#today in suggested posts that instagram forced into my feed:

[beomglocks]

terror ave. ; c.bg

warnings and other: um?, theres a serial killer, murder is mentioned, nothing too detailed, not proofread bc i wrote this at 4am

"we advise everyone to be in complete lockdown as there have seemed to have been reports of a serial killer gone loose in the area. so far no one has been injured but we suggest taking extra precautions tonight. please do not go outside during this time. lock your doors, close your windows, and turn off all the ligh-"

frowning, you look down at the tub of ice cream situated in between your legs. you lick the ice cream from your spoon as the rest of the news report gets drowned out by your thoughts. wait- shit i think i forgot to lock the back door... you shrug. you forgot that you had invited your neighbor beomgyu over, earlier in the day. he had insisted that he had a cool new pokemon to show you on his switch and you, stupidly, allowed him to show you. to your dismay, it only turned out to be a measly skwovet.

"gyu, you can literally catch these at route 1. you know, in the beginning of the game?" you had told him with a disappointed look on your face. "you're on your 5th gym."

he had gasped in offense, bringing his switch closer to his chest to shield the creature from further judgment. "y/n how dare you! it's the cutest pokemon in the game so of course, i went back to get one. don't you think you're being too mean?"

you giggled to yourself remembering the little back and forth. you've been living alone in your current house for only a couple of months. you were surprised your parents let you move out and have a whole house in the suburbs to yourself considering how strict and overprotective they were. upon moving, you quickly befriended choi beomgyu, the literal boy next door. he had offered to help you get your couch through the door and proceeded to eat his melting chocolate bar on said couch. from then on you and him have been best friends ever since, sometimes having him sleepover or vise versa.

you weren't worried about some rando serial killer in your neighborhood since nothing ever happened to you. you were convinced you weren't the main character.

from your couch, you looked outside to see that beomgyu's lights were already turned off. he must've gone to sleep early. your eyes catch the clock on your wall and you subconsciously yawn when you see how late it is. 1:56 am? damn... i should probably go to sleep too.

you pick up the tub of ice cream and take it back to your kitchen. its fucking chilly in here. you rub your arms as goosebumps start to form on them. you peek around the corner of the wall dividing your kitchen to where the back door is located. it's slightly cracked open and that raises some bit of concern in your head. again, you shrug. you remember beomgyu leaving out the back door since he liked coming in from the back instead of the front. an odd quirk of his that you never got to question him about because every time you tried he would simply smile at you cutely and say something like "its cool that's why."

you walk over to the door while being cautious about where you step since your house was pretty messy. you shut the door and sigh, dragging your body towards the living room again to turn the tv off. the news reporter was just about to give more instructions but frankly, you're too tired to care.

now that the tv was turned off you felt a weird sense of loneliness. the white noise being emitted from the screen becoming a bit too deafening to your ears to handle. you switch the tv off properly and toss the remote somewhere on the couch.

you walk up to your bedroom while scrolling through your Instagram feed. you laugh at the caption of beomgyu's latest post because it's alluding to the argument you both had earlier and type a comment hoping that he'll have time to read it when he wakes up.

when you reach your bedroom you toss your phone haphazardly on your bed and flop yourself into the sheets. today was fairly unproductive but that's been the premise of your days lately. you wonder how you manage to do absolutely nothing yet feel the weight of 10 thousand bricks on you back.

you sigh as you feel yourself slowly drift off to sleep but a noise in the room next door startles you. if you had been fully asleep you probably wouldn't have heard it but you're sure you heard a noise even in your half-asleep state. you sit up in your bed pulling the sheets closer to you. you decide to hold your breath in case you hear another noise or if you're just being delusional and sleep-deprived.

you wait for a while and after 5 minutes you don't hear anything. you sigh quietly but before you can settle back and get back to sleep you hear another noise. ok, you know for sure you have no roommates and beomgyu always tells you he's coming over before he does. the room you're hearing the noises from is the storage room where you keep all the extra furniture and miscellaneous items that you haven't had the chance to use or set up yet so nothing should be moving in there. you also recall the movers checking the house for any squatters since that seemed to be more common than most people would think. that day you had been happy and relieved to know that there was none of that in the house.

a thought crosses your mind that it could be the serial killer that's on the loose currently. if that's the case then the killer is in your house, a few feet away, in a room that has old kitchen knives that you decided don't need to be displayed.

you stare at your door while reaching for your phone. you can hear the person walking around the room and dragging the knives across the wall in a menacing manner and that's when the anxiety finally kicks in. your eyes start filling up with tears at the thought of a deranged serial killer being just a couple feet away from you, literally a wall away.

you feel your phone graze your hand and grab it shakily, slowly getting up from your bed. you don't wanna call anyone right now since the walls are thin, the killer might hear you then it's really game over. once you get to your bedroom door, you push it open so painfully slowly that you just wanna sob right there. you hate that something like this is seriously happening to you.

the killer doesn't seem to be out in the open yet. you figure they're still deep in the storage room. that gives you some time to get out of your house and maybe run to a police station or something. you walk out into the hall and cautiously walk down the stairs hoping they won't do that annoying thing where they creak in intense moments. thankfully though, you make it down the stairs.

immediately, you bolt out of your house. you don't know why but you have the sudden idea to ask beomgyu for help. you run to his house and ring the door repeatedly, you don't care if you're being annoying. you look back at your own house and all the lights are still turned off except for your bedroom lights which you left on. hopefully, the killer isn't persistent and won't come looking for you. you turn back to beomgyu's door and keep ringing the doorbell hoping his ass will wake up since you know he's a heavy sleeper. "come on, come on. fucking choi beomgyu, come on!" you whisper anxiously.

suddenly the door swings open and an angry but half asleep beomgyu is standing there. his hair is disheveled and his face is scrunched up in confusion and drowsiness. you push past him and jump on his couch covering yourself with one of his pillows. "y/n? what the fuck are you doing. it's like 2 am?" he shuts the door, walking over to you.

"is everything locked? the windows? the door just now?" you look up at him, biting your lip. "yes everything is locked and look," you watch him walk back to the front door and lock it. "now the door is locked. mind telling me why you bum-rushed into my house at the ass crack of dawn?"

"gyu-" you can't even manage to get a proper sentence out because a broken sob leaves your mouth rather than words. you walk up to him and hug him tightly. you don't care that you're probably soaking his t-shirt with your tears, you need him to know that you really care about him and you were almost permanently separated from him today. "y/n?"

"gyu t-the killer. the s-serial killer! he's in m-my house right now," you sob even harder into his shirt and you're glad he feels warm because those 2 minutes of ringing his doorbell out there made you almost freeze to death. especially since you're only wearing your pjs which consisted of a t-shirt and short shorts.

you feel him hug you back and you sigh shakily as he rubs your back to comfort you. "y/n," he says simply. you pull away from him, which you immediately regret because you start to feel cold again. "w-we need to call the police," you wipe your tears harshly but to no avail, since they just keep falling against your will.

you take your phone from your pocket and start to dial but beomgyu takes your phone from you and pockets it into his sweats. "y/n, i've never seen you cry. you look so pretty when you cry," he leans closer to your face and you flinch when he brings his hand up to caress your cheek before wiping a stray tear from it.

"gyu, we need t-to call the police! it's not the time f-for games. give me my phone please," you move his hand away from your face and motion for him to give your phone back. he chuckles right in your face, mockingly.

"please, she says."

you watch expectantly as he takes your phone out of his pocket but feel your heart drop with it as he lets it fall to the floor with a deafening crack. if that wasn't enough, you watch in disbelief as he stomps on it with force, effectively rendering it useless.

your eyes start to fill with tears again and the sinking feeling that beomgyu isn't gonna help you starts to settle. "w-why," you blubber. you fall to the ground in defeat and confusion. you don't even have the strength to run to the door to get proper help because you felt you had no energy after watching beomgyu turn his back on you.

"ever since you moved here i've had my eye on you. i really like you y/n. scratch that, i love you y/n. the other girl that lived in the house before you was boring so i had her killed off within the first week of her moving here. i mean she was pretty but you're gorgeous, i like you much more." he lifts you off the ground and examines your face to see how your taking in this information. you can't even speak because of the burning sensation in your throat from trying to hold back your tears so hard.

"i bailed that asshole killer out of jail and hired him to kill people for me," he continues. "didn't actually wanna get my hands dirty."

he moves you to sit on the couch as if this is just another normal conversation between friends. it finally clicks in your head what's happening and you stand up and snap at him. "what the fuck gyu? i thought you were just a regular person what the fuck is wrong with you!" you begin to walk to the front door but he grabs you with a force you've never felt him use before.

"y/n really? i've been protecting you this whole time!" you can sense that his patience is thinning. "all this time! when we walked to the store and those guys catcalled you, i had them killed. that guy that hit on you in our seminar class, he's gone!" he smiles wickedly and you hate the fact that he still looks like your adorable best friend.

"y/n you're the only for me. im sorry i scared you but i knew if the serial killer went to your home you'd come running to me," you feel him rubbing your hand soothingly and you pull away from him with disgust.

"don't touch me! i'm going to the police, this is fucking sick." before you can even reach the door you hear something click. you feel a cold metal around your wrist and when you look down you see that beomgyu has handcuffed you to the door. "you're not leaving y/n, do i really have to do this to you? i've been waiting for months just for you to run away?" he whispers.

"beomgyu let me go right now," you seethe. the anxiety you felt before is only heightened when you look around and catch someone leaving from your house. "beomgyu please," you resort to petty pleads.

he pouts at you, "don't worry y/n i'm not gonna hurt you, i would never." he gives you a tender kiss on your forehead before standing up again. 

"i just want you to myself that's all."

[bowensbyrams]

the canada dream {02}

n/a: hey, guys! Here’s part 2 of TCD, as promised. I’m sorry it took me so long to update, my classes are back and last week was kinda hard, but here we go! Please let me know what you think <3 

Pairing: Pierre-Luc Dubois x reader

Warnings: a little bit of angst at the beginning, mentions of abusive/toxic relationship

Word counting: 2,1k

Ps: part 1 can be found here: https://royaltyofhockeylosers.tumblr.com/post/627737248109133824/the-canada-dream-01 

I realize there's something wrong the moment I find myself opening the door to my old apartment in Boston. As far as I remember, I moved to Montreal and am living with my best friend Anna... Or was it just a dream? I wouldn't be surprised, I've been dreaming on moving to Canada for a while now. I enter the living room and drop my bag on the couch, heading to my room but a noise stops me. No, not a noise. A moan. A woman's moan. I live with my boyfriend, Thomas, and as far as I know, we don't share the apartment with another girl. My heart fasten with every step I take until I'm facing the white door that leads to my room. Our room. "Faster, Tommy" I hear the girl say and my boyfriend groans, making my skin shiver "Yes just like that" "God you're so hot, baby" Thomas' voice is like a fist to my stomach and the tears start rolling down my face. Not again, please. I open the door and the scene in front of me breaks my heart into a million pieces. My boyfriend is buried into a blonde's pussy and keeps thrusting in and out of her as he sees me. "Hello, princess. Do you want to join us?" his smile is almost wicked and I can't move, I can't breath as I watch him fucking her the way he used to make love to me. The tears never stop coming down and my sobbing seems to make him want to go deeper and faster until the girl screams his name.

~~ I sit on my bed, tears running on my cheeks and my heart racing like a horse. My entire body hurts as I'm forced to remember every single scene from that damn day, unable to erase the overwhelming feeling for good. My phone pings and I reach out to check it. When my eyes catch the clock and I realize it's almost 1 p.m, my heart skips a beat. I've never woken up this late, but I guess the adventures from last night and the anxiety of moving to another country to restart my life got the best of me. Unlocking the screen, I check the message app before anything else. There are 2 texts from Tyler and 6 from Logan, so I decide to open the latter thread. L: Hey Y/N, it's Logan L: I'm sorry for last night, I hope Anna is okay L: Tyler said he invited you two to the barbecue, cool! L: Here's the address and don't worry about anything, just bring whatever you guys wanna drink L: We reeeeeally want you to come, Luc is excited to meet you two I smile at the last text which is formed by at least 10 different types of emojis. I reply saying I need to ask Anna if she wants to come and lock the screen again, leaving my bed and going to Anna's room. My best friend is sleeping like a baby, so I decide to go make something for us to eat. When I'm almost done with the spaghetti, Anna appears in the kitchen with a pout on the lips and her brows furrowed. "Good morning, sunshine" I sing and my friend groans, sitting on one of the benches by the marble island in the middle of the kitchen. “I’m not feeling sunshiny today. I feel like I’ve been ran over by a truck. Multiple times” “That’s called tequila hungover and I’m not saying I told you so...” “Nah shut up” she shushes me waiving her hand “Can you get me a pill that’ll make this go away?” Anna points at her own head and I hold back a laugh, opening one of the cabinets where she showed me the medicines were. Handing her an Aspirin and a cup of water, I go back to the stove and turn it down, taking the pan to the island. Anna takes the pill and sighs, looking at the food. "Is this a dream?" my best friend asks when I put a plate in front of her and lets out a small moan when she takes the first bite "Honestly, if I had known you could cook like this, I would've invited you to move in with me way earlier" "Oh, don't get to used to it. My cooking knowledge is resumed to spaghetti, lasagna and burgers" "Who said we need more than that to survive?" Anna looks at me with an offended look making me laugh. We're half way through our meal until I decided to tell her about the barbecue. "So Logan and the other boys are hosting a barbecue today and they want us to come. It'll be just us, them, Tyler's girlfriend and that other guy they were telling us about yesterday. You in?" "As long as Logan keeps his alcohol to himself, I see no problem" she replies and I can't hold back my laugh. "Hey you're the one who suggested you guys should see who could get more shots in less time" "I never thought he'd say yes! That guy is crazy!" she snaps back and I laugh even harder. "Okay so we're going?" "Yeah, I guess so..." "Cool, I'll let him know then" * "What's up?" Anna asks as we're getting ready to leave. She's in my room, laying down on my bed as I finish putting some make up on. I'm wearing a long sleeved shirt with a jeans skirt and snickers since the weather gods decided to send a chill night to break the living hell temperatures of the day. Me and An spent the entire day laying on the floor and drinking an absurd amount of water while watching the latest episodes from The 100. "What?" I ask and look at her through the mirror. "You have a worried look on your face. What's wrong?" "Nothing... I just have a weird feeling that I should know something but I don't" I reply and focus on applying my mascara. "You're weird, Y/N. Are all americans like this?" "Hey!" I throw a pillow at her, making her laugh. As I finish everything and grab the beer packs we're taking, we're all settle to go. On our way to go, I open my Instagram and start scrolling through my feed - which is the most diverse thing in the world. It’s the perfect balance of hockey, singers, food, friends and family. I look at some of the posts before heading to the Story part. I slide through a couple until one catches my attention. It’s the same bar I was yesterday and I can see Anna in her white and red dress in the corner. I check the user and my heart skips a beat when I realize who it is. Pierre-Luc Dubois, one of the few hockey players I follow on Instagram. He plays centre for the Columbus Blue Jackets, my ex's home team, and my heart aches a little when a memory gets me. "Hey, I just saw you follow PLD on Instagram" Thomas' voice reaches me before he appears on our room. "Yeah, I've been following him for a while now, Tom" I say and go back folding the clean clothes. "Why?" he asks, making me look at him a little confused. "Why what?" "Why are you following him?" "Why not? He's a hockey player and I like him. What's wrong?" "Oh you like him? What, do you think he's gonna fuck you if you ever meet?" his aggressive tone makes me blush and my heart fasten. "Why are you saying this? I'll never meet him, Thomas, he's like super famous and lives in Ohio" "Exactly, so stop following him. I don't approve it and I don't like the fact that you're following these hockey guys. They're all assholes" my boyfriend says before storming out of our apartment, leaving me to try and understand what the hell just happened. I never stopped following Pierre's profile, but that was never needed since I caught Thomas in bed with another girl just two weeks after his little scene. That was three months ago and now I was living in Montreal with my best friend, trying to rebuild my life after what he did to me. I look at Pierre's story again and can't help the weird feeling that takes over my body. I knew he was French-Canadian, but I definitely did not know he lived in Montreal during the off season. I guess I never took the time to check on any player's personal lives. I mean, expect for Mitch Marner's but that's just because I really wish we were best friends but anyways. "Hey, you're on Pierre-Luc Dubois' Insta Story" I says and Anna almost throws the car out of the road. "I'M WHAT?!" Definitely should've waited until we got to the house. "Yeah, he was at the same bar as we yesterday and posted a photo of the dance floor. You appeared in the corner" "Wait... You're telling me that that fucking greek god was at the same bar as we and none of us saw it? Are you kidding me?" she says and the annoyance in her voice makes me laugh. "Yep, that's what I'm saying. What are the odds?" "I mean, they're high since his parents live here, but still.. We weren't even at the best bar of the city" "Maybe he is low key and was trying to avoid the crowds" "Yeah, probably" she agrees and changes focus. I observe the streets, filled with big houses with even bigger yards. "I guess Pierre is not the only rich who prefers underground bars..." I comment and Anna snorts, looking at the mansions. “Should’ve guessed he had money when you told me the neighborhood we were heading to, but damn” Anna says and all I can do is nod in agreement.

*

I was worried we would be late, but when we get to the house, Tyler and his girlfriend, Kate, are the only ones waiting for us. "Hey, guys" Ty greets us and takes the beer packs from me "Logan went to buy more beer, Jesse backed down and Luc is late as always" he leads the path to the backyard and I have to keep myself from dropping my jaw. The house is huge but the backyard is unbelievable. There's a deck where the grill is, a pool with a pool house and a soccer court. "This is my girlfriend Kate. Kate, these are the girls we told you about, Anna and Y/N" "Hi!" the curly haired and green eyed girl says and we down by her side. A couple of minutes go by and we're all getting along pretty well until Anna looks at her phone and sees that it's dying. "I think i have a charger in the car, I'll be right back" She leaves and only two minutes later my phone pings. A: don't freak out and act normal but i just bumped into logan outside Y/N: so what? A: pierre is with him My eyes go wild and before I can process what I just read, Logan's voice reaches me. “Look who I just found outside!” I look up asking God for Anna to be messing with me, but she's not. Pierre-Luc fucking Dubois is standing between Logan and my best friend, how's acting like there's nothing wrong. I try my best to do the same and I guess it worked since no one is looking at me with funny looks. "Luc, this is Y/N and Y/N, this is Luc" Tyler introduces us and Pierre shakes my hand with a small smile. "Cool, now you two know each other. Can we eat? I'm starving!" Logan says heading to the grill. “We’ve known each other for less than a day and I’ve already noticed that’s a constant mood of yours” Anna snaps back following him with Pierre right after her, leaving me, Kate and Tyler behind. "You look like you just saw a ghost" Tyler says getting my attention. "I'm just thinking why none of you bothered to tell me that your friend looked like that" I snap back, making Kate laugh. I decide not to mention the fact that I'm a hockey fan and know the NHL player that has just walked past us. "Nah, the minute he opens his mouth you'll see he's a dork" Kate says and heads to the area where the rest is. I follow her with Tyler right by my side and asking God to help me out here.

[darrenhayesoneandonly]

Darren Hayes new photo and post on Facebook. We feel you D, we’re all having difficult times 😢

“I’m blue today. It will pass but I’ve learned if I can sit in these feelings for a moment, I know that’s better for me long term than trying to ignore it. It might help you if I share how I feel. Maybe it will encourage you to share how you’re doing. This is a photo of me on the rooftop of a car park near my home. Since March last year we’ve been in lockdown. Not always state mandated but always science informed. Today will be another 4000 deaths in America to Covid; the most contagious it’s ever been. For us it’s meant no gatherings, hangs, hugs, movies, restaurants, bars, no stores besides groceries.

This photo is the one last remnant of my old life: my daily walk to coffee. I order it via an app and pick it up contactless then head to an unused car park to be outside and feel somewhat free for the time it takes to drink it. The car park is unused because most of the local stores and food places on the street went out of business. It’s a ghost town a lot of the time. The grocery store, the coffee place and a few strange boutiques remain open but largely the street is unrecognizable from before.

I used to know most of the people in my local cafe; we’d meet most afternoons and shoot the shit. I haven’t seen my coffee buddies in 10 months. Many were age 50 or older and were among the first to take social distancing seriously. Those who didn’t eventually caught the virus.

