like a circus//DOM

[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

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Game Time

It was quarter to seven as Mikaela looked up at the clock. Dominic would arrive any minute. She placed a large dish of fried chicken on the table then went to oven to check on her brownies. She didn’t bake anything special for dessert but figured that ice cream on top of fudge brownies would be just as amazing as anything else. When she turned from the table she saw her mother, a short brunette in her mid forties, peeking into the oven. “Mooom! Go sit down! I told you that I’ve got it.” Mikaela walked over to the oven and tried to gently push her mother away. Maria couldn’t stay away from the kitchen no matter how much Mikaela insisted that she get off her feet. The woman had only been in town for two days and she was already moving around the kitchen like she owned it. “How am I supposed to cook for you if you keep trying to do everything? Please go back and sit down.” Trina and Tim were lounging on the couch and the television was turned to ABC, broadcasting pre-game coverage of the NBA finals.

Maria shut the door to the oven then rounded the edge of the kitchen counter to sit on a barstool. “I don’t know why you’re pretending that this is about me when we both know it’s about that hottie coming over.” Mikaela gave a loud gasp as she set the table with silverware. “Mommy! Stop. I haven’t seen you in months. I see Dom all the time. And don’t ever say hottie again.” If she wasn’t used to her mother’s antics by now Mikaela would have blushed. Mikaela told her mother almost everything; she was practically her best friend. Maria knew about Mikaela’s feelings for Dominic and even their hookup, the Mikaela left out a bit of those details. Not that she could remember much from that night anyway. “Okay, baby, pero he’d better look as good in person as he does in the pictures.” Mikaela shook her head then laughed. “He looks better…Pero en serio, no más hablar de él como de que cuando llegue aquí.” The knock at the door surprised her even though she should have been expecting it. She walked briskly to it to let Dominic in.

tagged || DOM//dani
word count || 418
outfit || later.
notes || super short. but this should be fun.

[DOMINIC KING BRADY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 8px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 0px 0px 10px;][STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 128px; color: #EDEDED; line-height: 30px; text-transform: uppercase;] I[/style]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 5px 10px 0px;] [STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 40px; color: #EDEDED; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -3px; line-height: 28px; margin-left: -4px;]'M SORRY MS. JACKSON, OOH! [/style][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 9px; letter-spacing: -1px; color: #EDEDED; text-align: justify; padding: 0px 15px 0px 15px;]❝ ME & YOUR DAUGHTER GOT A SPECIAL THING GOING ON. YOU SAY IT'S PUPPY LOVE, WE SAY IT'S FULL GROWN. HOPE THAT WE FEEL THIS WAY FOREVER. YOU COULD PLAN A PRETTY PICNIC, BUT YOU CAN'T PREDICT THE WEATHER, MS. JACKSON.❞ [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][atrb=vAlign,top] [STYLE=width: 274px; height: 550px; overflow: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 5px; text-align: justify; border-bottom: #2F2F2F 8px solid;] █ Meeting Mikaela’s mom was a bigger deal than Dominic would have let on. Being introduced to someone’s parents wasn’t something you blew off. Not just anyone got to meet mom and dad. Only the special ones got that privilege. At least when it came to dating. Dominic had to remind himself that since he and Mikaela were just friends the rules were different. This was like any other night they’d shared dinner together, only this time her mom was there. Nothing to get worked up about, right? Another thing he wouldn’t have openly admitted was how nervous he was about being introduced to Ms. Menendez. Though Mikaela assured him that she’d told her mother about him and how the woman already liked him, Dominic couldn’t shake the feeling of anxiety as he headed to Mikaela’s apartment. Just be himself. That was all he had to do. Minus being an arrogant asshole maybe. The way he was reacting seemed ludicrous. Obviously he and Mikaela’s relationship wasn’t escalating. Yet he sought Maria’s approval with the eagerness of a man who might’ve approached her seeking permission to date her daughter. Still he wanted to impress the older woman and win her affection. When the cab pulled up to the building, Dominic paid the fare and got out. He walked inside, headed up the stairs and stopped at her door. Inhaling deeply, he adjusted his clothes and pulled a small comb from his back pocket. After raking through the small tuft he’d been growing on top of his head, he tucked the comb away. The smell of home cooked food wafted through the door, making his stomach rumble. Dominic exhaled heavily and rapped his knuckles against the door. Soon it was pulled open, enveloping him with warm air and the savory aromas of dinner. Dominic grinned at Mikaela. “You look nice,” he told her, giving her a small hug then moving inside. His eyes landed on a small brunette, who looked shockingly similar to her daughter, sitting at the counter. “Buenas noches Señora Menendez. I’m happy I finally get to meet you,” he said as he approached her. A warm smile was on his face but his heart was racing. Hopefully he wouldn’t screw this up. [/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i48.tinypic.com/2v2cs4k.jpg); border-radius: 5px; border: #2F2F2F solid 10px; margin-top: -10px;] [/style] [STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i48.tinypic.com/2v2cs4k.jpg); border-radius: 5px; border: #2F2F2F solid 10px; margin-top: 15px;] [/style][STYLE=width: 120px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 0px 0px 10px 0px; text-align: justify;] █ TAGS the menendezes! █ WORDS three seventy two █ OUTFIT hurr! plus tats XD █ NOTES awh one big happy family =) █ LYRICS outkast , ms. jackson [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; color: #B3B7BA; padding: 5px 20px 5px 5px; text-align: right;] made by ayu of btn[/style]

[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

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Game Time

Being that tonight was game three of the NBA Finals, it was only natural that Mikaela was decked out in Heat gear from head to toe. She’d even had a hat but she didn’t wear it because she didn’t want to mess up her braids. Mikaela’s mother had taken the time to braid her hair into two nice fishtail braids that reached passed her shoulders. Those were one of the things that Mikaela never got tired of her mother doing for her. She’d done her hair from time to time ever since she was a little girl, the instances becoming less and less frequent as she got older. The other thing Mikaela never got tired of was her mother’s cooking and it was her mission to be even half as good as Maria was. Mikaela couldn’t help the smile that beamed on her face when she opened the door for Dominic. She’d really been looking forward to his visit, even though this was just supposed to be a laidback dinner with a little bit of basketball. Now that he’d been in her neck of the woods for almost a month, Mikaela had gotten really used to seeing him all the time. So while he was away in New York she ended up missing him more that she thought she would, even though he was only gone for a few days.

But to be honest, Mikaela was also looking forward to her mother meeting the guy that she’d constantly been gushing about. It was true that Maria already seemed to take a liking to Dominic, even before meeting him, but the older woman still wanted to make an opinion for herself. Mikaela desperately sought her mother’s approval, even though Dominic wasn’t her boyfriend. It was just nice to know that her feelings weren’t entirely unwarranted, even if they weren’t returned. “Thanks,” she said as he walked passed her into her apartment. After closing and locking the door behind her, Mikaela returned to the kitchen to put the sides of green beans, baked macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes on the table. There was also a salad and rolls, so it took her a few trips. She pretended not to pay much attention to her mother and Dominic introducing themselves to each other for the first time. “Y tú tambien, Señor Brady, pero call me Maria.” Maria stood to hug him then returned to her seat behind the counter. She pulled out the stool for Dominic to sit next to her with a smile. Her Cuban accent was thick but intelligible. “So my daughter tells me you’re a Celtics fan. That’s sad balls for you.” Mikaela’s head popped up from pulling the brownies out of the oven. “Mommy, you can’t say ‘sad balls’. You say ‘sucks balls’, como cojones.”

