#you talk the entire session about how i gotta think of a career quick and fast and read this book and get an internship at fuckin disney

[raitrolling]

The Wall

[Easy reading version on Toyhou.se]

(This drabble is the fifth episode of the Drive to Survive series)

Somehow, after the first free practice session for the Zaandholtz Grand Prix, Sharle found himself in a Thai restaurant with his teammate, Tira.

It was typical procedure after the session to have the team debrief and cooldown, running through all the data gathered while the cars were on track to figure out if the set-ups need to be adjusted or if further testing on certain tyre compounds was required. Then after some compulsory media interviews and a couple hours rest, the team would regroup and prepare for the second free practice session later that evening. 

Instead, Tira had put an arm around his shoulders and cheerfully told him that they'd been cleared for a quick lunch date… Away from the prying eyes of the media in the paddock, and as long as Sharle stuck to the menu items Ropikk had chosen for him to match his diet.

Very strange, but the blueblood was already being guided out the door by his shorter teammate, and none of the mechanics opposed this sudden turn of events. It seems that everyone else was in on Tira’s plans, or at least didn’t want to put a damper on the tealblood already treading water within the team.

And just as the decision to go out for lunch was unusual, so too was the general vibe of the outing.

Sharle could not ignore the elephant in the room - and not just the large wooden sculpture of one in the centre of the restaurant. 

In contrast to his earlier enthusiasm, the tealblood was now half-heartedly picking at his meal, spending more time pushing around pieces of vegetables and shrimp with his chopsticks than actually eating anything. Usually he would also be bantering with his teammate throughout the entire lunch trip, but now there were more periods of silence than what Sharle was used to.

He knew exactly why that was the case, but it’s not like it was something either of them wanted to talk about. It hung over the two drivers like a dark rain cloud, threatening to cause a torrential downpour at any moment. 

With his own meal long since finished, Sharle decided to break the silence. Tira wouldn’t have dragged him out here if he didn’t have something to say, and they’ve both been stalling long enough.

“So, er… Everything alright?”

The tealblood sighed.

“Guess I should tell you why I brought you out here, huh. It’s, well- Mansel gave me the talk.”

Sharle blinked.

“The talk? Like, er…” Pause. “Oh. Ohh.”

It took a moment, but the answer could not be any more obvious. Contract talk. Sharle winced in sympathy, and Tira shared that same expression.

“Yeah. Got pulled aside yesterday, the boss looked real grim. He didn’t wanna be in that position either, but… I can’t deny that I’ve been pretty shit this entire season,” the tealblood chuckled dryly, poking one of the shrimp with his chopsticks. “Gotta think of the Constructors’ Championship, y’know?”

Sharle wished that he could offer words of support and tell his teammate that he is actually doing great and didn’t deserve to have his career be in jeopardy like that, but… He can’t lie. They both know exactly how cutthroat this sport can be, and with so many other racers vying for those twenty elusive seats on the grid, there’s no room for those who underperform. Even your own teammate and best friend. 

All he really could do was nod in understanding. 

“It’s just, like- Man, I know it’s all in my head, but when it’s the only thing reporters wanna ask about, and the only thing journalists are reporting on and fans are speculating about, it doesn’t leave your head. And I just get stuck in this loop, like, this whole confidence thing,” Tira continued, getting a little more animated with his gestures. If nothing else, it felt good to vent. “The car’s just… Not working for me, but people keep saying, if I was a real championship contender, I’d be able to drive anything.”

Sharle hums, seeing a spot he can interject, and holds up his chopsticks to signal for Tira to stop.

“Er, what part of the car isn’t working? Your mechanics have been doing all sorts of set-ups, yeah? And, you only had one DNF cuz of, er, a damaged floor, wasn’t it?” He asks, curious.

“Yeah, man, that was unlucky with all the debris on the track,” Tira sighed. “But, nah, it’s like, the car’s really pointy at the front, yeah?”

“I haven’t had a problem with that,” The blueblood replied with a light shrug. “Because you like cars with more oversteer, ya weirdo. The team built the car around you because you��re the better contender for points. But, mate, I dunno how you can work with it, feels like I make one mistake and I’m spinning out like a Beyblade.”

Sharle tilted his head, not understanding the reference, prompting Tira to pick up his phone and show him a picture of the spinning top toy. 

“Oh, huh, one of those. Er… Are oversteer-y cars really that hard to drive? I just, er, drive it.”

The blueblood made a gesture resembling holding a steering wheel, and Tira couldn’t help but snort at the ridiculous response from his teammate.

“Man, no wonder you-know-who is so googoo gaga over you, I can’t even be mad that you just don’t get it when I look into those puppy dog eyes of yours,” Tira shook his head in dry amusement, but then sighed, shoulders sagging and his head lowering to the point where his long hair threatened to end up in his food. “But, seriously... How do you do it? Like, you bounced back real quick after Revoire and got fourth place in Villeneuve, and I’m still just… Trying to recover from all the way back in Zhōngguó.” 

Sharle hummed, picking up one of his chopsticks to idly spin it in his hands as he tried to think of an answer. 

The truth was, he didn’t really know how he bounces back. It’s just always something you have to do as a driver, never let the last race bring you down too much and just keep focusing on the future. Take every mistake as a learning experience, chat with your race engineer about where to improve and with your mechanics for how to better set up the car, and just… Do it. There wasn’t really much else to it.

But, he also knew the other side. His struggles during his rookie sweep, dealing with the weight of expectations heaved upon him due to his name. Unable to leave the shadow of his ancestor, and every mistake scrutinised against the legacy he was supposed to immediately overcome. He too had been hounded by the media, his teammate Liburr Konnen, and an endless amount of comments on his social media. The pressure proved too much, and he crashed out in that infamous race at Southeastern Circuit.

Sharle could only hope that Tira didn’t need a hospital visit and multiple broken ribs to be able to reflect and regain his calm head, just like he did. 

“... Are you done with that plate?”

The seemingly sudden appearance of a waiter brought Sharle back to reality, only now just noticing that he’d just been staring blankly for a good couple of minutes while he was deep in thought. He looked at the greenblooded waitstaff a little wide-eyed in surprise, then politely returned the chopstick to the plate and nodded.

“Er, yeah. Thank you.”

Tira snickered lightly as the greenblood took Sharle’s plate, and waved his hand to signal that he wasn’t quite finished with his meal yet. 

“Thinking hard about an answer?” The dragonfly troll teased, but with that tiredness in his eyes it lacked its usual punch.

Sharle grimaced.

“Man, I… I dunno what to tell you. I guess I’ve just, er, always done it. Just kept trying and stuff, even when things were looking pretty bad. Like, yeah, I got pretty frustrated and, er, lost my cool a lot, but at the end of the night, y’know… That’s just one race, and then the next race is a whole new one. I just… Really like racing, I guess,” he mused, punctuating it with a light shrug.

“I guess what I’m saying is, er… It just kinda clicked for me, so. Maybe it’ll click for you too, Tira.”

Sharle offered a smile at his teammate. Earnest and genuine, as he always tends to be.

Tira stared back in bewilderment, then confusion, then finally cracked up laughing, releasing all the tension he’d unknowingly been holding.

“Goddamn, Sharlie, I should’ve known to expect an answer like that from you. You really don’t think about shit, huh? Jamie’s right when he says you’re completely head empty,” he joked, tone light and airy with no malice behind his insults. “But, that’s what I like about you, man. You’re really good at just telling it how it is.”

Now it was Sharle’s turn to look bewildered, genuinely surprised his advice actually seemed to work. Tira continued.

“But, you’re right. Thinking too much about it is exactly what’s getting me in trouble, I really gotta take more notes outta your book. Maybe also hand my Twitter over to my manager for a bit too, disconnecting from all the gossip seems to help you out a lot, even if it seems boring as shit to not have anything to scroll through. But hey, I guess I just gotta keep doing everything I can to make sure I can keep racing with you, yeah?” 

He smiled, the first proper smile all week, and leaned over the table to hold his fist out to his teammate.

Sharle nodded, and returned the fistbump.

“Yeah.” 

“Aaanyway,” the dragonfly troll drawls out as he sits back down in his chair, “How much longer do we have left? I’ve still got some shrimp and rice to finish.”

He picked his chopsticks back up as Sharle checked his watch.

“Er, It’s 2am, we’ve got half an hour until the press conference.” 

“Ah, shit! I’ve gotta horf this thing down real quick!” the tealblood stared in shock at the amount of food still left on his plate.

As Tira tore into the rest of his meal, there was only two things on his mind:

One, sometimes hearing someone tell him the obvious is exactly what he needed to get his groove back. When the issue is his own insecurities and lack of confidence, then the best way to approach it really is to just not let them bother him anymore and focus on what’s really important.

And two, his redemption arc might have to start from the third free practice session tomorrow, as he’s going to have hella bad indigestion for the rest of the night.

