#humbleandblessed

"Sometimes I get emotional over fonts." - Kanye West Donald "Duk" Barnes | 20 | Ravenwood junior. Unfortunate Cubs & Bears fan. Future gym teacher.

[thedukbarnes]

dovemitchell​:

**

Dove chuckled, “Then it’s probably you, chief.” She gave Duk finger guns before she pulled a face similar to what it would look like if you smelled something sour, “You sound like a fucking op, you know that, but I don’t have any cousins younger than me, and if I did, I wouldn’t give alcohol to minors, officer.” 

Duk rolled his eyes, but chuckled good-naturedly when Dove did the finger guns at him. “I can assure you, I am a boring straight man.” He stated, putting a hand on his chest as though admitting it aloud wounded him, pulling a foolish face as he did so. “A fucking op? Christ. You really do wound me, Dove! The last time I was even remotely a police officer, I was seven, I was Robocop, and it was Halloween.”

[thedukbarnes]

dovemitchell​:

Not only have I accepted being the gay cousin and the cousin most likely to say some shit to piss off the family at the holidays, this year I can legally drink and I’m fucking ready for it. Can’t wait to see aunt Katherine who just loves to ‘slip up’ and use the wrong fucking pronouns for me.

“I don’t think my family has one of those.” Duk mused and gave Dove a smile. “But hey, at least your family’s got one that’s pretty damn cool... I bet you’re the cousin that gives the younger ones a drink, just to see what happens, too.”

[thedukbarnes]

@blairblr​

Duk grinned to himself as he pressed the FaceTime video call button next to Blair’s name. When she answered, he still was grinning. “Hey, beautiful. How was your day? Did you know that today marks only two more weeks until Halloween?” He chuckled, running a hand over his hair before he continued; “Which reminds me, what do you think of going on a first date, with yours truly, for Halloween? I think it could be spooky fun.” 

[thedukbarnes]

@blairblr​

Duk rubbed his hands together thoughtfully before he gave his lovely date a dashing grin and said, “Okay, here’s a good icebreaker. I saw this tweet getting totally just blasted all over the internet, right, and the basic question of it is: Do you take five hundred thousand dollars or a dinner with Jay-Z?” He paused to take a sip from his coffee before he continued: “See, it’s from some money dude and he says you’re better off taking dinner with Jay-Z because he’ll give you some kind of...” He gestured vaguely, searching for the word before he carried on “Some kind of knowledge about, like, business, that is worth more than the money. Personally, I love Jay-Z, but I’d take the money. What do you think?” 

[thedukbarnes]

“What is the deal with this code?” Duk wondered aloud, still thinking about the  the tagged SoWood billboard, the numbers looking back at him over the corny ass advertisement that looked like something out of Mad Men. “I thought that the last numbers could be a phone number, but there’s letters and... like, punctuation in it.” He messed with the back of the receipt he’d been writing his ideas on, striking out something about code breakers. “I am this close to googling it all, seeing what I come up with. What are you thinking?”

[thedukbarnes]

B is also for Big (1988) 

“Zoltar says make your wish.” 

“I wish I were big.”

[thedukbarnes]

brodiebalcoin​:

“I think I would be if things hadn’t like…statistically gotten better since I’ve gotten older.” Brodie actually felt himself blush and waved off Duk’s compliment. “Ah I’m scared of plenty man. Like little kids in horror movies. Stay the fuck away from me with that shit, please and thank you. Yeah I mean it would be nice to have a good family party so Marnie can run around. I think Coco’s parents would probably let me hold it at their restaurant. Man, let me tell you, dating someone who’s parents actually like you? Fucking game changer.”

“Statistically?” Duk echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah, damn, you are getting older ‘cause I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that word before in our time as friends.” He tossed a grin Brodie’s way and nodded in agreement. “So, you really are afraid of, like, the classic scary movies: Poltergeist, The Exorcist. But I get that. You’re a dad and all, but I don’t like that stuff in movies either. When I was a kid, my biggest fear was quicksand. I thought it would be a bigger problem than it actually is.” He tipped his head to one side, listening before he shrugged, “See, that’s where we differ. The ladies I’ve dated? Their folks always loved me. I’m glad people are finally wising up to the good that Brodie Balcoin can bring into their lives, though.” He concluded with a wink. 

