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#Mark Eades
acmeoop · 9 months
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Marvin the Martian in the 3rd Dimension Limited Edition Print (1996)
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dustedmagazine · 4 months
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Under the Radar: Jim Marks' Year-end List for 2023
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Samuel Leipold, Jürg Bucher, Lucca Lo Bianco
The stream of great new music is constant and impossible to keep up with. Inevitably, some of it goes largely unnoticed. My year-end list consists of releases that I really enjoyed but didn’t get around to writing about and haven’t seen reviewed elsewhere in English. They are presented in no particular order.
Samuel Leipold, Jürg Bucher, Lucca Lo Bianco — Ostro (Ezz-thetics)
This trio of clarinet, double bass, and guitar delivers atmospheric free jazz. Experimental without being confrontational (included is a choice Jimmy Giuffre cover), Ostro offers a rarely heard sound palette and consistently interesting arrangements.
Luis Ribeiro — A Inven​ç​ã​o da Fic​ç​ã​o (Porta Jazz)
The Porta Jazz label out of Portugal released fewer records than usual this year, perhaps a lagging effect of Covid. One standout is the debut by guitarist and composer Ribeiro, who leads a sextet with tenor and baritone saxophones in the front line. Love the eerie vocalization on the opening track. Space age and swinging.
Adrián Royo Trío — Pangea (Errabal Jazz)
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This Spanish release initially caught my eye in the La Habitacion de Jazz blog because of the involvement of double bassist Manel Fortià. Strong original melodies and tight interplay make for a standout piano trio recording in a great year for piano trios.
Javier Burin — Escenarios (Los Años Luz Discos)
Another excellent but low-profile piano trio release this year. The assuredness and inventiveness of Argentinian Burin’s playing are the more remarkable given that he is only in his early twenties; check out especially the unlikely cover of “Tenor Madness.”
Marcus Eads — Pride of Ostego (self-released)
This Minnesotan has been putting out gentle Takoma-style guitar music for more than a decade. Strongly rooted in the rural midwestern landscape, his playing and homespun compositions call to mind back porches, canoe trips, and sitting by the fireside.
Scott Tuma — Nobody’s Music (Haha)
I was thrilled to stumble across this unheralded release recently by the Souled American alumnus and one of the architects of slowcore. Apparently first appearing last year on cassette, Nobody’s Music, coming six years after No Greener Grass, delivers more ambling and spindly acoustic guitar lines that seem to drip out of the instrument with the occasional accompaniment of what sounds like harmonica or accordion. Enchanting as always.
Mohamed Masmoudi — Villes Éternelles (Centre des Musiciens du Monde)
Canadian oud master Masmoudi creates a compelling blend of Arabic music and jazz in a percussion-less quartet also featuring clarinet, piano, and double bass. With top-notch musicianship and catchy tunes, the group shows how good world music fusion can sound.
Jorge Abadias — Camins (Underpool)
The Underpool label documents the lively Barcelona jazz scene. Its 2023 releases include this quartet date led by guitarist Abadias. His original post-bop (in the broad sense) compositions tend toward slower tempos, and fine soloing abounds.
Jakob Dreyer — Songs, Hymns, and Ballads Vol. 2 (self-released)
Another solid post-bop quartet recording featuring original compositions. Three U.S. musicians fill out German double bassist Dreyer’s quartet, and this second volume nicely complements Vol. 1 released last year.
Various Artists — You Better Mind: Southeastern Songs to Stop Cop City (self-released)
This project, spearheaded by the Magic Tuber String Band (who also released the outstanding Tarantism in 2023), brings together a broad swath of musicians, including Joseph Allred, Shane Parish, Sally Anne Morgan, Nathan Bowles, the Tubers themselves, and some I was unfamiliar with. The music tends toward the rustic; much of it is excellent, and the cause is as noble as they come.
Jim Marks
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firebirdsdaughter · 2 years
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The more I rewatch…
… The more I think Cage is my favourite of the… Older sisters? Aunts? Cage def felt more like an aunt, like she was more ‘of an age’ w/ Jack than w/ the kids. Maybe it’s first girl wins, like Leanna’s sweet and her and Bozer were cute but I dunno if I felt like she clicked quite as well as Cage. Like I think all the characters had their flaws and their strengths (for ex I feel like Cage was used to treat Jack as a joke a few times, and I’m not a huge fan of ‘super perfect profiler embarrasses everyone’ kinda stuff, Murdoc was made to pick on her too much but that being said that stuff wasn’t too prominent).
I don’t want to claim I have an opinion on Desi bc I have only experienced one ep of her, so I don’t have a sense of her, and I’m not gonna watch anymore, so… Eh. But that does make me realise I think a thing I liked about Cage was that she never had any romantic plots pushed in. For ex, the timing/context of the Desi stuff feels like it was a poorly thought out bandaid for Jack allegedly dying? So that plot choice I can’t reconcile w/ bc I hate situations where ‘romance makes everything better.’ Esp w/ Desi being introduced as Jack’s replacement, the decision leaves a bad taste in my mouth—obviously he shouldn’t be wangsting constantly, but you can’t just usher Mac into a sudden romance w/ a woman he just met compared to his history w/ Jack and act like that makes him ‘better.’ I think I described it as trying to put a ‘romance’ shaped peg into a ‘family’ shaped hole. Kid’s dad died, but we’ll just have him date his replacement. It’s hard to explain, but it’s nothing personal against her, exactly. Mac should not be magically ‘fixed’ by romance and it should not make him forget Jack’s alleged death. Now, admittedly, I haven’t watched any of the eps, so maybe that’s not exactly how it goes (although I do get the impression that, at least, Jack’s alleged death does not get the shockwaves it should have/would realistically produce). Cage felt like an established member of the team who wasn’t used as a love interest, and in a way her presence balanced out Leanna who was. I’m also just struggling to see Mac suddenly committing like that (I read a summary that says he thinks about proposing to her??? Ugh), I’d much prefer just a slight hint at the very end rather than full on dating, esp after all he’s been through. So it’s a weird place where it’s not Desi herself bc she’s a stranger to me, but… I really just don’t know how to explain it w/out repeating myself, but. It just feels weird, like it was slapped on in a desperate attempt to give them ‘‘‘‘as deep’’’’ a relationship, and get more drama in the show, when… It just doesn’t work.
And by god did I get off topic.
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nellasbookplanet · 2 months
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Book recs: Queer fantasy, part 1
A note: queer here does not necessarily mean “guarantee of an f/f or m/m ship with a happy ending”, but rather simply a significant presence of queerness. Some of the books feature no romance but has a same gender attracted/trans/a-spectrum lead, or features an m/f relationship with bisexual, trans or aro/ace characters, or simply features a world-building which is heavily queer inclusive in ways that don’t always compare to our own ideas of sexuality and gender. I have however disqualified works where the only queer presence is along the lines of “gay best friend” or a blink and you’ll miss it confirmation that never comes up again.
For queer sci-fi recs, click here! For a masterpost of book rec lists, click here! For more details on the books recommended here, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites!
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The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez*
AKA the book the killed me. Two boys travel throughout their land with the body of a god as her horrible, horrible children try to hunt them down. It’s hard to explain more than that, but trust me when I say the narrative voice and literary techniques are incredibly unique in how they blend past and present, reality and story, lead and bystander. Truly an experience. Features an m/m romance.
The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost series) by C.L. Clark*
Tourraine, who was stolen as a child and trained as a soldier for the empire that conquered her home, is recruited by Luka, the future leader of the conquering country, to root out a rebellion. A game of twisted loyalties and attraction is soon to develop as the two must decide where their priorities lie: with each other, or with their respective countries and people.
