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structuraremodeling · 1 year ago

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Cost of Adding a Second Story in Los Angeles : Structura Remodeling

Los Angeles, with its picturesque landscapes and vibrant neighborhoods, is a city where real estate is both precious and highly competitive. As families grow, the need for additional space becomes a pressing concern. For many homeowners, adding a second story to their existing homes is a brilliant solution that not only caters to their space requirements but also adds significant value to their properties.

At Structura Remodeling, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with adding a second story to a Los Angeles home. The cost of such a project can vary widely based on several factors, including the size of the addition, the complexity of the design, the choice of materials, and local construction costs. However, we believe in transparency, and we're here to provide you with a general idea of what to expect.

A second-story addition typically ranges from $200 to $400 per square foot, but this can vary depending on your specific requirements. This cost includes the construction, materials, labor, and any necessary permits. Keep in mind that high-end finishes or intricate designs may push the cost toward the upper end of the range.

Additionally, it's essential to consider other expenses, such as architectural and engineering fees, as well as any structural upgrades needed for the existing structure to support the new addition. These can add to the overall cost but are crucial for ensuring a safe and functional second story.

Structura Remodeling is committed to working closely with you to create a second-story addition that not only aligns with your vision but also suits your budget. We'll provide a comprehensive quote based on your specific project, ensuring there are no surprises along the way.

Adding a second story to your Los Angeles home is a significant investment, and at Structura Remodeling, we're dedicated to helping you make this transformation seamlessly. With our expertise, attention to detail, and commitment to quality, we'll turn your vision into a reality while ensuring that the cost aligns with your expectations. Let's embark on this exciting journey of home expansion together, and turn your house into the dream home you've always envisioned.

How Long Does It Take to Build a Second Story Addition in Los Angeles?

When considering a second story addition to your Los Angeles home, one of the most common questions that arises is, 'How long will it take?' At Structura Remodeling, we understand the excitement and anticipation that come with expanding your living space, and we're here to provide clarity. The timeline for a second story addition can vary based on several factors, including the size and complexity of the project, local permitting processes, and weather conditions. On average, you can expect the construction of a second story addition to take anywhere from three to six months. Our team of experienced professionals is dedicated to streamlining the process, ensuring that your project is completed efficiently and to the highest standards. We work closely with you, from design to completion, to deliver not just an added story but a seamless blend of your vision and our expertise.

Things to Consider When Planning on Adding a Second Story in Los Angeles

Adding a second story to your Los Angeles home can be a transformative and exciting project, but it also comes with important considerations. At Structura Remodeling, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with vertical expansion in this dynamic city. Los Angeles is not only known for its diverse neighborhoods but also for its complex zoning regulations and seismic activity. That's why, when planning a second-story addition, it's crucial to work with experienced professionals who not only bring your vision to life but also ensure it complies with local codes and safety standards. Our team at Structura Remodeling has a wealth of experience in crafting stunning second-story additions that seamlessly integrate with your existing home while adhering to the strictest building requirements. We'll guide you through every step of the process, from conceptual design to final construction, to make sure your second-story addition not only enhances your living space but also adds lasting value to your Los Angeles home.

What is the impact on your first floor?

When embarking on a remodeling project with Structura Remodeling, you're not just renovating a space; you're redefining the very essence of your home. The impact on your first floor can be nothing short of transformative.

Our team of skilled professionals understands that the first floor is the heart of your living space. It's where daily life unfolds, where family gathers, and where memories are made. With this in mind, we approach every project with meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to delivering a space that reflects your unique vision.

Whether you're looking to create an open-concept layout that fosters seamless connectivity or wish to infuse timeless elegance into your living room, our experts are here to guide you every step of the way. From structural modifications to flooring upgrades, lighting enhancements to modernizing your kitchen, the impact on your first floor will be a testament to our craftsmanship and dedication.

At Structura Remodeling, we don't just renovate spaces; we elevate lifestyles. Your first floor will not only undergo a physical transformation but also an experiential one. We aim to create a harmonious blend of functionality and aesthetics, ensuring that your home becomes a reflection of your taste and aspirations.

So, whether you're envisioning an inviting family space, a sophisticated entertaining area, or a harmonious combination of both, trust Structura Remodeling to bring your vision to life. Your first floor is more than just a space; it's an embodiment of your lifestyle, and we're here to ensure that its impact is nothing short of exceptional.

What are the benefits of adding a second story?

Expanding your home's living space is a decision that can significantly enhance your lifestyle and property value, and one of the most versatile ways to achieve this is by adding a second story. At Structura Remodeling, we understand the unique advantages that come with this transformative home improvement project.

1. Maximizing Space: With growing families or evolving needs, space can quickly become a premium. Adding a second story provides the room to spread out, accommodating additional bedrooms, bathrooms, or even a home office, granting you the flexibility you need.

2. Increased Property Value: A well-executed second-story addition can substantially increase the value of your home. It's a smart investment, offering a higher return when it's time to sell or refinance.

3. Preserving Yard Space: If you love your outdoor space and don't want to compromise it, going up instead of out is an ideal solution. A second story allows you to retain precious yard space while still expanding your living area.

4. Customization: Structura Remodeling specializes in tailoring your second-story addition to your specific desires. Whether it's a master suite retreat, a spacious family room, or a guest wing, we make your vision a reality.

5. Energy Efficiency: Modern construction techniques allow us to integrate energy-efficient features seamlessly, resulting in long-term savings on utility bills and a smaller environmental footprint.

6. Aesthetic Enhancement: Beyond the practical benefits, a second story can dramatically enhance the curb appeal of your home, giving it a fresh, modern look that stands out in the neighborhood.

7. Avoiding Relocation: Instead of going through the hassle and cost of moving to a larger home, adding a second story allows you to stay in the neighborhood you love, close to schools, work, and friends.

Structura Remodeling's expertise in second-story additions ensures that your project is executed flawlessly, from design to completion. We consider every detail, ensuring that your new space seamlessly integrates with your existing home. With us, you're not just expanding your home; you're expanding your possibilities.

#Second Story #Home Remodeling in Los Angeles #Home Renovation #Structura Remodeling #Home Additions

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outk4sts · 7 months ago

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⁰¹ . PROFILES ⠀ ⁰² . MUSIC ⠀ ⁰³ . STORY LINE ⠀ ⁰⁴ . WRITING PIECES

which path will you take ? ⠀⠀ EXCEED ( 초과 ) , stylized as XCEED , is a fictional boy group underneath POSER RECORDS that debuted in august of 2014 with their first sub-unit known as XPLOIT. the at the time seven member lineup became known for their "defying the status quo" concept ; exploring the more harmful, realistic route that one may go down when unable to meet the high expectations of those around them.

their sound, while accompanying their message, was often deemed "noisy" or "too experimental." with their sales not doing too hot in south korea, POSER decided to cater them to their small yet dedicated western audience. most of their lives were spent touring north america with LOS ANGELES becoming a second home to them. though due to the steady decline domestically, the label will eventually pay them no mind once debuting ARM CANDY in 2020.

many speculation about the group disbanding has resurfaced online over the years as leaked information about possible sub-units and alleged members came and went: the only thing keeping the public's interest aside from the occasional debate over their discography and the endless list of scandals the boys got themselves in. to the surprise of many, in 2022, XPLOIT will release their 2nd full album titled STARBOY : ACT I ─ the first fully self-produced project that strayed away from their typical heavy edm and leaned more in hip-hop and r&b. skepticism, a few half naked promotional shoots, individual videos for their album sampler, and some fun videos were what led non-fans and loyal ones to elevate their sales beyond expected. XCEED were finally redeeming themselves to everyone who doubted them...

and what better way to capitalize off their recent success then to debut their new sub-unit in 2024 ─ twelve years after the abandonment and lack of care for XPLOIT! april of 2024 will introduce the six member group called XACT. their concept was meant to contrast their brother unit: what happens when you feed into the peer pressure of those around you and actually do exceed expectations ? ironically enough, XACT was met with more grace thanks to the younger and more youthful features of the members who had racked up their own solo fanbases over the years. not only did their debut mini album outsell XPLOIT's entire career debut single, but they were quickly deemed as monster rookies to look out for within the industry. with the new addition on the rise alongside the eagerness that awaits another successful comeback from XPLOIT, many wonder if the timing of XACT'S debut was good or if POSER just accidentally sabotaged the older unit.

⋆⠀☠︎︎⠀⋆˙⊹ ⠀◞‏‏‎ ‎⠀⠀ THE BASICS !

⠀ ¹ ⁾ GROUP NAME : ⠀ XCEED .

⠀ ² ⁾ SUB-UNITS : ⠀ XPLOIT ( 2014 ) &. XACT ( 2024 ) .

⠀ ³ ⁾ DEBUT DATE : ⠀ AUGUST 16, 2014 .