“Aye, Mikaela. Don’t make me get the pepper.” Mikaela just rolled her eyes at her mother’s threat and continued putting things out on the table. “It’s almost done.” Mikaela intentionally cooked something simple so that it looked like she didn’t work too hard even though she actually did. Maria turned her attention back to Dominic. “So, dígame. Are you from Boston? That’s the only reason I could imagine you’d like the Celtics.” Maria didn’t really start following the Miami Heat until Mikaela did when she was younger. It was an effort for her to do the things a father would since he was absent for most of her life. The two women bonded over the sport and grew into huge fans over the years. “Come sit,” Mikaela called out to Dominic and her mom. “We have to eat before tipoff.” Mikaela knew that she had to keep a close eye on her mother because she was a talker who had her own theories on Mikaela’s feelings for Dominic. And she wouldn’t put it passed Maria to try and intervene.

tagged || DOM//dani
word count || 646
outfit || CLICK! no hat to mess up her pigtails.
notes || meh. I can’t help but make these longer.

[DOMINIC KING BRADY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 8px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 0px 0px 10px;][STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 128px; color: #EDEDED; line-height: 30px; text-transform: uppercase;] I[/style]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 5px 10px 0px;] [STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 40px; color: #EDEDED; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -3px; line-height: 28px; margin-left: -4px;]'M SORRY MS. JACKSON, OOH! [/style][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 9px; letter-spacing: -1px; color: #EDEDED; text-align: justify; padding: 0px 15px 0px 15px;]❝ ME & YOUR DAUGHTER GOT A SPECIAL THING GOING ON. YOU SAY IT'S PUPPY LOVE, WE SAY IT'S FULL GROWN. HOPE THAT WE FEEL THIS WAY FOREVER. YOU COULD PLAN A PRETTY PICNIC, BUT YOU CAN'T PREDICT THE WEATHER, MS. JACKSON.❞ [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][atrb=vAlign,top] [STYLE=width: 274px; height: 550px; overflow: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 5px; text-align: justify; border-bottom: #2F2F2F 8px solid;] █ Dominic chuckled a little as he took his seat next to Maria. Could he have been surprised that she was a basketball fan just like her daughter? From what Mikaela had told him about her, Dominic could already gather that Maria wasn’t your average, run-of-the-mill soccer mom. He had a pretty good feeling that she wasn’t the type of woman who’d settled for being a housemaid or sitting around at housewives’ book clubs, gossiping over low-fat donuts and coffee. It was just unfortunate that Mikaela’s “Heat” dementia seemed to be genetic. Dominic’s mouth fell open and his eyes widened in that “get outta here!” expression that so many people pulled off. “Whaat? Even when we’ve got guys like Kevin Garnett and Rondo?” Dominic shook his head. “I’m actually from Philly. But my dad was from Boston so he would try to school me on the Celtics and get me all decked out in their gear when I was younger.” Kingston Michael Brady was Dominic’s idol just as any other boy would idol his father. The man’s job required a lot of physical exertion and he was hardworking, but he always had time for his two sons Michael and Dominic. One of his favorite basketball teams was the Boston Celtics and while he let his sons choose their own paths he wasn’t beyond divulging his influences on them. Though Dominic had been too young to understand much of anything about basketball, he did remember being bought jerseys and baseball caps to wear. The early connection between the Celtics and his father quickly generated positive feelings about the team, and in the early years after his father’s death it was a way for Dominic to stay connected to him and keep some part of him alive. As Dominic grew older his devotion to the team grew genuine and it became a self-made decision rather than the outcome of a child blindly following in his father’s footsteps. Anyone who talked to him about basketball could see how passionate he was about the Celtics and how he was able to rattle off statistics as a result of following their games closely. However, in his devotion to the team, there was still a reverence for his father’s passion and a desire to cling to his memory. “I’d hate to argue with you Maria, but we have the most championships in the league. I think that's plenty of reason to like the Celtics. Seventeen championship titles and I think Miami only has like...” He scrunched his face up, acting as if he had to think about it, and looked over at Mikaela. “Like two, right Kaela?” he said with a cocky smirk. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to diss the Heat in front of two avid fans, especially Mikaela, but he loved getting a reaction. Besides he wasn’t about to let his team go under fire even if it was from Mikaela’s mom. The competition was always exciting and though he could get really riled up on a serious game night, Dominic saw the fun in all of it. Mikaela called them to dinner and Dominic followed Maria to the table, taking a seat between the two women. “Man this looks good,” he said as his eyes roamed over the table. Green beans, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, chicken, salad and dinner rolls. It was heaven on earth. “You were not playing around in there Kaela.” [/style]

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[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

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Game Time

Maria had Mikaela at just seventeen years old. At the time she didn’t know any English and had no skill per se. Her future looked bleak. But Maria was a hard worker. After being granted citizenship she worked toward getting her GED and eventually to becoming a teacher. Things became more difficult when David left their family but Maria was persistent in her efforts to provide a home for Mikaela. It was from Maria that Mikaela learned about hard work and determination. Mikaela was determined to succeed to make all of Maria’s struggles worth it. That, and her desire to prove to her father that she was worth his attention, drove Mikaela to be the best at everything she did. There were obviously some hiccups along the way; Mikaela was by no means perfect. But she tried hard and was forever indebted to her mother.

The mother-daughter relationship between Mikaela and Maria was unbelievably strong. Maria set loose boundaries with Mikaela, believing that it was important for her daughter to make her own decisions and her own mistakes. Maria was still stern, just as any Caribbean/Latina mother would be. But she never believed that fear or suffocation were appropriate parenting tools. The two women were always open with each other as Maria felt that it was important for her daughter to trust her with any and all things. It wasn’t always easy for Mikaela to turn to her mother about things going on in her life, but she knew she could trust her with anything, even if she had to be a bit candid with the details. They were almost too close in age for Maria to put herself on a pedestal, nevermind the fact that she thought that was counterintuitive. So to many outsiders, the pair seemed more like sisters or friends than mother and daughter.

“Garnett and Rondo?” Maria waved them off. “That’s all you got? You Celtics fans are all the same.” The Celtics-Heat rivalry was growing strong, especially since last year. It was true that the Celtics had an extensive history of championships but the Heat were a force to be reckoned with and the loud and boisterous Miami fans were going to make sure that everybody knew it. Mikaela’s ears perked at the mention of Dominic’s father. She cherished moments like this and made a point to commit them to memory. It was a rare occurrence that Dominic talked about his family in a positive way. It was a rare occurrence for him to talk about them at all. But Mikaela learned over time that Dominic thought very highly of his father and it warmed her heart. It saddened her to know that he’d lost him at such a young age but at least he had happy memories to hold onto. Mikaela had very few positive memories of her father and he wasn’t even dead. She didn’t feel and jealousy toward Dominic and his relationship with his father, just inexplicable joy.

