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thea-dacity · 11 months ago

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Dancer drama. Petty Olympics Ahead

No one in this story is guiltless, not even me. But here's why I haven't been posting any photos of Oniya Divine anymore.

I want to say that I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt because she is a newcomer to the dance scene and we all make mistakes in our first couple of years and I think she's trying to do it all on her own- which is the hard way to do anything.

But.

Gotdamn.

First time I saw her was at a big open air festival and she was going by Princess Oniya. We saw her dance in a kind of 'sun goddess' costume that to the average non-costumer looks like a beautiful, authentic costume; but because my girlfriend is a costumer and I'm a dancer- we knew it was the 'belly lady' skirt from Amazon. She did not call it 'bellydance.' She called it 'feminine expression of water.' Which is fine! This particular show was big on being a little kooky with their lineup so why not?

Her dance was beautiful. I would have called it contemporary jazz. She has an amazing stage presence. Like there's a lot to appreciate about her performances.

I asked for an email address so I could get the photos I took to her and where I could find her on socials in order to cross promote, which is how I found her gigsalad.

I got nosy and read a little bit of it and the blurb was like 'never rehearsed, never the same- this dance is an expression of the soul and you never know what you're going to get.' Which is not a great marketing tactic but I was like… ah- improv.

See her again at a few different shows, do my bit. By this time she's solidly going by Oniya Divine. Which I think suits her because there was something a little ecstatic about the way that she danced. But she's also calling herself a 'bellydancer' and I'm like… hold on now. What style is this, because it doesn't look like any of the styles that I grew up with. It still looks like contemporary jazz, but with a hip scarf. Okay? I mean people use the hip scarves for samba and cha cha so its not a big deal.

Then there was arts fest, where she hired me to take photos.

She missed… a lot of cues. Like… a lot of them. Like she finished dancing a good 30 seconds before the song was done. Which is the downside of improv- if you can't hear the music to dance to it you're out of luck. But my job is to make people look good and I do it well.

Our troupe has been trying to get into the arts fest for like ten years.

The glamour is starting to wear off a bit at this point. But she comes up to me and my girlfriend and she's very sweet. She's very nice. And my girlfriend will talk to anyone so she started asking her questions. Oniya says she keeps her dance life very separate from her non-dance life, and I'm a touch confused by this because coming from a family of dancers its like… how do you separate these things? Dance is my community. Dance is my support. Dance is where my friends are.

But to each their own. Girlfriend gleans that she's very Christian, so maybe its a case of her church disapproving of the dance- which was never a problem for us but we were Methodist so that's a whole nother kettle of fish.

Which brings us to September with 2023 Mystics and Marvels- which is a show that I go to every year because its where I started doing event photography and I use it as a guide to see how I've improved as a photographer.

I did not post any of the photos of Oniya from that show, but she was there.

So here's where it gets… really messy.

Every performer at this show gets a booth for free because the gig does not pay well. It is a two day event at a fairgrounds with a dirt floor that features a lot of psychics, mediums, general weirdos. I turn a blind eye to a lot of the stuff that happens at this one because it would be like complaining about cultural appropriation at the cultural appropriation convention.

But I think we went a bit too far this year.

So the acts of this show were this: our dance troupe, a group of fire spinners, a dancer who does fire and sword balancing (stylistically distinct from the other sword and fire acts), a drag troupe, and Oniya.

I am told of a conversation behind the scenes- Oniya asked the show runner (Kay) if she could be paid more for her act, and Kay said no. She quoted what Raven (bellydancer, sword performer) makes for her acts and Kay told her that Raven makes more because she does sword. Oniya said that she does sword, she should be paid more. Kay said "she's worth more." Which is not how I would have phrased that, but I think that Kay and Oniya were already fighting about something else at that time so I can't know what was going on there. But that also kind of put Raven in one hell of a situation. And oh my god you do not tell a black woman that a white woman is worth more.

What the fuck, Kay?

So Oniya doesn't show up to her first set. She doesn't make it until her second set in the evening. When she arrives, I ask her about it and she waves it off.

But also.

She's wearing her usual 'belly lady' outfit in red, but there is a face mask attachment to it that's… so like its straddling the line of whether its racist or not but its sheer, cheaply made, and has coins on it- definitely in that family of 'orientalism' and yes- I know. The cultural appropriation convention.

There's another thing about this that not many people know- its traditional in bellydance to not be in costume when you're not performing. We typically wear some kind of cover around the belly area because in some countries where these styles of dance originate, you can be arrested for walking around with a bare belly. So out of respect for the culture that we're taking inspiration from, we tie a veil around ourselves or we have a cover up or we change out of it completely. She did not do this. So she's walking around in costume.

Again. She has no community. She keeps things separate. She doesn't have anyone to tell her that she's being disrespectful. But none of us are close enough with her socially to be that voice in her life and she's already beyond pissed (you could tell it in her performance that she was still mad. Like... you can tell when a dancer is mad because they dance differently.)

She's also… enigmatically, putting on some kind of affected accent, something in the Transatlantic meets Queens English. Like this isn't right. This isn't you.

What's going on?

(Also missing a set as a performer is one of those things that you can get blacklisted for.)

So she does her set. We do ours. She's in the audience for ours but I don't think she recognizes me as a dancer. Later, she comes up to Raven and says:

"Oh, its so NICE of you to LET your students perform with you."

Which I don't think she meant it in the way that she said it, but boy did she say it. And Raven was like… "We don't LET them perform with us, we want them to perform with us- because performances are part of building your skills and we want to see our community grow."

And not being present for the conversation I can't say what her response is other than 'oh.'

Her booth is doing tarot readings. There's a million tarot readers here, so its not surprising. But you can tell its her first time doing it and she's struggling. Which we all have a first time doing something, but its a little frustrating to see a line form for a newbie when I'm not getting much traction at all. Which is 100% sour grapes on my part but I'm starting to get rather annoyed by situation because its dipping into my business. And I start thinking about words like 'pretty privilege.' And that's unfair, I know, its jealousy. But I'm being... honest today. That's how I felt.

So that was day 1.

Here's day 2.

I didn't perform on day 2 because it was just the main troupe that day. So I got to do my photo thing.

Our troupe gets on the stage. Its a dirt floor. Raven is doing a thing with a sword and she does a move where she dramatically stabs the earth with it and dances around it. Its very elegant, its very cool, Its full of emotion and performed flawlessly. I catch it on film. Oniya is in the audience.

Oniya visits my booth, finally recognizes who I am. She is wearing something that I'm calling Esmerelda Cosplay, which- I know… cultural appropriation at the cultural appropriation convention. She glows about how she didn't know I was so talented, that I painted and wrote and did multi-media as well as photography… still doesn't recognize me as a dancer. But I can't get over like… how now that the glamour has worn off a little its like… is this genuinely you or are you being supportive because Raven had that conversation about community?

Then its time for her set.

The song she chose for her opening number is the exact same song that another troupe member performed for earlier, which means that the troupe member has to scramble and find another song to perform for her second solo (which wasn't like... the biggest affront because a lot of bellydance music is... similar, but it is very annoying to have to improvise like that at the last minute)

And… she's wearing a sword on her head.

And… okay, trade secrets. Our balancing swords are NOT sharp. They can be sharpened, but for safety reasons they are not sharp. We create the illusion of them being sharp by never touching the edge. You can still, absolutely, injure yourself on one of our swords and that's why we're very careful about performing with them. It is, once again, a skill that you have to hone. There's showmanship involved. The other performer who does sword performs with sharpened swords and I do not know how she does it. I would lose a toe.

I don't know how to describe the sword that Oniya is wearing other than that from far away it looks… plastic. I thought that it was a headband with a sword glued to it like a gag, from the distance that I was seeing it in the wings. But then it wobbled and I was like… okay, its actually balancing- sure. Why does it look so fake?

It doesn't have an edge. It doesn't have a tang. The thing is thick, like an inch thick and there's a texture to it that makes it look like a matte plastic. And its short. A typical balancing sword is about 2 feet long, but this one is like maybe a foot and some change? Like it looks like a toy.

And she is having a hard time keeping it on her head. She's got a headband and she's done her hair up to act as a barrier to keep it from falling backwards, but it is wobbling like the dickens and I don't know if anyone else could tell, but I could tell that it was like her first time using it.

I found the listing for it later on amazon while looking for a better quality sword for myself (I promise I didn't go looking for this, it just showed up when I searched 'balancing sword bellydance' because I was trying to find a 3-pounder) and the fucker is 1.4 pounds. The heavier a balancing object is, the easier it will be to keep it balanced and our lightest sword is 3 pounds, our heavy sword for dips and spins is something like 5 pounds.

So like... a comparison:

This is Seka doing a balancing act with two 5 pound Moorish scimitars. She can do complicated multi-object balance tricks (I have seen her do 3 swords at once) because that 5 pound sword on her head is not going anywhere anytime soon. She was able to do dips and kneels without them falling.

Raven here is doing a 3-pound saber, which requires a touch more body control to balance, and its why she's not doing more than one at a time. A 3-pound sword is what you use when doing 'fast sword,' which is great for the air-qualities of the sword- like slashing and slicing.

Here's a better look at the 1.4 sword. She's doing some tricks like leg lifts and splits, but those particular moves are not balance-focus movements- they're flexibility movements. She can perform those in her sleep because its how you do jazz contemporary.

Also- I'm glad I took a closer look at this picture because if you were trying to give the illusion that your sword was real, why would you hold it LIKE THAT?

There's a point where she tries to sell the illusion of it being a real sword with this move.

Never. Ever. Touch. The. Edge. Ever.

The comically fake 'ouch' on her face is such a disrespect to the showmanship of balance acts. Like... if you knew it was a sword and that the sword was sharp, you would learn that before you got on stage, would you not? "Yes, I know I am dancing around with a sharp sword on my head, but I am just now learning during the performance that its a sword that is sharp."

That is what you sound like.

She puts the oh-so-very-sharp sword back onto her head and continues her set.

It is not staying. If your sword is not staying, its because its too light. She catches it before it flies off, but she does not have the control to keep it on.

-culminating in…

…wait for it…

Stabbing the earth with her sword.

It does not stay in the earth, it flops over.

Raven was in the audience.

And she saw this.

And she's fucking livid.

Performance culture education moment: its rude as fuck to steal another person's bit.

Like… drag performers will make statements about their acts that no one can perform a similar act (a character, a song, a movement) within a 50 mile radius. Dancers will copyright certain moves and names of those moves. And if you're a dancer, and if you've been dancing for awhile, you just kind of get to knowing when someone has a bit. Like there are cues in the music, its somewhat hard to explain. But you get to knowing it.

Not Oniya- Columbus' #1 Bellydancer, though. All that went over her head- just like the sword went right over her head.

And she looks at Raven like 'did I do good?'

And we are being VERY professional because we want to see dancers grow, we don't want to discourage creativity. But. Yikes.

Her set moves on and its "Through Heaven's Eyes" from Prince of Egypt. And this is a very Jewish song, so to see a Christian woman dressed as a traveler who previously wore an embarassingly racist Arab charicature costume- dancing to a very Jewish song from a Very Jewish film- it makes me feel a certain kind of way. And I have some… hesitation about telling a black woman that she's being racist.

(Like… yes, I'm planning on doing Korobushka when I have the stamina, but I am at least learning the schottische so that I have foundational knowledge.)

…and she misses a lot of her cues. I'm seeing… the flaws. I decide that I'm not going to post the photos of her because its embarassing. And it makes me angry to see them. I'll send the photos to her so she could have them but… I need to think it over and cool off.

We don't really interact after that. Because we're busy packing up, we're tired. The troupe that's present that day decide to go get dinner and discuss the events and what is the appropriate reaction to… uh… that. Raven is the most pissed, and she has every right to be pissed because holy shit- right in front of my salad. You do not steal someone's bit.

So we give her some space to be a little unprofessional and vent about it and once we're all calmed down and have eaten we decide that the best thing to do is assume the best of her and extend an olive branch.

Plans go into the works about how we can educate better and we talk about doing some workshops on ettiquette, how to dance cultural dances while being appreciative, not appropriative. And those things are probably forthcoming. But what was decided was that we were going to invite her to the haflah (this is a party where bellydancers can perform for fun, there is usually a charity aspect do it, and there's usually workshops.) Because we would love to have her come, we would love to see her become part of the community so we can all learn from each other.

We sent two invitations and she has not responded. And maybe she's busy or maybe it went to spam email, but its becoming somewhat clear that she doesn't… want to be part of the community. Like… she's a solo act. She only dances her numbers.

We don't interact with her for months. Kay no longer books her for her shows so we don't see her.

I post a video of us on facebook, performing at Gallery Hop. She follows my photographer page, and she 'likes' the videos.

But she's no longer Oniya Divine.

She's Oniya Zhe Geisha. And her headshot shows her wearing the red dot bindi on her forehead.

Mad curious what happened here, I go to her gigsalad and she lists herself as "Geisha Zhe Genie AKA Oniya" and she's categorizing herself as a 'burlesque dancer' while her blurb still says "Columbus's #1 Bellydancer" so its kind of like… are you sure you know what ANY of these words mean?

And I'm being very unprofessional about it because I'm kind of bitter about the situation because I feel like I've been supporting this person only to find out that she's just trying on cultures like hats.

So now I'm pissed, trying to figure the situation out. Facebook tells me she took one of those 6 week masterclasses on 'art of the courtesans' that are like… seduction tips and how to embrace your 'dark feminine' and looks like she got herself some certification and that's why she's calling herself 'geisha.'

You don't get to be Geisha after six weeks of repeating 'I am' statements. Its a culturally-weighted word that you have to enter an apprenticeship for and I cannot stress this enough: you live in OHIO.

And if you're listed as a burlesque act, and you show up and you're doing bellydance and not burlesque, then you are going to have a VERY pissed off client.

A 6 week masterclass in seduction courses does not give you the right to call yourself a 'geisha.' Wearing a coin belt and voguing does not give you the right to claim the word 'genie-' a cultural connotation that we've been trying to distance ourselves from for the past 50 years. The dot in the middle of the forehead represents your marriage. Did they teach that in your courtesan classes?

All the while, we're thinking… she teaches. Teaches WHAT? Teaches how to steal a bit? Teaches how to put a toy sword on your head? Teaches how to miss your cues? Teaches how to piss off your community?

Teaches… scarf? (There's a bit she does with a scarf that you can tell is trying to do what we do with veil, but its not the right material and so it doesn't look near the same.)

(Scarf on left, veil on right)

And I know I'm being real toxic about this but I didn't come to dance to get gigs, I came to dance to be part of a community that I was missing, and to have fun and maybe once in awhile I perform for small shows. But she is getting a LOT of gigs, to the point that she's becoming a face in the local performance industry and it is giving me some real opinions about 'pretty privilege.'

I still want to believe that she's just… she needs guidance. She needs community. She needs friends in dance. She needs someone to tell her that that's not right.

But we've tried reaching out. We've tried including her. But I don't think she wants that.

So I'm hesitant to be like… 'canceled.' Because I want there to be room for her to grow. I think she has talent and just needs control, but yikes. I don't know if I can be supportive of someone using the diversity of the city as her personal playset.

Anyways, that's the whole tea. This is on my secret blog because I don't want her on blast. But I needed to put this SOMEWHERE because otherwise my head will explode.

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libraford · 2 years ago

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I do this show every year because it was the first time I really stuck my toe into action photography.

Same dancer, same venue, mostly same lighting, similar poses, in 2019, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

A lot of people think of photography as something very static. You snap a photo. It's the same every time you do it. Anyone can do this.

But these three photos do show how much you can improve in just a few years with practice. (And also how Raven Rya has improved as a performer).

What you need to know about the lighting here is that it sucks. It's a horse show area at the fairgrounds. The 'stage' is meant for animals. They covered the fluorescents AND the skylights with green film for sensory reasons. There is zero lighting design involved.

In the first shot (2019), I had no idea how to use the camera. I think I had it in the AV setting. I didnt know how to adjust white balance. I didnt know shutter speed. I didnt know anything about aperature.