⠀ ⁴ ⁾ SIGNED UNDER : ⠀ POSER RECORDS .

⠀ ⁵ ⁾ GREETING : ⠀ TO EXCEED IS TO EXCEL .

⠀ ⁶ ⁾ FANDOM : ⠀ LUCKYS , LUCKY CHARMS .

⠀ ⁷ ⁾ FANDOM COLOR : ⠀ #007a73 &. #d2ba82 .

⠀ ⁸ ⁾ LEADERS : ⠀ JO HARAM ( XCEED, XPLOIT ) &. MYLES LEE ( XACT ) .

XPLOIT : ⠀⠀JO HARAM ( '96 ), AUGUSTUS BYUN ( '96 ), NATHANIEL "CASH" KIM ( '97 ), HAN "CYRUS" YIJOON ( '97 ), SON JAEIN ( '99 ), NOH "ROMEO" DAEWON ( '99 ), TANG XI BAI "SEVN" ( '99 )

XACT : ⠀⠀MYLES LEE ( '99 ), NIKI PARK ( '01 ), YOO SIAN ( '99 ) ISHIHARA "KYE" KAEDE ( '00 ), HARLOWE JUNG ( '01 ), JANG ISEO ('02)

#fictional idol community #fictional idol oc #fictional kpop idol #fake kpop group #fake kpop oc #fake kpop idol #kpop oc #idol oc #bts addition #stray kids addition

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buckleysz · 7 months ago

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“tommy is not even enthusiastic or excited to hangout with buck like he is eddie. he spends the entire episode laughing and smiling hanging out with eddie and whether or not that interest is romantic or platonic—“ im gonna stop you right there.

that’s THE difference. with buck and tommy currently dating, it’s 100% safe to assume tommy had only platonic intentions with eddie (because its kinda weird to think a gay man will automatically be into every guy they meet and can’t just be friends with them) but he’s romantically interested in buck. therefore the approach with buck is going to be much different.

does tommy even know if buck is queer? he definitely picked up on the vibes in the loft scene. but while you may interpret it differently, we can also interpret that tommy could be just as anxious to be the one to contact buck first to hang out, possibly in fear of rejection/reading the room wrong. the vibe of the harbor scene is flirtatious, maybe it’s difficult to see it the first time because hey, it’s two guys, but watching it back a second time it’s there and you can practically see tommy trying to feel out the vibe himself. he also tells buck to hit him up at the end. we didn’t get to see tommy’s side of it all. it could be implied tommy was also fishing for information about buck from chris, that tommy could have been hoping eddie would invite buck to hangout, we simply don’t know! but what i do know is that if tommy was to be a bad guy in the story, we would have known by now. 911 doesn’t exactly shy away from showing you who the villains are in the story.

furthermore,

why else would tommy kiss buck? because buck’s a dude and tommy’s desperate? the excuse that tommy is just wanting to get to the 118 is overused and ridiculous. he already has the 118. he’s friends with hen, chim and eddie outside of buck and bobby was his boss before too. is he getting a little small found family in return? sure, but to think tommy’s some evil mastermind about is… definitely a choice.

saying that tommy letting buck set the pace means he making buck do all the work is also just, completely fucking wrong. tommy letting buck set the pace means he cares, because he doesn’t want to pressure buck, he wants to make sure they’re moving at a speed buck is comfortable with. buck is a newfound bisexual, it’s actually pretty considerate for tommy to let buck take the reigns of the relationship.

then, to even imply tommy only might want buck for sex is also just, gross. if that’s all he wanted he would have been gone after their date. he wouldn’t agree for a second chance, he wouldn’t put in the effort to show up for buck. he could just go on grindr, it’s fucking los angeles dude. this is a guy ready for a steady, committed relationship.

im once again begging you guys to actually watch the show without any biases. you’d be able to understand and pick up on what is truly happening on your screen if you did.

addition: also to act like tommy has never smiled or laughed around buck… be for real.

#bucktommy #911 abc #fandom discourse #so tired of ppl acting like tommy is some suspicious evil mastermind when gerrard and the councilwoman are right there!!!

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therunawaykind · 11 months ago

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don't wanna break up again

Pairing: Leigh Shaw x GN!Reader

Word Count: 3.8k

Genre: Pinch of angst? fluff

Warnings: None unless you hate the names Leigh & Danny in the same sentence quite a bit

A/N: Long time no see! (again) writer's block and just simply getting the inspiration and motivation to write have been fucking dreadful these last few months. I dunno what was going on. Hopefully, all things going well this is my slow return to posting regularly again on here. If not then whoops you'll see me again at some stage. Who would've thought Leigh Shaw and Ariana Granda was gonna be my breakthrough for writing stuff not me that's for sure. This is my very loose interpretation of Ariana Grande's 'don't wanna break up again' I saw someone say it was very Leigh x Danny coded then this transpired. I hope I have done this some justice I imagine my writing abilities are a bit rusty so bear with me and I hope you all enjoy!

| MASTERLIST | DISCORD | GET NOTIFIED OF MY STORIES |

*Please do not repost or translate my material or claim as yours. reblogs, comments and likes are always appreciated!*

If there was one thing Leigh was certain of since Matt’s death it was how complicated and difficult her life had become, ranging from devastating revelations to do with Matt and his teacher co-worker Nina, living with a Jules who is now a recovering sober alcoholic, dealing with her mother Amy with her previous breakdown she had where she moved to Alaska which subsequently led to her breakthrough of wanting to travel and basically just live somewhere else that wasn’t in Los Angeles, that wasn’t home.

In addition to that after Leigh’s breakdown after choosing to leave with Jules to go to Vietnam, she ultimately decided just to stay living in their family home whilst both Jules and her mother left for however long they decided. Leigh also decided to take over Beautiful Beast for Jules until she was ready to come back…if she ever did but nonetheless she couldn’t let all of Jules’ hard work go to waste. And last but not least the absolute travesty that of her and Danny whatever that thing is, it’s complicated, messy and above all else unhealthy all over for the both of them. Not to delve too much into the ups and downs of their….thing the latest situation ended up with Danny punching a hole in the wall of Leigh’s home, to sum it up in a simple phrase “People don’t slam their fists through walls when things are going well.”

The one positive and healthy yet still slightly complicated thing in Leigh’s life which happened unexpectedly was well… Y/N. Granted one of the only aspects that made it complicated was the fact you were her “student”, you both met due to you attending Leigh’s classes at Beautiful Beast, the friendship, and conversations which ended up evolving into more flirtatious conversations did just happen out of nowhere unexpectedly. The downfall of the whole friendship between you both was when Danny surprised Leigh at the entrance of Beautiful Beast one night to take her home…then you caught Danny kissing her which again took Leigh by surprise. That night and predicament in question had truly shocked Leigh because from what she knew and understood during that time, it was during one of her and Danny’s off moments, their pause a break essentially.

But in good Leigh fashion the second she saw Danny she started overthinking and thought she interpreted something wrong or missed a certain something, whilst simultaneously thinking this was Danny offering an olive branch and showing her they really can make this work, they can be good and healthy for each other….how wrong she was. So understandably from then on you started to distance yourself and pull away from Leigh after that by not talking, hanging out or texting as much. Unbeknownst to Leigh any hope you had of having some sort of relationship with her plummeted very quickly after that.

Leigh knew whatever they had going on wasn’t good for either of them and would never last, it was a cycle they couldn’t break….well she couldn’t break. It was a lifeline for them both, the last small bit of connection they both had to Matt in some way. On one hand, Leigh had this negative and toxic relationship that she couldn’t leave, she couldn’t escape it. Somehow it always kept dragging her back in no matter how many times night and day it had her distraught, crying and attempting to soothe herself. On the other hand, Leigh had this seemingly hopeful, positive and healthy relationship she could have with you.

But before she even tried to give that relationship a chance she had to try to get out of this fucking cycle she couldn’t seem to get out of and no matter how hard she tried. Whenever she asked Jules for advice on the relationship, much to nobody's surprise always went something like this.

“Leigh you need to end this thing with Danny and go no contact with him at least for some time, this is not healthy for either of you. I mean come on Leigh he punched a hole in the wall at our house. Let me remind you when I was living with you Leigh after mom left, just how many times I’d hear quiet sobs from your room, you talking to yourself to make yourself feel better and reassure yourself everything was going to be okay, that everything was gonna be fine. And I couldn’t get in because 1. You’d lock the door, 2. You wouldn’t respond when I asked if you were okay and lastly, when you did, you’d just say you were fine, you were okay. Once one of you starts to feel happier and healthier the other drags the other one down simply just by being around.