My god daughter is gonna be 4 this year. Since birth I had seen her at least once a week. When she was 3 months old I started babysitting her one day a week. It was a privilege I can’t even describe. I got to experience parenting in some form, from diaper changing and bottle feeding all the way through to watching Peter Pan with her for the first time and searching our garden for fairies. I haven’t seen her without a mask and from a distance in 10 months. At first we didn’t see her at all but it’s hard to explain to a 2 and a half year old why you suddenly disappeared from her life. So our compromise was a socially distanced porch or park visit (when they were open). This was incredibly strange. Again, explaining to a toddler why you are masked, why you can’t touch them, why they can’t come within 6 feet of you, is tough. I imagine lots of grandparents know this strange sadness. Right now we aren’t even risking that because of this new strain of highly contagious virus and the risk to others by taking unnecessary trips in the car. I really miss my time with her. Mostly because I knew it was fleeting. As soon as she was old enough to go to school full time our 1 day a week adventures were going to end. I��m just sad Covid took almost a year of those special moments.

I don’t even drive anywhere anymore. Right now hospitals are full to capacity with Covid patients - so an automobile accident that resulted in injury is both an unnecessary risk and a potential strain on the already overloaded health care system but also the chance you may not even qualify for treatment. I’m now so used to wearing a mask and being isolated they I fear this cautious behavior is now my personality. Exercise helps when I can jump over the barbed wire fence of depression; it does a good job of preventing a lot of behaviors that you know will help but seem exhausting and unavailable when you’re sitting in a storm cloud.

Music helps. When I can spend time in my studio I can disappear into a fantasy neon world and that’s been a place I crave. Again, only when I can summon the muscle memory to scale that wall of darkness. 4 years of incredible political tension have taken their toll on my body. I’m sure once a new government finally settles in some of the anxiety will fade but I think right now I feel traumatized. I’ve had Covid come within inches of my family and that’s been heartbreaking. One of my best friends lost her Dad, who was a cancer survivor, and she didn’t even get to say goodbye. His name was John and our whole family adored him. I know of a lot of former colleagues or industry acquaintances who passed - and a number of good friends who have survived, having contracted it and beaten it. Still, living in a country that has no central plan, no consistent messaging, is of little comfort. And yeah I do fear contacting it. We still don’t know the long term effects of surviving this monster but evidence suggests permanent lung and heart issues.

As a singer, the idea of being intubated is an additional fear because a steel rod forced down your throat has little regard for fragile vocal cords: nor should it. At that point you’re just grateful for breath. When I hit publish on this post I will go home, wash my hands, hug my dog, kiss my husband and maybe head to my magical place for a while. This is a temporary moment of discomfort and it will pass. But I think it’s helpful to be honest about how we feel in these times. I know all pain is relative. I know I’m lucky, I’m privileged and I’m lucky to be alive. I’m grateful for your comfort; yes from you. I’ve drawn enormous strength and warmth from the many of you I’ve had the privilege to speak with on social media or on Instagram live. I love that we share a common history, I love that you have let parts of my expression be a part of your life’s adventures. You’re certainly fused with mine. I love you. Be kind. Especially to yourself.

[probably-writing-x]

Live Capture.

Arón Piper x Reader

Request by anon: would you be able to do an Aron Piper imagine where his girlfriend is a YouTuber but she’s very shy to show him on her channel as a way of protection even though he’s used to the public & then they go out in public & a fan starts to record them...you can take it on from there :) hope you’re staying safe xx

Gif is not my own

Requests are open 🤍

“On your left, on your left!” You call through your microphone, “Yes, downed him, another team coming up behind us.”

Your friend speaks through your headset and updates you on his own progress as both of you were midway through a game on Warzone. You took a moment to glance at the chat on your livestream to YouTube and smiled at a few of the messages before turning back to focus on the game.

“Alright we’ve got enough for a loadout,” You comment, “Cover me.”

He follows your advice and does exactly that, only moments before you’re shot at from another direction and both of you are killed.

“Shit man,” You groan, “I really wasn’t on it that game.”

“Still top ten though,” Your friend points out, “Alright, Imma head off for the night. I’ll catch you tomorrow.”

You say your goodbyes and turn back to your chat, reading a few of the comments you’d missed, “I think I’m going to turn in for the night too, thank you guys so much for watching this livestream. And I’ll be uploading a video tomorrow at 6pm so keep your eyes peeled for that one. Good night guys!”

You turn off your stream and shut down everything on your PC, the true sign that you’d be turning in for the night. You grab the empty plate from where your dinner had been and the empty drinks from over the course of the hours that you’d been on stream.

“Hey honey, any luck?” Arón asks from the couch, where he lay with his arm tucked under his head, turned to watch the TV screen.

“We got a couple of wins,” You nod, “Nothing great. I didn’t know you’d still be up.”

“And go to bed without you? Would I ever?” He laughs, “C’mhere.”

You yawn and walk over until you’re close enough that he can reach out and pull you down to lay with him, letting you rest on top of his chest, “What are you watching?”

“One of your videos,” He chuckles, “There was nothing on TV and I didn’t want to watch any of that series without you, so I’m watching your channel.”

“Why?” You smile, looking at which video he’d chosen.

“This is from that day we went to the beach and you were teaching me how to surf. I dont know how you managed to keep me out of the whole video!” He exclaims, “Genuinely there’s not even a glimpse of me.”

“Because I spent about four hours rewatching it and re-editing it to make sure. I’m very secretive when I need to be,” You remind him, leaning up to kiss at his jaw, “They all still ask questions.”

He hums in response, “Do you want to go to bed darling?”

Your eyes are already fluttering shut as he asks the question and he somehow has to figure out how to get you from the couch to your bed without disturbing you too much. It was a regular occurrence after you streamed late at night, and he’d grown to be very good at taking care of you after you’d drained yourself after a long day.

You’d been dating for a little under a year now but it felt like you’d loved him for a lifetime. He’d quickly become everything you could ask for in a boyfriend and the two of you somehow became the perfect match for each other. With him as an actor, and you as a YouTuber, both of you lived very unconventional lives at times - but that’s what made it work so well. You’d kept your relationship away from the public for this entire time, not wanting to risk it ending up like the majority of YouTube relationships nowadays. You liked the fact that your relationship still felt like your own, and you didn’t have to fear the audience response to seeing you with a boyfriend. They’d never seen that side of your life, and truth be told, you were fearful of showing them. For now, it felt so much more comfortable to keep Arón separate. Like it still meant you had him all to yourself.

- - - - - -

The next day, after waking up a little too late, you make sure to post your video on time and read through the comments as soon as it reaches your audience. It had been a fitness challenge that you’d had to ask Arón to help you film when you were at the gym. He’d spent half the time zooming into your face far too close or stopping filming because you’d made him laugh and you could hear him on the recording. Somehow, you’d still managed to avoid showing him in the footage and made sure that he couldn’t be heard too much through the microphone.

“What do you fancy for dinner, darling?” Arón asks as he steps into your filming room and sees you sat at your desk in your gaming chair.

“I’m just reading through the response to the video,” You explain as he comes up behind you and wraps his arms around your shoulders, you run your hands along his arms as they encase you.

“Are they all talking about my brilliant filming skills?” He grins, kissing your cheek.

You point out one comment that questions in all capital letters ‘who does she have filming this? Y’all seriously can’t tell me she’s still single!!!!!’

Arón laughs and clicks to read the responses to the comment, pausing on one that is a timestamp from the video. A specific second in the footage that you find yourself skipping to on the video timeline to find exactly what one of your fans was talking about. Quite rightly so, at that exact second, you can just about make out Arón in the reflection of one of the mirrors in the gym. His face isn’t visible but his distinctive curls are obvious enough.

“Shit, do you think they know it’s you?” You ask, sitting more upright in your chair as you look through the rest of the comments about that exact moment.

Some people were suggesting different names, different people that could take the face of that curly hair - but only a few had actually suggested Arón. Someone mentioned the fact that you’d been at the Élite premiere and pointed out that you could’ve been going as his date rather than just a guest at the event - that was, in fact, the truth. Someone else mentioned how Omar followed you on Instagram - the initial way you’d met Arón.

“Oh come on, look, they’re saying loads of names,” He points out, “Theyre all just guessing, my name was bound to be in there at some point.”

“I’m so sorry, I had no idea that they’d be able to see y-“

“Hey,” Arón turns your chair around so you’re facing him, “It’s fine, honestly. I don’t care, okay?”

“Are you sure?” You sigh, smiling as he cups your face in his hands.

“Positive,” He nods, leaning in and kissing you, “I say we just order in for dinner.”

You laugh and let him pull you up to stand, “Good idea.”

- - - - - -

The following day, you and Arón are on your way to your parents place for your father’s birthday. You manage to get up at a semi-acceptable time and keep yourself away from social media to avoid all of the questions about your mystery boyfriend. You step into the taxi and try to keep yourself relaxed.

“Hey! I know you!” The taxi driver speaks up, glancing in the mirror at Arón, “You’re on Netflix. My daughter watches your show all the time!”

“Thanks man, that means a lot,” Arón smiles politely, glancing at you for a second.

The man rambles on a little more about the show and how much he’d learnt about it from his daughter, laughing at how jealous she’d be that he’d met Arón.

“And is this your girlfriend?” The taxi driver asks, glancing at you in the mirror too.

“No, just a friend,” Arón nods, forcing a little smile in your direction, “So, have you been busy today?”

You’re relieved that he steers the topic away from you and tries to keep some level of awkward small talk with the driver as you eventually pull up in town.

“You can just drop us here, buddy, thank you,” Arón comments, getting out of the car and waiting for you.

“That’s a sign! That’s a sign, people know about us,” You state simply as you step out of the car, “I’m certain.”

“(Y/n)!” Arón laughs, “It’s fine! We have no certainty that people know we’re together, and we’ll let it stay that way. Stop worrying honey, you’ll give yourself a heart attack.”

You sigh and try to relax under the influence of his words.

“You’re cute when you get stressed,” He chuckles, reaching for your hand and squeezing it, “Really cute.”

You cock a brow, “You know, maybe I should tell everyone about us - feed you to the lions type of attitude.”

Arón laughs, “They’ll fucking love me!”

He cups your jaw with his free hand and dips his head to press a kiss to your waiting lips. It’s soft and it gives the sincerity to his words that his tone hadn’t done. You were so worried about everyone finding out about you, mainly because you were terrified of it ruining a time in your life where you were happier than you’d ever been. It was silly but you liked the idea of preventing your relationship from being strained by the public view. For now, it felt so much easier to keep this between you. When it had first started, you wanted to keep things private until you knew that this was something real and something you were sure of. But when you’d started to feel that way, it felt even more important to keep that private - knowing that you cared too much about Arón to jeopardise anything.

“Come on, lets go grab some food,” He encourages, locking his hand with yours before swinging an arm over your shoulder so that your interlocked hands rested just over your heart, “What are the odds that the taxi driver was actually a fan? I bet he doesn’t even have a daughter!” Arón jokes and yet again manages to say exactly what you needed to hear to ease your stress.

- - - - - -

A little later, as you’re sat at your parents house with your parents and your siblings, Arón comes walking through from the kitchen with your nephew in his arms.

“There she is!” He grins when he sees you, letting your nephew run over until he jumps into your arms.

“Where have you two been?” You laugh, looking at his disheveled Arón appeared.

“We’ve been on the trampoline,” Arón groans, flopping down beside you, “I think I’m too old for that now.”

“You think?” You smirk, “You’re a mess!”

He grabs your phone from the side and checks his appearance in the black screen. Your nephew giggles and reaches over to grab at his messy curls. Arón smiles and goes to tickle him, only glancing away when he sees your phone ping in his hand.

“Jeez, you’re popular today,” He comments, showing you the endless list of notifications on your phone.

“Probably just the boys asking about playing later, can you open it for me?” You ask, shifting your nephew so he was now stood on your thighs facing you as you make silly faces at him to keep him occupied.

“Oh shit...” Arón mumbles.

“Arón!” You hiss, making wide eyes in the direction of your nephew.

“Sorry, babe, but you need to see this,” You set your nephew down and he runs off to his own mother before you take your phone from Arón.

His reaction now seemed completely justified. In a group chat with a bunch of your friends from YouTube, you’re being bombarded with messages. Some of them are accompanied by photos but the majority are accompanied by laughing emojis. Quite rightly so as the photos show clear shots of you and Arón from earlier. The images had clearly been taken from across the street when you’d first got out of the taxi. One of you laughing at something he’d said, one of you kissing, another of you kissing, and a few of you walking away with his arm around you.

“Who took those?!” You exclaim, “I didn’t even see anybody... or hear anybody...”

“Hey, hey, look,” Arón nudges you, handing you his own phone that showed all of his mentions on Instagram.

You’d already been tagged in a flurry of posts about the situation - 100% of them being purely positive and excited for both of you. People saying how perfect you were for each other. Some pointing out moments from your streams and from YouTube where it was obvious you were talking to someone behind the camera - who they now understood to be Arón.

“They’re all so excited,” You half-laugh, “Look, theres even a fucking video of us!”

You show him a video a fan had taken of you two together that’s accompanied by the caption - ‘I wanted to speak to them but they’re just so fricking cute I didn’t want to disturb them!!!’

You smile at all of the supportive messages from your fans, commenting on how happy they were for you, though some were jealous of you being Arón’s girlfriend.

“Well, looks like that turned out better than we expected,” Arón comments, “Should we say anything?”

You look at him and grin, flicking your Instagram camera on as you pose for the photo. He wraps an arm around your shoulder and rests his head against yours as you both smile at the screen.

You type out a quick caption ‘You got us...’ and post it to your story. Though you lock your phone before you can become too bombarded by replies to the image.

“Shit, does this mean I can play Warzone with you now?!”

“You’re still terrible, maybe when you get a bit better,” You laugh, kissing him quickly.

[aion-rsa]

Bo Burnham: Inside Songs Ranked from Worst to Best

https://ift.tt/2JMbiJl

The musical of the summer was supposed to be a life-affirming celebration of one of New York’s most vibrant neighborhoods, full of color, romance, and big group dance numbers. Instead for many viewers, the musical of the moment was filmed and performed by one man, alone in isolation from the comfort (or discomfort, really) of his own home, with songs centered on techno paranoia, mental health, and the fear of aging. Maybe after a year stuck in their homes, audiences could relate to the existential dread and general anxiety on display in Bo Burnham: Inside more than a conventional movie musical.

Billed as a stand-up special, Burnham’s latest musical comedy endeavor finds the former wunderkind holed up and feeling more uncomfortable than ever. Writing, editing, directing, and performing from a claustrophobic studio, Burnham’s stand-up special skews more toward being a straight-up musical, and not because the special is light on jokes and missing an audience. Rather this has all the hallmarks of a musical narrative and plays closer to experimental cinema than sketch comedy.

Burnham expresses his characters’ inner-thoughts, fears, and desires via song throughout a contained narrative, in this case the narrative being one man trying to occupy himself during a pandemic. It has ballads, charm songs, comedy numbers, “I Am” and “I Want” songs, and a big reprise. By capturing his personal pandemic experience and putting the whole affair to song, Burnham has created one of the most compelling (and catchy!) accounts of life during 2020.

To celebrate the musical that we all needed after a year in our homes, we’ve decided to rank every song from Bo Burnham: Inside. You can stream along via the Inside (The Songs) album on the streaming platform of your choice.

20. I Don’t Wanna Know

Merely an interlude, “I Don’t Wanna Know” doesn’t quite work outside of watching the special itself. However, it is a clever way to address the fact that modern audiences do not have the attention span to sit through a film at home without checking their phone or complaining about a runtime.

19. Bezos II

While certainly meant to poke fun at the real-life Lex Luthor, it’s not that fun to listen to Bezos’ name repeated. Stil, Burnham does elicit a few laughs with his over-the-top mock congratulations. “You did it!”

18. Any Day Now

A Sesame Street-like mantra that plays over the credits, “Any Day Now” suggests this could all end either hopefully soon or on a depressingly vague far-off date that will never come. We’d like to think it’s the former, but it’s safe to assume what Bo thinks.

17. All Time Low

While this number gets docked points for its short runtime, it absolutely packs a punch with its four-line, single verse. After Bo admits that his mental health is rapidly deteriorating, he describes what it’s like to have a panic attack set to a chipper ‘80s dance backbeat. Unfortunately, we don’t get to ride the wave long enough, and judging lyrics, that’s probably a good thing for Bo.

16. Content

This strong opening number musically sets the vibe for Inside, letting us know that we’re in for some synth-heavy throwback beats that would be best listened to underneath a disco ball.  Also incorporating silly backing vocals, a hallmark of many of Inside’s best tracks, Burnham declares he’s back with some sweet, sweet content. “Daddy made you your favorite,” he sings, and he ain’t wrong. 

15. Bezos I

Unlike the reprise in “Bezos II,” “Bezos I” gets by off its increasingly deranged energy, with Burnham roasting fellow tech billionaires and working himself up into a manic frenzy by song’s end. Musically, it sounds like the soundtrack to an intense boss battle on a Sega Genesis game before ending with a sick little synth solo and Burnham hilarious squawking. It’s arguably the only acceptable thing that Bezos has ever been associated with.

14. Unpaid Intern

While “Unpaid Intern” is one of Inside’s shortest tracks, it absolutely makes the most of its time. The jazzy tune scorches the exploitative nature of unpaid internships before Burnham breaks out into a laugh-out-loud worthy scat routine. It unfortunately ends too soon.

13. Shit

Inside’s funkiest jam sounds like Burnham wrote the lyrics for a new Janelle Moane album cut. Bo show’s off his vocal dexterity and plumbs the depths of his depression in a surprisingly danceable fashion. Throwing in a little faux crowd interaction helps bring home the fact that we have all felt like this at one point or another during the pandemic.

12. Sexting

This slow-jam details the complications of sexting, throwing out hilariously too-true punchlines like “the flash makes my dick look frightened.” “Sexting” feels like one of a few songs that could most easily appear on previous Burnham specials. Proving that Inside’s musical textures do not come exclusively from ’80s synth pop, the outro of the song expertly mirrors modern pop trends by throwing in some trap-influenced “yahs” at the end of Bo’s lines.

Read more

Movies

Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century

By David Crow

TV

What Would a Queen’s Gambit Musical Look Like?

By Alec Bojalad

11. How the World Works

Influenced by comedian Hans Teeuwen and children’s entertainment in general, “How the World Works” finds Burnham going back to the well by playing the ignorant, smarmy white guy who is oblivious of the real issues plaguing nonwhite Americans. What’s even better though is Socko calling Burnham out on forcing others to educate him for his own self-actualization instead of doing the work on his own for the betterment of others.

Socko pointedly asks “Why do you rich f—— white people insist on seeing every socio-political conflict through the myopic lens of your own self-actualization?” Not to keep things too heavy, the song ends with an absurdist bit where Burnham returns Socko to the nether place that he goes when he’s not attached to Burnham’s hand. Scathing and bizarre, it’s a great piece of social commentary. 

10. FaceTime With My Mom

While most of the music of Inside feels directly transported from the 1980s, “FaceTime With My Mom” seems only inspired by the past decade’s musical trends, updating the sounds in much of the same way that the Weeknd and Dua Lipa have. This is Bo Burnham as a hitmaker, and his attempt is convincing. “FaceTime With My Mom” earns easy laughs by getting to the seemingly specific, yet universal things that all our moms do over video chat. 

9. Goodbye

Every good musical needs a good closing track, and Burnham nails it with “Goodbye,” pulling off a reprise that weaves in many of the special’s signature musical moments and touches on the special’s core themes. A forlorn piano ballad before it soars through Inside’s best motifs, “Goodbye” caps a triumphant musical achievement, coming back to “Look Who’s Inside Again” just to punch you in the gut one last time. 

8. Problematic

Addressing his past work and some aspects that have not aged well, while also skewering celebrity apologies, “Problematic” is self-aware critique by way of an ‘80s workout bop. From the specific Aladdin confession to the overall apology for being “vaguely shitty,” Bo has never made accountability sound so good.

7. That Funny Feeling

This is Bo Burnham’s version of Father John Misty’s “Holy Shit,” a laundry list of all the stupid things that are signaling the fall of culture and civilization as we know it. If Misty hadn’t gotten there first, we may have had this one ranked higher. Still, Burnham manages to come up with a sticky chorus that you’ll be humming the next time something makes you feel like you’re living in the uncanny valley.

