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boatlifestyle · 7 months ago

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The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Smart Watch: From Boys to Ladies

Smartwatches today have outdone their features and have become more than just being a fashion accessory; they are very essential gadgets that can keep us connected, updated, and on track. What to look for in a Smart Watch for Boys, Smart Watch for Girls, or the newest in Smart Watches for Women and Ladies' styles: We explore the best of each category to help you pick a smartwatch that best suits you.

Smart Watch for Boys: Rugged and Fun

When choosing a smartwatch for boys, it is more focused on durable and fun features. These watches can be rugged and tumble with every active child in their daily activities while they offer all the functionalities that engage the younger user.

Durability: In smartwatches for boys, rugged designs, waterproof features, and impact-resistant materials are core aspects. Many smartwatches made for boys are designed to work through bumps and spills around school and play.

Features usually include GPS tracking, fitness monitoring, and educational games. In most cases, they help parents know the whereabouts of their children at all times but also promote health and learning.

Design: Vibrant colors, customized Watch faces, and clear user interfaces make the smart watches kids-friendly. Some models go further to include inbuilt cameras that can capture photos and even send messages to friends, which makes the watch more interesting than the conventional one.

Smart Watches for Girls: Fashionable yet Functional

In smart watches for girls, good looks need to be equated with equal functionality. Most of the time, these watches combine style with some very handy features to fit them in a young girl's life.

Aesthetics: Smartwatches for girls come most of the time in various stylish designs and colors. From pastel hues to glittery accents, there are a host of options to completely merge into the young girl's wardrobe.

Features: Activity tracking, notification, and learning applications are very common. Most smartwatches in this category come fitted with heart rate monitors and pedometers to help girls keep up with a healthy and active lifestyle.

User-Friendly: Easy to use with intuitive interfaces and settings that can be easily customized. Parental controls and features that allow management of apps bring comfort to the mind.

Smart Watches for Women: Elegance Meets Technology

For the Women's Smart Watches, it's more of a blend of elegance and advanced functionality. The watches would be developed to go with women in professional attire as well as casual wear, but still not missing out on high-end features.

Design: The majority of women's smartwatches are made with sleek and elegant designs, and there are options for a myriad of straps and watch faces. From minimalist to elaborate designs featuring gemstones, there is something to fit every taste.

It tracks health—heart rate and sleep—and other advanced features like GPS navigation and pairing with devices at home, etc. Women's smartwatches also sport call, message, and social media notifications to provide help in everyday functioning.

Personalization: The ability to change watch faces and interchangeable bands allows women to match their smart watches with their mood or outfit. Many models also offer a range of apps designed to help manage schedules, workouts, and wellness.

Smart Watch Ladies: Trendy Technology

Those, however, who are looking specifically at Smart Watch Ladies will find style blended with cutting edge technology.

Fashion and Functionality: The smartwatches normally use leading-edge materials such as stainless steel, leather, or ceramic and are fashioned to be complementary to refined attire. One of the ideas is that the smartwatch will look nice on the wrist and work fine as well.

The Tech Features: Women's watches do present all the main features—health tracking, notifications, fitness monitoring—with added features such as mobile payments and voice assistants.

Versatility: Most smartwatches from this category have swappable bands and changeable watch faces, so users can change up their device depending on the occasion—be it some fancy event or just casual wear.

How to choose the right Smartwatch for your needs?

The perfect smartwatch will depend on individual tastes and needs. For boys and girls, durability with exciting features is important, while for women/ladies, there needs to be a mix between style and advanced technology.

If looking for a Smart Watch for Boys or Smart Watch for Girls, then consider durability, ease of use, and fun features. For ladies, think about style, functionality, and how the watch will fit in with your lifestyle when it comes to Smart Watches for Women or Smart Watch Ladies.

The smartwatch of today does much more than tell you the time—it's basically an essential gadget to make life a whole lot easier. Be it for your child or a grown-up, the right smartwatch would never really fail to bring you just the perfect mix of utility and fashion, thus being a really good investment.

There's no scarcity of choices, so finding the best smartwatch has never been easier. See the various types of smartwatches available and see how technology can be harmoniously integrated into your lifestyle.

Tags: Smart Watch for Boys, Smart Watch for Girls, Smart Watches for Women, Smart Watch Ladies

#Smart Watch for Boys #Smart Watch for Girls #Smart Watches for Women #Smart Watch Ladies #best smartwatch #smartwatch

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digitalmates2024 · 1 year ago

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Olevs Leather Waterproof Quartz Fashion Watch for Men

Elevate your style with the Olevs Leather Waterproof Quartz Fashion Watch for Men. This meticulously crafted timepiece seamlessly blends fashion and functionality, making it a must-have accessory for the modern man.

Key Features:

Quartz Movement: Precision meets reliability with the quartz movement, ensuring accurate timekeeping for all your endeavors.

Waterproof Design: Designed to withstand the elements, this watch boasts a waterproof feature that makes it suitable for everyday wear, from business meetings to outdoor adventures.

Durable Leather Strap: The genuine leather strap not only adds a touch of sophistication but also ensures durability and comfort for prolonged wear.

Sleek and Stylish Design: The watch features a sleek and stylish design that effortlessly complements any outfit, whether it's formal attire or casual wear.

Date Functionality: Stay organized and on schedule with the convenient date display feature, adding practicality to your timekeeping experience.

Quality Materials: Olevs is committed to using high-quality materials, ensuring longevity and a timeless aesthetic that withstands the test of time.

Easy Readability: The clear and concise dial design, coupled with luminescent hands, ensures easy readability even in low-light conditions.

Secure Closure: The watch is equipped with a secure and adjustable buckle closure, providing a snug fit on your wrist.

Whether you're a trendsetter or a professional on the go, the Olevs Leather Waterproof Quartz Fashion Watch for Men is a statement piece that combines functionality with refined style.

Upgrade your wristwear collection and make a lasting impression with this Olevs timepiece.

Buy Now

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flipzone · 1 year ago

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Buy now- https://flipzoneonline.com/product/lenovo-e1-pro-smart-watch/

Full Touch Experience: Lenovo E1 Pro comes with 1.4″ Full Touch HD Screen with a resolution of 240×240 with 2.5D thin & light glass transparent & clean, anti- fingerprint, anti-glare, hard, scratch-resistant and other advantages.

Thin & Light Weight: Lenovo E1 Pro is thin & lightweight which is easy to wear for a long duration. The Thickness of the product is only 10mm in size and the total weight is 45g.

Multiple Exercise Modes: Multiple Exercise modes are available such as walking, running, cycling, skipping, badminton, basketball, football & swimming. You can always know the heart rate, calories and other physical conditions so that you can adjust the amount of exercise at any time.

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timepiecetrend224 · 1 year ago

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Lifelong's Sigma Smartwatches as Tools for Holistic Health Management

Vibez by Lifelong Sigma Smartwatch have revolutionized the conception of health operation, serving as important tools that grease a holistic path to well- being and support a healthy life for men. Beyond their part as timers, these slice- bite smartwatches are strictly finagled to manipulate the multifaceted aspects of health, encompassing physical fitness, internal well- being, and passional balance in one complete package.

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Further than precisely data trackers, Lifelong's Sigma Smartwatches function as substantiated health trainers through their interactive features and perceptive announcements. With substantiated health recommendations, thing- setting functionalities, and motivational prompts, these bias laboriously motivate druggies to stay married to their health and heartiness peregrinations, furthering a sense of responsibility and commission.

In substance, Lifelong's Sigma Smartwatches review the boundaries of timekeeping by embracing a holistic path to health operations. By seamlessly incorporating physical fitness, internal well- being, and passional balance, these smartwatches serve as complete tools that support men in their pursuit of a clearheaded and completing life. grasp the transformative capabilities of the Sigma Smartwatches and sail on a trip toward holistic health and lasting well- being.

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piyushflip · 1 year ago

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Smart watch price in india

1.78 inches AMOLED display that delivers a clear screen and comes with a smooth user interface that allows you to manage your daily tasks easily and quickly.

Keep your fitness goals on track by getting the Amazfit Pop 2 Smartwatch with Bluetooth Calling, which can be an ideal fitness companion for you. All calls and messages are displayed on the watch screen when connected to the Bluetooth.

Sleep trackers can detect interrupted sleep, letting you know when you`re tossing and turning or waking during the night. Tracking REM, Deep and light sleep.

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techguys · 2 years ago

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7 Best Smartwatches for Men 2023

Watches on men look absolutely classy. While women can accessorize their hands using many things, still a watch is the most elegant addition to any apparel.

And when it comes to smart watches, they look equally dashing on men & women both. It doesn’t matter if you are going to a formal event or to an informal one, you can always wear a smartwatch. That’s why there is no dearth of options for smartwatches for men & women these days.

Now, if you are looking to buy for yourself or gift an amazing smartwatch to any of your male friends or relatives, we have collected the following list of best smartwatches:

Wave Call Plus

A perfect smart watch for men out there! It supports a large 1.83” HD display that makes your world brighter & bigger. A smooth & fully capacitive touch experience makes navigation easy. This watch is even bilingual - so you can choose the language on your watch and make it even more convenient for usage. With this watch on your wrist, you can enjoy a hassle-free and clear calling experience. This smartwatch with calling feature comes with an ultra-seamless bluetooth calling chip that ensures a single seamless connection, reduces battery consumption and provides a greater range of connectivity. You can even save up to 20 contacts and dial to your favorite person. The AI Noise cancellation technology further makes sure that the ambient noises don’t disturb you any further and you get to communicate clearly on the calls.

Storm Pro Call

Get ready to take the world by storm with this super classy and trendy smart watch for boys. It comes with a 4.52 cm AMOLED screen that offers vivid colors and crisp images. You are guaranteed to experience smooth transitions and the premium metal body will leave you astonished. Apart from being this good looking, this smartwatch also features many interesting features that make it a hit among men & women, alike. With a built-in speaker and microphone, Storm Pro Call supports BlueTooth calling straight from your smartwatch. You can also save up to 10 contacts and make hassle-free and quick calls through your watch. The 700+ sports modes help you stay on top of your health. You can also check your heart rate monitor spO2 and sleep with this watch on your wrist. Equipped with IP68 dust and water resistance, this smartwatch for women and men can endure the harshest of conditions and the worst of weathers.

Fireboltt Rocket

Round & sturdy, this smartwatch is a favorite of all. It comes with a big & bold, beautiful 1.3” TFT screen and a round iconic dial. With this smartwatch you can celebrate the inner athlete inside you as it supports 100+ sports modes. This means that you can track your performance and optimize it to make it better. With this, you will not only be able to see who is calling but will also be able to make or take those calls with ease using your smartwatch. Yes, it comes with an in-built mic & speaker.

Feel free to wear it to all your adventures as this smartwatch supports an IP67 water resistance rating.

Noise HRX Bounce

If fitness tracking is your goal, then we have found one of the best smartwatches for you! It supports a 1.39” TFT display and comes loaded with many health fitness related features that will help you achieve your goals. It supports 100+ sports modes that help you track your fitness journey. From heart rate monitor to sleep tracking, from spO2 monitor to menstrual tracker - this smartwatch supports it all.

Realme Watch 2

Sleek & stylish, this smartwatch comes with a 1.4” color display and weighs only 38 grams. You can choose from 100+ watch faces and match the vibe of your watch with your mood or look. The 90 sports modes help you accurately track your fitness journey. It also supports a heart rate monitor, a sleep tracker, and a spO2 monitor. The watch is IP68 water resistant.

Hammer Ace 3.0

Classy look and amazing style - this smartwatch comes with a 1.85” IPS large display. The strong metallic built gives it an edge. It allows you to save up to 50 contacts and make clear calls using your smartwatch over bluetooth. The 60 sports modes come in handy when you are trying to track your fitness journey. The watch is IP67 water resistant so feel free to take it out anywhere and everywhere.

Boult Ridge

Last but not the least, this smartwatch comes with a 1.8” HD display. It helps you manage your calls smartly as with this on your wrist you not only get to know who is calling but you can also take that call up. The watch is IP67 water resistant. That’s all!

#Smart Watch #smart watches #Smart Watch for Girls #Smart Watches for Men #Smart Watches for Women #Best Smartwatch #Smart watch for boys #smartwatch #Smart watch with calling #smartwatches

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on-a-lucky-tide · 1 month ago

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Like You Mean It: A Nikprice Mafia AU

John is invalided out of the military and is struggling to adjust to civilian life, stuck in a cycle of poor coping mechanisms and denial. He gets sent to Chester by his younger sister to service a client that has scared all her other employees. Little does he know that the appointment will change the trajectory of his life forever.

cw: post-traumatic stress disorder, extremely poor attitude to his own disability, toxic coping mechanisms.

“How is the new hobby going? Painting, isn't it?”

Price frowned at the table in front of him, counting the rings of coffee stains. Four. “It didn't work out.”

“Oh, that's a shame. What happened?”

Price swallowed, his fingers twitching on his knees. He could tell the truth: that the inane, witless conversations had bored him to death, or that one of the women had started flirting with him and it had made him uncomfortable, or that the paintbrush had felt unwieldy and small in his hands, that it looked wrong there, or that he had lost his temper, overwhelmed by something he couldn't put his finger on, and thrown the canvas to the floor before limping out, or…

“It jus’ didn't hold my interest. ‘M sure I'll find somethin’.”