Sing the Four Quarters (Quarters series) by Tanya Huff*
Though a royal by birth, princess Annice renounced her throne to become a bard, a musician who through training can Sing elemental spirits to do their bidding. Ten years later, she goes on the run for two counts of treason, first by imperiling the succession order by becoming pregnant, second by helping her ex, and the father of her child, escape the palace dungeons and a death sentence. Bisexual lead in an f/f relationship. When I first read this book I described it as, and I quote, 'a fucking delight', and I stand by that.
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The Unspoken Name (The Serpent Gates duology) by C.L. Clark*
The sort of portal fantasy you get when all the worlds connected by portals are fantasy worlds, and none of them are ours. The portals themselves become simply a part of the worldbuilding that the characters use to travel between fascinating places, and it’s all really cool. It follows Csorwe (lesbian orc assassin whom I love), who grew up in a cult, indoctrinated as a child sacrifice to a god. But on the day she was meant to die, she instead chose to follow a powerful wizard and train to become his loyal servant and sword. Aside from being an excellent fantasy, it’s also a close look at the hard path of unlearning indoctrination and the search for love and validation where you’ll never find it, and learning to live for yourself. Multiple queer leads.
The Jasmine Throne (The Burning Kingdoms series) by Tasha Suri
A princess held captive by her own brother, who wants to see her dead, tries to trick a servant into helping her escape, but with undeniable attraction growing between them and the servant having her own goals of liberation things quickly get complicated, both between them and in the country at large as rebellion and dangerous magic brews. Sapphic romance.
The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos duology) by Samantha Shannon
Queen Sabran's lineage has protected the country of Inys from dragons for a thousand years, but now the safety of their land is threatened as Sabran is yet to conceive and assassins are closing in. Lady-in-waiting Ead is secretly part of a society of hidden mages, and is using her position to protect her queen. Meanwhile, on the other side of the sea, dragonrider Tané is faced with an impossible choice. The fates of all three are intertwined as they attempt to stop the rise of a great dragon. 800+ page epic fantasy. Sapphic romance.
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The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher*
Young adult, fairy tale retelling of the Snow Queen. When Gerta's friend Kai is stolen away by the evil Snow Queen, Gerta must depart on a mission to save him. On the way, she encounters, among others, a talking raven and a pretty robber girl who become her allies. Sapphic romance.
The Rise of Kyoshi (Kyoshi duology) by F.C. Yee*
Young adult. Set in the Avatar universe, but aimed at an older audience than the animated series. Though she will one day be one of the most well-known avatars of the land, for now, young Kyoshi is but a humble girl who has yet to find out her true destiny as the bender of all four elements and keeper of balance of her world. When betrayal strikes and a dear friend is lost, Kyoshi goes on the run alongside fiesty firebender Rangi to find out the truth of her destiny and power. Sapphic romance.
Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes series) by Travis Baldree
Viv is tired of adventures and bloodshed - now she wants a peaceful life, and decides to go after it by opening a café. But going from warrior to small business owner is easier said than done, especially when Viv's old life comes knocking. Best described as a cozy fantasy, with a largely low-stakes but heartwarming plot and a sapphic romance.
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Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee
Gyen Jebi is an artist, but making a living is difficult. When offered a job by the Ministry of Armor to paint the magical sigils that animate their automaton soldiers, they have little choice but to accept. But as Jebi sees the dark depths of the government, especially the shocking source of their magical paint, they must find a way to resist. Perhaps by freeing the Ministry's mighty automaton dragon... Nonbinary main character.
Crier's War by Nina Varela
Young adult. Who says sci-fi has monopoly on robots? In Crier’s War, artificially created automae have defeated and subjugated humans, who live as second class citizens. Young Ayla goes undercover as a servant, meaning to assassinate automae girl and Sovereign’s daughter Crier. This would be easier if the two weren’t quick to develop feelings for each other.
Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky trilogy) by Rebecca Roanhorse
In a pre-columbian inspired world, sea captain Xiala, gifted with an unusual connection to the sea, travels with a mysterious scarred and blind passenger toward a dangerous goal as prophecy heralds the return of a god. Features among others bisexual and nonbinary leads.
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The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin*
In a world regularly torn apart by natural disasters, a big one finally strikes and society as we know it falls, leaving people floundering to survive in a post apocalyptic world, its secrets and past to be slowly revealed. We follow a mother as she races through this world to find and save her daughter, stolen away by a father who just murdered their son after having discovered a terrible secret of their family. Does feature multiple queer characters and a main polyam relationship, but DO NOT read this expecting happy queer relationships as this series handles many dark subjects (you should still read it though, it's incredibly good).
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan*
Young adult. Kids who can walk between our world and a magical one get recruited into a magical school that trains them to be either fighters or diplomats. Our lead decides that fighting is stupid and that he’s going to peacefully solve every conflict ever, all while being the most delightfully obnoxious little brat possible and getting involved in the most bisexual love triangle imaginable. Very good, funny, and heart-felt coming of age story.
Our Bloody Pearl D.N. Bryn
A siren who’s been held captive by a pirate is freed, but too injured to survive on their own as their tail has become paralyzed. Another pirate captain decides to help them out and has to work to win their trust. Fairly fluffy and light on world-building and plot (though there is a bit of a revenge story in there), with a focus on character and recovery. m/nb romance with an asexual love interest.
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A Master of Djinn by P. Djélí Clark
Set in an alternate 1910’s steampunk Cairo, where djinn and other creatures live alongside humans. We get to follow an investigator as she races to catch a criminal using a powerful object to control djinn and stir unrest. Fantastically creative and fresh, and also features a buddy cop dynamic between two female leads as well as a sapphic romance.
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho*
As a toddler, Jessamyn Teoh left Malaysia. Now a young adult, she’s broke, closeted, and moving back. There she’s faced with the ghost of her estranged grandmother, Ah Ma, who was a medium and avatar of the deity the Black Water Sister in life. Now she demands Jess' help in exacting revenge against a gang boss that offended her god. Meanwhile, all Jess wants is to get her life back on track.
Heaven Official's Blessing (Heaven Official's Blessing series) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Once, Xie Lian was the beloved crown prince of a kingdom. Then he rose to godhood at a young age, and was expected to take a step back from his land and his people, but in his inability to do so ended up losing everything. Now, eight hundred years later, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for a third time, forgotten by mortals and the laughing stock of Heaven. Trying to rebuild his reputation, Xie Lian sets off on a mission, and on it encounters an infamous demon king who inspires fear in all of heaven. M/M romance.
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Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore*
Young Adult. Jane is invited by an old acquaintance to an extravagant gala in an island mansion, stranding her among the rich and glamorous. But being surrounded by rich people is the least of Jane’s problems: the mansion is housing secrets, some of them tied to Jane’s own family. The mansion offers her five choices, all of them leading her down different paths and different answers. Jane, Unlimited is a choose-your-own adventure story of sorts, featuring five different endings in five different genres, each more off the wall bonkers than the next. It also features a bisexual main character!
Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children series) by Seanan McGuire*
A tumblr favorite, the Wayward Children novellas feature a school open to children who have returned from adventures in other realms and now have trouble adapting back to regular life. Some installments are set in our world, others follow children as they have their otherworldly adventures. The main characters vary between books, but are generally pretty diverse with among others asexual, trans, intersexual and sapphic leads. Both funny and dark, it takes a closer look at the trauma many endure growing up different.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern*
Surreal and fairy tale-esque, The Starless Sea is stories within a story, following graduate student Zachary as he finds a strange book which, in-between other tales, tells a story from his own childhood. Trying to find out how this came to be, Zachary gets involved with a pink-haired woman and a handsome man who are doing their utmost to protect a strange, otherworldly library available only through magical doors. It’s a book hard to put in words, but which I once described as “romantic without being a romance while stile having a love story at it’s core”, and which can be summed up only as “an Experience”. It’s also quite gay!
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Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer*
Young adult. Nita isn’t a murderer - technically. She just dissects the bodies of supernatural beings her mother brings home and sells for parts on the black market. But when her mother brings home a still living victim, Nita has had enough and frees him. As it turns out, no good deed goes unpunished as Nita is betrayed, her own nature as a supernatural entity outed as she’s kidnapped and placed behind bars. Now she must find a way to escape before she's sold for parts. Features two aroace leads and a queerplatonic relationship, though it isn’t made textual until book 3 and briefly masquerades as a romance, which is pretty hilarious.
The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence) by K.D. Edwards
Urban fantasy. Rune Saint John is the only survivor of the massacre against the Sun Court years prior. Now he’s been hired by Lady Judgement to find her missing son, Addam. Alongside his companion and bodyguard Brand, Rune goes on to question Addam's family and business contacts all over New Atlantis, island city and home of the Atlanteans after their original home was destroyed by ordinary humans. But the more he digs, the more Rune finds clues that Addam's absence is connected to Rune's own tragic past. M/M romance.
Gossamer Axe by Gael Baudino
Centuries ago in Ireland, Chairiste Ní Cummen was trained in the secrets of music and magic. But her pride was her downfall, trapping her and her lover in the land of the Sidh. Only Chairiste escaped, hoping to one day win her lover's freedom in musical battle with the fairy that holds her captive. Now she is Christa Cruitare, harp teacher in the modern world and all but resigned to her loss. Until she comes across a great new music: heavy metal. Taking one last chance to win her lover's freedom, Christa sets out to gather other skilled musicians and bring them with her in her final battle. Sapphic romance.
Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool
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Pantomime (Micah Grey trilogy) by Laura Lam
Young adult. On the surface, Gene's life is that of a noble debutante. In reality, she has secrets: she's both male and female, and has magical abilities that hasn’t been seen in an age. In the face of a betrayal from her parents, Gene runs away from home, dresses up as a boy, and joins a circus. Intersex main character.
Ghost Walk by Kay Solo
Maaya Sahni can see ghosts, and does her best to survive in her small isolated town by keeping her head down. But when an entire street full of people is spirited away by faceless specters that scares even ghosts, Maaya must find a way to stop the specters. Lesbian main character.
Swordspoint (Riverside series) by Ellen Kushner
In Riverside, duels are the way to settle disputes, and Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master of the sword - at least until a death is met not with awe but with outrage. M/M romance.
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In words laden with affection and warmth, Prince Philip told the then Princess Elizabeth how he had fallen in love with her 'unreservedly.'
The letter, written in 1946 — a year before their wedding — was among several revealed in Philip Eade's 2011 book Young Prince Philip: His Turbulent Early Life.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who has died aged 99, told the Princess how falling in love with her so 'completely' had made his personal troubles and even those of the world 'seem small and petty.'
He also found it difficult to put his feelings into words, describing in another message after they had spent time together how he felt incapable of 'showing you the gratitude that I feel.'
And he told the Queen Mother in the year of her daughter's wedding to him how 'Lilibet was the only thing in this world, which is absolutely real to me.'
Love letters
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Philip served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and saw active service against German, Italian, and Japanese forces.
The Greek prince's early life was also marked by upheaval — he escaped his home country as a baby by being hidden in a makeshift cot made from an orange box.
So his words were filled with meaning when he told Princess Elizabeth in 1946 how his love for her made all his past struggle — and the horrors the world had just been through — seem trivial by comparison.
He wrote:
'To have been spared in the war and seen victory, to have been given the chance to rest and to re-adjust myself, to have fallen in love completely and unreservedly, makes all one's personal and even the world's troubles seem small and petty.'
Three years earlier, Philip had spent Christmas at Windsor Castle.
Princess Elizabeth was said to be animated in a way 'none of us had ever seen before,' her governess, Marion Crawford, wrote.
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Writing to her after seeing her again in July, Philip wrote of the 'simple enjoyment of family pleasures and amusements and the feeling that I am welcome to share them.'
'I am afraid I am not capable of putting all this into the right words and I am certainly incapable of showing you the gratitude that I feel.'
The same year, he apologised for the 'monumental cheek' of turning up to Buckingham Palace uninvited.
'Yet however contrite I feel, there is always a small voice that keeps saying "Nothing ventured, nothing gained,"' he wrote.
'Well did I venture, and I gained a wonderful time.'
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And in a letter to the Queen Mother two weeks after his wedding to Princess Elizabeth in November 1947, Philip expressed his vision for their time together.
He said:
'Lilibet is the only thing in this world, which is absolutely real to me, and my ambition is to wield the two of us into a new combined existence that will not only be able to withstand the shocks directed at us but will also have a positive existence for the good... Cherish Lilibet?'
'I wonder if that word is enough to express what is in me. Does one cherish one's sense of humour or one's musical ear or one's eyes?
'I am not sure, but I know that I thank God for them and so, very humbly, I thank God for Lilibet and us.'
Public speeches
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The pair's wedding, attended by an array of foreign kings and queens, captured the public imagination in the austere post-war days of November 1947.
The newly-weds were called the Fairy Princess and Prince Charming.
After honeymooning at Broadlands, Hampshire, home of Lord Mountbatten, and at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate in Scotland, Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh stayed at Buckingham Palace until renovation of their new home, nearby Clarence House, was completed in 1949.
And in the years since then, both Philip and the Queen have spoken of each other with affection in public.
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In a 1997 toast during the couple's 50th wedding anniversary, he said:
'I think the main lesson that we have learned is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient of any happy marriage.
It may not be quite so important when things are going well, but it is absolutely vital when the going gets difficult.
You can take it from me that the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance.'
She said on the same evening that Philip had been her 'strength and stay all these years.'
'I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know,' she added.
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In 2002, at her Golden Jubilee Speech, the monarch said of her consort:
'The Duke of Edinburgh has made an invaluable contribution to my life over these past fifty years, as he has to so many charities and organisations with which he has been involved.'
And, during her Diamond Jubilee address to Parliament in 2012, the Queen said to her husband:
'During these years as your Queen, the support of my family has, across the generations, been beyond measure.
Prince Philip is, I believe, well-known for declining compliments of any kind. But throughout he has been a constant strength and guide.'
Private moments
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Philip was there for the Queen when her father, King George VI, died in February 1952.
Only six days before her father's death, the then Princess and Philip had embarked on their tour of Australia via Kenya.
According to Eade in his book, Philip said of the days following the King's death that 'there were plenty of people telling me what not to do.'
He added:
'I had to try to support the Queen as best I could without getting in the way. The difficulty was to find things that might be useful.'
And according to an anecdote told by Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia, Philip is said to have told the Queen when recalling their first meeting in 1934 that — 'you were so shy. I could not get a word out of you.'
Mischievous Philip is also said to have joked to his wife on the day of her coronation in 1953 — when she was wearing the 17th-century St Edward's Crown — 'where did you get that hat.'
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Elizabeth II (21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022)
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021)
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spiritintheinkwell · 10 months
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Happy Pride! Featuring my nine favorite wlw books.
