he won't be following them after the divorce.

''His brother lives in Liège, he'll be staying with him for a moment. Or, so he said.''

Jens nodded. Maybe a change of scenery will be good for him. Maybe it'll help him get back on track.

.

Thursday, March 5th

His hands were clammy as he crossed the street, seeing Michiel's building in his line of sight. After his parents' divorce announcement, Jens wasn't in the mood to meet with Michiel, but he didn't really have the choice. Michiel had been clear: he wanted his money. He didn't care whatever was happening in Jens' personal life.

All the money was in his left pocket, feeling heavy, and a worried Lucas was in the other, sending him texts every ten seconds.

Jens stood on the doorstep and rang the doorbell, stress growing in his stomach. He bit his lip as he waited, going still when the door opened and the same big guy who was there the first time stood there.

''Long time no see,'' he pointed out.

''Is Michiel here? I have his money.''

The man nodded and let Jens in, the door shutting loudly behind.

.

''So, it's over? No more drug dealing shit?''

Jens hummed. ''It's over.'' He kissed Lucas in the middle. ''No more drug dealing shit.''

Lucas rolled his eyes at the small mockery. ''Good.'' He sighed, relieved.

After leaving Michiel's, Jens came over to Lucas' to reassure him and take advantage of Mr. Van Der Heijden being at work. They hadn't had a lot of alone time during the weekend despite Lucas sleeping over, so it was nice to be just the two of them again.

Lucas led them to the couch and cuddled against Jens, being the cuddle-bear he will never admit to be. Some things were just for Jens and him to know.

''I could fall asleep right here and now,'' Lucas pointed, closing his eyes as Jens played with his curls, twirling the soft ringlets between his fingers.

''Am I that much of a bore? Because I can go home if-''

Clutching a fistful of Jens' hoodie, Lucas made a protest noise. ''Don't you dare.''

Jens laughed and kissed his forehead, feeling Lucas pulling him in closer. He was keenly aware of Lucas' wants and needs and cuddling was Lucas' unspoken signal of reassurance that he would always be there for him.

''So, now that you've met my family, when am I going to meet yours?'' Jens asked, mildly teasing, breaking the comfortable silence first.

Lucas grew quiet, staring down at the carpet in front of the couch, the shades of browns and greys suddenly very interesting.

''Do you...not want me to meet your parents or something?'' Jens asked, silently hoping it wasn't that.

The brunet sat up, removing himself from Jens' hold. ''No, no. That not- It's just, I've never introduced someone to my parents...like that.''

''You mean a guy?''

''No girls either, if it reassures you,'' Lucas added with a bit of humor.

''You've told your mom about me, though?''

''Yes, but it's complicated. With my mom, we can't just schedule a date and have dinner all together. She might get anxious or she can- So many things can go wrong.''

''Or it could go well.''

Lucas sighed, moving away from his boyfriend's touch. ''Jens...''

''And, your dad?''

‘’My dad’s a dick. I only moved with him because the judge said I had to. It was that or going to a foster family. My dad might be a dick, but he’s not the worst. There’s kids out there that need fostering more than me, some who are stuck in abusive families or even orphans. I would’ve felt bad for taking someone’s place. Entering the foster system would’ve also meant not seeing my mom anymore and I can’t renounce to that.’’ Lucas paused, swallowing his emotions. ‘’She needs me. I’m all she has left. I can’t do that to her.’’

By the way his voice was strained, Jens could tell that it was still a difficult subject. Lucas was close to his mother. Hearing his story made Jens wonder how bad her mental illness was. If a judge had declared her inapte to take care of him, it must be serious. It was also so sad to hear that her husband had completely pushed her out of his life just because of her mental illness. She was lucky to have a son like Lucas.

As much as he wanted to meet Lucas’ parents, it wasn’t worth putting Lucas - nor his parents - in this state. Causing trouble in his boyfriend’s family wasn’t what Jens wanted.

He shook his head. ‘’Forget what I said, okay? I’ll meet them when you’re ready. No pressure.’’ He flashed Lucas a small smile which got reciprocated.

Lucas nodded, grateful to have someone as understanding as Jens. ‘’I love you.’’

‘’I love you,’’ Jens repeated, pulling the smaller one back into his hold.

.

Friday, March 6th

‘’Is Lucas coming?’’ Aaron asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

Jens nodded, taking a sip of his beer. ‘’He said he’s on his way.’’

An eager smile spread on Aaron’s lips. ‘’So, I’m gonna meet him?’’ he added, unable to contain his excitement.

‘’You’ve met Lucas before...’’

‘’Yeah, but not as your boyfriend. This is a big deal-’’

‘’Aaron…’’

He shrugged. ‘’What? I didn't say it the other day, but I’m happy for you. I liked Jana, but Lucas is much cooler. At least he skates with us instead of sitting and watching.’’

Jens raised an eyebrow. ‘’Cooler than Sander?’’

‘’Don’t push.’’

After Robbe, Aaron was Sander’s biggest fan. He was never shy to voice how much admiration he had for him whether it was his flirting tactics, his confidence, romantic gestures or how good looking he was. It even became a running joke in the gang that if Sander wasn't already taken by Robbe, the curly haired one would tempt his chance.

‘’Your boy is here,’’ Aaron pointed out, nudging Jens as he saw Lucas walking in.

Jens looked up, watching as Lucas squeezed a path between the dancing girls in the living room and some shotgun drinkers. He grimaced at the mess it was making on the floor and scanned the room, trying to find his boyfriend, fastening his pace when he spotted him and Aaron in the kitchen.

Jens greeted him with a kiss, getting some cooing from Aaron. Could he be more annoying? Lucas leaned into Jens as the latter hooked an arm over his shoulder, pulling him close.

‘’So, you’re Jens’ boyfriend?’’

Jens rolled his eyes and groaned. ‘’Let’s go look for Moyo and Robbe.’’

.

They all sat in the bathroom, passing around weed and booze, like the old days. Moyo had brought some weed and smoke was rapidly filling the bathroom as they all blew their thick, grey puffs into the air.

It was the first time they all hung out together - Lucas and Sander included. Jens and Lucas squeezed in next to Robbe and Sander in the tub, laughing as Aaron vented about his latest romantic gesture that turned into an epic fail. Honestly, when does it not?

''I had the room all set up and everything,’’ he explained. ‘’Candles, flower petals, her favorite scented bath stuff, but then her mom came home and ruined my surprise before we could even get in the water. I tried telling Amber that we can still go in, but she said it was too weird if her mom was in the house.’’

Amber’s bathtub. Lucas shared glances with Jens, memories of their first kiss flowing in.

Sander sighed. ‘’Robbe’s the same, he won’t-’’

Knowing where this was going, Robbe didn’t let Sander finish his sentence, covering his mouth with his hand before he could say any more, refusing to let this turn into another let’s tell Aaron about our sex-life episode.

‘’Why did you stop? It was getting interesting,’’ Aaron complained.

‘’Quit encouraging Sander into telling you stuff. It’s private.’’

‘’And weird,’’ Jens added, backing his best friend.

‘’You’re the one who used to brag about sex-’’

Jens rolled his eyes. ‘’I don't brag…’’

He did tell everyone about losing his virginity and the sex he had with Jana - what else does fifteen years old do? And, he ranted about that toothpaste tip...a lot, but he wasn’t on Aaron’s level of bragging.

‘’Well, if you really want to know, there’s this amazing thing Jens does with his-’’ Lucas stopped himself, a smug grin on his lips. ‘’Did you really think I was going to tell you?’’

‘’I like him,’’ Moyo commented, giving Lucas a high five.

The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Jens. It was nice to see that Lucas was integrating well into their group.

“So, since we have two new guys in the group, maybe we should get to know you both better?” Aaron suggested, waiting for his turn to take a puff.

“Dude, why do you always have to be in everyone's business?” Moyo asked.

''Don’t you know Sander enough already? You've pestered him with questions ever since Robbe said they were dating,’’ Jens said, making Robbe laugh.

Lucas felt his phone buzz and reached into his pocket to see who it was. Noting the number, he silenced the call and put his phone back in his pocket, returning his attention to the boys.

Aaron shrugged. “I’m just trying to get to know my best friends' boyfriends. If they are important to them, I want to get to know them better and let them know we care enough to get to know them.”

Sander snorted. “How profound and thoughtful of you, Aaron. I feel much more appreciated.”

Robbe laughed as Jens grabbed the joint from Moyo and took a hit. He had hesitated at first, remembering recent events, but figured that weed was a better coping method than Xanax. And, he wasn’t going to let himself get so high. Just a couple puffs to have a nice buzz.

He was about to hand it to Lucas when his phone went off - again. Sighing, Lucas pulled it out of his jacket and frowned.

‘’Gotta take this. It’s the third time he’s called, it must be important. I’ll be right back.’’

Jens nodded and watched as Lucas rose to his feet, leaving Jens’ side and headed outside to answer the phone call in a more quiet place.

The second the door closed, Sander whistled. ‘’I didn’t believe Robbe when he told me you two got together. Does he still steal your fries?’’

Rolling his eyes, Jens shook his head.

Minutes later, the door opened and Lucas’ face was worried and distraught, his previous lightness and drunken happiness completely gone.

Jens furrowed his eyebrows. ‘’Luc?’’ He sat up, recognizing a frantic and panicked behavior.

‘’I-I gotta go,’’ he simply said, ignoring Jens’ question and grabbing his jacket on the edge of the tub before leaving again, not saying ‘bye’ to anyone.

The boys watched confusedly and gave Jens a look, but the latter wasn’t paying attention to them, his eyes focused solely on Lucas. Jens stood, handing the joint back to Robbe, and went after his boyfriend, wondering what he had been told on the phone that made him want to leave the party so fast.

He didn't catch up to him until they were outside, the amount of people inside the house made it difficult to get a hold of Lucas. The evening wind hit his face the second he stepped out, sending a shiver down Jens’ back. He grabbed Lucas’ arm when he was close enough to reach and made him stop.

‘’Slow down, Luc. Why are you leaving?'' he asked, releasing his arm.

Lucas turned around, eyes filled with tears but he fought them. ''My dad. He said-'' He interrupted himself, shaking his head, voice trembling and faulty as he spoke.

Jens frowned, going immediately into comforting mode. Something was up, but the Dutch boy was talking so fast and the panic in his voice made it more difficult for Jens to understand what he was saying.

He lifted Lucas' chin, catching sight of his glassy blue eyes. ''Hey...tell me what’s going on. I can’t help you or understand if you don’t tell me.’’

‘’My mom. It’s- She’s going to be admitted to a clinic, I… I have to go.’’

[nadiawrites14]

voice of gen z

word count: 2784

for english class. tw for school shooting and police brutality mention

AN INTRODUCTION.

“GEN Z is too afraid to ask a waiter for extra ketchup but will bodyslam a cop.”

Dated June 5th, on Twitter. Many of us sit holed up in our rooms, laptops resting in our crossed legs as we scroll through social media, or the blue light of a phone screen on our face as the world around us is sleeping. Many of us are also the ones organizing, the ones leading, the ones fighting. News spreads that in Dallas, Providence, and in many more cities, teenagers were the ones organizing, the ones fighting. Teenagers were the ones turning viral memes into protest signs, organizing protests and sharing methods of resistance through apps like TikTok and Instagram. It echoes the methods of the Hong Kong protestors, using technology to battle their government head-on. 

Teenagers who dance along to songs such as Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage”, as well as teens who live in the world of ‘deep-fried’ memes, whose bizarre absurdity reach ungodly levels of abstractism, are the ones leading in this young revolution. Teenagers are the ones who chant ‘no justice, no peace’ in filled city streets; teenagers are the ones working to create graphics and share information, a new form of armchair activism. K-pop fans fill conservative hashtags with videos of their favorite performers, burying rhetoric and dismissal of the protests with dances and songs. In hours, #BlackLivesMatter trends. It’s hard to believe that these new pioneers and leaders in activism and technology are children who are scared to give class presentations, share Juuls in bathrooms, and find humor in the most strange and ironic of places. While the old term goes that ‘the revolution will not be televised’ in many ways, this growing movement will be televised, publicized, expanded, through its own means and methods.

I.

We are the generation of school shootings. 

December 14th, 2012. My mom tells me, as I hobble out from the red doors of my elementary school in Stamford, Connecticut, that something very bad has happened. I don’t understand. Nobody does. I see the faces of startled adults. I don’t remember the rest of that evening, or the day that followed it. Every time I think about Sandy Hook, the senseless school shooting that left 28 dead, I think about the multicolored walls of my school’s hallway, my sneakers on the white linoleum, the fear in my mother’s voice and in her eyes. That day was the first day I began to accept that I was a child in the United States of America in the 21st century. That day, and the brutal and confusing months that followed it, solidified something in my peers and I. Not just in Stamford, or even Connecticut, but within all young American students. The people in power didn’t care that a gunman marched into a wealthy and predominantly white Connecticut neighborhood and slaughtered kindergarteners. Because as I grew older, I saw the patterns, the televisation of suffering and permitted slaughter among my peers, our youngest, our posterity. This was normalized to us, just another school shooting, another period of brief outrage followed by inaction. The slaughter of children, the preventable slaughter of children shouldn’t be normalized. But it was.

February 14th, 2018. A gunman kills 17 students in Florida. As I’m waiting in a doctor’s waiting room with my mother, I lean over and tell her, “On Monday, all my teachers will talk about is school shootings.” I was wrong. School was another silent funeral march, my teachers quiet and solemn as they assigned us our work and progressed with their work. At dinner with my dad, I tell him, “It’ll never change.”

That isn’t entirely true. Leaders are found in teenagers who now walk through haunted hallways with clear backpacks. They are the face of a new movement, a march for our lives. Many are summoned to Washington and elsewhere a month later to organize, to fight. On March 27th, a day meant for students to walkout and protest the preventable slaughter of students, my school barricades the doors.

No legislation is passed. Nothing changes. The resistance lulls and fades, despite a number of school shootings following the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Gen Z is a symbolic Sisyphus, haplessly pushing a boulder of pleas up a mountain of indifference.

II.

Suzanne Collins published the Hunger Games on September 14th, 2008. It finds its way into the hands of teenagers of all shapes and sizes years later, and it has its cult following. Maybe the televised murder of children strikes a chord within the audience of young adults, as does the story of a growing revolution and a coup against a selfish government.

Gen Z gets its hands on theory at a young age, through Wikipedia and the uncensored vastness of the internet that we are handed. We are denoted as the generation born with the phones in our hands, but all I can remember is having a technology class from a young age, where we were measured on our abilities to type and memorize a keyboard. Our ability to cite and surf and stay safe in the face of danger. This wealth of information at our fingertips molds us.

Dystopian fiction is popular among young teens and young adults. Titles like Divergent the Giver, Harry Potter, the Maze Runner, all influence the devouring young readers. We are raised to see atrocity, in a place where atrocity is accessible to us in every way, shape and form. We are exposed and we are no longer innocent as we rise to 6th, 7th, 8th grade. Girls wear makeup for the first time and scream at the sight of bloodstained underwear. Boys become privy to the joy of video games and self-exploration. In this time, the internet truly consumes. There is no more script taught in classrooms, whiteboards have been replaced with Prometheans, and chromebooks are becoming normalcy.  

In 7th grade I receive my phone. The niches and underground media I discover shape me. I find acceptance, friends, in places where I had lacked them before. As my classmates begin to enter into weeklong flings that end in Instagrammed tragedy, I take a quiz online to find out if I’m gay. I begin to think for myself, and I find independence and a voice on internet circles.

By the time we are promoted to high school, something has shifted. Something is different. Something’s coming, something good. Gen Z keeps calm and carries on.

III.

Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20th, 2017, to much outrage, but also to much support. In my town, there is a protest around his building that overlooks much of our city center. It’s peaceful, energetic, and beautiful. A Planned Parenthood sticker is on my bedroom door, and I have accepted that maybe, just maybe, I’m into girls.

In 2018, we are in high school. Little fish in a big pond. I don’t have friends in my grade, but stick closer to my premade friends in the Class of 2021. My teachers are lovely, kind, and supportive, and I shine in this new environment. Politics is a force in my life as I begin to write, and as I begin to form opinions and do research. 

It’s easy to say that all of Gen Z is progressive, but this isn’t true. It’s actually very incorrect. The internet is a miraculous tool, one that can provide and produce and create new forms of communication and spread new ideas. But it is still an ocean that is widely uncharted, and young teenagers will fall into holes constructed by right-wing superstars. The racism and homophobia circulated by 4chan is on the internet for anybody to see. New popular figures and icons pledge their vote to Trump. Right-wing rhetoric overtakes in the forms of Ben Shapiro, Pewdiepie, 4chan, Reddit. There’s a neutrality to all things, but the dogwhistles and the normalization of prejudice are dangerously overbearing. As the 2016 election divided our country, it divides the new generation. A divided house cannot stand, and that is for certain. 

It is around this time, in my Freshman summer, where the politics makes a crescendo. I have broken 1K followers on my Instagram art account, where I draw fanart for a variety of musicals and plays. I discover Shakespeare, and lose myself in Hamlet. I am happy with my identity and with myself, and as the 2020 election nears, I stay informed on current events, common issues, the things that need changing.