[brainpuncture]

hate my therapist he doesnt listen to me lmaoo

[utterlyinevitable]

I’m bored and you’re headcanons are honestly so quality omfg but anyways write a headcanon of ethan and MC having a high school, slow burn love/not love (angsty ✨✨✨ kinda like us with our muses 💀 I’m not sure if Ethan ends up coming out as gay at the end tho-honestly if he did I’m living for it) love you lots! 💖 your tumblr niece

AHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAH no no nope Ethan will not come out as gay 🤣 But I am going to take full on creative liberty with this and you’re just gonna have to deal 😘

Ethan and Becca Meet in High School 

Ethan Ramsey was 26 years old and a TA for the school’s science department. He took the part time role on a year’s contract to help pay off some of his student loans before he started residency. 

At 17 years old, Becca was a senior at a small-town high school. 

Becca was an interesting student - very quiet but intelligent. She surrounded herself with the strangest group boys. Those boys were her lab bench mates, and were incredibly subpar. 

More than once Ethan caught the three boys playing games on their laptops and scrolling their feeds instead of paying attention. 

He watched her carry them all on her back through the course. And ask for nothing in return. 

It made his blood boil - they were clearly taking advantage of their friend. 

The next week Ethan persuaded Ms. Cook changed up the seating arrangements. 

Ethan took great pleasure in marking the boys Cs instead of the B+ they were used to getting with Becca’s help. 

Second Semester, AP Bio was kicking Becca’s ass. She needed help preparing to get the 5 she needed on the exam in order to rank Top 15 in her class before graduation.

So she attended Ms. Cook’s after school sessions. 

It seemed half the class needed extra help, so they were split up into groups. Half with Cook and half with Ramsey. Becca was assigned to Ramsey. 

As the days and weeks progressed, the after school group dwindled. 

After a choose-your-partner lab that day, Becca ended up with the same group of useless individuals. 

At study group that afternoon, Ethan confronted her about it: “I don’t know why you let them take credit for your work. Be proud of your accomplishments.” “Being proud gets you enemies.” “You’d rather have friends and compromise your integrity, than showing everyone what you’re capable of?”

That made her think. 

“I’d rather come out of high school unscathed.” “You can’t make everyone love you. The sooner you learn that, the sooner you’ll come into your own.”  “And who are you, Dr. Ramsey?”  “Someone who took every opportunity I could. I advise you do the same.” 

Over the next few weeks they got to know one another better. Ethan becoming her somewhat mentor and encouraging her to speak up more and assert herself. 

She took all his words to heart. 

He was proud and a little taken aback when she found a fallacy in one of their labs and called Ms. Cook out on it. It resulted in it being postponed to fix the errors.  

Being a high school senior meant having to choose what college to go to. 

She was getting acceptance letters left and right but she had absolutely no clue what she wanted to to with her life. 

“Did you always want to be a doctor?” she asked one afternoon.  “No. But it’s what I’m good at.”  “How did you know it’s what you wanted to pursue?”  “As much as I regret saying this, it felt like a calling.”  “Hmph. Okay.”  “You don’t agree with the notion?”  “I don’t know what I want to do. I’ve applied to so many schools and different programs. How do I know which one’s right?” 

They talked about what she’s passionate about and what makes her happiest and what careers she thinks she could pursue.  

That got her to think. Think long and hard and over a few days. 

She had a new outlook on life - she was on a new quest to find her eternal happiness. 

May came around and she took her AP exam. She got a perfect score.  _

Becca has eyes. She notices how attractive Dr. Ramsey is. Tbh everyone notices - he’s the thirst of the school district. Her girl friends even ask her about him multiple times a week. All she does is roll her eyes and say he’s too old for them.    

Becca had been all but dating Bryce Lahela for the last year and a half. 

They were friends. 

Friends who kissed and touched and spent almost every Friday and Saturday night together with the gang. 

It wasn’t a secret that Bryce was completely enamored by her. 

He wanted her. Officially. And he was tried of waiting. 

One day after school, Bryce was waiting outside Ms. Cook’s classroom for her. 

He nodded at and dodged every student that passed him as he waited. She was the last one to leave. 

“Hey,” he gave his megawatt smile.  “Hey, what’re you doing here? Don’t you have practice?”  “Ended early.” 

They exchanged small talk and Bryce finally began to lay everything out in a young, round about way. He kissed her to butter her up. 

“Be my girlfriend?”  “What’s wrong with what we already have?”  “C’mon, Becks,” he pulled her in closer by her beltloop.  “No.”  “No?”  “What’s the point? We’re just going to break up before college.”  “You don’t know that.” 

She rattled off all her reasons why: they aren’t going to the same school, they’re young, she doesn’t want to resent him, she doesn’t want to fall in love with him just for it to end badly. 

Bryce went to fight for her but was interrupted by the slam of a door. The two looked up and saw Dr. Ramsey and Ms. Cook locking up for the evening.

She pulled away from him and turned on her heels. 

At the bus stop, Becca sat with her head in her hands. 

Ethan came up next to her.   “For what it’s worth, I think you made the right decision. You’re going to change immensely over the next few years.”  “I know,” she grumbled into her palms. “It just hurts.”   _

Becca went to Stony Brook and double majored in Chemistry and Biology. 

She then attended Med School at UCLA. 

Her second year, a familiar name stared back at her from her required internal medicine textbook: Dr. Ethan Ramsey. 

Becca couldn’t help the smile as she remembered him. She’d almost forgot about the TA that impacted her life more than she could ever know.

Out of curiosity she consumed all his research. And when she finished everything, she found his direct email at Edenbrook. 

She spent an entire weekend wondering if she should email him - Ask if he remembered her and that she followed his advice. She found her calling and it was helping people, just like him. She thought about throwing a joke in there but figured it had been too many years and it probably wouldn’t translate. 

When residency came, she only had applied to Edenbrook. 

And that’s when she emailed him. 

She hadn’t gotten a response for months. 

Actually, she didn’t hear anything until her decision letter came. 

That same evening she found an email from him at the top of her inbox:  Glad to see you’ve found your voice. We look forward to welcoming you to the team. 

Ethan vaguely remembered Becca. 

Honestly, he blocked the whole TA part of his life out. 

Though, once he received her email, he personally vetted her application. And he was blown away. She wasn’t some naïve teenager. 

Becca started working at Edenbrook and wanted nothing more than to learn from Ethan himself. 

But he was different - jaded and cynical and not as approachable as she remembered. 

He pushed her to reach her potential and she pushed his buttons. 

They grew closer, especially with Naveen’s case. Basically the slow burn in canon happens. 

These two get together, officially, once their jobs at the new Bloombrook Diagnostics Hospital were instated and they were definitely both staying in Boston for the foreseeable future.  _

Becca didn’t particularly want to go to her 10-year high school reunion. She went because she was being recognized for her accomplishments with a few other alum. 

She brought her boyfriend Ethan with her.  “If I have to sit through this, so do you.”  “I can honestly say I’ve never been to a reunion.”  “Well, you’re my excuse to leave early. Gotta put the old man to bed,” she winked. 

She was grateful for him playing along instead of taking another shift at work, and it would be nice to just be a couple for once. Without expectations hanging over them as the heads of their respective departments at work. 

They had been in the ballroom for less than 15 minutes before they heard the loud whispers circulating. 

Seems like Becca wasn’t the only one who remember the sexiest TA in all of high school history and of teenage dreams. 

There were a bunch of intrusive questions being thrown at them and people coming up to them for the low down. 

They tried not to be rude in their admonishments but the whole situation was awkward as fuck. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to bring him with her.... 

But there was no going back now. 

And then Bryce sauntered over. 

They hadn’t spoken to one another since senior prom when he took her best friend as a date and then hooked up with someone else at the after party. 

“Rebecca, you look amazing,” he came in for a hug.  “Thank you, Bryce.” 

They had awkward catch ups at one side of the table as Ethan sat at the other end fending off questions from other girls and a select group of boys that remembered him. 

Bryce and Becca talked about what they’ve been up to, how he’s now a surgeon and what brought him back home. 

They lamented about how it’s strange they’re both in medicine and never spoke of that as a career path way back when. 

In their long, flowing and unawkward conversation, they settled that it was best they went their separate ways. 

They settled on the agreement that they didn’t think they’d end up at the schools they went to if they did date. They assumed love would reign and they’d choose to stay close by, and New York and California were not close by. 

With all the long awaited closure finally out of the way, Bryce motioned towards Ethan; “So, you and that guy? How’d that happen?” 

She knew what he was thinking and was quick to squash any rumors from starting.

“We work together. Didn’t mean for it to happen, it just kind of fell together.”  “You look happy.”  “I am.” 

Bryce was bold in his next assumption. Knowing Becca as the girl who always spoke about never getting married and being a free bird as her main reasons for never committing to a boy, he wanted to catch her of guard:   “Is it love?” 

He wasn’t prepared for her answer.

“Yes.” 

People change and are allowed to evolve. But it’s hard to imagine someone you once loved as anything other than who they were. And it’s even harder to see them in love with someone else. 