Mahit/Three Seagrass from the Teixcalaan series by Arkady Martine
Catherine/Lucy from The Lady's Guide To Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
Kath/Lily from Last Night At The Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Zanja/Karis from the Elemental Logic series by Laurie J. Marks
Jude/Síle from Landing by Emma Donoghue
Ead/Sabran from The Priory Of The Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Emi/Ava from Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour
Thenike/Marghe from Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
Red/Blue from This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Ordered by theme, not by preference.
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bi4bihankking · 3 months
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The Priory of the Orange Tree Summary:
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door.
Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.
Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep...
The Sun and the Star Summary:
A Nico di Angelo solo book
Nico di Angelo is pretty familiar with the realms of death, being the son of Hades and all. So when a desperate voice starts plaguing his dreams, Nico is convinced it's coming from the Underworld and belongs to an old friend - a reformed Titan called Bob. Then an ominous prophecy leaves Nico in no doubt - Bob needs his help and Nico must rescue him. Of course Nico's boyfriend, Will Solace, the son of Apollo (the god of light) insists on joining the quest too. But can will even survive in the darkest part of the world? And what does the prophecy mean when it says that Nico will have to leave something of equal value behind? As Nico faces demons both internal and external, his relationship with Will is tested to its very core. Can love find its way, even through the depths of hell?
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anonymousewrites · 7 months
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One Hell of a Love (Book 2) Chapter Two
Sebastian Michaelis x Demon! Reader
Chapter Two: One Hell of a Prosthesis
Summary: (Y/N) and Sebastian learn more about the circus and audition with Ciel.
            “‘Ere we go,” said Joker as he led (Y/N) and Sebastian to the doctor’s tent behind the circus proper. “Right this way. Beg your pardon, the place is rather a mess.” Various performers from the circus watched Joker led the strangers through what was essentially their home. “Oh! Snake.” Joker waved to the snake man. Snake looked up. “Is the Doctor in the first-aid tent?”
            Snake was silent, but one of the snakes curling around him pointed to the side.
            “Oh, dear. Bad timing,” sighed Joker. “Seems he’s out on business. Come on, we’ll find him.” He continued on.
            “Oh, isn’t that the lad who was bitten by the tiger?” said one of the acrobats, the sister.
            “You’re right! What a lob of a lad,” said the brother.
            “There he is!” said Joker, ducking into another tent where the knife-thrower sat on a chair.
            (Y/N)’s nose twitched. Another prosthetic limb, this time on the knife-thrower’s leg.
            “Doc!” greeted Joker, and the Doctor turned around in his wheelchair.
            “Heya, Joker. I was just working on Dagger,” said the Doctor. “Your arm giving you trouble again?”
            “No, I’m not ‘ere for me today,” said Joker.
            “Ah…” Dagger looked at Sebastian. “If I think back, yer that feller that got ‘is ‘ead bit by Betty!”
        ��   “Betty bit you?!” cried the Doctor. He pulled Sebastian down to his level to look at him properly. “That’s awful! Come, to the medical tent with you!”
            He wheeled the group back to the medical tent and looked over Sebastian’s head while (Y/N) watched in amusement as the Doctor’s brow furrowed in surprise since Sebastian had no bite marks.
            “Were you really bitten by the tiger?” he asked. “There’s nary a scratch on you.”
            Sebastian smiled happily. “It was but a play-bite!”
            Play-bite? Dagger and Joker stared at him.
            He really does love cats, thought (Y/N), smiling fondly.
            “Well, if nothing’s wrong with you, that’s just as well,” said the Doctor.
            Joker sighed in relief. “I’m so glad you’re fine. If a member of the audience had been hurt, our troupe leader would’ve had our heads!”
            (Y/N) raised an eyebrow. “You’re not the troupe leader?”
            “Nope!” said Joker jovially. “I’m just the Ring Master! The leader is someone else entirely and quite scary to boot.”
            “Don’tcha come cryin’ to me when ye get chewed out for sayin’ that,” said Dagger.
            “Doctor. I was hoping you could take a look at me leg…?” The animal tamer ducked into the tent.
            “Beast!” cried Dagger joyfully.
            “You!” cried Beast, glaring at Sebastian.
            “I’m ‘aving problems with my leg, too! Gossssh, this’s gotta be more that we’re tied by the red string of f—!”
            Beast brushed past Dagger and his words. She pointed at Sebastian and spoke angrily, “You’re the eccentric gentleman from before! What are you doing here?! Thanks to you, the act was completely ruined!”
            “Beast!” admonished the Doctor. “How could you talk to a member of the audience like that? You have only your own carelessness in being unable to control Betty to blame!”
            I doubt he’d be saying that if he’d seen Sebastian praising Betty, thought (Y/N), amused.
            “B-But he approached on his own—!” argued Beast.
            “No buts! You’re a professional, right?” said the Doctor.
            “Now, now, Doctor. You mustn’t raise your voice in front of a spectator,” said Joker brightly.
            “Yeah, yeah! Please examine Beast’s leg first!” said Dagger eagerly.
            “Haaah,” the Doctor breathed tiredly. “Beast, retrain Betty again after this.”
            “…Yeah,” said Beast.
            “Good, now let’s see the prosthesis,” said the Doctor.
            (Y/N) and Sebastian exchanged a glance. Another prosthesis? Quite the pattern was emerging.
            “Prosthesis?” remarked (Y/N). “Like your hand?” They leaned towards Joker slightly, looking like an innocent, curious cat.
            “Yeah,” said Joker, smiling. “Ye might say there’s a little reason behind this circus.” He nodded to where Beast rolled down her stocking to show her prosthetic leg to the Doctor. “One way or another, we’re a collection of folks with problems. I was missing an arm myself, but thanks to the Doctor, look at me now. Pretty fine, eh?”
            “And it’s always going bad because you insist on having a prosthetic limb in that shape,” huffed the Doctor, glancing at the skeletal hand. “I wish you’d give some consideration to the person who has to maintain it.”
            “Do you make artificial limbs for all of the troupe members?” asked (Y/N).
            “Yes, that’s right—It’s a lot of work, I tell you,” said the Doctor. “From carving the parts to installation, I do it all.”
            “Carving? Are they made of wood, then?” said Sebastian. He leaned over the Doctor as he worked on Beast’s leg, a completely artificial limb.
            “Nope, ceramic,” said the Doctor.
            “Ceramic?” said Sebastian.
            “I say ceramic, but I use special materials to make it light and durable,” said the Doctor.
            Special materials? (Y/N) raised an eyebrow but didn’t voice the question.
            “I see. It also feels nice to the touch,” said Sebastian, running a gloved hand over the carved calve of the limb.
            “Right? To ensure its smoothness, I also use ball-shaped parts in the joints,” said the Doctor.
            “Oh?” Sebastian hand didn’t leave Beast’s leg.
            (Y/N)’s nose twitched. They didn’t like Sebastian touching Beast so intimately. It irritated them. They loved him. He was a powerful demon. No human was worthy of his touch. (Y/N) shook the thoughts from their head. Now was not the time to be distracted by their feelings. Besides, Sebastian had made it clear humans were of no consequence to him. Could a demon be?
            “This is indeed delicate workmanship,” said Sebastian. He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What is this hallmark?” He had caught sight of a mark carved into Beast’s limb. It could give clues, so he raised her leg and leaned it. The entire sight was far from innocent.
            “What are you playing at you, you letch?!” said Beast, attempting to kick Sebastian in the head, but he leaned back to evade
            He smirked as he stood. “Aah, excuse me. You did not strike me as one so chaste as to be bashful at something of this sort, so—”
            “Why, you!” Beast cracked her whip towards him.