[mndvx]

rossbutler had to do it to em

[thedukbarnes]

brodiebalcoin​:

“You know I thought I’d be more bummed out getting closer and closer to 30 but I’m not so scared this year. Still, do we think themed birthday parties are overrated? Also is it over the top to have one family friendly party and then one that’s just buckwild and totally opposite?”

“At least you’re not scared.” Duk said, giving a little shake of his head before he tilted his head thoughtfully and observed: “There isn’t much you are afraid of, though. At least, not to my knowledge.” He shrugged, however at his friend’s conundrum and noted, “Hey, it is twice the gifts, isn’t it? Twice the fun, too, the more I think on it... Never sounds like a bad idea to me...”

[thedukbarnes]

blairblr​:

“Uh huh,” Blair said with a playful roll of her eyes. “Oh right, with all those muscles and such.” She said, playing into this moment with Duk before shaking her head with a laugh. “You think?” Blair told him, literally looking over a table full of guys that were doing that exact same thing. “Don’t do that.” Blair let him know, as he winked in her direction. Yes, she’d found herself making out with the man besides her once but she didn’t want him thinking that now he had an easy pass to kiss her again. Even if he was really cute and from what she remembered, a really great kisser. But she had a reputation so it’d take more than a wink and that cute face to kiss her again. “Yes, please.” She said, twisting her lips as she found herself wanting to smile again. He did have that cute thing going for him, he really did. “Aside having to ward off unwanted passes? I’ve actually been really good. We’re not discussing school though. It’s a topic that’s off of the table entirely.” Blair let him know, just like she’d told Suede moments ago. “But we can talk about where were you with those muscles today to help me drag a bunch of sleeping bags in Ravenwood? They could have came in handy.”

“All these muscles, yeah.” Duk quipped, making a muscle pose with an arm flexed, the bicep still tight underneath his jacket. “You didn’t have anything bad to say about my muscles last time we saw each other, Blair.” He smiled then, nodding once when she told him to stop winking. But he knew she liked it. Duk nodded once more in agreement when she said she didn’t wish to talk about school. “Mm, okay, that’s fine. I can talk about anything you wanna talk about or just... talk about nothing at all.” He teased, grinning surely like a madman now. “I’m glad you’re doing good. Wait, what do you mean about sleeping bags at Ravenwood? Why did you need so many sleeping bags and why didn’t you call me? I would have helped. I was just, like, at home. Contemplating why jet lag exists and playing Super Mario with my little brother.” 

[thedukbarnes]

blairblr​:

Blair was pleasantly surprised when she came to see exactly who was by her side. Duk. The smile on her face said that and then some, a smile wasn’t always given to cute guys. But this was a cute guy that she knew had some semblance of a head on his shoulders. Even if he didn’t always show it off. But my god, he was cute. “Right.” Blair nodded, as he’d know. Not that he’d used any pick up lines when she’d made out with her. She took credit for making that first move but she was happy to hear that he knew that stupid pick up lines weren’t going to get her. “He thought that he’s wearing one of these,” Blair’s finger poked at the letterman jacket that he so happened to be rocking. “I’d fall for just about anything he’d say. Please tell your peers that they are going to have to give just a bit more of a fuck when trying to impress us, women. This just doesn’t work anymore.” She said with a playful roll of her eyes. 

Duk brushed his hand over the leather letter on his chest, right after Blair’s hand moved away. “Hey, it’s my best early spring coat. I’m lucky it still fits, honestly.” He admitted, thinking of more than a few former teammates who could not say the same. “A lot of guys use these jackets for the clout, you know. I don’t need to rely on this, nor any item of clothing, really, to pick up a girl.” He can’t help but grin down at Blair and wink conspiratorially. She had, in fact, made the first move on him. He liked it when that happened, and not-so-secretly, he hoped it could happen again. “But yeah, Blair, I’ll be sure to pass on that message at the next Rosewood meeting of dudes.” He pretended to make a note of it, echoing: “Pick up lines don’t work, give more of a fuck.” He couldn’t help but tease her a little before he asked, “So, how you been?”

[thedukbarnes]

blairblr​:

“No.” Blair let the guy besides her know as she simply wasn’t going to entertain a conversation with him. He wasn’t her type. She knew that and he needed to know it. “Yeah, no. N-O. But props on trying, it definitely took nerve.” She told him with a pat to his shoulder, before turning her attention to the person to the other side of her. “Be honest with me, do I come off like the kind of woman who’d be into that?” She asked the person. 