6. White Woman’s Instagram

Perhaps the special’s most playful moment, “White Woman’s Instagram” uses the musical cues of an inspiring empowerment anthem to poke fun at the predictably, perfectly curated feed of a “girl boss” Instagram. The song is greatly enhanced by the accompanying visuals, which find Bo recreating the meticulously staged and glamorous portraits that women pass off as their everyday lives.

However, Bo always likes to sneak in some sentimentality, and imagines a genuinely heartfelt post to his white woman character’s deceased mother. Don’t worry, the emotional moment doesn’t overstay its welcome, and we’re soon back to laughing at horribly derivative political street art.

5. All Eyes on Me

The droning synth and pitch-down vocals make “All Eyes On Me” oddly hypnotic and beautiful. The song seems to be addressing Bo’s depression along with his need for validation and attention, a juxtaposition that many performers deal with. It becomes clear that Burnham isn’t addressing an invisible audience, but himself, trying to will himself up and out of his dreary mental state.

4.  Look Who’s Inside Again

A classic “I Am” musical song, “Look Who’s Inside Again” just may be Inside’s most emotionally resonant track that seems to hit closest to who Bo Burnham was and who he is today. This is the song that I will most likely regret the most for ranking so low.

“Well, well, look who’s inside again. Went out to look for a reason to hide again,” perfectly describes the cycle of depression and will, for me, be the special’s most lasting moment. The downbeat ending “come out with your hands up, we’ve got you surrounded” is heartbreaking enough to send a shudder down your spine.

3. Comedy

The special’s real first number is absolutely packed with hooks, from the “Call me and I’ll tell you a joke” bridge to the “Should I be joking at a time like this?” change-up. This is Bo really flexing how far he’s come as a musician, expertly utilizing autotune and a key change (us “stupid motherf***ers” can’t resist them).

“Comedy” also finds Bo comfortably in the lane that we’re most used to seeing him in, playing the egomaniacal white messiah with a wink. “Comedy” is the tone-setter and it’s so good that it lets you know that you’re in good hands for the next hour plus.

2. 30

Either I’m ranking this song too highly due to its personally relatable nature or the fact that I haven’t been able to get “All my stupid friends are having stupid children” out of my head, but I really don’t care. “30” is Inside’s biggest earworm and addresses the existential terror that comes with no longer getting pats on the back for being a young wunderkind.

“30” also examines generational differences, showing how 30 year-old people are more infantile than ever. However, at the end of the day it all comes back to those shimmering keys and that irresistible refrain. Apologies to my friends with children.

1. Welcome to the Internet

No matter how deep and emotionally rich some of Inside’s other tracks may be, “Welcome to the Internet” is the one that will live on the longest. If this were a traditional musical, this would the antagonists’ showstopper; a vaudevillian romp through the alluring chaos that is the internet. Speeding up and slowing down the pace to mirror the manic, addictive nature of surfing the net, Burnham pitches the negative aspects of online culture as they are: a feature, not a bug. Promising “a little bit of everything all of the time,” “Welcome to the Internet” is almost as enticing as the dark tool itself.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post Bo Burnham: Inside Songs Ranked from Worst to Best appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3d0eX1x

[artificialqueens]

and i'll call you when the party's over (jan/gigi) - aries

summary - there are two sides to every story, but that doesn’t make either one less complicated.

a/n - (dj khaled voice) Another One. i liked the oneshot i posted a few days ago enough to attempt a companion/prequel thing that turned out to be half as long, apparently! thanks as always to alex for being a great beta and providing me with the idea for this in the first place <3

Sunday, November 29th

‘-But I’m not really a popcorn person,’ Jackie sighs. ‘It’s too salty. I don’t want to have to keep stopping to drink water if I’m watching a movie too, you know? That’s, like, triple multitasking.’

Gigi laughs, grabbing the bucket of popcorn and pulling it closer to herself, taking a handful. 

‘I like it,’ she says, her mouth now half-full. ‘You can get it sweet, though.’

‘No, but that defeats the point, i’d rather just get chocolate or something.’ Jackie turns to her left and nudges Jan on the shoulder. She doesn’t look up from her phone.

‘Who are you texting?’ Nicky asks, stealing the bucket from out of Gigi’s lap. ‘They’re stealing you from us. We need your opinion on movie snacks.’

Jan smiles and her eyes light up as she locks her phone and places it on the cushion beside her. ‘Nobody,’ she replies, but the mischievous, almost childlike grin on her face says otherwise. ‘Movie snacks?’

‘We’ve been talking about this for like ten minutes,’ Gigi sighs, irritated. ‘Weren’t you listening?’

Jan grins back at her, mock offended. ‘I was totally listening!’ She gasps. Her phone vibrates, as does the cushion. Gigi looks at it in disgust, and pretends to be nonchalant as Jan’s Fleetwood Mac ringtone echoes through the room. She sits in silence, trying her best to twist her expression into something less sour.

‘ God, just answer the phone,’ Nicky laughs. ‘We can live without your input on this for once.’ Jan grabs her phone and laughs, walking out of Jackie’s living room and closing the door behind her. 

‘Who do you think it is?’ Asks Jackie, turning her head back to face the others. Gigi shrugs, grabs the popcorn back, and shoves a handful in her mouth to stop the bitter comments before they can escape.

‘She’s been talking to that Jake guy a lot,’ Nicky suggests, picking up the tv remote. ‘From biology, or something. He seems okay, I don’t really know him.’

Jackie nods, entertained, and returns the topic of conversation to the important distinction between types of M&Ms. Gigi grabs another handful of popcorn, and stays silent.

Wednesday, December 23rd

Jackie’s never one to half-ass anything, and holidays are no exception, apparently - when Gigi arrives at her house, gift box in one hand, bottle of Bailey’s in the other, she has to take a second to drink it all in. She’s hung fucking mistletoe. Christ.

They’re all sat around the dining table, Mariah Carey is playing in the background, and for a self-proclaimed Christmas hater, Gigi’s pretty content. Jackie pulls a spinner from some board game or other out and flicks it, grinning when it lands on Gigi.

‘okay, G, you go first,’ she smiles, rubbing her hands together. ‘Who’d you get?’

Gigi grabs the gift box from the floor next to her and pushes it across the table to Nicky, whose mouth drops open in surprise. ‘No way,’ she squeals. ‘You bitch, you kept that so secret!’

‘That’s the whole point,’ laughs Jan, tapping the table in excitement. ‘Go on, open it, I wanna see!’

Nicky unties the gift bow and slides the lid off the box, grabbing its contents. ‘A necklace?’ She questions, squinting at the piece of jewellery in her hands. ‘What does it say?’

‘Prettier,’ Gigi replies. the other three glance at her, confused. ‘There was one that just said pretty,’ she explains, ‘and this, and I didn’t think you’d appreciate being second best.’

They continue around the table with gifts. Nicky buys Jackie some kind of expensive perfume that would seem insincere and impersonal from anyone else, but is so quintessentially Nicky that nobody seems to mind. Jackie gives Jan some cute flower earrings and a gift card to a bakery that she loves. 

‘So you can stop hassling us for cupcakes,’ she explains, and Jan laughs in response, and it’s music to Gigi’s ears, always has been.

‘My turn, then,’ Jan smiles, pushes a gift bag across to Gigi. She pulls out sheets of lilac tissue paper to find what feels like a weirdly-shaped sack. When she lifts it out of the bag, the others’ confusion is evident.

‘It’s a cat,’ Jan clarifies, reaching over to tap one of the points on the gift that Gigi thinks, if she squints, could resemble ears.

‘Is it?’ Asks Jackie, face twisted. 

‘You sure?’ Nicky snorts and whacks her on the arm.

‘Yeah!’ Jan fake glares at them, and locks eyes with Gigi. ‘I made him for you, because you mentioned that one time that you wanted a cat but your mom’s allergic.’ 

Gigi thanks her, and the smile doesn’t leave her face all night. 

She names the cat Charlie. He sits at the foot of her bed from then on, and she can’t help but grin every time she sees him.

Sunday, March 6th

‘If we can’t agree on something, we can always just rewatch Mean Girls,’ Gigi suggests, leaning her head back against her pillow and rubbing her eyes. ‘It’s a classic for a reason.’

Nicky groans, throws a cushion across the room, laughs as it flies and hits Gigi in the head. ‘I’m so fucking bored of mean girls.’ Gigi flips her off and picks up her phone, busying herself by scrolling through the same ten instagram posts in her feed she’s seen twenty times today already.

‘We could watch Stranger Things or something?’ Jackie pipes up, scrolling through Netflix. ‘I’ve heard that’s good.’

‘Ooh, Jake said he didn’t like it, though,’ Jan replies, looking up from her phone for a whole second before glancing back down and laughing at something she sees. 

‘Ooh, Jake isn’t fucking here, ’ Gigi snaps, slamming her phone onto the couch beside her. ‘Can’t you think for yourself, or would he not like that either?’

It’s so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Jan’s face drops, and Gigi feels a guilt unlike anything she’s ever known before at the sight of her staring blankly across the room, eyes welling up with tears. Her eyes narrow and she shakes her head, stands up, and walks out silently. The sound of the door slamming behind her echoes and hits Gigi like a bullet through the chest.

Monday, March 7th

nicky - hey babe, u doing okay? (2:07am)

            i just spoke to jan. i know u probably don’t want to but i think u should apologise. wouldn’t want her to be too upset u know? (2:08am)

            anyway did u see that cat vine i tagged u in on ig?? (2:15am)

-

gigi - hey can i call you? i feel like doing this over text isn’t right (10:12am)

jan <3 - of course! give me a min. (10:12am)

-

jan <3 - make sure you send me the link to that cat video!!!🐱💞 (1:45pm)

Saturday, June 11th

For Jan’s birthday, they congregate in her kitchen and take shot after shot of cheap tequila until Nicky can’t take a step without falling face-first onto the cold linoleum tiles. Jackie sighs, picks her up like it’s nothing and carries her into the living room, rolling her eyes. 

‘She’s such a mom,’ Jan comments, pulling herself up to sit on the counter, swinging her legs back and forth like a kid on a swing. If she notices her heels hitting the cabinets a bit too hard, she doesn’t say anything. Gigi laughs and jumps up beside her, grabbing onto Jan’s arm when she nearly falls, collapsing into giggles on her shoulder when she makes it up successfully.

‘Happy birthday,’ she says, holding onto Jan’s hand just a bit too tight. Jan thanks her, still laughing.

‘It’s weird to do this on a Saturday,’ Jan muses, squeezing Gigi’s hand. ‘I’m so used to Sundays with you all, it feels wrong.’

‘No!’ Gigi replies, and Jan winces at her volume. ‘You’ve had a really nice day!’

‘I have, yeah,’ she giggles, nodding.

‘What’d you get?’ Gigi asks, swings their hands back and forth. ‘From people that weren’t me.’

‘A lot of gift cards,’ Jan replies. ‘And chocolate. Pretty boring.’

‘What about Jake?’

Jan scrunches up her face and shudders. ‘He got me a fucking Forever 21 gift card.’

Gigi scoffs, lets go of Jan’s hand and places both hands on her face, turning Jan’s head to meet her eyes. ‘ Fuck him,’ she says, more force in her words than she realises. Jan smiles, but it doesn’t meet her eyes. Gigi looks at her, confused.

‘No, I didn’t mean to make you sad,’ she mumbles, shaking her head. Don’t be sad, it looks weird on you, you’re so pretty.’

Jan tilts her head up and there’s something in her eyes, soft and weird and wonderful, that makes Gigi feel like she’s floating. She swears she sees Jan glance down at her lips and lean in for a split second, but she’ll never know. 

Jackie pushes open the kitchen door and Jan springs back, pulls her hands away to fiddle with something on the other side of the counter. Jackie asks if they have any aspirin, Nicky’s complaining about a headache. Gigi hops off the counter, makes her way to the bathroom, and locks the door behind her.

Thursday, August 18th

There’s something about the way Nicky’s looking at her from across the table that scares the shit out of Gigi, but she tries her best to ignore it and grabs another slice of pizza, glancing around the restaurant. Neither of them have spoken much the whole time they’ve been out - it’s weird, for the lack of a better phrase.

‘So what, did you just feel like treating me?’ Gigi asks, laughs nervously, takes a sip of her Coke through its red-and-white striped straw. Nicky looks at her and her eyes are so full of poorly disguised pity it makes Gigi feel like a child.

‘You know I’m not one to avoid bringing shit up, right?’ Nicky replies, stirring her drink absentmindedly. Gigi nods. ‘What’s up?’

‘And it’s only coming from a place of love-’

‘Nicky.’

‘You,’ she says, slamming one hand on the table, ‘need to suck it up and get the fuck over Jan.’

Gigi’s eyes widen and she inhales too fast in shock, choking on her drink. Nicky watches, failing miserably to bite back laughter.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Gigi takes another sip and her eyes dart around the room, trying to find something distracting to focus on.

‘Don’t bullshit me,’ Nicky laughs. ‘It’s been two months since her birthday party, and I don’t know what the fuck happened, but I haven’t seen you speak to her since, and I hate it. You’re acting as if she’s poisonous.’

She is, now, thinks Gigi. She may as well be. 

‘I don’t need to get over anyone,’ she stresses. ‘Nothing happened , we just haven’t spoken much recently.’

‘I do talk to Jackie, you know,’ Nicky replies, reaching across the table to grab Gigi’s hand. ‘I’m just saying this because I care about you. I don’t want anything between us all going sour. I love you all too much. Also, she has a boyfriend.’

Gigi smiles, but she’s sure it comes out as more of a grimace. ‘If you care so much, can you drop it? Nothing will go sour, because nothing happened.’

Nicky shoots her a knowing look, but does as she asks.

Saturday, October 1st

When Jake breaks up with Jan, she messages their group chat in floods of tears, and Gigi’s never invited them over faster. A stupid move, maybe, but for a second, as she types, she’s just Jan’s friend, and she wants to be there for her.

It was a stupid move. Definitely a stupid move.

She sits with Jan, holds her for hours on end, wipes her tears and orders the other two around to try to cheer her up as much as possible. There’s a kind of sick sadistic enjoyment in knowing she’s the only person that can make Jan feel better and she doesn’t want to acknowledge it in the fucking slightest, so she doesn’t, lets it bubble underneath the surface but keeps it contained until she can’t handle it anymore. When it gets to that point, she grabs the wine.

She lays next to Nicky making stupid Grease references and then Jan leaves and they’re alone, and her mood shatters into pieces, and all she wants to do is sweep them under the coffee table with the rest of the overpriced breakup cupcakes and leave them there.

‘What’s wrong, doll?’ Nicky grabs her hand and squeezes it comfortingly.

‘Is it bad that I’m happy about it?’ Gigi asks, tilting her head towards the door, avoiding eye contact at all cost. ‘Does that make me a bad person?’

‘What, being happy that your best friend just got dumped? Yeah, maybe?’ Nicky comments, narrowing her eyes. ‘Didn’t we talk about this? I don’t think this is the best time to let your feelings come into play, G.’

‘It’s not my feelings,’ Gigi replies, her voice quiet. ‘I just mean because he was kinda gross to her, that’s all.’ There’s not much conviction in her voice, and it seems like she’s trying to convince herself more than anything. Nicky buys it, somehow.

Sunday, October 16th

She kisses Nicky for the first time outside of a bar. It’s too early to warrant them being anywhere near drunk, and she tastes like cheap wine, and it feels rushed, and impulsive, but not wrong. She checks her phone and they’re late to meet Jan and Jackie, and she feels like she shouldn’t feel as bad about it as she does, because Nicky doesn’t seem to care at all.

They stop at a corner store on the way to Jackie’s house to pick up some snacks, and Gigi tries her best to ignore the tightness in her throat when Nicky grabs her hand as they’re walking along the street.

She turns to Gigi suddenly, grabs her other hand as she walks backwards, and almost makes her drop the plastic bag. 

‘What are we?’ She asks, her dramatic faux-old Hollywood movie accent strong. She looks at Gigi with dark, worried eyes, stays silent for a good five seconds, and then she laughs, and Gigi laughs with her, relieved she was joking, unsure of how she’d have coped if Nicky was serious. Nothing , she thinks. And I think I want to keep it that way .

Nicky kisses her again, spontaneous and odd, against the wall of an alley near Jackie’s house. Gigi feels like a kid, sneaking around in the sunset, but she thinks maybe she could get used to it. If she closes her eyes and focuses hard enough, she can almost mess up the mental picture enough to turn Nicky’s hair blonde, and her eyes blue, and her hands softer, and make everything how she wishes it was.

They get to Jackie’s, and neither of them say a word. Gigi sees Jan’s dejected eyes when they show up, and she wishes she’d gone to that stupid fucking family party after all.

Sunday, October 30th

They stick a dumb horror movie on the tv and let it play as background noise once Jackie leaves. It hits one in the morning and Gigi and Nicky are the only ones awake. It’s weird of Jan to fall asleep so early, but Gigi can’t bring herself to engage her in conversation long enough to keep her up and Nicky’s too busy shit-talking people on her instagram feed to create much of a compelling reason for her to be up, either.

Gigi looks between them and feels suddenly, overwhelmingly lost, and she wants to get up and escape, get a glass of water, clear her head, but it’s like she’s frozen in place. She doesn’t want to be around either of them right now, but lucky for her, she’s with both, and acknowledging whatever the hell’s going on with either would be equally painful. 

So she sits, eyes glued to the shitty slasher flick on the screen in front of her, and tries to focus on the plot enough to distract herself from the room she’s in. 

Nicky taps her on the shoulder and breaks her trance, beckons her over to the corner she’s in.

‘Look at this,’ she whispers, pushes her phone towards Gigi to show her some kind of gross-looking outfit picture taken by god knows who. ‘Can you believe people leave the house like that?’ Gigi laughs, but it’s more of a formality than anything else. Nicky scrolls down and finds an old favourite vine and they laugh together, genuinely this time, watch it on repeat a few times.

Nicky looks at Gigi and sighs, hooks a finger under her chin and tries to pull her closer. ‘ Stop it,’ she objects, the sternness she tries to convey masked by the last of her laughs at the joke. ‘Not with Jan here.’

‘She’s asleep, baby,’ Nicky insists. ‘It’s fine.’

Gigi shakes her head and pushes herself back across the wooden floor, leaving Nicky confused. ‘Later?’ She mouths, and Gigi gives her a half-hearted nod, pulling herself to her feet. As she walks to the kitchen, trying to ignore Jan’s heavy breathing from the couch, she wishes she could just leave, walk off into the night, and not have to talk to either of them for as long as possible.

[shellbilee]

Classic - A Henry Cavill FanFiction

Here you go guys, next one will be up by next week I promise! 💕 Hope you like it!

@michelehansel @tumblnewby @crazy4thewinbros @thislittlediary @hamianderson

Chapter 5

Belle's POV:

My eyes fluttered open and I blinked slowly, squinting at the watery sunshine that was leaking through the bedroom curtains that I'd apparently forgotten to close last night. I exhaled loudly and rolled over onto my back, sitting up in bed and letting out a groan when my head started to spin almost instantly. Oh fuck. I flopped back onto my pillows with a soft thud, all of a sudden realizing that I was lying in bed naked. What the fuck? Had I really gotten so drunk that I couldn't get my pajamas on last night? I never slept naked - at least, not without any underwear on. What on earth happened last night? 

I looked up at the ceiling and attempted to run through my thoughts, trying in vain to remember what the hell happened last night. I'd taken a half day at work so that I could pick up Marc and Amy from the airport in the afternoon. I remembered the happy squeals and hugs in the middle of the airport, I remembered driving them back to mine and settling them into my apartment and I remembered Marc's suggestion to go out for dinner and drinks. I groaned out loud - that was obviously where it had all gone wrong. 

The smell of cooking bacon began to waft into my room, along with the faint sound of someone moving about in the kitchen. I shook my head - it had to be Marc. He was the only person I knew who never got hangovers, no matter how much he seemed to drink. He could have an entire bottle of whiskey and be absolutely drunk out of his mind and the next day he'd still wake up looking and sounding like he'd just had 10 hours of relaxed, uninterrupted sleep. It was so incredibly unfair. I rolled over and sat up on the side of my bed, memories of drunken nights out with Marc and Amy running through my mind. They all seemed like so long ago. I smiled and let out a heavy sigh when my head started to spin again, instantly wishing that I too, was immune to hangovers.