“Aye, all of you…son loco. All of you Celtics fans live in the past. We no live in the past, chico. It’s about the future and it’s bright for Miami.” Maria gave Dominic a playful pat on the head. Mikaela raised her middle finger to Dominic then blew him a sarcastic kiss. “We will have two by the end of the week. Just wait and see.” She shook her head as she continued to place food on the table. “Didn’t you ever learn not to fuck with people who cook your food?” Mikaela glanced at Maria to see if she’d caught her slip up and the older woman just shook her head. When they were all sitting at the table Maria said a quick grace before she started sharing her plate. Mikaela couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face when Dominic commented on her cooking. She shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Well you know how I do.” Mikaela placed two pieces of chicken on her plate before taking the plate of green beans. “You don’t even know how hard it was to keep this woman out of the kitchen. She doesn’t know how to relax.”


tagged || DOM//dani
word count || 696
outfit || CLICK! no hat to mess up her pigtails.
notes || meh. boring.

[DOMINIC KING BRADY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 8px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 0px 0px 10px;][STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 128px; color: #EDEDED; line-height: 30px; text-transform: uppercase;] I[/style]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 5px 10px 0px;] [STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 40px; color: #EDEDED; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -3px; line-height: 28px; margin-left: -4px;]'M SORRY MS. JACKSON, OOH! [/style][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 9px; letter-spacing: -1px; color: #EDEDED; text-align: justify; padding: 0px 15px 0px 15px;]❝ ME & YOUR DAUGHTER GOT A SPECIAL THING GOING ON. YOU SAY IT'S PUPPY LOVE, WE SAY IT'S FULL GROWN. HOPE THAT WE FEEL THIS WAY FOREVER. YOU COULD PLAN A PRETTY PICNIC, BUT YOU CAN'T PREDICT THE WEATHER, MS. JACKSON.❞ [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][atrb=vAlign,top] [STYLE=width: 274px; height: 550px; overflow: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 5px; text-align: justify; border-bottom: #2F2F2F 8px solid;] █ Dominic chuckled to himself as if he were enjoying a private joke, which he was. He doubted that the Heat’s future looked very bright for them at all. The team may have boasted some good players, but they weren’t getting very far when they had hotheads like Lebron playing for them. Miami’s players were good players without a doubt and Dominic couldn’t deny that they were very skilled men. But what set the team back was the fact that everyone tried to be a superstar and they couldn’t work well together. The Celtics didn’t have that problem. Not only did they have good talent, but they had talent that knew how to work together and operate as a unit. In any sport, cooperation and teamwork was vital for any team if they wanted to advance and play at their fullest potential. “We’ll see,” he told Maria. That was the only thing he needed to say on the matter because he felt very confidently about his stand on the subject. Dominic stuck his tongue out at Mikaela when she flipped her middle finger at him. “Nope. I never learn. You should know this by now.” The statement was true enough. Dominic’s mother used to tell him that talking to him was like talking to a dead dog. The woman always had quirky analogies that confused the hell out of him, but one day she’d finally explained the meaning behind the made up saying: no matter how much you yelled, kicked and screamed you couldn’t tell a dead dog what to do because, well, it was dead. Nothing went through just like nothing ever went through Dominic’s thick skull. She could tell him over and over not to hang out at the skate park because of the shady things that happened there, but at the end of the day he would go hang out at the skate park with a group of his buddies. Dominic had always hated it when Jocelyn said stuff like that because to him it just sounded stupid. But the boy was smart enough to know not to argue his mother’s wisdom. Not if he didn’t want his butt whooped. Choosing to face Jocelyn Brady’s wrath was like choosing suicide. She may have been a small woman, but she was fierce. A quick blessing was placed over the food before they began to dig into the meal. Dominic’s hands went straight for the baked macaroni and cheese. While he spoke he plopped some of the cheesy pasta onto his plate. “I mean I can’t blame her. I’m used to doing everything so I’d feel weird if someone took over for me.” He put down the macaroni and grabbed two dinner rolls before ladling some mashed potatoes onto his plate. “But I mean, Miki’s talking about sitting me down and cooking for me so we’ll see how that works out,” he said, flashing a grin at her. When he was done with the potatoes, Dominic took two pieces of chicken then scooped some green beans onto his plate. By the time he was finished fixing his plate it looked like it was enough to feed two people. Dominic picked up his fork and began scooping up macaroni and put it in his mouth. The food was well seasoned and the cheese perfectly melted. For Dominic when it came to macaroni, the cheesier the better. “Oh, Maria. What made you put Kaela in dance? Did you dance too?” he asked casually. His face was serious and sincere, but when he glanced at Mikaela for a quick second his eyes twinkled with laughter. He remembered Mikaela mentioning that her mother wanted him to teach her how to breakdance, though Mikaela seemed embarrassed by the idea. Dominic clearly remembered her asking him not to go through with it, but there was no fun in that. Besides he wasn’t doing anything wrong. Just making light conversation. If the conversation just so happened to turn in another direction then that wasn’t his fault. Well, not entirely. [/style]

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; color: #B3B7BA; padding: 5px 20px 5px 5px; text-align: right;] made by ayu of btn[/style]

[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

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Game Time

When it came to sports, Mikaela was a force to be reckoned with. She knew her stats, she knew her players and teams, and she knew her plays. There wasn’t much time for Mikaela to be involved in many sports other than cheer and dance. And when she was growing up she didn’t consider competitive cheer and dance to be just like any other sport. She put in endless hours into her craft just as any athlete would and she demanded respect for it. It didn’t matter if she was wearing a makeup and sparkles to do it. Makeup and sparkles aside, Mikaela loved basketball, football, and soccer, basketball being her favorite. Her father sparked her interest in soccer but wasn’t around enough to fuel it. Mikaela was diehard when it came to the Miami Heat. She would defend her team tooth and nail and it seemed like she’d been doing a lot of that in recent years and even more so now that she’d moved to LA. The team came under fire once Lebron “took his talents to South Beach” but she believed that most of it came from jealousy. Sure, they didn’t win the title last year but they were shoe-ins this year. She could practically taste it.

Mikaela wasn’t nearly as hungry as she should have been. It was typical for her to pick at the food while she was cooking. By the time the meal was completely her appetite was nearly cut in half. She only put about a quarter of what Dominic put onto his plate on hers, with the exception of the chicken. She hadn’t had any of that yet. “It’s a wonder how you’re able to eat the way you do and look so good,” Mikaela said aloud without much thought. Her eyes widened when the look on her mother’s face indicated what she’d just said. “I mean,” she cleared her throat. “Fit…how you manage to stay so fit.” Mikaela bit her lip as she reached for a bottle of beer and twisted the top off. She took a long swig then moved to take a bite out of her chicken without a word. She’d done enough talking already and her mouth was betraying her. It was best if someone else started the dinner conversation. Besides, she didn’t want to give Maria any reason to bring up any of the things she’d privately confessed to her. What Dominic didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

Her heart fluttered instantly when Dominic threw a smile in her direction. She felt dumb for her internal reaction but she couldn’t help how he made her feel sometimes. “I am going to cook for you, and you’re going to like it,” she replied with a similar grin. Mikaela scooped some mashed potatoes into her mouth and chewed and swallowed before continuing. “He cooks for me most nights, mommy. Even after he comes home from work. It’s only fair.” Mikaela had mentioned to her mother that Dominic agreed to cook if she’d looked after their pets but she’d never mentioned just how often he’d been doing it. She felt so comfortable waiting for him to come home and spending time with him while he cooked. Most of those nights she stayed late and helped him clean up then watch some television or played video games with him before heading home. She was spending more time at his place than she did at her own and she didn’t mind at all. Soon they’d both be moving to Washington D.C. for nearly two months and Mikaela’s only solace was that they were going together, sort of.