I know you don’t want to go through another break-up or heartbreak….but you’re doing it to yourself constantly by staying in this with Danny or maybe…. You keep going back to this thing with Danny because you don’t want to hurt him and his heart completely. And if you do fully disappear from his life because to him you're his last link to Matt and right now you know full well you are leading him on and have him believing you two can have some semblance of a future together no matter how complicated it may be. I know this is a weird way to word it but… I think you know Matt wouldn’t want or like Danny to be experiencing this level of hurt and anguish as much as he is, not even specifically with you just with anyone.

But let’s not forget just how much you did hurt Danny initially when he was staying away from you and you wouldn’t let it happen. You forced your way into his life because you needed him to love you. Who knows maybe some ways down the line in the future when you’re both fully healed or at least somewhat…you two can be friends and have that last link to Matt. But also do remember that doesn’t mean you have to stop contact with Matt’s mother…. You can still have a link to him in some shape and form.”

That’s what she’d deal with, she knew and understood completely what Jules was saying yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it….unfortunately. She wishes Danny would end up being the person to end it but the chances of that happening are slim to none. But with the possibilities that awaited her on the other side of things…she knew what she had to do, end things with Danny then she had to get the friendship with Y/N back to what it was, and she had to show you that you weren't going to be just some rebound, that she saw a future with this relationship she saw it going the distance.

When she thought about the aspects of the relationship she had with Y/N the only way Leigh could describe how she felt…was how she felt when she was with Matt. With you, it finally felt like Leigh had gotten the best and good part of herself back that as Leigh put it Matt had taken with him when he died. It felt like she could finally breathe again and live her life to the fullest. Fortunately for Leigh yet quite sadly when the friendship between you both was at its best Matt left her alone, and Leigh’s recurring what she would consider nightmares of Matt and Nina living out the life she lived with him finally stopped.

Now all she had to do was start the process and uncomplicate her life which starts with talking to Danny.

As Leigh anxiously approaches the door to the apartment she knows so well, she nervously wrings out her hands and fingers. She had texted Danny the night before asking him if would it be okay for her to visit in the morning to talk to him, as Danny eagerly agreed to her calling over she realised at that very moment he was expecting a very different conversation. She hesitantly starts knocking on the door muttering to herself “You can do this, you can do this. You have to do this for yourself, Danny and everyone else in your life but most importantly you and Danny.” After a few seconds, shuffling could be heard behind the door as Leigh took a deep breath in, in an attempt to calm herself down and get all of her feelings under control.

Once the door opened a weak nervous smile spread across her face, Leigh quickly scans Danny trying to figure out how he really is, as she sees him start to step out and lean in to give her a quick kiss but before anything of the sort can happen Leigh quickly steps in and gives him a quick hug as she states “so is it alright for me to come in?” as she smiles quickly at him. Danny’s face scrunches up in confusion as Leigh quickly pats his stomach as she steps past him into his apartment, he lets out an exasperated sigh and throws his head back slightly and he turns around to walk into his apartment closing the door behind him.

When Danny finally turns to face Leigh he can’t help but notice her looking around his apartment and the constant nervous fidgeting with her fingers, her hair and her neck. He sighs to himself “Alright Leigh what is this about you said you wanted to talk.”

Leigh jumps slightly as she spins around to face him “ I- well- yeah you’re right I did, I did.” rubbing her now sweaty palms off of the side of her jeans and slowly sits herself down on Danny's sofa. Taking a deep breath in and bringing her hands up to her mouth “I- I can imagine from the way I’m acting and just how difficult it is for me to start this conversation and say what I actually want to….that you already know what this conversation is about and where it’s heading.” Hearing a quiet sigh beside her Leigh glances quickly out the side of her eye seeing Danny leaning forward slightly with his head down and forearms leaning on his knees. “But Danny this thing has to be stopped, I- we’re both hurting each other continuously whether we realise it or not. I mean need I remind ourselves of the punching a hole in the wall situation.”

That got a small chuckle out of Danny as he shook his head slightly clicking his tongue. “And I mean it wasn’t just you Danny, I forced you to be around me when you didn’t want to, in our own little ways, we were selfish when it came to this situation. Now I know I stated and promised you before that I would never have a life that didn’t have you in it…but whilst we’re both still healing and dealing with our grief that obviously still hasn’t gone anywhere. We do really need to not be in each other's lives anymore, no contact, no talking in any shape or form no stupid lil emoji texts anymore.”

Biting his lip and sitting back Danny exclaims “But Leigh that’s EXACTLY what you’re doing, you’re leaving, you’re having a life without me! You obviously think and believe you don’t need me!”

“I’M NOT LEAVING YOU, I’M NOT HAVING A LIFE WITHOUT YOU”

“LEIGH THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE DOING CAN YOU NOT HEAR WHAT YOU’RE SAYING”

“DANNY!” scoffing to herself and shaking her head as she calmly states ”See this, this here exactly happening right now is why we need to take a step back from each other. We can’t even have a normal conversation without blowing up and ending up yelling at each other. The only time we aren’t killing each other is when we’re having sex and- and even then since we had that conversation in that casino resort we both know Matt is still weirdly on our minds during that. I- I think no matter how much we try or maybe want some sort of actual loving relationship with each other…it’ll never work. The only thing we ever can be to each other is friends.” Leigh shakes her head and licks her lips slightly “Just a friendship. Because we are hurting each other and ourselves from the inside out. We have to heal by ourselves, without the other in our lives and move on. And hopefully at some stage down the line whenever we’re both happy and healthy we can get back in contact with the other.”

Leigh smirks as she sways from side to side “Cause I can’t lie Danny I think we’d be pretty kick-ass friends together don’t ya think.” She grins as she nudges Danny with her shoulder, clearing his throat and nodding “Yeah- yeah I think we would be. And I can’t lie I get what you’re saying I understand hell I see it completely. It- it is just a difficult thing to let go of even if it is just for a little bit.”

Biting her lip and rubbing Danny’s arm “I get it, Danny I do believe me but you still have your mom. You both can get through this together because it was just as difficult for her to… You are all she has left. And I’ll- I'm staying in contact with her or at this stage more like getting in contact with her more considering she still is my mother-in-law or ex-mother-in-law anyways specifics isn’t the important thing here.”

Danny laughs slightly and nods “Yeah, yeah she’d like that.” Both sit back against the sofa in silence basking in the reality of what now has to be undertaken the reality of it hitting them simultaneously. Rubbing her hands anxiously up and down her legs as she slowly drags out “rigghtt I guess- I guess I better go now and leave us both to our journey of healing, growth whatever you wanna call it.” Leigh laughs as she mumbles to herself “god I sound like my mother” She walks to the door with Danny right behind her as Leigh opens the door she turns around and smiles at Danny as they both embrace each other in a hug for the last time till…who knows how long. Both pulling away slowly and giving each other a subtle nod as Leigh steps out through the door as it closes behind her softly. Leigh takes a deep breath in, the grin spreading across her face going unnoticed by her as she starts to descend the steps of the apartment building.

Leigh was never nervous or anxious when it came to teaching her exercise classes though apparently today was the exception, as she anticipated your arrival. Leigh smiles moving back and forth on her feet as she greets all of the students walking in through the door to her class, anxiously waiting to get a glimpse of your bag, shoes or something as you come through the front door. Considering since you distanced yourself from her she’s noticed you haven’t attended classes all that regularly. Leigh’s eyebrows raise in anticipation as she sees the front doors open happily letting out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding as she saw a glimpse of your bag and shoes come into view. Giddily she lets a grin spread across her face and she nervously picks at her nails seeing you approach the entrance “Hey Y/N it’s nice to see you again, I’m glad you decided to attend and come today.”

Taken aback by Leigh's greeting and striking up a proper conversation with you after so long did genuinely take you by surprise but couldn’t stop the smile on your face “Hey Leigh, yeah I can’t lie I missed attending these classes I’m sure I’ll get back on track from now on.” Both smiling at each other as you walk past her into the class much to Leigh’s amazement you turn around and say to her “Leigh if I can just say you look great...you just look happy and healthy. Whatever you’ve done or are doing keep it up it suits you.” With her mouth wide open Leigh messily nods and stutters out “I- I will- I- Thank you very much, I will be sure to keep it up.” Leigh turns around to the door to hide and mutters to herself “Idiot”.

Much to her relief though the class was a success and she didn’t stumble or trip over any more of her words whenever she got closer to you throughout her class as she moved around the room. After the class finished Leigh quickly grabbed her towel off the floor wiping the sweat off of her as she said goodbye to everyone, in her peripheral vision she could see you deliberately taking your sweet ass time packing away all of your stuff. Biting her lip she attempted to suppress the smile taking over her face.

As she said goodbye to one of the last students she sauntered across the room towards you as she started fiddling with the towel around her neck. “Sooo Y/N” you glanced up at her as you were putting on your shoes “What's up Leigh?”