The therapist tapped her notepad with the end of the biro and studied him closely. She was one of the best, Mac had said. Worked with all the old boys that invalided out after a lifetime in the service. She helped them get back on their feet, navigate civilian life, and finally put to bed some of the ghosts they dragged behind them. Price had to give her a chance to help, which meant opening up some of those wounds he’d let heal badly over the years. Sally was nice enough, and he was trying not to let his own internal battles influence how he regarded her. Sometimes, she made that hard.

“How are the nightmares? Any better?”

“Yeah, they… uh, they don' happen as regularly.”

“When was the last one?”

Last night. “Coupla weeks ago, I reckon.”

She wrote that down. Price tapped his knees again and glanced at the watch on the table. She made him take his off because he had spent the first two sessions glancing at it. The compromise had been that she would set an alarm on hers. It was a brand new smartwatch, she said, it tracked her calories, her heart rate, had GPS. The kind of thing his watches had been doing for years, except his watches could call in an air strike and track enemy combatants across the field of battle.

The old one, that is. His new one just told the time.

Her husband had bought it for her, so Price had said it looked very posh.

“Have you given any more thought to the dating app we talked about?”

The watch beeped. Thank fuck.

“Whelp.” He clapped his hands together before rolling to his feet with a quiet groan, a combination of actions that he knew made him appear ten years older than he actually was. “I'll see ya next week then, Sally.”

She handed him back his watch and he slipped it over his wrist, before she placed the notes down on the table. Given that his eyesight was still sharp, he caught the words, ‘denial’, ‘withdrawn’ and ‘isolated’ amongst the scrawl. His jaw twitched and he averted his gaze. This was one assessment he didn't seem to be passing in flying colours. She gave no indication she had realised he'd seen. “Companionship, John. Even a friend that has nothing to do with the service. It will do wonders.”

“Right. I’ll… work on that.”

It was raining when he stepped outside, grey clouds stretching across the skyline in a dark, homogenous blanket. He almost skidded on a drain, his uneven gait prone proving more of a liability in the wet, as he walked across the car park, and he swallowed the resulting grimace even though there was no one around to see. He did it more out of habit than anything else; show no weakness.

When he slumped into the seat of his old Honda Civic, he sat in the mute silence for a moment, watching the raindrops tumble down the windscreen. His leg throbbed, the tight scar tissue pulling, tendons creaking under tension, and he looked down at his knee with a scowl.

It had been a building falling on him that had done him in the end, trapping his leg for seven hours while his task force dug him out. Ghost had dragged him out by his bitch strap, and then carried him to casevac, with Soap doing his best not to look at the mangled state of his captain's leg as he covered the rear. A miracle that he hadn't lost it, they said. That he hadn't been crushed completely.

A miracle.

So, now, he got to rot away slowly in a small, one-bedroom flat in Liverpool, with TV dinners and Coronation Street. He walked through the world numbly, like he was observing it from afar, through frosted glass. The only brief glimpses of feeling he got was when one of the 141 messaged him. Sometimes a picture, other times a text. They were few and far between. It wasn't that they didn't care. They were busy. He knew the demands more than anyone. The world didn't stop turning because Bravo Six had left the game.

That didn't stop him checking his phone every few hours, just in case he had missed a notification. Checking his watch so he could tell himself where in their routine they would be.

He did it now.

1400, Tuesday.

If they weren’t on mission, Simon would have the experienced operators running drills with the trainees. It was autumn, which meant the start of bad weather and low visibility environs. It was likely he would do a jump in a few weeks with full kit to test the development of their survival skills.

He glanced at his phone. Nothing.

With a deep sigh through his nose, Price jammed his keys into the ignition and turned. The old car choked into life, the engine ragged in the cold, and he clicked it into ‘Drive’. He was grateful for the bloody thing, really. Those first few months of riding around on the bus had nearly been enough to send him to an asylum, with screaming kids and the constant smell of piss from seemingly every person that sat down. When his GP had approved him to drive an automatic, he'd almost dropped to his knees to fellate the bastard in gratitude.

He didn't really track his drive home. Stopping at reds, giving way, flicking down the indicator as he turned corners. The streets, houses and people of Liverpool passed by in a colourless smudge until he was pulling into his car parking space and staggering out in the rain. It happened a lot; the disappearing into his own head. Like his brain was giving up without stimulus and switching into standby mode.

The lift was still out of order despite his numerous phone calls on behalf of the residents, so he turned into the stairwell and began the arduous climb to the third floor. Gone were the days when a phone call from John Price moved literal armies. Now he couldn't even get fuckin’ Bill from maintenance out with a screwdriver to fix the fuckin’ lift so Jenny, eighty years old and wheelchair bound, could leave to do her groceries.

By the time Price reached the top of the first flight, his leg was burning; by the second, he was breathless from pain, and by the third, his eyes were welling with tears. The pain from his leg seemed to burn through his entire body, clutching his chest in a vice, bile and nausea building in the back of his throat, and he was having to stifle the sounds punching from his chest by biting on his knuckles.

His hands shook as he extracted his front door key, and continued to do so as he tipped more than a single dose of his strongest painkillers into his palm, the kettle hissing behind him on the countertop as he slid to the floor. He didn't wait for the tea to brew, but necked the pills dry, crunching them down in between huffing deep breaths through his nose.

There had been a time after his injury that he had believed he would recover and return to the field. A small part of him still did sometimes, but all it took was a set of stairs to truly humble him, leaving him whimpering and shaking on his kitchen floor. Pathetic, weak. How far he had fallen. He turned his face into his palms and pressed the heels hard into his eyes.

When he looked up again, the room was dark.

Price latched a hand on the edge of the countertop and pulled. His bad leg was stiff, seized with cold and aching, and his right one was numb from where he'd been sitting on it. His stumbling efforts would have made for a great Benny Hill sketch, he thought bitterly.

Once he had set the kettle reboiling and a frozen TV dinner in the microwave, Price checked his phone. One message. From his sister.

Carol (16:00): How did the appointment go?

Price glanced at the clock. 1900. Bollocks.

Price (19:00): Good.

Carol (19:01): Three hours to write that. Nice one, John.

He sighed, smacking the top of the phone into his forehead in frustration, before typing out a response.

Price (19:04): We talked about the painting thing, some old missions, and she asked me about the dating app.

Carol (19:05): did you make the profile yet?

Price (19:06): what the fuck do you think?

Carol (19:07): stop being a miserable cunt and do it

Price (19:07): No one wants to date a cripple.

He didn't send that one. It read far too much like self pity and that just turned his fucking stomach.

Price (19:07): If I wanted someone nagging me 24-7 I'd move in with you.

Carol (19:08): Prick.

Price (19:08): Yeah, tthat'd be a fine thing.

Carol (19:09): omg 😭

Carol (19:11): Gary says you never text back about games night. Kimmy wants to see you.

Gary was Carol’s “gay bff”—her words. He’d been a godsend when her bottom feeder of a husband had finally pushed the old bill too far and got himself nicked for possession with intent to sell and GBH. Price owed the bloke a lot, because he’d picked up the slack where a big brother should have been. He was pretty sure Carol had tried to set them up once, which would have gone about as well as trying to get a Labrador to date a Persian cat. Gary would have shredded Price with his kitten claws in minutes.

Price (19:12): Depends on my shifts, boss.

Carol (19:13): Ok.

Carol (19:13): Don't give up on us.

Carol had saved him enough already. She had been the one to force him to retrain at college so he could work at her salon. Physical therapy and massage. Something to do with his hands that wasn’t killing people, she’d said. Besides, she wanted to attract more male clientele and his machismo would make them feel less emasculated about seeking support. He felt like there had been a hidden barb there, but hadn’t pressed. Price swallowed the lump in his throat and stared into his dark kitchen for a moment before he replied.

Price (19:14): trying

Carol (19:15): I know

Carol (19:15): love you big bro

Price (19:16): love you too, love to Kimmy.

He shoved his phone into his pocket as he poured his tea, taking it black despite the presence of milk in the fridge. That was at the other end of the kitchen and the pain killers hadn’t yet kicked in properly. His microwave meal seemed more or less cooked through, the steam searing his fingertips as he tugged off the plastic lid, so grabbed a fork and headed into the dark sanctity of his living room.

His flat had always been sparse, with basic furniture, a handful of books and family photographs. None of the ‘homely’ touches you’d expect of a home. In all fairness, he had never spent a lot of time here—only a few days leave if he’d been at a loose end. But even then he had preferred sleeping in Carol’s spare room, doing the school run in the mornings so she could have a less hectic start to the day, and making sure the house was clean, that there was something edible on the table in the evenings. Fat chance of that now. She didn’t need another deadbeat arsehole on her couch twenty-four hours a day. She’d done her time with that bullshit. So Price had only visited a handful of times since being discharged; once to take a look at a leak under the kitchen sink, and then to check the weird noise her car had been making when the temperature dropped.

Price slumped into the permanent dip of the right hand sofa cushion and took a moment to bask in the relief, tea and dinner hovering over his lap. Some days, he wanted to stay on the damn sofa and rot into it, but the stubborn streak that had managed to survive the last few months wouldn’t let him. He had to be doing something—anything—even if that was hobbling about the supermarket for Jenny while the lift was out of action. A last, defiant stand against the listless void left behind when they had taken the service from him.

He dug the clicker from where it had fallen down the side of the cushion and turned over just in time for the opening credits of Coronation Street, blowing over the heap of white rice and tasteless curry in front of his mouth. His mind faded out into white noise as he ate mechanically and knocked back his tea to wash the taste away. The episode hadn’t even finished before he was pulling the fleece blanket from the other cushion over his lap, eyes drooping closed. He checked his phone once more before he placed it on the lamp table for the final time.

The storm outside picked up a notch and Price felt it tremour through the old building, and he watched the rain lash against the balcony windows as fitful sleep dragged him under.

—

“This is Bravo Six in the blind; Watcher—ahh, Watcher, do you c-copy?”

Static.

”Kate… Kate, please… fuh-ck, Watcher, this S-six in—“

The rubble above his head moved. He held his breath. There was nowhere for him to move. Nowhere for him to run. It had taken an eternity to wrestle his arm free enough to get to his radio. If the rubble shifted now, it would crush him.

The pain was blinding. Like white hot pokers stabbing through every muscle. If he hadn’t been able to move his arm, he would have assumed his spine or neck were broken. Maybe both. He could feel his right leg, but not his left. Couldn’t even see it.

”Watcher, do you copy?”

Static.

”Kate, please… don’t let me die down here, don’t… please…”

His pleas were soaked up by the oppressive silence. The muffled, muted space that seemed to swallow his voice.

Suffocating nothingness.

Static.

He couldn’t move. Not an inch. His trap was closing in. Crushing him. Several tons of concrete and steel pressing down on his ribs, his legs. He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t breathe.

—

Waking up felt like he was having to claw himself out from beneath that rubble himself, chest heaving, the neck of his t-shirt stained dark as he fought his way back to the surface. Early morning light was leaking through the balcony door, the spots of rain still clinging to the glass making the living room glitter like a disco ball hung from the ceiling. He lifted a shaking hand from beneath the fleece and smoothed his damp hair back over his head, mentally counting through the grounding exercises Sally had taught him.

Feel, see, hear, touch.

Like he’d been run over by a Challenger—his ceiling—phone alarm—blanket.

Price threw out a hand and managed to swipe his damn phone off the table. Cussing and snarling, he slumped onto the floor, fishing it out from beneath the lamp stand. He didn’t have enough energy to climb his way back onto the sofa, so he sat there once he’d switched the alarm off, staring into space. The world slowly filtered back in, his senses spreading out through the room, latching onto anything that connected him to the reality outside his head. Unfortunately, that also brought with it the constant dull throb of pain in his left side.

That last mission had been the final crack in a dam he hadn’t even been aware of. Over twenty years of difficult operations in the most inhospitable environs and his mind had soldiered through, unbroken, robust. Colleagues and friends had fallen before him, so he knew what post-traumatic stress disorder looked like, but it was something that happened to other people. Not him. Not in a million fuckin’ years.

But leave him trapped under some rubble for a few hours and suddenly every difficult experience, every interrogation, every period spent trapped behind enemy lines at their mercy, every close call, every fallen soldier, they all came flooding back like vengeful demons that had been caged in the pits of hell to tear off their pound of flesh.

The nightmares weren’t always the same. Sometimes, his subconscious decided to dredge up an experience from over a decade ago to torture him with. A few nights ago, it had been the interrogation that had left him with burn scars over his lower back. A month spent in an Al Qatala detention facility before Mac had extracted him. He hadn’t broken—had given them bloody nothing—and had passed the psych eval after that one with flying colours. Even the psychologist had been a little suspicious—impressed, but suspicious. Turned out all he’d done was squash it all so far down that it was invisible to a prying eye, and then managed to trick himself that he was just made of stronger stuff than average.

He was good at that though: keeping secrets. Pretending, manipulation, getting what he wanted out of people. Out of himself. It was no surprise that he’d got so good at it over the years that he had managed to dupe even himself into believing what he needed to get the job done. Stupid wanker.

Price scowled as he rolled to his feet, wobbling unsteadily at first as he regained his balance, before limping into his bedroom. He had a quick shower to wash the sweat off and threw on his gym kit. Just because his lower half was useless, that didn’t mean he couldn’t keep the rest of him in shape. The physio had told him to keep it light, that everything in his body was connected and his nervous system needed time to adjust, and he had nodded along.