The pre-game coverage was still coming over on the television. Mikaela tuned in a bit to the commentators and almost missed Dominic’s question about her beginnings in dance. She stopped chewing and stared blankly at him, not returning his mischievous smile. She knew exactly what this was about. He was pretty slick. Her gripped tightened around the neck of her beer bottle as she took another sip, not letter her eyes leave his. Maria began to respond, unaware of the exchange between the two young people. “Oh yes!” she said, her accent making her ‘y’ sound like a ‘j’. “I learned los bailes de Latin Ballroom, pero Mikaela no les gusta mucho.” Maria took small bites of her food while smiling at the memories. “I did not have much time to continue dance when I came to the states porque that’s when Mikaela was born. But I put her in classes after school when I was in night classes. I had a friend that taught her for free. She got too good for them soon.” Dance really was never meant to be such a big deal for Mikaela, just something to keep her busy while her mother worked and tried to get her teaching certification. She was lucky that they had a family friend with a studio. “She tells me you are a fine dancer. You teach me how to, eh, como se dice ‘pop y lock?’” Mikaela dropped her fork into her plate. She’d been waiting for this and Dominic had gotten exactly what he wanted. Usually, Mikaela wasn’t easily embarrassed. Her mom was a ball of crazy and she was right there along with her. However, things with Dominic were different. For once, she actually cared if her crazy antics would scare him off. “Mommy… We don’t have time for dance lessons…”


tagged || DOM//dani
word count || 908..woops
outfit || CLICK! no hat to mess up her pigtails.
notes || I think I like this one.

[DOMINIC KING BRADY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 8px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 0px 0px 10px;][STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 128px; color: #EDEDED; line-height: 30px; text-transform: uppercase;] I[/style]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 5px 10px 0px;] [STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 40px; color: #EDEDED; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -3px; line-height: 28px; margin-left: -4px;]'M SORRY MS. JACKSON, OOH! [/style][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 9px; letter-spacing: -1px; color: #EDEDED; text-align: justify; padding: 0px 15px 0px 15px;]❝ ME & YOUR DAUGHTER GOT A SPECIAL THING GOING ON. YOU SAY IT'S PUPPY LOVE, WE SAY IT'S FULL GROWN. HOPE THAT WE FEEL THIS WAY FOREVER. YOU COULD PLAN A PRETTY PICNIC, BUT YOU CAN'T PREDICT THE WEATHER, MS. JACKSON.❞ [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][atrb=vAlign,top] [STYLE=width: 274px; height: 550px; overflow: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 5px; text-align: justify; border-bottom: #2F2F2F 8px solid;] █ When the comment came out of Mikaela’s mouth Dominic had to force himself to keep his cool. His eyes remained fixed on the food while he quietly continued to focus on what he was doing, but his breath caught in his lungs. The compliment was a small one and anyone else may not have thought of it as a big deal. But compliments from Mikaela were few and far in between. Most of the time they were joking, teasing or arguing with one another and a lot of the time it felt like she noticed his flaws more than anything. He was arrogant, he was a whore, he was moody, he was bitchy, he took things too seriously. All in the brutally honest words of Mikaela Menendez. After a while it got annoying and he just wished she could look deeper inside of him instead of only focusing on what was on the surface. He’d told her once before a while ago that there was more to him, that he was deeper than that. Not surprisingly Mikaela responded to the revelation skeptically, but it was true. He could be affectionate, he could be thoughtful, he could be everything she needed and more. But she couldn’t know that because she couldn’t see it. Maybe that was his fault. There had to be a way of showing her that other side without blowing the cover of his true feelings for her. If she found out too soon when she still thought so critically of him, Dominic knew Mikaela would just laugh in his face and turn him down. Dominic squeezed out half of a smirk at Mikaela’s self-correction. Fit. Of course. Because “looking good” was too much of a stretch and might egg on any feelings he might have for her. That drunken incident that happened on the night of his birthday was obviously still following him around. Who was he kidding? Even if Mikaela did see there was another side to him she still wouldn’t want him. If there was a chance that she might be even the slightest bit interested she wouldn’t go through so much care to make a compliment so small as ambiguous as possible. He played off his disappointment with a small snicker. “I mean It’s nothing amazing. I run around a lot, work up an appetite, eat a lot of food, then work out to build muscle.” Dominic turned his attention back to his food, forking up a combination of green beans and macaroni and putting it in his mouth. He only nodded in agreement to Mikaela's promise, but continued to eat. He had no doubt he would like it when Mikaela cooked again because he was already loving what she’d put together today. Food had become his primary focus for the moment and he was hunkered down over his plate savoring every bite. But as he ate he continued to listen to the conversation. He hadn’t realized how often he cooked for Mikaela, but he never minded. Dominic knew it was just an agreement they’d had and there was no deeper meaning behind it, but he still found satisfaction in being able to provide for her in some way even if that satisfaction had to be enjoyed quietly alone. Though Dominic may glance at the television every now and then, he wasn’t paying much attention to the pre-game show. While the highlights were always something to watch to jog memories and stir up debate between spectators, a lot of it also consisted of interviews with fans, coaches and players. He really didn’t give a damn what Larry from Nevada thought of the past season. There were times when Dominic would be interested in the pre-game coverage and would pay more attention to it, but he didn’t need any rundowns or to hear the commentators babble away. He just wanted to get into the game. The look on Mikaela’s face was priceless and he knew his little ruse had been successful the second he looked at her. He kept his eyes locked on hers for a few seconds longer, not removing that stupid smile from his face, before he broke off her gaze and turned to her mother. When Dominic looked at Maria the look was replaced by an expression of sincere interest. Not that he had to pretend to be interested. He enjoyed hearing about Mikaela’s background and how she was raised. She was still a mystery to him and he wanted to learn more about her life. While Maria relayed the story to him, Dominic continued to eat but still looked up every now and then to show her he was still listening. He wasn’t surprised to hear that Mikaela’s talent quickly outgrew her dance studio. She was a phenomenal dancer and there was a lot of fire and passion to back up her skill. Of course Dominic saw Mikaela dance before and they’d danced together at parties (or whenever she dragged him to the studio), but hearing more about her background and how she got started in the art made him want to see more. It was part of the reason why he hoped she would agree to perform at one of Alex’s concerts later that summer. He loved watching Mikaela and he knew that she could shut down crowds with her talent. If and when he ever managed to get his own career off the ground and start touring, Dominic already knew who he wanted performing at his side. “It’s a good thing you got her into it,” he told Maria once his mouth was clear of food. “It would be a waste of talent if you didn’t.” Dominic laughed at Mikaela’s obvious embarrassment that was triggered by Maria’s request. “No no it’s okay, we’ll make time,” he said quickly when Mikaela tried to dismiss the subject. “I think I can teach you a little somethin’ somethin’. I grew up dancing on the streets so I know about breaking and popping and all of that.” The grin was back on Dominic’s face, bigger and wider than ever. He was enjoying every minute of this. [/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i48.tinypic.com/2v2cs4k.jpg); border-radius: 5px; border: #2F2F2F solid 10px; margin-top: -10px;] [/style] [STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i48.tinypic.com/2v2cs4k.jpg); border-radius: 5px; border: #2F2F2F solid 10px; margin-top: 15px;] [/style][STYLE=width: 120px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 0px 0px 10px 0px; text-align: justify;] █ TAGS the menendezes! █ WORDS ten twenty five █ OUTFIT hurr! plus tats XD █ NOTES breaking the 1k barrier. we should've expected this █ LYRICS outkast , ms. jackson [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; color: #B3B7BA; padding: 5px 20px 5px 5px; text-align: right;] made by ayu of btn[/style]

[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

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Game Time

Mikaela was in too deep and she knew it. What with taking care of their dogs like they were their kids, waiting for him to come home to cook dinner or promising to return the favor, or introducing him to her mother, Mikaela was living the life of someone in a relationship. Only problem was that it was all in her head. Everything between them was friendly and no matter how much she wanted to take things to the next level, Dominic’s lack of interest in her created a cap that she couldn’t break through. She was stuck taking what little bit of him she could get even though she wanted it all. It was a self-imposed torment, but she was willing to tolerate it if it meant being close to him. No matter how much it could hurt sometimes, it was times like these that made it all worthwhile. She was enjoying a meal and having good conversation with two people she cared about a lot and she couldn’t help the smile that it brought to her face.