Sophomore winter. My dad and I take two-hour drives spanning Connecticut, and we talk. He says, “You know, your generation’s fucked. You’re the ones who are going to have to cope with our mistakes.” I tell him I know. I tell him about my feelings towards racial injustice in America, the battle for a higher minimum wage against growing costs, issues in healthcare, housing, poverty, climate change, all thrown aside and discarded. Our generation, of course, when most of our white and male politicians are dead and buried, will have to deal with the repercussions of rising sea levels and global temperatures, volatile weather and crippling natural disasters, all overlooked due to blatant ignorance. “You guys are going to have to fix all of this.”

“I know.”

I’m sick of the battle being placed on the backs of teenagers. I’m sick of our faces being the fight for climate change, the faces of Greta Thunberg and Emma Gonzalez and young revolutionary congresswomen being mocked and heckled by throngs of keyboard warriors. I’m sick of the battle our leaders and representatives should be fighting being placed on our backs, when we are already our own Atlas. Ignorance is dangerous, biting, and overwhelming. We look back to the images and words we were raised upon, the story of the Hunger Games and the broadcasting of school shootings for us all to see. 

It is 2020. Happy new year! I watch from my living room as the ball drops. A brief Twitter moment about a newly discovered disease pops up in my recommended, I brush over it. Photographs of Australian fires are surfaced, and we joke about what a fantastic start it is to the year. 

Sisyphus reaches a fork in the road.

MMXX.

At around 11PM on Wednesday, March 11th, I send a strongly worded letter to the principal and local superintendent. The coronavirus has picked up worldwide, and has made its way into the states. Johns Hopkins has an interactive map that shows bubbles above cities where cases have been reported. Stamford, Connecticut Dead: 0

Recovered: 0 Active: 3.

New York’s cases are on the rise. On that same day, I began to realize the severity that would soon overtake us. I spent the afternoon first at what would be our last rehearsal for our school musical, James and the Giant Peach, and then I went to the library. I did my homework, read The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh, then bought a Subway cookie from the mall. I always keep a copy of King Lear in my backpack, and as my dad pulls up to the sidewalk I gloss over Edmund’s first monologue.

It’s the last normal day for a while.

March 12th comes in like a lion. In my first period class, civics, a classmate yells out, “Trump 2020!” A period later, my friend pulls me aside in the hallways, and asks if I heard that school was closing. 

“It can’t be true,” I said.

“Schadlich just showed us.”

I take my route to my next class, and find the hallway a chaotic mess of energy and camaraderie. What was meant to be kept under wraps has been instantly transferred across the student body over Snapchat stories and texts. People dance, sing, hug. It’s branded as a “Coronacation.” Broadway announces its closure, and I walk out of the front doors for the final time in my sophomore year.

Once again, ignorance overtakes. Within months, the death toll skyrockets, spikes, as we stay holed up in our online classes. My focus wavers, but I press on. Many other students resort to simply neglecting their work, choosing to take this time to focus on their own health or fill up their new time with their own hobbies. Teenagers find solace in each other, through social media and through the connections we’ve built online. As ignorance mounts among our leaders, teenagers jokingly refer to Covid-19 as the famous “Boomer Remover”. It trends on Twitter. Graduation, prom, is cancelled. The generation whose childhood began with 9/11 is once again cut short by a tragedy of preventable errors. Gen Z is subject to adapting once again to an unfamiliar environment, and we undertake.

Protests take over the streets, screaming against government tyranny. The deaths crescendo to nearly 100,000. A video surfaces of a young black man, Ahmaud Aubery, being publicly killed on a road while jogging. Ignorance continues as cases spike, and the political climate is ripe for change. On May 25th, a black man from Minneapolis named George Floyd is killed in a brutal act of suffocation by a policeman. More names resurface -- Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Joao Pedro. Names neglected to injustice are once again in the limelight -- Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Terence Crutcher, Atatiana Jefferson, and more. 

Sisyphus has had enough of pushing the boulder, and Sisyphus takes to the streets. It is the perfect storm. A storm fueled by ignorance and the preventable death of thousands, by decades of injustice, by the mere political climate in the United States of America. Gen Z, our generation, my generation, has lived the darkest hour. We were born at the cusp of a millenia, in an awkward position where society has begun to find its footing in an unfamiliar time. A time of domestic and overseas terrorism, shaped by 9/11 and a countless number of school shootings and slaughtered people of color. Where the new generation has accessibility to the injustice and wrongs committed by those before and those above, right at our fingertips. We have new ways to organize, new ways to televise, new ways to fight. In our armchairs and in our streets, wearing masks as we hold up our hands in surrender.

Generation Z marches. They lead. They throw tear gas back at officers with no hesitation. They create chants, organize through grassroots, and find a chorus of support online. 

Generation Z leads. As politicians and leaders sit in ivory towers, like President Snow in Panem, our generation cries for change. We witness and feel the repercussions of their ignorance in our daily lives, from cuts to education to the publication of school shootings to the absence of American atrocity in our history textbooks to a pipeline that directs BIPOC and low-income students to prison or the military as they step off the graduation stage. Each year, our winters get warmer as our summers turn boiling. The preventable pile of corpses rises in front of us, and we have been taught to sit by and let it occur while the world burns. 

No longer.

Sisyphus steps aside and allows the boulder to descend down the mountain. They are bruised, bloodied, their palms calloused and scuffed and their feet lacerated and sore. Up ahead, shrouded by clouds, is the mountaintop. Sisyphus wipes their mouth, finds their footing, and begins the march.

A CONCLUSION.

We have a future.

It’s awfully dim right now. Barely a light at the end of the tunnel. We began a dead march towards it from the moment we were born into this decaying way of life, held together with glue and string by leaders with fumbling hands and staunch indifference. Our backs are tired, and we are barely adults. Generation Z is tired of fighting a fight that shouldn’t be theirs. How desperately we still crave childhood joy and humor and innocence. 

Change is necessary. It is something that is especially necessary in our time. We can no longer let people die because they can’t afford food or medicine or housing. Students cannot go into school wondering if it will be their last day. Black people should not fear for their lives while wearing a hoodie, driving, jogging in their neighborhood, shopping, or sleeping in their own homes. Elderly white men which encompass most of our political elite can no longer sit on their hands as their population suffers.

The voice of Generation Z screams louder than anything else. It screams in its silence, its activism, its useless martyrdom and battle. Change belies itself within our voice, and it has gone unheard for too long.

Change is the voice of Generation Z.

[shabba-zams]

I'M NO MANIAC

Hold big regard for kinship, tradition and culture, I could give a lecture

I'm sky high - herbivore, like a turkey vulture I'm a carnivore

Canibal, I mean omnivore coz I love greens, like Popeye And Spinach, I lick bean

Flick flick, root Chakra, keep you grounded, kiss your forehead, illumination

Wham bam, burn incense this instant

Smoke in house, reminisce about my late aunt, Eugenia

Healing from a heartbreak of a love that never happened

Should never happen, wait what just happened?

You a bad bitch, downward doggy, hit it from the back, is that good B?

Meow-moo, look at that arch, Doja, Cat-Cow mi amor

Heart's aching, beneath I'm hurting although surface looks perfect

Instantly regretting the mistake I made, egghead getting laid

I was broke, couldn't think straight, Im still great, it's just that I hate

Constantly stressing, hope you not late, I'm Wylin, red fox

Sorry mate, don't put me on the spot unless we hot box

You a hot mess, you burn, guilt trip, in hell I burn, 12 stroke soul snatcher, soul searching,N2O, inhale, I burn, I'm trippin

My goodness, Zulu goddess, Tsonga royalty in her DNA, your highness hello, hi, my love I profess

Pussy power tricking, that tightness, finesse crazy like madness, she drippin

Her cookie jar I'm Double dippin, like yes ya, I praise ya, I'm smitten

You praise Ja, pet name for your small pussy... Poor lil kitten

Obsessed With fitness, admire her loyalty, I stay under her spell

First We gel, then repel, we then rebel, plz say you could not tell I fell for you girl!

I confess, your strange quirks remind me of my old ex

Guardian angel, I see your halo, okay bye! In darkness you my star

Naledi always shine bright, never dim light, eyes can adjust right?

No girl, tell me how could I not fall for you girl?

If I see you all day and night? Medicate then meditate

Last and first light I see you, it's hard to wake me up, ICU

Namaste, send u love and light. Hugging u gud nyt then imma go unless it's midnight, my pants is tight right and u hug me tight tight cutie, in my ear, QTip, u whisper get the light, deep throat  gimme the green light, tonight you looking so tasty

It's not right, lockdown got me all thirsty, see, I'm nasty

I'll eat you out, gimme a big tip, face chair, take a sit please

Gangsta champagne, notorious bubbles I sip sip, are you pleased?

You a tall glass of sexy B, I mean u sassy B, sexy beast I gotta drink, drunk

In love with your positive energy, you love the inner me and you know I'm not the enemy, I love you

Juju, like bad energy, shoo shoo, telling me to go, I don't go

Feeling ur feng shui imbalance, tryinna find balance, yoga

So much green in my blood stream, feelin like Hulk or Yoda

I'm 1 with the force, a gulf stream directing ur flow, go

Heavy flow that weigh a ton, period. I go deep, you flow deep like the Nile, you lovin it

Tid bit in denial, plz don't judge unless you take a 9 mile walk if the shoe fit

Wise mentor, needed to blow off steam, oh no you make me sing, I never meant to...

I'm spiritual, Ultralight beam, living the life of Pablo, green

I see no light, stuck in the dark, this don't feel right

Fight what I feel, fight! I know you like what I write, right? I'm still Steve like Biko, because I write what I like

You're spiritual, Ivy crown it'll be alright, fight!

Where you been? Spiritual journey, Wrote you a song of love, don't panic, it's platonic agape kind

You're kind, im sorry, please forgive me, God bless us

Never meant to sex ya, sext ya, yes ya I never meant to

Hurt ya, my day 1 let me be in your team, I'm your hype man and you my wing man, who knew, man?

I'm a new man, never wanna be in u ma'am, that's Truman, like Harry

Like Harriet, You talk truth ma'am, ur woke now, mental slavery chain breaker

Lead, take leash, give me my freedom, Tubman. Ass like Baartman, I'm joking, I'm through man!

Is it true man? You got a new man?

I'm glad you found uThando & Peace!

I see your glow in the dark , I watch you grow, from head to toe

Lock down, No sexercise, just exercise, oblique workout, body shaping up, you shake shit up

Look down, fvck shit up, I fantasize under the mistletoe, kiss kiss that phat pet peeve,

I mean the size of that cameltoe, kiss kiss like it's NYs Eve

Family Feud like Steve, We lip lock, she bad bad like Eve

Stuck with you like gridlock, bad bitch my ride or die!

The love you show, I dunno who to tell that u just ring my bell

Blue balls, plain torture, ungshaya ding dong, that just rings wrong

Playing mind games like ping pong, saw my dp then ask for my dick pic like "Big Z u got big dick print"

I tell her to quit playin and show her it's just resting, I'm a grower

Picture a Big black gun in your hand, click glock

Lick big black cock in my hand, and get a big tip

Love your big tats,small tits, nip slip, vrm vrm, you own me like pinkslip

4 play lick clit, that pink pink

Big lie like, just the tip, truth is I just wanted to hit twice, then dip twice like, dip dip

Double Pussy grip, like grip grip

Our late night tap dance routine like

Double tap like, tip-clit-grip-grip, skip, tip-clit-grip-grip

Sending mixed signals, wearing no bra, black tank top, Grey gym pants, exciting my BBC then saying NO BRA!

Apple bong is crack bong, big flop wearing your pink flip flops, I need a drink,J walk drunk, hit, bong, bang, drive, buy smoke, fly, sky, high five, YouTube The Fives, whats the matter? GBV

All lives including those you call low lives matter, no 1 deserves murder.

Deep chats kid, Katt Williams crack me up, have a break Kit Kat

I'm a lil sad but real glad u not mad at me brick brack, red fox

Need my quick fix, Red on Netflix like Raymond, cross you off my hitlist, at least at last, the blacklist, NBC

No chick flicks miss, unless you aiming to get this, BBC

I don't aim, shoot shot once and don't miss, easy, ABC

Cupid tryinna shoot me dead but misz, shit shot, no Mrs, thank God

Thot thought she a hot shot coz she smoke pot, no BS she not hot

Cold as horse shit that's not hot, bust a nut, I might not

I'm a lit lad who thinks they a big bad, Wolf, with a sick head

You heard? Sometimes it's hard when u in my bed, think with other head instead like getting head

Play dead after I beat meat, you knock-knock, I'm cumin, you come in, your bad timing is not charming

I see myself in you, pun intended, idea planted in my head

For real tho, I see your hoeish ways, long gone are my hoeish days

Sometimes I think u poison like Ivy, I'm batman, no avengers

Scavengers, a mad woman and a bad man, Savages in our own league

First punch throwers, they hate us, crack bong hitters, they not us, we avenge us,

You lead, I school ya, screw ya, liquids in ur insides like IV

Drip drip, said fuck it, big deal, do u even care how I feel? Bad state of mind, took shrumz, now I'm havin a bad trip

Craving a road trip, cruze down memory lane, replay bad clip, is it weird that I loved that silhouette video? Press play

Get liquid withit

Going toe-to-toe, I kill and bury Big Trill, made my 1st mil

Then blew it, dead lyricist, I'm just a ghost writer

I see changes, a stoner girl turn to a rave girl as the nyt ages

I once told her, trust the rock of ages like John

Serial killer with rage on Pages, I was angry at God like Sean

Now i'm easy like solving for X- Kid'o,

That's annoying, ward off tiny mosquito

Go against me, that's a non starter, kiss my ass lips

I talk shit, no stutter or slight lisp like L-Tido

In the city of gold its all or nothing, that's a no brainer

No brain huh? Black lip bastard, faith like mustard seed

Don't call me bastard, transform to Luke Cage then hit rib Cage like

Nicholas, can't stop me like an urban legend... Ghost rider

I sound fictitious like ghost busters, but I'm quite real like Klingon

I stick like glue, here's a clue:

Day of the week: Monday

Feeling: baby Blue and itchy

Scratch my balls I'm jiggy, sweet melanin black queen like B

Fluent in your love language B, catch 22, paradoxical

Hypocritical, stereotypical, philosophical.

[quicksilversquared]

How to Fake a Marriage Outtakes: Chapter 4

Marinette was still floating on Cloud Nine when she went into work on Monday. She and Adrien had spent the rest of Sunday cuddling and hanging out together in their (ridiculous) matching pajamas while playing video games and munching on takeout from their favorite Greek restaurant. They had gone out for a run as superheroes once it grew dark that night, and it had all been amazing to get out again.

Abbey's shriek of delight brought her out of her memories.

"I see a ring!" Abbey sang, practically pouncing on Marinette and holding her hand up. "Oh, that's so pretty! And it's a seamstress's ring, too. That shouldn't snag on anything."

"I heard something about a ring?" Sarah appeared around the corner and gave a little gasp of delight. "Oh! Congratulation, Mari!"

Marinette's grin only grew.

"Hang on, I thought you weren't dating anyone," Shannon said in an exaggeratedly confused voice as she popped up next to Sarah. "And certainly not the Agreste boy. Surely the magazines would have said something if you were."

Marinette had to laugh at that. Oddly enough, the tabloids had been more or less leaving them alone over the past few months. "We're going to see if we can keep it on the down-low until we get home. I'd like to break the news to my parents myself, and I think that Mr. Agreste would spontaneously combust if he heard from the tabloids that Adrien is engaged."

"Ah, let him combust." Madam Rosalie appeared around the corner as well, grinning widely. The others stepped back to let her pass. "Adrien told me what he was planning on Thursday so that I could get my friend to have the garden opened for you two. How did it go?"

"Well enough for her to say yes, apparently," Sarah joked. She pointed at the ring sparkling on Marinette's finger. "Adrien has fabulous taste, by the way. I would have thought that he would go for a gaudy stone or something, since I know you've said that he tends to go over the top sometimes. But that's not going to get in your way at all."

Marinette grinned, nodding. Adrien had said that that had been something that he had specifically looked at when he was deciding on rings. "Yeah, he knew that large stones on normal rings would snag, so he didn't even look at those."

"Smart man."

"So was it a complete surprise?" Abbey wanted to know. "Or did you know that he was planning on proposing?"

"Well, we had talked about getting married before," Marinette told her. "So we were on the same page with that. But I wasn't expecting him to propose then, so it was a surprise in that way." She had suspected that Adrien might propose before they left London, considering his desire to not tell anyone about their relationship even once they had passed the point of his last semester's tuition being paid for, but even with the frankly perfect set-up- proposing right where they had gotten "married" before was simultaneously hilarious and romantic, considering the amazing backdrop with all of the flowers- Marinette hadn't been thinking oh, I bet he's going to propose. If Adrien had been nervous, he hadn't shown it at all. They had just been giggling over something stupid only minutes before they entered the last garden, and had been talking about how they were going to use up the last of their food and if they needed to do any more shopping at all. It had felt like a regular, ordinary date, which she was sure was part of Adrien's plan.

"That's so sweet!" Shannon exclaimed. "And it's good timing, too, since you won't have to keep it a secret for that long before you go home."

"Oh, that's right. I can't believe that you're going to be leaving soon," Abbey said mournfully. "It's going to be so different without you here. We're going to have to make your good-bye party into a combo good-bye and engagement party, because there is not enough time to do two parties."

"We'll have to make it an extra-awesome party, then," Sarah chimed in. "All sorts of treats and sugary goodness and an awesome meal and everything. You aren't allowed to cook any of it. You have enough to take care of."