Truth was, he liked the burn of it. It felt like punishment. A punishment that he could control. It was both proof that he was still, physically, worth something and a way to chastise the parts of himself that weren’t as strong as they used to be. John left the house just as his morning alarm went off.

He ignored the sideways glances from the reception staff as he limped through the automatic barriers, his car parked in the second row back because he couldn’t quite bring himself to use the damn blue badge the council had given him when Carol had completed the forms on his behalf.

This early in the morning, the gym was more or less empty. There were a few night shifters getting their end of day workout in at the squat racks, so Price dumped his gym bag by a bench in front of the dumbbells. The powerlifter to the right glanced at him as he grabbed 26kg for a warm up set, and from that point on he let his mind go blank. All that existed as he worked his way through his ‘push day’ was the burn in his shoulders, his chest, down his spine. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend he was in the gym in Credenhill, with Ghost grunting on his right and Soap pausing to take yet another selfie on his left…

His phone trilled.

He dropped the dumbbells to the floor at his feet and snatched it from his bag. He hated himself for feeling disappointment when he saw his sister’s name.

“Wotcha, love, everyfin’ ok?” He slumped back on the bench, spare arm dangling between his legs as the burn of the lift faded.

I know it’s ya day off, but I need a favour…

”Right…”

We’ve got a regular in Chester who needs a home visit.

”Oh yeah, cheshire set, is he?”

Nah, he’s… a foreign national. Scary bloke, actually. And that’s the problem, all the girls are refusin’ t’ go.

”Did he touch one’uv‘em?”

No, no. Nothin’ like that. He’s just… scary. Lives in one of those big detached houses, and he has loads of… well, they called ‘em henchmen. Said it’s like walkin’ int’ mafia film, John.

”If he’s so bloody terrifyin’, why not jog ‘im on?”

It’s… not tha’ simple, la.

Price’s hackles went up instantly. Not that simple could mean a hundred different things, but all the dots were joining up in a way that made Price want to load his M1911 before he drove over. “Why?”

Look, I… if ya can’t do, ‘ll go meself, but…

”Don’t you bloody dare,” Price growled. “I’ll go. Send me the time, the address, what his usual is.”

He heard her breathe a sigh of relief down the phone.

Cheers, John. I… I owe y’bevvy, yeah?

“Stop tryin’ to set me up with Gary, and we’ll call it even.”

Oi, I was jus’—okay, fine. Gary is off the Price menu.

”Carol, I swear t’…” He glanced over his shoulder as the grunting behind him had gone conspicuously silent and the brief moment of eye contact was enough to make him drop his voice. “Right. Forward me the intel, and—“

She chuckled.

”Wot?”

I will forward ya the intel, big brother. Love ya, see ya later.

Price stared at the phone in his hand long after it had gone black. The heat under his skin was adrenalin. He’d recognise the bubbling rush of it anywhere; the heavy drum of his heart, the tightness in his chest. Excitement.

“Fuckin’ ‘ell, get a grip,” Price mumbled as he chucked his phone into his bag and returned the weights. It was probably some sweaty billionaire who fancied himself the bloody Godfather. Normal people—people who hadn’t spent their entire adult lives fighting real mobsters, crooks and war criminals—saw a grim face and a sharp suit and were easily intimidated. Price would scope the place out and gather some more information on whatever the fuck this arsehole had on Carol, and then he would fix the problem. He was good at that. Fixing other people’s problems. It let him ignore his own for a bit longer.

#captain john price #cod nikolai #nikprice #mafia au #long fic

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mattsinclairvo · 1 month ago

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While I wait for a response from Tumblr about my predicament about my posts not showing in the tags, I wanted to share some stuff I'd been writing for Noel and Rose! The OCs from my G/t show pitch (art by @miniature-knight) If you want to read more about them I've written some posts about them like this one or this!

The scene below features the two at a party they'd been dragged to but things take a turn for the worst when an Anti-Xionic extremist shows up to try and start a row

“Are you the whore who’s sleeping with one of those alien freaks?”He called angrily.

A quick jog through a few databases showed he was Anti-Xionic talking head and extremist, Drew Brondson . It seemed the synths were activated by the disturbance. The Anemones swarmed toward the front to attempt, slowing him down. It must’ve been quite the sight to the few party goers close enough to see the formation of multicolored women.

“W-What? What’s going on? Was he screaming at me?” Farah asked.

Confusion flashed through her drunk flush face.

“You need to keep moving, understand?” I said low and clear.

The heavy bass and drums reverberated in time with our steps through the wood floor.

“Stupid cheap bots! Get these dumb things offa me!” Brondson howled.

He was slurring his words, just as drunk as everyone else in attendance. This wasn’t some well planned strike. Farah or one of her ‘friends’ must've told Max about the plan to get us here. Max is the kind of clout chasing hustler to brag about having a NeoSapien hybrid at his party to anyone in his massively vapid social circle, and one of those people happened to be Drew. How ridiculous. Even more dramatic than a staged TV show. But still a volatile situation nonetheless, that I needed to get Farah and Noel out of.

“Keep your head down. And stick close to me.” I instructed, “We’re just two girls fucked up at a party.”

A loud thud rang out from the foyer.

I took the liberty of peeking into one of the cams in the front. Max, despite being a ‘big tech guy,’ didn’t have very good firewalls in his home security. Brondson, with the help of his suited bodyguards, managed to keep the wildflower synths from throwing him out of Max's home but they weren't making much progress into the actual party. I doubted that would last long however. A wildflower synth, the one who was manning the bar, lay crumpled on the ground in a pool of artificial blood. A suited man stood over her. The synths let out inhumane hisses of agitation toward him.

That was all I needed to see.

While we still had a head start, I ducked for the stairs. Noel was still in the upper part of the villa and needed to be briefed of the situation and secured. Farha clung to me desperately, now on the verge of tears as we made it to the base of the spiral staircase.

“You go up first, I’ll be right behind you.” I instructed.

Farha tearfully followed my command, taking wobbly heeled steps up the staircase. I followed, watching for the first signs of Brondson and his boys to breach the party proper. My internal communications system made contact with Noel’s smartwatch and I pinged an urgent message.

“Hostiles at party. We need to clear out.” I said sternly. “Found Farha, approaching your location.”

We’d both made about 76% up the stairs when another Wildflower synth was sent flying just over the heads of the partiers below. Her limp body crashed into the bar, hanging half-way off of its surface. One of her arms was slack in its socket from the altercation. It dangled just above the floor, dripping more bright neon green blood.

Then Brondson howled, “Get your ass out here freak!”

Farha froze briefly in terror, right as we’d both made it to the second floor, and out of Brondson’s sight. She and I caught glimpses of his entrance into the main party as we retreated away from the stairway and the balcony to avoid detection. Some people had flocked to the synth corpse left strewn across the bar, while other party goers booed Brondson and his lackeys.

“He’s trying to find Noel isn’t he? He’s going to kill us like that girl.”

“Trust me. He won’t touch you without getting through me. And no one’s gotten through me… yet.” I assured her. Then, I placed a hand on her back, to continue coaxing her forward.

Noel’s smartwatch pinged back with his exact location in the house and a short text message,“Ah. That's what's happening downstairs, then.”

I steered us both hard to the right, down a beige corridor with strangely bland standing floor statues and doors along the wall, that other party-goers occasionally popped between, scantily clad.

“Can’t believe they’re having orgies at a time like this…” Farah muttered bitterly.

“They still think it’s a party, to be fair.” I responded.

Everything about the environment that this Max guy had us hostage in felt so vapid. I'd almost consider it a form of psychological torture if there were any actual thought put into the supposedly thought provoking twisted stark white rectangles. Thinking back on it now, it almost reminds me of Xion planet homeworld. Stark and neat but not nearly as imposing. Sapiens are the same on any planet I suppose.

We kept walking through this “tiny” labyrinthine villa, catching more brief glimpses of piles of bodies writhing in the middle of lavish rooms. Though I knew Noel was located at the end of the corridor, Farah felt worried.

“He’s not, in one of those rooms, is he? I never brought this up, but some of the girls at the agency say Els likes to ‘spread the love’. I just thought it was baseless chatter…” She was prodding me. Even in her drunken, half-panic state Farah always had some other motive at play it seemed.

“He's in the master bathroom… not any of the bedrooms. I'd prefer if we stayed focused on trying to get out of here.”

The hallway curved, obstructing the end from full view, but I could just see the top of the grand frosted glass entrance to the master bath.

We were far enough from Brondson for me to take the lead from there. Still, I kept a close eye on Farah as we made the final approach, and smartly she stayed in near lockstep not far behind. The bathroom door was that same rot iron and glass design from the foyer and entrance, just more frosted to prevent-

…wait.

Why would you make a bathroom door out of glass? From what I understand humans treat it as a very private affair. Noel certainly made it clear early on, following him to the bathroom was not necessary or appreciated.

This guy is really stupid.

We entered the master bathroom. The drastic change in lighting caused Farha and I to naturally shield our eyes.

“Hell of a washroom!” Farha yelped.

“You're telling me,” Noel’s voice called.

It echoed off the white tiled and mirror lined walls. “This whole thing is giving me a massive migraine. And I've been stuck with these obnoxiously bright lights,”

I did my best to follow his voice, while my eyes were still adjusting. “I'm certain several liters of alcohol also might have a hand in it…”

It goes without saying the master bathroom was absurdly huge. Nearly a rugby field in size, with a row of ornate sinks and toilets on one half of it.

“Heh, speakin’ of the drink…” he began.

My eyes swept to the otherside of the bathroom. It took a moment to process exactly what I was looking at. I was still getting used to such high contrast.

There was a deep oval shaped pit, carved into the marble adorned with golden fixtures around its edge. It was large enough to do laps in.

But currently it was being totally and completely occupied by Noel. At the time my height estimation of him was 4.85 meters. His entire back side was sunk into the giant tub, while his limbs hung awkwardly over its edges and sprawled uselessly on the ground.

His clothes were neatly folded on the ground next to the tub, leaving him in just the compression expansion suit mk II, a shimmering white garment made out of a Xionic material that was light weight and went underneath almost every outfit.

The last thing you needed while having a stress induced growing fit, was to be totally naked during it.

However, being clothed didn’t soothe the total embankment of this particular situation. Overall it looked ridiculous and extremely unpleasant.

Noel's face was flushed and his expression seemed glazed over.

“How long have you been here?” I began softly, trying to truly swallow the totality of the situation before me.

“Not too long…” he responded vaguely, “Wasn’t this big when I-”

“Tell me you fell in…” I interrupted.

His face went blank, and he looked at me. At his size, we were still eye level.

“Tell me you got blinded by this bathroom's stupid lighting, and you drunkenly stumbled into this situation.”

In response, a drunken bemused smile spread across Noel’s face.

“Still a bit cheeky, huh? Well, I like your version of events, Gogo. So let’s go with that. Course, fact still stands… I’m a bit stuck. Where's the bloke?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, and took another look through Max's security feed.

“He's on the patio with his posse… being hounded by Max to leave, but I don't think he's leaving till he's found you. So there's that. Think shrinking back is possible at the moment?”

Noel thought for a moment, closing those big lilac eyes,”Just give me a sec… think i can manage it.”

Sure enough, with a single deep inhale through the nose he managed to shrink to a size at which he could wedge himself out of the marble tub, though not by much.

Pressing his palms and heels against the ground, Noel lifted himself from the tub’s base, then ungracefully rolled out on the cold marble floor before us, face down oversized limbs and torso thumping around loudly.

“You uh- you alright there bud?” I leaned in close. He was still breathing thankfully enough.

Noel gave a shaky thumb-up, still face-planted.

My confidence in our ability to escape this situation began to sharply decline. Even as my oversized charge slowly rose back to his feet and collected his clothes, I could see on the open feed, Max and Brondson's attention had been caught by what must've to them sounded like several people falling down the stairs at once.

“That face means bad news…” Noel mumbled.

“Bad news?” Farah said breathlessly.

She walked up to me on trembling legs, “What's he on about? What bad news, Rose?”

“They may know we're up here….” I said slowly, watching as Max clung to Brondson's torso like a cheap belt.

The first of the wildflower synths had finished their regeneration cycle and quickly re entered the fray. Brondson's security crew was somehow still blindsighted by the whole, 'androids don't die’ thing, and were brought down one by one and ejected.

By the time the thugs who were left caught on, they were outnumbered. And they barely won numbered. They would’ve needed at least twice the number of people they came with to stop a team of wildflowers, but bless their hearts they tried.

They yelled to Bronson for some sort of support, but Bronson had already taken off for the thumping, completely abandoning his security to their fate. Logically, they realized his help was paying them money for services. That that wasn’t enough as their skulls caved in under the weight of flesh and alloy fists was not Bronson’s concern. No, their lives were no concern at all.

He had a big boy to yell at.

“YOU FUCKING THAT GIANT FUCKWIT OF YOURS?!” He bellowed, repeatedly.

I could hear the distant sound of doors being flung open, Bronson screaming, and some hapless orgy screaming in response, on loop in that order. Noel and Farah heard this too, and the latter started to shake like a goddamn chihuahua.

One o’ these days… I definitely did not say out loud.