Result- it's an acceptable photo. I was a good shot to get, but you can see all the people in the background. 2022 me would have picked a different angle to shoot from. They would also have used manual settings, turned down the aperature (which would blur out the people in the background) and increased the shutter speed (which would reduce blurriness of the dancer). Everything is kind of green, and I remember editing this one a LOT to get the colors even a little close.

In the 2021 photo, I'm at a higher angle, closer in, and I've made an attempt to customize the white balance. I remember I did switch to manual, but I kind of... guessed? Didnt have a grasp of the exposure triangle yet. I had JUST started at the photography job and we hadn't really gotten into candids yet. She's really red in this photo, I think I did my white balance too far back from the stage. But it's a much better still shot, no people in the background. 2022 me would have gone with lower aperature and bumped the ISO up a tad so we could see the details on her all-black costume. I definitely had a like... editing style that I've been coaching myself out of now that I have like... clients. With expectations.

So that's an improvement, just in two years.

Now its 2022. I'm sitting center. Shutter speed up, aperature down, ISO wherever it needs to be to get that detail. She's a foot ahead of the main light, so she's got harsh shadows, but that doesnt detract from the image. She's framed perfectly. That diagonal SLAPS.

My only problem is that in this instance the light is too cool. Next time, I should do the white balance closer to the stage.

Something that you dont see in this is that I'm keeping more and more photos from events. 2019, I kept about five from this routine. 2021, maybe ten. This year theres a good thirty. Knowing the science of photography has helped me be more confident in getting more shots.

I feel very good about my work now. And its important to know that I felt very good about my work then, too. But it's nice to look back and say 'yes, I'm getting better.'

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astererer · 2 years ago

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🍓 🎡 🌌 📸 👖☁️ 💘

tell me thingssssssss

ohhhhohoho hi renee!!! ty for sending an ask in :))

🍓 - do they eat their fruit & veg? what is their favourite fruit or vegetable?

aster isn’t always the best at eating her 5 a day, but she loves tropical fruits like mango and pineapple — they work great in savoury meals as well as desserts or on their own!!

🎡 - are they someone who wants to kiss at the top of the ferris wheel?

if you asked her to her face, she’d laugh and say who cares about stuff like that!! tho really that’s just bc she genuinely hadn’t thought of that kind of scenario before. after thinking on it a bit, maybe an hour afterwards, it doesn’t sound that bad….. maybe she would like to try it out……

that being said if she was with someone else who wanted to try kissing atop a ferris wheel she would be like “okay let’s do it.” no shame. she just wants an excuse to kiss whoever she’s dating haha

🌌 - what was the inspiration behind your oc? what was the first thing you decided about them?

ngl aster came from me being like “okay what if i was in the pokemon world and also way more talented/cooler” — blatant self insert/wish fulfilment stuff haha :)) she’s changed a lotttt over the years bc i kind of remade her each time a new pokemon game came out 😅 the first thing i decided about her originally was that instead of focussing on battles she’d actually be both a figure skater and ballroom dancer, and her team would take part in her routines she is neither of these things anymore

📸 - do they enjoy having their picture taken? what’s their go-to pose? do they like taking photos? what do they take photos of?

she used to hate having her photo taken, the gym challenge was fun and all but she was a very shy kid and did not like that her matches were televised/people rooting for her started to want photos w her. these days she’s still pretty “no cameras please” if random people approach her but she’s good w being photographed with friends :)) she doesn’t really know how to pose so usually goes for something silly on purpose or assumes people will just take candids that are somewhat flattering.

as far as her own photography skills go tho, aster is….. a very lazy photographer. like just lets her rotom phone take the photos for her lazy. she doesn’t really feel the need to take photos in the first place unless she thinks it’s important, but does enjoy going through her camera roll when her rotom phone has gone on a snapping spree to see what it captured

👖 - what is their go-to outfit?

aster likes trying different styles out, but her main wardrobe staples are mini skirts, boots, and an interesting top/sweater :)) she’s the kind of person who, 9 times out of 10, would pick a dress over jeans most days.

☁️ - a soft headcanon

muffin, her perrserker, is one of her best friends. after she caught him as a meowth and he warmed up to her, she’d carry him everywhere. once he evolved and got too heavy for her to pick up, she’d hold onto one of his paws and they’d be inseparable. they still are, really. he still curls up next to her every night :)) if aster feels nervous or stressed at any given time she’ll start holding his paw again. muffin, meanwhile, is ready to throw hands at who/whatever decided to upset his bestie

💘 - what traits do they look for in a relationship? do they believe in love at first sight?

she doesn’t look for relationships they just happen to her. jk jk but for real, she’s not really a super romantic person, but is open minded about the possibility of romance, so while she isn’t against against the concept of love at first sight she’s kind of sceptical about it happening to her, specifically. as for traits she looks for in a relationship…. patience is a big one — she’s pretty impatient herself, and knows having someone to balance that out and reign her in on occasion would be ideal for her. there’s also a need for the other person to be able to keep up with her, whether that’s on an intellectual level, in regards to battling, or physically ;)), it doesn’t matter, as long as she feels like there’s something stimulating about spending time with the other person. if they can make her laugh and get along w her pokemon, even better!!

——

this was funnnnn tysm again!! i want to write more about aster tbh…. perhaps i’ll put a fic out hehe

#emoji game #oc aster #and now i go to sleep it is gone 4am and i am still wearing makeup

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blush-and-books · 4 years ago

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Ray Molina headcanons?

ANON OH MY GOD THE WAY I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED TO RECEIVE THIS ASK UNTIL I GOT IT

Let's go.

He majored in communications at a local college and took a photography class to fill an elective requirement

He never went back to communications. Sir fell in love with his camera

Rose hit on him, not the other way around. But he was taking pictures of her during her show before she came up to him, so really, who did make the first move?

Ray entered a competition to win a photography grant that he ended up using to start his business. The winning photos were of Rose, and even some of Rose and Julie when Julie was a kid.

He can cook to an extent. He's not that great, but not awful either.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and he will preach this until the DAY he dies

He was really fucking excited to have a daughter. He was beyond hyped.

HANDS-ON DAD TO THE MAX. I MEAN WE KNEW THIS ALREADY BUT SIR WAS THE FIRST TO CHANGE DIAPERS AND FEED THE BABY AND WAS AN ABSOLUTE DREAM

I feel like he was raised with an emphasis on being independent where's Rose was raised with an "it takes a village" mentality; so while he is trying to take care of everything himself he has Tía Victoria advocating as their village and busting her ass to stay on top of things and Ray def learns it's okay to ask for help

He wants to feel like he can take care of everything by himself because he used to have a partner and having that partner was really big for him so now that he didn't have that he was back to that independent structure

Also due to this urge to be strong and independent he was very insistent to jump on any needs that his kids had (moving, therapy, sports, etc) with the hope that they wouldn't perceive him to be falling apart

Because he's so sociable and kind, he's always had a very strong relationship with his children. We see it in nearly every interaction with Julie and Carlos

And this is why there's cause for concern when Julie starts hiding things

But in the end, bringing it back to how he was desperate to do anything the kids needed after Rose's death, he only wanted to do things that would help Julie and continue to promote that relationship

His favorite color is blood orange/red

His guilty pleasure is Matchbox 20

Rocky road ice cream is his favorite flavor

Terrible dancer but Rose loved to dance so they would dance all the time

Low-key feel like he set Bobby/Trevor up with Carries mom and I don't know why

There was always a weird vibe with him and Bobby/Trevor (seeing as most likely B/T provided them w the house they live in) so he was always trying to do shit to maybe reciprocate such a generous act

Flynn and him are besties and any day that goes by where Flynn doesn't come over he will text her to ask if she had a good day!!!

He is a big fan of soccer and def prayed for Carlos to want to play soccer but now loves baseball too

While we know him and Tía probably had a weird start and are still in an odd place both trying to mourn, I hc that we will get strong friendship and family vibes from them. I love them as a duo and how Tía brought forth character development for him, and that they can bond over Rose!

Shoutout to @bluefirewrites for reading over this and helping me elaborate on stuff!

And thank you so much anon, this was so much fun, we are a RAY MOLINA STANNING HOUSEHOLD😤🏠

I LOVE YOU KING

#this was the most fun ever omg #jatp #julie and the phantoms #ray molina #jatp headcanons

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matthiasschoenaertsdaily · 4 years ago

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Matthias Schoenaerts full interview for De Morgen Magazine (original in Flemish, translated into English by @matthiasschoenaertsdaily)

Interview by Els Maes, published on November 28, 2020

Even a global pandemic will not destroy the optimism of actor Matthias Schoenaerts (42). Because he knows from his own experience how much beauty can emerge from the most hopeless situations. "I've had my back against the wall often enough, I'll always find a way out."

A bleak autumn day on a concrete square. There is lukewarm coffee, lukewarm Chimay and rolling tobacco. At dusk we see the silhouettes of fat rats that shoot past our ankles. And yet Matthias Schoenaerts will tell us in a glowing argument that this, here and now, is the very best place to be. That there is so much beauty to discover, he says. Le paradis c'est ici. As long as we want to see it.

"It's strange to say in this unpleasant period, but I've enjoyed the past few months enormously. It's the first time in ten years, since Runskop actually, that I'll be home for a long period of time. This is so beneficial: I am photographing, painting, writing. I can devote time and attention to the very simple things we'd otherwise race past."

"Seriously, look at that," he says, picking a leaf off the ground. "Those colors, that pattern. I can spend hours looking at the pure beauty of the things that surround us."

Above us a pigeon is wreaking havoc between the thinned out foliage. "While you are singing about the wonderful beauty of nature, that animal is going to shit on our heads," I say. "And that too will be a s-p-l-e-n-d-i-d moment," Schoenaerts answers.

Matthias Schoenaerts is Belgium's most successful international film star. But here and now, on a bench in his hometown, he is a technically unemployed actor, an all-round searching artist, but above all: fighter of cynicism. "I refuse to go along with all negativity and fear. The true battle today is cynicism versus courage. And I always choose the latter."

We're on the Oudevaartplaats, the square that everyone knows as the Antwerp Bird Market, and where Schoenaerts' childhood memories are waiting to be picked up. It comes into the conversation just like that: Brando, the cute chow chow that little Matthias got from his mom on this square, when here on the bird market puppies were still sold. "My dogs were my great loves. The home situation was often difficult, and with my dogs I found security. We had three chow chows, those fluffy lion dogs with a blue tongue. Brando was the first, I loved that animal."

"We lived in a small apartment with three dogs, anything but ideal. One day we let them go, to people with a large estate. That was heartbreaking."

There is a beautiful lesson in that, about love and letting go. It would have been selfish to keep your dogs if you could give them a nicer life elsewhere, wouldn't it?

"Absolutely, but I obviously didn't process that departure properly. Brando still appears in my dreams, after all these years. Then he returns home unexpectedly, and am I mad with joy.

"I often dream about my parents too: that reunion is so intensely beautiful and warm. Oh, there you are, finally! Those dreams are true to life, and the awakening is rock-hard."

Is that one of the reasons why you like being here in Antwerp, because here you feel more connected to the people that you loved?

"This is my home, my zero, I can't imagine a place in the world where I would rather live. When my mom was alive, and especially when she got sick, in between filming I tried to be with her as much as possible here in Antwerp. In the meantime I have an apartment here, my first permanent place of my own, but I've hardly been there in recent years. Now I can finally enjoy my home, I find peace, tranquility and inspiration there. I have seen fantastic sunsets on my roof terrace in recent months. So much beauty, and you can just admire it there, every day, for free. As long as you take the time to enjoy it.

"Normally I would have started filming again in April, and left for a hectic ride of at least two years, with projects that would follow each other quickly. I was at my limits, sooner or later I was going to bang my head against the wall. I feel how beneficial it is to slow down for a moment. David Lynch said that: 'Just slow things down and it becomes more beautiful'.

"As an actor you have to work in a big machine, according to a tight schedule. I have now discovered the pleasure of creating things for myself very spontaneously in my own cadence."

Is that work something you ever want to go public with?

"I want to do something with my photography someday, but I'm in no hurry. I'm also writing a film script, I've had an idea for a trilogy for a long time. It's a very personal project, and it takes time for it to crystallize into something very pure and proper. Maybe those films will come within ten years, maybe never.

"The most important thing is to keep busy. You have to look for something, anything, on which you can focus your passion, love and attention. Of course I would like to return to set, and those projects will come back later. But if I can't change anything about a situation, why worry about it?

"From a very young age I learned that there are not many certainties in life, I adapt easily to unexpected circumstances. There is one thing I can't stand, and that is feeling powerless. I never want to be the victim of a situation, I will always think: what can I do myself? Which way can I go? I have often enough stood with my back against the wall, I will always find a way out and take matters into my own hands."

So Schoenaerts decided to use this period to put Zenith - his artist name as a street artist - to hard work. Since the lockdown he has already created nine impressive murals, including one in the courtyard of the Oudenaarde prison, and one at the beginning of this month in the Antwerp Begijnenstraat, on the bare walls that form their furthest horizon for the prisoners. A moving event, he says. Not only by the touching conversations with inmates, and the forty-minute applause with which the prisoners welcomed him. "The mural contains a poem by my father. While I am there painting those beautiful words of my dad on the wall, I suddenly remember that my mom used to give meditation lessons to the prisoners there in the Begijnenstraat. I had completely forgotten about that until I stood there. How beautiful that is. Suddenly I felt my parents very tangible, very close to me."

It's a bit funny: a long time ago you were arrested for graffiti, now they invite you to prison to make a mural.

"I used to tag a lot, but I really don't like the vandalism that sometimes comes with graffiti. Defacing a facade, that's just ridiculous. But trains, bridges, tunnels.... frankly I think that's the max. Soon I'm going to do another oldskool graffiti wall, with some friends, back to the roots. But with permission, yes."

Scary dudes

The problems of the Belgian detention system are well known: outdated infrastructure, overcrowding and a system of pre-trial detention which means that some people are innocently stuck for years. Schoenaerts: "These are human lives that are destroyed by the Belgian state, isn't that scandalous?"

Schoenaerts' engagement started years ago, after meeting Hans Claus, prison director in Oudenaarde, who contacted him when he wanted to organize a screening of Le Fidèle, the film by Michaël R. Roskam starring Schoenaerts. Claus has been fighting for many years for a reform of our detention system, among others with the non-profit organization De Huizen, small-scale centers that are more focused on rehabilitation and reintegration of the detainee. How does Schoenaerts see his role? "Those murals are a kind of lubricant for me, to get attention for this problem. I am not the expert and I am certainly not a politician. This injustice touches me as a human being, and my message is clear: please listen to the people who have been working hard for decades to reform the system from the inside."

In The Mustang, your last feature film to be seen here before the lockdown, you take on the role of a prisoner who learns to tame wild horses and his demons. Has that role changed your vision?

"That rehabilitation program with mustangs really exists, and the chance of recidivism is almost zero percent. I had a conversation in the Begijnenstraat with the minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld, ed.), and he told me that the chance of relapse here is 40 to 50 percent. Isn't that madness?

"That's what fascinates me most of all: what do we do with those detainees while they're stuck? How can we help to break the destructive patterns that put them in prison? Imprisonment is a punishment in itself, but someday we'll send those people back into society, so let's mainly support them in their self-development.

"In preparation for The Mustang, I visited prisons in the U.S., and talked to men who had been detained for 20, 30 years. Heavy guys: Aryan Brotherhood (powerful crime syndicate of neo-Nazis in American prisons, ed.), Mexican gang leaders... real scary dudes. You know what those say to me? That they live in fear every day, but they must not show weakness. Psychological counseling and things like that have their value, but that's often very cerebral. I especially believe in the healing power of art. Imagine that inmates can express all those fucked up emotions through art: I think that there is an enormous potential in this."

I heard you're playing with the idea of giving acting lessons to inmates?

"That's not a concrete plan yet, but I would love it if people from the creative sector would commit themselves to this: musicians, sculptors, dancers. Or writers who help prisoners put their own story into words.