Trying my best to ignore the headache that was slowly starting to form in my brain, I stood up and slipped on a pair of leggings and my favourite super soft blue jumper. Eyeing the messy pile of last night's clothes that I'd managed to dump at the foot of my bed, I bent down to inspect the mess and noted the huge red stain that now adorned the front of the navy wrap dress I'd been wearing. The memory of Amy spilling her red wine all over me suddenly played in my mind and laughed out loud, now understanding the sleeping naked thing. Of course. 

I stood up and ran my fingers through my messy bed hair, walking over to my bedroom mirror to assess the damage. I was surprised to find that my face didn't look too bad - for some unknown reason I always managed to wash my face and take off my makeup before going to bed, regardless of how drunk I was. Although my hair told another story, my bare face certainly didn't look like someone who'd had far too many glasses of wine last night. I pulled my wild slept in waves up into a messy bun and slipped on my glasses in the hope that they'd somehow help my slowly growing headache, deciding that this was as good as I was going to get this morning. Retrieving my phone from last night's purse, I opened my bedroom door and made my way out into the living room, smiling when Kyah came bounding over to me almost instantly.

"Top of the morning to ya!" Marc sang in his best Irish accent, grinning cheerfully as he flipped an egg over on the fry pan. I shook my head and laughed, bending down to ruffle Kyah's furry chest, "Isn't that an Irish saying?". Marc smiled as he took a sip of his coffee, "I dunno. Apart from in the movies, I can't say I've ever heard an Irish person actually say that to me" he replied with a shrug, his voice returning to normal with it's slight Scottish lilt. "How are you feeling?". I smiled as I stood up, glancing at Kyah as she trotted off back to Marc, "Clearly not as good as you" I remarked as I made my way into the kitchen, "My head has certainly felt better that's for sure". Marc grinned and offered me a mug of fresh coffee, "This should help with that". I smiled and took the mug gratefully, plugging in my phone charger and waiting for my dead phone to switch on.

"Amy not up yet?" I inquired as I took a sip of the hot coffee, closing my eyes briefly and savoring the warm liquid. Marc laughed and shook his head as he expertly served bacon and eggs onto 3 plates, "I don't know if she'll be up for a while yet. She didn't get much sleep since she spent most of the night with her head in the toilet". I laughed into my coffee, Marc chuckling at me when I almost spit it out. "It's been a long time since she's drank like that. A very long time". I shook my head and laughed again, glancing down at my phone as it finally switched back on. "I could say the same thing about myself. I barely even remember what happened last night" I admitted with an innocent shrug, grinning when Marc shook his head at me. "I mean I remember everything during the day and then you suggesting we head out for the night" I continued as Marc handed me a plate, "I remember dinner at ten-one-six because I told you guys you had to try their food, and then I remember our bar hopping through the city". Marc nodded as we both sat down at the table, Kyah hovering close by my side with her eyes trained intently on the plate in my hands. "The last place I remember was 'The Black Pearl''. Marc grinned at me through a mouthful of bacon, "Well, you haven't forgotten too much then because that's the last place we went to. And then Amy dropped her wine on you and we decided to call it a night".

I laughed and scooped up a forkful of hot, buttery eggs, my phone suddenly dinging at the same time that the spare bedroom door opened. Marc and I both turned towards the door, the two of us struggling not to laugh as someone who used to resemble our friend Amy emerged. I opened my mouth to greet her but was quickly silenced when Amy held up a threatening finger, her normally perfect blonde hair looking like a birds nest on top of her head. "Not a word from you two. I am NEVER going out with you guys again". Marc let out a throaty laugh and stood up from the table, heading into the kitchen to get Amy a much needed coffee. "Aw come on babe, you know that's not true at all" he exclaimed as Amy flopped down onto the couch and buried her head in the pillows, "I think you just need to remember what happens when you drink red wine". Amy made a lurching sound in the pillows as if the mention of wine was going to make her throw up again, rolling over onto her back and letting out an exhausted moan. "I'm never drinking again". Marc let out another laugh as he walked over to her with the fresh mug of coffee, bending down to kiss her forehead and handing her the mug, "Here you go love". Amy flashed him a sad, i-love-you-but-i'm-dying-inside smile and took the mug gratefully, closing her eyes and putting a pillow over her face.

I chuckled and turned back to my breakfast, already starting to feel better from the food. My phone let out another ding from its charging spot on the kitchen bench and I frowned wondering who would be messaging me on a Saturday morning. "Marc, do you mind bringing my phone over for me please?" I asked, figuring that I must have drunk messaged Ash or Jayde and they were now asking how I was this feeling this morning. I fed Kyah a small piece of bacon from my plate and chuckled when she moved even closer to me, her head practically resting on my thigh underneath the table. "Come and eat something babe, it might make you feel better" Marc said to Amy as he returned to the table and handed me my phone, "I made your favourite eggs". I thanked Marc just as Amy let out another sullen groan, feeding Kyah another piece of bacon as I opened up my phone. 

My eyes widened and I felt like my body was suddenly frozen in place, letting out a silent breath as I read Henry's name on the screen. Oh no. Please God tell me I didn't drunk dial Henry Cavill!  Marc, having noticed my suddenly frozen expression, nudged me underneath the table with his foot. "What's wrong? Why do you suddenly look like you've been shot?". Ignoring his question and willing myself to remain calm, I forced myself to open the message and held my breath as the words appeared on the screen.

Good Morning! Looks like you had a pretty big night last night love. Guessing you aren't feeling too great today? H x

I felt my stomach drop instantly. How did he know that I went out last night? Still holding my breath I quickly checked my call history, my chest deflating with relief when I saw that I'd made no drunken calls to anyone, let alone Henry. Oh thank God. "Hello, B?" Marc said suddenly, interrupting my thoughts as he nudged me under the table again, "What happened? What was that face for?". I opened my mouth to explain just as Amy popped her head up from the couch, holding out her phone towards Marc and I. "Jesus B I look like an absolute mess on your insta story. Did you really have to post that?" Amy asked with a groan, "You look like you're happy drunk and I look shit-faced". 

I let out a laugh and opened my Instagram to investigate, not understanding what she was talking about - I remembered posting a few photos from last night but nothing of drunk Amy. Marc snickered as I flicked through the photos, a video of Amy and I dancing and drunkenly 'cheersing' our drinks suddenly playing on the screen. "I was the one that filmed and posted that babe, not B" Marc exclaimed with a cheeky grin, earning a dagger glare from Amy which only made him smile more, "And you still look beautiful even when you're shit faced". Amy let out another groan and I laughed when Marc winked at her, it suddenly occurring to me that Instagram is how Henry would have known about me going out. I shook my head and laughed, trying not to be mortified that Henry Cavill - who had just asked for my number, had witnessed a video of tipsy me. 

Marc nudged me with his foot again just as Amy wandered over to the table. "What?" I asked as Amy sat down beside me, her expression looking like she couldn't decide whether the sight of food made her want to eat or throw up again. "What were you looking at before that made you look like you were going to be sick?". Amy made a tiny lurching noise at the mention of being sick, picking up her coffee mug and taking a tiny sip. I shook my head, "It was nothing, just thought I drunk dialed someone last night". Marc raised a curious eyebrow, clearly not convinced with my answer. "Why would that matter?" he asked, tilting his head, "Who did you think you drunk dialed?". Not having a quick response ready, I shook my head feigning innocence. Marc's eyes burned into my face and I could feel my resolve quickly slipping, trying my best to ignore him by turning back to my phone. I could feel Amy looking at me too now, the both of them clearly clued into the fact that I was hiding something from them. I let out a loud sigh knowing that I'd have to tell them both or they wouldn't stop, my resolve finally crumbling as I looked back up at them both. "Alright alright!" I exclaimed loudly, no longer able to deal with them both looking at me like that. Marc grinned sheepishly and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms and looking at me intently as he waited for me to speak. I rolled my eyes and put my phone down flat on the table, shifting in my chair and looking at the two of them. "I wasn't planning on telling you because I still can't really believe it myself. But, since I know you two aren't going to let this go" I explained, pausing momentarily to inhale deeply, "I've met somebody".

---

"I can't believe you guys are making me watch this" I said as I shifted on the couch, Kyah letting out an annoyed groan at her disturbed position at my feet. "I can't believe you weren't going to tell us that you had a date with Henry Cavill!" Amy shot back from her spot on the adjacent couch with Marc, shaking her head incredulously as she looked from me to the TV and back again. I rolled my eyes at turned back to the TV, just in time to see Henry's gorgeous face appear on the screen beside Tom Cruise's. After I'd dropped the bomb that I had met - and had an upcoming date with Henry Cavill at breakfast this morning, Amy and Marc had stared back at me in shock before proceeding to inundate me with questions about him. I'd shared the entire story - from Kal almost knocking me over in the park to him asking me for my number, the two of them now understanding exactly why I'd been momentarily terrified that I'd drunk dialed someone. It had taken at least an hour for them both to come to terms with it, Amy then continuing to ask me questions about Henry for the rest of the day. Since it was Marc and Amy's last day in London and they were leaving tomorrow, we'd ended up going into the city and spent the day doing all of the typically 'touristy' type things. 

Later in the day Amy and I left Marc at home to go to the supermarket for dinner supplies, deciding that after last night's efforts, dinner and a movie at home was the plan for tonight. We'd returned home to find that Marc had searched for Henry on my Netflix and had the latest Mission Impossible loaded and ready to play on my living room TV. Settling down onto the couches after dinner, were now watching Henry in all his glory alongside Tom Cruise's famous spy character Ethan Hunt. "I've already explained why I didn't want to tell you guys" I replied looking at Amy and then back to the screen, letting out a silent laugh at the sight of Henry with a moustache. After seeing him in person with a perfectly chiseled, clean shaven jaw line, the facial hair just looked wrong. I grinned to myself - wrong, but certainly not at all bad. Mmmm. 

"Yes and I think that's bullshit. How could you not tell us, out of all people" Amy responded before taking a sip from her mug of tea, "As if we'd be anything but happy for you". I shook my head, "It's not that I think you wouldn't be happy" I replied taking a sip from my own mug, "It's more that its him and I don't know if it will even actually go anywhere. I mean, come on guys, it's Henry freaking Cavill. It's Superman!". Amy shrugged, "So what? And why wouldn't it? You're amazing B, any guy would be lucky to have you. He might be a superstar celebrity but he's still just a guy". I exhaled deeply, "I don't think you understand what I'm saying Ames". Amy opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Marc. "I don't really care who he is B, I care that you're happy" he interjected, forever sounding like a protective older brother, "And seeing you talk about him this morning, you're clearly very happy about it". I scoffed, "I've met him twice, and it's Henry Cavill. Have you seen how god damn gorgeous the man is? What girl wouldn't be happy?" I retorted, gesturing to the TV screen and stifling another grin at the sight of Henry's moustache. Marc shook his head, "That's not what I mean. The point is, you're happy. It's been a long time since I've seen you smile like the way you did this morning B. At least not since Will--". His words were cut off as Amy elbowed him in the ribs, silencing him abruptly.

"Marc!" Amy hissed, her voice a whisper but still loud enough for me to hear, scolding Marc for mentioning him. I shook my head and flashed them a small smile, "It's fine Amy. It's okay". I let out a breath as the mention of his name brought memories flooding back, reaching down to pat Kyah and ignoring the feeling of the small lump in my throat. "I'm sorry B, I didn't mean to--". I turned back to Marc and gave him a reassuring smile, "It's fine Marc, really. No need to apologize. It's been over a year, it hurts a lot less than it used to". I smiled as Marc offered me a small, apologetic smile and Amy mouthed the word 'sorry', the three of us turning back to the TV in silence. I sucked in a silent breath and exhaled slowly, reminding myself that it was a long time ago and that it didn't matter anymore - there was no room in my mind or my heart for any of that anymore. The mention of his name no longer brought me to tears like it had initially, no longer did it feel like my heart was being ripped from my chest all over again. It was different now, now it just felt like an empty hole, an ache that was slowly, slowly, fading. I knew it would be gone eventually, a distant memory that one day I wouldn't feel anymore. As I looked back at the screen, Henry's face appearing once again, brooding, handsome and utterly gorgeous - even with the addition of a moustache, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, it would go because of him.

---

Henry's POV:

I smiled down at my phone as Belle's Instagram story played on the screen, photos from her weekend flicking by. There were several photos of her and her friends out sight seeing from yesterday - pictures of them shopping on Oxford Street, going up on the London Eye and out the front of Buckingham Palace, and photos from earlier today of her saying goodbye to her friends as they departed at the airport. The pictures flicked to a video of Kyah running around at the park with a local border collie that I often saw when I was out with Kal, the story then ending with a selfie Belle had posted 45 minutes ago. It showed her at home on the couch wrapped snugly in a soft looking charcoal coloured blanket, a mug of tea in her hands and a book on her lap, a stunning smile on her face as she looked at the camera. 

I stared in awe at the photo on the screen, taking in her soft green eyes behind the black framed reading glasses, the faint sprinkle of freckles across her cheeks and the wide, happy smile on her face. Belle was absolutely gorgeous, everything about her was, and the more I looked at the photo the more I realized just how much I was looking forward to our date on Tuesday. It had been a long time since I'd asked a girl on a date - and even longer since I'd had a steady girlfriend, and though I knew I shouldn't have been thinking about anything moving that quickly, there was just something about Belle that made it impossible not to. I'd only met her twice and yet I felt completely enthralled by her already, unable to help my smile every time her name appeared on my phone. I couldn't wait to take her to dinner, wanting desperately to spend time with her and find out more about her. I breathed out loudly and looked back at the photo, suddenly wishing I was there with her now.

All of sudden the picture of Belle was replaced by an incoming call from my manager Dany, Kal rousing from his afternoon nap at the sound of my ringing phone. "Good afternoon Dany" I spoke after pressing the answer button, "How are you?". "Not bad love, but I do have a slight problem for you". I frowned, "Is everything okay? What's happened?". I heard Dany sigh on the other end of the phone, "They want you back in Hungary for some reshoots". I'd been flying between London and Hungary for the last few months while filming The Witcher, and had come back last week for a much needed rest after non stop filming since the New Year. They'd originally told me that I could have two weeks at home before heading back over for more filming. That apparently, was no longer the case. I exhaled deeply and leaned back against the kitchen bench already knowing what Dany was about to say, looking over at Kal as he dozed peacefully on his bed by the back door. "I know they said they were going to give you the two weeks off but they've unfortunately changed their mind. Lauren wants you back earlier, she said they need another few days to be up to date with the film schedule". 

I smiled at the mention of Lauren, the writer behind the series. She was an outgoing, bubbly personality, one of those people that it was impossible to be mad at. If Lauren was saying that she needed me back earlier, I knew it must have been for a good reason. She wanted the series to be absolutely perfect and knowing her, she'd probably had a new idea for a scene we'd already shot. "You can discuss another break when you see her again" Dany continued, the noise of her tapping on a keyboard sounding in the background of the call. I nodded, "So when do they need me back?" I asked, already thinking about what I needed to pack for Kal. "They want to start filming tomorrow morning" Dany answered, still tapping on her keyboard. I groaned silently, realizing that this meant I'd be on a flight out tonight. "Until when?". "Thursday, Friday at the latest". I cleared my throat and frowned, "So that means I can't take Kal with me?".

Wherever possible, Kal accompanied me on almost all of my trips away shooting. Travelling overseas however, meant that Kal had to go through quarantine before being allowed into another country - a process that could sometimes take up to a week. While it was okay for longer periods of shooting, it meant that bringing him on short overseas trips was essentially pointless. There was no point in going through the potentially long, drawn out process and having him stuck in quarantine for the entire trip, so short trips away meant that I had to call Sam, my regular dog sitter to look after him while I gone. "If you're only going to be gone until Thursday or Friday, I don't think it would be a good idea to bring him" Dany replied, her voice echoing my thoughts. "Okay, so what time is my flight?". "I'm in the middle of booking for you now love. Would you prefer later tonight or early tomorrow morning?". "Tonight thanks Dany. Is there anything?". A minute later I was booked on a 12.05am flight to Budapest, my phone call with Dany ending moments later. I ran my fingers through my hair and looked down at my watch - I had less than 7 hours before I had to be at the airport for my flight, and I still had to find someone to watch Kal, pack my things and head to the gym for a last session. 

I picked up my phone to call Sam, it suddenly occurring to me that I also had to call Belle - I wouldn't be around for our date on Tuesday. Disappointment clouded my thoughts as I realized I'd need to reschedule and it would be even longer until I got to see her again. I let out a loud, frustrated breath, hating the fact that I was starting whatever this could be out on a bad note. What if she said she didn't want to reschedule? What if she decided it would all be too difficult? I shook my head in annoyance and unlocked my phone, tapping on Sam's name and flopping down on the couch as the phone began to ring. Her voicemail picked up after a couple of rings, her bouncy voice explaining that she was currently away in Spain on a holiday and would be back at the start of May. Fuck. I hung up the phone and let out another frustrated breath, remembering that she had in fact told me that she'd be going away when she'd last looked after Kal.

As if he could sense that I was stressed, Kal got up from his bed and padded over to me, sitting loyally at my feet and resting his head on my thigh. I smiled and stroked his fluffy head, wondering who to call to look after him. Simon was my only brother that was close by and would be capable of looking after Kal, but I knew he'd been ridiculously busy with work so he wouldn't be an option. I hated putting Kal in kennels - the last time I did he was sad and moody for weeks, and it was unlikely that the one kennel I would consider would have availability given the last minute notice. I needed him to go to someone that would keep him busy and walk him every day, someone that I knew could handle the big bear.

I opened contact list to try my friend Ben as a last minute hope, my phone suddenly dinging with the alert of a new message. Belle. The smile was on my face in an instant - we'd been sending messages back and forth throughout the day and she'd just responded to my last message, along with a photo of a sleeping Kyah stretched out on the couch on top of Belle's legs.

Do you think this means I'm stuck on the couch for the rest of the night then?

I chuckled at the photo and immediately went to respond, an idea all of sudden hitting me. I needed someone who would walk Kal, keep him busy, and more importantly, knew how to handle big dogs. Who would be better at that than a vet? Before I could even think about the enormity of what I was asking, I found myself pressing the call button beside her name and listening to the phone dial. Four rings later, the gorgeous girl I'd been unable to stop thinking about, answered my call. "Hello Henry?"

---

Chapter 6

[guaizine]

About #Menswear Selected By Guaizine: 

Digital Fashion Week - A One Time Only Event? 

Milan S/S 21 Menswear @showstudio Round-Up Discussion

Just a few @guaizine reflections about some of the opinions from the experts panel:

..."we are not going to get into a pandemic again"... well, I would not be so sure about it, and I think that is the main reason why we should get digital fashion weeks seriously and realize about the potential they have as a format if we manage to take advantage of it in the proper technical way. Those designers still presenting traditional runway shows have different audiences, broader ones, in comparison with smaller brands where the designer as a person is not as important as the product itself. For these smaller brands digital fashion weeks become crucial, as they represent the only -effective- way to reach a client; direct one or an eventual retailer. 

..."give the youth more control of the creation"... this is a very good point of view, and I am pretty sure that many of the people involved in fashion for years, -for generations actually - like happens in many of the houses that take part on the MFW for example, had or still does have that great idea of bringing new blood to their business in mind too, but I am pretty sure also that such a thing won't ever happen if that “old” generation do not effectively see that the new one has the proper tools to make it work. 

..."Brands are forced to bring their narratives to people and audiences"... Yes! that is right and that suppose to be the right way to approach the digital fashion week from a brand point of view, that is why I was surprised about not hearing about brands like MSGM or Zegna XXX, that having a quite sharp knowledge of their audiences manage to arrive directly to the core of it with a couple of beautiful presentations undoubtedly effective, taking a few steps away for the storytelling and focusing way more on the product itself, a product that seems to be made for their very specific buyers, and not focused at all on trying to generate trends during the next season. Playing safe is always a valid way of being part of the game.

Another interesting point of view is the budgets brands have to put digital shows online, and is obvious that a bigger budget gives you the potential to do something better in theory but this is not always the case and this is the perfect opportunity to bring the Magliano presentation to the discussion, a low budget presentation with an original collection presented is a creative way, nothing was left behind, and everything works as a perfectly executed puzzle. The video is simply a video art piece, that gives to a group or fashion insiders with an unique point of view the task of sending a message to an audience they know well so they manage to address them exactly what they are expecting from the brand, going even further away by pushing forward the brand appealing with content that to me is interesting to look at also to people who is not actually interested in fashion.