“Hate to be a bore luv…” Noel said to his date, “But this is why I don’t care for these. Rose, I’ve got an idea.”

“Hm?” I had a hard time believing he did, but I didn’t, other than spraying Brondson’s brains on the wall behind him.

Again considered a “vibe killer”.

“Call the Rebel ‘round to our location. There's a balcony in the bedroom across the way. We'll have to make a jump for it…”

“A-And just how do you know that huh?” Her tone was accusatory.

And Noel’s patience was just about up.

“Cause, I've spent the better part o’the nite with my arse stuck in that tub, and I watched about a dozen naked jackass run in and out of that room.”

Tensions were mounting, worse Brondson was getting closer. In a two birds one stone effort, I tried to fix both of these problems.

“Alright! I'm calling the car! Let's get moving before he can corner us.” I said.

It was enough to shut them both up for the moment.

Keeping my pistol drawn, I marched back to the frosted glass door. Heavy footfalls and the click of heels followed close behind my own.

Brondson was only a couple of doors down. We needed to time this perfectly.

My hand went up to give the two behind me a silent three count.

Brondson lifted his leg, in preparation of a great stomping kick at the door.

3…

Bam!

2…

I waited for him to go bursting in on another group of drugged out naked people.

Right as he crossed the threshold of the room and the chaos of yelling started, I bolted through the glass door.

All the confusion was the perfect cover. Brondson couldn't untangle himself from the people he was harassing fast enough to catch us.

Of course now was the problem of us dropping in unannounced on a group of horny drunken party goers, but Noel seemed to be prepared.

“Close your eyes!” He said bounding at the both of us.

His arms were elongated and outstretched while he crouched low to the ground. In an instant both Farah and I were swept up in Noel’s grasp. Once we were pinned tight against him, Noel put every living neuron not soaked in booze into bolting out of the balcony door. I didn’t even have time to close my eyes, as naked party goers flashed by all blurred together in a sweaty mess.

Then, we were on the balcony.

I could hear the steady hum of the Rebel’s engine. It’d managed to pull up just below where we stood, on the gray cobblestone driveway. Noel released us from his arms and shrank to something that could fit in the front of a mid-sized sedan.

“Good going running us through that sex-pit…” Farah hissed, “Now we’re trapped!”

“The car’s right there.” I corrected, “Now all we gotta do is jump!”

The glare Farah gave made me double check my list of known Earth swears to make sure I hadn’t accidentally said something deeply offensive. Farah certainly wanted to reply with something deeply offensive, it seemed, but hadn’t the time while plummeting into the waiting vehicle.

Noel did not appreciate being this drunk, this tired, and having his heroics spat upon. He jumped right at the word, taking Farah and I down one more leg of the Noel Express.

Speaking of legs, Noel decided, mid-fall, against diving headfirst into an open convertible. He kicked, straight down. His legs shot out, quickly extending. He braced, tensed his thighs, bent his knees, and crumpled like a summer tent in a hurricane as he hit the ground.

“Damn it! Where'd you go…” snarled Brondson from above.

Noel’s face radiated agony. Worse was another flash of those bright red eyes of his.

We’d landed on the ground next to the Rebel. He released us from his chest in a notably mechanical motion. His body, seemingly giving up, deflated back to normal size.

“What the hell was that!?” Farah shrieked at a face-down-in-dirt Noel.

“That was me trying to get out of this mess you’ve led us into! But you don’t appreciate anything I do and you never listen to what I say!” he was blinking back drunken tears. His eyes cooled with the water, returning to the familiar lilac.

Then came the violent retching as several liters of alcohol, now thoroughly unsettled in Noel’s stomach, spilled out of his mouth and into the grass and gravel.

“Ugh, you're piss drunk!” she spat, stepping away from the growing puddle of spew.

I looked up and made direct eye contact with Brondson, leering angrily over us. He took a large step, as if to climb over the railing.

That was enough.

I pulled the pistol out of my clutch and leveled it on my wrist. Brindson would be an easy kill from that position. By the time my finger was touching the trigger, that brain in his thick skull was only just beginning to register his own demise.

#g/t writing #g/t community #sfw g/t #g/t #g/t art

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psychics4unet · 6 months ago

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20 Simpsons Psychic Predictions That Came True 🚀

Hey there, fellow Simpsons fans! 🎉 If you’ve been following The Simpsons, you know that this iconic show isn’t just about laughs and donuts (though we love those too). It’s also about some eerily accurate predictions that have left us all scratching our heads. 🤔 How did this cartoon get so many things right about the future? Grab a seat, grab a donut 🍩, and let’s dive into some of the wildest psychic predictions from The Simpsons that actually came true! 🚀

🌟🔮✨ Curious about what the future holds for you? Just like The Simpsons predicted some mind-blowing events, you too can uncover what’s in store for your life. Click the link below for your own personal psychic reading and get insights that might just amaze you:

1. Donald Trump’s Presidency 🇺🇸

Season 11, Episode 17 (“Bart to the Future”)

In this episode from the year 2000, Lisa becomes the president and mentions that they inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump. Fast forward to 2016, and Donald Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. What the what?! 😲

2. Smartwatches ⌚

Season 6, Episode 19 (“Lisa’s Wedding”)

During a future vision of Lisa’s wedding, her fiancé uses a watch to make a phone call. This was in 1995, way before smartwatches became a thing in the 2010s. Talk about being ahead of the curve! 📱

3. Disney Buys 20th Century Fox 🏰��

Season 10, Episode 5 (“When You Dish Upon a Star”)

In 1998, there’s a scene showing the 20th Century Fox sign with a subtitle “A Division of Walt Disney Co.” In 2019, Disney actually bought 21st Century Fox. Coincidence? I think not! 🎬

4. Video Chatting 💻

Season 6, Episode 19 (“Lisa’s Wedding”)

Again in Lisa’s Wedding, we see video calls being made. This was years before Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom became part of our daily lives. The Simpsons were definitely on to something here! 🖥️

5. The Shard in London 🏙️

Season 6, Episode 19 (“Lisa’s Wedding”)

In the same episode (wow, it’s like a crystal ball!), we see a skyline that includes a skyscraper eerily similar to The Shard, which wasn’t built until 2012. 👀

6. Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl Performance 🎤

Season 23, Episode 22 (“Lisa Goes Gaga”)

In 2012, The Simpsons showed Lady Gaga performing at a concert, suspended in the air. Fast forward to 2017, and Gaga did exactly that at the Super Bowl halftime show. Fly, Gaga, fly! 🎇

7. Nobel Prize Winner 🏅

Season 22, Episode 1 (“Elementary School Musical”)

Milhouse predicted that Bengt Holmström would win the Nobel Prize in Economics. And guess what? Holmström did win it in 2016. Way to go, Milhouse! 📊

8. Ebola Outbreak 🌍

Season 9, Episode 3 (“Lisa’s Sax”)

In this 1997 episode, Marge suggests that Bart read a book titled “Curious George and the Ebola Virus.” Years later, in 2014, there was a significant Ebola outbreak. Chills! 😬

9. Siegfried and Roy Tiger Attack 🐅

Season 5, Episode 10 (“$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)”)

The show depicted a white tiger attacking entertainers similar to Siegfried and Roy. Tragically, in 2003, Roy was indeed attacked by one of their white tigers during a performance. 😥

10. U.S. Wins Olympic Gold in Curling 🥌

Season 21, Episode 12 (“Boy Meets Curl”)

Homer and Marge compete in curling and win a gold medal. In real life, the U.S. men’s team won the gold medal in curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Sweep that, skeptics! 🥇

But wait, there’s more! Let’s keep this prediction train rolling with some honorable mentions that didn’t make the top 10 but are still pretty mind-blowing. 🚂💨

11. Horse Meat Scandal 🐴

Season 5, Episode 19 (“Sweet Seymour Skinner’s Baadasssss Song”)

Lunchlady Doris used “assorted horse parts” in the cafeteria food. In 2013, a scandal erupted in Europe when horse meat was found in various beef products.

12. FIFA Corruption Scandal ⚽

Season 25, Episode 16 (“You Don’t Have to Live Like a Referee”)

The episode features a storyline involving corruption in the World Football Federation. In 2015, several FIFA officials were arrested amid a corruption investigation.

13. Farmville 🚜

Season 9, Episode 12 (“Bart Carny”)

In this 1998 episode, kids are seen excitedly playing a yard work simulator game. Fast forward to the 2000s, and Farmville became a massive hit on Facebook.

14. Faulty Voting Machines 🗳️

Season 20, Episode 4 (“Treehouse of Horror XIX”)

Homer tries to vote for Obama in the 2008 election, but the machine keeps changing his vote to McCain. In 2012, there were real reports of voting machines changing votes.

15. Beats by Dre 🎧

Season 8, Episode 14 (“The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show”)

In a scene from 1997, we see a character wearing what looks like modern-day Beats by Dre headphones, years before they existed.

16. Mutant Tomatoes 🍅

Season 11, Episode 5 (“E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)”)

Homer grows mutant tomatoes after using nuclear power on his crops. In real life, scientists created genetically modified tomatoes that glow in the dark.

17. NSA Surveillance 🕵️

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

The movie depicted the NSA spying on citizens. In 2013, Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA was indeed conducting mass surveillance on American citizens.

18. Shard Building in London 🏙️

Season 6, Episode 19 (“Lisa’s Wedding”)

We see a tall building in the London skyline that resembles The Shard, which was completed in 2012.

19. Michelangelo’s David Censorship 🗿

Season 2, Episode 9 (“Itchy & Scratchy & Marge”)

The episode shows Springfieldians protesting against Michelangelo’s David being exhibited. In 2016, Russian campaigners did try to cover the statue.

20. Autocorrect Fail 📱

Season 6, Episode 8 (“Lisa on Ice”)

Dolph writes a memo that says “Beat up Martin” which gets autocorrected to “Eat up Martha.” Apple’s iPhone autocorrect has had many such hilarious fails.

It’s wild, right? How does a cartoon get so many things right? Well, it’s probably a mix of clever writing, sharp observation, and maybe a bit of that Springfield magic. ✨

And it's not just us hardcore fans who are intrigued. Thanks to the internet, more and more people are discovering the spooky accuracy of The Simpsons' predictions. Social media platforms are buzzing with theories and speculations. Reddit threads are filled with fans dissecting episodes, and YouTube is packed with videos analyzing every prediction. It's like a virtual treasure hunt where every frame might hold a secret clue to our future! 🔮

Some folks even believe that the writers have a time machine or some sort of psychic ability. While that’s probably a stretch, it’s fun to think about! One thing’s for sure – The Simpsons will keep surprising us with their uncanny knack for predicting the future.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or just curious about the show’s “psychic” tendencies, it’s clear that The Simpsons is more than just a TV show. It’s a pop culture phenomenon that continues to influence and amuse us, while also making us think twice about what might come next. So, next time you’re watching, pay close attention – you might just be getting a sneak peek into the future! 🕵️‍♂️✨

Stay curious, my friends! And remember, the truth is out there… or maybe just in the next episode of The Simpsons. 🌟🚀

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messedupfan · 2 years ago

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Chapter 4

Summary: Wanda is anticipating Vision picking up Tommy and Billy with her protective brother around.

A/N: Happy Friday!! I hope you all enjoy!

Masterlist | All Chapters | All Stories Taglist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wanda wakes to her brother ringing the doorbell again. She groans, regretting every decision she made that led to this moment. She doesn't understand why her brother insists on working when the sun isn't even up yet. She gets up when he gets more persistent and she doesn't want him to disturb the boys.

“Good morning little sister,” he greets as he hands off Luna to her. “Awe did someone not get enough sleep?” Pietro taunts.

Her hair is a mess and her eyes are hardly open but she's still able to shoot intimidating daggers at her brother. She in fact did not get a lot of sleep. She is dreading whatever interaction she may or may not be having with Vision today. She didn't sell, pawn off, or destroy any of his stuff as she had threatened. She sat in the basement for hours willing the rage that had taken down her wall to return. But it never did. All she could think about is how happy and proud he was to have this space. She surprised him with it on their fourth wedding anniversary. Wanda had drawn out the plans, budgeted the project, got some help from Pietro and found all of the decorations. She couldn't tear down this present but she knew if she didn't, he would only ever see her as weak.

It was only a couple of hours ago that she was able to fall asleep. Wanda was not ready for her brother's chipper energy right now. She takes Luna upstairs with her and falls fast asleep after tucking the girl into bed. Wanda wakes a few hours later to an empty bed and voices. There are many different voices, all scrambled and she is unable to make sense of their words. She lays there until she can decipher the sounds. The loud saw isn’t helpful and only makes it more unpleasant to wake up. Wanda sighs and gets out of bed and walks into her bathroom to clean up before going downstairs.

Wanda walks down in clean clothes and wet hair. You and Pietro are focused on working and she is shocked to see you here. She looks at her smartwatch and checks the time. She hadn't realized she slept in so much. Feeling bad for the kids, she gets to work in the kitchen to make lunch as it was close to two in the afternoon.

When you stop the loud saw, you hear noise from the kitchen and you look at Pietro to see if he noticed it too. “What?” He asks confused, then he hears some pans clash. You act fast and walk around the table to check and make sure none of the kids are hurting themselves. You relax when you see Wanda.

“Phew, it's just you,” you say with a dramatic hand on your chest.