Marinette grinned. "You guys are the best."

"Well, it's gotta suck to not be able to tell all of your friends back home- and your parents, of course- about getting engaged right away." Shannon patted Marinette's shoulder. "Though I'm sure that's going to be fun, since your parents don't even know that you were dating Adrien, do they?"

"I'm sure that they suspected that there were feelings there," Marinette admitted, remembering the little nudges and looks her parents gave each other when they saw her and Adrien together. "But not that there was a relationship. I don't think they saw enough to suspect that."

Abbey snorted. "Yeah, you two are not subtle. Anyone with eyes can tell that you're close."

Marinette had to splutter at that. "We've been careful!"

"Girl, there's a reason everyone here knew about you and Adrien before you told us anything," Sarah said with a laugh. "If people back in Paris don't know that you two are mad for each other, it's just because they don't see you often enough for you to give it away."

"Oh, there's no need to call her out like that," Madam Rosalie said with a laugh. "It's been fun to watch, at any rate, and I was thrilled to help. And I'm sure we'll all want to know how breaking the news goes once you're back in Paris."

Marinette grinned at the reminder. She was simultaneously nervous and excited about breaking the news back home. They had avoided telling anyone pretty much because they wanted to hold off until their engagement, since it would be funnier, but at the same time Alya was going to kill them for keeping it a secret.

Oh, well. At least it should be funny.

  "So what do you think about maybe telling Nathalie first?" Adrien asked as he and Marinette finished up their dinner Monday evening. He had been thinking about how to best approach to breaking the news during the day, and he was starting to think that just going back to Paris and telling Mr. Agreste without any sort of cushioning was probably a recipe for disaster. "If we tell her now, maybe she can come up with some way to make sure that my father won't just blow up first and ask questions later when we tell him."

Marinette considered that. She looked a bit uncertain about it, which Adrien couldn't blame her for. While Nathalie wasn't going to blow up like his father likely would, her reaction to the news would still be a bit unpredictable. "It sounds like a good idea in theory. But what if she goes to my parents for some reason? I want to tell them and see their reactions in person."

"l can tell Nathalie to keep the news to herself, I'm sure she'll understand," Adrien promised, knowing that it was true. Besides, it would be out of character for Nathalie to go to the Dupain-Chengs when they wouldn't know any more about what was going on than he did. "But do you think it might be a good idea? To tell Nathalie and see if she can think of some way to make the news not quite so out of the blue?"

"If anyone can figure out some way to do that, Nathalie can," Marinette agreed. "Though I wish the first people we tell from back home would actually be excited for us."

Adrien winced. Yeah, Nathalie really wasn't an ideal person to go to if they were hoping for an excited reaction. She would probably manage to pull together a bit of excitement for them after her shock wore off, but that would be overpowered easily enough once they got home by his father's- what? Anger? Irritation?

Whatever his father's reaction would be, it wouldn't be pleasant. Adrien would try not to get too offended by it, since his father was never pleased by any of the news Adrien brought him. Adrien had a job? Ugh. Adrien was moving to London? Ew. Adrien was finally standing up for himself and getting a degree that he actually was interested in? Mr. Agreste didn't want to deal with it.

Once he and Marinette had finished dinner, Adrien called home. He jittered anxiously as the phone rang once, twice, three times.

"Hey, Nathalie," Adrien said cheerfully when his father's assistant picked up the phone. "Is my father around?"

"He's in a meeting right now," Nathalie informed him, and Adrien resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course his father was in a meeting, never mind that most people were long since done with work for the day. Still, that was exactly why he had called. He had known that Nathalie would be wrapping up for the day while his father worked, and so he could probably catch her alone. "Is there something you wanted to tell him before you got home? You're leaving London in five days, correct?"

"Well, I have news, but I wanted to just tell you for now," Adrien said nervously. Suddenly he was wondering if this really was a good idea. What if Nathalie, without knowing the whole picture, decided that he was being super-immature and told his father? It was ridiculous to think that the distance would deter Mr. Agreste if he really wanted to have words. After all, his father had decided to fly over when they had the fake wedding prank. What had made him think otherwise?

"Ah." Nathalie didn't sound particularly interested. "And that news is what, exactly?"

"I'm engaged," Adrien announced, deciding that he could probably trust Nathalie to keep a secret for the next five days. "I asked Marinette to marry me yesterday, and she said yes-"

There was a thud on the other end.

"I hope that was the phone and not Nathalie," Adrien said to Marinette, who was sitting on the couch watching him. She raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?"

"Something fell. There was a thud."

Marinette looked a little concerned. "Well, it was kind of without warning. They didn't know we were dating."

"I hope your parents take it better." The last thing Adrien wanted to do was make Madam Cheng or- heaven forbid, no one would be able to catch him- Mr. Dupain faint.

"At least we're waiting to tell them until we get back and can tell them in person. If we walk in there looking cuddly, it'll come as less of a surprise." There was also the fact that they had known about her crush during collège and lycée. Marinette's parents might not have said anything about it yet, but they probably suspected at least something was happening between Adrien and Marinette.

Adrien gestured Marinette to be quiet as there was noise on the other end of the line as the phone was picked up off of the floor. He waited.

"I think," Nathalie managed at last, though she sounded a little strangled, "that that might be the kind of news you would want to give him in person. Can you wait until you get home to make the announcement?"

Adrien grinned in amusement at the sound of her voice. He had finally taken Nathalie- Nathalie the unshakable- off guard. "Right. We weren't going to tell anyone else until we were back in Paris."

"Is- is this for real this time?" Nathalie asked a bit tentatively. "Or is this another prank?"

"It's for real," Adrien assured her, more than a little amused. He wouldn't fake another marriage-related thing. If he were to pull another prank, he'd go for something else, like saying he was going to move to America or something. That would inspire a lot of panic.

"But- but-" Nathalie seemed to be at a bit of a loss for words. "You haven't even been dating, though, you can't just go straight from friends to engaged."

"We have been dating, actually," Adrien corrected her cheerfully. "For two years."

"You said in the interviews that you weren't." Nathalie sounded a bit frustrated. "I mean, I understand lying to keep them off of your back, but..."

"I said that before we started dating," Adrien corrected her. "And then after we started dating, I evaded a lot. I asked them why they were still asking me about Marinette when I had already answered their questions before, so they decided to drop it." He grinned, even though Nathalie wouldn't be able to see. "I didn't lie, exactly. I omitted. A lot."

"Omitted and evaded." Nathalie gave a long-suffering sigh. "Your father's favorite tactics when it comes to that kind of press, naturally. It still would have been nice to know."

"Father wouldn't have allowed it. Never mind that I'm a grown adult completely capable of making my own decisions."

"Perhaps." Nathalie sounded so very done and Adrien had to grin. She really did put up with a lot. Most of his was his father's fault, of course, but Adrien couldn't deny that he definitely had something to do with it as well. "Very well. Congratulations on your engagement, and I'll try to see if I can do something before you come home to make your father more open to the idea of you being with someone. I'm assuming that's why you called to tell me now. And in the future, I would appreciate it if you could at least keep me in the loop instead of keeping things entirely secret so I could be prepared. I wouldn't have told your father."

"Right," Adrien said, trying not to roll his eyes. Nathalie had totally tattled on him before, and it had resulted in him getting in a lot of trouble. "Thanks, Nathalie."

"Good-bye, Adrien."

Marinette looked a bit amused as Adrien hung up and rolled his eyes at her. "What did she say?"

"That she'll try to think of some sort of lead-in so that my father is more open to the idea. I didn't even have to ask." Adrien grinned, then paused when he remembered something. "Oh, shoot. I forgot to ask her to not tell anyone. I mean, I don't think she'll go to your parents, since I did say that we weren't telling anyone else."

"I think that'll be fine," Marinette said. She grinned. "I can't believe she dropped the phone. That's hilarious."

"I hope we can get other people to react like that," Adrien said with a laugh. "If we can, it's gonna make everything entirely worth it."

  Ben followed Paul up the stairs at Adrien and Marinette's building, a bit of a spring in his step. He was glad that he would get to see the two of them again before they left, because Adrien was a great friend and he would miss getting to chat with him about Physics stuff. They could call each other, but it wasn't the same as getting to hang out over lunch when his break coincided with Adrien's.

They would have to visit each other sometimes. It probably wouldn't happen right away, since he was on entry-level pay at the moment and Adrien would be as well, but eventually. Maybe once he made enough to get a car he could make a road trip out of it.

"It's nice of them to invite us over," Paul commented as he and Ben rounded the last section of stairs and got to Adrien and Marinette's floor. "They have to be crazy busy packing. They're both leaving on Saturday, right?"

"I think so. And with them having two apartments to pack? Awful." Ben wasn't sure how Adrien had managed handling the end of the semester while simultaneously getting ready to move back to Paris. There had been a lot of deciding what could and could not go back during their other trips to Paris over the semester. At least Adrien had given himself a week after graduation to finish packing up and cleaning. Apparently Marinette was working until Friday and then would be on the Eurostar with Adrien the very next day.

"I couldn't do it, but they seemed to think it was a good idea." Paul knocked on Adrien's door. "I just want to know how on earth they can clean anything when they're still living there. I wanna know what kind of magic they're using for when I finally move out of my parents' house."

"They might be keeping packed bags in one of Marinette's coworker's places," Ben pointed out. From inside of the apartment, they could hear footsteps as someone came to the door. "Just to keep them out of the way. Or they could just be moving stuff back and forth between their apartments so that they can vacuum and whatnot."

Before Paul could respond, the door flew open and Adrien grinned at them. "Hey! You're here!" He stepped back to let the two of them in, still grinning. "Sorry about the mess. We're kind of in the middle of packing right now."

"It really has gotten bare in here," Ben commented, glancing around. He wasn't sure what mess Adrien was referring to, unless he was talking about the pile of bags and boxes in the corner. Everything else was clean and devoid of clutter. "It's strange. I'm used to it looking pretty lived in."

Adrien made a face, nodding. "It feels strange to live in, too. It just feels so impersonal."

"Is Marinette's flat the same, then? It must be." Paul glanced around and then pointed to the boxes and bags stacked neatly near the couch. "Are you bringing that all back to Paris in one trip? You must be, right?"

"Some of it is Marinette's," Adrien pointed out, and- okay, yeah, how he had missed the pink bag in the pile, Ben didn't know. That was pretty obviously Marinette's. "And there are a few light things that we're shipping. And then Marinette might be leaving some stuff and then making a trip back to pick them up later on. Her coworkers offered to hold on to a few things for her."

"I think they just like the idea of being able to hold stuff hostage so that they can see me again," Marinette joked, emerging from the bedroom and heading up the short hallway towards them as Ben and Paul shucked their shoes at the door. "But yeah, it's super nice of them. And Abbey took the sewing table that I bought for her own flat, so I don't need to worry about what to do with that."

"I'd offer my family's house for temporary storage as needed, but, well, you know my sister." Paul shrugged at Adrien. "She'd probably try to, like, dig through and take something just because it belonged to you."

Adrien clearly winced at the idea. "Yeah, thanks, I'll pass."

"Overall it looks like you're doing a pretty good job, though," Ben said, pulling the conversation back on track. "You have, what, three days left before you leave?"

Adrien nodded. "Yeah. It's getting really close."

"Everything I'm doing at work now is wrapping up projects and making sure that I'm not leaving any loose ends," Marinette chimed in. "It's not as fun as starting new stuff. And there's a few new projects being tossed around, and I've heard a few things about them and they sound like so much fun."

"You'll find new projects to work on," Adrien assured her. "And you do have your commissions, too."

Paul glanced over at Marinette. "Oh, did you get a job back home? Congrats!"

Marinette shook her head. "No luck. There weren't any positions open at any of the places I was interested in. But I have commissions, and a website about to go live once I get home."

Both Ben and Paul nodded. Ben had seen some of the things that Marinette made, and even though he wasn't into fashion at all, he had to admit that they were super cool. If she wasn't getting hired, it was probably more due to a lack of jobs she was interested in rather than not being qualified.

It didn't take long for them to get settled down on the furniture. Adrien had set out some chips as a snack as they chatted, waiting for dinner to finish cooking. Ben asked about what Adrien knew about his lab right now, and he and Paul compared noted about what they had been told about their respective jobs. Before long, though, the topic of conversation turned back to the impeding move.

"We probably should have just rented a van or something and driven it back to Paris," Adrien admitted with a laugh. "But we've had our tickets for the Eurostar for forever, so I guess we'll just have to be those annoying people with a ton of luggage. I wouldn't want to try to drive a rental car in Paris anyway."

"I can help you get stuff to the station," Ben offered. "And once you get there, I think they have carts you can borrow."

"Oh, that would be fantastic." Marinette grinned at him as she got up for more chips. She picked up her plate and as she did, Ben caught sight of a ring glittering on her finger.

It didn't look like the decorative rings that some people wore, the just-because jewelry. Marinette didn't seem to really wear just-because jewelry, and that looked like an engagement ring. Which, uh...

Ben glanced at Adrien and Marinette again. Had he misunderstood something? He had thought that both Adrien and Marinette were going back to Paris but if Marinette had gotten engaged to someone in London, then wouldn't she stay here? Unless her fiancée was moving to Paris as well, in which case that had to be a really big production, having them move as well.

He hadn't realized that Marinette was dating anyone. Ben had always thought that Adrien and Marinette would probably end up together once they had both gone back to Paris and Adrien's father wasn't trying to ban Adrien from dating. They were obviously close, closer than Ben had ever been with any of his past girlfriends, and now...

Maybe he was reading things wrong, or somehow coming to the wrong conclusion. Maybe Marinette had been modeling rings at work or something and forgot to take one off. Maybe there was something else going on. He wasn't going to ask and make a fool of himself for coming to the wrong conclusion, though, so Ben said nothing.

Paul would probably notice too, right? Especially with the way that the light was catching that ring. And since Paul tended to blurt out whatever he was thinking

"Okay, I gotta ask about the bling on Marinette's finger," Paul said a couple minutes after that, nodding towards the ring on display on Marinette's lap. The look he gave Marinette and Adrien was deeply suspicious, which Ben could understand. "Are you trying to screw with the tabloids, or is there something that you want to share with the class?"

Adrien grinned. He looked curiously happy for someone whose best friend was apparently getting married to someone who wasn't him. "Yeah! We're engaged."

...okay, apparently Adrien's best friend was getting married to him, despite the fact that they had given absolutely no indication of having any sort of relationship before.

What. On. Earth.

Paul goggled. Ben was sure that his jaw was somewhere on the floor. "Dude. What even-? But you weren't even dating- or were you?"

"We were, we just didn't publicize it." Adrien reached over to take Marinette's hand, and the way they entwined their fingers was so comfortable. Clearly it wasn't the first time they had done that, not by far. "Because of my father and his ridiculous rules. And now I'm graduated and he can't do anything about what I'm doing with my life."

"Dude," Ben said after a moment, taken completely off guard. Whatever he had been expecting, he hadn't thought oh, yeah, these two would TOTALLY decide to do a secret relationship! He had assumed that if they said oh, we're not dating, then they weren't dating, end of story. "Okay, point taken, never believe anything you say. I thought for a minute there that Marinette must have been dating someone else here in London and gotten engaged to them. And I was like, wow, that must suck for you because anyone with eyes could see that you were head over heels for her."

Adrien had to laugh at that. "No, thankfully that's not the case. Marinette is my fiancée, and I couldn't ask for anyone better."

"You two, really- I can't decide if you're relationship goals or just straight-up ridiculous." Ben shook his head, more amused now that he knew what was going on. It must have taken some serious commitment to keep something like a serious relationship secret from everyone, just for- what? The sake of making it into a bit of a prank? "You could have mentioned something earlier, you know."

"They're both goals and completely nutty," Paul chimed in. He grinned at Adrien and Marinette. "You're absolutely bonkers. My mom would kill me if I hid a relationship from her for two years and then randomly popped up engaged."

"We were going to tell people earlier, once it was too late for my father to pull any funding, but by that point I was planning on proposing," Adrien explained, as though that somehow made his train of thought more reasonable. "And then I figured, why not just wait until then to mention anything? It was more amusing that way, too."

"You are so dead, dude."

Ben just shook his head at them, amused.

"We didn't tell anyone because we didn't want to risk it getting out," Marinette chimed in. She glanced over. "We did tell my team at work and my boss, but that was because Abbey was moving in to my old flat and we needed for her to cover for us. And of course our team visits each other, so they knew that Abbey was moving into my old place."

"And her boss helped me set up the proposal," Adrien said. "Because she had the connections I needed to do the proposal I wanted to do. We didn't mean to exclude everyone else, really. We were just playing it safe."

Paul was shaking his head. "No, I get it," he told them. "If I had known that you two were dating, I probably would have used that information to shut my sister up one of the times she started going on about she thinks that you and her are meant to be. And if she knew, it would be all over within an hour." He grinned. "Oh, how I'm looking forward to breaking the news. Only after you're back in Paris," he assured Adrien. "I can hold out for that long, at least."

Ben stared at Paul. "Your sister sounds like a complete horror."

"Oh, you have no idea."

"Think of the stereotype of obsessed fangirl, and you have his sister," Adrien chimed in. "Hopefully she grows out of it."

"She's going to freak when she finds out that you're officially off the market," Paul said. "Can you text me when you've broken the news? I want to see my sister's face. She's had stars that she was crushing on get involved with people before, but she knew that they were out of her league anyway."