"The cultural sector needs to start sticking its neck out. The sector is lying flat, and that's terrible. But we have to keep moving. We can all do something for the community, without being paid for it. Planting small seeds, doing something good for your fellow man, something beautiful always comes out of it."

Had you been to a prison before The Mustang?

"To visit friends, yes. In Merksplas, Hoogstraten, Hasselt, Dendermonde... We shouldn't talk about that any further. A prison is deep tristesse. Who dares to call that 'a hotel', shame on you."

This summer you painted an impressive mural in Paris in honor of George Floyd, murdered by American officers. And in Ostend last week a new mural was unveiled, with a 'decapitated' Leopold II. Is activism an important part of your street art?

"Graffiti used to be more of a style exercise for me, you want to create things that get noticed within the scene. But gradually I felt like communicating with a wider audience. I like to incorporate a lot of symbolism in my paintings, such as the cracks I photograph all over the world and then magnify them in another place. And the praying hands, a universal image of hope and faith in yourself. Art has the power to speak to our deepest emotions, and that is what binds us to the other. Connectedness, empathy, harmony, solidarity, that's the essence for me."

The corona crisis is one big exercise in empathy and solidarity. Sometimes we seem to lack that.

"I refuse to surrender to cynicism, and I surround myself with positive people who do beautiful things for others. This period would lead us to insights: how do we deal with each other? Do we help each other, or is it every man for himself? A human is such a wonderful creature, but we mess it up so much for ourselves.

"Yeah, I know. Some people who read this will think: this guy is smoking too many joints. (laughs) I don't smoke joints, and I'm not an unworldly idealist. But I will always focus my attention on the good, in spite of everything."

If you always want to see the good in people, are you sometimes disappointed?

"Yes, of course. I'm not a naive brat, I've learned to guard my boundaries. I can't please everyone all the time, and I don't let anyone rush me. I react badly when people put pressure on me because they want things from me. The perception of me that others have of me, I can't control. I don't let myself put out of balance easily anymore."

I saw that on your Instagram Stories you warned about fake profiles on social media, of people pretending to be you. That made you visibly angry.

"Really, that makes me angry. Every day I receive screenshots from people who have been tricked by crooks who approach innocent victims with my name and my pictures. There are stories of fans who have paid thousands of euros because they were promised a meet-and-greet with me. How disgusting is that? One person has transferred 14,000 euros to someone who pretended to be my manager.

"Of course, that raises questions about how gullible some people can be. But I've seen those chat conversations for myself: those criminals are terribly sneaky. They know how to play on the vulnerabilities of their victims in a very cunning way. This is manipulation and swindle of the filthiest kind.

"Really, I get physically unwell when I think about it. How can someone be so mean? If I ever catch these guys, I'm gonna bash their skulls in, I'm not kidding. Sorry."

Or: those crooks get a jail sentence, where you're going to give them acting lessons.

(laughs) "Okay, let it be clear that I think everyone should be punished for their crimes. My commitment to the prison system is not a plea for impunity, and I certainly don't want to romanticize crime.

"But when someone abuses innocent people's trust in such a cunning way, the question is: how did you derail so morally? And above all: how can we initiate a transformation in that person? Surely you can't lock someone up and expect that person to suddenly make better choices years later? First such a person has to take responsibility for his own actions."

Do you have something criminal on your conscience?

"No." (Thinks for a second) "No. Thank God. I couldn't live with that.

"I've probably hurt people in my life, like everybody else. Sometimes we just hurt people because of who we are, or because we can't fulfill what others want from us. But I have never harmed anyone consciously or criminally, no."

As a teenager you sometimes came into contact with the juvenile court, for vandalism. Do you think you could have ended up on the other side of the bars?

"Probably, a life can take strange turns sometimes."

What made you sit here today, and not get on the 'wrong' path?

"Wait... that's a good question. There's the one terrible dramatic event that caused a total turnaround in my life: when my dad went into a coma after a psychosis, and I was told he only had 24 hours left to live.

"I was 21 then, thrown out of school for the umpteenth time. I was doing graffiti and wanted to find my way creatively. But I was messing around, going with friends who... Anyway, there was latent danger, it threatened to go a little bit the wrong way.

"And then I got that phone call: come and say goodbye. Bam. The relationship with my father had been sour for years, we hardly saw each other. Until I stood there at his deathbed in intensive care... I only felt love, a wave of emotions that I had pushed down very deeply. That realization was rock-hard: this was it. My father and I will never get the chance to figure shit out, I thought.

"Long story, the rest is known: after 72 hours my father woke up from a coma against all odds. Like a plant: he could not speak, reacted to nothing or nobody. According to the chief psychiatrist, we had to accept that his condition would never improve. That was without the fighting spirit of my mother and me.

"It's because of that unlikely event that I've changed my whole lifestyle. For eight months, my mother and I went to visit my father every day. We talked to him, but he seemed to look straight through us. For hours we sat with him at the psychiatry department of Stuivenberg, how desperate those first months were also. We continued to fight, taught him to talk, to eat, to walk. A miracle, the doctors called it. Bullshit of course. It was love, dedication and stubbornness. Especially thanks to my mother, the lioness who kept fighting for him. And see how much beauty came out of it. My life then received an entirely different impulse.

"I suddenly think of an anecdote I've never told before. After a while we were allowed to take my father to the cafeteria once in a while, or to the garden. But he was absolutely not allowed to leave the hospital. Fuck it. I hid a bag of clothes for him, secretly dressed him in the toilet and took my father to the city. By bus, because I didn't have a driver's license. I wanted to stimulate his senses, test if any memories would come back. He was fond of Our Lady's Cathedral, so that's where I wanted to take him."

Matthiaske, why am I crying?

He plays it out. The written version here is only a dead script compared to the lived-through performance, right there on that dark square, just around the corner of the Arenbergschouwburg, where Matthias made his stage debut as a 9-year-old boy next to father Julien, as The Little Prince.

Matthias shows how he supported his frail dad, and how they shuffled in small, careful steps towards the cathedral. Dad looking at the ground to be sure not to fall. "I say, 'Dad, look up'. He looks up, and I see the tears rolling down his cheeks. I had never seen my father cry. 'Matthiaske,' he says, 'can you tell me why I'm crying?'

"I had already decided then that I would take my father into my house. Overconfident, yes, at that age, but they have become the most beautiful years of my life. Mom came by every day to help. Suddenly we were a bit of a family again, something we had only been for a short time when I was young."

It was at that time that you decided to become an actor. Why did you decide to become an actor?

"I had always resisted following in my father's footsteps. In my youth I mainly wanted to break away from my father, and seek my own path. I didn't want to have anything to do with him and all those loudmouths around him in the theater world. But most of all I was terrified that compared to the great Julien Schoenaerts I would never be good enough.

"Only now do I understand why I then decided to go to the conservatory. Not to become an actor, but to understand my father. We had so many years together, and now that we had been given a second chance, I wanted to get to know him as well as possible. By acting, maybe I could get closer to him." (pauses)

Sentimental fuss

He banishes the tears. It's one of the many things he has in common with his father, he says: they're both very emotional, but they hate sentimental fuss. "Come on, Matthias: breathe," he commands himself.

"Voilà, see how much beauty can come out of misery. What a chain of beautiful things came out of the fight my mother and I put up in the most hopeless situation. Who knows how differently my life would have turned out?"

"There are so many lessons in that. If we just talked about the rehabilitation of detainees, for example. It takes commitment. Not a workshop of two hours. You have to persevere, even in the event of a setback, with no guarantee of a happy ending. That's why I think it's so important to keep telling that story about my dad. Those are the values I believe in: dedication, stamina, attention, love. You can apply that to everything in life. Love is the fuel."

You often talk about your parents as if you want to keep them alive with your words.

"Because my mom and dad are the people I've loved most. With them I shared the most important moments, built the most beautiful memories. That loss is enormous. Life has been really fucking tough since they've been gone.

"That's what grabs me so much in this period. How many people have died of corona in Belgium?"

According to Google, today, on the day of the interview, the counter stands at almost 14,000 deaths.

"Fourteen thousand! Imagine how many people that has an impact on? How many people have suddenly lost their mother, father, brother, sister, best friend or neighbor? Behind those figures lie tens of thousands of poignant stories, of people who see a loved one torn from their lives. That is a mountain of unresolved grief, and far too little attention is paid to it."

Earlier during our conversation a guy had walked past coughing and maskless. It pissed Schoenaerts off: "And whining about masks or strict measures. Grow some fucking balls. Having to say goodbye to a loved one, that's the worst thing."

"Isn't that what this period teaches us? That our time here is limited? And what really counts in life: sharing moments of beauty with the people you hold most dear. All the rest is wallpaper. Having success, making movies, that's all fun. But the day you lie on your deathbed, you really don't think about the professional successes on your resume. No way."

#matthias schoenaerts #interviews #misc #by us

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monstrousroommates · 3 years ago

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Raspberry Morbs

(On ao3)

The Christmas season was incredibly busy. Roman’s theatre was putting on a very grand panto, and the Cairnhills wanted him to come to their holiday parties. He was very concerned that they planned to set him up with one of Patricia's friends. Probably the one who loved cerise and arsenic green. Tiffany? Something like that. She had dark eyes and a strong jaw, leaning towards handsome instead of pretty. Patrica wrote to him about her a lot, about the difficulty she was having with her season, despite her aristocratic connections. Roman wondered if revealing what he was actually doing with his time would dissuade them. Exactly how much of a social disaster would being an actor be?

Meanwhile, Remy’s correspondence heated up as he wrote back and forth with Johan, or Jean for now, setting things up for him to take his house and small staff back, while at the same time, Remy tried to decide where he was going to go next. He supposed he could get another house in town, or even move to a different part of the country. Either way he’d probably lose Roman’s company. He could go back to France, it had been a while. Maybe he could even sneak by his family’s old home and see which of his sisters had inherited it.

That didn’t appeal to him in the least, now that he’d thought of it. He couldn’t go back. That wasn’t how it worked. Besides the idea of going back to the continent itched like a healing sunburn. It was a familiar sort of itch. He’d felt it as a teenager, before he’d ended up in the army- not a place Remy was really suited to. Something was coming. Maybe not soon in a human’s life, but soon enough for him. Besides, a whole new century was coming up quickly. Maybe he should try something really different.

Remy started a new letter. Not much would actually happen until after Christmas Time, but letters took a while to get places, even with the RMS ships.

Remy was sitting in the smoking room, avoiding the crowd at the Christmas party. Ed had invited him since he was hosting it and still considered Remy a good friend, not to mention the best friend of his cousin, and Patrica was showing off a substantial engagement ring, having managed to land a third son from a titled family. As was easily predicted, she was trying to fix up the last of her brother’s bachelor friends with people she knew. Remy was slightly jealous of Ernest who had disappeared head first into academia, and was quite aimed quite happily at confirmed bachelorhood. Remy personally suspected that Louis, Ernest’s man, had an extended relationship with him. At any rate, Ernest wasn’t attending, and Remy was only hiding a little.

Roman sat down across from Remy ungracefully. Remy looked up from the book he was pretending to read.

“So, it turns out admitting I’m working as an actor is exactly scandalous enough that they’re worried about me, but not enough for them to abandon me, when they could find me more appropriate employment. And a wife.”

Remy couldn’t help it. He snorted with laughter.

“What would you do with a wife?”

“Give her a good dress allowance, I suppose.” Roman shrugged, and ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand up wildly. “And probably her own bedroom.” He shook his head. “That … sounds familiar somehow.” he grumbled under his breath in a language Remy didn’t speak; probably either Greek or Egyptian, Remy hadn’t bothered to learn the difference between them.

“Her name is in fact Tiffany, by the way.” He sighed, and brought his feet up on the couch beside him, a habit Roman only exhibited when he was distracted. “She’s a lovely dancer. Dark hair, dark eyes, good family.” Roman rolled his hand. “Apparently her father was an officer in India, and got himself forcibly married to a local girl. Sort of.” He sighed. “I’m sure if I don’t escape, I’ll get the less romantic version.” Roman shook his head. “Ah, buggerment, what time is it?” he pulled out his watch. “I’ve got to get off. Would you cover my absence?”

“I’ll throw a cloth over it.” Remy agreed. “Pussy stays in the sack.”

“You’re a grand pal.” Roman flashed a winning smile and kissed Remy’s cheek before heading out.

Technically, bringing a few of their friends out to a Panto wasn’t telling them where Roman was. Remy had already bought the tickets and arranged it ahead of time, so it wasn’t as if he could back out at that late juncture. It was hardly his fault if Roman hadn’t been listening when he told everyone. At least everyone had a good time, and it did Ed some good to cut loose as he used to, even with a wife on his arm.

It was a pretty good show, to boot.

In late February, Remy had gotten his answers, and was making plans. Jean would be showing up in the spring, and he’d warned Marié and Albert. While they were both fond of Remy, they appeared to be glad that he’d be returning in their lifetimes, Johan being the one to initially employ them. Beyond that, he was more of a homebody, and there would be a greater staff to the house. Remy took most of his enjoyment outside the house, and had rarely thrown parties, the one where he ‘met’ Roman being something like unusual.

He was sitting at the desk in his room, glasses off and pinching at his nose. Going far enough he wouldn’t actually need to alter much, but things were bound to be different.

“Remy?” Roman stuck his head in, and finding his friend came in to sprawl on an armchair. “You’ve been busy of late.”

“And you?”

Roman sighed. “They hired a new director, and he does not appreciate my talents. I have been shoved from the limelight and given no reason for it!”

“Dreadful!” Remy shook his head, and rested on his elbow. “Nothing so terrible for me. I’ve been working up to reset.”

“Ah.” Roman’s face looked a bit sad. “That means you’ll be leaving, doesn’t it?”

“I’m heading to America.”

“Ah! Quite the change I’m sure. Good plan.” he curled up into the chair for a long moment, then looked up at Remy, and smiled. “... There is theatre in America.”

“Yes?” Remy put his tinted glasses back on and turned to look at Roman.

“I’m not quite ready to part your company.” Roman said fondly. “Let’s go together. Besides, I hear the Americans are doing marvelous things with photography.”

“Are you sure?”

“Better to leave now, before I end up with a wife, or someone notices my continued good looks, hrm?” Roman smiled. “Ah!” he came to his feet and struck a pose. “I will tell my darling aunt that I have taken her words to heart, and am heading to America to make something more of myself than a mere thespian,” he struck a pose.

Remy leaned back in his chair and burst into laughter.

“Tops, Pidge! Let’s do it!” He leapt up himself and gathered Roman into a hug spinning them around. “We’ll take the colonies by storm, the two of us!”

Roman started laughing as well.

“It’s my pleasure to continue as your companion!”

“And I won’t even make you travel in a box!” Remy teased, squeezing the other man close. “Owch!” he laughed. “I’m the one who bites things!” he teased.

“Well you shall suffer the curse of this mummy’s company.”

“A fate worse than death- oh wait.”

It wasn’t anything Remy had expected, but he was so glad to keep Roman’s friendship.

#Monster AU #TS Remy #ts roman #sanders sides fic

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kishimoto-did-us-dirty · 4 years ago

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Naruto Arts School AU

Reposting bc I love this post and bc I can lol

Character

- major

description

Naruto

-Drums

okie nobody can deny that our main boy over here is a loud soul, however, he can also carry a damn good beat that compliments his band mates’ music really well. Tbh, he sucked at music to begin with and had trouble matching rhythms and listening to his band mates when they played, however he eventually became a really good rhythm maker.

Sasuke

-Guitar (lead)

He’d be assigned to the same band as Naruto, and that’s how they met. This boy is a damn good guitarist y’all, but has attitude problems��, and used to not be able to deal with Naruto’s haphazard beat making, thus perpetuating a rivalry between the two. He constantly feels overshadowed by his elder brother Itachi, a piano major.