Wanda looks at you funny, “Who else would it be?”

“Well, we made sure the kids were properly distracted in the boys room, but you never know who might sneak by and get hurt,” you explain.

“Oh,” she closes a drawer, “Thank you for watching the kids while I slept. I've got it now. And I'm starting lunch so you guys can have a break soon.”

“That sounds great, I’ll leave you to it,” you say as you return to Pietro. “Your sister is up, she’s getting started on lunch,” you inform him.

“Good, the last thing we need is a trip to the hospital.” He relaxes as he puts his goggles back on to start the table saw. “Now we can focus on work and not jump at every little noise.” You chuckle at his remark but feel a little more relaxed because you were so worried about the kids getting hurt while they worked. Especially Luna since she is the youngest of all of them and was a curious little girl. You already had to catch her from falling off of the kitchen counter because she wanted a cup out of the cabinet. Then Pietro had to stop her a couple of times from crossing over the tape. And although he could have woken up his sister, he felt that she deserved the time to rest.

When lunch is ready, Wanda calls everyone to the table and everyone hungrily makes their way to the dining area that had quite an alluring aroma. The kids and the adults were starving. You wanted to be here early with Pietro so that the two of you had more time to work but you slept past your alarm. You didn't have time to fix you and Rachel breakfast, you did pick up a dozen donuts for everyone but the one donut you ate wasn't filling enough and you couldn't wait to try some more of Wanda's food.

After lunch, while you're making Wanda laugh as she cleans up the table, a knock on the front door interrupts the moment. Wanda freezes as she looks between you and the door and you grow concerned for her. She shuts the water off and dries her hands. “Tommy, Billy, your dad is here!” She shouts from the bottom of the stairs. You stay put, not certain if you should look busy or get the door or what.

Pietro drops his tool in the box and walks over to answer the door as the knocking gets more persistent. “Would you cut it out? Couldn't you hear her from out there? We know you're here, geez.” He gestures to the almost completely missing wall.

“You wouldn't open the door,” Vision says as he tries to step past his former brother-in-law. “Where are my boys? I expect them to be down here and ready to leave by the time I arrive.” He checks his watch and clicks his teeth. “That woman knows this. I have a strict schedule I must abide by.”

“Wanda is getting them,” Pietro says, his glare never faltering. You weren't used to this hostile behavior from your friend. He was the most affable, laid back person that you know. He wasn't an angry person. It sets off alarms about the type of person the twins' father is. “Why don't you go wait in your car? I hear you like the convenience of an easy escape.” Pietro found out from Billy what Vision did to his sister during drop off last Sunday. His blood is boiling at the sight of the man that was once married to his sister. A person he once had to consider family. He cannot believe he hates Wanda so much to blatantly disrespect her in front of her own children, time and time again.

“I’d rather stand inside,” Vision says. “Unless there's some reason I shouldn't be in here.” He shoves past Pietro, only upsetting the man further, and stands in the middle of the living room. You are leaning against the stairs now, cleaning your hands with a rag. Vision notices you and with cold eyes he scoffs. “Are you what they're trying to hide from me?” He accuses.

Your eyebrows connect in confusion on how he jumped to that conclusion. “No, I'm not here to cause any problems. I’m just helping with the repairs.”

Vision raises his eyebrows, “Oh is that what they're calling it these days?” You shake your head seeing no reasoning with this man. “What’s your name?” You ignore him as you walk across the room to return to your work and he grabs you by your bicep. “I asked you a question.” His tone is meant to be threatening but you're bored by him. “You are in my house and around my boys. As a man, I have a right to know.”

“Leave them alone,” Wanda says as she walks down the stairs without her kids in sight. “They’ll be down in a few minutes. They want to finish up a round in the game they're playing. I said that it's fine and told them you would be patient.”

Vision shakes his head as he lets you go, “And why would you do that? You know that it's my time with them now. You have no say in what is okay and what isn't until four in the afternoon next sunday.” You walk over to stand by Pietro, preparing to hold him back from making a decision he might regret later.

“Vis, they are always my kids too. I would never tell you something like that. That's ridiculous, and it's not how a custody agreement works,” Wanda says, shaking her head. “Why are you even in here? A couple of honks and I would have sent them out to you—”

“Clearly, you wouldn't! Otherwise they'd be down here!” Vision cuts her off.

Wanda takes a beat, not wanting to start a screaming match that has the boys running down to prevent it. “Are you finally going to clean out your stuff from my basement?”

“Are you still on about that? I like the space the way it is, I'm not giving it up,” Vision replies.

“You seemed to have no problem giving my sister up.” Pietro steps forward. “Why are you so stubborn about a damn room that's in a house you don't own?” Wanda tries to nonverbally tell him that it's not his fight but he ignores her. “Either you want your shit or you don't,” he snaps as he tries to get closer to Vision but you're quick to grab him.

“You’re mistaken, Pietro. Everything on this property is mine. I know this might be hard to wrap around your poorly developed uneducated mind. But just because I lost my name on the deed, doesn't mean I don't own it. This house was purchased under my dollar! Money I'll never get back. I will forever own it. So, if I want to keep my entertainment room for myself and my friends here, in this house, I will do as I please. Are we clear?”

Pietro tries to breathe to calm himself down but all he sees is red. His impulses are begging to take over but he knows he can’t lose total control. He grabs the sledgehammer and fear flashes across Vision's face for a second as Pietro stomps in his direction. Wanda holds her breath, uncertain about what she is about to witness. You try to snap him out of his trance. Luckily, he storms past Vision and opens the basement door, carrying the sledgehammer with him. “Pietro, don't!” Wanda yells as she chases after her brother.

“Wanda this is the only way he'll listen,” Pietro says as he stacks the few boxes that Wanda did pack up. Vision rushes down the stairs as well, shouting about how ridiculous it was that Wanda and her family were so upset over one room. Revealing that her mother was harassing him with phone calls and text messages and emails.

As he arrives at the bottom of the stairs, he notices that the decorations are torn down and that the usually neat and organized place is a mess. “What the hell happened here?” Pietro wastes no time and slams the metal head of the hammer into the boxes. “Pietro! Have you gone completely mad!” Vision shouts. “What is with this family and hammers?”

Meanwhile, you are still upstairs on the main floor, waiting to escort the boys so they don't have to witness the scene happening in the basement. When Tommy and Billy are running down the stairs you overhear them arguing back and forth about how they knew they shouldn't have asked for a few extra minutes. They are blaming themselves for what's happening downstairs. “Hey boys,” you say as you step in their way. “Let's get you to your dad's car. Okay? Let the adults handle themselves.” There's a loud sound of something breaking and they rush to the open basement door. You stand in front of the door and repeat yourself.

“No, they always stop when we're there. We have to go down there,” Billy explains. You feel bad for the kids that they carry the weight of their family's problems on their shoulders. Not sure what to do, you go by your instincts and protect them from whatever is happening down there. It's not on them to end an argument.

“Come on,” you take their hands. “I promise, everything will be okay.” As you're walking towards the front door, their footsteps are loud as the adults rush up the stairs. You aren't sure what transpired to result in Pietro holding onto Vision by the collar of his shirt with a red mark on his face. Wanda is furiously yelling at the two men to stop with angry tears rolling down her face. And as the boys claimed, once they make their presence known, it all comes to a screeching halt.

“Mom!” the twins call out as they rush to hug her.

“Mommy is okay,” she says as she rubs their backs. “Pietro, let him go,” she quietly demands.

Pietro has a short battle within himself on whether or not to stop now. He has him in his hands. At his mercy. But if he doesn't stop now, then when will he? What was he or anyone going to benefit from him beating Vision to death? Vision has kids that would be without a father. And with the likelihood that Pietro would have to serve time in prison for murder, Luna would be without a father. Finally, thinking clearly, he lets go of Vision and steps away. Horrified by the anger that had taken over him.

“I’m going to go clean up,” he says as he looks around the room apologetically. He stops by Billy and Tommy, he taps both of them on their backs. “I’m sorry boys, it's… a long journey to become a man. I will see you next Sunday. I love you,” he says to them. He heads up stairs and you worry that he might have injured his hands. Which might make him unable to work until they’ve healed. You stand at the front door and try to make yourself disappear so that nothing else happens. This wasn't your problem. You don't know their stories or dynamics other than the few details that Pietro has drunkenly shared with you a time or two over the years that you've known him.

Vision straightens himself out and clears his throat. He looks at Wanda, “Mind if I…?” He tips his head towards the bathroom door.

“Help yourself,” she says softly as she plays with her boy's hair. She looks down at their worried eyes and it's taking all of her strength to not break down. They're still so little and all she has ever wanted to do is protect them. She opens her mouth to say something but she has nothing to say.

Vision comes out of the bathroom and acts like nothing happened at all. He lowers himself to his son's height and taps their shoulders so that they face him. “Come on boys, I have a very important appointment that we're late for.” He fixes Billy's glasses and dusts off something from Tommy's shirt. “It was going to be a surprise, but we're finding out if you're having another little brother or maybe you’ll finally have a little sister.” He looks up at Wanda and then looks back at the boys before the hurt in her eyes can fill him up with guilt. He rises and takes their hands. He bids Wanda a goodbye and thanks you as you hold the door open for him and the kids.

“Are we going to see you on Sunday?” Tommy asks as they pass.

You look at Vision, who lets you know he doesn't want you around with a simple glare. Next you look at Wanda, who's only focus right now is holding herself together in front of her kids. Finally, you look at Tommy and hold your fist up to bump. “Of course, pal. Someone has to fix that wall and between you and me, your uncle isn't as good as I am.” You smile at him. You shut the door once they're off the porch and as you're about to check on Wanda, she's running up the stairs.

Her bedroom door slams and you hear the words “What the hell is wrong with you?” and “I don't need you to protect me!” You go into the boys room where the girls are sitting unaffected as they play the video game with noise canceling headphones on.

“I was wondering why it was so quiet in here,” you say after you nudged the headphones off of Rachel's ear. “Where’d you get these?”

“Tommy and Billy,” she says. “We heard a loud noise and they told us to put these on.” She pauses the game and Luna is snapped out of her trance. “Hold on, Luna.” She says as the girl starts to get upset. “Where are Tommy and Billy?” She asks you.

“They went with their dad, so it'll only be you and Luna for the rest of the day. Is that okay?” You ask, although you think you might be sent home early.

“That stinks but I guess it's their dad's turn. Like what you and mom do with me.” Rachel frowns as she's bummed about not having her friends around. “I just wish he could have waited to get them until after I beat Tommy.”

You laugh as you shake your head. “I’m sure his dad would have been happy to help his son lose.”

Rachel nods, “I think so too. It helps build character.”

You smile at your daughter as you recognize so much of her mother. You mess up her hair as you tell her as much. “I’ll let the two of you get back to it. Keep the headphones on. Okay?”

She nods, “Okay.” She places the headphones back on and Luna perks up as the two can continue to play the game. You close the door behind you as you leave the room. Wanda's door was left open when you pass and you see her crying into her hands on her bed. You want to comfort her but you don't want to overstep boundaries that haven't been set. Thankfully, you don't get much of a choice as Pietro is calling you to come downstairs.

He isn't on the main floor so you go down to the basement. You can't imagine what the place once looked like, but it must've been something special enough for Vision to fight to keep it. “I’m not going to ask you to help me clean this up,” Pietro says as he carefully places broken pieces of things into a black trash bag. “I’m sorry that I reacted the way that I did. I shouldn't have let him get to me like that. Especially not with the kids here.” He huffs as he looks at the mess he made and thinks about how horrified he would have been if his little girl walked downstairs and saw him. “I understand if you no longer want to help. Wanda understands as well and even offered to pay you. And you don't have to stay today. You and Rachel can go home now if you'd like.” He seems genuinely upset and remorseful.

“Is that what it's always like between the two of you?” You ask as you cross your arms over your chest and lean against the wall.

“No,” Pietro answers. “He’s been digging under my skin for years and when he went on and on about how everything was still his it sounded like he thought my sister is included in that. I,” he shakes his head shamefully. “He has put her through a lot. She isn't the person she used to be before him. And I hate him for it.” You nod as you listen to him. “I thought when he left her, that would be the end of it. But it’s been years and he’s still harassing her. I just… I don’t know how to help her anymore.”

You grab a trash bag and put on your gloves to start helping. “Pietro, it isn’t up to you to help her with this,” you start, testing to see if he wants your advice or just your ear. He looks at you and he waits for you to continue. “I know you have good intentions but I think you might be doing more harm than good.”

“How so?” He says, intrigued by your take on the situation.

“Vision isn’t going to listen to anyone but Wanda.” Pietro opens his mouth to argue. “Hold on, let me finish my thought.” He nods and lets you proceed. “Wanda might not be able to gain Vision’s respect as a co-parent and an ex partner if everyone else is fighting her battles. It might help her for the moment. But in the long run, it’s only hurting her. If she can’t grow confidence in her own strength, she will still be vulnerable to his manipulations. I know that you want to protect her, but she might be better off without your help when it comes to Vision.”

Pietro slouches down onto one of the chairs he didn't break with a defeated sigh. “You’re probably right. I mean, this definitely didn't do her any good. Vision is probably speaking to a lawyer right now in order to keep me away from my nephews.” You nod along, the man did seem like the type to call his lawyers about every little thing.