..."I really didn't watch a lot of the films and stuff...because they are so much content to sort of digest"... and? so? What do you think editors do then during fashion week? How can someone build some criteria to later go and write a piece to be posted or published if it is not by watching in this case, or attending in person to every single show in each city season after season? How can you give an opinion about a fashion week by only looking to a few instagram feeds of two or three brands? would that be the proper way to approach a panel discussion? 

About Philipp Plein, Pierre was quite clever about going further instead of giving it time to be discussed. I have the feeling that the main reason why we still listen about him and his "work" during every fashion week is because with plenty of resources you manage to survive even if people only talk about you to criticize what you do. Maybe a bit less attention will give him the chance to reflect on his strategy and realize that maybe he has a market -obviously he does have one- but fashion weeks are not the kind of platform his brand needs and that huge budget can be invested on design or marketing.

About Etro doing a physical fashion show instead of a digital one in a city that has been suffering so much during the last months, I think is a topic very difficult to talk about especially if you are out of the social, economical and even political context of it. So I will leave to the brand itself and their PR team to deal with it, but also will avoid giving my free opinion about it on social media because saying that the event was inappropriate because I saw people not wearing masks for example is not only superficial but shows a huge lack of understanding of the context of the industry of fashion in the country, of the circumstances of the city today and so many other topics that goes beyond fashion. So saving the social media hubs our opinions about it I guess is the right attitude towards an issue we all know so little so far. Let's focus on fashion guys, please.

..."The people who were invited to Etro...most of them were white"... how can we be surprised about this in 2020?, there is not much black people involved in fashion, it is been like that for decades, so for me the element of surprise has no place at all in this discussion, what should be the brand doing instead? Inviting a bunch of random people just to make the show look diverse? I think the problem we need to face here once again is the lack of diversity in people involved in the whole industry and not in a particular fashion show that happens to take place immediately after the world has been facing weeks of protests that fight racism. Ironically seem to me like is way more honest a show like that, than the attitude that the most of the brands adopted for digital fashion week trying, desperately to look "inclusive": Being "inclusive" in fashion in 2020 according to digital fashion weeks, from Russia to Paris is "to exclude", Yes, exclude automatically from any fashion presentation or show any blonde model, as simple as that, Go for it and you instantly become "inclusive". Sounds exactly like a few years ago when we saw in the industry suddenly loads of oriental models to reach runways, presentations, and magazines after the fashion insiders finally realized that the oriental market was exploding and greeting western fashion and lifestyle as never before.

About the @gucci presentation and "...who would wear that"... is funny that after years of Alessandro Michele, a panel with plenty of stylists think that way about the brand and seems not to have done the exercise of to look at the clothes produced by the brand and designed by the designer and his team, properly, closely and separately. They all seem to stop instead at the styled looks they get from a magazine, or sadly once again, from the brand's instagram feed...

Let's move on..."There are a lot of brands struggling to survive, struggling to sell"... I agree, that is not a secret to anyone these days, But ironically you only had time to "watch and digest" two, maybe three digital fashion shows and they were of the biggest brands, so? What is the point here? won't those small brands be struggling less if we all will be talking more about them? showcasing them more on our websites and YouTube videos? "watching and digesting" more of their design and ideas? Don't you all guys think that would be a more fair approach to it, and without a single doubt an easy and effective way to "help" them?

..."Milan is always a step behind Paris"... please, let's be careful about this kind of opinion because we risk to look like people that see and live fashion -once again- from and around Instagram and Tik tok. The only reason why Paris and Milan are different is because the brands they showcase are different between them, different because they have different audiences, different markets, different targets, those factors make the difference and are not the trends they generate or not after the runway shows the relevant matter on this issue.

About Versace, the approach I agree was quite good, very much attached to the times. But I still have the feeling, even a few days after, that they missed a huge opportunity to make something great! They have everything that they need to make a video successful, but the director seems to be behind on the timing of the scenes, and rhythm was the big absent on the film, the whole final product seems lacking energy and action, which seems to be difficult not to be able to reach with such  a vivrant tune, an stunning dancer, and good clothes - either you like the brand or not-  at the end the whole looked more like a music video and not as a fashion presentation. With probably a huge budget you would expect a pretty much perfect piece of content, especially if in the past, smaller brands like Grace Wales Bonner, did stunning pieces like Practice, directed by Harley Weir and Grace herself and Devonté Hynes as a collaborator, demonstrating that is not money to make the different in this cases but talent mixed and balanced in the right way is.

The collection was presented under the title of "flash" because it was a "see now, buy SOON" collection and not a "See now, buy now" since as you mentioned it was not very successful at the end a few years ago. Keeping on Versace, I agree Gianni Versace was one of the main designers of the 90's but saying today that the brand needs to be given "expertise, fabric development and technical design" sounds to me a bit irresponsable. If you want "something a little bit new" I suggest you once again to look and focus on NEW brands, If we like -or not- brands like Versace is because they manage to keep a concept during their history and they try their best to present it in a different way season after season; sometimes they reach better results than others, ( becoming a "miss more than a hit" ;-P ) but at least there is a constant attempt on going beyond fashion and transforming those ideas more into a lifestyle for the people that likes, follows, and more importantly buy the brand products.

Moving into the JW Anderson presentation I heard ..."A designer explaining the meaning behind it...we do not get that from the designer mouth anymore"... come on, that is what designers do to press right before every single fashion show is about to start, and they do it once again to press and buyers after the show ends, is part of the fashion protocole, it is been happening for years, decades, so you will get that from "designers in the future" still, there is nothing to worry about. 

A final word goes to Pierre A. who I talked to very quickly on Twitter to express my feelings about this round up discussion and he mention that "a live panel is not an easy exercise (specially on Zoom)" and of course underlining that it was his first time doing it, but from my very personal point of view you managed very well, in this cases one of the most important things to keep in mind is to give space to your guests and you definitely mastered that bit! Very well done! <3   

[xxscarletxrosexx]

Miraculous: The Lost Memoirs- Ch. 2 When Tomorrow Comes

Finally updated after 4 years.

Fanfic | Deviantart

A/N:

Yes, I'm alive! It has been 4 ridiculous years since I last updated this story. First and foremost, I apologize for being gone for so long. I truly have to thank Miraculous Ladybug Season 3 for being the catalyst to bring back my love for writing again. I have been looking through a number of Instagram feeds regarding Miraculous Ladybug, and suddenly it just came back. I HAD to write, and I'm here. But it's not just Miraculous Ladybug… I have you to thank. I have not been able to read the sweet comments all of you guys have left me when I have been away via Tumblr, Fanfic, and DeviantArt. Let's just say that I had some growing up to do. And I found the time and the passion to come back. So thank you, everyone.

On another note, when I first wrote this story, I remember that this was back in season 1 when the valentine's episode had just recently come out. Yes, this story is roughly as old as that episode. I had limited information on characterization and interaction, limited to resources on how to write this story, but I had so much freedom to write the story back then. With the ongoing season 3 taking place, I've decided to do my best and try to capture as much canon scenes as possible and adapt into this story, that being said, the outline that I left myself will be scrapped (and may be portrayed as an AU one-shot to this story if anyone is interested).

That being said, thank you to everyone who has followed me and this story, and favorited me and this story. I will be working hard to complete this story. My drive for writing this is very strong. I will talk to you soon! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart to the people who have been reading this from the beginning to the new readers who came to read in between the year of my absence. Thank you so, so, so much<3

I'll write to you guys very soon :)

There are some Easter Eggs that you fans will notice. I was inspired by a post on Instagram. If you don't notice it, feel free to read below for the answers ;)

DeviantArt: XxScarletxRosexX Tumblr: XxScarletxRosexX Instagram: XxScarlyliciousxX

Summary:

It is far from coincidences that these miraculous jewels ended in Marinette's and Adrien's possession. Their kwamis claim that they have been specifically chosen as the sole protectors against evil. But when an akuma returns a forgotten past, it unravels an unforeseen destiny of their Miraculous predecessors' lives. Their decisions, from this moment forward, could possibly alter the true meaning of their existences and their destinies.

When tomorrow comes… I'll be on my own… feeling frightened of the things that I don't know… When tomorrow comes… Tomorrow comes… Tomorrow… Comes…

~~~~~~~

I'll be all alone.

How long had she been sleeping? she wondered.

She wasn't sure how many days have passed nor if her eyes had ever closed. All she remembered was darkness.

Her body was a heavy lead, and to lift as much as a finger sapped all her energy. Her father had been checking up on her every hour or so, leaving her meals in silver dome trays beside the trap door for her to consume, but Marinette would never have the energy to eat, nor make an effort for that matter. Instead, she would force her arms to move her hands and grip onto the sheets of her bed to reposition and drag her to the edge of her bed to take a glimpse at the silver tray before plopping her head against her crumpled sheets in defeat.

During these moments, Tikki's voice would chastise her to take care of herself and not to disrespect her father's efforts. Hearing her voice was enough for Marinette to muster what's left of her strength and stand up from her bed, followed by dragging her feet across the floor and trudging down her stairs. She would drag her legs as if she were dragging a heavy cart until she finally stood in front of the silver tray, and plopped herself on the ground with a loud thud. She would open the tray and eat her luke-warm meal in silence. But today, she felt like staying in bed for a while longer.

The depressed child had not seen her father for days, but she acknowledged his presence with the creaking of the trap door. Guilt had nestled a place at the pit of her stomach, throbbing reminders of the many delicious meals she had wasted of her father's skills; of how much trouble she was causing her father and friends; and most of all, of failing her duties as Ladybug and protecting Tikki. The sensation was an alarm clock with a message repeating like a broken record in her mind, but it had played so many times that she had grown numb to it.

There was no point.

The sound of her creaking trap door meets her ears like a crack of thunder, and Marinette was well aware that she had this chance to talk to her father. All she needed to do was lift her head and call out, "Dad!" But, she couldn't.

She heard him sigh. It was thick with concern but tapered off with an undeniable sense of disappointment, and the feeling had brought tears to her eyes again. She couldn't bring herself to speak with him.

Marinette knew her father so well that she knew exactly what Thomas Dupain was expressing simply by the way he breathed. When he had sighed, she knew his brows would knit together and form several creases across his forehead, as he hung his head forward slightly. She knew that his eyes would trail to the loft where she resided, and he would debate behind sealed lips whether to talk to her or not. Marinette recognized the gulp of air that passed through his lips as he decided to say something but snapped shut at the last second. He felt defeated.

Neither could find their voices for they were lost in a sea of silent cries, both shouldering conflicts that the other could not help resolve with words. It was ironic because, at times of need, even a stranger would jump to help, but they were family. And they couldn't do anything for one another.

With another sigh, she heard the door close, followed by the heavy steps trudging down the stairs, with each weighing heavier from the last on her heart.

Marinette had lifted her head then. She peered into the darkness and made out a silhouette of her untouched dinner, still shrouded by a silver dome, and probably cold and unappetizing.

When she turned away from the meal, Tikki's voice would chime in her mind, chastising her for her laziness. No matter how many times her mind had played tricks on her, Marinette would fall for it. Her body would fall rigid and jolt as if electricity had coursed through her body. Whereas the whites of her eyes, now puffy and sensitive, and slathered with a blistering shade of crimson, would widen and peer around her room in search of her ruby kwami. And from time and time again, the raven-haired girl would be greeted back with disappointment and emptiness. Her kwami's name would roll out of her lips like a silent prayer, wishing that she would return to her and dissolve this never-ending nightmare, as scorching tears spilled down her ashen face.

Marinette's slender fingers had trailed up her cheeks and gently caressed the damp, swollen lumps, as if preventing any further overflow leakage like a boy had plugged his finger to prevent a leak in a dam; and winced internally as the stinging sensation throbbed beneath her fingertips from the numerous times she had wiped them with her hands and the fabric of her cotton shirt. Although the last time she had checked her reflection was days ago, Marinette laughed bitterly as she thought of how hideous her image must be at her current state. Still, she made no effort to fix herself. Instead, she forced her body to roll to her side and stared at the glass trapdoor.

A veil of murky ivory had adorned her disarray hair and lifeless eyes to a slant across her torso. Her eyes, the color of over-washed jeans, stared idly at the dark cumulus clouds as they reeled past her empty eyes like a film played over a vintage projector. It was not long before nostalgia had tugged at her heartstrings and brainwashed her thoughts with such vivid memories that she had almost completely mistaken it for reality. It happened at an instant; a silhouette figure had flitted across her vision, gliding across the sky like a graceful gazelle, but as soon as her eyes blinked, it had vanished.

Marinette knew that guilt and nostalgia was sending her mind off to an astral projection journey, because she had recalled the numbing sensation of the frigid night's kiss against her lips and cheeks, and how sweet it had tasted on her tongue to feel so light and free from her responsibilities and expectations in her hectic life. She also recalled how brightly lit the stars had twinkled as she sailed beneath them. Then she was submerged in the shadows once again under the arch. She felt Chat Noir's warmth post-resuscitation spread across her body, and she wondered to herself if that warmth could save her right now as she drifted from consciousness once again.

~~~~~~~

Alya, Adrien, and Nino decided to hang at the park right across from Marinette's house, giving Nino and Adrien an hour to help Alya calm down her nerves despite her insistence to go immediately. Reluctantly, Alya sighs and caves to the boys' suggestion. Alya plops herself on one of the park benches with Nino sitting right beside her and Adrien facing both of them.

"Really, I'm going to be fine guys. I just want to see Marinette…" her voice fades towards the end. Nino takes her hand in his and weaves his fingers through hers.

"It's alright, babe. We both know how much this is stressing you out. We don't even know what's going on in Marinette's life right now. It's pretty scary that she practically erased herself from existence."

Alya squeezes his hand appreciatively, "Yeah… let's just hope she didn't just disappear. I hope an akuma didn't get to her."

"Doubt it," Adrien states confidently. He had been sneaking out of his room during his piano practices and when everyone had returned to bed. Ladybug's absence had been bothered him endlessly. His brain had run through a marathon of worse case scenarios regarding capture from an akuma or being akumatized, but none had been in his radar throughout his patrol. Paris was finally peaceful… too peaceful that it had left Adrien feeling on the edge. He reaffirmed his thoughts with the conversation he had eavesdropped with Miss Bustier and Alya, "Mr. Dupain-Cheng would have noticed if his daughter was akumatized, and reported if it were the case. But he hasn't said anything. So that means Marinette is still at home."

Nino nods to his friend with agreement and gratitude before meeting Alya's troubled eyes, "Adrien's right, babe. You've seen Mr. Dupain ever since Marinette has been absent. If she were akumatized, you would definitely be the first to know. After all, you are Paris's greatest journalist on Ladybug and akumas."

Alya smiled weakly. She looked at her boyfriend then to Adrien, "Thank you, guys. I'm feeling a bit better about this."

"It's no problem," Adrien smiled.

"Yeah, we got you."

The trio walked in silence for a good two minutes before Alya broke the silence. "I want to see her… but I'm afraid she'll push me away again. This is really hard to go through."

Nino squeezed her hand, "We can try to ask Mr. Dupain about what's happening on her end if Marinette isn't ready to talk. We can't rush a person who is going through something, after all."

"She's your best friend, after all, Alya. Trust that Marinette will come to you as soon as she recovers," the blond model added.

"You're right, guys. I'm sorry for just rambling all of these stupid nonsenses," the auburn-haired woman said sheepishly.

"If Nino was in this situation, I probably would have reacted the same way," Adrien chirped.

"Dude…" the brown-skinned boy looked at his best friend with an awe-struck expression. Unsure of how to respond to Adrien's heartfelt comment, Nino lifts his free hand to bump fist with Adrien. "I'd definitely react the same for you too, dude."

Alysa clears her throat and feigns annoyance, "I appreciate you guys cheering me up, but save the bromance when I'm not here."

The two boys share eye contact and laugh with Alya joining in the humor.

"Sorry babe, you know how Adrien and I are. We're pretty tight."

"Yeah, yeah," Alya rolls her eyes.

"Why don't we start by a florist and get her a bouquet while we're at it?" Adrien suggests thoughtfully.

Alya's eyes sparkle. This was the first time Adrien had ever initiated getting flowers for Marinette-or maybe before any girl. Marinette will be so ecstatic when she hears about this, Alya thought to herself whilst picturing her best friend enter her rambling, fangirl episode followed by fainting. She giggles to herself.

"What is it?" the blond model asked curiously.