[agentsofsupernaturalmarvel]

Meeting The Family // Tom Holland

IN WHICH: Y/N O’Brien decides to bring her boyfriend to meet her parents and sister only to discover her older brother too. The older brother who influenced the relationship between the couple with his career. Will Tom made a good impression of the O’Brien clan? Specifically the protective brother?

Characters: O’Brien!Reader x Tom Holland, sister!reader x brother!Dylan O’Brien, Julia O’Brien, Lisa and Patrick O’Brien

Words: 2.7k

Warnings: Swearing, tooth decaying fluff and mentions of same sex relationships (this shouldn’t need to be a warning!)

A/N: This has been sitting in my drafts for a long time! Hope you enjoy!

YOU CAN REQUEST FROM ME AS WELL!

Masterlist

London was everything you had wanted to see since you graduated high school only a handful of years ago. When the Maze Runner series was ongoing, you often attended when they fell into the school breaks as support for your brother. While you and Julia were close, the bond you had with your older brother was closer. Dylan had always wanted a baby sibling from the time he understood what brother meant and your parents had no plan to have more children. Your conception was a complete surprise to the O'Brien clan, but a welcomed one. Three kids were enough for Lisa and Patrick O'Brien.

Once Dylan was cast as Stiles in Teen Wolf, his entire world changed, and more roles were offered until it was hard to see him. He always made sure to be there for birthdays and your high school graduation and to scare any boys. He was however often unavailable to catch your softball games in high school, acting was his thing, and softball was yours. It was also Dylan's acting career that allowed you to be introduced to your boyfriend. The boyfriend that Dylan wasn't aware of.

Tom was smitten the minute he saw you at his movie premiere to the point he grew the balls to ask you out, and the rest was history. As a family member to an actor, you understood the relationship would be harder than most, but it was worth it. Tom was worth it.

"Tom! We gotta go!" You called out to your boyfriend in your hotel room. Tom made his appearance wearing that shirt you had loved from the first date he wore it on.

It was a muted green and black vertical striped button-up with white outlining each stripe that paired wonderfully with a pair of slim-fit black jeans. His hair was styled just enough to look presentable without losing the natural curly waves. His necklace resting against his clothed chest and the silver watch pulling it off. It was the perfect outfit for dinner with your family where they would meet the nameless boyfriend they knew about.

"What?" Tom asked, looking down at his outfit, "Is it bad?"

"No! It's my favourite shirt of yours." You admitted walking over to slide your fingers into his while leaning up to press a lingering kiss to his lips, "My Mom is going to love you."

"I hope so." Tom murmured nudging his nose against yours, "I would love to have my future mother-in-law like me."

While not engaged the topic of marriage and a family had been spoken about every once in a while. You both knew that each other was The One, but it had no formal engagement until your significant other met the future-in-laws.

"The only person you had to worry about is my brother."

"The brother that learned how to shoot a gun on three sets. Teen Wolf for comedy, Maze Runner series and American Assassin." Tom spoke with a nervous glint in his eye. Technically your father had met Tom on a Skype session, and he didn't recognize him surprisingly.

As you drove into your hometown, you gave the rundown of your family to Tom. Hermosa Beach, California hadn't changed in the months you had spent away during the fall and winter semesters at university. The lady that babysat you still lived a block away from the O'Brien house with the cute old fashioned style with window box flowers. You had helped her plant some ever spring.

The O'Brien home had changed very slightly, but being away made you more aware of the changes. Both Julia and Dylan's cars were already parked on the street against the curb, so Tom followed suit by parking behind Dylan.

"Oh god, Dylan and Julia are both here." You whispered glancing over at Tom, "Dylan's filming schedule must have changed."

The house smelled terrific inside with the voices carrying in the open space of the living room and the kitchen. Removing your shoes, Tom and you made your way to the kitchen where your mom was tossing a salad. Outside your father was grilling steak with Dylan talking his ear off.

"Hey, Mom." You breathed, pressing a kiss to her cheek before stepping back, "I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Tom."

Lisa O'Brien was a loving person who accepted everyone with open arms no matter the circumstance and displayed this as she pulled Tom into a hug. Tom stiffened before hugging her back tightly, her energy and embrace reminding him of his parents back in England.

"Hello Tom, welcome to our home." Lisa smiled, stepping back, "If you want to join the boys outside, feel free."

"Actually, is there anything I can help you with?" Tom asked following your steps as you washed your hands at the sink. Lisa smiled once more nodding in response.

"Can you cut some cucumbers up please in circles," Lisa asked, and her approval grew as Tom stepped up to the job immediately. Her dark hair was pulled away from her face revealing features that Tom could see in you.

While Tom settled into a pleasant conversation with Lisa on his childhood and family, you finished setting the table. Once finished, you left the two of them to their own devices before stepping into the backyard where Dylan was talking animatedly about the Mets.

"I can't believe it. My dear Mets fanatic brother hasn't even invited me to a game." You gasped faking being scandalized with a grin that split your act. Dylan was quick to yank you into a tight hug holding his beer away to keep it from sloshing on you.

"Well if my little sister was around when I'm able to go." Dylan teased back stepping away to scan you, "You look more dressed up than normal for family supper."

He was right, typically when you wore a sweater and leggings; today you wore your favourite shirt and form-fitting jeans. Shoes were cute booties that matched the dark brown colour in your colourful cardigan. The most typical part of your outfit was your makeup being just like you wore every day.

"Mr. O'Brien, I've been sent to inform you that Mrs. O'B…I mean Lisa." Tom cut himself off as Lisa informed her to call her by her first name, "is finished with the side dishes."

Dylan was incredibly silent as he gazed at his fellow actor with a penetrating look in his eyes as his mind flipped through reasons he was there. You hadn't mentioned knowing the British actor in any of the conversations you had shared since you last saw each other in person. Tom returned to the kitchen before Dylan could question him, and you followed Tom as well. You didn't want to face Dylan's interrogation yet.

Dinner was spent with your parents asking Tom questions, from the typical childhood stories up until how you two met.

 "We met at a movie premiere a few months back," Tom spoke up wiping the corner of his mouth as he took a sip of his water. He didn't hide that he drank alcohol but had chosen to stick to non-alcoholic drinks as he was driving home.

"He stumbled over his words asking for my number." You blushed to look at the man sitting next to you. Julia was hanging onto every word of the meeting with a small smile, she adored knowing her little sister was happy.

"Thankfully, she took pity on my nerves by giving me her number, and after getting to know each other, I asked her out." Tom grinned, "I asked my Mum for ideas, and then I planned."

"How did you do it?"

"There's a hole in the wall coffee shop I go to. The owner is originally from London and serves authentic tea. I took Y/N there for our third date, and the owner was nice enough to let me play barista.”

"Play barista?" Julia questioned with a grin plastered on her face taking a sip of the wine your parents had cracked open. Dylan was invested in this story as he nursed his beer paired with his steak and potatoes.

"It was silly. Tom slips behind the counter with this cheesy grin taking my drink order, and then he decides to order himself a snack to share with me. He brings the order to our table and announces the names he put on the order, he had made a sticker of a bee on the food with the word 'Bee', and the drink had 'Mine'."

"Aww!" Your mom announced as Tom leaned over to kiss the side of your head without even thinking about it.

The sight alone made your father nostalgic and sad at seeing his little girl was grown up and found a good man. Patrick O'Brien had no doubts that he was looking at his youngest child's future husband. Tom was everything Patrick and Lisa had wished for Y/N's significant other and the charming British accent was a bonus.

"We're having a fire out back with a few friends if you two would like to join us," Dad spoke with a sparkle in his eye as he grasped his wife's hand and then stood up to clear his plate.

Tom was quick to offer his help by taking your empty plate and his before following Patrick into the kitchen.

"Can I help Sir?" Tom asked your father. Wordlessly Patrick waved the young man to follow into the kitchen to start the dishes; it was a rule in the family that whoever made dinner would relax while the one who didn't clean up.

"In our house, we like to follow a rule. Since Lisa made most of the supper, I do the dishes. Normally, I would tell you to visit with the others, but I'd like to speak to you." Patrick spoke, beginning to run the water while Dylan made his appearance with the rest of the dirty dishes, "And Dylan wants to speak to you as well."

"Do you love her?" Dylan finally broke his quiet domineer as he opened a drawer where the dishcloths and drying towels were.

Tom mulled the question overtaking his time to answer in a way that would be completely honest. These two men were the most important in your life, and he wanted to ensure they knew he was serious about the relationship.

"I do. I think I fell in love on our second date." Tom mused, thinking back to the beautiful picnic in a low-key park. A stroke of luck had kept the date under-wrap and didn't find itself way into the media, "She's everything I've ever wanted. She's kind, caring, emotionally mature, and while she isn't in the industry, she understands."

"That's Y/N." Dylan softly spoke, "I'm just surprised we didn't know it was you. I only heard she was going on dates, but we never got a name."