“Your sister is clearly strong. She has the house and she has shared custody. I doubt Vision handed any of that to her.” You point out to help Pietro see that she doesn't need this kind of protection.

“Actually, Vision made a prenuptial agreement that ended up backfiring on him. The lawyer that drew it up for him was a secret feminist and made sure that Wanda wouldn't be screwed over in case Vision chose to divorce her. He isn't as smart as he seems, he didn't read over the entire contract.” He shakes his head.

“Oh, well,” you pause as you think of what to say next. You were trying to spin things positively but it was hard when you knew only pieces of the story. “She sure is lucky when it comes to people looking out for her, huh?” Pietro nods and gets up to continue cleaning. The two of you finish cleaning the basement in less than an hour and resume working on the wall for a couple more before it's time to go home.

You volunteer to get the girls while Pietro packs up the tools he'll need for the week. Wanda's door is still cracked open as you pass. She is laying on her bed with a remote in her hand, searching for something to watch. “Pietro? Have you finally come to apologize,” she says with her eyes locked in the television. You mentally curse yourself for standing here long enough for her to notice you.

“Uh, actually,” you say as you step a little past the door. “It’s me, I'm up here to collect the girls. Pietro and I are done for the day.”

Wanda places the remote on her nightstand and adjusts her pillows behind her back. “So you're still willing to help with the wall? After all of that?”

You shrug as you lean against the door frame. “I promised Tommy I'd be here on Sunday. I keep my promises, Maximoff.”

A small smile flashes and disappears quickly on Wanda's face as she's addressed by her maiden name. It's been a long time since she's heard it without it being for her brother or her mother. “Well, I'm sure he'll appreciate that. As stuck up and punctual as his father is, he's not the best at keeping promises.”

“Clearly,” you say in remarks to their divorce and mock Vision’s accent. “Actually, as a divorcee, I take that one back.”

Wanda lets out a small laugh. “Ah, yes, the promises of having and holding until death. You couldn't keep those?” There's a lightness to her tone that makes you smile.

You shake your head, “Nah, that's expert level. I was like what? Eighteen when I made those vows…” You shiver at the reminder and the intrusive thoughts of that someday being your daughter. “I don't think our kids can be friends anymore. My daughter isn't allowed to hangout with… people until she's at least twenty-five.”

Wanda laughs again, “Wow, I had no idea you were so young.”

You make a face, “I don't know if that's a compliment or not.”

Wanda covers her face with her hand. “I’m sorry, I know that sounds bad.” She removes her hand and plays with a loose thread in her blanket. “I just meant the way you carry yourself is someone much older than you are. Well… come to think of it, I don't think I had an age in mind for you. I just didn't think you were still in your twenties.”

You smile, “Had to grow up fast, I guess.”

“I can't imagine what that must've been like at first,” Wanda says as she tries to imagine the place you and Jean were in when the two of you found out about Rachel while the two of you were still in high school. Wanda had one scare with her high school boyfriend, Simon Williams. It turned her world upside down and made her put her life into focus on her education and her career. Once she got her period again, she refused to sleep with him the rest of the time they were together. He ended up leaving her because of it, which hurt at the time. But she doesn't regret her decision to wait until marriage after that.

“It wasn't terrible,” you say simply. “Maybe I’ll tell you about it someday. But for now, I have to get Rachel home. I have to make dinner and finish packing for our trip.”

“Oh right! You two are going camping. I hope you two have fun. I won't keep you longer.” She shoo's you away and you thank her.

“Do you think you'll still be up for drinks Friday night?” You ask before you step away.

“I think that's a question for Friday, because I don't know how I'll feel then.” She answers honestly.

“No worries, I'll ask you Friday then. Have a wonderful night, Wanda.” You walk away and enter the boys room to interrupt the girls game.

Wanda grabs the remote to put something on as she tries to quiet the many thoughts and questions she has for you. Maybe she'll push through on Friday, regardless of how she's feeling that day. She grabs her phone and texts her best friend. Make me go out on Friday night. No exceptions. No ifs, ands, or buts. She sends before she can change her mind.

Seconds later she receives a reply. You've made a dangerous request. But no worries, I've got you.

Wanda hopes she isn't making a mistake for future Wanda who will probably only want to lay in bed all night watching a reality show or a reboot of one of her favorite childhood shows. Then an image of your smile pops up in her head and she relaxes at the thought of getting drinks with you and her friend. Everything will be alright.

Chapter 5

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#wanda maximoff #wanda x you #wanda maximoff imagine #wanda marvel #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff au #wonderstruck #wonderstruck series

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sasuhinasno1fan · 1 month ago

Text

Our little secret

This is a gift for Kopy, over on the @lukadrienvault. Their fav ship I'd say is NathMarc so I decided that's what we're going to do. When coming up with the idea, I was think New Years Kiss and somehow, even though it's been a year since I was rewatching it, I thought of the Mondler New Years kiss and then this happened. It worked out that all the other ships they love was able to come into play, though warning, there is like incredibly minor Adrigami, but their engagement is arranged, they both don't want it and Kagami is the one to break it off because she knows how Adrien feels about Luka. Don't worry, both are very happy with the decision and it is mostly relegated to the back of the story. I've never focused on these two characters, so I hope I gave it everything they deserve. Happy Holidays Kopy, and enjoy!

“Cold! Cold, cold, oh, it’s cold!” Marc muttered, shoving the door to Dupain-Cheng Café open. He let it slam shut, moving around the slightly crowded floor and managed to find his normal seat at the only couch. It was just becoming free, so he dropped his bag onto it as the other customers pulled their jackets on to leave.

Marinette was behind the counter, working the espresso machine while her mother worked the register. He couldn’t see him, but Marc knew M. Dupain was in the kitchen working on refilling the pastry shelf.

“Hi Marc. Hot chocolate and biscotti?” Mme. Cheng asked.

Rubbing his arms to try and get warm, he shook his head. “Muffin actually. Whichever you recommend. But make my hot chocolate a large if you could. Everything been ok?”

“Yes, doing very well. how’s Adrien?”

“Mama.” Marinette called from where she was frothing the milk.

“Well, you won’t tell me anything. The boy just ended an engagement.”

Marc hummed, twisting his wrist so his smartwatch could register on the pay pad. “Technically, it was an arranged marriage neither he or Kagami wanted and I guess watching Adrien give up a chance to be with Luka, made her realise she’d be forced to give up her dreams to if she also went through with it. her objecting to the wedding was best for both of them, even if Adrien is dealing with a pissed off dad.”

“I don’t know what he’s getting annoyed about. He didn’t even ask Adrien.” Mme. Cheng complained.

“I think spending all the money on a destination wedding in London might have something to do with it. I mean, the church burned down, we had to rush to set up a new one within the rubble, found out Luka did end up coming cause Kagami basically demanded he did and then she objected to her own wedding. The reception was the most awkward thing ever. Marc, wasn’t it a disaster on your end? +stuck trying to keep Felix behaving and not insulting a family full of fencers and kendo experts.” Marinette complained, handing Marc a mug, with a toasted marshmallow floating on top.

“Oh. The reception. Yeah, it was…something.”

The whole trip to London was something. the wedding was crashing down around them the minute their train arrived in London. The rehearsal dinner had been Luka arriving and Adrien finding out Kagami insisted he be there, the Tsurugi family butting heads with the Agrestes, including the parents who decided on the arranged marriage and since Marc had been dealing with his parents bugging him about who was ever going to marry him, being called Kagami’s mother by a drunk cousin hadn’t been the highlight of his night. he wanted to have sex, just forget about everything for a few hours but he didn’t want a stranger. He decided to ask Nino, just because they’d kissed before and nothing blossomed out of it and the DJ was very good at understanding what his partner wanted in bed. Honestly, Alya had figured out she was gay while dating Nino, but she still swore Nino was the best man she’d been with.

Except Nino wasn’t in his hotel room, he’d been downstairs taking his turn in trying to convince Adrien to call off the wedding. But Nathaniel had been in the shared hotel room, already done from the dinner and ready to combat boredom by drawing as long as he could. They’d talked and Nath told him to ignore Kagami’s cousin, that he’d been one of the prettiest people downstairs and how he normally was the prettiest person wherever they were. It might have been the alcohol he’d been downing, but Marc kissed Nath. It didn’t feel weird, at all. They did the smart thing and took a second to figure out if they were ok moving forward but there literally felt like no reason to not keep going, so they did. And as strange as it was in the morning, it was great. Honestly, once the hangover had dissipated, Marc couldn’t stop thinking about it. Nath didn’t date really but clearly his understanding of anatomy made quite the mark.

They didn’t have to, but during the reception, post called off wedding, they tried sneaking away, only to get stopped by Felix, Adrien’s cousin, attempting to spark off the war between the two families. Since Adrien was busy trying to deal with his father and support Kagami deal with her mother, Marc and Marinette had been in charge of keeping the drunk English Agreste from blowing things up. on the train ride back, slight tense silence included, they decided since they were London time, they should do it. it hadn’t worked out; Nath went to wait for him in the bathroom and Ayla decided then was the time to start planning on how to lock Adrien and Luka together so they could fess up. Alya’s plans were detailed and insane and they were almost back in France when Nathaniel came out, annoyed.

They thought that was it, once they arrived back in their shared apartment building. Marinette went to go check with her parents at the café downstairs, Alya going with her girlfriend. Adrien was going to stay at Chloe’s at the hotel while Luka went back to his place and no one knew if they spoke during that time or they got good at pretending it was ok when they all reunited 2 days later. Nathaniel was going to go back to the apartment he shared with Adrien, while Nino rushed out of the apartment he and Marc shared to head to a meeting for an event he was contracted for. They’d said goodbye, talking about how, even though it happened once and it felt strange in the morning, they both liked what happened. Marc had talked himself out of following Nath across the hall and telling him he wanted to do it again and then the door opened and Nath was there.

“Still on London time?”

“Fuck yes.”

No one knew, obviously. Marc had zero clue where this was going but when they weren’t sneaking around having sex, it felt like normal. Nath being a short-tempered pessimist, who preferred focusing on his sketch book or tablet but if you upset the people he cared about, you were dead. And him, still shy and suffering from his anxiety except when it was about books or words or even a football, not to mention the family he made from his friends, he became a whole other person. The bond was growing deeper as they continued the relationship. Secret trips outside Paris, learning how to grow together in a relationship, even through stupid fights. It was more stable than any of his other relationships and none of their friends knew.

Except Nino. One of the trips led to him losing an eyelash curler at the hotel and since they both mentioned seeing Clara Nightengale and Nino had been the one to take the call about a room in Nath’s name, the DJ figured it out. he was good to keep the secret, he and Alya had broken up for weeks while she figured out her life once she came out to him and started dating Marinette and no one knew until they were ready. Which was what Nino was waiting for now from them.

But it was nice for it to be a secret, for everyone to not ask questions. They all had questions for Alya when she came out and started to date her best friend. Adrien and Luka were dealing with their own questioning with Adrien’s failed wedding and the unspoken feelings between the two of them. Nino was lucky, no serious dates at the moment but he got into some crazy things DJing at parties. With no one to hound them about their relationship, it felt calm. Marc fully believed it was why they were able to grow together so easily, without the worry of ‘what if it doesn’t work out?’ hanging over them. if it didn’t, only 3 people would know.

“Oh, Nathaniel!” Mme. Cheng called as the door opened again.

Marc bit a smile down, collecting his muffin from Marinette. It was promptly stolen by the artist.

“Hey! That was mine.”

“Suffer.” He said, mouth full of pastry.

“Ugh.” Well, not every relationship was perfect. At least he didn’t lick a left-over mug in retaliation for a stolen muffin like last time.

__________________________

Marinette might work at her parent’s café most times they saw her, but her skill in design was in no way suffering. The artist in him was in love with the lines of the pipping on the corset vest and in love with the way it clung to Marc’s body. Their androgynous body tended to avoid things that showed off his curves but Marc had pulled it out themselves and asked for help sinching in.

“Are you even pulling it?” Marc asked, pulling Nathaniel from staring at the way the strings crossed all the way down Marc’s back. Obviously having sex in a corset wasn’t the best idea, cause breathing, but he could see the appeal.

“Turn around.” He said, tugging at Marc’s waist until the writer faced him. Once they were holding onto his shoulders, he gathered the strings again and pulled, smirking down at Marc’s red face. The platform shoes he wore were completely worth it.

“I don’t think this is how you do it.”

“No?” Nathaniel asked, tugging the strings. “I think it gets the point across.”

Marc glared at him, clearly biting down a smile. “Finish up, we need to get going.”

In Chloe’s attempts in making her oldest friend smile again, she was throwing a Christmas party for everyone. Alya somehow got her way in getting the others to agree to a plan to get Luka and Adrien together, so there was also that to look forward to. Nath only said yes because New Years would be celebrated in his and Adrien’s apartment and he didn’t want to usher in the new year with the awkwardness still hanging over all of them. That and if he’d managed to have a deeper connection in a relationship they were all hiding from their friends, then Luka and Adrien who everyone knew had feelings for each other should have no issue to get together, not when Adrien’s fiancée insisted Luka be at the wedding she called off.

Maybe making a comic with Marc of Kagami leaving her wedding and becoming the best fencer that everyone forgot who she was related to, might have been a bit much just after the failed wedding, but Nathaniel didn’t regret the decision.