Sakura

- Dance

Ya girl fucking demolishes every single dance routine. Initially starting out with a focus on ballet (pre-shippuden in canon), our pink headed queen soon realized that she wasn’t getting the full experience of what it meant to dance. Her point shoes were her loves, however they hurt and nipped in places not just physical. She realized that she didn’t want to be pigeonholed into a genre of which she would be inhibited by standard, and rather to dance so as to forget technical perfection. Thus, what would partner with post-shippuden Sakura in canon, Art School AU Sakura got into hip-hop. And bitch, she goes hard. A lot of the other girls who she used to dance ballet with admire her for her absolutely BODYING her dance routines, but also for never sacrificing her femininity to dance and not taking BS for being a girl who goes so hard in a male-dominated genre. (Some people believe that hip-hop is heavy hitting and a little metaphorically “dark” so to speak, which Sakura is not. So obviously I expect a little disagreement regarding this, however if you look at people like Delaney Glazer or Kaycee Rice, that is how Sakura would dance).

Hinata

- Creative Writing

Shy and bookworm-like, Hinata can write the best poetry, romance and adventure pieces out of all the creative-writing majors. She’s especially good at writing character relationships and development, and has such a subtle sense of intelligent wit in her writing, that if you blinked you would miss it. However should you catch it, you’re sure to chuckle. Her only struggle is that she tends to drag on in important scenes, stretching them against the regular flow of the rest of her writing. Needs validation for her writing through an IV drip.

Kiba

- Drums OR Photography

Drums for obvious reasons (loud and obnoxious), although ruff boi looks good with a camera, too. Great at landscapes and street photography.

Shino

- Creative Writing OR Photography

I could definitely see Shino having fucking beautiful handwriting, and being a beast at writing anything within the sci-fi realm. I could also see him doing some journalism, and writing for the school paper. He’s very good at the logic of his sci-fi books and coming up with logical but enrapturing stories, that intermingle knowledge and mystery. He’s a very specific type of read, however, and may not appeal to all, however if you enjoy anything similar to Star Wars or Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, then Shino is your author. If this doesn’t float your boat, though, try photography-major Shino. He can get the best angles of bugs he sees, and has an extensive portfolio with entomology-related snapshots.

Ino

- Dance

Like Sakura, she, too, began with a focus on ballet, however began to branch out into contemporary ballet a little later than Sakura. This is another reason why Sakura switched her focuses, as she and Ino had always had a fierce rivalry for dieting (ballet dancers are pressured to be as thin as possible) as well as battling for technical perfection when they were ballet focused. As the two grew, Ino focused more so on contemporary, but can certainly do some hip-hop with Sakura every now and then, just as Sakura occasionally takes a contemporary class with her. The two still have a rivalry, however, just not to the previous extent as when they were actively competing against each other. They’re more like sisters.

Shikamaru

- Guitar (bass) OR Creative Writing OR Architecture

Smart boy’s a tricky one. He would either be a bassist, a mystery and historical fiction writer, or, of his school offers it, be great at architecture. Idrk.

Choji

- ermmmmm….. maybe graphic design? Tech theatre (props)? Vocal???

Choji is hARD dwnccnpc (that’s what she said). I could see him behind a computer screen, animating and designing games/covers/posters or whatever. He could also do something in theatre, but I don’t think he would do anything up on stage. Something like props would suit him. He might do something in music, tho???? Can he sing???? Help???

UPDATE: Choji is a band kid. He plays tuba or some shit. Big boy got big lungs.

Tenten

- Dance

Always has been, and always will be a hip-hop dancer. She wanted to be like Tsunade, a legendary dancer and followed in her footsteps, taking up hip-hop. (that’s why Sakura focused on hip-hop, too, because Tsunade mentored her and taught a few of her classes, too). Tenten is fast and can keep up with any beat. Not only is she a great dancer, but she’s also athletic, and does track and field (cross country), football, and softball at another school too, since the arts schools doesn’t offer it. Overall great dancer with styl. She’s really looked up to by some of her underclassmen for her cheery, but badass style and skill.

Lee

- DANCE (hip-hop, too)

It’s sweat. It’s burn. It’s energy. It’s Lee.

Neji

- Violin

First chair violinist in his freshman year for the school’s philharmonic orchestra. He be extra like that.

Gaara

- Guitar (bass)

He had a lonely childhood with neglectful/abusive parents, and rock music really helped him with that. Emo music is emo and often made fun of, but the songs have messages and Gaara related, so self-taught himself the bass guitar to help cope, and bring him closer to the music that salvaged him.

Kankuro

-Art

Specifically sculpting. For obvious reasons.

Temari

- Acting

Girl can make you cry with some of her monologues. Total lead. Has a seriousness in her acting that makes her believable, however can falter on the less-serious roles. She may also double-major in whatever Shikamaru does. And she’s better at it than him.

Itachi

-Piano

Boy could play any etude at age 7. Performed at Carnegie Hall when he was 10. And no, he didn’t pay to play there. The hall invited him. Began composing at 9. Has perfect pitch. Owns international awards. If he’s not at school it’s because he’s traveling to play for crowds. He excels at classical and baroque, however has an ear for romantic, and enjoys playing/composing pieces either written or inspired by romantic pieces. Enjoys Schumann, Debussy, and Tchaikovsky. Hates modern classical music, though. Can only take cinematic pieces composed by people like Williams, however can’t stand Prokofiev at all. He does like modern music, though, so long as it’s outside of the orchestral/classical music realm. He likes R&B. He would have liked to do film with Shisui, particularly producing, however his parents pressure him with piano, so he helps Shisui with student films and projects outside of school (will probably pursue film after graduating, tho).

Shisui

- FILM / VIDEO PRODUCTION

Fight me on this!!! THIS BOY IS SO GOOD AT CINEMATOGRAPHY MY FILMMAKING ASS CAN’T EVEN. AS SOMEONE WHO IS IN LOVE WITH FILMOGRAPHY, TRUST ME, SHISUI HAS IT™. THE IT™. HE’S GOOD AT EVERYTHING. CINEMATOGRAPHY. DIRECTING. SCREENWRITING. GRIP-WORK. EDITING. PRODUCING. HE’S SUCH A FILM NERD TOO, AND WATCHES OLD FILMS ALL THE TIME. HE’S JUST TOO GOOD AT IT. DOES STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TOO. HE’S OVERALL A GENIUS WITH CAMERAS. Does film with Itachi outside of school and teaches him, and the two are overall geniuses at filmography. They want to start their own studio together (they do, and it becomes huge). He becomes a leading director, while Itachi becomes a producer and directs sometimes too.

Sasori, Deidara, and Sai

Guess.

Kakashi

- Saxophone

It’s the only thing that suits him and it suits him so well. Has suave.

Obito (omfg his arms y'all)

- Not to say drums or anything, but…. drums.

Narutard 2.0. But he also dabbles in other areas of music. Like, he can also play guitar and sing. He’s also pretty good at music production. Makes R&B sometimes. He wasn’t always the best musician but proved to be a late bloomer, and really harnessed his potential. Tries to be as suave as Kakashi and his saxophone. He isn’t.

Hashirama

- Vocal

OkaYYYYYY. VOCAL GOD. CAN DO RIFFS AND RUNS AND HAS PERFECT PITCH. ALSO THE SWEETEST GUY??? WAS A CHAMBER SINGER AS A FRESHMAN. EVERYONE LOVES HIM, GOOD BOY ENERGY.

Likes to belt.

Madara

- Piano

Total prodigy, but hates classical music. Once was accompanist to Hashirama for a solo vocal performance and hasn’t been left alone since.

Tobirama

- Viola or Cello

Some sort of string instrument and takes it very seriously. Probably plays cello because violas are violas and that’s lame (if you know, you know). Has almost as many awards as Itachi and Madara, but hates his usual piano accompanist, Izuna.

Izuna

- Piano

Also a piano god. The uchihas breed them. Hates being accompanist for Tobirama. They’re secretly best friends though, don’t tell anyone.

Karin

- Tech Theatre.

Idk why. Probably started out with props and made her way up to TD (technical director) in senior year.

Suigetsu

- Tech Theatre

Fucking hates theatre kids. Assistant TD. Karin hates him.

Jugo

- Visual Art

Paints landscapes and nature. Really good with oils and gouache respectively.

Yamato

- lmao Trumpet.

Met Kakashi since they both play brass, but boy he ain’t got that suave. That’s why he plays trumpet. Lmao he plays the fucking trumpet anjdwcnojdnn.

Rin

- Vocal

Sweetest voice and could also play the acoustic guitar when she sang. Died in a car accident junior year. Kakashi was at the wheel when they got hit by a drunk driver. Obito saw the whole thing.

Kurenai

- Visual Art

Can create dream like paintings that almost seem like illusions.

Asuma

- Cello / guitar

Used to play cello because of his parents, but loves to play guitar. Can sing but his voice is raspy from smoking.

Gai

Who the fuck do you think teaches dance?

Jiraiya

- Guitar (lead)

Used to major in lead guitar. Sucked at first. Probably has a couple, casual Grammy Awards (they’re actually not that hard to be awarded with, The Recording Academy award many people outside of mainstream media. My school has a few). Now teachers as head of the Band department at this school.

Tsunade

-Dance

Legendary dancer. Probably toured with a few famous people. Now teaches. Mentored Sakura, and mentored Ino but for a shorter time.

Orochimaru

- Idk, didgeridoo, or some shit

Definitely a wood wind. Flute maybe??? Teaches now but no one knows what he does. Pedophile. Has a thing for Sasuke.

108 notes · View notes

tumbleweed-palmer · 3 years ago

Text

Unexpected: Jimmy Palmer x Original Character

I am having to repost all my fics because tumblr terminated my old blog. So here we go spamming up the Jimmy Palmer tag.

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Jimmy Palmer could admit he’d never found himself too annoyed by Tony Dinozzo. In fact, Jimmy was usually capable of dealing with Tony’s less than mature behavior without becoming too frustrated or too flustered.

Jimmy had long ago learned to take Tony’s immature comments and his habit of being far too nosy about his coworker’s personal lives with good stride. He’d learned to brush off the comments and the jokes. To be honest, Jimmy had always been somewhat fond of Tony’s tendency to give him a hard time.

It felt more like the actions of an older brother pestering a younger sibling, than anyone with any ill intentions. Jimmy had no older siblings, only a younger sister. So, really it just felt like Tony was a big brother of sorts, giving Jimmy a hard time and harassing him because he cared. Jimmy knew the moniker of “Autopsy Gremlin” or the sarcastic comments and jokes weren’t meant to be cruel. He knew that deep down Tony didn’t mean any disrespect.

Lately though it was becoming harder and harder for Jimmy to brush off Tony’s comments and his bad habit of attempting to shove his nose where it didn’t belong.

Today had been particularly brutal, all thanks to an unfortunately noticeable dark bruise along Jimmy’s neck. Anyone with any social awareness would easily be able to deduce exactly just how Jimmy had gotten these marks along his neck. Most people would spot a bruise along someone’s neck and would know it meant one thing and one thing only.

Most people though wouldn’t have the audacity to mention it. Tony Dinozzo wasn’t most people.

Tony had been quite loud about pointing out the large hickey along Jimmy’s neck and he’d done it at a crime scene of all the places to possibly bring it up.

Jimmy’s cheeks had flushed a deep shade of scarlet as Tony had spotted the hickey unable to resist himself. “Jeez Palmer, what happened to you? Did you use a vacuum cleaner or did you manage to actually find a lady gremlin to do that for you? That thing is huge. I don’t know if I should be disgusted or impressed. I’m dying to know just where she learned to do that, because I’m assuming you didn’t teach her.”

Jimmy had resisted the urge to drown himself in the lake Dr. Mallard and he’d been retrieving a body from as he’d squeaked out an “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Though by the way Jimmy had pulled the collar of his jumpsuit up in a poor attempt to hide the lovebite along his neck, it had been quite obvious to everyone that Jimmy knew exactly what Tony was talking about.

Thankfully Tony had dropped the subject fast becoming distracted by Gibbs’ less than pleased expression, but the entire situation had still been so mortifying.

This wasn’t the first time anyone had spotted a little lovebite along Jimmy’s neck over the course of the past year, and it wasn’t the first time Tony had something to say about it. It was still none the less absolutely horrifying for Jimmy.

Each time Tony mentioned a lovebite along Jimmy’s neck, Jimmy died a little inside.

As the day had worn on so had Tony’s prodding and needless to say Jimmy was more than ready to get far far away from NCIS headquarters and he hoped and prayed he’d have the entire weekend to suppress the memory of any of this ever happening.

Jimmy had worked far too late for a Friday night and he was more than ready to get out of the building as Tony approached him at the elevator looking all too much like a shark that had spotted a pool of blood.

“In a rush to get home Palmer?”

Jimmy cleared his throat trying to pretend that he wasn’t frantically pushing the up button on the elevator as though that would make his only form of escape arrive any quicker. “It’s Friday.”

“Got big plans for the weekend? I’ve always been curious, just what does an Autopsy Gremlin do on the weekend? I’m almost afraid to ask.” Tony commented, working his way up to the main punchline.

Jimmy shrugged his shoulders trying to play it cool. “Just a quiet weekend, nothing exciting.”

“Nothing exciting huh? I hope whoever gave you that little lovebite on your neck isn’t disappointed to hear that you don’t think they were exciting. I’m a little worried about just what you consider exciting if you didn’t find the process of getting that thing to be thrilling.” Tony pointed out while watching Jimmy squirm.

Jimmy groaned at this trying his best to play dumb in hopes this conversation would die. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh huh.” Tony responded not shying away from giving Jimmy a pat on the back before he spoke again.

It’s nothing to be ashamed of Palmer, It’s only a little gross when I think about it. I’m actually kind of impressed. You did the impossible, you got a girl to do that for you and it’s not even the first time it’s happened. You can’t blame me for being curious. The Autopsy Gremlin is getting some sweet sweet loving and I have to know just what she looks like, it is a she right? If not, I don’t judge. I would just be surprised to find you swing that way, especially after the whole Agent Lee thing. Are you having an office romance again? I’m guessing not, since I haven’t noticed you getting any attention from any of the ladies at NCIS, which means that Lady Gremlin doesn’t work here.”

Jimmy let out a sigh of relief as the elevator doors finally swung open, Jimmy escaping into the safe confines of the elevator so relieved that Tony didn’t follow him.

He spoke frantically pushing the close door button. “I gotta go, have a good weekend Tony.”

Jimmy closed his eyes, a heavy sigh of relief leaving him as he was finally left alone safe from Tony until next week.

A little voice in the back of his head was all too quick to speak Oh, if Tony only knew.

Jimmy had never meant for it to be like this. He’d never been the best at lying. Or, at least people told him he was a bad liar.

Maybe he wasn’t such a bad liar though, after all he’d been living a lie at work for a year now. He’d been lying to his coworkers for so long that his lies felt like truths at this point.

Jimmy’s personal life had become a well kept secret from the vast majority of his coworkers and Jimmy knew if the truth came out then Tony Dinozzo would kill him.

Jimmy had to believe though that the risk of death was well worth it. Olivia Dinozzo was so worth the risk of imminent death.

He hadn’t known exactly who she was when they’d first met on this elevator only a year before.

Olivia, or Liv as she preferred to be called had kind of stuck out like a sore thumb at NCIS headquarters.

They had met in the most unassuming of ways. The elevator had stopped at the first floor and Liv had stepped on wearing a visitors badge.

Jimmy had been hers in an instant and she hadn’t even known it. He’d glanced over at her and he couldn’t look away.

The thin straps of the deep purple dress she’d been wearing hadn’t done a thing to hide her figure, at least when it came to cleavage. The dress’ paisley print and loose flowing fabric had made her look more like she should be hanging out at a farmers market or making flower crowns in a field somewhere and not standing in a tiny elevator with a flustered Jimmy Palmer.

He’d been able to spot heavy looking turquoise earrings even through the thick strands of her long dark hair. The silver bangles on her wrist and the heavy gem ring on her finger had only made her look more like a freespirit and less like someone that should be visiting NCIS headquarters.

Her nails were kept trimmed and neat and painted with a dark blue polish. Her makeup was kept minimal with only a dusty pink lipstick on her lips. Her skin looked soft and milky and she smelled like a mixture of lavender and patchouli. A year later Jimmy would begin to associate the smell with her and the warmth he felt anytime she was close to him. From their very first meeting he'd been just as captivated by that scent though.