"Oh nothing!" Alya chirped, "I think it's a great idea! In fact, I know exactly what she likes!"

~~~~~~~

Alya, Nino, and Adrien stood in front of Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. Adrien glanced over at Alya then back to the bouquet of red roses, white lilies, and white daisies. Hesitantly he asks, "Alya, you sure you don't want to be the one to give this to Marinette? You're closer to her after all."

Alya shared a mutual grin with her boyfriend before answering, "Of course it's fine! I know this will make her so happy Adrien, especially if it's coming from you!"

"I don't know…" the blond hair teenager tapered off hesitantly.

"Trust me, dude," Nino reassured, he smiled to his giggling girlfriend before continuing, "Marinette will definitely appreciate it."

"Really?" He looks back at the bouquet thoughtfully, a small grin etching on his face, "I hope she'll like it." Adrien turns to the auburn-haired teenager. "Shall we go in?"

"Yeah." Alya reaches for the door and was immediately greeted by a soprano jingle. To their surprise, the shop was empty. "Huh… that's strange. No one is here."

"Is it really okay to leave the shop unattended?" Nino asked aloud.

Adrien shrugged.

"Nope! I'm here!" The trio turned their attention to hurried stomps coming from the staircase followed by Mr. Dupain. "Hi guys, thanks for coming in today." He looked exhausted upon closer inspection. There were noticeable dark circles and creases forming under his puffy eyes. Perhaps the stress of their situation must be taking a toll on Mr. Dupain too. "I'm sorry you had to come all this way just to drop off her homework."

"Don't worry about it," Alya reassured him.

"We wanted to come here," Nino finished her sentence.

Mr. Dupain appeared perplexed and embarrassed as he scratched the nape of his neck.

"Marinette's our friend after all. She's important to us," Adrien added.

To his left, Alya and Nino exchanged a warm smile. "I wish I recorded this on my phone to show to Marinette," Alya whispered to Nino. "She would totally flip."

"Don't worry, I got you," Nino winked. He pulled out his phone to show that he was recording their conversation before hitting the stop button.

"Keep recording Nino! This is gold!"

"Alright, babe," he whispered back.

"I'll make it up to you afterward," Alya whispered and pecked the hand that was still holding on to hers.

"I'm expecting that," he replied suggestively.

"I see you have flowers for Marinette, Adrien?" Mr. Dupain continued. "That's very thoughtful of you to get her one."

"Yes, I mean we all-"

"Yes, it was a wonderful idea, Adrien!" Alya quickly cut off. "He came up with the idea after all!"

"Marinette sure is lucky to have you guys as her friends," Mr. Dupain praised then his expressions dropped as he continued, "But I'm afraid that Marinette may not be able to greet you guys again. I feel quite troubled to share this news with you guys after the trouble you guys have gone through," he glances at his watch, "especially leaving school at this time."

"It's okay, Mr. Dupain. We wanted to try regardless," the caramel skin woman tried her best to sound positive, but her expression betrayed her with defeat.

Nino took quick notice and squeezed her hand and continued, "With all due respect, Mr. Dupain, do you mind if we can talk to you about this? Everyone in class is really worried about her, and we don't know much of the details."

Mr. Dupain was silent as he crossed an arm and planted his elbow on his hand to support the other fist against his chin. After a minute, he nodded thoughtfully and affirmingly. "You guys can go ahead upstairs. I'll lock up the shop and we can talk this over some snacks. I'm guessing you guys haven't had anything since leaving school."

"You always know the right words, Mr. Dupain," Nino said happily, "Your pastries are the best in town!"

Mr. Dupain laughed, "Thanks, kid." Then directed his attention to Alya as he walked to the glass the door, "Lead the way. I'll be with you in a moment."

"Yes, sir!" Alya chirped with an improved mood, "Let's go, guys!" The auburn-haired teenager climbed up the stairs and made her way to the Dupain-Cheng's apartment with Nino and Adrien following suit. Once she opened the door, to their surprise, the living room looked the same: clean, organized-perhaps Mr. Dupain had been completing some light cleaning to keep himself busy. The only thing that was out of place, based on Alya's memory, is the family picture sitting on the kitchen counter. With some deductive reasoning, Alysa assumed that he had been looking at the frame during the last three days. She picks up the picture to observe the Dupain-Cheng family. Thomas Dupain stood in the back, Marinette on the left, and Sabine Cheng on the right. "They looked so happy in this picture."

Adrien approaches Alya and took note of the family picture that he had once observed when he was Cat Noir. He reminisced the silly memory when Marinette and he had been caught in a huge misunderstanding with Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng regarding their "feelings" for one another. "Yeah, it's so weird…" he had unconsciously admitted aloud, "It's really shocking to see Marinette and her parents so unhappy and stressed. I don't think there's ever been a time where I saw them like this… It's completely out of character for them." Adrien turns his attention to the stairs leading up to the Marinette's room and stares at her wooden hatch door pensively.

Alya and Nino follow his gaze and sigh simultaneously. "Come on," Alya initiated, "let's help Mr. Dupain and at least set up the plates." The others nodded and assisted Alya in collecting plates and the silverware.

After the trio had finished setting up, Mr. Dupain arrives with a variety of pastries hidden inside a silver tray. "You kids are just a lovely bunch. But you really didn't have to help set up. You're the guests after all."

"It's alright, Mr. Dupain. We want to help as much as we can. We've intruded after all," Alya replied.

"I appreciate it very much," the baker responded heartfeltly. He made his way to the kitchen counter and placed the silver tray on the table. He lifts the lid to reveal croissants, fresh marble bread, bon-bons, chocolate and caramel macaroons, various flavored macarons, and creampuffs. "Dig in, everyone!" The expressions on Marinette's friends' faces had washed over Thomas Dupain with a wave of nostalgia as the trio reached for their favorite pastry. Adrien's glowing eyes reminded him of his sweet daughter when she had received his delicious pastry on sad days. Nino and Alya, on the other hand, reminded him of himself and Sabine. Nino and Alya had simultaneously picked a pastry and had set it on their partner's plate rather than themselves. Both look surprised as they noticed their partner placing their food on their plate, followed by a sheepish smile and giggle. He missed his wife. He missed his daughter. He missed his family.

Adrien noticed the expression on Mr. Dupain's smile drooped, and his forehead knitted to form creases. Before he could eat his food, he had set it back down. This gesture had snapped the pastry chef back to the present.

"Is there something wrong, Adrien?" the giant man asked startled with concerned.

"No, sir," Adrien answered, "Sorry if this sounds nosy of me, but I couldn't but notice you looking stress."

Alya and Nino had stopped snacking their own food immediately and turned towards Mr. Dupain.

"Ah," Mr. Dupain answered. He sighed, defeated before continuing, "I just couldn't help but notice how nostalgic this feels. It has been three days since the last time Marinette, Sabine, and I had a happy moment like this. I know it hasn't been long since Sabine's departure, but three days feels like an eternity for me."

"No," Adrien disagreed, "three days is a long time. I totally get it."

"So it's been like this for three days?" Alya inquired.

"Well, Sabine and I had an argument before her departure to visit relatives back in China. Despite how many times Sabine and I argue, she has always been the one to keep a level-head, but I think I really upset her with what I said. Maybe Marinette overheard and was upset by it too," Mr. Dupain recounted.

"Was it that bad, Mr. Dupain?" Nino asked.

"Well, it's a marital tiff, I would say. But I don't think Marinette would react this badly to it. Marinette usually cheers me up when my wife and I have a disagreement. Honestly, she got her nature from her mother. She's very mature for her age."

Alya nodded approvingly, "Definitely."

"She was okay on the day Sabine left… well until in the evening."

"Evening?" Alya's ears perked, she had entered detective mode, "What do you mean?"

"I couldn't sleep that evening since Sabine had left. I was worried, but I also missed her. So, long story short, I felt the need to move about the house. Then Marinette came home. I don't remember seeing her leave the house after she got home from school. Perhaps," Thomas Dupain's forehead furrowed and he began to scratch his head in his recollection, "she left the house when it was rush hour. I probably missed her on her way out. Because there's no way she can get out from her balcony. It's too high and too dangerous. She could've hurt herself if she attempted to leave."

"That's right," Nino chimed in. He recalled the height of Marinette's home when they had paused outside of the bakery. "That would be impossible."

"The strangest part of all," Mr. Dupain continued. The trio was hooked to his story and had all subconsciously leaned towards him, forgetting the tasty treats in front of them. "She came home drenched. Paris was not raining that evening. When I asked her about what happened, she just looked at me and smiled. It was one of those forced smiles. She told me that she was having a bad day and needed time for herself." He gestured to her room with his gaze, "She's been in there ever since." With a sigh, he folds his arms across his chest and turns his attention back to the three students, "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she fell into the pool, but I would understand that that would be a mortifying experience."

"Have you ever once tried to go in there and talk to her?" Adrien asked.

"I have a couple of times, but she won't respond. When she responds to me… it's like she's lifeless. She won't talk about what happened. All I can do is just leave food at the foot of her door. The only thing I'm grateful about is that she actually eats, although it's not much."

Alya hangs her head in frustration. Her hands glide under glasses to smother her face as if it were a windshield dragging dirt downwards. Nino slides his arm around her shoulder to comfort her. Adrien joins the consolidation by patting her back softly. "I just don't get it," she mutters, "this is really all new to me too, Mr. Dupain."

"Totally," Nino agrees softly, "we've never seen Marinette act like this before."

Suddenly they heard a loud thud upstairs and all four members sprang to their feet. Mr. Dupain was the first to dash up to the stairs and knocked on the hatch door. Alya, Nino, and Adrien rushed behind him. "Marinette! Are you okay up there?"

No response.

"Marinette!"

"Yeah…" a weak voice croaked back. Her voice was soft, a bit more audible than a whisper, but it was the kind of soft voice you would hear your friend whisper in your ear. She was near them as if she was face-planted to the hatch. The only thing that divided them now was the wooden hatch. "You okay, honey? Do you want me to get the food?"

"No, I'm okay. I'll bring it down. I can do that at the very least."

"Okay, well you have guests over, honey."

No response.

"Marinette?"

"I don't look decent to come down."

Alya stepped closer to the hatchet and replied, feeling relieved at last, "Then dress up a bit, Marinette! We know you're not feeling so well, so don't push yourself too hard. Do you need my help?"

"We?" she asked in her low voice.

"Your dad, Nino, Adrien, and I."

"Adrien…?" she whispered softly. Fortunately only Mr. Dupain and Alya were the only two who heard her whisper the model's name.

"Would you mind letting me in?" Alya requested.

"No, it's fine, Alya. I'll go down. Just give me ten," Marinette's voice grew a little stronger.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, let me just clean myself up a bit."

"Okay, we'll be out here," Alya concluded. Marinette responded with her feet shuffling away from the hatch.

~~~~~~~

Marinette's room was an absolute chaos. Papers were tossed aside, her mirror in disarray and a red and blackboard marker sat uncapped on her dresser. A child's drawing of a red kwami floated on the top left of her vanity mirror, another one was floating on her computer's black screen, and another one was on her mini wash station mirror. Each wore a smile. In her head, she heard Tikki's voice chastising her.

You should make yourself more presentable Marinette! You have guests over! They must've been worried sick about you!

She stared at her poorly drawn kwami on her vanity mirror and responded, "I'm not feeling well."

Doesn't justify you to be rude, Marinette!

"Let me be…"

The poorly-drawn kwami stared back at her in silence with a wide smile.