“Did you get the others anything?” Marc asked, picking up their satchel before pulling their jacket off the hook by the door.

“Sort of. I was finally able to afford that house warming gift for Alya and Marinette and I decided to do updates to Nino and Luka’s logos.”

“And nothing for me right?”

“Not until later, like we promised.”

They knew each other. They’d get the other a very sentimental gift, something that could be obvious and their friends could easily figure it out. they still weren’t ready for others to know. Nathaniel had been working hard on finishing commissions to pay for Marc’s gift and he really hoped the writer liked it.

Marc’s gifts for everyone were handbound copies of their favourite fairytales. His job as a bookbinder had given him the time to letterpress everyone’s books. Now Nath knew why he kept hiding his work when anyone would come close, since they were all so used to him bring home orders to work on sewing.

“You really didn’t have to do this. how am I gonna top this?” Nath joked while they had a chance alone, looking through the pages of his copy of The 12 Dancing Princesses. Probably an odd choice for him, but it was the one he remembered the most growing up and he went feral whenever he found a book inspired by the story.

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Marc said, leaning to see Luka and Adrien talking. “Do you think they’re finally talking about things?”

“Hopefully. Would be nice if the year ended with everyone dating the people they wanted by the end of the year.”

Nathaniel tilted his head. “Even us?”

Marc glanced down. Marc's platforms didn't fully make their heights even. “I don’t know if I’m ready for everyone to know. I’m not stupid, I know we’ll get sloppy eventually. But I like that it’s just us.”

Nathaniel gently brushed his hand against Marc’s, smiling softly at him. “Me too.”

________________________

“Nino?”

The DJ turned away from the TV inside his apartment that he shared with Marc to see his roommate and secret boyfriend pouting at him. The sound of the last minute before the new year came from the TV, which had everyone’s attention.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, feeling nervous.

“We want to kiss at midnight but other than Mylene and Ivan, no one else is planning to.”

“Oh,” he said, feeling relieved. He was worried they were going to have another secret for him to hold. “I got you.” he immediately went to Alya, who was live streaming the New Years party. “So, you’re kissing Marinette right?”

“Huh?” she looked away from her phone to raise an eyebrow at him. He could see comments teasing Alya about planting one on her girlfriend.

“Kissing someone at midnight? For good luck? Come on, it’ll be fun. Isn’t her grandpère always going on about tradition?”

Alya still looked lost at his questioning but she shrugged and started making her way to her girlfriend, wrapping her arm around her. His next set of victims were Luka and Adrien. Things were finally making headway – which was helped with Adrien finally leaving his father’s side of the family and helping Kagami to get set up a professional athlete – and Nino wasn’t at all upset with pulling this to get them even closer.

“Hey, so we’re doing kisses at midnight.” He announced, leaning on the back of the couch they were sitting on.

“What?” Adrien asked.

“Alya is kissing Marinette, Ivan is planting one on Mylene, I’m gonna offer myself to Chloe, so you two take care of each other.”

“What?” Luka asked this time.

“Well, I can’t have Marc or Nath kiss her. Nath and Chloe always find a way to push buttons and Marc is terrified of her half the time, so honestly, I’m doing them a favour by offering myself to Chloe while you guys take care of each other and Nath and Marc can fill in each other’s places. Ok?” he said, patting his best friend on the shoulder and walked off, ignoring Adrien calling for him and instead, went looking for the last person.

Chloe was glued to her phone, but she did glance up at him when he got closer.

“New year’s kiss?”

She frowned at him. Time was ticking and it was gonna look strange if he wasn’t kissing anyone come midnight.

“I’m gay.” She reminded.

“I know. I helped you dump XY when you realised that about yourself. You know, you did say you owe me.”

She looked even more confused. “This is how you wanna use it?”

“Not really, but let’s be honest. I’m way less likely to cop a feel and Alya says she didn’t realise she was gay for so long because she liked kissing me, so obviously I’m good at it.” that last part wasn’t a lie, it was actual fact Alya had admitted when they made the decision to break up.

She rolled her eyes as the countdown started. “Insta it?”

“Deal.” He agreed, glancing over his shoulder and catching Marc’s eye with a smile. if anyone owed him, it was those two.

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Happy New Years!”

While Alya, Marinette, Nino and Chloe immortalized their good luck kiss on social media – and Adrien and Luka decided ‘fuck it, enough hiding’ - no one blinked an eye when Marc and Nathaniel kissed in a room full of their friends.

“That was nice.” Nath was tempted to say those words against Marc’s lips, but anyone could be watching.

“One day.” Marc promised. “We should find the others. It’ll be a while before we can get Nino to distract the others long enough so we can exchange gifts.”

Nino did do his job and led the whole apartment in a very loud – Adrien was gonna have to pay so much for apology pastries from the Dupain-Chengs for their neighbours – karaoke ballad while they went to Nathaniel’s apartment across the hall.

“Do you wanna go first?” Nathaniel asked, after unearthing his present from his room. It always made Marc giggle that the amazing artist was so bad at wrapping presents. Like, he’d tape-every-edge-with-tape-bad.

“I might need a minute to figure out how to get in.” he joked, letting out a tiny yelp as Nath tugged him backwards and they both tumbled into Nathaniel’s favourite armchair. “I think I’m sitting on your tablet!” Marc complained, shuffling himself onto Nath’s lap.

“Eh, wouldn’t be the first time it’s been sat on. I think I remember a certain time, in my room while Adrien was out, where you shoved me on the bed?”

Marc knew exactly what he was talking about. Wasn’t until it was all over Nath had squirmed and unearthed his very sweaty tablet from underneath him. The poor thing had complained about being too hot in its notifications.

Instead, he focused on opening the present, pulling at the paper like a chip bag. The box inside opened easily and sitting on cream tissue paper was a book. A book of fairytales.

“Where did you get this?” Marc breathed, pulling the book out and opening it, listening to the old boo creak. It smelt amazing, looking near identical to the one he’d lost as a child.

“Took a while since I couldn’t ask Adrien for help. Do you like it?”

Marc gave him a look that told him how stupid that question was. “I hope you like mine.”

“I think I’ll love it.”

A gift bag was surprisingly easy to sneak around with, since most of their friends had been passing late gifts to others, so Nathaniel only had to remove tissue paper to get to his present. It was a leather wrapped book, but the part that acted as the cover was a bit bulky. Nathaniel undid the string holding it closed and realised the front flap was a holder for pencils. The paper in the book felt like the same type he used in his sketchbooks.

“Did you make this?” he also noticed the embossed logo at the bottom and a hidden embossed chicken – his favourite animal. “Didn’t you make like a bunch of personal fairy tale books?”

Marc shrugged. “Those were easy to do. This took a bit cause I had to deconstruct a copy of your favourite sketch book so I could sew it in. it’s not nearly as amazing as what you got for me.”

“Are you kidding? Marc, this is amazing. You are amazing. I love you.” Nathaniel immediately went red and stiff while Marc’s smile dropped, but out of surprise.

“That’s the first time you said that.” Marc pointed out.

“Yeah.”

“Do you wanna ignore it?” Marc offered.

Nathaniel bit his lips before taking Marc’s book and his sketchbook, dropping them in the box Marc’s present had been in and onto the floor before taking Marc’s hands in his own.

“No. I don’t want to ignore it. I’ve never had a stable relationship, some much so that when we went out of town that first time and had that massive fight, I thought this was all over. Except, of course you’d be the one to teach me how a relationship is supposed to go, how we grow and build and fix things as time goes on. it was just supposed to be a simple thing, sleeping together, but it felt so right taking the next step. And when it kept growing from there, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. So, Marc Anciel, I love you and I really hope we last forever, because I can’t imagine being with anyone else.”

Marc leaned down and softly kissed Nathaniel, pulling one hand away to rest on the other’s cheek. He pressed their foreheads together when they finally pulled apart. “I love you too Nathaniel.”

The artist kissed his boyfriend again, using his free hand to tug him closer. “Stay?”

“What about Adrien?”

“If you actually think he and Luka aren’t going to finally talk and work things out, you must not have been paying attention.”

Marc let out a hum, pulling Nath in, by gripping his neck. “What should we do if we have the whole place to ourselves?” he asked between kisses.

“Well, this armchair is pretty sturdy. Wanna figure out how much?”

Marc laughed. “God, when the others find out, I think Adrien is gonna burn everything in your apartment.”

“Oh, trust me, Nino will do the same to your place when he finds out all the things we did there.”

#lukadrien vault #nathmarc #alyanette #lukadrien #secret relationship #friends au

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onlyxxbutmymindisolder · 3 months ago

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Make It Three - Sk8 the Infinity fanfic, Part 1/4

It was an ordinary Tuesday night for the three of us. The sky was clear, and we were far enough from the city that you could see the stars no problem - that was one of the nice things about Crazy Rock. Skating in the city was great, but skating out there, with the fresh air and the open sky overhead, couldn’t be beat. I couldn’t even remember when Adam found the place. It had been our nightly hangout spot for months.

But anyway, as I was saying - it was an ordinary Tuesday night. The three of us on our boards, Adam in front as always, Kaoru a little behind him and me a little behind Kaoru and steadily gaining. I grinned as I pulled up next to him, the wind blowing so hard in my face I had to shout to be heard. “Hey man, did you forget to charge your smartwatch? You haven’t talked to it this whole time!”

I couldn’t hear his sigh, but I could feel it in the roll of his eyes. “I don’t activate Carla every time we race. And relying purely on brute strength to win isn’t a bragging point!” he yelled back.

“Last time I checked, you don’t move your skateboard with your mind.” I replied.

“It’s not just about moving,” he retorted. “It’s about navigating in the best way. Efficiency, not raw speed, you musclehead.”

“Now, now, boys! Less bickering, please.” Adam’s voice echoed up the path, and both Kaoru and I turned in surprise - in the five seconds we had been arguing, he had tripled the distance between us. He bent backwards to look at us two, holding a pose that could not have been easy to balance in, yet he was grinning like it was no sweat. “Or at least don’t leave me out of your conversations! I’m getting terribly lonely up here by myself.”

He shifted his balance to one foot, and then spun around so he was facing us. His back to the path, he held his arms out to the side in a beckoning gesture. “Catch me if you can~!” He pivoted again, and Kaoru and I watched as he receded into the distance.

Kaoru sighed and tapped his watch. “Carla,” he said, bringing it close to his face, “Give me an estimate of the best angle for the turn ahead. I’m going to cream these two idiots.”

I laughed. “Challenge accepted.”

We zipped ahead, using everything we had - Kaoru his brains, me my brawn, and Adam his… whatever it was. He laughed as he rode along the track, dodging obstacles with such precision and ease he looked like he was dancing.

Five minutes later, we all stood outside the entrance to the mine interior, covered in sweat. Our boards were lined up in a row propped against some rocks so they wouldn’t roll off without us. The results of our race were the same as ever - Adam in first, Kaoru and I fighting over second. We did our standard bickering over who had edged out the other in getting to the finish line, then sat down near our boards and started chatting.

Truth be told, I loved that part almost as much as the actual race.

“She’s not just a smartwatch!” Kaoru insisted, holding a hand over the watch as if to shield it from any insults. “She’s an AI that can plot the best path through any course. I’ve fed her the data from hundreds of practice sessions-”

“And yeah, I get that,” I interrupted, “I just think it’s a little weird that you call it ‘she’.”

“She’s very intelligent! I can hold full conversations with her and everything,” Kaoru huffed. Seeing my face, he switched gears and looked to our other friend for support. “Adam, don’t you get it? Carla’s the ultimate practice tool. She could revolutionize skating!”

Adam shrugged, holding up his hands in a gesture of sympathy. “Kaoru, my friend… passion is passion. I won’t dismiss yours.” Kaoru visibly perked up, though only for a second. “Although…”

“Although what?” Kaoru asked, sulkily.

“Doesn’t that take the fun out of skating?” Adam asked. “If you followed this machine’s advice, it would probably take you down a similar path every time.”

“It would be the fastest path,” Kaoru responded. “The optimal one! I could fine-tune my skating and eventually be able to beat even you!”

Adam smiled mysteriously. “A worthy goal. But as for me… I take great joy in exploring all this place has to offer. Every rock, every curve, every divot in the road - each provides a new experience, infinitely! You never go down the same trail twice.”

“That’s a cool way to look at it,” I said. “I guess I don’t think about the track that much. I just react in the moment and bam-!” I snapped my fingers. “My body and board will take me where I need to go.”

Kaoru rolled his eyes. “Brute instincts,” he grumbled.

“Hey. They work about as well as your smartwatch.”

“Wha- They do not!”

“Then how’d I beat you just now?”

“You didn’t! I obviously crossed the line first.”

“You keep telling yourself that, dude, but we both know…”

Hearing laughter, I glanced over at Adam. He was watching us go back and forth with a fondly amused look. “Truly,” he said, “Nights with you two are never boring.” His last word slurred into the beginning of a yawn. That was right - Adam rarely stayed out this late. His family was pretty strict and he couldn’t be caught sneaking out, so he usually went home before the AM. It was nice having him with us for longer, though. I hoped he wouldn’t get in trouble with his folks.

“Anyway,” said Kaoru. “Adam. Weren’t you planning to host S again soon? What’s your schedule look like?”

Adam frowned, which didn’t seem like a good omen. “I’m working on it,” he grumbled. “Some people aren’t being terribly cooperative.”