Jimmy didn’t think anyone could blame him for admiring her. She was a gorgeous woman and Jimmy was a young single man with a pulse. He was going to notice a pretty girl standing so close to him on an elevator.

She honestly did take his breath away. It was her eyes that had really done it, those big blue eyes that had made him melt and made her almost resemble a little doll. She was a petite thing really, the top of her head reaching his chest. He was pretty sure he’d easily be able to rest his chin on top of her head if she were to stand cradled against him. She seemed so delicate. There was something about her that had made Jimmy want to wrap himself around her and protect her.

She would later explain to him that she’d actually done ballet as a child and had been pretty gifted until she’d torn a tendon in her ankle that killed her ballet career. Her petite stature had caused people to push her towards ballet insisting her body was suited for it. To her credit she had managed to become a talented dancer although she didn't think being petite had aided into that. She did joke puberty and the development of curves had hindered her career long before she’d screwed up her ankle. He could remember her comment “I already had being on the short side working against me, then I got boobs and a butt and I decided I better start turning my attention to painting and photography instead of dance. I got the impression that my career was over long before I messed up my ankle. People were pretty fast to tell me that my body wasn't so suited for dance after I hit puberty hard. My ankle injury gave me an excuse to change my path.”

Jimmy had clung onto that story just as eagerly as he’d clung on to every other word she’d ever said to him over the past year.

Although back then standing in that elevator heading up to the fourth floor, Jimmy would have found it unimaginable to even believe for a second that he would ever have the opportunity to cling on to every word she said.

To say that he was attracted to her from the moment he’d laid eyes on her would be a vast understatement.

She of course had noticed he was staring and she hadn’t been shy to turn her head to face him raising a well manicured eyebrow questioning his obvious gawking.

Jimmy had managed to work the words from his throat, automatically thinking he felt like a moron at his choice in words. “Visiting?”

He’d almost wished he could toss himself down the elevator shaft at the realization of the words that had left him. A voice in the back of his head had been so quick to taunt him “Way to sound nosy and accusatory. You might as well have yelled: you don’t belong here. Nice going, she probably thinks you’re a classist asshole. She has a visitors badge clipped to her dress of course she’s visiting, not that it’s any of your business.’’

Much to his shock and disbelief she hadn’t taken his comment as him being rude. Instead she’d given him a sweet little smile that had made him all the more hers. “Yes, is it really that obvious? I’m actually making a surprise visit to my brother. He’s not expecting me until next week. I’m just hoping he’s not too busy. I know his schedule is a little odd. It’s just been a while since I last saw him. So I thought I’d surprise him at work.”

She’d paused raising an eyebrow at Jimmy’s usual work uniform of pale blue scrubs. She spoke up before Jimmy had a chance to ask about her brother. “Do you work here?”

Jimmy felt the words leave him ignoring the voice that told him he was babbling like an idiot and stumbling over his own words. “Yes, I uh...I w-work in Autopsy actually. I’m the assistant medical examiner….I’m still in school so I can’t really call myself a medical examiner until I pass my licensing exam. So, for now I-I’m just assisting our lead medical examiner Dr. Mallard. I’m usually down there in the basement. I just, I was coming upstairs to use the vending machines in the breakroom on the fourth floor. The vending machine in the basement always steals my dollars and I uh, I thought a soda sounded better than instant coffee.I had an early morning with a body pickup...so, uh, yeah...I-I work here.”

He bit the inside of his cheek to shut himself up knowing he was giving her far more information than she ever asked for. Why was he such an oversharer? He’d always been like this. He could get anxious and he’d find himself unable to stop talking. He never knew how to just sit quietly with his own thoughts.

He was stunned that she didn’t shut down the conversation at the mention of autopsy or a body pickup. Though her eyes did grow a little wide at the concept of just what he did for a living. Much to his shock she spoke the sweet smile not straying from her lips even though it had weakened just a bit as she took in his comments. “Oh, instant coffee is the worst.”

He parted his lips wanting to say something more, anything to keep her talking to him. He wanted to ask her about her brother or hell even ask her for her name.

All of his questions were answered as the elevator stopped at the fourth floor and both Jimmy and his companion stepped out into the passageway.

Jimmy watched stunned as the young woman he’d been so shamelessly admiring tackled the last person Jimmy had ever been expecting into a tight hug.

Ziva and McGee watched just as stunned as Jimmy as Tony lifted the girl from the ground, a foreign look of paternal adoration crossing Tony’s features. The girl giggled clearly accustomed to this type of treatment.

Tony spoke still holding her up ignoring his gawking coworkers. “I thought you weren’t coming until next week?”

She spoke as he finally placed her back on the ground, she straightening out her dress and her purse. “I found an earlier flight for much cheaper. I had demote down from first class but I didn’t mind. Pretzels and soda are just as good as pretzels and champagne even if the seats were a little smaller and I didn’t have as much leg room. My suitcases are downstairs in my rental car and the rest of my belongings are still due to arrive next week unless the movers really screw something up. I’ve already signed the lease on my apartment but I’ve got a hotel in the meantime.”

“You don’t have to stay in a hotel. I have a sofa.” Tony insisted a laugh leaving her as she rolled her eyes clearly resistant to this offer.

“The last time I slept on your futon I had sore hips for days. I think I prefer an actual bed and room service over a futon and cold pizza which I would have to pick all the meat off of in hopes I don’t get sick.” She remarked Tony letting out a scoff at the comment.

He cleared his throat finally noticing they had an audience. He spoke nodding down to her and to Ziva and McGee. “Probie, Ziva, this is my little sister Olivia Dinozzo.”

“Liv, please. Everyone calls me Liv.” She insisted giving a small wave.

“I did not realize you have a sister Tony.” Ziva admitted Mcgee fast to speak up, confirming. “Yeah, you’ve never mentioned it. I thought you were an only child.”

Liv spoke explaining everything. “I’m his half sister. Same dad, So, both progeny of Dinozzo Senior. My mother was his second wife, but not for more than two years. I was a bit of a surprise baby, Tony was already out of the house for most of my childhood. I’ve been living across the country for a few years now and before that I wasn’t even in the United States. I’m a freelance photographer and I’ve done a lot of photography for travel magazines and brochures so I’ve always been on the move. I’ve recently been hired for a teaching position at a community center though, so I’ve settled into the area.”

Tony finally took notice of Jimmy’s presence, taking notice that the young man was still gawking at events that had just taken place. “Autopsy Gremlin, who let you out of the basement? Shoo, get out of here. Don’t make me get a spray bottle after you again.”

Jimmy felt his cheeks flush, he hating that little nickname for the first time ever. Liv thankfully didn’t seem amused by the comment, rolling her eyes giving her brother a nudge as she spoke to Ziva, McGee, and Jimmy. “I am so sorry you all have to work with my brother.”

No one had a chance to respond as Tony spoke, shoving the files he’d been holding all too roughly into McGee’s arms. “Be nice, I'm buying your lunch. I’ll even find a place that serves tofu and lettuce.”

She let out a huff apparently well versed in this conversation. “Just because I’m a vegetarian doesn’t mean my entire diet only consists of tofu and lettuce.”

Jimmy watched hopelessly as Liv left following along behind Tony towards the elevators not giving Jimmy a second glance.

This was just his luck, he’d met a beautiful woman who hadn’t minded his awkward babbling, only to discover she was essentially untouchable.

He felt foolish for even having the thought. Who was to say she’d ever willingly allow him to touch her?

She was so far out of his league that it wasn’t even funny. Besides who was to say he’d ever see her again even if she had mentioned settling down into the area. The Virginia DC area wasn’t tiny, so chances are he’d never see her again.

Maybe Jimmy had just been single for too long now? Dating in combination with his odd career path and the time his schooling demanded wasn’t easy. He’d had more unsuccessful dates than he’d ever admit to, and his last relationship had been less of a relationship and more of a string of hooking up with one another in secret. It had been months since his last relationship had ended. He had been the one who’d ended that relationship admitting he’d wanted more from a romantic partner than the physical aspect of it. He’d had poor luck in actually finding a relationship though.

He’d begun to feel lonelier than he’d ever admit. He was starting to consider possibly giving online dating a try, but it seemed impossible with his erratic schedule and his less than conventional career path.

A small part of him was beginning to lose hope that he’d actually find anyone who would be willing to put up with him.

He told himself he was an idiot for feeling so disappointed that Liv was so unattainable. Pursuing her would never work. Jimmy had a distinct feeling that if he ever dared to even give Liv a flirty smile that Tony would bury him so deep into the ground that the devil himself would need a shovel to dig Jimmy back out again.

It was a lost hopeless cause.

It just wasn’t meant to be.

Much to Jimmy’s surprise though, fate had seemed to decide that it was in fact meant to be.

It had been two weeks since their meeting when fate had seemed to drag them back together.

Jimmy had been enjoying a rare leisurely day at the park enjoying a book and a sandwich he’d gotten from a nearby deli and taking in a nice spring day. He’d barely gotten more than a few bites of his lunch when a rather large dog had come out from nowhere snatching his BLT right from his hands and chomping it down.

He’d been stunned at this turn of events and that dumbstruck feeling had only intensified as a familiar voice sounded out. “Seriously? Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Jimmy had stared dumbfounded as Liv Dinozzo approached him her face flushed and her breathing heavy a sheen of sweat cross her skin. It was clear she’d been running after the dog for a long while now.

She spoke her voice frantic, barely even having the courage to look him in the eyes. This entire situation was beyond awkward. “I am so so so sorry. I was trying to adjust his leash and he worked his way free. He’s not even my dog. I was just walking him as a favor for my neighbor and if I’d known he’d do this I wouldn’t have offered. I’m just new in the area and I thought I’d win some points with my neighbor, since her arm is broken, by offering to walk her dog.”

She paused, finally meeting his gaze, a look of recognition crossing her features. “Wait...I know you. You, uh, you work with my brother right? I didn’t catch your name? We met on the elevator. Please don’t tell me I’m completely wrong about that. I think we’ve met before, right? I really don’t want to make this entire situation all more mortifying.”

He spoke trying not to cringe as the dog licked his hand soaking it clearly searching for another snack. “I, uh, yeah we met. Liv right? Tony didn’t introduce us properly. I’m James Palmer, but uh...everyone calls me Jimmy.”

He cringed even more, counting his blessings that she hadn’t brought up the name Tony had called him Autopsy Gremlin.

She spoke, clearing her throat shifting in place still feeling so horribly embarrassed. “I wish I could say we were meeting again under better circumstances. I can’t begin to express how sorry I am. Please let me make it up to you. I can buy you lunch. Anything you want to eat. Have lunch with me as a way to make up for this all.”

Jimmy felt his heart pound in his chest. She wanted to have lunch with him. Was this real life? He spoke nodding his head frantically. “Okay. I-uh, do you need help with the leash. I may be able to help. I worked as a veterinary tech during a summer in college.”

She handed over the leather leash Jimmy not helping but to appreciate just how silken her skin truly was as her fingertips brushed his.

He’d somehow lived up to his offer to get the leash on thanking his upper body strength as he helped her corral the dog to her car.

He’d tried not to gawk when they’d returned to dog to the brownstone she lived in. It was clear as day that her property was far nicer than Jimmy’s own. It made sense though he guessed, didn’t the Dinozzo’s come from old money? Tony might have been cut off from the family fortune but Liv clearly was not.

If she’d noticed his gawking she’d not mentioned it. To be honest, she’d seemed relieved that he hadn’t brought it up, nor had he mentioned it when she’d insisted on taking him a more expensive bistro than he’d usually eat at.

Much to his surprise and relief talking to Liv Dinozzo had actually felt easy the longer their lunch had lasted, even with his occasional tendency to be a little awkward. She hadn’t seemed to mind that he talked far too much and got far too enthusiastic. If anything she’d found his enthusiasm kind of sweet.

It had been so easy to talk to her that he’d taken a chance and asked to have lunch with her again or maybe dinner with him paying this time.

Much to his shock she’d said yes.

It had become a routine, spending time together. They’d spent months spending quite a bit of time together, going to lunches and dinners and museums and walks through the park.

It was a friendship really and Liv seemed oblivious of Jimmy’s more amorous feelings towards her. Or at least it seemed to Jimmy that she was blind to the fact that he clearly saw her as more than just a new friend.

Jimmy had been incapable of hiding it forever though.

It had started out so innocent. It had been a nice spring day and they’d taken a risk leaving the park and walking a few blocks to an ice cream parlor to cool down.

As they’d been leaving the ice cream parlor a spring storm had hit and they’d gotten caught in the downpour. They’d run the rain soaking them both until they’d found sanctuary under the awning of a building for lease.

Jimmy couldn’t help it. They’d been standing so close to one another the sound of rain hitting the cloth awning above them the scent of rain in the air. He’d looked down at her and she’d been staring up at him and before he’d known it his lips had been pressed to hers.

He’d barely had the mind to even comprehend as she eagerly returned the passion of his kiss, his insecurities far too loud to ignore.

He’d spoken frantically babbling so sure he’d ruined everything. “I am so sorry. I have really screwed this all up. I should have never done that. I did that without even asking you for your consent. I know you aren’t romantically interested in me at all. I understand that you don’t feel the same way about me as I feel about you, and I’m mature enough to accept rejection. I’m just begging you to please not let my lack of judgement ruin any chance of friendship. I swear that will never happ…”

He didn’t have a chance to keep rambling as Liv did the only thing she could think to do to stop him. She placed a hand over his mouth, the action gentle but firm. “Jimmy slow down for a moment and breathe.”

She pulled her hand back after he nodded his head signaling that he understood. The words that left her made his jaw drop. “Why do you think I’m not romantically interested in you?”

Was she being serious? Was this some kind of cruel joke? Was this an attempt to really make it clear she was rejecting him? Did she want him to give her the reason she wouldn’t be interested in him just to make sure he understood why and wouldn’t pull this ever again?

Surely she wasn’t that cruel. He didn’t think she was cruel at all. She didn’t seem cruel enough to force him to vocalize the cold harsh truth like this.

He spoke his shoulders sagging, his brows furrowed, the answer seeming so obvious. “You’re out of my league. How could you ever even have me on your radar? Why would you ever be interested in me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be interested?” She asked, causing his jaw to drop once again.

She spoke again, shaking her head at the sheer ridiculousness of this moment. How could such an intelligent man be so oblivious? “I have been flirting with you for over a month now. I must be really shitty at it if you didn’t figure it out.”

He spoke his brain going a mile a second trying to think over every second they’d spent together over the past month. “You were?”

She wanted to bury her head in her hands at the question. God, he really was clueless wasn’t he? “Yes, very bluntly. Honestly, I was flirting with you long before that. You didn’t seem to be getting the hint though, so over this past month I’ve really amped it up. You really didn’t think I needed to ask your opinions on anatomy for that art piece I was working on did you?”

She spoke again, spotting the look of confusion on his face. “You’ve been to my place Jimmy. You’ve seen my bookcases. I have more than enough books that I could turn to for reference if I had a question about getting the anatomy accurate on a painting.”

He felt his cheeks flush at the realization. He’d honestly missed all the signs. If anything he’d just read her jokes and smiles and friendliness. He’d thought she was asking for his help because she’d wanted to get back into painting and he had a deep understanding of anatomy. She’d insisted that he was the only one she trusted to guide her. She’d insisted he had the advantage of both having an analytical mind thanks to his medical knowledge and a creative mind thanks to his own passion for art. He’d been flattered by her insistence and had missed that the praise she’d given him had a flirty undertone to it. Sure, he’d noticed lingering touches and deep gazes but he’d assumed it was all in his head.

She spoke shaking her head slightly. It would be pathetic if he wasn’t so sweet. “Jimmy you asked how you could ever be on my radar, but how could you not be? I mean...did you miss the part where I kissed you back?”

He’d spoken surprised by an uncharacteristic surge of confidence sounding far smoother than he was sure he’d ever sounded. “I may have missed it. Could you refresh my memory?”