Marinette sighed, "You were right, Tikki…" Marinette looked at the left corner of where her floating red kwami usually levitated. A tear escaped her abused, puffy eyes, "You were right, all along… I'm so sorry."

~~~~~~~

© Cover photoshopped and edited by XxScarletxRosexX © Miraculous: The Lost Memoirs written by XxScarletxRosexX © Miraculous Ladybug: The Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir belongs to Thomas Astruc © Lyrics from Flashlight by Jessie J. © Easter Egg idea from Instagram: where the same bouquet has been used in multiple scenarios (I cannot find the reference at the moment!) © Eater Egg 2 from a scene in Weredad © Location of College Francois Dupont / Francois Dupont High School referenced from Episode: Robocop

[minnie-marvel]

Advice from an Avenger (Peter Parker x Reader)

-Peter Parker is not one to make himself standout, but with you, he just can’t help himself! When the Avengers accidentally get a hold of his phone while he looks at a picture you’ve posted, he gets a truck-load of advice he didn’t necessarily ask for.

Peter Parker x Reader

Words: 1,730

A/N: This is a request for the lovely @holland-haven !!! Everyone check out her fics as well!!!

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

Peter Parker was a simple guy. He was never one to be showy or to stick out of the crowd and he liked it that way! Being low-key meant that he didn’t draw attention to himself, which was fantastic because he already had enough attention on him as Spiderman. But you were a totally different story.

You were popular, you were beautiful, and you were radiant. People always tended to gravitate towards you and your warm genuine personality and Peter was no exception to this.  You two had first met through the school’s first full run-through practice of Beauty and the Beast. Peter wasn’t the type to be into plays at all, but he was forced into it to perform for the orchestra by his band instructor. What could he say? Peter was a mean saxophone player. That’s when he saw you.

You weren’t the lead, those roles were given out to seniors out of respect, and well, seniority but you did happen to have a small role of the feather duster. You were singing alongside the rest of the ensemble, dancing, twirling and smiling. The play was one of your favorite times of the year because you now had the time to be on stage and show a completely new side to yourself. Peter was able to see this and was bewitched. 

Since then he was hopeless. The two of you only shared a handful of conversations together because of your busy schedule, but he loved them nonetheless. Everything about you just seemed so…natural.

And then the Avengers had to butt in.

Peter wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary; he was visiting the compound for the weekend scrolling through his Instagram feed when he saw you post a picture. It was a selfie of yourself and your friends at a park standing in a rose garden. He read your caption and tried to hide his goofy smile.

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet.

While Peter was more of a science geek, he could appreciate your apparent love for literature specifically Shakespeare. It made him feel like the two of you weren’t worlds apart after all.

“Who’s the girl you're gawking at?” Tony teased leaning over his shoulder.

“Huh???? W-what what are you- HEY!” Tony lifted the phone out of his hands raising it above his head while still observing your picture. “She seems like she’d be your type kid, congrats.” He said already walking away from him. Peter stumbled out of his chair trying to reach for Tony. “Mr. Stark she’s not-”

“Hey everyone, Peter finally got a girlfriend!!” He shouted cupping one hand over his mouth.

“Congratulations small son of the spider!!” Thor high fived Peter so hard that Peter almost thought his hand was broken for a minute. The rest of the Avengers started to crowd around him.

“I really thought you were gonna die alone for a minute there Peter, good job!” Sam commented patting him on the back.

“Guys shes-” Peter tried before getting cut off again.

“Is she smart?” Bruce asked walking in a book in hand.

“She’s so well read its insane,” Peter gushed. Bruce nodded gently. “I approve!” he said simply going back to his reading. “Wait that’s not what I meant!” Peter yelped.

“Is she sweet?” Bucky asked stretching his arms.

“You’d think she’d give me diabetes.”

“Is she pretty?” Nat asked sitting on the counter watching him. Peter turned to her for a split second “Gorgeous..” he sighed happily before shaking his head reminding himself of his circumstances.

“Here have a look,” Tony said pressing a couple of buttons on Peter’s phone. Soon enough, your picture was on display for all the Avengers to see on their T.V.

“Wait!” Peter called.

“Now Peter,” Steve began folding his arms. “Since you’re old enough to be having relationships I think we should talk about how to properly treat a woman.”

“Oh my god please don’t you sound like one of your ‘Rappin with Cap’ videos-”

“Oh my, what a beautiful girl!” Wanda commented walking in with Vision. “Is she your girlfriend Peter?”

“Yes!” Tony interjected.

“NO!!!!!!” Peter finally screamed a top of his lungs plopping himself on a couch and throwing his face into his hands. The room fell silent aside from a couple of noises of awkward shuffling.

“She’s way out of my league guys…”

“You can say that again.”

“Sam!” Nat hissed,

“Have you tried talking to her at least?” Bruce asked taking a seat by the blushing Peter. He pat his back sympathetically. He knew how crazy these people could be.

“I mean… like a couple of times! Kind of!”

“Oh, goodness kid…” Tony sighed taking a seat as well. He pinched the bridge of his nose shaking his head miserably. “Alright, here’s what you’ve gotta do.” He took the glasses from his eyes staring Peter down now.  “You play up your game, make her think you’re better than life itself. Oh, and maybe buy her a dozen flowers or two.”

“Mr. Stark I’m a high-school student who doesn’t get paid for the ONE job that he does.”

“Maybe you should ask her out for dancing!” Steve suggested enthusiastically. “It may be old school but dancing was always the best date idea when Buck and I were younger.” Bucky nodded in agreement smiling as he reminisced. “I can still remember the night before I left.”

Tony sighed annoyingly loud. “Okay Grandpas one and two, thanks for the advice but Peter needs a fresh new perspective that doesn’t reek of the Great Depression.”

“Don’t listen to Tony,” Steve rolled his eyes. “Trust me, he’s not the one you should be taking love advice from, how long did it take for you to finally propose to Pepper Tony?”

Tony’s nose scrunched up as his mouth gaped. “Okay, but who hasn’t been on a date for at least a literal century??”

Steve’s face turned cherry red. “I was frozen!!!! I gave my life for this country!”

Tony shook his head reeling back in laughter. “Excuses, excuses.”

“Peter, just tell her how you feel,” Nat said leaning back on the counter now. “Trust me women don’t like it when you beat around the bush.” She explained.

“Throw her a banquet in honor of her stupendous beauty!” Thor shouted raising his fist in the air. The Avengers took a moment to stare at him. “What, too much?”

Peter only sighed giving up. “It’s not like I have a chance with her anyway.” He muttered finally taking hands away from his face. The Avengers looked at Peter in sympathy. He looked completely defeated. “It’s just… I’m just a regular guy you know?” Peter began rambling. “I keep to myself, I try not to cause trouble, I’m in the band for Pete’s sake!” He groaned throwing his hands in the air. “She’s in a whole other game than me.”

“Peter,” Wanda began sitting across from him. “Trust me, if there’s anything any girl likes the most about guys it’s when they’re themselves. No one wants to be lied to. I think this girl will be happy to be around you just as you are,” She smiled sweetly at him before leaning over to pat him on the head.

“And if all else fails that’s when you buy her a dozen roses.”

“Tony!!”

---

Peter held his straps close to his chest as he kept his head low sighing. The weekend at the compound had completely worn him out, he wasn’t sure if he could even make it through the next two periods, let alone the rest of the day. He let a loud yawn out of his mouth as he started to head to his next class when an announcement was made on the loudspeaker.

“Attention students of Midtown Tech! Auditions for the school play are now underway! Sign up for a role today!” Peter looked up at the incoming announcements board ahead. He had almost forgotten that it was play season. He felt someone shove into his shoulder. “Oh sorry!!” they called. Peter lost all ability to speak for seconds.

“Oh! Peter! Oh my gosh, I haven’t seen you in forever!!” You chirped turning to him now. You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear smiling at him brightly. 

“How have you been?” you asked stopping mid-walk.

“Y/N!!! I-Uh.. good! I’ve been good you know, just doing my own thing,” he stammered nervously returning your smile.

“I saw you won the decathlon last month, you were amazing!!” You said eyes sparkling with admiration. “I had no clue how intelligent you are!”

“Ah i-its nothing really…” He was trying not to blush, his bashfulness was taking over. “Uh, are you going to sign up for the play?” he asked nodding his head over to the announcement board.

“Oh totally,” You said looking over. “I’ll probably only get something small although… I’m still not a senior and my skills aren’t too hot yet!”

“What?!” Peter exclaimed. “Y/N you’re amazing what are you saying??” His lips slammed shut immediately. So much for staying low-key. You felt your cheeks heat slightly. “Peter you’re the sweetest!” You laughed. “Thank you!”

Wanda and Natasha’s words started to echo in his head. He took a short breath. There would be no dozen roses, no late night dancing, no banquets in honor of your stellar beauty, Peter was just going to be himself.

“I mean it Y/N, you’ve always been really great at acting…just watching you having such a great time up there makes me have fun myself..!” He gave you a smile so sweet that you thought for a second you had a toothache. “You’re really talented.”

The bell rang suddenly and Peter looked up at the noise shocked. “Oh man, I’m gonna be late!! I’ll see you around Y/N!” He said racing off to class leaving you behind.

You were still blushing hard and felt yourself grasp at your blouse in a feeble attempt to try and make your heart settle down. You had never seen Peter being so genuinely kind and lovely; maybe you just hadn’t been around him enough to have gotten the chance. You bit your lip before turning to get to class as well.

You were just going to have to change that weren’t you?

Part 2

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

Permanent Tag List

@memyselfandmaddox @drinkingandfangirling @fangirlftshipper @two-eleven-thirty-four @the-fifth-marauder-paws @shieldgirl95   @lostnliterature @elsasshole @governmentducks @lupe-55

[dawnowar]

I think I waste the same amount of time online

since I stopped facebooking. Well i go on there for 20 min max per day to check to make sure someones not saying something important to me. I usually glance at the stories in my news feed, share anything that made me laugh and gtfo.

I’ve been doing this instagram #febmetalpunkchallenge so I’m still spending too much time looking at my phone but im looking at instagram now which doesnt make me angry and doesnt make me hate everyone.

Truth is i think we are doomed. As a society. As America. Doomed. We are not just on the path to civil war as one of my friends suggested today, but I bugged out when the most liberal of the so-called “libtards” I know started falling for obvious right-wing propaganda stories.

It is quite disturbing to see how many of my “friends” would rather just take in the misinformation coming at them with no real concern with how it makes them complicit in the suffering of other human beings.

But on instagram it’s all look at this record. i love this record! Look at this dog! I love this dog! Look at my cats! I love my cats! and this challenge has forced me not just to dig for cool stuff to post but to confront some of my past that maybe I hadn’t thought about in awhile, which is always an exercise in being an emotionally healthy person.

A certain rock star i might work for who shall remain nameless has the worst facebook addiction I’ve ever seen. i thought i was bad and i was trying to get mine under control before I saw what he does, which made me feel downright normal. And I wonder how many other people are literally on it 24/7 and can’t step away even though they are losing friends for the political arguments. 

So i put it down. In fact the longer i stay away the easier it is because going back after time has passed theres so much coming at you and its all so overwhelming and so much of it makes you angry and you can see that you logged in 5 mins ago and you werent like this before that. So its not hard to log out. its when you engage with people about the things being posted you can’t get away. 

But im not saving any time since I’m mostly fb free. In fact even if im not on Instagram i find myself looking up stuff and researching coffee makers or making goat leggings or setting up etsy stores. Better wastes of time than fighting with my friends but still....

So i’ve been doing this February real-life Jazzercise challenge. 25 classes in 28 days... i finish tomorrow. and i missed a couple of classes here and there.. so i did 25 classes in 20 days and I could have done it faster. But I came home and soaked in the bathtub a lot. Ive been really sore. Because i’m just coming back from a broken rib too so i wasn’t used to doing a whole class before February started. So i come home and im tired and i gotta soak in the tub and im sleeping a lot more than usual and i dont want to do much besides find something cool for the next days instagram challenge.

I’m not sure what my life will look like in March when both these challenges are over. Maybe i can wean myself off Instagram too. But truthfully i think I’ll just end up looking some other thing up and wasting just as much time online.

Maybe thats OK if its stuff thats making me happy and not stuff that’s making me sad/mad/upset/angry/etc. 

Ive said for the last year that I’m changing fundamentally as a person. I can feel it. I don’t know what its about or where its all leading but I am changing for sure. I’m doing it all by my gut instinct and just taking myself where things feel good for me. Not sure what comes next but i’m sure its not social media. 

[wristwatchjournal]

What We Can Learn From Watch Enthusiast Humor On Instagram

Instagram for watch enthusiasts, collectors, and lovers of horology can provide many things — including humor. For some watch lovers, Instagram is a place to share their latest acquisitions, or what they chose to wear on any particular day, with friends. For others, it is a place to judge what pieces tend to be popular with other collectors. For many, it is a place to gauge, with various levels of accuracy, what other timepiece enthusiasts and collectors feel about hot issues of the day. Satire and comedy is a time-honored approach to discussing challenging or deeply political issues — a practice that appears to be flourishing on wristwatch social media feeds. Let’s take a look at a sampling of what watch collector humor looks like on Instagram these days. First, a bit of a macro-conversation about consumer sentiment on social media, in general.

Watch brands are already keenly studying consumer sentiment on Instagram, though many are guilty of taking statements too personally. Brand managers are known to react harshly to what are, in reality, private conversations among groups of collectors. Stories of money being pulled from media, brands being pulled from retailers, and jobs summarily terminated, all stemming from the publication of sentiment or opinion are unfortunately all too common. This has compelled many of the most prolific critics of watch industry practices on social media to be protectively anonymous about their identities.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Horological Dicktionary (@horological_dicktionary) on Sep 16, 2019 at 7:52am PDT

While transparency in media is preferred, society tends to offer an exception to those standing up for ethical discussions when real and present dangers exist if their actual identity is made known. So is the power of large corporate-owned watch brands that — under threat of draconian bosses — seek to quash all “negativity” online, no matter its appropriateness. In this regard, watch enthusiast humorists have a special heroic status among the community, given their openness to discussing tough issues or calling someone out.

At its worst, Instagram watch collector humor is crude and mean-spirited. Much published watch humor focuses on attacking brands and product models whose designs and prices are not personally to the liking of the poster. This can have the effect of shaming people into purchasing “safe,” albeit unoriginal, watches and preventing more expressive and individualistic choices that help make the watch collecting hobby well-rounded for a global assortment of tastes and lifestyles.

At its best, Instagram watch collector humor is poignant and meaningfully activist in nature. The traditionally closed doors of watch brand boardrooms and the lack of open discussions about real-world consumer problems are exposed and even celebrated by the watch collector community on social media. Instagram appears to currently be the platform of choice for mostly anonymous satirists who poke fun at the watch world while, at the same time, slyly suggesting where improvements can be made. In my opinion, the real value of watch collector humor on Instagram is that it does the very necessary job of helping consumers to not only question propagandist content unwittingly presented to them but also to ask watch consumers to question their own collecting and purchasing behavior.

With watch brand managers already having made it clear they will not self-police when it comes to unsustainable business practices, only market forces (consumer behavior) will lead to system and policy change within the industry that produces the products so many people admire.

I’ve also come to the interesting conclusion that Instagram might be a very poor place for novices to learn about watch collecting and enthusiasm. During a recent speech and in some interviews, I made the statement that people just getting into timepieces might want to avoid looking at watches on Instagram for the first three to five years of their journey as a collector. Only after that might they be well-equipped enough with knowledge and experience to navigate the world of opinions and pictures on the popular Facebook-owned social media platform.

Why, exactly? At first, my recommendation against using Instagram for novices might seem counterintuitive. Isn’t Instagram valuable as a discovery engine, allowing fresh collectors to become exposed to the larger world of wristwatch brands and model choices? While Instagram may have been useful as a watch product discovery tool in the past, in more recent years, the changing content-display algorithms on Instagram have almost entirely eroded away at the platform’s ability to truly expose consumers to the larger variety of watches out there.

Studying the Instagram platform today reveals that users whom the platform deems to be interested in the topic of timepieces tend to be shown posts about the same watch brands, and the same watch models, over and over again. This leads consumers to believe there is a much smaller assortment of choices or that there is a much smaller assortment of watches that interest enthusiasts. A number of watch collectors I polled seem to be experiencing this, and it falls in line with Instagram’s own interests to show what it deems to be popular content to users so that they stay on the platform for as long as possible. Users perceive Instagram as automatically introducing them to content they might like but don’t know to search for. The reality is that Instagram — when browsed as a watch lover — tends to repeat a few key models from about five to six watch brands, as opposed to opening up the larger universe of timepiece appreciation and variety to the user.

The reality is that if you are in search of new watches to be interested in, Instagram appears to be a relatively poor choice today. Of course, I can advocate for the human-curated selection of watches on editorial publications such as aBlogtoWatch (and others), as well as simply browsing large multi-brand retail platforms online ranging from eBay to brand-authorized dealers, as a way to discover new brands and models.

It is probably for the better that only mature watch lovers (after they have purchased a number of watches over a three- to five-year period of time) participate in the watch collecting community on Instagram because much of the best humor and satire on the platform is very “inside baseball,” insofar that most novices would not get the joke. After looking at a cross-section of watch enthusiast comedy posts on social media, certain trends emerge that describe what is on the minds of watch enthusiasts and what they are frustrated about.

The social commentary (comedy or otherwise) about watch collecting on Instagram falls into three main categories. First is commentary about watch industry or brand practices. This involves product and brand marketing, sentiment about retail and buying watches, as well as the experience of owning and servicing watches. Much of this commentary is similar to how people might poke fun at politicians, local government, and dealing with government officials. Thus, there is a particular focus on pointing out unfairness, greed, hypocrisy, social scandals, ignorance and irony, and generally obnoxious behavior or pretentiousness. Anyone interested in political humor on the Internet (classy or crude) will find this entertaining.

The second area of discussion relates to commentary about particular watches — often about the five or six primary brands that Instagram tends to display in Instagram feeds. Sentiment ranges from poking fun at watch designs to their prices and functionality. A particular area of focus seems to be comparing watches to other memes, visual objects, or people. The community seems to have particular brands that appear to get undue negative commentary that at times seems unfair. This isn’t surprising, however, because in all enthusiast communities I’ve been exposed to, a few select brands or products always appear to be the preferred butt of jokes.

That said, when you see a timepiece you personally dislike visually, it can bring a guilty sense of glee to giggle at someone else publicly insulting it. The opposite can be true when a product or brand you personally enjoy seems to be unfairly harpooned. Seasoned collectors tend to have more confidence and such behavior probably doesn’t affect their sentiments much, but I do worry about newer watch enthusiasts being shamed away from taking interest in brands that the community appears at first glance to joke around about. What particularly bothers me about this practice isn’t that it is very funny and correct, at times, but rather that if you look at the watches that are insulted most, they are those with more modern, original designs. Contrast that with the watches that appear to be made fun of less, or others venerated…. which tend to be extremely conservative in their design. It would be a shame for fresh timepiece enthusiasts to dampen their appetite for more open-minded products simply because people they have never met choose those watches as easy targets for anonymous jokes on social media.

New watch lovers who participate on social media engage in the practice of posting a picture of a watch they recently purchased on social media and then requesting feedback on it, such as, “Hey guys, what do you think about my new watch?” This request for social validation might be appropriate among a close circle of friends, but when posing such a question on a large, open forum such as Instagram, really nasty comments can be lobbed in ways that I would characterize as irresponsible. This is one of the major reasons I recommend that novice watch lovers avoid platforms such as Instagram until they have more experience and confidence in their timepiece tastes and choices. Only then is a person in a better position to ignore or laugh off negative commentary about their watch from strangers.

The final and probably most endearing area of watch humor on Instagram are remarks on the behavior of being a watch lover and collector. This area of comedy is probably what helps bring watch collectors together the most because someone is publicly sharing the sentiment that many people feel privately. To realize that you aren’t the only one to feel a particular way about collecting or obsessing over timepieces helps not only to validate the experience of being a watch lover but also makes it less of a lonely pursuit. Indeed, one of the primary reasons most watch enthusiasts go online in the first place (aside from wishing to learn about new watches) is because they lack a strong social group in the real world within which to share their passion for watches.

The volume and veracity of watch enthusiast humor and satire on Instagram is a marked demonstration of how emotional this hobby is. It is also a good indicator of what collectors are currently concerned about. Finally, I will discuss a few trends I have seen in the watch industry and consumer humor on Instagram these days. First and foremost is product pricing and availability. These are two separate but albeit related concepts that go to the heart of the experience of buying a watch. A large number of popular watches are called out for being too expensive, and the experience of not being able to find or buy a watch you want is also mentioned quite frequently.

People also like to poke fun at overzealous watch retailers and sales personalities on social media. There are a number of would-be salespeople who disguise themselves as thought leaders or media personalities. The intelligence of the watch enthusiast community typically sees through manipulative practices and likes to poke fun at it. Similar areas of discussion occur as enthusiasts poke fun at poor watch brand marketing and communication that they see as akin to propaganda. In general, watch enthusiasts appear to reject market manipulation and being lied to — which seems to happen on quite a regular basis.

A major area of humor relates to pointing out how otherwise “innovative” brands tend to copy one another both in marketing communication and design. Copycats are called out and sometimes viciously lampooned with jokes, and there’s also general humor about designs that the community feels are unattractive, lazy, unoriginal, or generally uninspired are a common theme on Instagram.

This is a good opportunity to draw parallels between this observational study of social media watch enthusiast sentiment and data I recently collected in an aBlogtoWatch audience survey. First, I am going to make the assumption that the watch enthusiast on aBlogtoWatch is very similar (if not in many instances the same people) as those who frequent Instagram. What strengthens this supposition is that aBlogtoWatch audience members tend to be more mature and experienced watch lovers, and the ones who have the information and understanding necessary to make fun of topics related to watch collecting on Instagram are also experienced enthusiasts.

In the study on aBlogtoWatch, we found that around 80% of watch enthusiasts felt that the marketing, advertising, and communication they received from the watch industry did not have them (as a target audience) in mind and was generally ineffective as good marketing. When people who enjoy watches feel that the companies they are interested in are not speaking to them or are missing the mark when speaking to them, it tends to suggest a high probability of dissatisfaction by the consumer toward the companies that produce the products they want to like. Thus, I can suggest with some confidence that the generalized negative sentiment toward major parts of the watch industry by watch enthusiasts on social media may be an outcome of a generalized marketing and advertising failure by the watch industry toward the watch enthusiast audience. This would be yet another signal that the watch industry (if the negative sentiment concerns them) could improve timepiece collector sentiment by creating communication and marketing messages that actually have them in mind.

In terms of being a watch collector, the community likes to joke that timepiece enthusiasts are both obsessive and spend far too much time viewing watches online, and also how the experience of buying watches can be ruinously expensive (if unchecked). It is very likely that social media peer pressure can incite people to purchase products they cannot easily afford in order to be “part of the club.” This is also unfortunate and deleterious to the experience of a new watch collector because rather than be shamed for what they cannot afford, they should be encouraged to buy the best at the price level they can afford — another reason why Instagram is probably not a wise tool for those just getting into the watch collecting hobby.

Thank you to Jason Sarkoyan for assistance in selecting Instagram posts for this article. For seasoned collectors, the Instagram community can provide companionship, information, and good times. It can be worth sorting through much of the irrelevant stuff to discover the gold. Happy surfing, fellow online watch lovers — and be sure to “like” the best of Instagram watch humor.

The post What We Can Learn From Watch Enthusiast Humor On Instagram appeared first on Wristwatch Journal.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3lWFnDD via IFTTT

[free-instagram-followers-fans]

Get More Free Instagram Followers in 2020

Instagram shocked the world.

When the application was first presented, it soar to 1 million clients inside 3 months.

Today, that number is more like 700 million and climbing. This implies the stage is a completely unexpected creature in comparison to it was two or three years back.

 It has developed to have more force, more abilities, and progressively versatile flawlessness for its clients.

 From where I stand, Instagram has never been more helpful than it is correct now for individual and business brand building.

Free Instagram followers How to get free Instagram followers Free Instagram followers generator free instagram followers no human verification

Afterward, I'll dive into insight concerning the unlimited chances and why you ought not disregard this online life stage.

 Without a doubt, you may eventually conclude that your intended interest group isn't especially an Instagram swarm. However, it would be staggeringly childish to not — in any event — test the stage.

 This is the reason I composed this article. You need the correct measurements and devices to fabricate an effective Instagram battle.

 I need to assist you with prevailing on Instagram and outfit the effect that it can have for your business.

 So what does achievement resemble? It implies pulling in the standard stuff like supporters, likes, notices, and remarks.

Free Instagram followers generator free instagram followers no human verification

It likewise implies connecting on a more profound level with your crowd and mapping that commitment into a showcasing or deals objective. You're associating with clients in a manner that genuinely matters, and that will have suggestions for the manner in which you work together.

 In this article, I'll tell you the best way to get 300+ genuine, directed Instagram supporters every day.

 We'll stroll through a bit by bit process on how you can accomplish this with no issue by any stretch of the imagination.

TAGS

 Free Instagram followers

How to get free Instagram followers

Instagram followers generator

 how to get free instagram followers quick and easy

free quality instagram followers

free instagram followers review

free instagram followers right now

free instagram followers request

free instagram followers real app

free instagram followers robot

free instagram followers raisemygram.com

free instagram followers real apk

free instagram followers remover

free instagram followers script

free instagram followers social follow

free instagram followers software

free instagram followers scams

free instagram followers stormlikes

free instagram followers sites list

free instagram followers sender

free instagram followers server without human verification

free instagram followers tracker

free instagram followers trusted

free instagram followers telegram

free instagram followers that don't unfollow

free instagram followers tricks

free instagram followers trial app

free instagram followers tags

1000 free instagram followers t

free instagram followers unlimited coins

free instagram followers usa

free instagram followers using coins

free instagram followers unlimited

free instagram followers unlimited coins apk

free instagram followers unlimited trial

free instagram followers username

free instagram followers uptodown

apps that give u free instagram followers

apps that get u free instagram followers

free instagram followers views

free instagram followers verification

free instagram followers vivoliker

free instagram followers verify

free instagram followers video

free instagram followers vivo

free instagram followers no verification