"It was a mutual decision to keep our relationship private from everyone. We went into the relationship hesitant, but we both have spoken about our future. We've been together for nine months now, and we're ready to meet each other's family's officially." Patrick and Dylan listened carefully to the man that had a steady blush growing and a soft loving grin.

"And?" Patrick asked, stopping his motions to put his full attention on the young British man.

"We'd like to keep the relationship private from the media, but I am going to announce that I'm seeing someone if it comes up." Tom finished as he passed a dry plate to Dylan. Tom's head peaked to see that you were sitting with your sister and mother in the living room, "I know I don't have to ask for permission, but I wanted to ask for your blessing. I'd like to ask Y/N to marry me, and I'm okay with waiting a while to ask or even a long engagement for our families to get to know us."

Dylan was scrutinizing the nervous, but sure body language was enough for him to stop his uncharacteristic behaviour. At that moment Dylan knew that Tom was a lot more mature than he had been at his age; the fame Tom had gotten hadn't gone to his head; this Tom was just like any other average guy.

"Well, you have my blessing," Patrick responded

"So, what's your favourite baseball team?" Dylan asked with a giant grin that he shared with his sisters. Just as he asked, you walked into the kitchen after an interrogation from the other O'Brien women.

"I haven't really been to a game," Tom admitted chuckling at the gasp the older actor released. His head came down to rest on yours as you wrapped your arms around his midsection.

"Already trying to sway him to the Mets?" You joked turning to face the males, Dylan had put the last dish away while Patrick rinsed the sink clean.

Julia made her appearance by poking you in the side just as she had since you were a child that led to a small squeal falling from your lips. The squeal that made an amused smile appear on everyone in the room, including you.

"Don't you know that's a requirement to be part of this family." Julia joked tilting her head to scrutinize the only person in the room that piqued her interest. Julia never expected you to fall for an actor, let alone a British one, "So where will you two be living?"

"Julia!" You whined, shaking your head at your older sister. Her words fell silent when the gate in your backyard opened to your neighbours and closest family friends, "Hey look! The Taylor's are here!"

You rushed out the room dragging Tom with you to meet your childhood friends and family, the Taylors. The Taylors consisted of Trevor and Jason along with their two children Sadie and Eric, one of two same-sex couples that lived in your vicinity. In fact, you had shared your first kiss with Sadie when you were ten, in that experience, you discovered you weren't into Sadie; Sadie went on to have a crush on Julia for three years.

"Y/N!" Sadie exclaimed practically tackling you into a hug. Her blonde hair brushing against your cheek as she pulled back, her features hadn't changed since the last time you saw her. Sadie was a gymnast at UCLA with a fast track to the Olympics.

"Tom, this is my best friend, Sadie. Sadie this is my boyfriend, Tom." You introduced the two while Eric made his way over. Eric was born a year older than you born at the beginning of 1994 while you were born in the late part of 1995.

A trait that Tom had was adapting to every situation and making friends with everyone, and that's what he did the next two hours with the Taylors. He made no judgment on the Taylor's or even Julia for their sexual orientation, he accepted everyone.

"We should head back." Tom murmured against your head, sitting by the fire he had positioned you to sit between his legs with his arms and a blanket wrapped around you two. Your eyes were slowly blinking away the sleep while Dylan cast a soft smile at you; he may have trouble seeing you with someone, but you looked happy.

"We're gonna head out." You spoke to the people surrounding the fire. Your family and friends made their goodbyes as you and Tom took in your drinks and the blanket. Once your bottles were disposed of and a blanket folded into the basket, you left, "What did you think?”

"That I'm going to have to buy a Mets jersey." Tom joked, tapping his thumbs against the steering wheel, "I had a great time. I love your family, there just like mine, and I know where you get your looks and personality from."

"Dylan didn't intimidate you too much?" You smiled tilting your head to stare at him. Tom shook his head, "I'm happy you guys get along."

"Now, you get to meet my family." Tom winked taking your hand in his to rest on his thigh while you got comfortable to sleep for the hour ride home. Tom glanced at your sleeping features with a decision in mind, he would make sure to remember the ring he had nestled in a hidden compartment to London.

[1-800-jmsbckbrns]

‘failed’

hc #21 || stucky x reader

‘i just thought i would do well....’

If there was one thing Steve and Bucky had a good concept of, it was history. They were both top of the class because of their extensive knowledge of years before them.

They had no worries about the midterm coming up. Both would ace it without question. They had straight A’s for the semester so far. It looked beautiful on a high school transcript and would help them get into their top careers come graduation in May. 

Y/N, on the other hand.... not so much.  Her mind couldn’t quite grasp all the wars and diplomats. She was failing the history class by the first test. 

Now I know what you’re thinking. Why didn’t Y/N just ask for help? Or why didn’t Steve and Bucky see the signs?

It was well known among the trio that Y/N didn’t speak of her grades. She didn’t want Steve and Bucky to see her as her gains and her loses. Her parents already saw enough of that in her. She wanted them to see her for her actions, and how smart she was outside of the standards of school. All she wanted was for her boyfriends to love her for who she was, not was a couple of letters dictated.

The study session was fine. Steve and Bucky were mostly just glossing over the information, but Y/N was buried deep in her books. She couldn’t absorb the words quick enough. She would probably be here all night just trying so hard to understand it. 

“I gotta head back to my place. Peggy’s locked out of the apartment. I love you both.” Steve was quick to gather his things, kiss the both of them, and leave. Y/N barely paid attention to the whole interaction. She curled up tighter and moved her face closer to the history book. 

“You’re cute when you think really hard,” Bucky said as he pulled her close. Y/N closed the textbook for a moment. She hid her worry behind a mask. He couldn’t know she was absolutely bugged about this test. 

“Well you’re cute all the time.” Her smile was soft and full of love. Could Bucky hear her heart racing or was that just her? It was pounding in her ears. 

Bucky only chuckled before kissing Y/N. Her grip on the book loosened on instinct. Her mind was silenced briefly.

Wait, wait, wait-

“I need to do a little more studying. Just five more minutes.” She moved so she was straddling his hips and her book lay open on his chest. Bucky’s used on hand to hold her side while the other closed her book.

“You’ll ace it. I have no doubt. We can go right back to studying in five minutes.”

Oh... how tempting it was. She did need to take a break.....

Y/N stared in horror at her test that rest in her hands. There was a glaring red 59/100 on the top by her name. 

She was going to fail this class. There was no way she could bring it back now. Should she just drop the class? Should she just drop out of school all together? 

The results made Y/N weepy all day. She didn’t answer any texts, post on any medias, didn’t even talk to her roommate. This really took a dig at her. She was destroyed over these results. 

One thought kept creeping in as she went through her day. Bucky and Steve would be so disappointed in her. She’d have to tell them she dropped the class, then why she failed, then why she’s really dumb, and then-

Thoughts overwhelmed Y/N. She buried her face in her pillow and screamed. College was so hard. Having really smart boyfriends is also really hard. 

tap tap

Y/N’s head lifted. It was soft, almost not there at all. She waited for a moment, and another knock followed a minute later. Steve was usually the only person to knock that light.

Turns out it was Steve. He looked mildly concerned, and rightfully so. Y/N had dipped directly after class and had been silent since. 

“What’re you doing here?” Her smile was full on, cheer in her voice at the sight of her brilliant boyfriend. Though it didn’t rid of his slight frown.

“I was concerned about you. Bucky is too but he’s in the bathroom.” Y/N didn’t need to know that last part it was whatever. 

“You have no reason to be concerned, sweetie. I’m fine.” Her hand held the side of his face, her entire demeanor reassuring as she always did. Steve shook his head.

“Y/N, Dr. Johnson pulled me aside and asked if I could tutor you for a retake on the test. He said he sees your potential but it’s tucked out of reach.” 

Her heart broke in that moment. Steve knew, which meant Bucky knew. They would be so disappointed. Her breathing grew ragged and she couldn’t stop the sob that came out. Y/N didn’t realize she had been holding it in for so long.

“I’m such an idiot. I don’t understand anything, Steve,” she moaned. Her words were interrupted soft hiccups and coughs. Steve always described her crying like a kitten crying. It was so sad but a little cute. 

“You’re not an idiot by any means.” Steve pulled her into his arms, gently rocking her in his arms. His hand was tangled in her hair as he held her head close. That was the best way to comfort her. Hold her close and protect her. 

“I’m sorry.” The Y was dragged out and turned into another sob. Steve only squeezed her tighter and whispered words of comfort. They stood in her doorway for some time before Bucky joined them. He hugged her from behind but said nothing. He never knew what to say at times like this. Always the strong and silent type.

In the week between the first test and the re-take, the trio spent every free moment helping Y/N learn the material. They were actually really helpful. They made sure not to bombard her with too much information, and had healthy breaks in-between. 

Y/N ended up making a 72, but it was passing. She thanked both her professor and the boys. Maybe she wouldn’t fail this class... maybe.