"Or too old," Adrien suggested. Paul nodded in agreement.

"Or too old for her."

"Congratulations, by the way," Ben said, keeping the conversation from veering completely off when he realized that, with all of the surprise, he hadn't actually congratulated his friends. "I'm not surprised that you two ended up together, even if you decided to do it in, like, the most unconventional way possible."

"Oh! Yeah, duh." Paul smacked his forehead. "Congrats! You two crazies deserve each other."

Adrien and Marinette both had to laugh at that. "Thanks, I think."

 ��Nathalie paused at the door to Gabriel's office. She could turn back now and not go through with the lie she had so carefully cultivated and leave Adrien to deal with the consequences of his surprise engagement on his own, like a proper adult. She was under no obligation to manipulate his father into believing that it would be beneficial for Adrien to be dating (or engaged, for that matter). She was Gabriel's secretary and Adrien's- well, Adrien's keeper when he was younger, but he had quite grown out of that- not the family peace-keeper. She didn't have to do this.

She turned the door handle and entered Gabriel's office.

Gabriel looked up as she entered. "Nathalie." His gaze dropped to the magazine she clutched in her hand and his brow furrowed. "Has Adrien ended up in the tabloids again?"

"Not by any wrongdoing of his own," Nathalie assured Mr. Agreste hastily, keeping her tone controlled as she strode across the room. She couldn't let him suspect anything. "It's, well..."

She held out the magazine and Mr. Agreste took it. He scanned the cover page in an instant and his expression immediately turned sour. Nathalie held her breath. Either this would work, or...

"They think that he's not interested in women just because every article about him dating has been denied and debunked? What kind of sensationalist nonsense is this?"

"To be fair, sir, most men of his status and age have been on at least a few dates," Nathalie pointed out as her employer glared at the magazine cover. "He's not eighteen anymore. Many of his peers are either dating, engaged, or married."

Gabriel glanced back up at her before flipping to the article the cover had advertised and glaring at that as well. "I suppose. Perhaps I should have you create a list of eligible women that Adrien could be seen on dates with, but that can wait until Adrien returns."

Nathalie was going to count that as a success. "Very well, sir."

"And if this tabloid tries to print anything else regarding Adrien, do look into libel laws. Speculating about someone's sexual orientation is crossing a line." Gabriel handed the magazine back to Nathalie and looked back at his desk. "That is all."

"Of course, sir." Nathalie retreated as fast as she had come, closing the door quietly behind her before letting herself give a little fist pump. She- well, of course she hadn't expected that not to work, because she knew Mr. Agreste well after working for him for over a decade and knew how to take advantage of his biases, but still. Mr. Agreste could be as unpredictable as a summer storm, and he had an uncanny eye for picking out fakes.

And of course, the article had been a fake. While there were tabloids that would gladly stoop to the level of trying to out celebrities, the one that Nathalie had used would not.

She had called in some favors and now needed to persuade Adrien and Marinette to give an interview to the editor who had helped her make the fake magazine. She hadn't wanted to, of course- involving the tabloids in any sort of personal business was risky- but despite the number and variety of skills Nathalie had acquired over the years, she wasn't very skilled in Photoshop, couldn't write a fake tabloid article to save her life, and wasn't entirely positive where she could get her hands on magazine paper and a printer that could handle that paper. She had had to search out an old friend from university at one of the more reputable tabloids to do the job for her. Most of the magazine was real, of course, but the blurb on the cover had been photoshopped in and one article replaced by the one about Adrien.

It would be less risky that way, Nathalie's friend had told her. Gabriel might have seen the magazine in passing and known that it existed, though a smaller headline would be easier to miss. It also had been cheaper than commissioning a whole new magazine just to trick Mr. Agreste into letting his son date.

She could only hope that it would help.

[spiderneds]

I Wanna Fall In Love (Peter Parker [TH] x Reader x Dad!Stephen Strange)

for @melonpanbread bc she’s been the best at dealing with me on this crappy week :’ ) y’all she’s the best.

thank you all for praying. every prayer, message, and ask sent to me means the world. but i’m feeling happy bc my aunt that lives in another state gets to fly here last minute for the funeral. we didn’t think she’d be able to bc she recently beat stage 3 cancer and can’t get around easily anymore or afford a plane ticket, but God made a way and i am just so thankful. 

It was Monday night, and you were sitting at the small dining room table with your dad, eating dinner ordered from your favorite restaurant. As he scraped the bottom of his plate with his fork, he said, “Oh, you’ll never guess who called me today.”

“Christine?” you guessed.

“How did you know?” he asked. 

“Who else would call you, Dad?” 

He raised his eyebrows. “Okay, ouch.” He laughed and you smiled. “Anyway, she invited me to a banquet on Friday. One thrown by the other doctors at the hospital.”

“Oh, yeah? Are you going to go?” you asked. 

“I told her I would,” he said, nodding. “And then she said she’d like it if you would come, too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Would you want to come?” he asked.

You tried to suppress your excitement. “I mean... I guess it would be fun. Is there, like, dinner and dancing and stuff?” you asked. 

“Yes, there’s like dinner and dancing and stuff.” He grinned. “But you have to bring a date or you can’t get in. I’m going to be Christine’s, so I can’t be yours.”

“Well, who am I going to take?” you asked. “It’s not like I have a boyfriend or anything-”

“No, and thank goodness you don’t,” he said. You rolled your eyes. “Look, you don’t have to be dating this person to get in. Just... ask one of your friends. Ask Peter. Or Ned, if you want.”

“Ned probably wouldn’t going...” You bit your lip. “Alright. I’ll ask Peter. He should think it’s fun.” You put your fork down and stood up. Before you left the kitchen, you said, “But don’t you dare eat my food, Dad!”

Later that night, after several hours of homework and projects, you were laying in your bed, hair wet from the shower you’d taken a few minutes before. Your laptop was propped up on a stack of textbooks. You were video chatting with Peter, since he was on a field trip with the decathlon team until Friday. He was currently sitting in his bed. 

“How’s D.C.?” you asked.

“Same as last year, pretty much.” He looked over to the bed next to him. “Jeez - I’m gonna have to turn the volume up to hear you,” he said. “Ned is snoring like a lawn mower over there.”

You laughed. “Yikes. I bet that’s fun.” 

“So fun,” he said sarcastically. 

You sat back against your pile of pillows. “Hey, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Shoot,” he said. 

“So my dad got invited to this banquet with all of the doctors he used to work with-”

“Fancy,” he interrupted.

“Yes, very. Anyway - I’m invited too, but I have to have a date. I was wondering if you wanted to be my date. Not, like, my date-date, but just go with me so I can go.” You shook your head. “I am making this awkward for literally no reason. Ugh. Okay. Do you want to go to the banquet with me, Pete?”

He laughed, showing all of his teeth. “When is it?”

“Friday.”

“Okay, we’ll be back in Queens by then. Yeah, I’ll go with you. They’re gonna have fancy dinner, right?”

“I’d assume so.”

“Sweet,” he said. “I’ll definitely be there, then.”

On the day of the banquet, you dressed in a dark blue dress. You did your hair for the first time in a while, even taking the time to do your makeup the way girls did in the YouTube tutorials. You walked out of the bathroom - your dad was waiting outside - and smiled up at him, pulling at your sleeves.

“You look great,” he said. “So beautiful.”

“Thanks,” you said.

“Is Peter ready?” he asked.

“I told him to be ready by seven, so I hope so,” you said. 

“Come on, Christine is waiting outside,” he said. He held out his arm to you. You took it, beaming up at him as he left the house with you. 

Christine was standing by her car, wrapped up in a glittering shawl that covered her black dress. “Oh, you look so pretty!” she gushed, looking over you. “And look at you, Stephen. Finally in something other than a levitating cloak.”

“It breaks my heart to leave my cult uniform behind,” he joked. He opened the door for you and let you inside of the backseat. He took the passenger seat, leaving Christine to drive. “I sent Peter’s address to your phone.”

“Okay,” she said, shutting the door. “Is this Peter guy your boyfriend?”

“No, he’s just my best friend.” You sent him a text. 

On our way! Be ready.

“He’s been her friend since they were freshman,” your dad said.

“Ah. Well, I’m happy that I get to meet him today.” She met your eye in the mirror and smiled.

She pulled up in front of Peter’s apartment. Peter was standing outside, dressed in the same tuxedo he wore during homecoming last year. He smiled when he saw the car, waved, and jogged up to the curb. You leaned over from your seat and opened the door for him, peeking your head out to smile. 

“Hey,” you said. “Don’t you look fancy.”

He grinned. “And look at you - you finally look presentable.”

You scoffed, leaning back in your seat so he could get in. “Rude.”

“Hey, Doctor Strange-”

“Peter,” your dad replied, shaking his head. “You’re allowed to call me Stephen.”

“Right. I-I know.” He swallowed. “Sorry.”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “This is Christine, Peter.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said, shaking her hand. 

“Nice to meet you, too. Alright, everyone buckled up?”

“Uh-huh.” You felt your phone vibrate on your lap. You looked down at it, checking your two new text messages.

They were from Peter.

You look really pretty tonight.

I’m texting you this because if I say it out loud your dad might use magic to kill me.

You grinned, cheeks burning and heart fluttering. You looked up at him. In the blue-darkness of the car, he smiled at you. 

“Thank you,” you breathed.

The banquet was in a hotel ballroom, and it was decorated with lights that flickered like candles. In the yellow glow stood dozens of doctors and nurses all dressed in fancy gowns and expensive jewelry. You felt nervous as you stood in the middle of it all, Peter next to you. Your dad and Christine were getting champagne from the bar - and you and Peter didn’t know what to do.

“How do people usually act in fancy ballroom parties?” you asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, the fanciest place I’ve been is... a three star hotel.” He looked around. “Should we act like we’re doctors? I feel like we should act like we’re doctors.”

“Peter, we are very clearly high school students.” You looked around. No one was looking at you, and yet... it was like everyone was looking at you. 

“Right,” he muttered, rocking on his heels. “We probably look worse just by standing here.”

You took in a deep breath. “Okay, well... are you hungry?”

“Not... really?” he said.

“You said you were only coming because of the food.”

“I wasn’t serious! And I am way too awkward to eat. And what if they’re serving just snails?”

“What kind of doctors do you think these are?” you asked. “I am sure the food is catered-”

“Okay, I know. It’s just... I am kind of nervous.” He pulled on his collar. “Can you tell I’m sweating?”

You giggled. “Why are you so nervous? Because of the doctors?”

“No,” he admitted. He looked at his shoes. “Because... of you.”

Your eyebrows furrowed. “Because of me?” you asked. 

“It’s not like that, I-” He stopped and sighed. 

At the same moment, the lighting lowered and the music got louder. You looked around, watching a few couples pull one another to the center of the room. They wrapped their arms around one another and swayed slowly, not really dancing, but not standing still. 

“Do you wanna dance?” he asked. 

“Me and you?” you asked. 

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m... really nervous, so if you could just answer...”

“Yeah, we can dance,” you answered. You laughed and took his hand.

He walked beside you to the center of the ballroom. He turned towards you, slowly raising up your hand. He held it carefully. The look in his eyes made your heart skip several beats. Another hand touched your waist and pushed you closer to him.

And slowly, you both were swaying.

You were incredibly aware of how close your face was to his. You were alert to the fact that Peter was holding your hand and touching your waist and guiding you around in a slow moving circle. Wicked Game played from the speakers loudly, but if felt like it was no more than a whisper around you.

“This is the song that played in Friends,” you whispered. “On Ross and Rachel’s first date-”

“Is that really what you want to talk about right now?” he asked. He laughed softly. 

“No, but... I don’t know... what to say right now.” You blinked slowly.

“Me neither,” he said. “But I’m not nervous anymore.”

“You’re not?” you asked. 

“No,” he said. “Not at all. What about you?”

“I... don’t know,” you said. “I can’t tell.”

He drew you even closer and you moved your arm so that it went around his shoulder. You dropped your head and shut your eyes. This moment was so perfect, so right, so unexpected... and you didn’t want to miss it. It had to be over soon, because this moment of pure bliss couldn’t last forever. Moments like these never did.

Suddenly, the swaying stopped. You felt disappointment because you didn’t expect it to be over that soon.

You opened your eyes and looked up at him.

“I... have to go,” he said. He pulled back. “I’m sorry. I really am. You have no idea how badly I want to stay.”

“You don’t need to explain it to me, Peter,” you said. You smiled at him. “I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah.” He gave you a serious look and took both of your hands. “Yeah, I’ll see you later.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to your cheek quickly. Then he was off, running out the doors, pulling his tie off of his neck. 

You watched him go. 

When the doors shut behind him, you sighed and walked to the corner of the room. You grabbed a plate and went through the food line. You snorted when you saw a tray of snails sitting right in front of you. 

Your phone buzzed and you checked it. Your heart fluttered at what it said.

Stay there, because I’ll be coming back for another dance.

You bit your lip and clutched your phone to your chest for half a moment. Your heart was swelling with pure happiness.

“Just friends, huh?” Christine asked from behind you. She winked when you turned around, scooping some food onto her plate.

“That’s how it used to be,” you said. “Where’s Dad?”

“He had to go,” she said. “Cult emergency.”

“Cult emergency?” you asked.

“I notice your Peter is gone, too. Funny, huh?” she teased. 

“Oh. Yeah, he just... had an... an...”

“Avengers emergency?” she asked. “It’s alright, I won’t say anything. I kind of figured. And I don’t know which one he is, but... he’s the Spider-Man, isn’t he?”

“You’re really good at this,” you whispered.

“I know, right?” She grinned and nodded. “So you wanna shove a bunch of chocolate cakes in our mouths now that the boys are gone?”

“Definitely,” you said. 

“Great. So let’s skip the snails-” She gently nudged you away from the food table and towards the counter full of fancy cakes.

[bohemian-war]

How I met Jack Lowden…

Hi guys!

Just come from seeing Jack in MFM and even when I have met lots of celebrities in my life, this is probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had when it comes to meeting an actor. 

I am gonna try to make this short since it’s quite late and I’ve got a massive headache. Enjoy!

So everything started when it was announced that Jack was gonna be in a new play in London. I am from Spain, however, I live in the UK now so I am lucky enough to be able to see lots of musicals and plays every day. 

When the tickets came out early this year, I bought them straight away. I did not even think about it for a second. In fact, I can’t believe that I bought them months ago and the whole thing is now gone. Time really flies!

I’ve been doing and covering both premieres and events for almost six years now as I work in the entertainment industry and I get to cover these and meet celebrities–in a professional way–for free so I’ve had my moments of starstruck, believe me. Especially when I met Tom Hanks or when I bumped into Aneurin Barnard a couple of weeks ago in the street (these are stories that can be told in a different time).

Unfortunately, since I moved to London two years ago, my work schedule–I am working in a theatre now–is a weird one, so I don’t have time to cover events as much as I used to do so in the past. This–alongside my self-esteem, anxiety, and depression issues–have made me become quite shy and to lose my “touch” when it comes to meeting actors. Now I am scared of approaching them! To the point that I have been rehearsing what I wanted to say to Jack for a whole week!

Since last Monday, the only thing I’ve done is overthinking things. “What if I don’t cause a good impression?” “What if he thinks I am crazy?” “What if I cannot talk due to my anxiety?” “What if my anxiety plays tricks on me again as it did with Aneurin?” Anyways, I started to look at all these fan pictures from last Friday and I was jealous of the fact that they could talk to him and I perfectly knew that I was not gonna be able to do the same thing. 

Today, my friend sent me a text saying that she had got last minute tickets and that she was coming with me. I immediately felt relieved because even when there was a minimum percentage that I couldn’t get anything from Jack unless she was gonna be there to support me so that was a plus.  We got to the Donmar two hours and a half before the performance began. We wanted to try to see if we could spot Jack. Obviously, we were not gonna stay there more than what it was necessary, so if he wasn’t around we would leave. Luckily, he left the building with two other actors from the play, we saw this and approached him nicely. He was on his break chatting and having a cigarette so this is when I was starting to get into a panicky kind of mood because he was definitely seeing us approaching him from afar and I didn’t want to have any “problems” with him. 

When he was about to leave, we called him and he turned around. He is BEAUTIFUL! So blonde and with those gorgeous blue eyes. So tall and skinny. Did I say he is literally the most BEAUTIFUL human being in the entire planet and that he must be protected at all costs? My friend and I basically had the shortest conversation ever. We told him that we were big fans of his, that we were there to see the show and that we needed to kill two hours and a half. He was so pleased when we let him know that we were there for him and to see the show. You cannot even imagine. He felt so relieved! We asked him for a picture and voilá:

(That’s even a coats match *_*). I quickly asked him if he could sign my Dunkirk Blu-ray and he told me that he would be delighted to do it after the show and he also told me that he’d be leaving via the fire exit (thanks to everybody here who helped me with that because some people in the theatre tried to fool us but Jack himself let us all know that he’d definitely be coming out through the back door). He finally asked me if I knew where the fire exit was otherwise he could show me. I said yes. Now that I think about it tho, I wouldn’t have minded a small tour haha.  After this, my friend and I went for a coffee and wait till seven to collect our tickets. The main “problem” is that my friend and I had different seats, however, people at the Donmar Box Office know me–as I work for the same company and I am very good friends with all of them–so we ended up getting a last minute upgrade. We were meant to be in the fourth and second rows and we finished sitting in the middle section of the first row!!! Jack was literally in front of us all the time!!! (Every time that he looked at me, I was literally dying inside. And he did it more than once! He is just so beautiful. I just wanna die T_T). 