Duk couldn’t help but overhear the conversation between Blair and this complete rando. Now, of course, he knew most women could hold their own, but he also couldn’t help himself, hoping to further score more brownie points with Blair and maybe earn himself another sweet makeout session in the process. He had stepped up behind Blair, about to say something when the guy was dismissed and Blair turned to him. He grinned, giving a shake of his head. “No, definitely not. I’m not sure what he was trying to prove, spitting out pick-up lines like that. I don’t think anyone has successfully used a pick-up line since, like, 2004.”

[asianmenarewinning]

[thedukbarnes]

malcolmhclland​:

“I don’t think I could express this enough but I love, love, love this song.” Malcolm said, his head instantly bobbing to the beat. The song in question, Chloe X Halle’s ‘Ungodly Hour’. “Like, it’s literally audio perfection. The vocals, the Disclosure production, the runs. My guy, this is it.” Malcolm geeked out. “And you can actually find their vinyl in aisle 5. I’m telling you, you won’t regret it.”

Duk’s head tipped to one side, listening, eyebrows furrowing. “...Chloe X Halle, right? They’re in my sister’s favorites. I keep up with her on Spotify, you know. I think it’s the next avenue for social media creeping.” Duk confessed, feeling candid with his acquaintance, but a grin played across his lips, which belied his playful nature. “I’ve heard of Disclosure, though. They did some good stuff with Sam Smith... Wait, wait, rewind. They still make vinyl? I thought that stuff went out when they started with CDs.”

[thedukbarnes]

agnescohen​:

“I probably should have started this before the new year, but…” Agnes tapped her pen against the journal she was attempting to write in, the pages filled with columns for new resolutions, goals, and other manifestations. “So far my only resolution is to buy less stuff, but even that was Serena’s idea. Do you have any resolutions for yourself this year? It might give me some ideas.”

“At least you have started yours.” Duk quipped, leaning over to steal a glance at the pages of her journal. “Manifestations. That’s a nice addition.” He idly flips through his new year planner, glancing at the empty pages before him. “I mean, I guess I have some goals for this year. Traveling again, for one. Dream up new TikTok challenges. Eat healthier, but I always have that as a resolution.” 

[thedukbarnes]

addamsoctober​:

“Can I buy you a drink?” October looked over to ask the person nearest to her at the bar. “Not flirting, by the way. What you’re having just looks like straight juice and sugar and its depressing me.”

Duk swirled the half-hearted fizzling soda around the glass and then looked over at the woman sitting a few seats down. He chuckled when she said she wasn’t flirting. “Hey, I certainly wasn’t accusing you of that.” He smiled, though. “I would appreciate that drink, however. What does the lady recommend?” 

[thedukbarnes]

kennedy-mcpherson‌:

Kennedy had been hard to work. Since coming on board Mr. McKibbon’s team, she’d had her hands full. But to be quite honest, she welcomed the challenge. She enjoyed being pushed, because it meant that she wasn’t being held to another standard than those around her. The only thing that sucked was that all of this work had hit her social life. She truly couldn’t tell you the happenings around Rosewood, well, she could. Thanks to a certain Gossip Blog’s reemergence but that was neither here nor there.

She’d been so immersed in work that quite honestly, Valentines Day could have gone and went without her noticing. It wasn’t like she was really a fan of the holiday anyways. Well, she enjoyed the being adored aspect of it. But others expected the same treatment and… that ruined it for her. But a very huge reminder stood at her door that it was indeed Valentine’s Day. A reminder that came in the front of a bouquet of her favorite flowers, Orchids followed by Donald Barnes.

“Hi.” She said, genuinely surprised he was there. “Please come in.” Kennedy told him, pulling him in by his shirt into her office. She looked over the floral display in his hands and then back up at him. Not even knowing how to process the sight in front of her, but she knew that she had one thing to tell him. “Thank you.”

Duk grinned as soon as he laid eyes on Kennedy, falling into step, just about stumbling into the office upon her invitation and the tug on his shirt. He used a free hand to close her office door behind him, just in case. “You look amazing. Seems like the new job is treating you well.” He said, putting the flowers down on her desk and pulling her in close by touching her waist gently. “I had to do a little somethin’ for you... What with the new job and all... But Valentine’s Day is just as good of an excuse to show up with flowers. I have a little more for you, though.” 

He leaned in for a moment, giving her a brief, yet intimate, kiss. “Aside from that.” Duk added with a small grin before he continued: “Is there any way I can take you to dinner tonight? I got us a reservation at the place you like.”