She smiles at you abashedly as she scratches her head “I just wanna say sorry and give you a quick apology for anything I said or did that created that distance and made us pull away from each other. Because- because for that length of time, I really did miss seeing you and your face around here but I’m glad to see you back now.” Nervously scratching the back of your neck “Yeah umm I just-” shaking your head slightly as you let out a breath “I just had some stuff I had to figure out and work on to clear my head a bit and- unfortunately, sadly to do that I kinda had to step away and distance myself from you and well all things relating to you. But I- I think I’ve figured it all out now.”

You can’t help but notice the hopeful glint in Leigh’s eyes and smile “Oh really? A positive figure it out I hope?”

Grinning and nodding confidently “Yeah- yeah it does seem that way.” Both of you stare at each other smiling to your heart's content as both of your eyes scan the other person. You clear your throat as you can feel the heat rising to your cheeks and glance around the room “Anyways I should probably head off and leave you to clean up the place or whatever it is you have left to do around here.” Leigh absentmindedly nods her head but ultimately starts panicking as you pick up your bag and wave goodbye to her, she quickly sprints after you saying between breaths “Or or- or albeit this isn’t a very nice offer for you to ask-” you raise your eyebrow at her “What is it, Leigh?”

“Um, do you wanna hang out here with me and help me out around here if you aren’t busy? I just- I’ve just missed hanging out and talking with you and thought this might be a nice way for us to catch up.”

“Y’know you are right it isn’t the nicest or most glamorous offer I’ve ever heard but I have missed talking to you Leigh so I’ll stick around and help my favourite fitness instructor out.”

Leigh whips her head around to face you and stumbles slightly as she starts moving the spare barres placed around the room “Wha- what do you mean favourite fitness instructor? I’m your only fitness instructor.” Smirking over at Leigh as you roll up the extra yoga mats “That you know of, could’ve tried out other places whilst I was MIA”

“HEY!” Leigh exclaims as she throws a cloth at you

Laughing at her reaction as you catch the cloth “I’m messing, I’m messing you would be correct, you are the only fitness instructor I know and one that I go to.” You hear a quiet yet stern “good” in response as she goes back to cleaning, laughing and shaking your head in the process.

Since then you and Leigh have practically been inseparable, it was as if nothing had ever happened. She had explained to you fully what went and was going on with her and Danny currently..more like what wasn’t going on. Even though you had said to her repeatedly she didn’t have to that it was none of your business. But you reassured her it was for the better, she made the right decision, she’s doing better because of it and you could only hope the same for Danny. Leigh now had you over at her house….for what she told you would be a quiet night in with both of your favourite takeout foods and as many movies and TV shows as you both could handle.

Which now that you were here was not the case at all. Leigh had gotten the bright idea, the brainwave or as she put it a breakthrough. She felt that the whole house needed to be redecorated and refurnished as it reminded her of sad, difficult and complicated times and she couldn’t stand being reminded of those moments any longer. So who were you to say no to helping her out yet again. As you were sat on the floor dismantling all of the old furniture with Leigh, you saw her peak her head out from the other side “Again I’m sorry about this, it seems like none of my hangouts recently are that exciting and it involves you always having to work.” You laugh and shake your head “Leigh honestly it’s okay I really don’t care what I do as long as it’s with you. But hey it’ll be a nice bonding time for both of us, be a little glimpse of what it’s like if we were to ever live with each other I guess.” You scratch your head and hurriedly get back to dismantling the furniture as you realise what you said. “Did you just say living together?”

“Psshhh me say that? No never? Must’ve heard things, Leigh.”

“Mhmm okay sure.” What you didn’t notice was Leigh moving over to you slowly on her knees but jumping slightly as you felt her place her arms on your shoulders in an attempt to get you to raise your head to look at her. Glancing up at her you see the silly little smile on her face “I may not be ready for that yet but I’d like to think we’d end up living together at some stage in the future.”

Staring at her wide-eyed “R-really?” Leigh grins and nods her head as she whispers against your lips “Really.” Grinning at each other as you both lean in to place kisses on each other's lips which quickly turn into little pecks as Leigh slaps your thigh “Alright let’s get back to work this house isn’t gonna refurnish and redecorate itself. And this furniture certainly won’t dismantle itself.”

Chuckling to yourself you playfully salute towards Leigh “Aye, aye captain.”

#therunawaywrites #leigh shaw x reader #leigh shaw x you #leigh shaw x y/n #leigh shaw imagine #elizabeth olsen x reader #elizabeth olsen x you #elizabeth olsen x y/n #sfyl #sorry for your loss #leigh shaw

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ncisfranchise-source · 10 months ago

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It came down to the wire, but NCIS: Hawai’i ultimately didn’t make the cut for next season at CBS. The news comes days before the network is set to announce its fall schedule on May 2 and before the Season 3 finale of Hawai’i is scheduled to air on May 6. According to sources, the episode was not meant to be a series finale and includes a tease for what was to come but fans won’t be left reeling by a major cliffhanger.

The cancellation is not a complete shocker since, as Deadline has been reporting, NCIS: Hawai’i was on the bubble. Still, the outcome is surprising since I hear an effort was made to extend the drama’s run for at least an abbreviated fourth and final season, with producers agreeing to a massive budget cut and open to other concessions in order to keep the show going.

Hawai’i, the first series in the NCIS franchise with a female lead, Vanessa Lachey, is now the first series in the franchise not to get a proper sendoff after a brief run compared to its predecessors NCIS, renewed for a 22nd season, NCIS: Los Angeles (14 seasons) and NCIS: New Orleans (7). It is unclear whether series producer CBS Studios would shop the drama but there are no obvious buyers, with Paramount+ already stocked up with two NCIS original series, Sydney and the Tony and Ziva spinoff.

Attracting sizable viewership on a linear network is quite a challenge, so it is not common these days for a network to let go of the #12 most watched non-sports program on broadcast that averages 7.8 million linear viewers (most current) and 10M in Live+35 multi-platform viewing.

That is what CBS is doing with the cancellation of NCIS: Hawai’i, which added some star power and NCIS continuity this season with NCIS: Los Angeles‘ LL Cool J who has been in every episode.

It comes on the heels of Top 25 series So Help Me Todd and CSI: Vegas getting the axe last Friday. As I noted in the CBS Renewal Status Report earlier this month, the network was going to have to make some painful cancellation decisions, getting rid of shows other networks would’ve been happy to renew.

The series, as well as So Help Me Todd and CSI: Vegas, ultimately became a casualty of a strong schedule, a cost-management drive and overall uncertainty at the parent company Paramount Global, which is in the process of being sold.

Even before CBS’ lineup, delayed by the strikes, launched with the Super Bowl, the network already had committed to five new scripted series for next season, dramas Matlock, Watson and NCIS: Origins and comedies Poppa’s House and a Young Sheldon spinoff, with renewal conversations on NCIS: Sydney also well underway.

Then CBS’ originals returned, exceeding expectations, with the network claiming the top 16 most watched shows of its premiere week and 14 of the top 20 non-sports programs overall this midseason in Nielsen most current linear viewership.

With no obvious weaklings, Blue Bloods getting a final run next season and S.W.A.T. surprisingly uncanceled, the network had to cut deep in purging its slate to make room for the additions.

Just a year ago, a renewal for Hawai’i would’ve been a no-brainer: it’s part of a storied franchise with solid rating and crossover potential with the mothership series that yielded big ratings in January 2023. But now, CBS already has three other NCIS series already locked for next season: the original series, renewed for Season 22, Sydney, returning for a second season, and the upcoming Young Gibbs prequel NCIS: Origins. There is also the Tony & Ziva NCIS spinoff series greenlighted by Paramount+, making for a crowded NCIS field.

With strong multi-platform performance, as NCIS: Hawai’i ranked above several CBS dramas that have been renewed, including FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International and S.W.A.T., it probably came down to money.

Even with the proposed budget cuts, NCIS: Hawai’i was still going to be expensive. Its long-term prospects were unclear — whether it would become a big global hit and moneymaker like its franchise predecessors. With CBS’ parent company focused on its short-term balance sheet as it prepares to sell, a corporate decision was made not to take a chance and find out.

In NCIS: Hawai’i, Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor Jane Tennant (Lachey) and her team balance duty to family and country, investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security and the mysteries of the island itself.

Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Jason Antoon, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Tori Anderson and Kian Talan also star. Matt Bosack, Jan Nash, Christopher Silber and Larry Teng served as executive producers.

In a recent Deadline interview, CBS Studios President David Stapf spoke about how “wholly unique” Hawai’i is while also being part of the franchise as the first NCIS series with a female lead, Lachey, and with its Hawai’i locale. “We were just coming off Hawaii Five-0, a very successful show,” he said of the spinoff’s origins. “People love that setting, it plays well over the globe.”