She’d leaned up her lips pressing to his he easily melting into the kiss returning it eagerly his arms encircling her waist pleased to find she fit against him just as perfectly as he’d imagined she would.

The smoothness faded from his voice, he sounding uncertain as he pulled his lips from hers. “What does this mean for us?”

She’d not minded his lack of confidence, her hand stroking his jawline, he leaning into her touch as she reassured him. “I didn’t work so hard flirting with you for months now for us not to make things official.”

And they had made things official.

There had only been one problem; Anthony Dinozzo Jr.

Liv had looked so guilty and so afraid when she’d brought it up only a month into Jimmy’s and her romantic relationship. “We don’t have to keep it from him forever, Jimmy. Trust me, this isn’t me being ashamed to be with you. I promise you it isn’t. I adore you so much. You’ve been so perfect and so sweet and I love being with you. Please don’t think I could ever be ashamed to tell anyone. Tony is just..Our childhood was a disaster. Dinozzo Sr. isn’t the warm fuzzy take you to watch baseball kind of dad. Trust me. Most of the kids I grew up with were shoved off on nannies the second we popped out of the womb.”

She paused shaking her head. “You know my mom died when I was four and even though she’d already left Dinozzo Sr. custody of me still went to him. Tony was in boarding school by then and Dinozzo Sr. wasn’t into actually raising me. So nannies took over all the parenting. It was just the normal thing to do in that environment. It just creates a cycle where parents find it easier to throw money at their kids instead of giving them any attention and the kids act out to get attention. Dinozzo Sr. really only gave me attention when he needed to make himself look good. And Tony was out of the house for good when I was a preteen, so I was left alone with that.”

She paused again clearing her throat. “I rebelled. I was hungry for any kind of attention even if it was negative. I had a pretty intense party girl phase starting in my teens and lasting into my early twenties. I wasn’t the only one...you know the stereotype, rich kids having the world and squandering and not appreciating the opportunities they’re given. I wanted my dad’s attention and he didn’t even notice. I think he didn’t write me out of the will and cut me off because he’d already done that song and dance with Tony. I guess it was too shameful to have two disowned kids instead of just one. He kept feeding my trust fund and pretended not to notice when I acted out.. So I sought out attention from other sources and found myself in some pretty awful situations. I mean..it was chaos and I was right there in the middle of it. I managed to stay clean at least when it came to anything harder than pot. I still partied too much though. My friend group didn’t shy away from the harder stuff and I didn’t have the sense to stay away from them. When things got scary, I couldn’t call my dad because he wouldn’t come rescue me. Tony was the only one who was ever there for me.”

“He was the only one you could trust.” Jimmy remarked Liv letting out a soft sigh nodding her head.

She spoke again. “I called Tony to bail me out of whatever mess I’d gotten myself into more than once. When I hit rock bottom he helped me sort my shit out. Even though it’s been a few years and I’m in a far better place emotionally, Tony still sees me as a scared little girl who finds herself in messes and needs rescuing. He is overprotective and anytime a guy shows me any interest he scares them off. I know you’re going to try to reassure me that he won’t scare you off...but that’s not my biggest worry.”

She paused taking a deep breath and deciding to just be blunt about it. “My brother has a gun and he knows exactly how to use it Jimmy.”

Jimmy felt himself pale at what she was insinuating. She spoke once again spelling it out even more her eyes beginning to water. “I don’t know how he would react, especially considering you technically work together. I think he just needs time to see that I’m really okay and that I’ve grown up and am no longer the girl I used to be. He needs to understand I don’t need him to protect me anymore. I don’t want us to keep our relationship a secret from him, but I don’t know what else we can do for now. I know it’s so unfair for me to ask that of you and I know it makes the worst girlfriend on the planet. I wish there was a better way, I jus…”

She didn’t have a chance to keep speaking as Jimmy spoke interrupting her his heart aching at the tears in her eyes. He couldn’t take her crying. He couldn’t stand the thought of it. She was far too beautiful to be filled with any sorrow. “I don’t like keeping it a secret either. You aren’t the worst girlfriend on the planet though, I promise. I’m okay with following your lead on this. We can do what you think is right for as long as you need. I like you too much to risk anything. Whatever makes you comfortable, I’m going to support you.”

They hadn’t intended it to be a year later and for them to be no closer to telling Tony the truth, but the timing had just never seemed right.

So they had persisted on like this, keeping Tony in the dark about everything.

There had only been one time where he’d almost discovered it all and that had been when Liv had called her number flashing along Jimmy’s cell’s screen in front of Tony. Jimmy had felt his stomach drop at Tony spoke. “Why is my sister calling you?”

Jimmy had spoken silencing his phone the lie falling from him. “I’m helping her with an art piece.She wanted some insight on anatomy and I offered to help…I uh, we ran into each other at a coffee shop a little while back and she remembered that you and I work together and asked for my help. So, I’ve just been giving her a second opinion on her work from a more analytical standpoint.”

He felt his heart drop Tony making it obvious he didn’t like this information. “I’d rather her ask Ducky for an anatomy lesson. Watch yourself Palmer.”

That had been a clear sign to Jimmy that they probably were doing the right thing keeping it a secret. He’d spotted a dangerous edge to Tony’s voice that day and Jimmy had easily remembered Tony’s gun.

As time went on though Jimmy knew it couldn’t stay a secret forever. Especially if they wanted any kind of future together.

Their relationship had grown serious. It was serious enough that Jimmy had introduced Liv to his family. He’d been able to at least announce that she was his girlfriend in that environment even if it was a secret at work.

Jimmy couldn’t help but to fear that they were getting a little too sloppy lately though, considering the evidence of their relationship had appeared on his neck more than once these past few months.

He tried his best to shake his worries from his mind as he arrived at her place; he was almost able to go on autopilot at this point when it came to the trip to her apartment after work.

Jimmy wasn’t surprised that she embraced him the second he walked through her door he barely having time to drop his bag and his spare key.

He buried his face against her taking in her familiar smell and the warmth of her body, the smell and touch feeling soothing after the day he’d had.

They stood there silently holding on to one another, soaking up the moment before she finally spoke, only pulling back from him far enough to speak clearly. “You smell like stinky hospital soap.”

He managed to chuckle at this pointing out the truth. “It’s preferable to what I smelled like before I used the hazmat shower at work.”

She spoke not shy about asking as she straightened out his tie the deep silver material having been a gift from her. It was a nice silk blend that he would never have gotten for himself. “That bad?”

“Awful.” He admitted his stomach turning at the memory.

She spoke nodding her head trying not to cringe at her own question or the information she risked receiving. “Worst than the body Dr. Mallard and you pulled from that sauna a few months ago?”

“So much worse. The sauna body may have been a pile of sludgy decomp, but this body today was pulled from a lake. So it was bloated and it smelled like severe decay and fish and algae all at once. The fish had gotten to some of the body so we’re working with a mess. I thought the smell would never leave my sinuses. Dr. Mallard took some sympathy on me and let me use the hazmat shower again.”

Liv nodded her head at this information trying not to visibly shudder at the imagery. She’d long ago figured out that when it came to her boyfriend’s odd career choice she had to have a tough stomach and strong will if she ever wanted him to feel comfortable venting about work to her or expressing excitement about something he’d found interesting at work.

She’d learned far more about decomposition and murder than she ever wanted to know, but she’d kept her disgust at bay telling herself being able to have Jimmy share the events of his day with her was well worth the disgusting details.

He’d been so hesitant to share the details with her at the beginning of their relationship, admitting to her that most people were uncomfortable with the details surrounding his job. She’d gently reassured him though that he should be allowed to share details about his day with her. If needed to vent about something he found frustrating or share something he found fascinating, she didn’t want him to have hesitations. She’d reassured him that if it ever became too much or too disturbing she’d stop him. She’d done her very best to resist stopping him from sharing with her though. She just wanted to be the best girlfriend possible. He needed someone to share his burdens with who wouldn’t judge him.

She pressed a kiss to his cheek her voice soft and reassuring. “Did it totally kill your appetite? Please tell me you didn’t skip dinner. You know your blood sugar plummets when you skip out on eating.”

He pressed a kiss to her temple not at all minding her scolding. “I ate. Dr. Mallard bought me dinner. Speaking of, he wants us to come to dinner Sunday. I told him I would need to check with you before I committed, just in case you had plans for us.”

“I don’t have any plans for us. I’d be happy to have dinner with him.” She reassured Jimmy trying her best to pretend she wasn’t still trying to shake the image of corpse eating fish from her brain.

Jimmy nodded his head relieved that she never seemed to be tempted to turn down Ducky’s dinner invites.

Dr. Mallard was the only person Jimmy worked with who knew about Liv and he. It had been an accident, telling Dr. Mallard.

Jimmy had been in the middle of assisting with an autopsy when Dr. Mallard had been rattling on about a case he’d worked where a man had been poisoned with cyanide being added to his palak paneer. The man had never seen it coming, his wife had poisoned him knowing he wouldn’t suspect her to poison his favorite meal.”

Jimmy had felt the words leave him before he could stop it. “I may need to tell Liv that Indian food night is cancelled for a little while.”

He’d felt his cheeks flush relieved that it had just been him and Dr. Mallard here to hear this information. He’d frantically explained it all, admitting the truth and confirming that Liv was Olivia Dinozzo and yes they were an item and please don’t tell Tony.

Much to Jimmy’s relief Dr. Mallard had agreed to keep his secret though he’d left him with a firm warning. Secrets couldn’t stay secrets forever and when the truth came out the fallout might not be so pleasant.

Jimmy had been relieved that Liv hadn’t been upset that he’d let their secret slip once he’d reassured her it was safe with Dr. Mallard.

Liv pressed her lips to his he easily melting into it as he always seemed to do. She giggled he so clearly chasing her lips for another kiss as she pulled away and spoke. “Can you hold off on calling him to confirm our invite until tomorrow. I have plans for you tonight.”

“Oh you do?” He asked as she pressed another kiss to his lips.

“So many plans.” She insisted her lips trailing down his neck a giggle leaving her as she spotted evidence of the last time they’d gotten a little caught up in one another.

She spoke an apologetic tone crossing her voice. “I’m sorry I made such a mess of your neck.”

He let out a soft sigh nodding his head. “Tony pointed it out, but I deflected it. He’ll probably drop it once something else attracts his attention. He’ll have the whole weekend to forget it.”

She nodded her head trying to pretend her stomach wasn’t turning at this knowledge that her brother might be catching on. He had no reason to suspect she was the one who’d left all those hickies on Jimmy’s neck. After all, Jimmy was careful enough to return them on her skin in places she could easily hide. Not to mention Tony had no idea that Jimmy and she spent any time together aside from the occasional “art project” Jimmy helped her with.

She knew it was getting more and more difficult to hide the truth. The more intertwined Jimmy’s and her life became the more they risked Tony finding out in the worst way possible.

There had been so many moments over the past year that Liv had wanted to tell Tony everything. She’d rehearsed it all in her head practicing the words again and again. She’d told herself that she just needed to have a heart-to-heart with her older brother and confess exactly how she felt about Jimmy and exactly how she felt in general. The timing was never right though. She never quite worked up the nerve to just bite the bullet and tell Tony everything.

She’d be lying if she tried to pretend that she didn’t feel like the worst girlfriend on the planet. After all, she’d met Jimmy’s entire family but she couldn’t find the balls to tell her own brother about Jimmy. Jimmy had been so proud to introduce her to his mother and his sister and grandmother. Why couldn’t she be proud to tell Tony that Jimmy was her boyfriend.

She knew the longer this went on the worst the outcome would be. The consequence of her choice would bite her in the ass eventually.

Deep down she knew the truth would need to come out sooner than later especially as Jimmy and she began to discuss their plans for the future and the fact that those plans very much involved one another.

She tried to push the worries from her mind as she spoke a soft sigh leaving her. “I’ll be more careful from now on. In my defense though, I just couldn’t help myself. You were being so cute and cuddly and we were having a lazy morning. I just got caught up in how sweet and handsome you are and how much I love you.”

“We were having a nice morning, I love you too.” Jimmy responded unable to stop the dreamy smile crossing his lips at the memory of exactly what they’d been doing when she’d left deep purple hickies along his neck.

To be fair he had left a share of his own lovebites along her body.

She ran her lips down his jaw running them lightly along his neck as she spoke. “So, I got a new camera.”

He felt his breath hitch finding it hard to concentrate when she was standing this close to him, her lips sliding along his skin. “Yeah?”

“Uh huh, It’s a pretty nice vintage Canon 35 mm camera from the late seventies I’ve had my eye on for a while. I finally found a refurbished one that is almost as good as new. I’m thinking I want to try doing a series of photos with it, maybe using some black and white film and doing it all old school. The only problem is I need to test it out first, make sure the film I got for it is good to go. I’m going to develop all the pictures myself and make sure it’s taking nice clear photos.” She explained pausing running her lips along the nape of his neck loosening his tie and unfastening hsi dress shirt just enough to reach his bare skin.

She spoke again already knowing she would have very little trouble convincing him. “So, do you want to help me test my camera out?”

He nodded his head eagerly unashamed of just how needy he sounded as the words left him. “I’m always happy to be your test model.”

She chuckled as she turned, taking his hands in hers leading him back towards her bedroom. “You were way too easy to convince. I didn’t even have to bribe you with an offer to take some nude photos for you.”

“Can we bring that offer back to the table?” he asked unashamedly, following her to her bedroom and whatever she had planned for him so eagerly.

“Sit still for a few photos and we’ll see.” She remarked already knowing he’d probably sit through however many photos she wanted even without a bribe.

He loved her far too much to say no, and she had no problem taking full advantage of it.

Needless to say, she had a feeling she might not be able to hold true to her promise to be a little more careful when it came to leaving lovebites along Jimmy’s neck.

……………………………………………………………….

A loud bang wasn’t the ideal way to wake up early on a Saturday morning. The banging persisted even as she attempted to bury her head underneath her pillow.

She let out a groan rolling her eyes as it hit her that Jimmy was still fast asleep apparently he was far too drained from the day before and the late night they’d had to allow something like some persistent knocks at her front door to wake him.

The only indication he gave that he was even aware of the situation was a drowsy half asleep comment muffled against his pillow “Tell the neighbor to be quiet, too early baby. Oli make em be quiet.”

She shook her head knowing it did no good to wake him and explain exactly what was happening. He worked so hard during the week. He deserved to have a restful sleep on the weekends. He needed his rest. She just had to go tell whoever was at her front door this early to get lost and then she could go back to sleep too.

She pulled herself from the bed finding one of Jimmy’s t-shirts and a pair of panties knowing the shirt was large enough to cover her lower half. To be safe she at least put a kimono on over the makeshift outfit knowing a little extra coverage would be wise.

She moved quickly, shutting the bedroom door behind her and making her way to the front door where the knocking continued.

She peered through the peephole, her stomach dropping. Well crap. She hoped Jimmy really was sleeping as deep as he’d seemed to be just a moment ago.

She just had to crack the door and get rid of Tony, and she could go back to bed with no one being the wiser about just who was sleeping nude in her bed.

She attempted to do just that, Tony not shy about speaking far too loudly for this time of the morning. “What the hell? I thought you’d never answer the door.”

“It’s Saturday morning.” She responded keeping the door cracked, hoping he’d get whatever he wanted out fast so she could get rid of him.

“I called but you didn’t answer. I need help. You remember Gina?” Tony insisted reaching forward pushing the door.

“Barely, what about her?” Liv asked, attempting to push back against the door trying to keep him out of her apartment and keep her cool pretending that his coworker wasn’t asleep in her bedroom.

Despite her attempts to keep the door shut Tony managed to work it open, letting himself in. “I thought I’d finally got rid of her but she found me when I went out last night and the only way I could escape was by telling her my sister had an emergency. We were at my place and she wasn’t leaving without a fight. I was desperate to get out of there. She might still be at my place. I just need somewhere to lie low until she gets bored and leaves.”

“That was last night, did you seriously sleep with her and now you’re trying to use me as an excuse to ditch her?” Liv asked deep down inside knowing that she already knew the answer to this question.