[trixcuomo]

The Kaja-Cola Flava Girls Reunite

((Welcome to my very fangirl headcanon for Trixany and my femme alts. Something cute, needlessly complex, and over-the-top for you to enjoy <3...))

Daily Mail Org: Zug zug folks, here we have it! Hot off the presses... the Kaja-Cola’s premier girl-band that helped spread the message of this exceptional Goblin party drink beyond Kezan, beyond Goblin lands, and tear into new world markets... And I mean literally, last week. They almost danced a man to death on the Stormwind tram in order to sell him Kaja-Cola... They’re back! In The Daily Mail Org studio today, we have all six of the original Flava Girls. Well, not so original--the newest addition, lucky lady number seven, is a beautiful Nightborne goddess.

Arcana Mama: Haha--yes, Arcana Mama. That would be me.

Daily Mail Org: Wow, she even has a sweet speaking voice.

Flava Girls: *all giggle and cheer*

Daily Mail Org: This is amazing. Your old fans, especially the Trixany Cuomo fangirls and fanboys out there, have to be thrilled. Today, the Flava Girls are officially no longer a throw-back.

Trixany: That sounds a little insulting, you know. We’re just grown--we’re all full-grown ladies! *laughs* We know what we want and we’re not taking any prisoners this time. Right, ladies?

Flava Girls: *wild cheers, wolf-whistle*

Daily Mail Org: Oh, of course! That’s what I meant. And Trixany has been the lead singer. It’s her successful parody career that ignited the spark for the Flava Girls to come back, am I right? You wanna talk about that, Trixany?

Trixany: Well, it’s no secret that the band sort of went its own way when I broke out. I wanted to go solo, see what I could do. But the girls were always there for me, we kept in touch...

Daily Mail Org: Uh, really? You destroyed their careers single-handed and we’re supposed to believe you were having wine-and-cheese nights, holding hands, crying on each other’s shoulders?

Mega Meghan Mango: *husky Tauren voice* Spiritually, we were always connected. Even when we weren’t talking to each other, we were attuned to what was going on in each other’s lives. The band wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t get on the scrying orb one time and tell Trixany, “Look. I can see what that rivalry with Haris Pilton is doing to you. I can see it crushing your soul, Trix. This isn’t you.”

Trixany: Oh my gods, she’s so right. I can’t believe I forgot about that! Now I remember, that was Meghan and Jojo, right? Where’s Mojo Jojo? Why are you sitting way back there, girl? Come on, scoot up so they can see you.

From left to right: Mojo Jojo (Troll), Shuga Slam (Orc), Fiesta LimeTrixany (Blood Elf), Cocoa Crush (Goblin), Mega Meghan Mango (Tauren).

Mojo Jojo: *chill Troll voice* Ya, ya, mon. Dat was me and Meghan. I asked miss Trixany-mon, ‘What joo gonna do about dat nasty richmon Haris? Dis needs to stop right hea, right now.”

Trixany: And Jojo, you said something about a loa... By the Sunwell, I can’t remember that part exactly, it was good too--

Org Daily Mail: Did Mojo Jojo try to sign you up with Bwonsamdi, Trixany? That sounds more like a career-ending move to me.

Mojo Jojo: *cackles wildly*

Trixany: That’s not at all what she did--

Mojo Jojo: No, no. I tol’ her that she betta make a bargain with Kimbul quick so the tiga loa can tear dat witch up for spreadin’ dose rumors.

Arcana Mama: Oh my word... No she didn’t!

Shuga Slam: *orcish accent* Yes, she did. She did it for the Horde!

Trixany: Hahaha...

Cocoa Crush: *goblin siprano* Yeah, that’s totally something Trix would do anyway on her own. If not Kimbul, then she would have paid the Goblin mob or something--

Trixany: Oh my Garrosh--Don’t say that out loud!

Org Daily Mail: Wait, did she? What’s that sly smile, Trixany?

Trixany: Okay, so I did sign on with Kimbul for a while during BFA--um, didn’t everyone?--and maybe Haris Pilton’s career did tank for a while. But was it a coincidence? You decide. Remember when she fell off the stage during that Consortium fashion show last spring? *shrugs* I don’t know if I believe in the loa stuff. As a Blood Elf, I guess it’s probably against my brand--

Mojo Jojo: Ya, I don’ tink you should claim dat.

Trixany: ...But at least now Haris does. She’s a devout believer in Kimbul. I hear she’s sworn never to go to Zuldazar, for fear of him.

Org Daily Mail: ...Ouch. But Trix, can you finish up the story for us? What happened to make you go to the Kaja-Cola Company and get the band back together?

Cocoa Crush: No, I should tell this part. Trixany wasn’t actually thea.

Trixany: *frowns, but tries not to say anything*

Org Daily Mail: What’s this? More sibling drama!

Cocoa Crush: I told the Kaja-Cola Company that people need thoughtless entertainment these days. Tha kinda fluffy, pathetic, ‘I’m dancing in a tube-top, look at me’ stuff that only my big step-sista Trixany could provide. And they agreed with me. Let’s not lie, I’m the brains hea. The fourth war was hard on everyone, and it was about the only way the company could get people to start drinking Kaja-Cola again.

Trixany: ...Yes.

Org Daily Mail: Trixany? Is that all you have to say?

Trixany: Legally, yes. That’s how it happened. Except for that tube-top jab my sis squeezed in there--

Coca Crush: After you drunk butt-dialed the Kaja-Cola Company for the last time, you betta be lucky I’m still even speakin’ to ya. I’m always cleaning up my step-sister’s drama. Ironic, too. They were getting ready to call Horde Records and have them drop her butt!

Shuga Slam: Ouch. Sounds like it’s always lok’tar ogar at the Cuomo house.

Trixany: Grr...

Cocoa Crush: But! I also saved my step-sista’s career. And now I’m officially the underwriter, so I’ll get the song credits I was supposed to be getting this whole time.

Cocoa Crush (Troll), Arcana Mama (Nightborne), Fiesta Lime Trixany (Blood Elf), Shuga Slam (Orc), Mega Meghan Mango (Tauren)

Black Cherry Dahlia: *smokey Forsaken voice* Nobody has asked about me yet. Or why I’m always getting cut off in all the publicity photos!

*girls screaming, then the male Orc interviewing starts yelling too*

Shuga Slam: Actually, why am I screaming? Me and my fangs get cut off on the other side of the photo if it’s not spooky Dahli getting cropped out.

Cocoa Crush: Eh, blame the KCC. They mix it up dependin’ on tha demographic they’re selling Kaja-Cola to.

Org Daily Mail: Blood and thunder! Black Cherry Dahlia? You’re a damned scary dame. I’m even impressed! How’d you even get into the studio? You weren’t here before? I could swear it--

Black Cherry Dahlia: I’m more than ready to spread Kaja-Cola products through Forsaken lands like the mighty Plague we all know and love.

Meghan Mega Mango: Do we... Does anyone love the Plague? Officially?

Mojo Jojo: You gotta take dat kinda stuff up with Bwonsamdi, dat not be in my contract, Undead-mon.

Shuga Slam: I’m not commenting, either. I’m Frostwolf Clan by birth, and I don’t need that kind of drama following me around on the Orc social media streams. If Eitrigg or Thrall unfriends me, I’m dead. Black Cherry, will you tone it down! It was bad enough when Sylvanas burned that tree. Don’t go burning our careers down! Again!

Org Daily Mail: One last thing. My producer is telling me now that you all have secret identities when you’re not out saving the world with your music. Care to go into detail?

Trixany: Other way around. We’re already strong fighters for the Horde. Saving lives, our lands, our people--that’s a daily thing. Our real names--I guess except for mine I suppose--those are the secret. But everyone knows our stage names.

Org Daily Mail: That doesn’t make any sense. Here ya go, while we try to figure this one out... We’re going to play some more Flava Girls footage in the background for the people streaming at home on their scrying orbs.

Trixany: Yes it does so make sense! It’s like... Jem and the Holograms but it’s flipped around. They were a band but nobody knew they were actually running around helping people, right?

Cocoa Crush: I told Trixany not to bingewatch that Jem show while she was drinkin’. *sigh*

Org Daily Mail: I’m pretty sure it’s the exact same thing, NOT flipped. You’re musicians, but you also have secret identities for when you’re fighting your enemies. This whole time, I never called any of you by your real names.

Trixany: Anyway, come see us perform. And if any of you fans out there recognize one of us in real life too, please don’t out us! We need to keep our true stage identities secret in order to play the happy, sassy music that we do.

Org Daily Mail: I’m still confused.

Arcana Mama: Yes, I think Trixany just really wants the ‘magical girl’ element as part of our aesthetic. It’s okay.

Trixany: There are wants and needs, Arcana. ‘Magical girl’ is a need for me.