            Sebastian stepped to the side casually, still grinning impishly.
            “Hey! Beast! Stop that! He’s a spectator!” cried the Doctor. He looked back at Joker and dagger worriedly. “You two stop her qui—!”
            “You barmy bastard!” shouted Dagger. “How dare ye lay a hand on Beast’s pale, silken skin! How dare ye! How dare ye! And when I haven’t even laid a hand on it yet!” He threw several knives at Sebastian, who flipped to avoid them.
            “Though I did not touch her skin directly, I do seem to have touched your anger,” observed Sebastian, landing on a rope spanning the tent as it held drying clothes.
            “Dagger, stop it, or the tent will—!”
            Dagger ignored the Doctor. “Forget the tent! Beast’s chastity is more important!” He launched more knives.
            (Y/N) intervened. They leapt into the air, catching the knives between their fingers as they landed beside Sebastian.
            “No way?!” Dagger blinked in shock, and Joker whistled, impressed.
            “Don’t push your luck!” Beast’s whip cracked up at the pair.
            Joker blocked her with his baton. A solemn look was exchanged before Joker grinned, and his baton popped open to reveal a bouquet of flowers. “Here!” He grinned at everyone in the tent. “Alright, alright, that will do for today!”
            “But Joker!” Dagger wanted to fight for Beast’s honor.
            “Why didn’t you stop them sooner?!” cried the Doctor helplessly.
            “But he—!” Beast was still angry.
            “Come, come.” Joker hugged Beast and patted her leg. “Ye have such lovely legs, after all. I can understand why he would want to have a touch. I’m going to give you these flowers, so let’s see a smile!” Beast blushed and looked away as she attempted to remain upset in the face of Joker’s flattery.
            (Y/N) and Sebastian landed on the floor of the tent, and (Y/N) grinned at Dagger’s annoyed and astounded face when they handed back his knives.
            “But I saaay,” continued Joker. “Leaving all that aside, you ‘ave some terrific reflexes. So much I’ve half a mind to scout ye for our troupe here.”
            (Y/N) and Sebastian glanced at each other. Now that was an idea to gather information.
            “Are you sure?” said Sebastian. He sighed and pretended to look forlorn. “To tell the truth, our current master is so willful that I have quite had enough of him.”
            (Y/N) nodded, playing along. “Truly troublesome.”
            “Master, ye say…Are ye a servant at some grand house?” Joker blinked. “You’re dressed well, I figure ye two for some nobles.”
            “No, we’re not nobles,” said (Y/N).
            “We are merely a butler and maid,” said Sebastian. “So, were you serious about scouting us for your troupe? If so, I would like to join at once.”
            “Are ye really serious?” said Joker.
            “Of course,” said (Y/N).
            “Haha! You two are amusing! I like ye,” said Joker. “If ye wanna join up, ye can come by anytime.”
            “Hey! Joker! How could you decide just like that?” cried Beast indignantly.
            “Now, now, they’re quite the talents,” said Joker.
            “If you please,” said Sebastian. “There is one other I would like to introduce to you.”
            “Certainly! If I can get a third like you two, I’d just love it! But I would like to run him through our tryout,” said Joker.
            “Understood,” said Sebastian. “Well, then, the three of us shall impose upon you tomorrow. Thank you so much for today.”
            (Y/N) smiled as they left the tent with Sebastian. “You do not need to show us the way out.”
            “Now, then,” said Sebastian. “The larger tents.”
            (Y/N) nodded. “I haven’t sensed children, but there’s something else here. Farther in.”
            “Yes, I noticed the same,” agreed Sebastian.
            They took a few steps in, but a sudden hiss caught their attention. Snake stood beside them, one of his snakes extending out towards them.
            “Entry beyond this point is forbidden -says Wilde,” said Snake. “The exit is over there -says Goethe.”
            Sebastian smiled. “Thank you for your kindness.” They would have to investigate once part of the troupe.
            “Goodbye -says Goethe,” said Snake as Sebastian and (Y/N) walked away.
l
            “Huuh?!” Ciel glared at Sebastian when the butler explained the situation with the undercover work. “Why did things turn out that way?”
            “Why, you ask? Like we said—”
            “Ciel!” Sebastian’s second explanation was interrupted by Soma running into the room. “You were late! Are you done for the day?!”
            “Welcome home,” said Agni politely, and (Y/N) smiled and nodded to him in greeting.
            “Teach me chess today!” said Soma.
            “When did I order you to do such a thing?” said Ciel to Sebastian, ignoring Soma.
            “Is there any harm in it?” said Sebastian.
            “Hey! Ciel! What a sour face you’ve got there. I came out to greet you, so you could at lease smile!” cried Soma.
            “Shut up! I’m busying right now! Keep your mouth shut,” said Ciel, an irk mark appearing.
            Soma pouted as Ciel walked to his room. “Luck will run away if you’re not smiling, you know.”
            “Like I was saying,” said Ciel once they were in his room. “How did it turn into me having to join the circus as well?”
            “No one is having you do anything,” said Sebastian. “You will try out for the troupe and be asked to join.”
            “You two are the only ones that need to infiltrate the place. Living in a tent is no laughing matter!” said Ciel.
            “Are you sure you wish for us to act of our own free will within the circus? Sebastian would have no commands from you,” said (Y/N), smirking. “He could do anything.”
            “…Point taken,” said Ciel. “But the ability to do tricks is essential to being a circus performer, right? I can’t do anything like that.”
            “Indeed,” said Sebastian. “Please, do your best with the tryout tomorrow. As your butler, I shall be cheering you on from the bottom of my heart.”
            Ciel huffed. “There’s nothing for it. I’ll have to join the circus, too.”
            “As you wish,” said Sebastian, bowing as he and (Y/N) left the room.
            “How much are you going to enjoy manipulating Ciel into getting into the circus?” said (Y/N).
            “Manipulation? You wound me. I would hardly call steering my Master in the right direction manipulation,” said Sebastian. He paused. “But if you were to call it such, I would say it is simply a bit of innocent fun on my part.” He smirked. “He said he had to join, and it is my duty to ensure he does.”
            (Y/N) smirked. “And enjoying yourself while doing it?”
            “That is a fortunate byproduct,” said Sebastian impishly.
            (Y/N) chuckled, and Sebastian’s eyes gleamed in victory at having drawn out such a sound. Just as he loved (Y/N), he loved knowing he made them feel good. It was a matter of pride to him, to know (Y/N) enjoyed his company. He would win (Y/N)’s affections, slowly but steadily. And then he would draw a myriad of other sounds out of them.
            Of course, he had no idea they had been won long ago.
l
            “Goodness me! Ye sure brought along an incredible adorable child, eh? Are you a boy?” said Joker as he gazed at Ciel, dress in plain clothes and ready for his tryout.
            “Yes,” said Ciel. “I was a pageboy at the manor. I’m Finnian…”
            “What a grand-sounding name ye ‘ave!” said Joker cheerfully. “We’ll give ye a stage name if ye make it into our troupe. But being cute isn’t enough to work in a circus. Ye gotta know how to do tricks. So little fellow, what are ye good at?”
            “…Darts?” said Ciel.
            “Knife throwing it is! Dagger, lend him your knives,” said Joker.
            “Here ye go,” said Dagger, handing a few daggers over.
            “Hit that target over there from here,” said Joker, nodding to the target. It was quite far away from Ciel.
            “Aww man. What a bully y’are, ol’timer. With them scrawny arms, ‘e’ll never ‘it the target.”