free instagram followers no verification or survey or download

free instagram followers tool v 2.4 rar

free instagram followers no human v

free instagram followers without human v

free instagram followers without app

free instagram followers without app download

free instagram followers without password and human verification

free instagram followers with private account

free instagram followers with coins

free instagram followers with username only

free instagram followers with human verification

free instagram followers with email

free instagram followers xyz

free instagram followers xda

ttfans.xyz free instagram followers

xxmxx instagram followers free

xxmxx instagram followers free download

fast followers x1- free instagram followers app

free instagram followers youtube

free instagram followers yahoo answers

free instagram followers from your country

free instagram followers giris yap

get free instagram followers youtube

free instagram followers that like your photos

get free instagram followers from your country

get your free instagram followers

free instagram followers program

free instagram followers 1 000

10 000 free instagram followers

5 000 free instagram followers

2 000 free instagram followers

50 000 free instagram followers

100 000 free instagram followers

10 000 free instagram followers no survey

3 000 free instagram followers

free instagram followers 100 free

free instagram followers 10

free instagram followers 100 real

free instagram followers 1 million

free instagram followers 10000k

free instagram followers 15

free instagram followers 10000

free instagram followers 100 no survey

1 000 free instagram followers

1 million free instagram followers

1 thousand free instagram followers

free instagram followers in 1 minute

get 1 million instagram followers free

how to get 1 000 free instagram followers

free instagram followers 2020 no survey

free instagram followers 200

free instagram followers 20

free instagram followers 2020 no verification

free instagram followers 25

free instagram followers 2020 no human verification

free instagram followers 2000

free instagram followers 20k

get 2 000 free instagram followers

free instagram followers in 2 minutes

free instagram followers 30k

free instagram followers 30 minutes

free instagram followers 30

free instagram followers 3000

This is what we'll cover:

 Presenting Instagram

 The development of Instagram

 Counterfeit versus genuine devotees and how to recognize the fakes

 Stage 1: Determine the general reason for your Instagram account

 Stage 2: Come up with a substance methodology

 Stage 3: Design your profile for greatest commitment

 Stage 4: Post photographs that catch eye

 Stage 5: Add long picture subtitles to your post

 Stage 6: Add vital hashtags

 Stage 7: Create a posting plan

 Stage 8: Locate and follow your objective clients

 Stage 9: Follow 50 clients for each hour

 Stage 10: Become a functioning individual from the network

 Stage 11: Partner and cross-advance with applicable clients

 Stage 12: Run difficulties and challenges

 Stage 13: Run Instagram advertisements

 Stage 14: Link your Instagram to your disconnected client

 Stage 15: Keep tabs on what's working so you can keep on improving your presentation

 Presenting Instagram

 While I feel like this stage needs no presentation, some of you might be different to it.

 Along these lines, I'd prefer to give you a couple of brisk realities.

 Instagram is a photograph sharing portable application. It was propelled in 2010 as an average complimentary gift application. There were a ton of other photograph applications, however Instagram hit the sweet spot and began to develop exponentially.

 They developed so rapidly and naturally that Facebook took intrigue and got them for $1 billion in April of 2012.

 As of April of 2017, Instagram has in excess of 700 million month to month dynamic clients!

 image22

 The advancement of Instagram

 Instagram used to be an essential application. You snapped a photo, you put a channel on it (to make yourself look better), and afterward you imparted it to your little Instagram following.

 That was it. No chimes. No whistles. Not all that much.

 That is not true anymore.

 Today, Instagram is pressed with huge amounts of highlights, from computerization highlights to phenomenal channels. Once Snapchat began drawing in a large number of devotees, and applications like Periscope utilized live video, Instagram raced to offer these highlights too.

 For instance, you can alter photographs utilizing further developed photograph altering highlights as opposed to depending on Instagram's worked in channels.

 image23

 You can likewise post Stories. Stories show up at the highest point of your companions' feeds and show up there for just 24 hours. On the off chance that you need to keep your Stories discrete, you can send them just to choose companions or curated gatherings.

 You can alter your photos with content, drawing, and other embellishments, much like Snapchat.

 Instagram's Live Video highlight is additionally getting on.

 Dislike most live video stages on the grounds that the video vanishes when you quit spilling. You can observe live recordings just while they're being shot.

 My objective in this article is to tell you the best way to get adherents, not show you how to utilize each component.

 All things considered, it's critical to know about these highlights, since you will utilize them as you develop your crowd by the thousands every week.

[robbiemeadow]

How Many People Have Fantasized About Forcing Sex On Others?

In my last post, I wrote about people who fantasize about having sex ‘forced’ on them. Today, we’re going to talk about the flip side of these fantasies: people who fantasize about ‘forcing’ sex on others. How many people have had these fantasies before? And where to they come from? 

I surveyed more than 4,000 Americans about their sex fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want and, as part of this survey, I inquired about whether people had ever fantasized about forcing sex on someone else. Here’s what I found:

· 20% of self-identified women had fantasized about this before, while 4% said they fantasized about it often

· 38% of self-identified men had fantasized about this before, while 7% said they fantasized about it often

· 38% of non-binary participants had fantasized about this before, while 9% said they fantasized about it often

What these numbers tell us is that, while most people say they’ve never fantasized about forcing sex on someone else, this certainly isn’t a rare fantasy; however, men and persons who identify as non-binary are about twice as likely to say they’ve fantasized about this as women. 

Interestingly, when you compare these figures to the number of people who say they’ve fantasized about being forced to have sex, it’s clear that the former is far less common than the latter. In other words, regardless of gender, people are much more likely to fantasize about having sex forced on them than to fantasize about forcing sex on others. 

I should note that in the way people described these fantasies, they made it clear that they were fantasizing about a consensual scenario. For example, some participants said things like “they secretly want it.” Thus, it’s not the case that these people are fantasizing about committing sexual assault—rather, they’re picturing a consensual scenario (often with a bit of “token resistance”), which means the sex isn’t truly forced in these cases.  

So where do these fantasies come from? And what’s the deeper psychological meaning behind them? 

I found that a number of personality and other factors were correlated with having fantasies about forcing sex on others. Here’s a look at some of the patterns that emerged, as well as how they differ compared to fantasies about being forced to have sex:

· People with overactive imaginations and those who reported fantasizing the most often were more likely to fantasize about forcing sex on others. Thus, these fantasies are often the product of a wandering mind—and the folks who have these fantasies have more fantasies about almost everything (including being forced to have sex). 

· People with an unrestricted sociosexual orientation had more fantasies about forcing sex on others. Thus, these fantasies are more common among those who see sex and emotion as distinct. Put another way, being able to separate physical sex acts from love and other emotions is linked to having more of these fantasies (just as it’s linked to having more fantasies about being forced to have sex).

· People with sensation-seeking personalities had more of these fantasies. Thus, for persons who have a heightened need for sexual excitement and thrills, fantasies about forcing sex on someone else (as well as being forced to have sex) appear to be more common.

· Unlike fantasies about being forced to have sex, no linkage was observed between history of sexual victimization and fantasies about forcing sex on others. These fantasies were not linked to having previously victimized others, either.

· There was also no link to self-esteem or attachment anxiety, unlike fantasies about being forced to have sex.

· People who reported that they typically have more power in their relationships were more likely to say they fantasized about forcing sex on others. Thus, these fantasies may, in part, reflect a tendency to be the dominant partner in a relationship. Interestingly, relationship power was unrelated to fantasies about being forced to have sex. 

· Fantasies about forcing sex on others were linked to more fantasies about BDSM in general. Thus, these fantasies often appear to reflect a broader interest in BDSM, just like fantasies about being forced to have sex. 

As you can see, fantasies about forcing sex on others are linked to a number of psychological and relationship factors, and it appears that different people may have this fantasy for very different reasons.  

That said, it’s important to note that there was a moderate correlation between fantasies about forcing sex on others and fantasies about being forced to have sex, which suggests that some people fantasize about both, such as those with active imaginations and sensation seeking personalities, as well as those who identify as BDSM switches (persons who go back and forth between dominant and submissive roles).

However, it’s also clear that some people only fantasize about one role—and there appear to be some factors that uniquely predict having one type of fantasy, but not the other. For example, having more relationship power was linked to fantasies about forcing sex on others, whereas low self-esteem, attachment anxiety, and sexual victimization were all linked to fantasies about being forced to have sex. 

Sexual fantasies are complex, and different fantasies can have very different psychological roots. However, even within the same fantasy, two people can fantasize about it for very different reasons. 

Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology ? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook (facebook.com/psychologyofsex), Twitter (@JustinLehmiller), or Reddit (reddit.com/r/psychologyofsex) to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram.

Image Source: 123RF/nd3000

You Might Also Like:

The 7 Most Common Sex Fantasies--And How Many People Have Ever Had Them

3 Sex Fantasies That Are More Common Than You Think

Does Your First Sexual Experience Shape Later Sexual Preferences?

from Meet Positives SM Feed 5 https://ift.tt/2IFtzna via IFTTT

[ellenlucasonlinedatingblog]

How Many People Have Fantasized About Forcing Sex On Others?

In my last post, I wrote about people who fantasize about having sex ‘forced’ on them. Today, we’re going to talk about the flip side of these fantasies: people who fantasize about ‘forcing’ sex on others. How many people have had these fantasies before? And where to they come from? 

I surveyed more than 4,000 Americans about their sex fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want and, as part of this survey, I inquired about whether people had ever fantasized about forcing sex on someone else. Here’s what I found:

· 20% of self-identified women had fantasized about this before, while 4% said they fantasized about it often

· 38% of self-identified men had fantasized about this before, while 7% said they fantasized about it often

· 38% of non-binary participants had fantasized about this before, while 9% said they fantasized about it often

What these numbers tell us is that, while most people say they’ve never fantasized about forcing sex on someone else, this certainly isn’t a rare fantasy; however, men and persons who identify as non-binary are about twice as likely to say they’ve fantasized about this as women. 

Interestingly, when you compare these figures to the number of people who say they’ve fantasized about being forced to have sex, it’s clear that the former is far less common than the latter. In other words, regardless of gender, people are much more likely to fantasize about having sex forced on them than to fantasize about forcing sex on others. 

I should note that in the way people described these fantasies, they made it clear that they were fantasizing about a consensual scenario. For example, some participants said things like “they secretly want it.” Thus, it’s not the case that these people are fantasizing about committing sexual assault—rather, they’re picturing a consensual scenario (often with a bit of “token resistance”), which means the sex isn’t truly forced in these cases.  

So where do these fantasies come from? And what’s the deeper psychological meaning behind them? 

I found that a number of personality and other factors were correlated with having fantasies about forcing sex on others. Here’s a look at some of the patterns that emerged, as well as how they differ compared to fantasies about being forced to have sex:

· People with overactive imaginations and those who reported fantasizing the most often were more likely to fantasize about forcing sex on others. Thus, these fantasies are often the product of a wandering mind—and the folks who have these fantasies have more fantasies about almost everything (including being forced to have sex). 

· People with an unrestricted sociosexual orientation had more fantasies about forcing sex on others. Thus, these fantasies are more common among those who see sex and emotion as distinct. Put another way, being able to separate physical sex acts from love and other emotions is linked to having more of these fantasies (just as it’s linked to having more fantasies about being forced to have sex).

· People with sensation-seeking personalities had more of these fantasies. Thus, for persons who have a heightened need for sexual excitement and thrills, fantasies about forcing sex on someone else (as well as being forced to have sex) appear to be more common.

· Unlike fantasies about being forced to have sex, no linkage was observed between history of sexual victimization and fantasies about forcing sex on others. These fantasies were not linked to having previously victimized others, either.

· There was also no link to self-esteem or attachment anxiety, unlike fantasies about being forced to have sex.

· People who reported that they typically have more power in their relationships were more likely to say they fantasized about forcing sex on others. Thus, these fantasies may, in part, reflect a tendency to be the dominant partner in a relationship. Interestingly, relationship power was unrelated to fantasies about being forced to have sex. 

· Fantasies about forcing sex on others were linked to more fantasies about BDSM in general. Thus, these fantasies often appear to reflect a broader interest in BDSM, just like fantasies about being forced to have sex. 

As you can see, fantasies about forcing sex on others are linked to a number of psychological and relationship factors, and it appears that different people may have this fantasy for very different reasons.  

That said, it’s important to note that there was a moderate correlation between fantasies about forcing sex on others and fantasies about being forced to have sex, which suggests that some people fantasize about both, such as those with active imaginations and sensation seeking personalities, as well as those who identify as BDSM switches (persons who go back and forth between dominant and submissive roles).

However, it’s also clear that some people only fantasize about one role—and there appear to be some factors that uniquely predict having one type of fantasy, but not the other. For example, having more relationship power was linked to fantasies about forcing sex on others, whereas low self-esteem, attachment anxiety, and sexual victimization were all linked to fantasies about being forced to have sex. 

Sexual fantasies are complex, and different fantasies can have very different psychological roots. However, even within the same fantasy, two people can fantasize about it for very different reasons. 

Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology ? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook (facebook.com/psychologyofsex), Twitter (@JustinLehmiller), or Reddit (reddit.com/r/psychologyofsex) to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram.

Image Source: 123RF/nd3000

You Might Also Like:

The 7 Most Common Sex Fantasies--And How Many People Have Ever Had Them

3 Sex Fantasies That Are More Common Than You Think

Does Your First Sexual Experience Shape Later Sexual Preferences?

from MeetPositives SM Feed 4 https://ift.tt/2IFtzna via IFTTT

[tamboradventure]

Cape Town Itinerary: What to See and Do in 4 (or More) Days

Posted: 2/13/2020 | February 13th, 2020

Cape Town is one of those places I can never get enough of. Its natural beauty, climate, people, chill atmosphere, and delicious food scene always make my visits memorable.

Backed by Table Mountain, Cape Town is really one of the most beautiful cityscapes in the world.

There’s a lot to see and do in the city, so to help you make the most of your trip, here is my suggested itinerary for four (or more) days.

Suggested Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Table Mountain, City Center, Walking Tour, & more!

Day 2: Robben Island, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Lion’s Head, & more!

Day 3: Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach, Penguins, & more!

Day 4: District Six Museum, Muizenberg Beach, Hout Bay, & more!

Day 5 (or more): Kalk Bay, Signal Hill, Slave Lodge, & more!

  Cape Town Itinerary: Day 1

Take a Free Walking Tour For a thorough introduction to Cape Town, I recommend taking at least one free walking tour. As you know, I always do that when I arrive in a new city, to help me get a sense of the destination’s culture and history and orient myself. Some of my favorite walking tours are:

Free Walking Tours Cape Town

Ashanti Free Walking Tours

City Sightseeing

Just be sure to tip your guide at the end, as that’s how they make their living.

Explore the City Center Your next stop should be Cape Town’s city center. You’ll find all kinds of shopping, cafés, restaurants, and markets along Long Street. Take several hours to explore and see it all. To see more of Cape Town’s eclectic neighborhoods and get a feel for the local pace of life, here are some specific areas worth exploring:

Green Market Square – Right off Long Street, this is a perfect place to find local handicrafts and souvenirs. There are all sorts of crafts and gifts here. Don’t be afraid to haggle for a good deal!

Victoria and Alfred’s Waterfront – This is another impressive shopping locale, with a large variety of shops and entertainment. It’s on the historic working harbor, the architecture is quite charming, and it’s extremely popular with both tourists and locals alike. Grab a seat on a waterfront restaurant’s balcony, have a drink, and soak up the atmosphere.

Bo-Kaap – Not far from the city center is Bo-Kaap, a colorful Muslim neighborhood. This area, previously the home of Cape Town’s slave population, is known to be quite Instagram friendly (you’ve likely seen it on IG already!). Each home is painted a different color and you can tour the area on your own (although you’ll probably enjoy it a lot more if you take a free walking tour). If you don’t tour with a group, be sure to get a overview of the area’s history at the Bo-Kaap Museum. It’s small, but the staff is quite friendly and super knowledgeable. Admission is 20 ZAR ($1.36 USD) per person.

De Waterkant – A nice place to spend the evening is the De Waterkant neighborhood. Not far from Bo-Kaap, this trendy area (think NYC’s Greenwich Village) is the perfect place to stroll, window-shop, and enjoy an upscale dinner. The architecture is quite stylish in what is Cape Town’s “pink” (gay-friendly) district. The Cape Quarter shopping mall is here as well.

Woodstock – This is one of the coolest neighborhoods in Cape Town. In recent years, it’s become a hub for art galleries, co-working spaces, breweries, and hip restaurants. What was once an old, rundown industrial area is now one of the coolest places in town.

Visit Table Mountain A visit to Cape Town isn’t complete without taking in the view from Table Mountain. It’s a bit of a walk up there, but it’s totally worth it. The shortest trail takes about two hours, but if you’re short on time, you can take the cable car, which takes about five minutes each way (it’s a bit pricey at 330 ZAR ($22 USD) for a round-trip ticket, though). Up top, you’ll have a 360-degree view of Cape Town, the harbor, the mountains, and the beaches. Try to come up during sunset, or if you can, bring some food and drink and have a picnic!

Keep in mind that the clouds can move in really fast here, so be sure to check the weather before you hike up.

I suggest hiking up and then taking the cable car down if you’re short on time. If you want to extend your stay, hike both ways and spend some time relaxing and taking in the view. If you pack some water and snacks, you can easily make this a full-day activity. There are shops at the summit as well as several other hiking trails to explore if you’re looking to work up a sweat.

Note: I put this at the end of the day so you can do the walking tours in the morning, but you can also make this a full-day activity if you want! It’s worth taking it slow here if you have the time.  

Cape Town Itinerary: Day 2

Visit Robben Island Hop on a ferry from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and head to Robben Island, located about 8km from shore, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of his 27 years behind bars. Declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1999, the museum is an important symbol in South Africa, representing the triumph of democracy over apartheid. The tour guides are former prison inmates, and you can to sit in the cells where the political prisoners once lived.

No visit to Cape Town is complete without coming here. Do not skip this!

Ferries operate three times a day, starting at 9am (a fourth ferry operates during the summer season). Admission is 320 ZAR ($22 USD) for adults and 200 ZAR ($13.50 USD) for anyone under 18, which includes the ferry ride. Expect the entire trip to take at least four hours.

Visit Kirstenbosch Garden Located in the southern suburbs, these gardens were established over 300 years ago and have more than 22,000 types of plants found on the African continent. Spanning over 1,300 acres, this is unlike any other botanical garden you’ve seen! Be sure to do the tree canopy walkway. There are restaurants and cafés on-site, but they are expensive, so I’d bring your own food and have a picnic on the grounds.

Rhodes Drive, Newlands, +27 0800-434-373, sanbi.org/gardens/Kirstenbosch. Open daily 8am-6pm (7pm in the summer). Admission is 70 ZAR ($5 USD) per person (discounts available for students and children).

Watch the Sunset from Lion’s Head Table Mountain’s little sister, Lion’s Head, is perfect for an evening hike. It takes just 45 minutes to hike to the top, so time your trek so you’re at the peak for sunset. It’s one of the most scenic spots in town. Also, remember a flashlight for the trek back down.  

Cape Town Itinerary: Day 3

See the Penguins While you’re in Cape Town, you won’t want to pass up seeing the area’s cutest inhabitants: African penguins! This colony is home to over 3,000 penguins. They live at Boulders Beach Park, and you can view them from a raised boardwalk (further down the beach you can swim with them if you’re really bold — expect freezing water!). Just keep in mind that they are wild animals. The beach is their home, not yours — so keep your distance and don’t try to feed or pet them. They are wild animals after all.

Visit Slave Lodge Built in 1679, this is one of the oldest remaining buildings in Cape Town. It is where the Dutch East India Company housed their slaves until 1811. Over 60,000 African and Asian slaves were brought to the city, and almost 300 men and women were forced to reside in the lodge at a time. Today, the lodge is a museum where you can learn about the hardships slaves faced in their daily lives in Cape Town.

Corner of Adderley Street and Wale St, +27 2- 467-7229, slavery.iziko.org.za/slavelodge.

Tour Parliament Take a tour of the parliament of South Africa and learn about South African politics — including how the country was governed during the apartheid era. Dating back to 1884, the Houses of Parliament are National Heritage Sites; the original building was granted approval by Queen Victoria when Cape Town was a British colony.

Today, they host daily hour-long tours during the week, and you can even book a spot (at least one week in advance) to watch debates if you’re interested.

120 Plein St, +27 (021) 403 2266, parliament.gov.za/visiting-parliament. Tours are held daily, but advance booking is required. Admission is free.

Hike Signal Hill For some beautiful sunset views, hike up to the top of Signal Hill. The climb is tiring and takes around 90 minutes, but the views are worth it (you can also drive or take a taxi up to the top). You’ll get a sweeping vista of Cape Town, including a view overlooking Table Mountain too. Just be sure to give yourself lots of time, so that you don’t miss the sunset.  

Cape Town Itinerary: Day 4

Visit the District Six Museum In 1867, District Six was established for freed slaves, immigrants, and marginalized individuals. Under apartheid (1948–1994), the district was declared a “white area” and the existing residents were forced out. Over 60,000 people were forced from their homes, and this museum highlights their struggles and stories. It provides important context to the city’s modern history and ongoing struggles.

25A Albertus St, +27 21-466-7200, districtsix.co.za. Open Monday-Saturday 9am-4pm. Admission is 45 ZAR ($3 USD) or 60 ZAR ($4 USD) for a guided tour.

Hit the Beach Cape Town has some incredible beaches, so make sure you spend at least part of a day on one of them. Clifton Beach is probably the most popular. The sand is super white and the water a bright blue. Unfortunately, it’s cold pretty much year-round, so don’t expect warm tropical waters. The scenery is gorgeous though, with the mountains behind you and mansions and upscale restaurants lining the beach road.

Another option is Muizenberg Beach, which is a 30-minute drive from the city center. This beach has a famous boardwalk and is great for surfing.

Check Out the Wildlife If you head down Muizenberg Beach, be sure to stop at Hout Bay. This harbor is home to tons of seals and seabirds. If you’re visiting between June and November, keep your eyes peeled for the migrating whales. Right whales, humpback whales, Bryde’s whales, and dolphins can all be found here.

If you’re looking for a meal, the fish and chips in this area of town are to die for. And don’t miss the Bay Harbour Market on the weekend: vendors sell everything from fresh fish to jewelry to local art, and there are often live bands too.

Explore the South African National Gallery The Iziko South African National Gallery is home to an extensive collection of both South African and African art, as well as English, Dutch, and French pieces. The collection focuses on works from the 17th to 19th centuries, including paintings, sculptures, sketches, and lithographs.

They also facilitate an ever-changing rotation of contemporary artwork from both locals, as well as visiting exhibitions from across Africa and around the world (visit the website to see what temporary exhibitions are available during your visit).

Additionally, the gallery has a lot of insightful information about art and censorship during apartheid.

Government Ave, +27 21 481 3970, iziko.org.za. Open daily 9am-5pm. Admission is 30 ZAR ($2 USD).  

Cape Town Itinerary: Day 5 (or More!)

If you have more than four days in Cape Town, here are some other fun things to see and do during your trip. Most of these will take you out of the city, so you can see more of this beautiful region of the country. Consider renting a car to make things easier!

Visit Kalk Bay This fishing village makes for a nice spot to go window-shopping (or actual shopping if you want some souvenirs). There are plenty of seaside cafés you can relax in for a few hours, away from the busy city center.

Journey to the Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope is where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, and the drive there from Cape Town is one of the best on the continent. You’ll want to take the route along Chapman’s Peak, a winding and scenic road along the Atlantic coast. It’s a toll road, but the views are very much worth the price.

The Cape of Good Hope is located in Table Mountain National Park, which stretches all the way from Table Mountain in Cape Town to the tip of the continent. This nature reserve is home to numerous birds and animals, including antelope, Cape mountain zebra, eland, and baboons. Keep in mind that, while the baboons may look cute, they are still wild animals, so be careful around them and keep your food secured and out of sight.

There is a lot to see, so plan for a full-day excursion. If you don’t have your own car, you can book a tour with the Cape Point Explorer for 740 ZAR ($50 USD).

Enjoy Some Wine If you love wine, head to the Stellenbosch area. If you have a car, it’s just 45 minutes outside of the city and is home to hundreds of vineyards. The wine from this region is world-famous, and the scenery is breathtaking, offering towering mountains and lush valleys. Tastings typically run about 60-75 ZAR ($4-5 USD), and food pairings are available as well. Some suggested wineries to check out are:

Spier Wine Farm (one of the oldest in the region)

Marianne Wine Estate (offers a classic French winery experience)

Waterford Wine Estate (they pair their wines with decadent local chocolates)

If you don’t have a vehicle and want to take a tour, expect to pay at around 1,000 ZAR ($68 USD) per person for a half-day tour of the region and its wineries. Many hostels run their own tours to the region or have partnerships with local tour guides who can take you as well. Be sure to shop around!

Learn to Surf Cape Town is a super place to learn how to surf (though it’s also terrific for experienced surfers). Surfer’s Corner at Muizenberg Beach is known for its beginner waves, and there are plenty of surfing schools around where you can rent a board and take lessons. Expect to pay around 500 ZAR ($34 USD) per person for a 2-3-hour lesson.

***

Cape Town is one of my favorite cities on the African continent. With its terrific hikes, beautiful scenery, and important history, Cape Town has something for everyone. And, thanks the rand’s value, it’s affordable enough, so it’s easy to visit without breaking the bank.

Let this Cape Town itinerary help you make the most of your visit there.

Map of Activities

P.S. – Want to meet other travelers in real life? This year we launched The Nomadic Network, a platform created to help travelers connect, learn, and get inspired in real life! Here are our upcoming events if you want to take part: Seattle (2/17), Austin (2/18), Fort Lauderdale (2/19), Portland (2/19), San Francisco (2/20), Los Angeles (2/23), Detroit (2/24), Boston (2/24), Dublin (2/24), San Diego (2/24), London (2/25), Chicago (2/25), and NYC (3/10).

Book Your Trip to Cape Town: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the most comprehensive inventory. If you want to stay somewhere else, use Booking.com, as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. My favorite places to stay in Cape Town are:

The Backpack Cape Town – A fair-trade hostel with a swimming pool and garden, as well as activities most nights. They do a lot of good work for social change!

Ashanti Lodge Gardens – You can hang out at the pool or the landscaped gardens here, or in the awesome Kumasi Bar, with its views of Table Mountain. They have a great bar menu too!

91 Loop – When you stay here, you get a free breakfast, free city walking tours, the opportunity to take part in organized activities, and discounts on the Honey Badger restobar.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those 70 and up)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all those I use to save money — and I think they will help you too!

Looking for more travel tips for South Africa? Check out my in-depth South Africa travel guide for more ways to save money, tips on what to see and do, suggested itineraries, informational reading, packing lists, and much, much more!

The post Cape Town Itinerary: What to See and Do in 4 (or More) Days appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Nomadic Matt's Travel Site https://ift.tt/2SFA6mG via IFTTT