Anyways, I cannot stress enough how incredible the play was and everybody was amazing but both Jack and Hayley were astonishing. I don’t even have words. In fact, I am not gonna give anything away as a) they’re still on previews and things are gonna keep changing when it comes to the play in the next couple of days (in fact, the play was shortened 15 minutes today); b) there’s not enough time to say everything. I thought I had seen it all with the ravishing performance of Andrew Scott in Hamlet or the astounding performance of Mark Rylance in Othello but this was in a whole different level, I can tell you. Go to see Measure for Measure if you have the chance. You are not gonna regret it! I might actually go again because it was amazing! (If you’ve seen the play and would like to discuss it with me, my inbox is now open :)).  After the show, we went to the back to wait for Jack. There were people already there and I was panicking AGAIN! I wanted to see him but I didn’t wanna be there at the same time. In fact, I was feeling that I was bothering him with my stupid presence. I already had my picture and I had seen the play. What else could I ask for? It took him about fifteen minutes to come out but he definitely did it and he was so happy to see us. BLESS HIM! Most of the fans were from Asia (especially South Korea) but us (a.k.a.the Spaniards haha). Guys, I am not even kidding, Jack spent at least 45 minutes with all of us after the show!!! After a three-hour-and-ten-minutes play, I had never seen a so well-mannered and dedicated person to his fans ever!!! He was probably exhausted and he still had time for his fans and to make jokes non-stop. He signed everything from programs and DVDs/Blu Rays to drawings. A beautiful fan drew him in Fonzo and he was blown away by the result! I literally have lots of pics, videos, and memories from the encounter. In addition, I’d like to keep most of them to myself because I’d like this to be a very special moment between Jack and me. Because it was so beautiful that I don’t want it to be spoiled. I wanna retain it in my mind forever. But I am just gonna say that we both talked about Dunkirk LOADS and when I mentioned that I first saw him in The Passing Bells he was very surprised. He answered with an amazing “Nooooo Shut Up! Are you kidding?” I told him that I am a massive History geek and he answered that he loves History too. Then that led to Mary, Queen of Scots and other projects (Fonzo etc). He was so flattered when we mentioned them all to him. When he was signing my program he was surprised by my name (he said that it is beautiful. BEAUTIFUL! *_*) and he even added an “España” (Spain) to the signature. He told me that he once went to Cadiz (South of Spain) and that he’d love to go to Madrid, which is where I am from :). I told him that I might do a trip to Scotland soon and this cheered him up even more. He also talked about his parents living in Asia and how he got to go to Asia when he was a child and that he’d love to go back one day. After this, we both hugged endlessly (he revealed to us that he’s living on his own at the moment so he needs lots of hugs awww :’)), we took lots of pics and videos and we chatted for hours. We all even joked about having a coffee together to discuss the play. Unfortunately, it was quite late but I bet that, on a different occasion, Jack would have said yes.  You can see lots of videos of us here. I am the redhead asking questions all the time haha. Now I feel bad for not letting the others speak. Sorry :(. Thank you @uoize for the amazing videos and pics as well! Here you are a few of the ones I took (I include the one with Hayley as well):

He’s signing my Dunkirk Blu Ray here. I have more than five editions of the film and I took the German one with me as it’s the one with Collins on the cover. He was taken by surprise when we told him that he is in every 4K Blu Ray edition of the film all around the world and he said that he’d like to buy one copy. When we told him it was already sold out he blamed us for buying all the copies. 

(Another pic with Jack. This time a selfie taken by him. P.S. The background of the pic has been edited as some people in the pic requested me not to be seen). The last thing I did was thank him for everything he’s done so far. I told him that he was so nice (he told me that I was very nice as well and that I could calm down around him. No need to be nervous) and that it was so great of him that he dedicates so much time to his fans when he shouldn’t be. Again, he was taken by surprise and with a puppy face, he replied “Of course, don’t be silly! I love it. Also, you came to see the show guys so it’s the least I can do!” Jacks is everything I wanted him to be and so much more!!! I don’t think I will ever meet someone like him again in my life. I truly wish him the best and I am sure he’s gonna smash it because he simply deserves the world. I’ve been to the theatre so many times and I`ve seen so many great musicals and plays. I’ve met lots of fans but nothing so close and welcoming as today. Thanks, everybody for making this possible!

Lots of love!

xx

[imagining-supernatural]

My Mom Is A Bitch And I Do NOT Like Her So Much

Chapter 6 of Life Changes (Hopefully For The Better)

Summary: Nat reacts to my bombshell about me being in love with her, the conversation turns around until she’s plotting a murder, and the truth comes out about me and Bucky. All in all, a productive night.

Warnings: We’ve got our usual foul mouth in here

Word Count: 1334

I kept my eyes on Nat, watching her reaction closely. And from the way she froze, I could tell that she hadn’t had a clue about my feelings for her. Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned around. “What?”

A small huff of air escaped my lips in a small laugh and I looked down at the table with a small grin. “I was in love with you. Or, I don’t know. Huge crush. I just… You know my mom. You know a little about what I grew up in. College was my fresh start. A chance to get away and reinvent myself and I got here and my roommate was this gorgeous, confident girl and how could I not fall in love with you?”

“I—but—you never—”

“Wow. I’ve struck Natasha Romanoff speechless. Didn’t know that was possible.” Because this was definitely the time to joke. “It’s all good, Nat. I realized lately that I wasn’t in love with you so much as the version of you I had in my head. And I reinvented myself to be someone that my version of you would like. And thank God I was too scared to tell you before, because that would have been a disaster and your rejection would have nearly killed me and we wouldn’t be friends now because I would be far too embarrassed to ever talk to you again.”

“You… loved me?”

“I still do. But as a friend. My best friend. And as my best friend, I want you to believe me when I say that the person I’ve become is one hundred percent the person I want to be. Not the person anyone else wants me to be. Not the person I think someone else would like better. You just haven’t seen me become this person because you’ve been with Steve and I’ve taken advantage of that space to get over the crush I had on you.”

“Wait, hold up. Back up. You… you liked me?”

And that was the first moment the panic hit me. I’d come to terms with everything. I was just fine with how everything was. I was expecting Natasha and me to continue being friends.

But what about her?

Would she be able to get past this?

“Yeah. Nat, I… I don’t want this to make things weird between us.”

She shook her head in slight disbelief and turned back to the stove.

“Nat, really. Anything I can say or do to keep things good between us… let me know. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You mean you don’t want to lose my mac and cheese skills.”

My shoulders relaxed in relief. A joke. That was a good sign. “I’d rather die than go back to Kraft.”

“I’d rather die than see you go back to Kraft.”

“We good?”

She turned back and nodded. “I’ll probably be processing for a bit, but yeah. And you know the directive is still in place, right?”

“Oh, god. What are you going to ask me now?”

“You and Bucky.”

Once again, her eyes held a question that she expected me to know, but I had no idea what she was asking. I’m sure it wasn’t something I wanted to answer though. I’d just admitted past feelings for one of my friends. I really didn’t want to deal with anymore feelings tonight. “Me and Bucky… what?”

“Are you two, you know…”

“I don’t know. You’ll have to be more blunt.”

She leaned back and regarded me carefully. “I see it now.”

This time, I just stayed silent. I mean, whatever I said could and probably would be used against me. So it seemed like the best course of action.

“I never saw you as a lawyer before. But I can see it with this new Y/N.”

Perfect segue away from me and Bucky. “Yeah, well, that’s going to have to wait for a while.”

“School. What’s up with that?”

And she took the bait! “End of last semester I got in an argument with my mom. I don’t even remember what it was about, but it ended with her disowning me so I am completely cut off from the family money and on my own and I can’t afford school right now. I’ll go back in a year when I’ve saved up enough.”

“That BITCH!” she yelled, and the video game induced cursing from the living room shut off. “Fuck, I’m going to get a flight out to Chicago right now and give her a fucking piece of my mind. She can’t just—”

“Nat! Nat, Nat… It’s fine. It’s all good. Calm your tits. I’m good. This is for the best.”

“She treats you like shit for your whole life and has the nerve to disown you? Now? You’re, like, a year from getting into fucking law school!”

“I’m free now, though. I… It was my biggest fear to get cut off and have nothing to fall back on, but now? I’m not scared that I’ll do something to make her mad. I can fucking live my own life how I want. Sure, it sucks to go from an inheritance to having only what I earn as a secretary at a law firm, but… I don’t know. I like it.”

Nat glared at me, fire in her eyes. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to punch her.”

“Same, girl. But I’m never going to see her again.”

“Everything okay in here?” Steve asked cautiously, peeking into the kitchen. Bucky’s shadow on the floor behind him. “Who are we punching?”

“No one,” I said at the same time Nat spat out, “Y/N’s absolute monstrous bitch of a mother.”

Steve and Bucky came more fully into the room and Bucky’s blue eyes landed on me, silently asking if I was okay. I just nodded. “It’s fine. I swear. Nat and I just had a lot of catching up to do. Nothing to worry about.”

“Except fucking bail money after I get arrested for killing her,” Nat muttered.

“You wouldn’t get caught.”

“True.” She visibly forced her muscles to relax and her nerves to calm down, though her smile was still tight when she looked at the boys. “We’re good. You can go back to your game.”

Steve hesitated briefly before turning back. Bucky didn’t move for a second, and as close as I was growing to him, there was a lot of personal shit coming out of my mouth at the moment and I didn’t particularly want him eavesdropping. So I slid off of the bar stool and gently urged him towards the kitchen door. “Go, or you won’t get any mac and cheese.”

“You wouldn’t be that mean.”

“Try me, Barnes. Girl time is sacred.”

His eyes flickered over my shoulder for a second before his hand landed on my hip and he pulled me with him into the hallway, just out of sight of Nat. “Enjoy your sacred girl time now, because tonight? You and me, doll.”

“Bucky, I—” We hadn’t had sex since I moved in Monday morning. It just felt weird with other people in the house. Besides, now I’d acknowledged my growing feelings for him, who know what can of worms this would open up. “You know I’m not quiet.”

A wolfish grin covered his lips and the hand on my hip pulled me into his body. “Who said I want you to be quiet?”

All I could do was draw in a quick breath before he kissed me, hard and unrelenting.

Just as quickly as it began, he pulled away and walked backwards to the living room, throwing a wink my way before disappearing from view.

When I walked back into the kitchen, Nat was waiting with a raised eyebrow. “So, you and Barnes?”

She hadn’t seen him kiss me out there, so I could lie my way out of this one. But with all of the other truth coming out tonight, I figured what the hell, right?

“Yeah, we’re fucking.”

Secrets? What are those? Guess everything just came spilling out tonight! Here’s a tidbit on my bitch of a mother, and Nat seemed to react well to my bombshell about being in love with her. What do you think? Let me know HERE!

Next Chapter: Heart To Heart Attack To (Hopefully Not) Heart Break

Series Taglist OPEN! Add Yourself HERE

Bucky Babes: @lavieenlex @hallow-hazel @infinity-dreamchaser @clintawcoffeenobarton  @amomenttowrite @zanthiasplace @clairese1980 @bandbandeau @zahiaouzidane @li-ssu @mogaruke @molly-hooperific

Life Changes Tags: @animegirlgeeky @jennell79

[patriotsnet]

What Color Ties Do Republicans Wear

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/what-color-ties-do-republicans-wear/

What Color Ties Do Republicans Wear

The History Of Party Colors In The United States

Tie-Dye 101: Tips & Tricks

Prior to the United States presidential election of 2000, which party was Red and which was Blue was largely a matter of which color a news outlet chose. On the October 30, 2000, episode of the Today show, Tim Russert coined the terms red state and blue state.

As far back as the 1888 election blue was used to represent the northern Union states and red the south, but this wasnt consistent throughout time . In the 70s and 80s the major networks starting using lighted maps to illustrate election results. Democrats were often coded blue and Republicans red, but it wasnt consistent. This inconsistent coloring continued throughout the Clinton years and up to the Gore Vs. Bush. This can all be varied by old videos and articles.

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Red White And Blue: How Color Defines Politics

In early October, Pew Research Center noted a 1.2-point increase in voters for Republicans and a 4.6-point increase for Democrats.

Turnouts for early voting amongst young voters, ages 18-29, have been proving astronomical versus 2014, particularly in red states.

According to The Hill, as of November 2, 2018, early voting polls showed:

Arizona: +217%

Tennessee: +767%

Texas: +448%

But why do we Americans associate political leanings with a specific color? Why do we know what it means to discuss voting in a red state or blue state? And what impact does the psychology of color have on individuals and communities?

Recommended Reading: Can Republicans Vote On Super Tuesday

A Final Word On Colors

Many political parties around the world often choose their colors because of their connections to political stances, groups, or ideologies.

For example, red has historically been a color often linked to socialism and communism after a red flag was used by the revolutionaries during the Paris Commune. Revolutionaries may have picked red flags during this time as a possible reference to the 13th century red naval flags of defiance that meant a ship would kill any enemy it saw and so was flying a bloody flag.

As another example, many environmentalist parties around the world will often use the color green to symbolize nature. Finally, fascist parties have often used the color black such as Adolf Hitlers Nazi party and Benito Mussolinis Italian Fascist party because the black color represents what they intend to bring to their enemies: fear, intimidation, and death.  

Lets finish with a quick trip around the globe to see the colors associated with some prominent political parties. In the United Kingdom, the colors are flipped compared to the United States: the right-leaning Conservative Party uses blue and the left-leaning Labour Party uses red, as do the Canadian parties of the same names. Australias oldest party, the Australian Labor Party, uses red while the Christian Democratic Union of Germany has used orange and black, and Emmanuel Macron of Frances En Marche! uses yellow. 

Why Is Hillary Clinton In Red And Why Is Donald Trump Wearing A Blue Tie

Id expect the republican candidate to wear red and the democrat to wear blue, but its quite the opposite. Why is this?

The color red is thought to convey strength and aggression, which is why a lot of men use that color for power ties. The Clinton camp probably wanted to her appear commanding and authoritative, particularly when debating a loud and aggressive opponent.

Blue is viewed as more calm and soothing. Trumps camp may have wanted him to appear calm and restrained.

The whole red/Republican, blue/Democrat thing is a pretty recent association anyway, starting in the 2000 election. Its not as if those are the official colors of those parties.

It was around before that but iirc they switched colors every election.

i did not realize red/blue as party association was only that recent

Clinton was expecting Trump to wear his red tie its a power color. So she preemptively wore a red suit. He was expecting her to expect that, so he wore blue as a counter-power move.

You know, I think you might have said that as joke but with consultants and strategists and yadiyadiyada, I might just be what happened.

If he wore a red suit he would have appeared dangerously unstable, for what he wore, not what he said.

These are no official colours of either major party. Neither has official colours of any kind. Both have used red, white, and blue for their entire histories.

Also Check: What Caused Republicans To Gain Power In Congress In 1938

The Color Psychology Behind Inauguration Fashion

Inauguration day isnt just about politics, its also all about fashion.

Inauguration day isnt just about politics, its also all about fashion.

All eyes were on Donald Trump Friday as he took oath as the 45th president of the United States, but it was hard to miss the stylish outfits surrounding his inauguration.

Dressing for a major political event is an event in itself. Outfits worn by powerful leaders and their families are carefully selected and crafted by high-profile designers and stylists. Fashion experts often dig deeper into the meanings behind the colors picked for outfits that will be seen by millions around the globe.

Public image is important for all politicians, especially for the first lady, said Dr. Dong Shen, professor of Fashion Merchandising and Design at California State University, Sacramento. Colors and brands are very important.

The first lady is often an American icon but traditionally, their main role is to support their husbands presidency. Their outfits tend to balance or compliment their husbands attire, avoiding to overpower.

Shen explained, for this reason, first ladies are usually seen in softer colors or floral patterns.

Blue is often associated with the sky and the ocean, Shen said of Mrs. Trumps inauguration outfit. It often symbolizes loyalty and trust.

Why The Red Tie

So why do so many politicians wear red power ties?

Unless we ask them its impossible to know for sure. Some journalists have speculated that red is a popular color because it features in the American flag and so advertises its wearers patriotism. If this is true, though, we should see as many blue ties as red.

Perhaps the clue is in the name: power. Could it be that politicians suspect that a red tie makes them appear more powerful, dominant, and authoritative?

Read Also: Are There More Democrats Or Republicans In The Senate

Gop Candidates Stick To Red Ties At Debate

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney stood out at last night’s GOP debate, mainly for his $10,000 gaffe.

But we couldn’t help but notice the former Massachusetts governor’s other major distinction: a blue tie.

While its exact point of origin is murky , the color-coding of American politics has become common knowledge: red for Republicans, blue for Democrats. The primary-hued shorthand has extended from election night dry-erase boards to candidates’ closets, as male candidates have been known to indicate their party alignment by tie color.

And though it’s not an exact science , the red-blue divide was on full display at last night’s GOP debate — with one exception. Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Ron Paul all wore red ties, while Mitt Romney wore light blue.

Michele Bachmann, for the record, wore a royal blue blouse.