            “I’m not being mean. Ye couldn’t call it an act if it ‘twere any closer,” said Joker.
            Ciel threw the knife, and it pitifully began to fall short of the target. Before it hit the ground, though, Sebastian flicked a pebble into the hilt and sent it flying up into the center of the target. No one but (Y/N) could see the pebble, though, so the humans gaped in amazement.
            “No way?!” cried Joker and Dagger.
            Over and over, the same thing happened—Ciel threw the knife, and Sebastian saved it at the last second.
            “Will that do?” said Ciel, turning to Joker.
            “Ye seem to have good control,” said Joker. “Then next up is this! Tightrope walking!” he dragged Ciel into the tall tent, and Doll, the tightrope walker, guided Ciel up onto the platform. “Doll! Tie the lifeline nice ‘n tight now! He’s yet a novice, so he’ll hurt himself if he falls!”
            “Won’t you test me with something else?” said Ciel.
            “Ooh? Retiring already, hmm, little fellow?” teased Joker.
            “N-No, but something other than this—” Ciel swallowed and looked down.
            “Then get a move on, would ye?” encouraged Joker.
            Ciel took a step out and swayed dangerously. Sebastian flicked a pebble and hit him in the side, straightening him. Ciel gritted his teeth at the pain, and (Y/N) glanced at Sebastian, who was smirking impishly. The raven demon was having a little fun (just a little). Ciel rubbed his back as he descended on the other side of the tightrope and glared at Sebastian.
            “Amazing! I never thought ye would actually walk the tightrope!” said Joker.
            “Thank you,” said Ciel, staring down his butler who had a smirk on his face.
            “Then this cutie-pie passes right, ol’ chap?!” said Dagger, patting Ciel on the head.
            “Not yet,” said Joker. “The little fellow’s missing something important. A first class…smile!”
            Sebastian and (Y/N) snickered together at Ciel’s aghast face.
            Ciel clenched his fist. “…” And then he forced himself to give Joker a big smile.
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jinx-on-mars-19xx · 9 days
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All of My Life
🩸Previous Parts Here🩸
Dom x Colson (Yungblud x Machine Gun Kelly)
Warnings: ABO dynamics (knots, slick, heats, mpreg), alpha serial killer/hitman Dom, omega mob boss Kells, waking up cock warming, mentions of sex acts, Dom being a goober, Kells getting playfully annoyed, threats, cursing, biting/marking, allusions to past abuse, surprisingly healthy relationship talks, mentions of how to deal with MF, mentions of her trying to use force, allusions to them being little cum goblins, Kells feeling sick, guns, playful insults, Collette being her amazing self, Dom's fears about himself, enemies to lovers 💣 Rating: mature (edge of explicit)
All ideas helped by @iamnotanearthlingmotherfucker 🖤
Waking up together in bed was a new and intimate feeling to them both the next day. They'd fallen asleep in the mess, cuddled close together with Dom still locked inside his mate and they were both surprised when they didn't wake up at some point already from one of Col’s night terrors. The Alpha had been concerned that his lover would feel triggered by his cock inside him but something about it ended up more soothing than it was terrible. Fuck, the omega ached though.
Dom grinned as Kells blinked his soft blue eyes open. He hadn't meant to stare and fit his stalker title so strongly but how was he supposed to look away? “Mornin’ luv.” The Alpha hummed, his voice absolutely wrecked from its abuse the night before. It gave Colson a happy jolt of pride that he tried to ignore.
“The fuck is your hand doing?” The omega huffed, he could feel the boy's palm against his belly. The opportunistic bastard. Of course the guy just smiled wider and pressed a kiss to his wrinkled brow. If this was how it was going to be he'd have to think up a punishment or trade. He should get something out of it besides the fluttery feel of butterflies. Damn Dom, he was making the mob boss soft.
“Um… ‘eading to give you a proper g’morning wank?” The Alpha tried to save but he knew Kells wasn't really pissed. He was shocked to realize he was already learning so much about his mate that he could know what snark was real or not. He still hadn't fully learned Tom and they'd lived together for years. Maybe sticking his dick in the other man added some deeper connection. Being human was so strange to the killer at times.
“Like fuck you are. Do you want me to bite it off?” The omega grumbled when the fingers didn't move away, Dom just caressed over his triple X tat.
The Alpha's brow arched and his scar twinged on his arm. “I fink you already tried tha’. ‘Em baby fangs ain't ‘elpful aye?”
Colson was taken aback by how playful his psycho was already. The fucker was acting like they were in a relationship or something. He wasn't really upset, if anything he was confused at how comfortable it truly was. Damnit. “Just try me bitch. It was the position. If I wanted to bite something off I could.” He didn't mean to drop his hand to pet over the scar on his lover's arm but the braille-like feeling was calming to him. Almost like a claim for the world to see. Not that he wanted to claim the boy. “You ever think about doing this to me?” He asked softly and the other man went stiff.
Dom's heart leapt into his throat but he tried to deflect with a joke. “Wha'? Bite summat off yas? Only when you bitching at me.” The real question underneath scared him too much to think about, he wasn't one of those arsehole Alpha's who needed to own everything.
“Dick.” Colson laughed, kissing Dom gently and nipping his bottom lip. He could feel something was off about the guy but he was scared to push too much. He had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth and that was never how his fetish worked. He'd already been an ass the night before so he wanted to navigate more carefully. “Someday I might be chill with it. Ya know… people knowing I'm taken. That I'm yours.” It was a terrifying thing to say but the Alpha had taken so many steps to open up and make him comfortable, he could offer the same in return.
“You jus' after an expensive arse ring?” If he just kept teasing maybe his omega would drop it and he could swallow the lump in his throat.
“Course I am. But…” Col took a deep breath to settle the butterflies that formed at that thought but he pushed it away and caught his lover's gaze. “You get you're too kind to be one of them right? You keep saying if I give consent it's fine but this is where it's not? What if I want more than a few tiny scars on my lip or my tit from when you get too worked up and accidentally bleed me? Am I not good enough to be yours? If anyone realizes what the hell I am because of what you think you've done isn't that dangerous for me to be un-marked?” He didn't mean to get worked up, they hadn't even been together two months- if they even were together, but perhaps he had a few deep seeded issues about feeling unwanted or not good enough. He knew logically he was pushing something that could possibly be traumatic for Dom for his own reassurance but he couldn't seem to stop it.
“Oi, none of tha’. Don't put words in me mouf. I…” Dom sighed. “Course I wanna mark yas. Course I wanna keep ya boff safe. Every time I get ya naked I fink about sinking me teef in ya. I don't need no scar to tell me I'm yours or you mine but if you do…” His breath shook on the exhale. He was trying to be strong for his mate. “Ya know ‘ow I'm being patient wiv you about summat? Can you be patient wiv me about ‘is? I don't feel like I deserve yas so it's ‘ard to fink of doing tha'. It's jus’ so… barbaric. I jus' picture some arse’ole doing it to me sister or Tom and it- I swear if you really want tha’ I'll work on it. Can tha’ be good enough for now?” He couldn't even finish his previous thought, it made his blood boil and he couldn't test his urges at the moment. It had been too long since he let them out to play but he didn't want to be a bad partner or father.
“Okay. Yeah. I can definitely be a little patient.” Kells tried to soothe the edge of panic he could feel in the man still inside him. He wanted to ask about the boy's sisters but he thought better of it, it didn't sound like they were around so instead he went for the easier subject. His Alpha's other omega. “So I guess I finally get to meet the other bitch in your life. When mom gets an idea in her head it's already a done deal. You think he'll be okay with it?” He had been texting Tom for a few weeks. The guy had been worried about him when he realized how attached the killer was and they checked in pretty frequently. The photographer seemed like good people and he'd even thought to hire him as part of the family/staff.