Keeping up with sports growing up was always a task for Mikaela, but she made it a priority. Between her academics and all of her extracurriculars, she missed games and commentary regularly. But Mikaela kept her television glued to ESPN most night, staying up late to catch reruns of games and brushing up on her SportsCenter. Following ESPN and all the commentary is where she learned all of her stats and player info. Even her mom was a bit of an ESPN junky, though Mikaela often had to explain things to her. Truthfully, pre and post-game coverage wasn’t really that important. If she watched the game, she knew all of the things that were going to be said afterward already anyway. But nevertheless, she kept it on anyway. It was extra satisfy when the commentators talked crap about her teams in the pregame coverage and then pulled out a win in the end. And Mikaela had a pretty good feeling about tonight. Kevin Durant and the Thunder were good, even gave the Heat a lesson in defense the first two games, but playtime was over and they were going to get schooled on how to really play ball.

She continued eating quietly while Dominic responded to Maria’s comments. Her eyes remained focused on him, though, watching him laugh as he plotted against her. He thought he was slick. Mikaela swallowed the green beans that she’d been chewing before speaking. “After the game?” That would give them plenty of time to forget about it, though she doubted Dominic would. “It’s going to start soon…and you’re going to need a ton of time to accomplish this feat.” Mikaela cut her eyes toward Maria who scoffed. “If I was younger, I could dance better than circles around the both of you.” Mikaela shook her head at her mother’s mistake but didn’t say a word. After nearly 20 years in America, she still managed to remix common phrases and sayings. She forked some macaroni and cheese in her mouth and chewed with a grin. She was safe, but only for a few hours. Though she didn’t want to admit it, she was looking forward to watching Dominic interact with her mother. The two seemed to be getting on well. And even though she never doubted it, it was a relief that they took a liking to each other. “Why don’t you tell us more about your dance background. I’m sure mommy would love to hear about it.”

tagged || DOM//dani
word count || 592
outfit || CLICK! no hat to mess up her pigtails.
notes || I got lazy with this one. sorry! D;

[DOMINIC KING BRADY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 8px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 0px 0px 10px;][STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 128px; color: #EDEDED; line-height: 30px; text-transform: uppercase;] I[/style]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 5px 10px 0px;] [STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 40px; color: #EDEDED; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -3px; line-height: 28px; margin-left: -4px;]'M SORRY MS. JACKSON, OOH! [/style][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 9px; letter-spacing: -1px; color: #EDEDED; text-align: justify; padding: 0px 15px 0px 15px;]❝ ME & YOUR DAUGHTER GOT A SPECIAL THING GOING ON. YOU SAY IT'S PUPPY LOVE, WE SAY IT'S FULL GROWN. HOPE THAT WE FEEL THIS WAY FOREVER. YOU COULD PLAN A PRETTY PICNIC, BUT YOU CAN'T PREDICT THE WEATHER, MS. JACKSON.❞ [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][atrb=vAlign,top] [STYLE=width: 274px; height: 550px; overflow: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 5px; text-align: justify; border-bottom: #2F2F2F 8px solid;] █ Mikaela thought she was slick, though she had a good point. There wouldn’t be enough time for dance lessons before the game started so they would have no choice but to wait until it was after it was over. But if she thought that would be enough to make Dominic forget about it she was wrong. Teaching her mother how to dance was something he’d been looking forward to since Mikaela first expressed Maria’s interest to him. Naturally, Dominic’s eagerness was only heightened when Mikaela told him that she wasn’t so enthused about the idea and even tried to discourage him for going through with it. Not only would it be a good way for him to bond with Maria, but if it embarrassed Mikaela then he was all for it. Of course he wouldn’t do anything to intentionally harm her, but this was all in good fun. For the most part Mikaela was the only person Dominic would listen to besides Andrea. However, despite his loyalty to her, he still enjoyed pushing her buttons and doing the opposite of what she asked from time to time. Dominic was hardheaded as it was anyway so it should have come as no surprise. “Yeah we can do that. Or...ooh! We can even do it at half-time,” he added, turning to Maria again. “You know, something small just to get us pumped for the big stuff later.” He grinned at Mikaela. Loopholes had to be the best thing to be discovered. Maria’s version of the saying was humorous, but Dominic didn’t need to ask to get the gist of what she was saying. “I don’t have a hard time believing that. Kaela had to get it from somewhere,” he responded, before taking a bit of his chicken. He was about halfway through the buffet he’d stuffed onto his plate, but still going strong. He took a few more bites of his food and washed it down with some beer before hauling into his explanation. “It’s not really that interesting. I mean I used to like dancing to Michael Jackson and imitating his videos when I was little. I tried doing the voice too,” he added, with a small laugh. “But sometimes me and my friends would have little competitions after school or in the park or something to see who could out-dance each other. Just like popping, breaking, tricks, all that stuff. I didn’t get into dance classes until my mom enrolled me in a studio when I was in sixth grade. I hated it at first because I thought the hip hop was lame and then they made us wear tights in ballet so I felt kind of...” Dominic's eyes and eyebrows lifted to the ceiling and he shrugged his shoulders. “I mean you know, it didn’t feel right!” he said, looking at Maria with another laugh. “Man, I thought my mom was punishing me. But I don’t know I kind of got used to it. I’m still not a big fan of dance studios, but Miki drags me out to classes with her sometimes so I deal with it. I mean we have fun though,” Dominic finished as his eyes, alight with warm affection, moved to Mikaela. A smile moved across his lips, and he kept his focus trained on her for a few seconds before he shifted his attention back to his food. “Let me hurry up and finish eating before the game starts,” he muttered. Then Dominic hunkered down and began working on his plate again, feeling slightly embarrassed about the little “moment” he’d just allowed himself to share. [/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i48.tinypic.com/2v2cs4k.jpg); border-radius: 5px; border: #2F2F2F solid 10px; margin-top: -10px;] [/style] [STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i48.tinypic.com/2v2cs4k.jpg); border-radius: 5px; border: #2F2F2F solid 10px; margin-top: 15px;] [/style][STYLE=width: 120px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 0px 0px 10px 0px; text-align: justify;] █ TAGS the menendezes! █ WORDS six hundred four █ OUTFIT hurr! plus tats XD █ NOTES lots of talking o.o █ LYRICS outkast , ms. jackson [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; color: #B3B7BA; padding: 5px 20px 5px 5px; text-align: right;] made by ayu of btn[/style]

[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

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Game Time

Every opportunity Mikaela had to learn about Dominic’s past was golden. She understood the benefits of being guarded, even if she didn’t know his reasoning. Mikaela kept her guard up for a variety of reasons and rarely shared intimate details about herself. Whether she was more guarded than him was debatable. Over time she realized that it was just as difficult to get Dominic to open up about certain things as it was for her, if not more so. Mikaela relished in every occasion she got to know a little bit more about Dominic, even if he was just sharing something small that may have seemed irrelevant or unimportant to him. She listened closely as he spoke, trying to picture him as a kid, just as stubborn as he was now. Even as she chewed it was hard to keep the smile off of her face. It couldn’t have been easy getting him to go to ballet, but she wished she’d been there to see it. Despite his resistance to structured teaching, Mikaela was sure it had an impact on the dancer he was today. However, he still hung on to the rawness that he picked up from street dancing.