By ‘some people’, I assumed he meant the staff member he’d roped into helping him sneak out every night. We all owed a lot to that guy, though Kaoru and I had only met him once. He was in charge of the arrangements for the skating competition we’d started a while back, and also technically responsible for coining the name ‘S’ (I think he just didn’t want to risk Adam being overheard talking about skateboarding, which was a ‘hoodlum activity’ according to his dad).

“No rush,” I said. “We don’t need a million other people here to have a good time, right?”

“I guess not,” Kaoru said, shrugging. “I was just curious.”

“I want it to happen,” Adam blurted. “Last time, we drew dozens of people like us. This next time, I want it to be even bigger - a hundred, no, hundreds of competitors. Imagine if we could bring together every skateboarder in Okinawa!” He sighed. “All those who love skateboarding, together in one place… it would be paradise.”

“I dunno,” I said. “Would they all fit here?”

Kaoru lightly whacked my shoulder. “We’re outdoors, idiot. I’m sure we could find a spot for everyone.” He looked the other way. “Is that what you want, Adam? More people? I thought our group of twelve or so provided decent competition.”

“But I want more,” Adam said bluntly. “I want to see what this country has to offer! You two can’t be the only good skaters in Japan.”

He paused, and took a slow, deep breath. The look in his eyes was far away. “You two are the only ones so far who can keep up with me. On this racetrack, in this world we three share, cut off from everything frivolous and crude… I am myself. And you don’t know what that means to me,” he whispered. “It makes me want more. More of these treasured moments - I want to spend eternity on that board.” He glanced back at our decks propped on the rocks. “I just need a reason. One push, and I’d throw it all away.”

I didn’t respond. He was smiling, but distant - talking to himself more than us. The silence held, and he stayed there for a minute, lost in thought, before (reluctantly, I think) pulling himself back to reality.

“I’m getting ahead of myself,” he said, with a soft chuckle. “My apologies. S first - I’ll let you two know when Tadashi figures something out. Until then-” he stood up, “-I should be heading back.”

It was a jarring transition, but hey. Adam had always had a tendency to get lost in his head, so we were used to it. “See you next week?” I asked.

He grinned back at me. “Absolutely. Don’t be late.”

---

With that, Adam was gone for the week. We never saw each other in person outside of our late-night races, and his parents monitored both their home phone and his personal cell phone (which he wouldn’t be able to use anyway, given that his entire day was nothing but private tutoring and family-approved extracurriculars). Yeah, it was weird. But Adam lived in a different world from Kaoru and I - being the son of Mr. Shindo, a famous senator, would do that. Image was everything in that life, and given Adam’s less-than-tame personality, his dad kept him on a tight leash. The family heir couldn’t be caught mixing with the common rabble.

So you might understand why I was surprised to hear from him that Friday in the middle of the day.

“Did you get a note, too?” Kaoru asked as we walked past the school gates.

“Sure did,” I said, holding up the crisp, lightly perfumed(?) paper. “Have to wonder how he got it into our lockers, though.”

Kaoru shrugged. “You know Adam - where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’m curious as to what’s so urgent he felt the need to contact us like this, though.”

“So you’re coming?”

He huffed. “Obviously.”

I gestured to his empty hands. “And you’re not bringing your board?” I kept mine with me at all times. Right then, it was strapped to my backpack, doing the double duty of (1) acting as a weight for building endurance and (2) looking seriously cool (I loved that board).

“The note didn’t say we were meeting up to skate,” Kaoru responded, although he looked unsure. “Adam can barely get a free minute during the day. How would he race us?”

“How did he get the note to us? How long is he planning to talk?” I thought about it. “Actually, he might not be there at all. Maybe he sent one of his staff.”

“Oh.” Kaoru tweaked one long strand of hair that was resting on his jacket, pushing it back. “I guess not.”

He was quiet for a moment. I looked at his perfect poker face, watching as it changed from neutrality to annoyance as I nudged him, grinning. “Are you still coming-”

“Yes. Why would that change anything?”

“Well, you looked pretty excited earlier up until…” I shrugged.

“I did not.”

“What, so you didn’t want to see him?”

“I didn’t say - wait, I -” He sputtered, flailed for a response, then stormed ahead of me, muttering “Stupid.” The tips of his ears were as pink as his hair.

I let him get ahead of me. I’d probably get kicked later once he calmed down, but for now, all that mattered was that he was too indignant to be disappointed. Better a pissed Kaoru than a mopey Kaoru.

Eventually he slowed down enough for me to catch up to him, and we walked to the underpass in silence. Once we got there, my suspicions were proved correct - Adam was nowhere in sight. A dark-haired guy about our age was leaning against the concrete wall, fiddling with his too-fancy casual clothes and looking like he’d rather throw himself into the pier than spend another second there.

I waved at him and called out. “Hey there! Uh.. we’re friends of Adam?”

He tensed. “Not so loud,” he murmured. He pushed off the wall and met us halfway, glancing around like he expected to see someone watching us from the bushes.

“I know who you are. Adam wanted me to relay a message to you two. He…” He trailed off, then shook his head. “I have a favor to ask you first. You two are the ones closest to him, so…”

I squinted at him. “Wait a second. Aren’t you-” I thought for a second, then snapped my fingers, “-Tadashi, right!”

“You’re the one who organizes S,” Kaoru said, recognition dawning on him.

“We never got to thank you for last time,” I said. “It was amazing. I didn’t think so many people would show up.”

Tadashi grimaced. “Yes. That’s the problem.”

“What is?” Kaoru asked.

“S.”

“Is that what Adam wanted to tell us about?” I asked.

Tadashi sighed. “Please, listen. Of all the skaters in Okinawa, you are the only people Adam has trusted with his secret - his true identity. So you should have some idea of how precarious this situation is. If Adam’s father found out he was sneaking out, the consequences would be…”

“Bad, yeah. He told us he was being careful,” I said.

“Not careful enough,” Tadashi deadpanned. “He leaves too early and stays out too late. His grades have begun to slip, among other things. I can only cover for him so much, and if anybody catches on-” He wrung his hands. “It can’t happen.”

Watching him like that, I felt a lurking sense of unease. I knew Adam’s family was strict, and they would be pissed if they knew what he got up to at night. But the way Tadashi talked about it… it seemed like there was something else going on. Adam never talked much about his life. Kaoru and I knew basically nothing about what went on with his family.

“Do we need to delay our visits, then?” Kaoru asked. “Give him some time to lay low?”

“That was what I was hoping for,” Tadashi replied. “I’ve tried everything to convince him to stop sneaking out for a month, or even just a few weeks, but he doesn’t listen to me. I thought you could talk to him. He trusts you.”

“We can do that,” I said, seeing Kaoru was on board. “When are we gonna see him next? Tuesday as usual, or later, or…?”

“Saturday, if you can make it. The usual time and meeting place.”

I blinked. “Why so soon?”

“He’s found another competitor for S. He wants you two to help vet him.”

“He told someone else about S?” Kaoru asked, surprised. Previously, the three of us had decided together who to invite.

“I don’t think so. As far as the other skater knows, he’s just being invited to a friendly race. If he proves decently skilled, Adam will invite him to compete.”

“O-kay then,” I said. “If he’s that set on it, then I guess we’ll go along and race the guy. Kaoru, you got any plans tomorrow night?”

“...No,” said Kaoru, looking like he’d bitten a lemon.

“Then we’ll meet him there and talk about the whole ‘not drawing suspicion’ thing. Who knows,” I added, “Maybe this extra race will help get something out of his system.”

“That’s true. He might be more agreeable if he’s in a good mood,” Kaoru replied. “Although, knowing Adam…”

“We’ll try,” I said, nodding to Tadashi. “And again, thanks for everything you’ve done. S wouldn’t exist without you.”

Tadashi didn’t meet my eyes, and barely acknowledged my thanks. “Yes, well.” He shifted nervously. “Adam will see you this weekend. I hope you enjoy your race.” With that, he turned and started walking away. He paused at the corner to glance back and, I dunno, see if we were following him? Then he disappeared from view.

“That was weird,” I said. Kaoru didn’t respond, still staring over the spot where Tadashi had been. I sighed. Between him and Adam… it was a good thing this friend group had one person who didn’t get stuck in their own head.

“C’mon.” I nudged his arm. “It’s getting late. We should go if we don’t want to miss our buses.”

That was an excuse. If we did, I’d just skate back anyway.

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ms-newvegas · 9 months ago

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Trying to make this smartwatch have a pip boy face but I think I need an actual Apple Watch?? Boo :(

#the first thing I did after connecting it

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flipzone · 1 year ago

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Buy now- https://flipzoneonline.com/product/lenovo-carme-hw25p-smartwatch-green/

The Lenovo Carme HW25P is a Remarkable combination of style and functionality. It keeps you ahead of time with its unique features. This smartwatch Carme comes with a powerful battery life of Up to 7 Days. The IPS LCD display of the Best Smartwatch gives you a comfortable viewing experience.

The Lenovo smartwatch also motivates you to be fit. Furthermore, the smartwatch runs on an Android, iOS operating system

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joy-of-life88 · 2 years ago

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Inked Temptation [a Damian Priest story] 11 Happy birthday

Damian POV

The phone in my hand suddenly beeped as I waited in the arrivals hall to finally hold my Ellie in my arms again. These few days had clearly been too long.

And besides, I had the feeling that something had happened. Ellie sounded worried and even slightly distressed whenever we talked on the phone. I just had no idea what might have been going on. When I asked her about it, she just said that she wanted to tell me in person, that she needed to clear up a few things and that I shouldn't worry for now. But of course I was worried.

I read the message I had just received. It was from Ellie. She wrote that she had her luggage and that she would be there soon. And sure enough, it was only a few minutes before I saw my girl. I frowned. She looked damn tired. As if she had hardly slept in the last few days.

I quickly rushed to meet her. When she saw me, a big smile appeared on her face. I pulled her into my arms and immediately felt her relax. A deep sigh escaped her.

"Hey Ellie-Bell. I missed you!" I whispered in her ear.

"Hi my champion... I missed you more." she replied and then lifted her head so I could give her a long, tender kiss in greeting.

"Let's get you home." I then said and reached for her hand and then her suitcase so we could make our way to the car.

"Are you sure you're okay with us pre-celebrating your birthday since we have to work on Sunday?" she asked me as we stowed her luggage in the car.

"Of course. But I guess you're not going to tell me what your plans are?" I replied.

"Nope, but you don't have to wait that long. I just want to know if you want your present today" she giggled, sounding more like herself again.

"Oh baby, believe me you can give me anything you want..." I smirked.

----------------

"Are you finally done Damian? You're taking longer than me." I heard Ellie call after me as I was still in the bathroom getting ready for our date.

"I'll be right there!" I called back.

"Oh look at you.... My handsome birthday boy." she said as I walked into the living room.

And damn she looked good in her purple lace dress. I almost forgot to breathe. Although she had been teasing me all week about buying a new outfit, I hadn't expected it.

"Wow..." I whispered.

"I guess you like it? Thanks baby, but just wait until you see what's hiding underneath." she smirked and put a hand on my chest before reaching out to me.

"Oh what can I say except Happy Birthday to me." I replied before pulling this beautiful woman close so I could kiss her.

This was already a very special evening. I could just feel it.

--------------

"Ellie... what did you do? This is amazing!" I gasped as we sat together in the restaurant and she insisted I open one of my gifts.

It was a smartwatch. But the special thing about it was the strap. It was made of black leather with many small, silver skulls. Carefully I stroked my fingertip over it. I didn't even know that such straps existed for these watches.

"Happy Birthday! Do you like it?" she asked softly.

"Is that even a question? I love it! Thank you!" I replied, pulling her close to me.

"I'm glad you do. Speaking of... Damian?" she said a few minutes later.

"Yes, baby?" I replied as I brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I love you." She breathed softly, looking at me with wide, sparkling eyes.

"I love you too, Ellie-Bell." I said.

Ellie put her hand to my cheek. She gently stroked my face before leaning over and kissing me passionately. I had been meaning to tell her for a while, only the right time never came. But now I was more than happy to hear these words from her mouth. She loved me. I loved her. And that made this day so much more beautiful.

------------

"So...tell me about your week, baby girl. I want to know what's bothering you. I love you and I want to help you. But I can only do that if you tell me everything." I said as we walked along the waterside after our dinner.

Ellie sighed next to me as her arms wrapped around one of mine and she leaned against my shoulder. Slowly and a little hesitantly she began to tell me what had happened with her father and that she worried about being watched whenever she was in Boston.

"That's why I decided to move. Because clearly the 100 miles wasn't enough distance. I'm going to miss mom, but I have to do what's best for me. I think I'm going to move to Florida. So I can be closer to you. What do you think about that, D?" she explained to me.

"No." I replied simply as I thought about it.

"What do you mean by 'no'?" Ellie wanted to know. She sounded offended which is why I hurried to explain to her what I meant.

"If you're going to move, I want you to move in with me. It makes the most sense and I can take care of you. Nothing will happen to the woman I love!" I said.

"Are you serious? Is that really what you want?" asked Ellie as she stopped to look at me.

I nodded.

"Damian, I can't tell you how much I love you. And if you want me, I'll gladly move in with you!" she replied and then threw her arms around my neck.

#damian priest #WWE #Wattpad #My writing #inked temptation

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