“You gonna be okay wiv us ‘ere? I fink it'd be good for ‘im to ‘ave more ‘an jus’ me. He's really bloody introverted after-” The Alpha stopped short. It wasn't his information to give away but it just proved his lover's previous point about being an unmated omega. Fuck. “I fink it'll be good.”
“Am I gonna hate having your cock at my beck and call? Oh no! How fucking awful!” The older man teased. “Besides, I need help figuring out who's fucking with my business and… I'm starting to worry it's someone in my family. You think he'd like another job besides whatever the fuck he does for you?”
“Already been looking into it. And who sent me after yas. If anyone can figure it out it's ‘im.” While the subject of friends was up Dom couldn't help but ask- “So… Megan.” He couldn't bring himself to elaborate. He couldn't say he's not an Alpha like that and then turn around and try and control who hung around his mate.
Colson sighed and rolled his shoulders back so his upper body was turned to face the ceiling. It kinked his spine but he needed to not look at the boy while apologizing. As the boss he wasn't used to this shit. “I'm sorry about her. I don't know what crawled up her ass but she wasn't-” He stopped himself short. He couldn't say she wasn't always like that because in a way she had been. Her dad was a friend of Travis, a very rich one, and she'd been a spoiled princess her whole life. Her being an Alpha just made everything worse. “She's always been part of my family. She was here when I got here. I guess she thought I'd always be an option or something. I never expected that shit.” He shrugged. The bastard's hand had followed and was tracing soft patterns on his stomach. He wouldn't admit he enjoyed it. That it kept him calm. “She's never scared me like that. I probably overreacted but it fucked me up I couldn't seem to overpower her. She's never used her strength on me like that and I just… froze. PTSD is a bitch right?”
Dom thought it might be more than that. He knew his lover was hurting and probably still apprehensive of his friend. Whether he admitted it or not his instincts knew he was whelped. That he had more than himself to protect. “Aye. But friends don't pull shite like tha’. Wha’ if she tried to-” He couldn't say the word. He should have broken the glass door and ripped her apart but he'd stupidly thought his omega was a willing participant. He wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself for that. His first instance of needing to protect his family and he'd run off. Fuck.
“Hey, she didn't. I'm okay. And she wouldn't, she might be a bitch but she loves me. Don't try putting her on your list or something. We'll just… distance for a while. She'll learn. I mean, you're coming in with me today right? Psycho shadow of mine?” Colson tried to lighten the mood and Dom huffed a soft laugh.
“Yeah. Course I'll come in wiv yas. Maybe we can get Tom on the way?”
“Cool. So that's settled. Now all that's left…” He trailed off as his voice turned to a soft whine. “I don't think we can go anywhere with your dick inside me.”
Dom snorted but gently pulled his mate close again, his hips rolling once to tease. “I fink we could figure it out.” On the next move he pulled a little further out and almost blused at the sloppy wet noise between them. He'd filled his omega so full they squelched. He really didn't want to separate when his mate was so warm and wet.
“Either move it or use it, we need to get to work.” Colson tested, clenching his inner walls tight until his lover groaned.
The Alpha pondered his options as they shared slow kisses and wandering touches but he finally remembered something he'd wanted for a while. “Can we take a shower?” The memory of that first night they met when he caught his mate touching himself was clear in his mind. He'd wanted to join then but of course he couldn't have.
While the thought was enticing it still reminded the omega of the mess the boy made in his room. “Long as you don't ruin anything expensive with your jizz again.”
Dom gave him a thoughtful look before replying. “‘Ow expensive is you?”
Kells scoffed loudly and shook his head with a laugh. “More than you can afford. But- fuck. Meet me there in a few?”
The Alpha's brows furrowed as the other man started to pull himself free. It made a filthy noise that had Dom pouting. “Wha’? Why?”
“Cause I laughed too hard and now I'm nauseous. Give me a fucking minute.” Colson wasn't upset with the boy, just annoyed. Dom had to hide a look against the pillow under him, he really didn't know how long his lover could deny. “Shut the fuck up. I can feel that smirk from here. Wipe it off your face or I'll do it for you.” Of course he wouldn't, the killer still had a bruised split lip from the night before and he didn't want to use violence, especially not because he was scared. That fear was getting less intense though, he was realizing he might finally be able to trust someone else. Fucker just burst in and changed everything.
🖤🩸🖤
They never ended up playing in the shower, the omega felt too sick to get hard and Dom instantly shifted from horny as hell to protective but he really hadn't known how to help. Eventually it eased up enough that they were able to get dressed. It was interesting for the killer to watch his mate become The Machine Gun. It took time for that mask to completely fall in place, first with an outfit- tight black pants, a pink sheer top, and a suit jacket that covered his holster. By the time he was slipping his guns in place and his glasses on his nose Dom could feel the difference. Col’s posture even changed as he moved.
“Why ya wear ‘ose all the time?” He asked softly, he didn't want to piss his lover off but he loved his eyes.
“Purple hides the gold. Blockers never stopped my eyes from changing and sometimes it happens when I'm pissed or something.” Col shrugged. It didn't feel like a big deal but he couldn't let something so simple give him away. Although he was starting to realize he might have an act expiration date. “Don't you know shit about color theory?”
Dominic glanced around the flat full of black and chrome and wondered about his mate’s taste. How much of it was carefully crafted to pass himself off as something else? If the boy had a list of shit he hated about an Alpha's home he could check off every item surrounding them. “Do you?” He muttered under his breath and the older man stuck his tongue out at him in response.
“What? You don't like it?”
“I wanted to kill ya jus’ for the chrome statue bullshite. I were gonna ask if you wanted to decorate me place cause I'm not really into-” The kiss Kells gave him was a lovely surprise and for a moment it took his breath away.
Kells got himself under control and forced himself back, fixing his hair and clearing his throat. “That could be cool.” He tried to shrug his excitement off and he hid his smile by walking ahead into the elevator.
“Don't go overboard. I ain't got much cash. It cost a fuck load to send me girls to a good boarding school.” Dom hummed as he joined his mate. He hated the elevator but with Colson it didn't feel as bad and he hoped the same would be true for the underground office. He didn't want his anxiety messing anything up between them.
“You seem to forget who's bitch you are now. Before long you'll be just as spoiled on the finer things in life.” The omega teased, swatting his boy's ass hard enough to make it jiggle. He couldn't wait till Dom felt comfortable letting him play.
“Oh, you gonna spoil me aye?”
“Aye, ya fucking pirate.” They both laughed at his terrible mock accent and gravitated to each other until Dom was pressed in a corner with Col’s tongue exploring his mouth. If it helped his lover to be in control of course he could give some up. They were so wrapped up in each other they didn't hear the elevator ding and didn't realize they were no longer alone until someone cleared their throat.
“Good morning boys. Going down, son?” Collette couldn't help but tease. She was happy to see they made up after the awful night before.
“Not now obviously.” Colson grumbled, pressing one last kiss to the boy's bruised mouth. “You riding with us? We're picking up Tom on the way.” He had a small hope for a little more time alone but since his mother helped so much the night before he wouldn't try to push her away.