Mikaela had to admit that a lot of hip-hop classes failed to keep her attention. Few of the instructors had the ability to maintain the fluidity and purity of hip-hop when they broke it down to teach it. Often times it lost its heart and became riddled with technical dance jargon, when that not what hip-hop was about. So she understood Dominic’s resistance to taking the classes, but Mikaela tried hard to find the teachers that could give her what she was looking for, someone that could inspire dancers to expose themselves through movement rather than hide behind technicalities and rules. “We do,” she replied as she returned Dominic’s smile. His gaze met hers for a moment and she was filled with electricity, a small charge that lit her up and brightened her eyes. It was in these moments that they shared that Mikaela was reminded why she put up with her unreciprocated feelings for him. They shared a connection that was strong and she knew that he felt it and embraced it. The only difference was that Mikaela recognized that connection and the feelings that came along with it as love and Dominic didn’t.

“I loved Michael. I think anyone who dances has some sort of appreciation for him, regardless of genre.” Mikaela finished off her last bit of green beans before continuing. “But I was obsessed with Janet.” Maria’s face lit up at the memory and the put her fork down to speak. “Oh yes. Kaela loved Janet Jackson!” Her Ys were still like Js and her Js were still stressed as Ys. “From she was una niña, Mikaela wanted to be like her. She was always dancing and singer her songs, dressing like her. There was a library near our house where she would go get her music and video tapes. ¿Qué fue ese show llamado, baby?”

“Fame,” Mikaela responded after wiping her mouth with a napkin. She went on to explain how she discovered Janet when she was really young. While waiting for her mom to pick her up from the studio she sat in the back and watched some older girls trying to imitate some Janet moves from a video that was playing on the tv in the corner. That night she went home and sat in front of the television for hours waiting for a Janet video to come on. From that point on she was hooked. “Anything Janet that I could get my hands on I had to have. So while everyone was watching 7th Heaven and listening to the Spice Girls, I was watching Fame and jamming to Rhythm Nation…I swear I was born in the wrong decade.” Mikaela continued to share with Dominic how she dressed up like Janet for Halloween a few years in a row and wanted to wear provocative clothes to school as a young girl. “I blame my overtly sexual nature on Janet,” she said with a laugh. “Her music was a good and bad influence on me. It definitely got me in a lot of trouble.” Maria nodded. She never banned Janet’s music from their home, but she tried to reprimand Mikaela for inappropriate behavior.

They finished their plates and conversation over the next few minutes. Mikaela stood and started clearing the table. When her mother tried to help she shot her a death glare. “Woman! If you do not sit down…” She took a dish from her hand and went to the sink with it. Once she gathered all the leftovers, she separated them into Tupperware then left them on the counter to cool. Since the food was all put away she went over to the living room to let Tim and Trina out of their cage. Trina had gotten into the nasty habit of whining if people didn’t give her table food. Mikaela bent down and gave them some affection before returning to the kitchen to tend to the dishes in the sink. Trina followed, probably hoping for a treat, but she ignored her and focused on trying to get the dishes done before tipoff.

tagged || DOM//dani
word count || 881
outfit || CLICK! no hat to mess up her pigtails.
notes || mer. longish.

[DOMINIC KING BRADY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 8px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 0px 0px 10px;][STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 128px; color: #EDEDED; line-height: 30px; text-transform: uppercase;] I[/style]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 5px 10px 0px;] [STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 40px; color: #EDEDED; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -3px; line-height: 28px; margin-left: -4px;]'M SORRY MS. JACKSON, OOH! [/style][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 9px; letter-spacing: -1px; color: #EDEDED; text-align: justify; padding: 0px 15px 0px 15px;]❝ ME & YOUR DAUGHTER GOT A SPECIAL THING GOING ON. YOU SAY IT'S PUPPY LOVE, WE SAY IT'S FULL GROWN. HOPE THAT WE FEEL THIS WAY FOREVER. YOU COULD PLAN A PRETTY PICNIC, BUT YOU CAN'T PREDICT THE WEATHER, MS. JACKSON.❞ [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][atrb=vAlign,top] [STYLE=width: 274px; height: 550px; overflow: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 5px; text-align: justify; border-bottom: #2F2F2F 8px solid;] █ Sharing this evening with Mikaela and her mom meant a lot to Dominic. That Mikaela even extended the invitation to him in the first place was golden, he moment he’d quietly celebrated to himself. Every moment he spent with her was cherished and used well, and whenever he got the chance to learn something new about her he clung to the new information and carefully entered it into his memory bank. Finding out more about each others’ lives, pasts and interests was a priority the both of them seemed to share. But that didn’t mean the task was in any way easy. They each had their own walls erected complete with a crocodile-infested moat and foot soldiers. It was a defense mechanism, self-preservation at its best. Not just anyone could gain access to the mysteries that nested in Mikaela’s and Dominic’s minds. But because Mikaela showed her devotion to Dominic and worked hard at it with unwavering interest, and vice versa, they were rewarded for their efforts. They’d grown closer because of it and knew things about each other no one else did. The more they shared with one another the more Dominic was willing to share with Mikaela. Granted, there were still a few barriers that needed to be broken down, higher and much sturdier walls that still needed to be braved and scaled. But the progress they’d made was unbelievable and their bond was unmatched. Dominic nodded in agreement to Mikaela’s comment. There were a lot of great choreographers and dancers who were inspired by the iconic entertainer, and his moves were constantly being mirrored, utilized and modified. MJ was an influential force in the dance and music world and just in the entertainment industry as a whole. Interest sparked through Dominic’s eyes as he looked from Mikaela to Maria. He hadn’t known that Janet had been her idol and while he was a little surprised by the confession, at the same time he wasn’t. Like her brother, Janet was also a phenomenal dancer and performer and of course the woman could sing too. Dominic smiled as he listened to Maria’s and Mikaela’s shared account of Mikaela's love for Janet Jackson. Dominic could imagine Mikaela teaching herself the moves from Janet’s videos, just as he'd done with Michael’s videos when he was a boy, and strutting around trying to be like the pop singer. Dinner was finished, Dominic was stuffed, and Mikaela began clearing the table of the dishes and leftovers. Maria may have been banned from helping around in the kitchen, but Dominic wasn’t going to let that affect him. He’d sat around once letting Mikaela serve the table and he wasn’t about to let her do all the work again. He wasn’t taking “no” for an answer either. “Don’t worry about it Maria, we’ve got it,” he assured the woman as he helped Mikaela clear dishes and beer bottles from the table. As she packed the food away into Tupperware, Dominic busied himself wiping down the table, stovetop, and counters. He ran the dishwater as Mikaela released Tim and Trina from their cages, and he leaned against the counter watching her interact with the two animals. “Yeah you better give them some love after holding out on the good stuff,” he joked, referring to the dinner they’d had. Dominic wasn’t really sure how two people could get the dishes done any faster. That was something he never understood whenever his mother made both him and his brother do the dishes. It always seemed like two extra hands just got in the way and slowed down the job. But at the same time he wanted to feel useful. So as Mikaela washed the dishes he stood next to her and pretended to inspect her work. It probably slowed the job down, but his playful side was breaking through so it let him have fun with her while being productive. Sort of. “Nope. Unacceptable.” He shook his head and pretended to look stern when she handed him a plate. “I can’t take this. It’s still dirty. I- I don’t know what you want me to do with this,” he went on in his best Kevin Hart impression. Dominic paused and sighed dramatically as he took the plate from her. “You know what, because it’s you, I’ll make an exception. But if you don’t pick up the slack I’m going to be forced to fire you. Don’t put me through that.” He set the plate in the drying rack with the rest of the dishes then glanced at the glass she was washing. “Oh you see that spot?” Dominic pointed at an invisible stain on the glass, but his finger was kept far back enough to make it hard to indicate exactly where he was pointing. Make things all the more confusing for Mikaela. “Oh no, it’s right there,” he said pointing to a different spot. “No no, you’ve gotta... Oh, well it got away. You didn’t get it. You weren’t fast enough.” Amusement flickered across his eyes when he glanced down at her, but he quickly put his front back up as he took the glass from her and put it away. “Don’t we make a great team?” he asked Maria, glancing over his shoulder and shooting an innocent grin at her. Then he made a show of mouthing the words, “She’s slacking over here” while pointing at Mikaela, who more than likely was able to hear his mouth forming the words. [/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i48.tinypic.com/2v2cs4k.jpg); border-radius: 5px; border: #2F2F2F solid 10px; margin-top: -10px;] [/style] [STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i48.tinypic.com/2v2cs4k.jpg); border-radius: 5px; border: #2F2F2F solid 10px; margin-top: 15px;] [/style][STYLE=width: 120px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 0px 0px 10px 0px; text-align: justify;] █ TAGS the menendezes! █ WORDS nine sixteen █ OUTFIT hurr! plus tats XD █ NOTES some of the dialogue was corny, but i actually like this post. K Hart, ftw. <3 we are nearing the finish line! █ LYRICS outkast , ms. jackson [/style]