Org Daily Mail: Alright! Well, thanks for coming into the studio, ladies. We look forward to seeing your heavily synchronized dances and auto-tuned voices wherever the Horde needs joy. Can you sing a little something for us before you go? Or, does that need to go through rehearsals and a pre-recorded lip-synching session first?

Black Cherry Dahlia: We’d better do it. This grimy Orc has been insulting us the entire time, ladies. I think he needs correcting. *cracks knuckles, neck super loudly*

Flava girls: *Trixany counts out a beat first, then they all hold hands and harmonize* Nobody loves Azeroth better I'mma stick with Malfurion forever Nobody gonna take Azzy higher That's why you're my Shan'dooo Only Malfy appreciates her Forget Tyrande--my archdruid baby! Nobody ever healed Azeroth this way No Shan'don't. He's my Shan'dooo!**

Org Daily Mail: LOKTAR!! Wow, that’s... all kinds of meta and complicated, yet LIT! It’s even cross-faction. I love it!! Tyrande won’t--but hey! Let’s hear it for the Kaja-Cola Flava Girls, everybody!

*The girls stand, still holding hands, and they curtsey beautifully. Then tall Meghan suddenly picks up a squealing Trixany. The other girls cheer and shake Kaja-Cola bottles. They spray a rainbow of tropical soda on everything*

All the Flava Girls: Arcana Mama (Nightborne), Mojo Jojo (Troll), Cocoa Crush (Goblin), Fiesta Lime Trixany (Blood Elf), Mega Meghan Mango (Tauren), Shuga Slam (Orc), Black Cherry Dahlia (Forsaken)

((**Parody song is Shan’dooo by Trixany @trixcuomo​))

[inboldmagazine]

INBOLD MEETS: April + VISTA, the D.C. based duo defying genres and making music that appeals to them, not just the music industry.

A photo of the music duo April + VISTA. Photography by @agathapowa (Instagram). Interview and text by Nandi Ndoro and Trudy Painter. 

This interview was a part of our first printed issue. You can read more here. 

How did you two meet?

April: We went to college together but we didn’t know each other. We met when I reached out to Matt on Soundcloud and asked if he wanted to meet up in D.C. to talk about music and stuff. From that point on, we’ve been working together.

What were some of the helpful resources for you in DC when you were both starting out?

Matt: I started off working with a bunch of the rappers in the area. They were just starting out too and they were going to these open mics like Everlasting Life Cafe. That was one of the places where all the rappers and producers would perform on Saturday nights. It became the center of our little community. There, I was able to meet a lot of the producers, rappers, and creatives in the area that would help shape my sound.

April: In 2014, when Matt and I started working on music, there were still some resources in D.C. but they were dwindling. There were places like MOUSAi House, a warehouse that had spaces for artists to record, that was especially helpful for us. When that went away, we realized that there aren’t that many resources in D.C. for creatives. Over the years, they’ve been erased. Now, we normally just write at home and then go to studios afterwards.

What’s made you stay?

Both: Student loans.

April: Here’s a big lesson for anyone reading this: when you go to school… make sure you don’t get no loans. That’s something we didn’t realize until later on. Now we’re like, “Damn, we gotta pay these back. That sucks.”

Matt: If we could, we would dip. I love D.C. and the whole DMV area but I only started travelling last year. My first time going to L.A. was in June and I loved it there. I would love to spend some time somewhere else to see how I develop my sound or grow as a human but… student loans. On top of that, the community we have here has really helped us grow and if we were to move right now, we wouldn’t get another community as strong.

April: Yeah. We just recently got to a point where we’re travelling for music, like going on tour and taking extending leases, but we both still work 9 to 5 jobs!

Wow! What’s it like balancing all of that?

April: It’s very very hard. When we put out Note to Self, our second EP, we were getting to a very frustrated part of our lives. It sucked having to stay up and record then go to work right after. Now it’s getting even more strenuous because we have even bigger opportunities coming our way. Overall, though, it all teaches you a work ethic that I really like. We handle our own marketing and design because that’s the nature of our day jobs. So  our  jobs help us but balancing it all is hard.

That’s impressive. On a different note, we fangirled over how you guys work with other DMV artists like Goldlink. What’s that been like?

April: The biggest thing that I learned from working with other musicians was how to fall back and be a tool for someone to use. Being able to work in a team that doesn’t necessarily center around you is a skill in itself. I also learned a lot about the business side of music— what things to look for in a manager, how to negotiate splits, and other things like that. On the creative side, I learned how to think on my feet. Matt and I take a long time to develop our songs. We have to write at home, then go to the studio and perform what we’ve already made. Rappers don’t do that. They think on the spot. They get beats sent to them, write down all their lyrics, and then spit them out. As a vocalist, a rapper will say to you, “I want you on this song” and when you walk into the studio, you’ll have five minutes to think about what you’re gonna write. One time at a studio session, they had a whole choir waiting for me and I had to quick figure out how to direct an entire choir for the first time! It’s all really fun actually and it helps you become a fast thinker.

Do you ever feel pressure to create for a certain audience now that you’re getting more opportunities?

Matt: We do what we enjoy. There’s no pressure for us to make whatever we think are “tight songs”. We realize that for streaming services, record labels, or anyone listening to our music, it’s easier to put us in certain categories. We’re considered as a branch of R&B but we don’t only see our music as R&B. Our stuff is more experimental and it takes from a lot of different genres to just be called R&B. At the same time, we get a lot of opportunities because people think that we’re R&B. We’ll be asked to get on R&B songs or we’ll be thrown on big R&B playlists. We get money from this stuff. It’s cool, honestly, but we want to stay true to our own definition of ourselves.

April: Yeah, these are things you have to think about as an independent artist because how you’re categorized in general can determine how many people come across your music.

What’s been one of the most exciting things you’ve done as musicians?

Matt: We did a tour with Little Dragon. We were like Little Dragon superfans when that happened.

April: Yeah, going on tour with them was crazy. We were so shook. It was basically going on tour with your favorite band of all time.

Matt: Exactly! I would say the most exciting thing is a tie between touring with Little Dragon or with Goldlink. That was my first ever tour so it was a big moment. It was also my first time going overseas.

April: Yeah, we went to Europe for the first time last year.

Matt: We also did Colours in Germany which was so cool.

That’s awesome! That video is blowing up by the way.

April: We know! It’s exciting. We stopped looking at it though just in case we get negative comments.

Everyone loves it! You even got a shout out from Masego. If you could give advice to teens who are pursuing music, what would you say?

Matt: For producers, don’t take it so seriously when you’re starting out. That takes the joy out of it sometimes. You should take it seriously once you get to college.  Also, at that age, you’ll start to see people who have “figured it out”. Don’t mess up your own self-image because you feel like you need to be like them. It wasn’t until after college that I really began to fall into who I really am.

April: When you’re in high school, you think to yourself: “I’m aspiring to be a musician… I’m aspiring to be a creative.” You’re not aspiring. You are that person already! So stop saying that. I’ve learned that in the music industry, especially as a female, everyone is looking at you like you’re the least experienced person there. If you start recognizing now that you’re not “aspiring”, by the time you get to an important point in your career, you will already have the confidence that you need to stand tall in who you are.

[lilyliveredlittlerichboy]

Educating the Victim - Act V, Chapter IX

Pairing: hinted Yellow Diamond/White Diamond, hinted Yellow Diamond/Pearl

Rating: Teens and up

Warnings/Tags: none for this chapter

Read it on AO3!

Act 1 Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5

Act 2 Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8

Act 3 Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8 Ch9

Act 4 Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8 Ch9 Ch10 Ch11

Act 5 Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8 Ch9

Insert 1 (after Act 2 Ch7)

Insert 2 (after Act 3 Ch2)

Insert 3 (after Act 3 Ch9)

Insert 4 (after Act 4 Ch9)

CHAPTER 9: Worry

The next day, Rose Quartz prepared to teach her final year students.

Dark rings under her eyes spoke of long evenings, because on top of her usual workload, she had to organise the fair. It barely gave her time to think about anything else. She'd barely had time to spend with Greg. She barely had time to worry about Pearl and Principal Diamond.

She set up her classroom. Determined to do great. Diamond would be inspecting her, she assumed, at random intervals. She had to be prepared for anything.

Amethyst felt a knot of unease as the lesson progressed, realising she drew closer to having to speak to Rose. Pearl seemed to be usually lost in her lesson, giving little time to chat. Amy could barely focus, and by the time the bell rang, she almost debated lying to Aurora and saying she'd spoken. But she then looked at Pearl and swallowed. No. Not if her friend was in danger.

"Yo, P, I need to ask Quartz a couple of questions about the mocks. I fucked them up. I'll catch you in English, alright?"

She was met with a confused nod from Pearl, who only seemed to shrug and promise to save her a seat.

Once everyone had left the room, Amy paced to the front of the class and cleared her throat. "Miss Quartz."

Of all the people that Rose expected to stay after class, Amethyst wasn't one of them.

She looked up, surprised. "Amy!" she said. "What can I do for you?"