#ncis hawaii

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tomorrowxtogether · 5 months ago

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Tomorrow X Together to Continue Journey on New Mini Album ‘The Star Chapter: Sanctuary’

The project is set to arrive in November and follows the K-pop outfit's April EP Minisode 3

TOMORROW X TOGETHER are gearing up for the release of a new mini album, The Star Chapter: Sanctuary, set to arrive Nov. 4.

The K-pop stars announced the new project Monday, Oct. 7, sharing a short, shimmering visualizer, in which the the “X” logo from Tomorrow X Together’s last release, Minisode 3: Tomorrow, transforms into a sparkling star. As of now, however, Tomorrow X Together are only sharing the the mini album’s title and release date, as a track list has yet to be revealed.

youtube

The Star Chapter will mark Tomorrow X Together’s seventh mini album, and second release of 2024 following Minisode 3: Tomorrow, which arrived back in April and featured the single “Deja Vu.” The Star Chapter will kick off a new era in TXT’s ongoing story, building upon the narrative set up in previous installments of their musical journey like The Dream Chapter, The Chaos Chapter, and The Name Chapter. (In between these releases, Tomorrow X Together have shared other projects and EPs, like their Minisode series.)

Earlier this year, after releasing Minisode 3, Tomorrow X Together embarked on a North American tour that included major shows in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and more cities. The band has a handful of additional gigs lined up this year, including three shows at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, South Korea in early November, as well as a pair of gigs in Osaka in late November and early December.

Tomorrow X Together have also popped up on American television a couple of times this year. In April, ahead of the release of Minisode 3, they performed “Deja Vu” on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Then in May, ahead of their two-night stand at Madison Square Garden in New York, they performed the song again on Good Morning America.

#txt #tomorrow x together #241008 #article #rolling stone #soobin #yeonjun #beomgyu #taehyun #hueningkai #the star chapter #sanctuary #Youtube

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dryonsenpai · 1 year ago

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🇬🇧🇪🇦

🇬🇧I'mma just gonna get into it cuz why not? I already expressed my opinion with lfl so idgaf anymore. If you don't like my opinion then just block me cuz I'll block all negative comments sorrynotsorry ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

The issue is the same: people can't READ & will complain about everything just to get attention or others to say "you're my hero 😍" like the crystals they are

Obviously I'm not talking about the prices, but the stories of the angel cards

People should've expected this just by reading the characters' philias like, hello? One of them is turn3d 0n by corpses & another for murdering. If that wasn't enough, read the warnings of the game. & If that wasn't enough enough, you're literally fück¡ng with Beelzebub & Leviathan while they're dying (bloodshed cards) & in addition to that, angels are not good & Rara (I love that someone calls him that way) is a cannibal 💀

"b-but obey me--" I'M TIRED OF THAT, if you wanna be a softie & play obey me then do so, but don't come at all of us saying "this is unethical cuz you're r4p¡ng the angels 😭". First, it's just a game my dude chill, second, if you feel uncomfortable just ignore it as y'all do with REAL victims, third, you can always uninstall the game & last but not least... R4p3play is a real kink about a consent roleplay.

Now, angels do end up consenting at the end (you can correct me if I'm wrong), but their whole personality is like "I hate demons so I'll never admit I liked it hooray"

I've also seen people complain about Gabi's story the most & like, as if you didn't know the character enough or you can't see the card you're gonna pay for. Welp, most of us would pay for that card if we could but ✨70 bucks paywall✨ so you can consider yourself lucky if you can afford to pay that for a single character on a game cuz most of us are studying adults without an income

Again, you may not like a story & THAT'S OKAY, but you've been warned since the beginning UvUr

🇪🇦Me voy a meter en el meollo, ¿Por qué no? Ya di mi opinión con lfl así que ya todo me vale verdura lol. Si no os gusta mi opinión bloqueadme porque igualmente voy a borrar los comentarios negativos losientoperono ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

El problema es el mismo: la gente NO sabe leer y se van a quejar por todo para tener atención y que la gente les diga "eres mi héroe 😍" como los cristalitos que son

Obviamente, no hablo de los precios sino de la historia de las cartas de los ángeles

La gente se lo tenía que haber esperado, osea, ¿hola? Uno se pone to burro con los cadáveres y otro por asesinar. Por si no fuera suficiente, hay que leer las advertencias del juego. Y si eso no fuera suficientemente suficiente, te estás tirando a Belcebú y Leviatán mientras se mueren (no sé cómo es el nombre de estas cartas en español pero ya todos sabemos cuales son) y para más inri, los ángeles no son buenecitos y Rara (me encanta que alguien le haya llamado así) es caníbal 💀

"p-pero obey me--" ESTOY CANSADA DE ESA MIERDA, si quieres ser blandito y jugar obey me adelante, pero no nos vengas con "esto no es ético porque estás v¡0l4nd0 a los ángeles 😭". Lo primero, es un juego así que cálmate tío, lo segundo, si no te gusta ignóralo como haces con las víctimas REALES, tercero, siempre puedes desinstalar el juego y por último pero no menos importante... El r4p3play (juego de v¡0l4c¡0n) es un fetiche real y consentido

Ahora, los ángeles acaban consintiendo al final (corregidme si me equivoco), pero su personalidad se basa en "odio a los demonios así que nunca voy a admitir que me gustó yupii"

También he visto que la gente se queja sobre todo de la historia de Gabi como si no conocieran al personaje o no pudieran ver la carta por la que están dispuestos a pagar. Bueno, muchos de nosotros pagaríamos por esa carta si pudiéramos pero ✨70 pavos✨ así que considérate afortunado si te puedes permitir pagar eso por un solo personaje en un juego porque la mayoría de nosotros somos jóvenes adultos sin ingresos

Repito, te puede no gustar una historia y ESO ESTÁ BIEN, pero te advirtieron desde el principio UvUr

#what in hell is bad #whb #what in “hell” is bad #地獄のどこが悪い

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narrycherries · 8 months ago

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love of my life : the playlist

⋆｡°✩ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊✩₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ✩°｡⋆

the following playlist is subject to change with new additions // the artists are listed alphabetically, not in any particular order — the songs are also not listed in any particular order // these songs are picked based on my personal music preferences // if you’re wanting to listen to the playlist, feel free to remove any artists you don’t like :) ** these songs will span the entire story.

⋆｡°✩ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊✩₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ✩°｡⋆

˖⁺‧₊˚ love of my life :: the playlist ˚₊‧⁺˖

˖⁺‧₊˚ adele ˚₊‧⁺˖

take it all

all I ask

˖⁺‧₊˚ ariana grande ˚₊‧⁺˖

off the table

pov

love me harder

supernatural

safety net

˖⁺‧₊˚ bailey zimmerman ˚₊‧⁺˖

rock and a hard place

never leave

˖⁺‧₊˚ christina aguilera ˚₊‧⁺˖

unless it’s with you

˖⁺‧₊˚ cody johnson ˚₊‧⁺˖

the painter

˖⁺‧₊˚ colbie calliat ˚₊‧⁺˖

worth it

˖⁺‧₊˚ demi lovato ˚₊‧⁺˖

easy (noah cyrus)

˖⁺‧₊˚ harry styles ˚₊‧⁺˖

canyon moon

golden

fine line

woman

daydreaming

daylight

late night talking

little freak

matilda

satellite

love of my life

falling

meet me in the hallway

from the dining table

˖⁺‧₊˚ kacey musgraves ˚₊‧⁺˖

cherry blossom

angel

easier said

heaven is

butterflies

love is a wild thing

golden hour

too good to be true

lonely millionaire

ruthless

˖⁺‧₊˚ lady gaga ˚₊‧⁺˖

always remember us this way

is that alright

i’ll never love again

˖⁺‧₊˚ lana del rey ˚₊‧⁺˖

love

cinnamon girl

cherry

love song

california

the greatest

˖⁺‧₊˚ miley cyrus ˚₊‧⁺˖

rose colored lenses

wild card

bottom of the ocean

you

never be me

angels like you

˖⁺‧₊˚ niall horan ˚₊‧⁺˖

put a little love on me

still

san francisco

black & white

save my life

too much to ask

you could start a cult

flicker

if you leave me

must be love

˖⁺‧₊˚ one direction ˚₊‧⁺˖

right now

strong

you & I

long way down

love you goodbye

what a feeling

if I could fly

where do broken hearts go

end of the day

infinity

˖⁺‧₊˚ pat benatar ˚₊‧⁺˖

heartbreaker

˖⁺‧₊˚ selena gomez ˚₊‧⁺˖

crowded room

souvenir

nobody

˖⁺‧₊˚ SZA ˚₊‧⁺˖

nobody gets me

˖⁺‧₊˚ taylor swift ˚₊‧⁺˖

the prophecy

begin again (taylor’s version)

sweet nothing

peace

dancing with our hands tied

I don’t wanna live forever

delicate

gold rush

ivy

wildest dreams (taylor’s version)

midnight rain

cornelia street

false god

afterglow

all of the girls you loved before

tis the damn season

treacherous (taylor’s version)

the 1

this love (taylor’s version)

maroon

state of grace (acoustic version)

happiness

back to december (taylor’s version)

sad beautiful tragic (taylor’s version)

˖⁺‧₊˚ tove lo ˚₊‧⁺˖

come undone

mateo

stay over

anywhere u go

˖⁺‧₊˚ zayn ˚₊‧⁺˖

dusk till dawn

˖⁺‧₊˚ 5 seconds of summer ˚₊‧⁺˖

lover of mine

best years

complete mess

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mariacallous · 5 months ago

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In the 2020s, love triangles are all the rage—at least in American literature. The last five years have seen a proliferation of novels about non-traditional triads. Raven Leilani arguably ignited the trend with Luster, followed by Torrey Peters’s Detransition, Baby, Julia May Jonas’s Vladimir, and Jen Beagin’s Big Swiss, among others. Each novel featured a female protagonist armed with a sardonic voice, and each used a love triangle to probe social issues related to sex, power, race, gender, and class.