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[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

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Game Time

At first, Maria was about to protest to being told to sit. Her daughter cooked a big meal and hadn’t allowed her to help at all. However, when Dominic chimed in she sat back with a smile. Maria relished in the opportunity to watch the two interact without her interference. After hearing so much about the young man, Maria wanted to see if he lived up to all the hype. Mikaela had expressed to her that cared deep for him, but that he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. Now Maria wasn’t necessarily super observant, but from what she could tell Mikaela couldn’t be in deeper denial. And she was sure Dominic was too. She didn’t miss the way he looked at her or his body language altered when she was speaking. It was a shame that the two of them were holding each other at arms’ length. Maria finally wanted Mikaela to find someone she could be happy with. She knew her daughter had always been extra flirty with boys growing up. She’d never shied away from them or believed they’d had cooties. Teaching her about seeking the right man was something she struggled to do because it wasn’t something she’d ever figured out for herself. Mikaela’s father was really the only man she’d ever been with for an extended period of time.

She’d allowed Mikaela to date from high school so that she could start figuring things out for herself. Mikaela had always had a relatively strong head on her shoulders and Maria vowed to provide whatever insight and advice she could. And for a while she’d been doing rather well. Maria was strict when she had to be but Mikaela was relatively well behaved as a teenager save for the incessant swearing. It wasn’t until college that Mikaela started acting out and by that point there wasn’t a whole lot she could do about it. She just hoped and prayed that it was just a phase and that the wildness would pass. There previous men in Mikaela’s life, her father included, had done nothing but hurt her. And despite Maria’s reassurance, Mikaela still blamed herself for all the pain she’d endured. Maria wanted her daughter to find someone who could show her that she deserved the absolute best. The smile on her face didn’t waver as she watched to two of them working together in the kitchen.

Mikaela’s first instinct was to reject Dominick’s help. However, if she kept him busy he wouldn’t have the opportunity to start his dance lessons with her mother. Besides, with the game fast approaching, she could use the extra hands to get the work done faster. The kitchen was tidied in half the time and all that was left were the dishes. She turned on some water to rinse the dishes off a bit before wetting the sponge and pumping some soap into it. After cleaning the plate she handed it to Dominic as if they were in an assembly line. When he criticized her washing skills, she leaned in to inspect her work. “What are you…? I don’t see anything.” She took the plate back with a huff and rewashed it before giving it back to him. Still, Dominic continued harping on her. As he spoke, Mikaela kept her focus on washing the dishes left in the sink quickly. “I know how to wash the damn dishes. And you can’t fire me in my own house, boo.” He was acting hella crazy over these dishes. She hadn’t realized he was a little obsessive compulsive, or so it seemed. He started to complain about a glass and Mikaela stared hard at it. She even squeezed her eyes shut in case it was her eyes that were failing her. Mikaela gave him a crazed look. “Are you blind?” She watched as a grin settled on his face. Her eyebrow rose as she shook her head. “Team my ass. If you don’t quit playing with me I will spray the shit out of you with this water.” Maria laughed at the par but opted for staying neutral. Mikaela could tell that he was bad mouthing her in jest behind her back. She brought up her wet soapy hand and flicked it in his face, sending suds and drops of water in his direction.

When all of the dishes were washed and the kitchen was back in its original state, Mikaela went to space over the fridge and retrieved a medium sized container. She popped the lid and threw it into the microwave for thirty seconds. When it beeped to indicate that it was done she took the container out then headed toward the couch. “Chocolate chip cookies,” she announced. “I baked them earlier but I like them warm. She plopped down onto the center of the couch and placed the cookies on the coffee table. Maria sat in the arm chair to her left. As Mikaela snatched up a cookie Trina hopped into her lap and tried to take a bite. “Cookies are not for you, baby girl. Chocolate could kill you.” She scratched behind his ear while reaching for the remote with her other hand. Tim was off playing with a toy in the corner. “Aw, you should have brought Reina. Tim is lonely.” He’d taken a liking to Reina, despite how much bigger she was in size. The game was only two minutes and a few seconds in. She settled into the couch and prepared to watch her home team kick some Oklahoma City ass.

tagged || DOM//dani
word count || 922
outfit || CLICK! no hat to mess up her pigtails.
notes || Idk how I feel about this one.