Romeny’s blue wasn’t too surprising, as it’s been his go-to hue throughout the debates. Men’s fashion expert Hendrik Pohl, the CEO of ties-necktie.com, told ABC, “Blue is the color that people most commonly name as their favorite color and it has very calming effect on people” — and sure enough, eight out of the ten major debates have seen Romney in the safe color.

What gives? Afraid of standing out, Newt? Is wearing anything other than red an affront to Texas, Rick? Trying to prove your Republican affiliation, Ron?

See pics of the candidates’ ties below… what style of ties would you like to see at the next debate?

How Did Red And Blue Come To Represent The Two Major Us Political Parties

What To Wear To A Formal Event | 3 Suit Options

It all started with television. In the early 1970s, networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS were seeking a way to demarcate which states in the electoral college had been won by each candidate. More American households had color TV sets than ever before, giving news programs covering the election an opportunity to show splashy graphics when a state was called in favor of a given candidate. 

The first network to color-code states during an election results broadcast was CBS in 1972. However, at that time, blue represented the states won by the Republican incumbent Richard Nixon, and red stood in for those taken by challenger US Senator George McGovern of South Dakota.

Theres a good reason why those colors were chosen for each party at the time: global precedent. In Great Britain, red had long been used to represent the more liberal party, which in this American use case were the Democrats. Blue stood in for Republicans by default, in part because the colors in contrast were striking on screen.

But by the late-1980s and early 1990s, those color assignments reversed. Blue became more consistently used for Democrats and red for Republicans. 

Nevertheless, it still wasnt until 2000the race between Democrat and Vice President Al Gore and Republican Texas Governor George W. Bushthat those colors became synonymous with the name of each party.

Recommended Reading: How Many Republicans In The New Senate

Which States Are Considered Red And Which Are Blue

To go along with the colors, the terms red state and blue state were popularized by anchorman Tim Russert during and immediately after the 2000 election. Today, these terms are used to refer to which party a state voted for during a presidential election. 

Generally speaking, the Northeast and the West Coast are considered a collection of blue states as most of them have sided with the Democrats since the early 1990s.

The Southern states have sided with Republicans since the 2000s, while the Midwest tends to be tougher to predict. For example, Illinois and Minnesota are currently considered blue states, while Missouri and Nebraska are red. Hawaii and Alaska have been traditionally considered blue and red respectively as neither has switched parties since the late 1980s .

The Southwest has been split since 2000 with Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado going blue more often than red and Utah and Arizona voting predictably red. Finally, we come to the coveted purple states or swing states, such as Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. These states switched colors in recent elections and are often a key focus of electoral campaigning and strategy. Swing states can vary by election year.

Shopping On A Hill Staffers Salary Means Deal

Kate: A lot of people dont realize how little Hill staffers make, so they probably dont realize what a struggle it is to find clothes that youre able to wear to work and that are still acceptable. Im just trying to make rent! I make $65,000, but I know some staff assistants that make $25,000.

I shop at , T.J. Maxx, and Nordstrom Rack I go to the Nordstrom in the mall, and then I go to the Rack and find the same stuff. I would never pay full price for something. On birthdays and Christmas, I try to get as many clothes as I can.

Heather: I typically shop at Marshalls and Nordstrom Rack. I still shop at H&M, but some of their stuff is more expensive and wears out quickly. Ill only shop at J.Crew Factory and Banana Republic Factory if its something that I love and fits me really well. Otherwise, I wont splurge on it. Anthropologie is where I wish I could shop if I had that kind of money, but I dont.

I wont spend more than $80 on one particular item of clothing, unless its a coat. For dresses, I wont go over $70 unless I love it. Tops I like to be $20 to $30. Pants and shirts, $40.

In a place like this, with a lot of powerful people, you want to sprinkle in items that do cost a lot of money. Ill wear a Burberry scarf with an overcoat; I carry a Tumi bag. If they see items on you that they can recognize and that they know the value of, they then assume that is expensive, when little do they know you got your suit for under $300 and your shoes were on sale for $50.

Also Check: Who Is The Speaker Of The House For Republicans

From Pleather To Puffy Coats Swapcom Uncovers The Hottest Fashions Trending Across The Country For Red And Blue Voters

October 26, 2016 05:00 ET | Source:Swap.comSwap.com

CHICAGO, IL– – With less than two weeks to Election Day, the candidate’s personal style and wardrobe has been an ongoing talking point for politicos and news anchors. From patriotically-themed pantsuits and ties to poor tailoring to disheveled hair, it is clear fashion plays a powerful role in politics. For a less serious spin on politics and fashion, Swap.com — the largest online consignment store-dove deep into millions of previous purchases to uncover how style preferences of Democrats and Republicans sized up. Based on a breakdown of how red and blue counties voted in the 2012 election, Swap.com has revealed the most popular picks among liberals and conservatives.

That’s A Lot of Look

When it comes to clothes, both Republicans and Democrats are buttoning and bundling up in interesting ways. Republicans prefer dresses to skirts and, when it is warm, buy more Capri pants and Bermuda and cargo shorts. Meanwhile, Democrats are pairing jeggings with a blazer and their favorite sports jersey topped off by a puffy coat.

Democrats are

69% more likely to wear jeggings

39% more likely to wear jerseys

31% more likely to wear sweaters

30% more likely to wear blazers

22% more likely to wear puffy coats

21% more likely to wear button-up shirts

14% more likely to wear skirts

Republicans are

Methodology:

Color And Clothing Choices

When we see certain colors, they produce chemical reactions in our brains that can make us feel certain emotions. For example you are more likely to order more food in a restaurant that is decorated with a lot of red because that color makes us hungry. Sports teams often paint the opposing teams locker room pink because that color makes people tired. Guests on late night TV hang out in the Green Room before coming on stage because that color is the most calming and relaxing. So what could certain candidates be trying to sell you via their color and clothing choices?

Read Also: What Cities Are Run By Republicans

The Psychology Of Tie Colors In The Race For President

Have you ever asked yourself the question why we only see red and blue ties on presidential candidates as of recently? Some might argue that candidates will choose those ties that best reflects their partys identify, meaning red ties for Republican Romney, and blue ties for Democrat President Obama, but this is only partially true.

Take Tuesdays Presidential debate for instance. Romney wore a bright blue and white striped tie while Obama opted for a burgundy-red piece, a change that I was very happy to see. Pre-debate I was actually hoping that Obama would be wearing a red tie a color that is synonymous with power, confidence, and excitement all things Obama lacked in the first debate.

Obama is Taking Charge, Wearing a Burgundy-Red Tie

I am now making the argument that Obamas red tie helped him step up his game during the last debate. Not only did the tie grabbed the audiences attention, but I strongly belief that it gave President Obama a boost of confidence after taking a look in the mirror.

The psychology & emotional effects of colors is definitely nothing new. In fact, psychologists have been researching the meaning of colors for decades, if not centuries, and evidence does indeed prove that certain colors do evoke certain emotional responses in people. This is nothing new to presidential candidates who pay attention to what colors to pick out for a public appearance.

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No Consensus On Colors Before 2000

Before the 2000 presidential election, television networks didn’t stick to any particular theme when illustrating which candidates and which parties won which states. In fact, many rotated the colors: One year Republicans would be red and the next year Republicans would be blue. Neither party really wanted to claim red as its color because of its association with communism.

According to Smithsonian magazine:

“Before the epic election of 2000, there was no uniformity in the maps that television stations, newspapers or magazines used to illustrate presidential elections. Pretty much everyone embraced red and blue, but which color represented which party varied, sometimes by organization, sometimes by election cycle.”

Newspapers including The New York Times and USA Today jumped on the Republican-red and Democrat-blue theme that year, too, and stuck with it. Both published color-coded maps of results by county. Counties that sided with Bush appeared red in the newspapers. Counties that voted for Gore were shaded in blue.

The explanation Archie Tse, a senior graphics editor for the Times, gave to Smithsonian for his choice of colors for each party was fairly straightforward:

I just decided red begins with r, Republican begins with r. It was a more natural association. There wasnt much discussion about it.

Also Check: What Republicans Voted Against The Wall

Red Vs Blue: Why Necktie Colors Matter

ByRobert Roy Britt01 March 2017

In high-stakes politics and business, there are only two colors of ties: red and blue. Oh, sure, you might spot purple or yellow now and then, but those are clear statements of aloofness, be they calculated or careless.

Few world leaders or CEOs want to be seen as aloof.

But does it matter whether one wears red or blue? Yes, suggest several studies, including one published in the journal Science on Feb. 6, 2009. More on that in a moment.

First, some color:

Tonight , during his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Donald Trump wore a blue and white striped tie. Seated behind Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Paul Ryan, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, both wore blue ties.

For his inauguration on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump wore a red tie with his dark suit, while outgoing President Barack Obama donned a blue tie. Their wives wore the reverse, with Michelle Obama in a red dress and Melania Trump wearing a powder blue ensemble.

In the first presidential debate of 2016, then-nominee Donald Trump donned a blue tie, while the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, wore a red suit. The Democrats may have decided on “red” during the election, as Clinton’s running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine donned a red tie during the first vice presidential debates on Oct. 4, while Trump’s running mate, then-Indiana governor Mike Pence sported a blue necktie.  

Related:

Republican Party Platform 2016: We Fact-Checked the Science

Desks Are Closets Too

How To Tie Dye

Heather: I have an emergency blazer in my desk that I can whip out if I feel I need to, and then an extra pair of flats in my desk. You do so much walking in DC that flats wear out really quickly. Ill keep Band-Aids and Neosporin in my desk, too, for when Im breaking in a pair of shoes. Ill get new flats every four months Ill just go to Marshalls and get whats on sale.

Jen: Im a big fan of having a lot of jackets that I keep in the office. You never know what day youll need to go staff your boss on the senate floor. Jackets that you can put on regardless of whether youre wearing slacks or a dress or a skirt and a top I think thats one of the easiest things to keep on hand. Then I have a black sweater, because these buildings can be terribly temperature controlled.

Don’t Miss: Did Republicans Riot After Obama Was Elected

The Best Presidential Suits Ever Worn

The diplomatic protocol and the demands of the presidential dress-code leave a narrow margin of freedom to express themselves freely. Who has the best taste when choosing what to wear to take charge of governing his nation? That question causes you great curiosity, because although you know that the presidents of the list below have a group of image advisors behind them, some do not look as good as they should, considering the media exposure to which their posts compels them.

Even the presidents and high official of a country cannot escape from the sharp eyes of fashion police. The following list spotlights the powerful men and women in the world who accessorize political acumen with perfect tailoring and their idiosyncratic touches.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama has declared that he is not a fan of fashion. However, Obama knows how to wear a suit and he wears it well. During his presidential campaigns he was seen with a more casual look of jeans and shirts, but in office, he has opted for an obligatorily more elegant image, based on classic two buttons. His favorite colors are the dark ones and he mostly wears white shirts combined with ties in red or blue tones. Among his favorite designers are Ermenegildo Zegna and Hart Schaffner Marx.

The former President explained the logic behind this routine:

John F. Kennedy

Harry S. Truman

Ronald Reagan

Vladimir Putin

Blue Ties Symbolic As Bush Democratic Leaders Meet

Story Highlights

NEW:

WASHINGTON Now facing Democratic control of both chambers of Congress during the last two years of his presidency, President Bush on Friday continued to move toward building a working relationship with Democratic congressional leaders.

Bush met in the Oval Office with Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who is expected to be the Senate majority leader when a new Congress convenes in January, and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, expected to become assistant majority leader.

I assured the senators that we will cooperate as closely as we can to solve common problems, Bush said after the meeting.

The president also congratulated the senators on their election victory and said, I know they were proud of their teams efforts. And they ran good campaigns and they talked about issues that people care about, and they won.

The new dynamic of checks and balances between Congress and the executive branch provide a great opportunity for us to show the country that Republicans and Democrats are equally as patriotic and equally concerned about the future, and that we can work together, Bush said.

Reid concurred, saying, Elections over. The only way to move forward is with bipartisanship and openness and to get some results. And weve made a commitment the four of us here today that thats what were going to do.

From our side, we think that is a symbolic indication, and were off to a good start, Durbin said.

Recommended Reading: Who Was The Leader Of The Radical Republicans

How The Colors Came To Be Red White And Blue

Of the 205 sovereign nations in the world, 21 share red, white and blue as their flags colors. But why do so many share the same trio of colors, and what do they represent?

On July 4, 1776, a resolution was passed by Congress authorizing the development of a seal for the new country which reflected the Founding Fathers values.

When presenting the seal which was officially adopted on June 20, 1782 Secretary of the Continental Congress, Charles Thomson, explained, White signifies purity and innocence. Red, hardiness and valor, and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.

The meaning behind the colors have since shifted slightly. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan declared it the Year of the Flag, stating, The colors of our flag signify the qualities of the human spirit we Americans cherish. Red for courage and readiness to sacrifice; white for pure intentions and high ideals; and blue for vigilance and justice.

According to TIME Magazine, however, Mike Buss, a flag expert with the American Legion, points to the red, white and blue used in the Union Jack of England.

They come from the three colors that the Founding Fathers had served under or had been exposed to, said Buss.

Therefore, some of the correlation between the United States use of red, white and blue along with 20 other countries, including Puerto Rico, Australia and Cuba, could come from their historical correlation with England.

[statetalks]

What Color Ties Do Republicans Wear

The History Of Party Colors In The United States

Tie-Dye 101: Tips & Tricks

Prior to the United States presidential election of 2000, which party was Red and which was Blue was largely a matter of which color a news outlet chose. On the October 30, 2000, episode of the Today show, Tim Russert coined the terms red state and blue state.

As far back as the 1888 election blue was used to represent the northern Union states and red the south, but this wasnt consistent throughout time . In the 70s and 80s the major networks starting using lighted maps to illustrate election results. Democrats were often coded blue and Republicans red, but it wasnt consistent. This inconsistent coloring continued throughout the Clinton years and up to the Gore Vs. Bush. This can all be varied by old videos and articles.

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Red White And Blue: How Color Defines Politics

In early October, Pew Research Center noted a 1.2-point increase in voters for Republicans and a 4.6-point increase for Democrats.

Turnouts for early voting amongst young voters, ages 18-29, have been proving astronomical versus 2014, particularly in red states.

According to The Hill, as of November 2, 2018, early voting polls showed:

Arizona: +217%

Tennessee: +767%

Texas: +448%

But why do we Americans associate political leanings with a specific color? Why do we know what it means to discuss voting in a red state or blue state? And what impact does the psychology of color have on individuals and communities?

Recommended Reading: Can Republicans Vote On Super Tuesday

A Final Word On Colors

Many political parties around the world often choose their colors because of their connections to political stances, groups, or ideologies.

For example, red has historically been a color often linked to socialism and communism after a red flag was used by the revolutionaries during the Paris Commune. Revolutionaries may have picked red flags during this time as a possible reference to the 13th century red naval flags of defiance that meant a ship would kill any enemy it saw and so was flying a bloody flag.

As another example, many environmentalist parties around the world will often use the color green to symbolize nature. Finally, fascist parties have often used the color black such as Adolf Hitlers Nazi party and Benito Mussolinis Italian Fascist party because the black color represents what they intend to bring to their enemies: fear, intimidation, and death.  

Lets finish with a quick trip around the globe to see the colors associated with some prominent political parties. In the United Kingdom, the colors are flipped compared to the United States: the right-leaning Conservative Party uses blue and the left-leaning Labour Party uses red, as do the Canadian parties of the same names. Australias oldest party, the Australian Labor Party, uses red while the Christian Democratic Union of Germany has used orange and black, and Emmanuel Macron of Frances En Marche! uses yellow. 

Why Is Hillary Clinton In Red And Why Is Donald Trump Wearing A Blue Tie

Id expect the republican candidate to wear red and the democrat to wear blue, but its quite the opposite. Why is this?

The color red is thought to convey strength and aggression, which is why a lot of men use that color for power ties. The Clinton camp probably wanted to her appear commanding and authoritative, particularly when debating a loud and aggressive opponent.

Blue is viewed as more calm and soothing. Trumps camp may have wanted him to appear calm and restrained.

The whole red/Republican, blue/Democrat thing is a pretty recent association anyway, starting in the 2000 election. Its not as if those are the official colors of those parties.

It was around before that but iirc they switched colors every election.

i did not realize red/blue as party association was only that recent

Clinton was expecting Trump to wear his red tie its a power color. So she preemptively wore a red suit. He was expecting her to expect that, so he wore blue as a counter-power move.

You know, I think you might have said that as joke but with consultants and strategists and yadiyadiyada, I might just be what happened.

If he wore a red suit he would have appeared dangerously unstable, for what he wore, not what he said.

These are no official colours of either major party. Neither has official colours of any kind. Both have used red, white, and blue for their entire histories.

Also Check: What Caused Republicans To Gain Power In Congress In 1938

The Color Psychology Behind Inauguration Fashion

Inauguration day isnt just about politics, its also all about fashion.

Inauguration day isnt just about politics, its also all about fashion.

All eyes were on Donald Trump Friday as he took oath as the 45th president of the United States, but it was hard to miss the stylish outfits surrounding his inauguration.

Dressing for a major political event is an event in itself. Outfits worn by powerful leaders and their families are carefully selected and crafted by high-profile designers and stylists. Fashion experts often dig deeper into the meanings behind the colors picked for outfits that will be seen by millions around the globe.

Public image is important for all politicians, especially for the first lady, said Dr. Dong Shen, professor of Fashion Merchandising and Design at California State University, Sacramento. Colors and brands are very important.