She might love Tony, but she couldn’t deny the fact that her older brother could be, well, a giant asshole at times. The man was the poster child for commitment issues.

“Well, when you put it that way it sounds bad., I can’t help it, Livy, she has this power over me. I cannot tell her no and then when I have a chance to regret it then it’s already too late.” Tony insisted not taking notice of Jimmy’s messenger bag on her floor.

He did notice something else of Jimmy’s though. “Wait a minute, you didn’t go to Georgetown.”

Liv felt her heart drop as she realized Tony was staring down at her t-shirt, the same t-shirt Jimmy had worn to bed last night and had ditched at some point when they’d decided to go for a round two where he’d left a very noticeable hickey long her left thigh as revenge for the new lovebite she’d given him along his collarbone.

She parted her lips trying to come up with a lie fast, but she didn’t have a chance as the actual owner of her t-shirt made his way into the room rubbing the sleep from his eyes not even noticing his girlfriend’s guest as he obstructed his own vision with his hand.

At least he’d managed to grab a pair of boxers from the floor instead of wandering into the room as nude as he’d been just a moment ago.

He spoke as he continued to rub the sleep from his eyes still oblivious to the situation at hand. “Baby it’s so early, why are you up? I thought I heard knocking but then…”

He felt the statement die on his lips as he lowered his hand, his stomach dropping as he realized the reality of their current predicament.

Tony moved quickly, starting to race towards Jimmy, his eyes narrowing. He spoke as Liv moved just as fast stepping between the men before things got too far. “What the hell Palmer? That’s my sister!”

Jimmy parted his lips, his voice sounding out though his throat was tightening panic bubbling in his gut. “Tony, I can explain everything.”

“Can you explain it? What the hell is there to explain? You’re sleeping with my sister? Oh god, she’s the one who’s been leaving all those hickies on your neck? You’re seriously hooking up with my little sister. You were in such a rush to leave work last night so you could come...have fun with my baby sister!.” Tony exclaimed disgust and rage crossing his features, he still attempting to reach forward more than likely debating throwing a punch Jimmy’s way.

“It’s not like that!” Jimmy exclaimed in response. It wasn’t just sex, he had to explain that this wasn’t just a case of him having some sort of friends with benefits situation with Liv.

“It sure as hell looks like that!” Tony remarked Liv pushing him forward trying her best to keep her enraged brother and her horrified boyfriend apart before someone got hurt.

She spoke trying to be the voice of reason. “We’re together Tony. We wanted to tell you…”

“Together? Are you serious?” Tony asked he moving forward again Liv pushing him away trying her best to keep the peace.

“Yes, together, we’ve been dating for a year now and we never meant for it to stay a secret this long. We just didn’t know how to tell you.” She explained, Jimmy fast to speak trying to support her and be another voice of reason. “I love her Tony. I promise you I’ve always had the best of intentions with Liv. She means the world to me.”

Tony spoke shaking his head disgust still written across his features he not hearing anything Jimmy had to say about any of this. “ My coworker Olivia? Him? Why didn’t you just twist the knife in more and sleep with Probie while you were at it.”

Liv let out a huff shaking her head trying not to sound offended by what he seemed to be insinuating. “I wasn’t just hooking up with Jimmy with no strings attached. This hasn’t just been sex. Believe it or not but I’m capable of having a loving stable relationship with someone who genuinely cares for me.”

Tony spoke so angry that he wasn’t going to shy away from going for a nerve he knew he could strike. “Well what else am I supposed to think Olivia? Considering your past, are you really surprised I don’t think the worst of your choice in men?”

“Don’t you dare. You have no right to hold any of that over my head!” Liv snapped her voice rising Jimmy shocked to hear a dangerous edge to her voice that was so unlike his girlfriend’s usual sweet gentle demeanor.

Tony scoffed at this comment. “Really? I don't have a right? You seem to forget that I’m always the one who has to clean up your messes.”

“That isn’t true! I’m not that person any more and you have no right to pretend I didn’t work hard to be a better person! I’ve worked so hard and you still treat me like I’m a disaster!” She cried out, her voice still so filled with rage.

Jimmy spoke, attempting to stop this before it got even uglier. “Tony, come on, this isn’t fair.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about Palmer. Just how much has she told you about herself?” Tony snapped clearly ready to strike for blood and hurt his sister in exchange for her betrayal.

“Shut up Tony.” Liv snarled quickly, losing her cool the more Tony spoke.

Tony didn’t hold back letting his anger get the best of him. “Do you know how many times I’ve rescued her from whatever shitty situation she decided to get herself into? I have spent so many nights driving out to nightclubs or one of her shitty friend’s penthouses to save her because things got a little too real for her to handle. Did she tell you about the boyfriend who got coked out of his brain and she had to lock herself in a bathroom and call me to come save her because she was afraid he might hurt her? Or maybe she told you about the time she had to leave some guy’s apartment at two am and she wound up wandering the streets until she found a phonebooth to call me to come get her on a bad side of town. Or maybe she told you about the time she got herself arrested for being intoxicated and fighting with some guy in a parking lot at a seedy nightclub, so our father had to throw money at a judge to get the charges dropped? But Senior wasn’t ever there to actually rescue her. It’s always been me. Our father just throws more money at her and she keeps getting into trouble and never learning. I’m the one who always has to be the responsible one and stop her from getting hurt.”

Tony paused, regretting the words the moment they left his lips. “Trust me Palmer, I know my sister. She’s always been like this. Too much to put up with and too hard to love. She’s so starved for affection that she jumps into bed with anyone who’ll have her. So forgive me for not believing she’s actually got her shit together for once.”

The harsh tone that Liv’s lips shocked both men her voice cracking as she spoke. “Get out of my apartment!”

Tony took a deep breath calming his anger realizing he’d really messed up. He’d tried to go for a jugular to hurt her and he’d succeeded. “Liv please…”

“Get the fuck out!” She snapped her voice sounding shrill an explosive anger leaving her so unlike her.

Tony parted his lips trying to find the words but Jimmy spoke deciding to do what needed to be done. He had promised Liv he’d support her in whatever she needed to do, and he meant it. “You need to leave Tony. Just go.”

Tony looked as though he wanted to protest but he let out a deep breath taking one final apologetic glance his sister’s way before he finally left the apartment.

Jimmy and Olivia stood in silence Jimmy fearing her silence meant the worst. The insecure little voice in the back of his brain told him she’d want to be alone now. She’d blame him for wrecking her relationship with her brother. She’d want him to go.

He spoke praying the voice wasn’t true. “Oli.”

She turned taking him by shock her arms wrapping around his torso she squeezing him so tight it almost hurt. She spoke her voice sounding weepy as she tried and failed not to cry. “Jimmy.”

He rocked her against him as she spoke her voice still so tearful. “Please don’t leave me.”

Jimmy was fast to speak stunned she’d been just as afraid of his abandonment as he’d been afraid of hers. “Never, I’m never going to leave you.”

He continued to rock her against him as she cried, his heart breaking. He still couldn’t stand to see her cry. “I’ve got you, it’s okay. It'll all be okay. I love you.”

He repeated the words like a mantra rocking her against him as her body finally grew weak she unable to force herself to cry more even if she wanted to. “I love you. I’ve changed. I promise I’m not that girl anymore.”

“I know you aren’t. I know you weren’t her when we met at all. You’re you Oli. You’re the beautiful woman who took my breath away that day in that NCIS elevator. You’re the sweet gentle girl who bought me lunch because your neighbor's dog stole mine. You’re the girl who I kissed in the rain and all I could think was that you tasted like strawberry ice cream and all my dreams coming true. You’re the girl who kisses every inch of me and takes too many photos of me. You’re the beautiful girl who won’t let me tell you that I’m so unattractive that I’ll break your camera. You tell me all the things you like about me and make me feel more secure than anyone ever has and ever will. I know who you are.”

She closed her eyes praying to whoever might be listening that he meant it all. He spoke again trying to make his point clear. “You aren’t hard to love. You’re so easy for me to love.”

The statement caused more tears to fall she somehow clinging to him all the tighter. He managed to speak once again doing all he could to find some small way to soothe her. “Come on lets go get a bath okay. Just let me hold you in the bath for a little while. We can use that chamomile bubble bath soap you like to use when you’re having a bad day. Let me take care of you Oli.”

She nodded her head wordlessly, her body feeling so tired. She felt so exhausted as she tried to wrap her brain around Tony’s statement. He’d thrown all her worst fears right in her face. It hurt, it hurt so much. He was the only family she’d trusted and he’d said she was hard to love.

Jimmy pressed a kiss to her temple, making a silent promise to himself that he would do whatever it took to reassure her of his love. He didn’t care what it took.

He swallowed the lump in his throat trying to push back the anger bubbling in his gut. He wasn’t sure if he could ever forgive Tony Dinozzo for what he’d said and he definitely didn’t think he could forgive him for making her cry.

Jimmy would do whatever it took to make sure she never had a reason to cry by his side ever again.

#Jimmy Palmer #Jimmy Palmer Fanfiction #Jimmy Palmer/oc #ncis #ncis fanfic #ncis fanfiction

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woltourney · 2 years ago

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ROUND 1 / SIDE B / POLL 15

Vastha Mhakaracca (@incense-and-iron) v. Rolanberry "Kira" Cheesecake (@phobos-voidwalker)

Vastha Mhakaracca:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Vastha Mhakaracca [He/They]

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Miqote - Keeper of the Moon

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. Main classes: Dragoon, Dark Knight, Monk, Reaper, Dancer

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. N/A

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. I'm a happy guy! Like to entertain my friends and put a smile on other people's faces. I ended up becoming a hero after following (partly) in my mother's footsteps-- she was a lancer and gave me her old lance when I wanted to leave home to adventure. It kind of broke ages ago… but I still have it! So she shouldn't be too mad about it. Hopefully, heh. Uh, anyway, I enjoy dancing and have tons of experience in managing and entertaining people since my family runs a small inn on the side of some nameless road. As for liking being a hero… it's complicated; as much as I really wish it wasn't that way. It use to be so easy and fun. Simple, even. There was still danger of course, but… I dunno. Fighting five giant ladybugs doesn't really match up in danger levels as the types of things I've been up too as of late [[<-- post EW content]]. Not to mention all the worst parts of having so much on your shoulders, things I really don't want to get into for such a fun event. B-But, don't take it as if I don't want to be a hero!! I can do it, so I want to do it. And it's not a 'If I don't do it, no one will', either. I think there are people who definitely could and would. People who have pulled way more weight through all this than I have. Even so, with all the pain and trouble I've been though, it's worth it at the end of the day. Knowing that I've helped so many people, that I have the power to keep the worst at bay, that I can make a change in the world and have that change try and be something good and positive and kind: that's what makes me like such a dangerous and oftentimes thankless job. Free time? Well, there's: dancing, cooking [[Culinarian is at level 90]], tending to my new island hangout, I've been doing LOTS of sightseeing-- Oh! I LOVE taking pictures and doing photography. Mostly of landscapes, they're just easier for me to work with than people; not to say I don't snap pictures of my friends now and again. What else… Oh! I've been taking up other crafting jobs as well since I have the spare time. It gives me something to keep my hands busy and lets me go out and collect more plants and rocks. I always liked going out to collect random stuff, but some of my older sisters, who I ended up bullied into hiring on as retainers so they could keep tabs on me away from home, got tired of me dumping popotos and iron ingots onto them to figure out how to sell en mass every week. I saw nothing wrong with it, but it really just must be me. Hmm… A lot more stuff about me is kind of personal. While I'm a rather open guy and like to chat, there's even some stuff I don't like talking about too casually or with strangers, sorry! Maybe we can be friends? I'm always open to new friends! Let's talk more sometime, okay?

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. Why should I win? Oh man, I just think it'd be neat! "Vastha Mhakaracca, winner of the…" uh, what was this called again? Oh, right! "winner of the WoLTourney 2023!" Could even put that on my little adventure card thingy just for fun.

q. Anything else you wanna add? a. Some other facts about Vastha he didn't get to cover himself: Transmasc [he/they] and gay (despite all the handsome bachelors in game, he hasn't fallen for more past a short lived crush or two.) He has 4 older sisters, making him the youngest in the family He use to be more meek and shy, which turned to 'all talk no bite', which turned out to now where he's more mellow and friendly but will not hesitate to throw hands if someone starts something He actually likes to do fetch quests because it lets him explore local areas to take more pictures Vastha comes off as a bit of a dunce and a ~stoopid widdle catboi~ to people because he likes to have fun and goof around like he use too (before all the horrors (tm) of being an adventurer). He notices, but doesn't comment on it. He'd rather people keep thinking it and underestimate him so he can prove them wrong through action. And with so much life experience now, he really doesn't care what others think of him anymore; he knows himself and that's all he can control in life. Despite being so giddy and friendly, the man does have some things he dislikes a normal degree, and other things (and people) he hates with the rage of a thousand suns-- which upon mention of will immediately switch his mood to more sour and serious. It's rare to stumble across such topics, thankfully.

Rolanberry "Kira" Cheesecake:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Rolanberry "Kira" Cheesecake, he/they

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Rava Viera

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. "Evoker" a special blend between SMN/RPR/DRK that focuses on summoning beings using his body as a vessel, similar to Enshroud.

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. Brynhildr!

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. Kira is a reluctant hero, originating from Sharlayan and settling down in the Black Shroud after the Calamity. He worked for Carline Canopy for those few years before being called to action (with the persuasion of a LOT of Gil) by another reluctant hero. He travels Eorzea with the hopes of trying every type of coffee and cake he can get his hands on, as well as hearing as much gossip as his oversized ears allow. He's an informant by trade and a hero by necessity, often coming across as abrasive and cold at first glance, but has a soft spot for animals and children seeing as he is the eldest of 6 siblings. In his spare time he enjoys music from local bards and tips very well.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. A heavy sigh. "Because if I do NOT win, that smug little shite is going to lord it over my head like the last time something blew up in my face. I might not be all too interested in popularity contests, but if it lets me rub it in that spoiled little brats face then by the Twelve I'm all in, SHOW ME YOUR AFFECTION EORZEA!!!" Oh, there he goes, off on another power trip, aaaaaand there's the maniacal laughter… Oh boy.

#💎 shout #💎 round one

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sorrytodistract · 4 years ago

Text

such a fun and natural sight

Day 4 of @jayviesource’s 12 Days of Jayvie is Artists AU

You can check the previous days here

“A little bit to the left,” His voice was patient as she adjusted her movement, her head tilting slighty to follow his instruction.

“Perfect,” he nodded and Evie did her best not to chuckle. He was being too nice really but she did agree to be his model for his photography project. She didn’t mind posing for him in her leotard and leggings but when he first asked her about being his model, she expected a more… private setting for some reason.

In all honesty, she mostly accepted to help him so she would finally be able to tell him how much she wanted them to be more than friends.

Evie had known Jay for about three years now and had had a crush on him for about the same amount of time. The thing was, she was a flirt and everyone that had ever heard of her on campus knew that. But when it came to Jay, she didn’t know exactly what was preventing her from gathering her courage to simply tell him she wanted them to be more than friends.

Actually, she had tried to be subtle a few times but she had come to realise that Jay was more oblivious than any guy she had ever flirted with. It was a shame really knowing he was as much of a flirt as she was.

“Jay?” She asked softly. She was tired of beating around the bush with him. It was high time he knew how she felt and did something about it (hopefully).

The young man looked up from the screen of his camera to meet her eyes. Evie was silent for a moment, a lump appearing in her throat as his brown eyes bore into hers. She couldn’t do that, what if he didn’t reciprocate her feelings? They had been friends for a while now. Best friends even, if she dared thinking it. She had been dancing ever since she started kindergarten and even though Jay had begun photography in a club during his high school years, he had always had an eye for it. They met when Jay offered to be in charge of taking the pictures of the dancing classes to introduce the program to the new students. They got along right away, their banter easygoing and their vibrant personalities matching as if they had known each other since they were children. If she remembered correctly, it seemed that at the beginning of their relationship, Jay was interested in developing a more romantic relationship with her but she was dating at the time and when one of her dancer friend pointed it out to her it was too late, as Jay already had someone else on sight. It was as if they had been in a game of cat and mouse ever since, with one of them always in a relationship when the other wasn’t and vice versa.