Amy swallowed and took a look around. "Could we... maybe talk about something?" She rubbed her arm. "About Pearl."

About Pearl. Worry shot through Rose. "Y-yeah," she said, "Sure. What about her?"

"Her and the principal. She sent... a really worrying text to her sister by mistake last night. And like... I know you two are close." An understatement, to say the least. Amy shifted, feeling a pang of envy plaster a flush over her face.

"Oh?" That was, indeed, worrying. Rose clearly remembered Pearl saying that Diamond was hot. She thought of Jasper's allegations. What if...?

"Do you know what exactly happened?"

"I..." Amy swallowed. She might as well tell Rose everything. "I live with her now. Her sister has a little studio pad. And last night I came home from school and... Aurora was kinda freaking out over a text. Apparently Pearl and the Principal had some kind of afterschool sesh, she didn't tell me jack shit about it but.... apparently they did something, yanno... sexual. Maybe. Whatever. Pearl wasn't clear about it and she's not gonna tell either me or Rori anything."

Amy's words sent a surge of alarm through Rose. She straightened up, gripping the pen she was holding with needless force.

"That is indeed worrying," she said. An understatement. She loved Pearl. There was no way she would stand by and let her precious Pearl get destroyed by a force equal to Roxy Dayman.

"Thank you for telling me, Amy," Rose said, her voice carefully controlled. "I'll see what I can do."

Amy felt that despicable envy surge even more through her. She hated the terror in those eyes. She wanted to be bigger. More powerful. A part of her wished nothing more than to be the one protecting Pearl. "You, uh, keep her safe, okay? Or I'm... I'm calling the cops. And that's going to be ugly for everyone." An empty threat, she realised; she was too scared. But Rose didn't know that. "And Diamond has a chance of not getting caught. You don't."

"There's no need to threaten me, Amethyst," Rose said, her voice gentle. Amethyst was just as worried about Pearl as she was. They were on the same side. "I'm not doing anything illegal. And I'll keep you updated, if you wish."

Amethyst swallowed. "Please." The anxiety welling in her stomach made things so much more tense. "For Rori's sake, too. This is... really bad on her."

"I can imagine." Rose lowered her voice. "This stays between us, but I'm trying to get a few people together. So I have allies against Diamond. Let's just say the way she's treating me hasn't gone unnoticed by the rest of the staff. I can't do anything by myself, but if we work together we might have a chance of actually changing things."

Oh. Of course. Amethyst could only give a tiny nod. "It can't be good. She's... not good to anyone, right now. Stay safe, I gotta, uh, head to English."

"Okay. You stay safe too. Keep Pearl safe. I can't do it all the time." Rose gave Amethyst a smile. "I'll let you know if there's any progress."

Amethyst didn't return the smile. "See ya."

She turned and left, her insides completely messy. She hated this. She hated feeling like she wasn't enough.

Rose sighed and watched Amy leave.

She then pulled out her phone and sent a text to Pearl.

Can you come see me later? RQ xx

Pearl's phone buzzed. She gave a quick glance and tilted her head. Oh. Rose. She smiled. That would be nice, she'd barely had any time to talk to her in the lesson. She gave Amy a wave as her friend walked into class, late. The rest of the lesson seemed to go all too fast, and they'd thankfully made it into their lunch period.

"Rose wants to see me." Pearl sighed as Amethyst suggested going out to town for lunch. "I haven't had time to really talk to her since our date, she's been so busy. Apparently Diamond's got her doing some stuff for the career's fair. I'll see you later, okay?"

And with that, they echanged goodbyes and Pearl paced towards Rose's room.

Rose waited, anxiety tying her belly into a knot. She'd tried to talk to Pearl about this before. Hadn't gotten through to her. She had to try again, regardless.

She stayed in her classroom over lunch, expecting Pearl to find her there; and so she did.

Rose greeted her with a warm smile. "Hello, Pearl!" she said. "I hope you've had a good day?"

Pearl gave a little nod. "I'm very well! Missed you, barely had the chance to talk since the weekend. You okay?"

"Yes, just very busy." Rose smiled at Pearl, then went over and closed the door before pulling Pearl into a hug.

"I've missed you too," she muttered.

Pearl closed her eyes and let herself feel the warmth of Rose's arms. "Can we go out for lunch? Like we used to."

Rose's heart ached.

"I'd honestly love to," she said. "But it probably wouldn't be a good idea." Did Pearl know that Diamond had seen them have lunch together that last time?

Pearl frowned. "Yeah. I guess you're right." The Principal's very early comment about how she'd gained weight racked in her mind. "I don't need to eat right now, anyway."

Rose swallowed. That wasn't what she meant.

"Do you not have lunch with you?" she asked.

Pearl had been in hospital. She was supposed to be better. And yet, Rose could still see those patterns so very clearly.

"I do. It's just... something someone said. They'd noticed I'd gained weight. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it."

"She might have meant it in a positive way," Rose said. "I, for one, happen to think you're gorgeous."

She kissed Pearl's cheek. Wanted to kiss her lips, but remembered why she'd asked Pearl to come here.

"I heard you had some kind of... tutoring session with the Principal," she said carefully.

Pearl blushed. "I've been falling behind in history, that's all."

"Is it?" Rose asked. From what Amethyst had said, it was most certainly not all. "Is she a good teacher, then?"

"Yes. She got me to answer questions, anyway."

"Hmm." Rose wasn't getting very far like this. "What did she teach you about?"

"Oh. Just history."

Rose smiled. "Are you being evasive on purpose?" she asked. "I'm just interested in your life."

Pearl looked a little taken aback. "U-um. No."

Rose frowned.

"I... heard things," she then said. "About the Principal. And you. I was just... wondering."

"Oh." Pearl swallowed. "It was Aurora, wasn't it?"

Rose ignored Pearl's query regarding the identity of her source. "I'm worried something might have happened that I should know about," she said. "Not in my capacity as your teacher, but rather... your partner." It felt... strange, saying it, but oddly right.

"Alright." Pearl swallowed. "I've been getting close to the Principal. I don't understand it, something about her has just drawn me in."

"Hmm." Rose's frown didn't ease up. "Has she indicated... reciprocation?" Because from what Amethyst had said, it had certainly sounded like it.

Pearl paused for a minute. "Yes."

"I thought she was homophobic."

"Didn't we all?" Pearl rubbed her arm, awkwardly. "It's been absolutely nothing explicit. Just.... touches. And then... yesterday, I think I may have accidentally seduced her."

"Seduced," Rose echoed.

Thoughts were racing through her head faster than she could keep up.

"Things just kept getting really intimate, you know. Her tone was different. Her touches. She sat real close next to me." She then closed her eyes. "I think we nearly kissed. I... I liked it."

Of course you did.

Rose sighed heavily. "Is that all?" she asked gently.

"Oh yeah. Definetly. I don't think she'd take it any further. Maybe she just needs some excitement in her life."

Rose relaxed a little.

"Okay," she said. "Thank you for telling me." She cupped Pearl's face and leaned in to kiss her sweetly.

She was still worried. This little anecdote showed the Principal in an entirely different light.

"Do you want it to stop?" Pearl closed her eyes and smiled into the kiss, her voice betraying her sadness.

Rose drew back.

Part of her wanted to tell Pearl yes, but she knew she couldn't.

"We're polyamorous, Pearl," she said. "I have no say in who you do what with, I'd just like to know. I... can't say that your interactions with the Principal don't worry me, though. Just be careful, okay? And let me know if anything else happens."

"Why would they worry you? She's been so kind to me."

"I've known her longer than you," Rose said with a sigh. "And very few of my interactions with her have been as positive as yours. In fact, that's the experience most people have with her." She's borderline abusing your sister. She's outright punishing me for mentoring a student. She got Ruby expelled for being gay. She drove Lars to-

"Just keep in mind that she may not be all she seems," she said.

Pearl took a gentle step back. "Oh. Oh, I see. I think I'll... I should tell her to back off the next time we have a session."

"Be careful," Rose said, yet again. "She's good at manipulating and putting words into your mouth and -" She sighed. "I don't want to bring you up against her, that's not what this is about. But I know what she's like. And I don't want you to get hurt."

She reached out and touched Pearl's cheek.

"I won't. I'm only weak when I'm with you, Rose." She gave a little smile. "Everything's going to be okay. But I'm glad you warned me about her. I guess I'm just going to have to trust you. And I do."

Rose returned the smile, a little less anxious.

She leaned in and kissed Pearl again, letting the kiss linger for several long moments.

Pearl kissed back, brushing a hand across Rose's cheek. This no longer felt like a complete novelty. Or scandalous. Just right. "Do you ever worry what would happen if they caught us like this?"

"All the time," Rose said quietly. "I try my best to make sure we're not caught."

"No one can just walk in then, can they?"

"The door is locked," Rose assured her. "We're all by ourselves."