Mostly, these novels have been about American lust. But a new addition to the list, The Lady Waiting by Polish novelist and filmmaker Magdalena Zyzak, offers an international spin on the genre. This mischievously delightful caper centers on the love triangle between a wealthy American couple and their Polish assistant, who conspire to steal a Vermeer.

Although Zyzak, like her predecessors, is interested in the dynamics of sex and power, she throws a new element into the mix: globalization. The Lady Waiting is, beneath the sex, a story of the global economy, where workers from countries on the periphery do most of the labor for a tiny slice of the pie, while investors from the core economies feast.

The Lady Waiting is the second novel by Zyzak, who was born in Poland but has lived in the United States since she was an undergraduate in the early 2000s. Zyzak writes in caffeinated English: On the spectrum of foreign-born writers who switched to English, she is far closer to Vladimir Nabokov than Joseph Conrad—she never passes up a chance at puns, chiasmus, or word play.

The novel opens when a 23-year-old Polish immigrant, Viva, spots a posh woman in a green cocktail dress standing on an island of Los Angeles’s 101 freeway. Viva stops to offer a ride to the woman, who turns out to be a rich Polish-American named Bobby. Soon, Bobby and her husband, Sleeper, a retired U.S. film director, offer Viva a job. They want her to be their live-in help. “Sleeper says our household needs a wife,” Bobby explains.

Viva has been in the United States for a year and is floundering, going unhired because of her faltering English and her failure to absorb American social norms. (When an interviewer asks what her greatest weakness is, Viva answers, “manipulating”; she doesn’t get the job.) Viva never wanted to come to the country in the first place. But a boyfriend convinced her to enter the green card lottery; when she won, everyone told her she’d be crazy not to cash in the ticket. In Poland, she has a “teaching degree, though nothing to teach”; in America, the only job she can get is as a home aid for an older woman who soon dies.

Viva’s reasons for being in the United States crystallize when she meets Bobby, who strikes her as the kind of woman you see on Los Angeles billboards. Bobby is rich and comfortable being rich. She charms Viva at an expensive lunch in Beverly Hills. The waiter brings out rosé and sharing plates, and Bobby says, in characteristically gleeful free association, “People hate rosé but I love it … Doesn’t give you as much of a headache, as long as it’s a quickie, not an affair. Never date a socialist unless he’s the champagne kind. Oh, hey, socialism! We’re going to share all the plates!”

Viva is intoxicated not just by Bobby’s money but also her command of English. When Viva speaks, she is hobbled by her adopted tongue; in Viva’s narration, though, her internal monologue sounds kind of like Bobby’s dialogue. Explaining her origins, Viva narrates: “The man who had impregnated my mother in a rapeseed field—not a metaphor, a major Polish crop—had ridden a motorcycle.”

After lunch, Bobby takes Viva to an expensive boutique, where she steals a $9,000 dress for her. Viva is distraught—she could lose her green card if she’s an accomplice to a crime.

“Why did you steal it?” Viva asks.

“Because I could afford it,” Bobby says with a shrug.

The dress turns out to be a harbinger. Bobby convinces Viva to steal—or fake-steal, in a move that she claims is “neutral legally”—a Vermeer that went missing from a museum nine years earlier, from her ex-husband, a Russian mobster. The fictional Vermeer, “The Lady Waiting,” is a small portrait of a woman seated in front of a window, gazing at her hands. The ex-husband recently acquired it as repayment for a debt, and he’s looking to return it to a German museum that’s offering a 10 million euro reward.

Her ex is outsourcing the job because it would be difficult for a Russian on the Magnitsky list to claim the reward. If they succeed, the Russian ex will get the majority of the 10 million, paying out a million each to his German lawyer as well as the Americans—Bobby and Sleeper. In a mirroring of globalization, Viva, the laborer brought in to do the actual work and assume the actual risk, will get only 1 percent. But 100,000 euros is a life-changing amount for Viva. It might buy her a ticket on the elusive route from immigrant to expat.

As for the love triangle, Viva sleeps first with Bobby, who excites her in context if not action. (“It was not the technique but the situation—that she was my boss—that aroused me.”) Sleeper excites her in a much more straightforward way: “It was remarkable that other men had never made me come, because the whole thing had taken less than two minutes.” It’s Bobby who pushes her to Sleeper—each of them knows of Viva’s involvement with the other—and every time Viva sleeps with Sleeper, it seems to bring him closer to Bobby. She begins to fall for Sleeper, but also for Bobby, in a confusing way: “Sometimes I like you so much I want to be you,” she tells the latter.

Sleeper and Bobby are idle rich. They live like “nineteenth-century aristocrats,” working little and drinking often, in constant pursuit of drollness. Viva is paid $1,000 a week for an unwritten and varying set of tasks that includes making breakfast, bringing ice to cocktail hour in the hot tub, breaking in Bobby’s shoes, and, implicitly, sex. She is alternately ignored, fawned over, spoiled, and humiliated. “Was their behavior an abuse of power if that power was the very thing that turned me on?” she wonders.

Through Bobby, she gets a taste of American opulence. When she tries on Bobby’s expensive boots, she feels a “desire to own them that was akin to lust or hunger.”

“Poor girls from Poland, Russia, Ukraine in my generation had little to no inoculation against luxury products, communism having wiped out most hereditary wealth,” Viva says. “We’d kill for a pair of designer shoes.” When Viva later climaxes with Sleeper, she fantasizes that she is Bobby, surrounded by designer shoes.

The plot to retrieve the painting goes smoothly, but—spoilers ahead—after Viva brings it back, it is stolen from Bobby’s closet. Viva, Bobby, and Sleeper travel to Venice to hunt down the Vermeer, all the while being tailed by a Russian mafia thug. Abroad, their affair turns more overt, and Viva begins sleeping with the couple together. At one point, she catches Bobby watching her have sex with Sleeper. Viva later tells Bobby that she wants to be the one spectating. Bobby replies, “do you really think I care to know what’s in your bird brain? This is my fantasy. Mine, not yours.”

This is when Viva begins to realize, if she hadn’t already, that she is on the lowest rung of this ladder, and if she wants money, power, or choice, she’ll have to break out of the system. She tracks the now thrice-stolen Vermeer to a mining town in Poland, where she buys it from an old lady storing it in her car for a little more than $1,000. The woman lives in a communist housing bloc where, “in an apathetic nod to individualism, each cube was painted a different, faded underwear color: gray-white, dull red, brown-pink, lint blue.” When Viva talks to the woman, she notices in her mouth “a gap from a missing canine, a tiny black door to the mean world I’d escaped, a world where you’re reduced, one indignation at a time, by cheap dentists, expensive priests, needy parents, treacherous children.”

Viva’s emigration isn’t easy for the Americans in the novel to understand. She didn’t leave Poland to pursue a dream: “Where I’m from, fantasies tend to be about revenge, not aspiration.” Nor is she, as a friend of Bobby’s assumes, fleeing “some hellhole where men raped sheep and women gave birth in ditches.” Poland, which acceded to the European Union in 2004, is something of a development success story, and it’s often seen by its neighbors to the east as a land of prosperity and opportunity. But opportunity is relative.

In Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2013 novel Americanah, a Nigerian émigré says of the white people in his adopted country:

they would not understand the need to escape from the oppressive lethargy of choicelessness. They would not understand why people like him, who were raised well fed and watered but mired in dissatisfaction, conditioned from birth to look towards somewhere else, eternally convinced that real lives happened in that somewhere else, were now resolved to do dangerous things, illegal things, so as to leave, none of them starving, or raped, or from burned villages, but merely hungry for choice.