[DOMINIC KING BRADY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 8px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 0px 0px 10px;][STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 128px; color: #EDEDED; line-height: 30px; text-transform: uppercase;] I[/style]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #2F2F2F; border-radius: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 30px 5px 10px 0px;] [STYLE=font-family: arial black; font-size: 40px; color: #EDEDED; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -3px; line-height: 28px; margin-left: -4px;]'M SORRY MS. JACKSON, OOH! [/style][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 9px; letter-spacing: -1px; color: #EDEDED; text-align: justify; padding: 0px 15px 0px 15px;]❝ ME & YOUR DAUGHTER GOT A SPECIAL THING GOING ON. YOU SAY IT'S PUPPY LOVE, WE SAY IT'S FULL GROWN. HOPE THAT WE FEEL THIS WAY FOREVER. YOU COULD PLAN A PRETTY PICNIC, BUT YOU CAN'T PREDICT THE WEATHER, MS. JACKSON.❞ [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][atrb=vAlign,top] [STYLE=width: 274px; height: 550px; overflow: auto; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 5px; text-align: justify; border-bottom: #2F2F2F 8px solid;] █ A sense of delight filled Dominic when he saw that Mikaela was falling for his little trick and of course it egged him on. A small frown creased Dominic’s mouth in response to Mikaela’s threat. What was it with women and spraying men with water these days? “Pssh, you wouldn-- Hold up. Maria, where’s that hot pepper?” Dominic flinched back from Mikaela’s hand, but he was too late. Flecks of soapy water were sent flying at his face and he laughed as he squinted his eyes. “Oh, so you’re gonna...” Without finishing his sentence he leaned forward as he bent his head towards Mikaela to wipe his face off on the shoulder of her shirt. Before she could retaliate Dominic bounced away from the sink and moved next to Maria with a broad grin on his face. “Does she always cook like this?” he asked Maria, as Mikaela retrieved the cookies from the microwave. Then turning his attention back to Mikaela he added, “I swear you’re trying to make me fat, girl.” But he wasn’t complaining. Homemade chocolate chip cookies were one of the best things in the world. Reheating them until they were soft and the chocolate melted in your mouth - that made them all the better. Dominic followed Mikaela to the couch. Before he took a seat he reached into the container to grab a cookie then sat down beside Mikaela. Dominic took a bite of his cookie as he watched Tim play with his toy. Ever since he’d introduced him to Reina, the two animals had become close to the point of being inseparable. It was an unlikely friendship, one that was reminiscent of the Fox and the Hound. But Dominic loved seeing the two interact with one another, and when he could he made sure they got to spend as much time together as possible. “Yeah. But she was acting up. I had to put her in time out.” At five months old, the pitbull pup was just entering the “teenaged” phase of her life. Reina, who was typically bold and lively, had become increasingly moody. After doing some research and consulting some professionals - she was his first dog after all - Dominic learned Reina’s behavior was typical for a puppy her age. Not only was she still physically developing and adjusting to her body, but she was also figuring out her place among her social hierarchy. In other words it was likely that she would be challenging Dominic and being more disobedient. The real downer was that it could take her as long as three or four months to grow out of the phase. The most important thing during this time, he’d been told, was not to reinforce Reina’s behavior and to remain firm and consistent with his rules. While Dominic had known that raising and looking after a dog wouldn’t be easy and would require a lot of work, he hadn’t expected that it would be like raising a kid. That lesson quickly unraveled within his first month of having Reina. Sometimes it was humorous and sometimes it was a pain, but he still loved her regardless and there was never a day when he regretted adopting her. When his cookie was finished Dominic reached into the container to grab another one. He settled back into the couch with one hand resting on the arm and the other casually stretched along the top of the couch, extending behind Mikaela’s head. There wasn’t much of a preference for either team so he figured he’d just play both sides and see who played the best game. Otherwise he was more than happy to be sitting there with Mikaela and Maria as they watched the game progress. Just as Mikaela said, he seemed to be getting along well with her mother and he was relieved that the evening had turned out well so far. [/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i48.tinypic.com/2v2cs4k.jpg); border-radius: 5px; border: #2F2F2F solid 10px; margin-top: -10px;] [/style] [STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i48.tinypic.com/2v2cs4k.jpg); border-radius: 5px; border: #2F2F2F solid 10px; margin-top: 15px;] [/style][STYLE=width: 120px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; color: #737678; padding: 0px 0px 10px 0px; text-align: justify;] █ TAGS the menendezes! █ WORDS six forty six █ OUTFIT hurr! plus tats XD █ NOTES meh >_> █ LYRICS outkast , ms. jackson [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,background-color: #EDEDED;][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; color: #B3B7BA; padding: 5px 20px 5px 5px; text-align: right;] made by ayu of btn[/style]

[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

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Game Time

“No,” Maria replied to Dominic. “I think she’s just showing off.” Mikaela shot her mother another accusing look. “Mom!” Mikaela shook her head as Maria feigned innocence. She settled into the couch grabbing a second cookie as Dominic sat down. So long as Dominic enjoyed her food, she’d keep cooking it. And if he was concerned about the extra calories she knew of a few ways that she could help him work them off. She got lost in her thoughts for a few seconds, completely forgetting where she was until she heard Maria calling out to her. “What?!” Mikaela said with her mouth full of cookie. “Dominic is talking to you. Don’t be rude.” Mikaela turned to face Dominic, trying to focus harder and what he was saying. She itched to run her fingers through her hair but the braids prevented her from doing so. Instead, she grabbed a third cookie. If she didn’t slow down she was going to choke on them. Trina hopped off of Mikaela’s lap and went over to the cage for water when she realized that she wasn’t going to be getting any cookies. The small dog hadn’t been too much of a handful with the exception of having a lot of accidents. It’d taken a lot longer to leash train Trina and even when Mikaela thought she’d had it down, the puppy would have another accident in the apartment. And from time to time she had bit of a barking problem.

Both of Mikaela’s pets had gotten comfortable with Reina pretty fast, though Trina still thought she was the bigger of the two dogs. For a while, after she brought them home from spending time at Dominic’s hotel suite, the two animals would whine a bit before they got bored and started playing with each other. Mikaela had gotten very attached to the pitbull puppy as well, having practically adopted her as her own when Dominic wasn’t around. She often worried that her care for Trina confused the young dog, but with time, she’d learn who her real owner was. It warmed her heart to watch Dominic and Trina interact. He did his best to be patient with her and he was as caring and loving as a father would be to a child. It was very cute. Mikaela was no dog expert as Trina was also her first, but she’d had a bit of experience in caring for an animal having looked after Tim. Dominic was doing his research and growing to be a good owner. Though she hadn’t had to yet, she trusted Dominic to take care of all three of their pets if she needed a sitter. It would be a handful for him, no doubt. They were a handful for her, too.

As Dominic got comfortable next to her, she relaxed and started to focus on the game. After losing game two, OKC was playing hard and trying to get their lead of the series back. Each point OKC made, the Heat answered, but the score was too close her Mikaela’s liking. Certain mistakes were costing them and she yelled at the TV as if they could hear her all the way in Miami. Eventually she sat on the edge of the couch with her elbows resting on her knees and her head in her hands. The Miami Heat had to win this game and the two that followed. They had something to prove by winning the championship. It seemed the only people rooting for the Heat were their loyal fans and the few that had jumped the bandwagon. The scorned Cavaliers, the jealous Celtics, the “Big Three” haters, and pretty much everyone other basketball fan in America was pulling against them. This was their time to show that the hate on propelled them to succeed. Mikaela nearly took it personally. By halftime, the Heat were only up by one point. Mikaela had abandoned her spot on the couch and opted for pacing around the livingroom. She’d even thrown a pillow at the television at one point. She eventually sat back down on the couch to watch the Heat pull off a win. Between Maria and Mikaela, there was a lot of cheering and high fiving going on. The night had been a success and it made Mikaela genuinely happy that two of the most important people in her life had finally gotten to meet and got along well. The win as just the icing on the cake.

tagged || DOM//dani
word count || 748
outfit || CLICK! no hat to mess up her pigtails.
notes || suckage buuut, donedonedonedooooone!