Pearl couldn't hold in her giggle. "When you say it like that, it makes me think we could really get up to anything." She then waved her hand. "Don't get me wrong, though. Unlike our Principal, I'd rather not orchestrate anything suspect in these rooms. They are filthier than Amy's room."

Rose smiled.

"Never mind the fact that if we went beyond kissing, I would definitely be in the realm of the illegal, no matter where we do it," she said. "But we can definitely kiss."

Pearl could only chuckle. "Kissing is good. Kissing is very good."

Rose had hoped for that answer. "I'm glad," she said. A quick glance at the clock. "We have about twenty minutes left of lunch. You should eat something - but we can have a little bit more time together." And with that, she pulled Pearl close and kissed her again.

Pearl giggled into the kiss, her entire set of emotions alight. She could only kiss back. And then she realised something. "Oh! Coach Jasper said she wanted to meet with me this lunchtime. Something about physio?"

"Oh!" Rose smiled. So her chat with Jasper and Lapis had actually fruited, and not just been talk. "She did mention she wanted to see you more again. Well, there's not that much time left, so why don't you go now?"

"I know that the old school assumption that all teachers are a hive mind has been proven wrong but... you wouldn't know where she is about now, would you?"

Rose chuckled. "She's probably in the gym," she said. "If she said to meet you, that's where she'll be expecting you to go."

"That's true." Pearl nodded. "Alright. We'll hang out some other time, okay?"

"Yeah! Feel free to come see me whenever," Rose said with a smile. She tipped Pearl's chin up gently and kissed her again.

"Have a good day!"

[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

Biking Across America with Type 1 Diabetes

New Post has been published on http://type2diabetestreatment.net/diabetes-mellitus/biking-across-america-with-type-1-diabetes/

Biking Across America with Type 1 Diabetes

Thanks to our periodic correspondent Joanne Milo (who blogs at The Savvy Diabetic) we're happy to feature a special interview today with fellow type 1 and advocate Cassidy Robinson, a young adult from Orange County, CA, who's part of a 24-person team of PWDs biking across America this summer. The program, organized by the nonprofit group Beyond Type 1, is dubbed Bike Beyond, and runs from June 2 - Aug. 11.

We're thrilled to hear more about this ride and Cassidy's personal diabetes story today.

A Guest Interview by Joanne Milo

I met Cassidy Robinson years ago at a JDRF Type One Summit on a beautiful Sunday morning in Orange County, CA. It was a morning filled with inspirational speakers and informational sessions… and then finally lunch! I ended up sitting next to this 20-something T1 and we struck up a conversation. She was diagnosed at age 2 but didn't really start taking her diabetes management seriously until her early 20s, she told me. She got connected to a local support group and the Diabetes Online Community, and the rest is history!

Cassidy and I stayed in touch. She was born, raised and living/working in Southern California, but the next thing I knew, she had upped and moved to Manhattan! I’m a native New Yorker and was so excited for her to experience NY and the East Coast.

When I had an opportunity for our local D-support group to participate in a pilot program with online counseling to discuss resiliency, Cassidy jumped right in, even though it meant going online every two weeks at 9pm NY time (yeah, she’s young, it really wasn’t keeping her up late!).

And then, the next thing I hear: Cassidy is one of 24 T1 bike riders participating this summer in the Beyond Type 1 Bike Beyond program. This is a ride from New York City all the way to San Francisco -- really, about 4,300 miles over the span of 70 days (60 riding and 10 days of events and PR).

Before we get into the ride itself and all that Cassidy's doing on that front, here's a quick intro to her personal journey in diabetes.

Early Days of Diabetes

As noted, Cassidy was born and raised in Orange County, CA. Her folks still live in the home where she grew up. She was diagnosed with T1 early, at age 2 years and 4 months, in January 1993. She was and remains the only T1 in her entire family.

She obviously doesn’t remember much at the time she was diagnosed but her parents tell her that in late December 1992, both she and her two brothers had chicken pox. They recovered but she didn’t. Her pediatrician knew instantly that she had T1 because she “smelled like maple syrup.”

Her life has taken turns and twists, probably because Cassidy is curious about life. Her degree in sociology from the University of California San Diego exposed her to classes in gender politics, mental illness (which helped her navigate her own emotional journey with diabetes), and alternative religions. And you gotta love her senior research thesis subject: nudists at Black’s Beach!

She worked in publishing in the construction industry which led to work in an event production company, expanding her knowledge into the music industry.

Then the epiphany! Move to New York City… so she did, two years ago now, to work in public relations in the fashion and lifestyle industry. As she says, “It’s funny, I started my career in male-dominated and machine-centric industries, but I’ve found myself in a female and image-centric industry!” She always lands in a good or even better place!

She’s active! I mean, really active! Having grown up in Southern California, she’s a beach and water lover. She runs and loves a good game of softball. But her passion is hiking, and she's even hiked Half Dome last fall with her dad. When she slows down, she’s an avid reader and photographer, loves music and attending live shows -- and most of all, hanging with friends and her loving family.

So here's the rest on Cassidy and the Bike Beyond event, in Q&A form.

JM) Are you a major bike rider, aka a "gear head" in the biking world?

CR) I’ve actually been scared of riding a bicycle my entire life. I didn’t learn how to ride until I was 11 years old and haven’t ridden much in general. The last time I rode a bike was in college and I was riding my grandmother’s 30-year-old Specialized bike! I’m learning about road bikes and team riding from scratch while I train for Bike Beyond. Honestly, it feels like I’m learning how to ride a bike for the first time – but hey, there’s a first time for everything!

What flipped the switch?

My dad actually cycled cross-country from New York to California after graduating college. I grew up hearing the stories from his ride and his bragging about it to anyone who would listen. For most of my life, I’ve had this notion in the back of my mind that it would be cool to replicate his ride with a few of my friends. The desire to ride cross-country has just been getting stronger in the last couple years. When I drove cross-country with my dad in the fall of 2015 we talked a lot about his ride and even more about my desire to do the same thing.

But with the challenges of T1D, did you have to think long and hard about signing up for this rigorous biking trip?

Not a wink!

I had no hesitation in submitting my application to be on the team! As soon as I saw the post for applicants on Nov. 1, 2016, I stepped out of work, ran up to the roof and filmed my application video. I knew that I would do whatever it took to make the ride happen – be it fundraising, training or planning. I was on pins and needles for a month and a half waiting to find out if I made the team. It was all I could think about!

What's the most exciting part of this upcoming ride?

I’m excited about so many things it’s hard to contain it!

I’m really excited about connecting with T1Ds across the country. Most of our ride will be through cities and towns I’ve never been to and I’m jazzed to meet T1Ds in those places. I have so many questions about what kind of care they receive, what communities they participate in and how their experience with T1D is similar or different than my own.

I’m also super excited to have roughly two dozen new DiaBesties in the form of my teammates. I have so few T1D friends in my life, but this summer is going to be 24 of us bonding over every quirk and trait. I feel like the best day of my life will be meeting everyone in New York City before we start, and the worst day will be saying good bye in San Francisco.

What about the training?

I am training hard! I found out I made the team on Dec. 23, 2016, and I’ve been in the gym six days a week since. I’ve been alternating between indoor cycling classes, weight lifting, yoga and Pilates. My body composition is changing: I’m stronger and more muscular than I’ve ever been.

I’m excited to start riding outdoors when we receive our bikes from Specialized! They are sponsoring our cycling gear including beautiful bicycles, helmets and shoes!

Are you hoping for NO rain and NO headwinds?

I’m nervous about rain and wind! I think the only way to prepare is to experience riding in them, which I haven’t yet. I have no doubts that rain, wind and dust will be tough on us all this summer but we’ll overcome! Just keep pedaling…

[From my riding experiences, I'd say be careful to avoid the painted lane stripes in the rain, as they are slippery!]

Do you have any particular fears or concerns?

I’m completely terrified by my lack of cycling experience! I’m working as hard as I can to prepare, but only day after day on the bike will show us what we’re made of.

How about the fundraising part?

I hit the $4,800 fundraising requirement in just 8 days! And since then, I've raised my personal goal of $6,800, to match my most recent A1C of 6.8%. The team goal is $100,000 and we are halfway to that goal with a little less than two months to go. Any donation is gratefully and enthusiastically appreciated!

For the ride itself, I will be wearing a GoPro (another sponsor of Bike Beyond) for a documentary to be released in November 2017.

Any final thoughts, Cassidy?

I get really emotional thinking about how supportive my friends and family have been. Everyone I’ve talked to about the ride has been so excited and interested in what we’re doing! I can’t wait to share our experiences with everyone this summer!

For those interested, you can donate to Cassidy's ride through her fundraising page and/or donate to the overall Bike Beyond fundraising page. During the ride, Cassidy will be sharing tidbits on social media at @TeamBikeBeyond and @CassidyJaye on Twitter, and also @BeyondType1, @BeyondType1Daily, and #BikeBeyond on Instagram.

Cassidy, we are all so excited for you, wishing you sunny days and tail winds, and great T1D connections, and much fun!!

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

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