Viva ambivalently left the “shabby comfort” of home for opportunity. But once she’s walked in the shoes of her U.S. employers’ blend of boundless optimism and reckless shortsightedness, she can’t go back. She swipes the painting, cuts off contact with Bobby and Sleeper, travels to Berlin, gets her own German lawyer, and claims the reward. The consequence of her actions quickly becomes clear when she sees that Interpol has declared Bobby and Sleeper missing, last seen in Russia.

In the real world, it would likely be the worker who bore the consequence of a scheme gone sideways. But Zyzak’s world is more just than ours, in a sense, while still adhering to the hierarchy. Here it’s the wealthy American investors who must answer for their actions and Viva who claims their spot as the aspirational rich.

Toward the end of the story, Viva’s German lawyer recommends that she give up her green card and settle in a tax haven such as the Cayman Islands to keep more of her reward money.

“I think I want to keep my green card,” she says.

“May I ask why?” the lawyer asks.

“Because,” Viva says, “I won it in the lottery.”

Viva may be a millionaire now. But more importantly, she’s an American.

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echoandreflections · 5 months ago

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Behind The Scenes

Chapter 1:

Six days before the start of filming. Los Angeles

If you had told Percy a few years ago that getting a degree was the easy part of adult life, he would have laughed in your face.

Okay maybe not laughed, but he would have probably not believed you.

Who knew that Four years of absolute hell at school could burn out someone so much? Pretty much everyone but still. Getting the degree was supposed to be the hard part, not finding a job after his studies.

To be honest with himself, Percy was more so surprised to have been able to last four years in school without any major accident than he was at the lack of job offers for marine biologists in New York.

It’s not that the jobs didn’t exist, but his lack of on field experience was a huge turn off to most, leaving jobs interviews to be few and far between.

It’s hard to get that “On field experience” when no jobs even want to hire him so he can even get it. And as much as Percy loves volunteering, it’s not his good heart that is going to help pay his and his mother’s bills.

Which left him with only one option.

Helping his mother run the Jackson bakery until he was finally able to find something else to do with his life. It wasn’t so bad honestly.

He could live at home and take some weight off of Sally’s shoulder. A win-win situation.

Except maybe for the fact that his mother’s bakery is so well known she gets invited to The Los Angeles Sweet Festival(LASF) every year, or as Percy liked to call it; Lame as fuck.

Now don’t get him wrong. The success of the bakery is a welcome change after the years of financial instability they had to live through, especially after Sally’s initial divorce from Smelly Gabe. The F’cker had stolen most of Sally’s savings to gamble it all off, leaving a twelve years old Percy and his mom on the verge of eviction.

But that was the past. The present was, thankfully, different enough. Their booth inside of the massive tent at the festival had been awarded the best cookies award four years in a row, meaning that the line of their shop was never truly empty.

Last year, the Jackson’s booth had been so popular even Thalia had to come up to help. Something that never had happened before.

This year wasn’t such a different story. Thalia and Frank helped Sally around their main booth while Percy managed the beach booth.

Having a side booth was a new addition to the festival that had both its good and bad sides. On one end, the beach booth was usually filled with families trying to buy sweets after a long day at the beach, meaning sales were pretty much destined to happen. On the other hand, the small tent over Percy's head did very little to protect him from the California heat and sun.

Talk about suffering from success.

Frank had volunteered to be the one to take care of the side booth but Percy had refused, not wanting his friend to be stuck under the sun for the whole day when he could just be with the rest of the booths where fans and air conditioning was often offered.

Percy started regretting his decisions to not let Frank take care of this around the second hour of offering small kids blue donuts while their parents talked and absently handed him money.

Not being able to just abandon his seat and take a lap around the water was pure torture, especially considering he didn’t often get the occasion to just spend a day at the beach. The smell of the salty air was tempting him to just take off his shirt and take a dive. Feeling the summer air hit his face in a gentle whisper of warmth, Percy sighted, deciding to take a break once the stock of blue pastries and sweets ran out.

It’s not like he would have anything else to do after he sold out of everything.

The air cooled slightly as the sun neared the horizon, the orange hues in the sky a clear reminder of the hours passing by as Percy finally closed the “shop”, offering a little blond girl passing by the last of the blue cookies in stock. She smiled, showing her missing front tooth as she took a big bite of the cookie, blue crumbs coloring her cheeks as she ran back to where her mother was waving, offering Percy a thank you before they left.

Percy couldn’t help the small strain on his heart as the little girl left. He wondered if Estelle would look like this in a few years. Missing tooth and all.

They had only left for two days and Percy already missed his baby sister.

Phone pressed against his ear, he told Thalia he was done for the day as he started putting back everything in the storage box he had bought especially for this purpose. His cousin told him to rest as tomorrow they would need his help as the final day of the festival was usually the busiest.

He walked the box down to his car before throwing his shirt on top of the box in his trunk and running back to the water, finding a particularly deep spot in the water and diving in without a second thought.

If Sally had seen this, she would have pestered him about checking the water for sharp rocks before diving. Thankfully, as Percy’s feet met the soft ocean floor, only sand surrounded him. A weight lifted off his shoulder, the cool water was exactly what he needed after a day of (unintentional) tanning.

Small fishes swam around him and Percy couldn’t help the string of chuckle spewing from his throat.

He always felt drawn to the ocean, whether it was because it was where his parents met or simply because it felt like the only place where none of his worries truly mattered. After all, what is a man in the immensity of the ocean?

As he let the water pass over his head, Percy was flooded with every possible emotion even remotely close to happiness. Nostalgia. Joy. Delight. Glee. Elation. Exhilaration.

This was it.

He was never getting out of the water ever again.

Thalia and Frank would have to wrestle him out of the water, and even then he might just jump back in it.

He didn't know what heaven tastes like but at that moment, he was pretty sure it felt like the salty water of the Pacific on his tongue with seaweed in his hair and sand between his toes.

Nothing could ever beat this.

As Percy laid in the water, ignoring the burning sensation from opening his eyes underwater to watch as fishes swam around him, a black shape near the floor of sand caught his attention. The figure moved at the rhythm of the waves, like a cloth flag dancing around its pole on a windy day. At first, Percy thought it was nothing more than some seaweed stuck under a bed of rock, but as he got closer, he noticed a white emblem peeking out from under the rock. Moving quickly, he swam closer to it, catching the shape in one hand and tugging on it until it finally broke off from its cage of rock. Swimming back to the surface, Percy looked down at the object in his hand, eyes still blurry from all the salt.

Half of a yankee’s cap sat in his hand. Frowning in confusion, Percy checked under the rock a second time, making sure the other half of the cap wasn’t under it before looking at the cap again.

He couldn’t help but wonder how this cap ended up so far from its home town. He himself had a matching one in dark blue in his room, all the way back in New york.

Percy shrugged as he slowly walked out of the water, planning to find a trash can to just dispose of it. If his marine biology degree taught him anything, it’s that people often throw things in the sea instead of simply walking a few meters to find a trash can. He obviously wasn’t going to let a random cap in the water, not wanting any marine species to accidentally eat a piece of cloth and die.

The sun finally touched the horizon as Percy found a trash can, but before he could walk to it the sound of a woman screaming behind him made him falter in his steps.

Turning around, he was faced by a blond woman a few inches smaller than him. Her hair curled around her face, either naturally or from the humidity, creating a halo of light around her head as the dying rays of the sun reflected on them. She would’ve looked like an angel with her athletic tan body, carefully shown off by her lilac bikini set and matching sheer loose cover skirt tied at the side of her hip (not that Percy was looking), if she wasn’t currently glaring at him. She looked exactly like the type of woman he expected to see here in California, that is with the exception of her striking gray eyes. So gray he could’ve sworn he saw the start of a storm in them. That or the daggers she was throwing at him with her eyes altered the way they looked.

-”What do you think you’re doing?” She asked, looking up at him as her arms crossed over her chest.

-”What?” Percy looked around him, wondering if he was getting pranked.

The pretty girl snatched the cap from his hand as Percy continued to look around for hidden cameras, her brows furrowing even more as she examined it.

She chuckled dryly as she looked back up at him, looking ready to just push him in the water and keep his head underwater.

She pushed the thorn cap in front of his face.”Why would you steal it just to destroy it, you…” She left the phrase hanging.

Percy gently pushed the cap away, giving her a sheepish smile.” I am sorry, I really don’t know what you’re talking about. I just found it like this earlier while swimming. I had no idea it was yours”

The woman only seemed more annoyed at his response, turning the cap around in her hand and pointing at a small tag Percy hadn’t noticed earlier. The name “Annabeth” had been written on it, the ink blurred either from the water damage or simply time.

-”Stop lying to me now.” She shook her head, a look of betrayal on her face. As if Percy had just stabbed this random woman in the back by simply finding what he thought was trash while swimming. “Who sent you?” She demanded “Was it that crazy Josh again? The police said he was in custody. Was he the one that hired you to steal this from me? How did he even find out I was here? Who leaked it?”