But things were different now. For the first time since they had known each other, they were both romantically available: Jay had broken up with Audrey, a dancer from Evie’s group with which he’d had an on and off relationship for a few months and Evie was single ever since she caught Doug making doey eyes at Alicia, a girl from his drama class - she always wondered why her ex-boyfriend chose this career seeing as he was definitely more pragmatic than artistic - she had been mad at first but soon enough she realised it was for the best as their relationship had kind of felt like a burden from the beginning.

“Is there something wrong?” His voice brought her back to the present and she realised he had been waiting for her to say what was on her mind this whole time. She shook her head lightly.

“Sorry, I was-”

“Miles away, it seems,” Jay chuckled. He stood up and walked closer to her.

“A penny for your thoughts?” His signature smile made her heart melt. It was now or never.

“I was thinking that… maybe we could get a drink together after? If you aren’t busy of course.” She had started her sentence watching it but her courage was slowly fading as she went on and he kept looking at her, his eyebrows knitted in confusion. She averted her eyes at the end. Maybe this was a bad idea and she had been misreading all the signs from the beginning.

Evie heard Jay clearing his throat and she was dying to see the expression on his face but she was too scared to find disappointment or worse, disgust.

“Now I feel like a fool.” Jay’s voice was quieter than she'd ever heard it and as she raised her eyes to meet his, it was her turn to be confused.

“... I was the one who was supposed to ask you out first.” He chuckled, his broad smile lighting his face up.

Evie harrumphed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Well… I wouldn’t have had to if you’d taken the opportunity weeks ago,” she was teasing him of course but the relief she was feeling was almost overwhelming.

Jay gasped in mock outrage. “Oh so that’s how it went for

Jay had no idea how she would have ended her argument as he crashed his lips against her in a valiant effort to shut Evie up. Seeing as she immediately kissed him back and moaned when his tongue made contact with her lips, it was probably the best idea he’d had this day. At least that’s what he thought until he felt her hands pushing him away from her.

“Jay…” her eyes were still closed and she was licking her lips, which was a very distracting sight but the photographer did his best to focus on her words. Evie looked up at him, a look of mirth mixed with a hint of annoyance.

“Did you just kiss me to shut me up?” Jay couldn’t tell if she couldn’t believe him or if she wanted to kiss him again so he was not certain his next words wouldn’t ruin everything.

“Well you did just tell me that the ball was in my court so…” He shrugged and attempted to smile at her, even though he probably looked more confident than he actually was.

He had been wanting Evie ever since the day his eyes landed on hers. She was perfect. Talented, smart, interesting, and possibly the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. And she was approachable. He had been a bit taken aback at first when they started to interact because he would have taken her as the popular “mean” girl. Looks could be disappointing. But in her case it was for the best. She had been the girl of his dreams but as soon as they started to be friends and hanging out together, Jay realised he was too much of a coward to try to ask her out and risk losing her friendship if she said no. He wasn’t an idiot (well, except when it came to Evie apparently) he knew his looks and attitude were attractive and he wasn’t afraid to use them but for some reason in his mind it had never worked on Evie. She was much too good for that. He just realised now that they may have been flirting all along but were both too dumb to realise it was more than a friendly game for both of them. Oh the fear of rejection… it made them waste quite a bit of time.

Evie smiled back at him, almost shyly. Jay cupped her cheek with his hand, his thumb grazing it softly.

“I’m sorry I was too much of a scaredy-cat to let you know how I felt from the beginning.”

Evie nodded.

“Well… if you hadn’t done anything today I would still have had one last plan.”

Jay’s eyebrow raised in question and Evie smirked back at him before putting her arms around his waist.

“Well Mister photographer, what do you say to a private photo shoot… in the nude?”

His gobsmacked expression was one for the ages and if it wasn’t for the rise and fall of his chest, she would have thought he was having a heart-attack. Evie really wanted to burst out laughing but she had her priorities straight and so she swiftly took the camera hanging around his neck to snap a few shots of his face while he was still recovering. She only managed the few though because as soon as he realised what she was doing, he reacted by trying to get his camera back. He started to tickle her sides so she would let go and as she finally cracked and began to giggle uncontrollably, he soon joined her hilarity.

“You minx! You’re going to be the death of me,” he stated as he finally got a hold of his device and they were slowly coming down from their high. She looked up at him, still proud of her deed and leaned forward to give him a long kiss. Jay’s hand came up to rest against the side of her neck as she deepened the kiss. When they finally broke apart, Evie gathered her stuff while Jay put away all his material too. As soon as they were done, Evie grabbed his hand so they could walk out hand in hand, towards her dorm.

“Speaking of death,” Evie began conversationally, “I wouldn’t mind experimenting “la petite mort” with you as soon as possible…”

Jay frowned at her for a moment, until he was struck by a flash of realisation at her words… he remembered the idiom from one of his literature classes. He could feel himself blushing as he let his mind wander towards that territory while Evie delightfully watched his micro-expressions. She laughed once again when he stopped abruptly to kiss her passionately, his tongue caressing hers teasingly, his right hand went down to grab her bum gently and Evie squeaked. She glared at his annoying smirk but his other hand was still holding hers and he didn’t waste time with more words as he dragged Evie towards her dorm.

#jayvie #12daysofjayvie #jevie #jay x evie #descendants fic #hope you'll like it #writing*

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wakaoujisenhime · 4 years ago

Note

May I ask headcanons for Kiseki no Sedai, Kuroko and Kagami? Their reaction to their girl being cool and sexually dancing (something like k-pop girl group cover dance, if you know it) with her dance team at a school festival (or something like that).

A/N: I knew and loved k-pop back in 2013/14 when it wasn’t as popular as it is right now so I apologize if the songs I chose aren’t the latest ones, I went ahead and consulted my best friend on some so that the songs at least matched the boys’ characters even a little bit! Additionally, I tried to vary between the groups so I hope you don’t mind that it’s not just girl groups!

Also a quick note concerning the setting: in all of these scenarios you - the reader - are going to be a little selfish and use that festival to your own advantage to either show your boyfriend something (aka. a hidden message) or simply surprise him with the dance, so I hope you won’t feel bad for the other ‘members’ of your group! Either way, I hope you’ll enjoy it! (*´ｰ`)

Tags: GoM/KnS and Kagami x reader ✅ SFW ✅ fluff ✅ k-pop ✅

━━━━☆ ━━━━☆ ━━━━☆

Kagami:

the song your group and you made a dance cover for was none other than Fire by BTS

not only did you guys put a lot of work into recreating the steps perfectly but you even went all out for the stage as well

I mean what’s that song without real fire?

it was quite a challenge for you to persuade the teachers to actually allow that, but you guys were quite convincing so the talk didn’t take long

of course, you wanted to keep that planned dance a surprise from your boyfriend Kagami

so when he asked you what your class was planning on doing for the festival you tried to answer as indifferently as possible

“I think the majority wanted to do something with acting or dance, but I’m not sure“

the way his eyes sparkled as he heard the word ‘dance’ was so adorable and it made no effort to hide his excitement

back when he was in America he had witnessed a lot of street artists that had dancing as their main program

he was so impressed, that there were times when he imagined just how it would look like if you danced like that

and you knew that, so in order for the surprise to be bigger you lied about being assigned to the backstage team

so imagine just what kind of surprised face he made when he saw you standing on stage, dancing with the biggest smile on your face

he was entranced by the way you managed to move your body so effortless and it made him fall in love with you all over again

but the moment those flames erupted from both corners of the stage his inner fireman almost got a heart attack

“(Y/N)! Are you ok?! You didn’t burn yourself, right??”

after your performance, you had to reassure your tall and bulky boyfriend that you were completely unharmed and well

and when he had finally calmed down, the amount of praise you got from not only boosted your confidence to the max, but it also made you consider dancing for him more often

Kuroko:

this song was a special request coming from you and it contained a secret message, hidden for your wholesome yet insecure boyfriend: 100 Ways by Jackson Wang

there was no way Kuroko was ever going to miss out on your school festival, it was the least he could do, considering just how many times you had actually visited his school to watch his games, join their festivities or simply visit him

out of respect to you, he didn’t question what your class had planned so it was child’s play to hide it from him

you had actually planned to deliver him a secret message through the song you guys planned to dance for

now this song wasn’t your typical k-pop song performed by a group nor was it sung by a Korean man, BUT he belonged to one of those famous groups and had many songs that dealt with the topic of love and heartbreak

Kuroko might not have seemed like the insecure type, but he most certainly was and it always broke your heart when he talked down on himself

typical lines he always said in such moments were ‘why are you with someone as ordinary as me’, ‘you deserve someone better’, ‘maybe you should leave me’

it always made you mad to hear him say that and he apologized after you lectured him, but somewhere deep down he never accepted that fact

so this song was a perfect opportunity to convey those exact feelings you had for him

the moment he heard the song mixed with the powerful and warrior-like moves it literally hit him like a truck

and as he saw you as the lead-dancer, permanently looking at him he actually shed some tears (you did as well, but luckily other spectators believed that it was a part of the performance)

after the roaring applause, you ran straight to where he was and engulfed him in a tight hug that knocked the air out of his lungs

“(Y/N), I-I’m sorr-”

“Shh Kuroko...it’s ok, I know. Just make sure to refrain from saying such things ever again, ok?”

“...and if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll just dance it for you once again...as many times as you need.”

Kise:

your song of choice here was Lipstick by Orange Caramel

Kise is a secret k-pop fan no one can tell me otherwise

he had told you multiple times that he’s had the pleasure of working with some inspiring Korean models that also happened to belong in a band

so the moment the teachers suggested your group to perform a dance for this year’s school festival you immediately suggested a dance cover of a k-pop song

there was a tiny bit of resistance amongst the members, but since they rarely saw you that fired up so they just had to agree

now that one problem was out the way the next one was coming up

how were you going to keep that a secret from Kise?

he was quite clingy and thanks to his popularity he had a LOT of contacts, so lying or keeping it from him was almost impossible

almost

“Your school wants me to come over for a photo shooting?“

“Yes, the photography club asked me to help them out. They wanted to make an entire photobook featuring you at our school festival!“

luckily Kise wasn’t that perceptive, so he believed that pretty obvious lie

when he arrived at your school, one of the backstage members lied that you a) were called by a teacher and that b) he’d have to wait close to the stage since that would mark the ‘beginning of the photo shooting’

as obedient as he was he did exactly that but for some reason, you weren't arriving and when the music started he figured he’d just watch the performance

“(Y/N)-cchi?!”

with big sparkly eyes and a constant grin on his face, he watched as you danced a song he had once danced to as well

after the performance ended he wouldn’t stop cuddling you no matter how many times you told him that it was hard to walk

from that day on every time he listened to a song from a Korean group he’d always come up to you and ask you to dance with him

Midorima:

you guys intended to go for a more cheerful song, but since the weather forecast said that it’s going to rain on the day of the school festival you guys danced to NOT BY THE MOON by GOT7

now...Midorima was quite the problematic boyfriend since he listened to Oha Asa more than to anyone else

he needed quite some time to actually start and listen to you, but luckily you managed to show him just how important it was to not only rely on stars, but also on his own thoughts and judgment

you were lucky that Oha Asa predicted a great surprise for Cancer on the day the school festival was dated, so he agreed to your invitation reluctantly

and boy he did not regret it

the way you and your group performed such a melancholic song under the rain made him hold his breath for quite some time

he even panicked a little when you looked at him and smiled

after the performance, he had to drag you away from your friends so that he could start drying your wet hair off

“You’re going to catch a cold like that dummy.”

you remained silent and smiled to yourself at just how cute this green-haired tsundere boy can actually be

“Is the towel today’s lucky item?”

“That’s right...”, he pouted, “You’re lucky I still listen to Oha Asa or you could’ve ended up sick”

without answering, you just nodded and looked at his other belongings as another wide smile adorned your face

“Was the second umbrella also a lucky item for today?”

the blush that appeared on your boyfriend’s face was something you had never expected seeing, but you did

Aomine:

after debating which song fitted the ‘sexy’ category the most, you guys ended up choosing Poison by Secret

having someone as simple-minded and purely guided by his desires as a boyfriend proved to be quite the advantage at times

your friends and you were planning to dance at the school festival for quite some time, the only problem had been the song you guys had to choose

but the moment you remembered how Aomine had once commented on how sexy and alluring most Korean girl groups looked like when dancing, you knew in which direction you guys should go

one problem was that there were tons of sexy songs and dances out there, so you needed some expert help

“Momoi, I need you to ask Aomine what his preferences are!“

after thoroughly explaining what you actually meant, she happily obliged

Momoi was his childhood friend and even if you hated admitting it, there were still some situations you couldn’t overcome without her knowledge and help

so the plan the two of you came up with was to lie to Aomine and claim that your school had invited one of his favorite gravure models

it pained you to see just how eager he was to come for another girl, but it made you the more determined to show him a breathtaking performance

and trust me when I say this, but this man was not only taken aback, but he almost swallowed a fly - that’s how long his mouth was agape

not only the dance moves impressed him, but the way you guys - you especially - had trained to have that alluring look is what almost had him drooling

he had never seen you that sexy and for him, it was as if new possibilities had just been revealed to him (a lot of those go into the NSFW section ( ͡◉ ͜ʖ ͡◉))

Murasakibara:

what other song fitted this man best but Candy Pop by TWICE

there were some difficulties in motivating him to come and visit and even if you said that there will be sweets there he was still reluctant (much to your surprise)

so you decided to leave that topic be for now

you and your dance group practiced, perfected the dance, designed the clothes and before you knew it the day of the performance had arrived

“(Y/N), are you alright?“

“You don’t look so well...“

you hated admitting it, but the fact that Murasakibara wouldn’t come was slowly getting to you

normally you weren’t that nervous, but now that you knew that there wouldn’t be a giant purple-haired man amongst the spectators, your heart was about to explode

BUT being the lead dancer you couldn’t back out now, so you took a few deep breaths and went to the stage, waiting for the spotlights to fall on you and for the music to start

the moment you lifted your head and saw one certain person above everyone else, your nervousness was instantly blown away

“(Y/N)-chin that was amazing! I loved everything!“

“Your clothes, as well as the candy requisites, look so yummy, I’d straight out eat them if I could.“

between all the laughter, you managed to ask him what his thoughts on the overall dancing were, since you planned that song for him especially

“You’re seriously asking me such obvious questions?“

he hugged and lifted you up, kissing your cheek

“It was all amazing. I was so captivated by your sweet smile that I didn’t really pay that much attention to the song.“

Akashi:

for him, you decided on a happy sounding song with a hidden and deep message aka. Wannabe by ITZY

so first and foremost: hiding a secret from this man was impossible like literally IMPOSSIBLE

but as stubborn as you were, you still attempted it

the way you tried to hide the fact that you would participate in the dance performance made him realize, that you were actually planning on surprising him with it

so as the gentleman he was, he pretended not noticing your obvious lie and agreed to come and watch

he himself almost became the main attraction so he sadly had to look for a place in the back row

luckily one of your classmates saw him and immediately realized what the situation was

“Excuse me are you Akashi, (Y/N)’s boyfriend?”

he nodded with a surprised face

“Well then please follow me, she managed to reserve you a seat at the front row!”

and there he was, directly looking at you and only you

he might have seen past your lie, but he was genuinely surprised at how perfect you had mastered this dance

after you guys finished, he thanked everyone for the wonderful performance and when you guys were finally alone he praised you nonstop

“It was wonderful to watch you dance like that. I hope you don’t mind me teaching you some of the basic dances.”

“Which ones did you have in mind?”

“Walz, or maybe some Tango, what do you say?”

#knb headcanons #knb imagines #knb x reader #generation of miracles x reader #kagami x reader #knb fluff #━𝙺𝙽𝙱 #━𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽'𝚂 𝙴𝙲𝙷𝙾

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