The first lady is often an American icon but traditionally, their main role is to support their husbands presidency. Their outfits tend to balance or compliment their husbands attire, avoiding to overpower.

Shen explained, for this reason, first ladies are usually seen in softer colors or floral patterns.

Blue is often associated with the sky and the ocean, Shen said of Mrs. Trumps inauguration outfit. It often symbolizes loyalty and trust.

Why The Red Tie

So why do so many politicians wear red power ties?

Unless we ask them its impossible to know for sure. Some journalists have speculated that red is a popular color because it features in the American flag and so advertises its wearers patriotism. If this is true, though, we should see as many blue ties as red.

Perhaps the clue is in the name: power. Could it be that politicians suspect that a red tie makes them appear more powerful, dominant, and authoritative?

Read Also: Are There More Democrats Or Republicans In The Senate

Gop Candidates Stick To Red Ties At Debate

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney stood out at last night’s GOP debate, mainly for his $10,000 gaffe.

But we couldn’t help but notice the former Massachusetts governor’s other major distinction: a blue tie.

While its exact point of origin is murky , the color-coding of American politics has become common knowledge: red for Republicans, blue for Democrats. The primary-hued shorthand has extended from election night dry-erase boards to candidates’ closets, as male candidates have been known to indicate their party alignment by tie color.

And though it’s not an exact science , the red-blue divide was on full display at last night’s GOP debate — with one exception. Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Ron Paul all wore red ties, while Mitt Romney wore light blue.

Michele Bachmann, for the record, wore a royal blue blouse.

Romeny’s blue wasn’t too surprising, as it’s been his go-to hue throughout the debates. Men’s fashion expert Hendrik Pohl, the CEO of ties-necktie.com, told ABC, “Blue is the color that people most commonly name as their favorite color and it has very calming effect on people” — and sure enough, eight out of the ten major debates have seen Romney in the safe color.

What gives? Afraid of standing out, Newt? Is wearing anything other than red an affront to Texas, Rick? Trying to prove your Republican affiliation, Ron?

See pics of the candidates’ ties below… what style of ties would you like to see at the next debate?

How Did Red And Blue Come To Represent The Two Major Us Political Parties

What To Wear To A Formal Event | 3 Suit Options

It all started with television. In the early 1970s, networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS were seeking a way to demarcate which states in the electoral college had been won by each candidate. More American households had color TV sets than ever before, giving news programs covering the election an opportunity to show splashy graphics when a state was called in favor of a given candidate. 

The first network to color-code states during an election results broadcast was CBS in 1972. However, at that time, blue represented the states won by the Republican incumbent Richard Nixon, and red stood in for those taken by challenger US Senator George McGovern of South Dakota.

Theres a good reason why those colors were chosen for each party at the time: global precedent. In Great Britain, red had long been used to represent the more liberal party, which in this American use case were the Democrats. Blue stood in for Republicans by default, in part because the colors in contrast were striking on screen.

But by the late-1980s and early 1990s, those color assignments reversed. Blue became more consistently used for Democrats and red for Republicans. 

Nevertheless, it still wasnt until 2000the race between Democrat and Vice President Al Gore and Republican Texas Governor George W. Bushthat those colors became synonymous with the name of each party.

Recommended Reading: How Many Republicans In The New Senate

Which States Are Considered Red And Which Are Blue

To go along with the colors, the terms red state and blue state were popularized by anchorman Tim Russert during and immediately after the 2000 election. Today, these terms are used to refer to which party a state voted for during a presidential election. 

Generally speaking, the Northeast and the West Coast are considered a collection of blue states as most of them have sided with the Democrats since the early 1990s.

The Southern states have sided with Republicans since the 2000s, while the Midwest tends to be tougher to predict. For example, Illinois and Minnesota are currently considered blue states, while Missouri and Nebraska are red. Hawaii and Alaska have been traditionally considered blue and red respectively as neither has switched parties since the late 1980s .

The Southwest has been split since 2000 with Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado going blue more often than red and Utah and Arizona voting predictably red. Finally, we come to the coveted purple states or swing states, such as Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. These states switched colors in recent elections and are often a key focus of electoral campaigning and strategy. Swing states can vary by election year.

Shopping On A Hill Staffers Salary Means Deal

Kate: A lot of people dont realize how little Hill staffers make, so they probably dont realize what a struggle it is to find clothes that youre able to wear to work and that are still acceptable. Im just trying to make rent! I make $65,000, but I know some staff assistants that make $25,000.

I shop at , T.J. Maxx, and Nordstrom Rack I go to the Nordstrom in the mall, and then I go to the Rack and find the same stuff. I would never pay full price for something. On birthdays and Christmas, I try to get as many clothes as I can.

Heather: I typically shop at Marshalls and Nordstrom Rack. I still shop at H&M, but some of their stuff is more expensive and wears out quickly. Ill only shop at J.Crew Factory and Banana Republic Factory if its something that I love and fits me really well. Otherwise, I wont splurge on it. Anthropologie is where I wish I could shop if I had that kind of money, but I dont.

I wont spend more than $80 on one particular item of clothing, unless its a coat. For dresses, I wont go over $70 unless I love it. Tops I like to be $20 to $30. Pants and shirts, $40.

In a place like this, with a lot of powerful people, you want to sprinkle in items that do cost a lot of money. Ill wear a Burberry scarf with an overcoat; I carry a Tumi bag. If they see items on you that they can recognize and that they know the value of, they then assume that is expensive, when little do they know you got your suit for under $300 and your shoes were on sale for $50.

Also Check: Who Is The Speaker Of The House For Republicans

From Pleather To Puffy Coats Swapcom Uncovers The Hottest Fashions Trending Across The Country For Red And Blue Voters

October 26, 2016 05:00 ET | Source:Swap.comSwap.com

CHICAGO, IL– – With less than two weeks to Election Day, the candidate’s personal style and wardrobe has been an ongoing talking point for politicos and news anchors. From patriotically-themed pantsuits and ties to poor tailoring to disheveled hair, it is clear fashion plays a powerful role in politics. For a less serious spin on politics and fashion, Swap.com — the largest online consignment store-dove deep into millions of previous purchases to uncover how style preferences of Democrats and Republicans sized up. Based on a breakdown of how red and blue counties voted in the 2012 election, Swap.com has revealed the most popular picks among liberals and conservatives.

That’s A Lot of Look

When it comes to clothes, both Republicans and Democrats are buttoning and bundling up in interesting ways. Republicans prefer dresses to skirts and, when it is warm, buy more Capri pants and Bermuda and cargo shorts. Meanwhile, Democrats are pairing jeggings with a blazer and their favorite sports jersey topped off by a puffy coat.

Democrats are

69% more likely to wear jeggings

39% more likely to wear jerseys

31% more likely to wear sweaters

30% more likely to wear blazers

22% more likely to wear puffy coats

21% more likely to wear button-up shirts

14% more likely to wear skirts

Republicans are

Methodology:

Color And Clothing Choices

When we see certain colors, they produce chemical reactions in our brains that can make us feel certain emotions. For example you are more likely to order more food in a restaurant that is decorated with a lot of red because that color makes us hungry. Sports teams often paint the opposing teams locker room pink because that color makes people tired. Guests on late night TV hang out in the Green Room before coming on stage because that color is the most calming and relaxing. So what could certain candidates be trying to sell you via their color and clothing choices?

Read Also: What Cities Are Run By Republicans

The Psychology Of Tie Colors In The Race For President

Have you ever asked yourself the question why we only see red and blue ties on presidential candidates as of recently? Some might argue that candidates will choose those ties that best reflects their partys identify, meaning red ties for Republican Romney, and blue ties for Democrat President Obama, but this is only partially true.

Take Tuesdays Presidential debate for instance. Romney wore a bright blue and white striped tie while Obama opted for a burgundy-red piece, a change that I was very happy to see. Pre-debate I was actually hoping that Obama would be wearing a red tie a color that is synonymous with power, confidence, and excitement all things Obama lacked in the first debate.

Obama is Taking Charge, Wearing a Burgundy-Red Tie

I am now making the argument that Obamas red tie helped him step up his game during the last debate. Not only did the tie grabbed the audiences attention, but I strongly belief that it gave President Obama a boost of confidence after taking a look in the mirror.

The psychology & emotional effects of colors is definitely nothing new. In fact, psychologists have been researching the meaning of colors for decades, if not centuries, and evidence does indeed prove that certain colors do evoke certain emotional responses in people. This is nothing new to presidential candidates who pay attention to what colors to pick out for a public appearance.

Other Suggested Articles:

No Consensus On Colors Before 2000

Before the 2000 presidential election, television networks didn’t stick to any particular theme when illustrating which candidates and which parties won which states. In fact, many rotated the colors: One year Republicans would be red and the next year Republicans would be blue. Neither party really wanted to claim red as its color because of its association with communism.

According to Smithsonian magazine:

“Before the epic election of 2000, there was no uniformity in the maps that television stations, newspapers or magazines used to illustrate presidential elections. Pretty much everyone embraced red and blue, but which color represented which party varied, sometimes by organization, sometimes by election cycle.”

Newspapers including The New York Times and USA Today jumped on the Republican-red and Democrat-blue theme that year, too, and stuck with it. Both published color-coded maps of results by county. Counties that sided with Bush appeared red in the newspapers. Counties that voted for Gore were shaded in blue.

The explanation Archie Tse, a senior graphics editor for the Times, gave to Smithsonian for his choice of colors for each party was fairly straightforward:

I just decided red begins with r, Republican begins with r. It was a more natural association. There wasnt much discussion about it.

Also Check: What Republicans Voted Against The Wall

Red Vs Blue: Why Necktie Colors Matter

ByRobert Roy Britt01 March 2017

In high-stakes politics and business, there are only two colors of ties: red and blue. Oh, sure, you might spot purple or yellow now and then, but those are clear statements of aloofness, be they calculated or careless.

Few world leaders or CEOs want to be seen as aloof.

But does it matter whether one wears red or blue? Yes, suggest several studies, including one published in the journal Science on Feb. 6, 2009. More on that in a moment.

First, some color:

Tonight , during his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Donald Trump wore a blue and white striped tie. Seated behind Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Paul Ryan, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, both wore blue ties.

For his inauguration on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump wore a red tie with his dark suit, while outgoing President Barack Obama donned a blue tie. Their wives wore the reverse, with Michelle Obama in a red dress and Melania Trump wearing a powder blue ensemble.

In the first presidential debate of 2016, then-nominee Donald Trump donned a blue tie, while the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, wore a red suit. The Democrats may have decided on “red” during the election, as Clinton’s running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine donned a red tie during the first vice presidential debates on Oct. 4, while Trump’s running mate, then-Indiana governor Mike Pence sported a blue necktie.  

Related:

Republican Party Platform 2016: We Fact-Checked the Science

Desks Are Closets Too

How To Tie Dye

Heather: I have an emergency blazer in my desk that I can whip out if I feel I need to, and then an extra pair of flats in my desk. You do so much walking in DC that flats wear out really quickly. Ill keep Band-Aids and Neosporin in my desk, too, for when Im breaking in a pair of shoes. Ill get new flats every four months Ill just go to Marshalls and get whats on sale.

Jen: Im a big fan of having a lot of jackets that I keep in the office. You never know what day youll need to go staff your boss on the senate floor. Jackets that you can put on regardless of whether youre wearing slacks or a dress or a skirt and a top I think thats one of the easiest things to keep on hand. Then I have a black sweater, because these buildings can be terribly temperature controlled.

Don’t Miss: Did Republicans Riot After Obama Was Elected

The Best Presidential Suits Ever Worn

The diplomatic protocol and the demands of the presidential dress-code leave a narrow margin of freedom to express themselves freely. Who has the best taste when choosing what to wear to take charge of governing his nation? That question causes you great curiosity, because although you know that the presidents of the list below have a group of image advisors behind them, some do not look as good as they should, considering the media exposure to which their posts compels them.

Even the presidents and high official of a country cannot escape from the sharp eyes of fashion police. The following list spotlights the powerful men and women in the world who accessorize political acumen with perfect tailoring and their idiosyncratic touches.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama has declared that he is not a fan of fashion. However, Obama knows how to wear a suit and he wears it well. During his presidential campaigns he was seen with a more casual look of jeans and shirts, but in office, he has opted for an obligatorily more elegant image, based on classic two buttons. His favorite colors are the dark ones and he mostly wears white shirts combined with ties in red or blue tones. Among his favorite designers are Ermenegildo Zegna and Hart Schaffner Marx.

The former President explained the logic behind this routine:

John F. Kennedy

Harry S. Truman

Ronald Reagan

Vladimir Putin

Blue Ties Symbolic As Bush Democratic Leaders Meet

Story Highlights

NEW:

WASHINGTON Now facing Democratic control of both chambers of Congress during the last two years of his presidency, President Bush on Friday continued to move toward building a working relationship with Democratic congressional leaders.

Bush met in the Oval Office with Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who is expected to be the Senate majority leader when a new Congress convenes in January, and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, expected to become assistant majority leader.

I assured the senators that we will cooperate as closely as we can to solve common problems, Bush said after the meeting.

The president also congratulated the senators on their election victory and said, I know they were proud of their teams efforts. And they ran good campaigns and they talked about issues that people care about, and they won.

The new dynamic of checks and balances between Congress and the executive branch provide a great opportunity for us to show the country that Republicans and Democrats are equally as patriotic and equally concerned about the future, and that we can work together, Bush said.

Reid concurred, saying, Elections over. The only way to move forward is with bipartisanship and openness and to get some results. And weve made a commitment the four of us here today that thats what were going to do.

From our side, we think that is a symbolic indication, and were off to a good start, Durbin said.

Recommended Reading: Who Was The Leader Of The Radical Republicans

How The Colors Came To Be Red White And Blue

Of the 205 sovereign nations in the world, 21 share red, white and blue as their flags colors. But why do so many share the same trio of colors, and what do they represent?

On July 4, 1776, a resolution was passed by Congress authorizing the development of a seal for the new country which reflected the Founding Fathers values.

When presenting the seal which was officially adopted on June 20, 1782 Secretary of the Continental Congress, Charles Thomson, explained, White signifies purity and innocence. Red, hardiness and valor, and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.

The meaning behind the colors have since shifted slightly. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan declared it the Year of the Flag, stating, The colors of our flag signify the qualities of the human spirit we Americans cherish. Red for courage and readiness to sacrifice; white for pure intentions and high ideals; and blue for vigilance and justice.

According to TIME Magazine, however, Mike Buss, a flag expert with the American Legion, points to the red, white and blue used in the Union Jack of England.

They come from the three colors that the Founding Fathers had served under or had been exposed to, said Buss.

Therefore, some of the correlation between the United States use of red, white and blue along with 20 other countries, including Puerto Rico, Australia and Cuba, could come from their historical correlation with England.

source https://www.patriotsnet.com/what-color-ties-do-republicans-wear/

[violetbeachpod]

TRANSCRIPT: 6 - Memories

backstreets back alright

Okay. Here we go. Gotta knock this one out, and then it’ll be done. It’ll be over, and it’ll be done, and, and, and.

Elaine here. My turn.

Look, I’m not--

I don’t know if I can give anything productive to this conversation, just. I’m--I don’t want to be a part of this, I don’t feel like I’m a part of this. I don’t feel like I’m a part of anything, necessarily, I’m.

I’m a background player. That’s all. And I don’t mind it! I’m--I like it. Prefer it, honestly, to this, to this--sci-fi bullshit, AJ called it, when he dropped by yesterday. He--he needed a vent session. He called it a salt sesh, which--no. I won’t do that. Maybe it was ironic? But he wanted a vent sesh. And his family doesn’t really “do” “those.” And he’s a sweet kid. He deserves a vent sesh.

Can I pull off sesh?

But anyway. I prefer not doing anything to sci-fi bullshit. And I haven’t--It was never really my thing, I was more of a sitcom girl. Like, good ones, obviously, but.

And then, I’m--I’m living in this, which is ridiculous, and--

Teresa’s back. That’s important to say. Just cuz--it happened an hour ago, I’m not sure if all of you know. Well. You’ll know by the time I put this in the folder, but. It’s important that I share what we know now, right? That’s--that’s how storytelling works.

Teresa woke up in her bed this morning. I was on my way back from work, and she called me, just cuz--we saw this stuff first, we kinda. We bonded over that, in the beginning.

And she asked me if I noticed that the sky was blue, rather than the normal olor.

I said, Teresa, you’ve been gone for two weeks, no one’s been able to find you, the sky is always blue, y’know, I went through the motions. Told her everything that’s happened since she went away. Angie had a class this morning, so she doesn’t know yet.

And Teresa is just--she’s insistent that I’m lying to her, that Angie or someone is just playing a joke, and she says that, no, she--that’s how the town got its name, Elaine, our sky is weird. Because of the circle.

I know you’re new here, she says, but come on. This is, like, pre-moving here stuff.

And I--I didn’t know how to react, so I just repeated, I said, she’s been gone for two weeks, and that we’re all so worried. That we’ve all been losing our minds looking for her, that--

[Sigh]

And Douglas is sitting on my lap right now and he’s my only hope for some sense of grounding in this life. Yes you are. Yes you are the only thing holding me back from going into panic.

He’s a sweet boy. The sweetest boy. If Teresa weren’t allergic, I’d bring him over, but--no.