The series of questions made Percy dizzy then worried. Who even was this woman for her to think he was some crazy stalker. She did look familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it, not that it was what mattered at the moment. He needed to calm her down before anything.

-”Listen lady, I think this is all a really big misunderstanding.” He tried smiling at her, hoping he would maybe look less threatening. From the way she took a step back, anger still in her eyes, he didn’t think it worked. “Like I said, I was just swimming and found it under a rock earlier. It was already torn when I found it.”

The woman, Annabeth, he assumed her name was from the tag, didn’t seem to believe a single word coming out of his mouth.

-”Forget it” She spit back at him, turning away just as Percy noticed water forming at the bottom of her eyes.

He tried catching her arm, not wanting to be the reason a girl cried, but she ran away before he could do anything.

________

It was only on the ride back to the hotel, while telling Frank about the strange encounter he had, that he realized the identity of the mysterious beach girl.

Annabeth Chase.

Also known as one of the biggest Pop starscurrently.

Frank laughed so hard, Percy swore he could see tears streaming down his face, even if Frank had the decency to at least hide his face behind his hands.

#ao3 #ao3 fanfic #ao3 link #pjo #percabeth #percy and annabeth #percy jackon and the olympians #percy pjo #annabeth chase

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vintagelasvegas · 1 year ago

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Westside School (1923) – 330 W Washington Ave. Oldest surviving school house in Las Vegas.

This was the second school house in Las Vegas when it opened as Branch No. 1, Las Vegas Grammar School, in September 1923, for kindergarten through 8th grade. Las Vegas schools were integrated in the 1920s. In the 30s & 40s, segregationist barriers rose in the public and private sector, including racially restrictive covenants to added to deeds, and the City's refusal to renew licenses of African American-owned businesses downtown unless owners moved to the Westside. Segregation in public education increased as a result, as elementary schools on the Westside filled with African American children whose families were restricted from living in other Las Vegas neighborhoods.

The school is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was completely renovated in 2015/2016 by KME Architects.

Timeline of Westside School:

'23: Original building, two rooms. Allison & Allison of Los Angeles, architect.

'28: Original building expanded with two additional rooms.

'46: Las Vegas School District's first African American teacher, Mabel Hoggard at Westside School.

'48: Annex building addition, west side of the parcel, eight classrooms and administration office. A.L. Worswick, Las Vegas, architect.

'55/56: Clark County School District (CCSD) formed.

'60: a one-room addition constructed on the east end of the north wing of the building.

'67: Closed as a school house.

'74: School Board of Trustees sale of the school to Economic Opportunity Board of Clark County (EOD).

'77: Renovation to accommodate offices of EOD and radio station KCEP.

Photo by Dave Chawla, via Saving Places. Sources: “Old Town People Petition for Branch Grammar School.” Las Vegas Age, 2/11/22; “Las Vegas Public School Block a Credit to the City,” Las Vegas Age, 12/30/22; E. Moehring, Resort City in the Sunbelt, Las Vegas (UNLV Press, '89); C. White. “The March That Never Happened.” Nevada Law Journal, Vol. 5, Fall 2004; B. Williams, T. Harris. Westside School Alumni Stories (2012); National Register of Historic Places. Las Vegas Grammar School. Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada. National Register (2015).

#1923 #Westside

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moochilatv · 4 days ago

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George Solonos and John Waugh presents: The Big Sky

Good song !! Amazing sax interpretation

"The Big Sky" closes Reverie with an expansive, uplifting energy. Blending jazz elements with world influences, the track feels like movement—open roads, distant horizons, and a sense of freedom. The melodies flow effortlessly, carried by soaring saxophones and intricate guitar work, creating a soundtrack that’s perfect for traveling, both physically and emotionally.

With its vast, airy feel, The Big Sky captures the essence of exploration—whether it’s a journey through landscapes or within oneself. It’s the kind of piece that makes you want to keep going, no matter where the road leads.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Waugh (@jwaughsaxophone)

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"The Big Sky is the closing track from Reverie our second E.P with John Waugh, sax player for The 1975", George Solonos and John Waugh.

Stream The Big Sky:

George Solonos is an award winning Film Composer, Producer and Guitarist based in Los Angeles, California.

His career counts more than 15 years in the industry and is affiliated with a plethora of internationally acclaimed artists including Tommy Lee (Motley Crue, Methods of Meyhem), Scott Humphrey, Daniel "Bad Day" Powter, Ayaka Hirahara, Quincy Jones, Tim "Ripper" Owens, and Boy George.

As a Film Composer, Solonos was awarded with "Best Score" in 2018 at the Bucharest ShortCut Cinefest, for composing the music for short film "Bad Habits".

He recently composed the music for Marvel's advert "Sleepless Night" featuring DJI's "Iron Man" drone (Link). Other works include "DonkeyXote" (Winner of the Montreal Film Festival), "Chinatown - The Three Shelters", "Heavenly Deposit" Feat. George Vincent, "Bad Habits" (Official Selection at the Berlin Idependent Film Festival) and additional music for "Apple of my Eye" (starring Burt Reynolds, Liam Mcintyre and Amy Smart). More details about George Solonos - Film Composer available on IMDB.

As a Producer and Guitarist, Solonos is featured in albums such as Methods of Mayhem's - "A Public Disservice Announcement", Chantz's - "Stories of Me", "WolfPakk" (an all-star project featuring Iron Maiden's Blaze Bailey, Paul Di-Anno and Judas Priest's Tim "Ripper" Owens).

He is also the main songwriter, guitarist and producer for rock bands Sulphur Generation, Marianne's Wish and Barebone. Solonos' academic qualifications include an awarded distinction for Masters Degree in Music Production at Leeds College of Music, in UK. Endorsed by PRS Guitars, Freshman Acoustic Guitars, Steve Clayton USA and Fractal Audio.

#George Solonos #John Waugh #The Big Sky #Instagram #Spotify

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posttexasstressdisorder · 18 days ago

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WhatMatters

Your guide to California policy and politics

By Lynn La

February 3, 2025

Presented by California Water Service, Climate-Smart Agricultural Partnership and Uber

Good morning, California.

Newsom orders more water for farmers and towns

The San Luis Reservoir, an artificial lake on the eastern slopes of the Diablo Range of Merced County, on Feb. 10, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

From CalMatters environment reporter Alastair Bland:

As downpours soak Northern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered state officials to capture and store more stormwater in San Joaquin Valley reservoirs for farmers and towns, and to “remove or minimize” any obstacles that stand in the way.

If that sounds familiar, it is: The governor issued similar orders two years ago, when he waived environmental laws to store more water as storms drenched the state and caused disastrous flooding. Months later, the Legislature and Newsom enacted a new law that smooths the way for such actions.

In a video posted on social media, Newsom said he aims to store more stormwater “for people and agriculture.” The three-year, statewide drought “yielded ongoing, significant impacts” on farm communities, he wrote in his order.

Growers and cities that use water from the State Water Project welcomed Newsom’s action.

But environmental groups worry that it will kill salmon and other fish spiraling toward extinction. By diverting and storing more water, less is left in Delta rivers for fish.

Environmentalists also noted the similarity between Newsom’s order and President Donald Trump’s order last week to waive the Endangered Species Act and pump more water out of the Delta. The Army Corps of Engineers then abruptly increased outflow from two small San Joaquin Valley reservoirs.

Trump posted on social media that the water would have prevented the Los Angeles wildfires — but that water does not reach Southern California. It also will do little to help farmers, since they need irrigation water for crops in spring and summer, not now.

Jon Rosenfield, science director at San Francisco Baykeeper: “Trump issued an executive order that is nothing short of an assault on California’s environment, and it’s like Newsom said, ‘Hold my beer.’”

Speaking of Trump: On Saturday Trump issued an order imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China. The tariffs are meant to hold the countries “accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration” and stopping fentanyl and other drugs “from flowing into our country,” according to the order.

As CalMatters reported in November, Mexico and China made up 40% of California’s imports in 2023 and the state could feel the brunt of the tariffs. Nationally, prices are projected to rise by nearly 1 percentage point, according to the UCLA Anderson Forecast. Because Canada is also a key supplier of lumber for the U.S., Trump’s order also has major implications for Southern California as it rebuilds from the deadly wildfires.

In addition to customers and small businesses feeling a hit, leaders from Canada and Mexico said they will impose retaliatory tariffs on American goods. California’s top exports include almonds, wine and dairy products.

How will Trump’s second presidency affect your corner of California? CalMatters is working with public radio partners to gather perspectives across the state. Share your thoughts here.

CalMatters events: On Feb. 25 CalMatters’ Adam Echelman will hold a panel to discuss what the state is doing to help employment outcomes for Californians ages 16 to 24. Register here to attend in person at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles or virtually.