I’m concerned, is the thing. I know--I don’t know these people as well as Rob might, but I’m still concerned.

I’ve been doing some digging, on--on the town’s history, this morning. Wikipediaing, and what have you.

I can’t find anything. I just—I can’t. It’s. All I can find is Facebook groups for, like, yard sales and swap meets and support groups—and I’m gonna go to the swap meets, don’t get me wrong, but they’re just—they’re not important to the cause at hand.

When I was at boarding school, my sophomore year roommate would always go on these deep mystery-solving dives—there was a still unsolved murder that took place on campus thirty-something years ago, and she dedicated herself to ending it. And—

And we’re not friends, or anything, so I can’t, like, reach out, say, hey, girl, it’s me, from high school, uh, I’m being haunted by a ghost maybe, and there’s also time travel, no big, so—how’s med school? Y’know? Can’t do that, that’ll—that’ll make me seem crazy. I’m not in contact with anyone, from back then. It wasn’t, like—not for a lack of trying, I just. Everyone else was closer, I sorta fell out.

But that’s not relevant to the point at hand, which is that Teresa, who is a friend of mine, who’s a smart kid, who’s back, is convinced that the world is wrong.

And I don’t think that the world is wrong. I think—well, maybe I’m the crazy one, maybe I’m the one who’s misremembering the sky, maybe I’m the one who’s gone, but. Look. Listen. I—I don’t know what’s going on. I really, honestly, never have. Like, for my whole life. I’m smart, sure, but I—not in the way where I know other people’s experiences. In the way where I know my own. Where I know how to navigate my life. Not the kind of smart where I can handle weird sci-fi bullshit. Y’know? I’ve secondhand watched a lot of sci-fi, and I. Do not care for it. In the slightest. At all.

Which is, like, sacrilege, in this group. I like fantasy, usually, it’s just—never been huge on sci-fi, ‘cept for the big stuff. Star Wars, etcetera. It’s just not my thing. Is it a crime? No. It isn’t. Please stop trying.

So, here’s the thing about boarding school murders—cuz that’s where my brain keeps going, with this, because that’s the closest thing I have to mystery hunting in the past. Because I did help, yeah. I—I didn’t have many friends, okay, I was new, I was shy, I didn’t do sports or anything, like—I needed friends, and I had this opportunity, so. I stole a video camera from my film class and I helped make a documentary. Look. They can’t get me for it now, I have a masters. So.

We would sneak out into the woods out by the dorms and we’d just—we’d film recreations of the murder. A student killed her—well, we figured out that it was just her friend, but my roommate thought it might have been either an athletic rival or a romantic partner--which I shut down fast, like, look, I am all about gay people doing things, unless they are murder.

And we’d do this every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night, around three AM. I didn’t sleep much at age sixteen. I don’t sleep much at age twenty-five, even, but, like—I get more, now. So that’s really good. But irrelevant. And my roommate, whose name was Janice Potter, she was from Georgia and she hated that about herself, and—like, sure, cool, whatever, one Tuesday night, when I was busy building sets for the musical, she went out by herself, with the camera, and—I was walking back to the dorm, and I saw her lying in the woods with a broken leg. And I—I brought her to the infirmary, said she fell while taking pictures of the set build for the newspaper. She wasn’t even in newspaper, we—we barely had a newspaper. But the nurses didn’t care, they just needed to tell her mother something.

And the next morning, she didn’t remember going out. I think it was trauma, or something, but I had to go to the hospital with her, because I could recall events and nobody else could. It wasn’t great, and I had to lie a bunch to doctors, which I think is a crime, maybe, which—like, the amount of time that it took me to get that social energy back was—maybe eighty seven years. I’m still getting that back.

But that’s what I keep coming back to, that night in the hospital, when I just stopped giving a shit about the murder, about the mystery, and I just started caring about the people. That’s where I’m at, with this.

I don’t care about some government conspiracy, or alien invasion, or—parallel universe, or—

Wait, yeah, that’s it. there’s some parallel universe shit happening. There we go, proof that you find things as soon as you stop looking. I am basically unstoppable, and, guess what? I’m never gonna die.

But that’s not the point. Whichever one of you all wants to figure out the semantics, feel free, but. I’m not caught up on that.

Here’s the point: Teresa is alive, and she’s back, and we need to take care of that first. We can focus on the parallel universe, which--look, I’m too excited about this not to share. But you guys have to prove it. Cuz I’m not doing that.

Look, so, we’re talking--

[there’s just static. there are syllables, sure, things close to words, but there aren’t words like there were before. there’s just this static.]

I’m assuming that got cut out, like--like Benji got cut off, like AJ got interrupted. But, hey, I--I got it. I’ll email you.

I’m gonna head over to the dorms, bring Rob with me—she’s asleep right now, but I’m—I’ll wake you up in a sec. You’ll hear the in retrospect, like, oh, that’s why my beautiful future-wife who I love was so happy even though a friend of ours may or may not be an amnesiac. God, you’ll think, I love her. I’ll make you coffee so you don’t hate me when you wake up, but—you’ll get it in the future.

I know it’s scary, right now. But we got this, I feel like it for the first time, like there’s relief, rather than dread or worry or aliens in my brain on loop, it’s—

We’ve got this.

Here’s my wrap up. Because we all do these, I guess. Some words.

There’s something terrible in trying to solve a mystery, there’s something—I don’t know. It feels wrong, to be solving a mystery you’re not supposed to. For example, Janice Potter isn’t on Facebook. I’m not going to try and figure out why. I don’t want to know what I don’t need to know, I want to know that people are safe and good and—and not being abducted into parallel universes or whatever we’re calling it.

There’s something perfect in actually solving a mystery, there’s something—

You know how it is. I’m not gonna get all literary. That’s Rob’s job.

Just got a text from Angie with “SHE’S BACK” in all caps, with seventeen heart emojis. It’s very sweet, very nice, very good. It’s cute. That’s what this is worth, that’s—that’s what’s worth celebrating. Benji’s already responded, so’s Charlotte, and—

This is the light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s get out of it.

Okay, that’s bad, that’s clichéd. I can do a better closer than that. We need a better one-liner than that. I can’t come up with a good one, but--I want you all to know that I can do better and I will do better in the future with any and all one liners. I’ll probably come up with twenty as I drive to the dorms, so, uh, venmo me if you want one. Please. I do need payment for my non-sequitirs.

Cool.

Love you, bye.

[njawaidofficial]

O.J. Simpson Granted Parole | Hollywood Reporter

http://styleveryday.com/2017/07/20/o-j-simpson-granted-parole-hollywood-reporter/

O.J. Simpson Granted Parole | Hollywood Reporter

“I basically have spent a conflict-free life,” the disgraced former NFL star said during his televised hearing on Thursday.

A gray-haired O.J. Simpson has been granted parole after serving more than eight years in prison for a botched bid to retrieve sports memorabilia in Las Vegas. The former NFL star pleaded with a Nevada parole board Thursday to set him free after insisting — as he has all along — that he was only trying to retrieve mementos stolen from him and never meant to hurt anyone.

The board decided unanimously that the 70-year-old former football, TV and movie star will be released in October after serving his minimum term for armed robbery and assault with a weapon.

Simpson responded emotionally, saying, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Four parole commissioners in Carson City questioned Simpson by videoconference from the Lovelock Correctional Center in rural Nevada. He has been held there since he was convicted in 2008. The conviction came 13 years to the day after he was acquitted of murder in 1995 in the deaths of his ex-wife and her friend in Los Angeles.

The former football star was looking trimmer than he had in recent years when he walked briskly into the hearing room, dressed in jeans, a light-blue prison-issue shirt and sneakers. He laughed at one point as the parole board chairwoman mistakenly gave his age as 90.

Simpson said he never pointed a gun at anyone nor made any threats during the crime that put him in prison, and he forcefully insisted that nearly all the memorabilia he saw in two dealers’ hotel room belonged to him.

“In no way, shape or form did I wish them any harm,” he added, saying he later made amends with those in the room.

He said he has spent his time in prison mentoring fellow inmates, often keeping others out of trouble, and believes he has become a better person during his time behind bars. He said he took an alternative-to-violence course in prison.

‘I’ve done my time,” he said. “I’ve done it as well and respectfully as I think anybody can.”

A vote in his favor would enable Simpson to get out as early as Oct. 1. By then, he will have served the minimum of his nine-to-33-year armed-robbery sentence.

The Hall of Fame athlete’s chances of winning release were considered good, given similar cases and Simpson’s model behavior behind bars.

His defenders have argued, too, that his sentence was out of proportion to the crime and that he was being punished for the two murders he was acquitted of during his 1995 “Trial of the Century” in Los Angeles, the stabbings of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Reflecting America’s enduring fascination with Simpson, several major TV networks and cable channels — including ABC, NBC, CNN, Fox, MSNBC and ESPN — carried the proceedings live, just as some of them did two decades ago during the Ford Bronco chase that ended in Simpson’s arrest, and again when the jury in the murder case came back with its verdict.

Simpson said most of the objects taken in the hotel heist were personal property, including letters from celebrities, family photos, certificates of accomplishment and more. Items that were not his, including autographed baseballs, were taken by others in the rush to get out of the room, he said.

He added he realizes he made a terrible mistake bringing along two people with guns, adding if he had gone to the room by himself he could have resolved the matter without a problem.

Simpson said if released he plans to return to Florida, where he was living before his incarceration.

“I could easily stay in Nevada, but I don’t think you guys want me here,” he joked at one point.

“No comment, sir,” one of the parole board members said.

Inmate No. 1027820 made his plea for freedom in a stark hearing room at the Lovelock Correctional Center in rural Nevada as four parole commissioners in Carson City, a two-hour drive away, questioned him via video. The board was expected to make its decision later in the day.

An electrifying running back dubbed “The Juice,” Simpson won the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s best college football player in 1968 and went on to become one of the NFL’s all-time greats.

The handsome and charismatic athlete was also a Monday Night Football commentator, sprinted through airports in Hertz rental-car commercials and built a Hollywood career with roles in the Naked Gun comedies and other movies.

All of that came crashing down with his arrest in the 1994 slayings and his subsequent 1995 trial, a gavel-to-gavel live-TV sensation that transfixed viewers with its testimony about the bloody glove that didn’t fit and stirred furious debate over racist police, celebrity justice and cameras in the courtroom.

Last year, the case proved to be compelling TV all over again with the ESPN documentary O.J.: Made in America and the award-winning FX miniseries The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

In 1997, Simpson was found liable in civil court for the two killings and ordered to pay $33.5 million to survivors, including his children and the Goldman family.

Then a decade later, he and five accomplices — two with guns — stormed a hotel room and seized photos, plaques and signed balls, some of which never belonged to Simpson, from two sports memorabilia dealers. Simpson was convicted in 2008, and the long prison sentence brought a measure of satisfaction to some of those who thought he got away with murder.

One of the dealers robbed, Bruce Fromong, planned to attend the parole hearing, saying he and Simpson had made amends and that he intended to speak in favor of release.

A Goldman family spokesman said Goldman’s father and sister, Fred and Kim, would not be part of the hearing and feel apprehensive about “how this will change their lives again should Simpson be released.”

The now-retired district attorney who prosecuted Simpson for the heist, David Roger, has denied Simpson’s sentence was “payback” for his murder acquittal. He has also said that if Simpson behaved in prison, he should get parole.

#Granted #Hollywood #OJ #Parole #Reporter #Simpson

[sordidpassionsandlockedemotions]

(Teenage mundane Malec au where Alec’s skateboarding at the skate park with his siblings when well Magnus appears)

Friday afternoon he was posed near the edge with his skateboard about to down,and up an ramp nice sunny day. His sister was obsessing over plans for their school’s dance,and Jace the best friend he’d always had well found interest in some female. Typical it made him want distance,away from the flirting so he placed the skateboard down.

Pushing off and made it down,heading up the ramp,and an half pipe but eyes landed on some guy walking by. He was good at this thing except managed to screw up rolling onto flat ground,skateboard running off on it’s own. Maybe if he laid there,could pretend nobody had seen it. 

But he heard voices nearby must be the people he’d seen walking. “Come on Magnus don’t think about it.” Female voice surely wasn’t all serious though he just laid there listening to the life around him,looking at the sky.

“Aw come on Cat he’s attractive.” “Normally I’d encourage you but think you might be the reason he crashed.” “In which case all the more reason to talk to him.” “Or not he might get an concussion if you did.”

Soon the shadow of Jace appeared over him offering out an hand,”You okay there?”  “Yeah I’m fine just lost my footing.” “Alec losing his footing typical you.” 

Pulling himself up with Jace’s help seeing his skateboard in the other’s arms and took it back. Izzy dropped gracefully down walking up to them with an expression that spelled she was ready to leave. 

“I need to go dress shopping so come on Alec.” Immediately he was tugged up the steps and back to high ground. His sister let go darting over to the female,and male standing nearby. Eyes noticing just then the blonde tipped hair of the male-Magnus,makeup,dressy clothes must go to one of the other schools. The female who’d been referred to as Cat clearly decided to part ways walking off.

Heading over he could hear the two talking,must be friends wouldn’t surprise Alec his sister was an social butterfly. “Hey Alec this is Magnus Bane goes to the art school,and Magnus this is my big brother Alec.” What was with that grin on her face. 

“Nice to meet you.” “Uh likewise.”

Wow talk about smooth why was his breath so full of air,he felt sick. “You should tag along shopping with us,there’s an dance for our school on Monday need an dress,and Alec you need an outfit too.” Alec scowled confused why he had to be involved. “Lydia bought your ticket,I saw it,and told me what colors you’re wearing.” Oh that’s why not that Izzy exactly approved of the relationship,or was the best of friends with Lydia.

Trudging behind his sister,and apparently her friend as they discussed stuff he couldn’t keep interest in. Untangling headphones and plugged them into his phone,tuning them out. Didn’t want to go with Lydia to the stupid dance,but got to play the part of amazing boyfriend. Even if she was well not the best situation,but he didn’t dare break it off. 

Which left Izzy and Magnus noticing his sulking behind them,dressed in all black literally an storm cloud. “So take it Lydia’s his girlfriend?” Izzy immediately glanced an bit at her brother well aware of the crush that had sparked. 

“I refuse to call her much of one,she makes him even more miserable than he’d be just doing his crappy repressed routine.” Which got an eyebrow raise from Magnus,”Mean she’s alright but clearly letting him torture himself,and she pressures him an lot.” She thought an moment,”He’s just not into girls,and trying to force himself guess doesn’t help she won’t let him break up with her.” 

They continued talking as such till they got to the store where Izzy ripped off Alec’s headphones,he quickly paused the music,”What?” She pointed at the store then dragged him inside. Where he wound up playing an game on his phone skateboard gently propped against the fancy couch as she tried on over an dozen dresses. Listening as the two chatted eyes watching Magnus who tried on an few blazers at one point.

“Your turn Alec!” He groaned slumping onto the floor,”Come on it won’t kill you how about this an dressy button up and new blazer no black but I’ll get an in between.” She vanished and he stood up shoving his phone in his jeans pocket soon was engulfed by an stack of clothes. Which took an half hour to try on eventually she seemed statisfied.

“That one,and for being an good sport all you have to wear is the jacket,and shirt can wear your black jeans,and boots if you want.” Could almost swear Magnus was checking him out,they paid and Izzy bought Magnus an hat that she placed on his head. 

Monday was an day of being so grumpy,left school early even cause one more remark about the dance via Lydia was going to make him lose it. Come the dance he was sitting with her,drinking the lemonade she’d gotten them. Tasted downright awful,pretty sure some 2 year old had made it. She started getting mad he wouldn’t dance with her,or kiss her. They never had only faked it,minus the times she practically had kissed him violently,but he didn’t count it because never returned them. 

She stood up eventually,”Fine whatever I quit,we’re through.” Storming out of the gym meanwhile Alec’s eyes met somebody he didn’t expect to see. Magnus dressed in an waistcoat,tips dyed,jewelry,makeup and there went Alec’s breath. He scooped up the trash going to throw it away when Magnus came up to him. 

“She alright?” Referring to Lydia probably considering they’d passed each other. He shrugged grabbing some glass of soda,sweet sugar much better. Trying to stop staring at the art student but was hard. 

“Uh yeah fantastic,just broke up with me.” Eyes glanced over at his sister hanging with some red head that didn’t go to their school. Then back at Magnus,”Mean not that you care-or need to know um why you here?” Looking at his dark blue shirt an moment then fixed the red jacket. 

“Izzy invited me,bought an ticket if it’s not too sudden would you like to dance?” That was woah uh probably an joke on him,eyes glancing and saw Jace in some sheltered corner out of adult sight getting an bit handsy with some girl. Ugh his best friend was an sex addict and then some. 

No clue how to reply so words failed him,”I uh you well can’t I don’t really dance and-.” 

“And I’ll lead then.” Pulled to the dance floor Alec was panicking,what if Jace saw,or the school never let him live it down,word got to his parents,worst pictures and or video. But it faded as he felt hands rest gently on his waist,and Magnus danced slowly with him. On the way out realized things were okay,and he’d angel forbid had fun. 

Was tugged into an dark corner in the front of the school,”Tonight was fun,maybe an actual date sometime?” 

Hearing Izzy calling his name Alec carefully untangled the other’s hands off him,”Uh yeah maybe but I have to go.” Before he could go however he felt an hand brush against his and could feel warm as he darted to where his sister was.