“Sounds good to me.” She smiled back, giving Dom a little wave as the elevator touched down. “Oh don't pout. Don't offer if you don't mean it. I taught you better than that. I'm sure you can keep your hands to yourself for a little while. Dom, be a good boy and escort me to the car? Cols, go get it.” She loved messing with her boy, they had always teased each other and she honestly adored the eye roll from her son- sarcasm was a love language for them. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and wandered off to obey and she hooked her arm around her sort of son-in-law’s. “How's he doing? How are you?” She asked when the other was out of ear shot.
“A bit sick but good I fink. We're working on it. Jus' worried about Megan ‘onestly. Might kill ‘er if she shows up.” Dom said bluntly and Collette smiled back.
“Maybe not just yet. I have an idea on how to deal with her. Just give me time.” She soothed and was happy to see the Alpha nod back.
As they reached the oversized SUV Dom cringed internally. His mate was holding the door but his mask was already back in place so he simply helped Collette inside before he crawled in too. He really wanted to learn who the man was underneath all the Alpha show. He liked learning, he just hoped Col would let him. The omega slid in next to him and once the door shut he seemed to relax, his long arm going around the boy's shoulders. “Let's get Tommy and get to work. I need to put the fear of God into some bitches.” Something about the man's voice sent a shiver down Dom’s spine. He thought if he were the omega he'd be leaking in his pants.
Dom tapped the bag strapped to his hip to reassure himself, it was honestly like a baby blanket to him. Grounding. Safety. He laid his head against his mate and his palm on Col's thigh. “Can't wait.” He may not know how he would have to act around the others or what might change between them with company, but he definitely knew the idea of Kells going off on Megan made him hard. He could try to let his mate be the aggressive one of them, it wasn't like he could be a good father and still let his urges out no matter how strong they were. He didn't have to kill to be happy, he had a family now. He had a home.
Author's Note/Tags: @iamnotanearthlingmotherfucker @hollywoodxwhore @jaxbreaker @fenoy7 @cole-way-iero28 if anyone wants tagged let me know 🖤
I know this was mostly a cute little slice of life but I think we all deserved that after the last intense chapter. I love how sweet they are and how hard they're trying. The next chapter might be interesting though 👀 I hope you enjoyed it! 💣🖤
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imakemywings · 1 year
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Sapphic Book Recs
Moving outside the realm of fanning out over characters we already know, here are a few book recommendations that feature or center F/F relationships. (Note: I am NOT including comprehensive trigger warnings--please mind your triggers if you choose to check any of these out!)
The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir - My personal favorite on the list. If you’re into the F/F lit scene at all, I’m sure you’ve heard of these. TLT is a masterpiece of modern fantasy and has enough moments where its glib tone gives way into something raw and real that it keeps the stakes high and the reader invested. The characters jump off the page and the worldbuilding is colorful and strange. However, if you’re easily squicked by gore, you might want to give these a pass--necromancy is a central pillar of the world and Muir does not hold back on the ick factor.
Recommend if you:
Like stories that keep you guessing
Like messy characters
Savor a bit of codependency in your F/F
The Burning Kingdoms trilogy by Tasha Suri - TBK is a fantasy series set in a fictional country inspired by ancient India. Suri weaves together the stories of several characters and does an excellent job of showing how her two main protagonists--Priya and Malini--are torn between their attraction to each other and the roles of responsibility they choose to take up. Suri also does an excellent job of allowing the female characters to drive the plot, even where they don’t exist in positions of power. (Longer review here)
Recommend if you:
Want female-focused fantasy
Enjoy the push and pull of “duty vs. love��
Enjoy multi-POV stories that unfold gradually
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - Fingersmith is a period romance piece that involves deceit, heist plans, and falling in love with the mark. This is one of those books where re-reading it a second time will definitely feel different than the first go. Waters does a great job with the interplay of the characters’ motivations which are gradually revealed throughout the book.
Recommend if you:
Enjoy spy/heist stories
Love it when characters lie to each other
Are mostly looking for romance
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - An epic high fantasy novel clocking in at over 800 pages, Priory covers a lot of ground and a lot of fantasy staples. Ead, an outsider to the court of Inys, has taken it upon herself to secretly guard the queen for reasons of her own--with the results you might hope for as she gets closer to Sabran.
Recommend if you:
Enjoy a romantic subplot but don't want it to take over the action
Enjoy multi-POV stories that unfold gradually
Like the tension of "duty vs. love”
Want an epic dragon-on-dragon fight
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - If you just really want something lighthearted and if you’re a big reader of fanfiction, this might be your choice. OLS is a fluffy piece that relies heavily on the found family trope with just a dash of fantasy. The standout character is definitely love interest Jane, a suave, confident butch who sweeps protag August off her feet from day one. (Longer review here)
Recommend if you:
Are mostly looking for romance
Do not want lots of angst
Prefer a story where everyone gets along
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - I debated including this one, because it is not explicitly F/F, which is going to be a deal-breaker for some people. But honestly the romantic and sexual undertones of Lily and Snow Flower’s relationship come across so strong I’m willing to put it up here. This book is set in 19th century China and centers around the intense friendship of two women, starting from childhood and through their adulthood. This one will take you on an emotional ride for sure. A film came out based on this, but in short my review on that is: the book is better!
Recommend if you:
Are okay with ambiguous relationships
Like looking at what women’s private lives looked like in the past
Are looking for something dramatic/emotional
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satashiiwrites · 4 months
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Writing Goals 2024
So…. 2023 was a year. I almost hit my finished fic goals but added a few more. I think I was net negative? Anyways.
Goal for 2024 is to complete at least ten fics, one of which needs to be the >100k monsters I have that need to have their endings published.
Total words posted to AO3 in 2024: 142,108 words (updated 13.04.2024)
Finished fics:
Arrival in Andromeda, 188k, Mass Effect Andromeda
Foolish, 8k, 911 Buddie ABO fic. Part two of An Endless Knotting
Breaking Up In Furniture Mart. Buddie. Couch theory fix it.
January:
total words posted in January: 73,128 words
Choices and Regrets
Chapter 4 (9,635 words) posted 04.01.2024
Chapter 5 (7,931 words) posted 09.01.2024
Chapter 6 (6,240 words) posted 18.01.2024
Chapter 7 (6,107 words) posted 25.01.2024
Scintillation, Chapter 4 (9,085 words) posted 13.01.2024
Family, Familia, ‘Ohana
Chapter 12 Operation Rescue (13,739 words) posted 07.01.2024
Arrival in Andromeda
Chapter 16 (10,296 words) posted 20.01.2024
Home Found
Chapter 8 (3,178 words) posted 09.01.2024
Chapter 9 (3406 words) posted 14.01.2024
Chapter 10 (3,511 words) posted 28.01.2024
February:
Total words posted in February: 40,159 words
Choices and Regrets
Chapter 8 (6,689 words) posted 04.02.2024
Chapter 9 (5,879 words) posted 17.02.2024
Arrival in Andromeda,
Chapter 17 (11,996 words) posted 28.02.2024
Chapter 18 (10,447 words) posted 03.03.2024
EAD project(s)
The Fragility of Memory (1,803 words) posted 15.02.2024
An All Time High (1,342 words) posted 15.02.2024
Magic and Wolves Among the Stars (397 words) posted 15.02.2024
The Mask of the Charlatan (1,606 words) posted 15.02.2024
March:
Total words posted in March: 20,316 words
Family, Familia, ‘Ohana
Chapter 13 (1,656 words)
Foolish (follow up to What Are the Odds?)
Chapter 1 (1,784 words) posted 09.03.2024
Chapter 2 (2,048 words) posted 24.03.2024
Chapter 3 (3,188 words) posted 30.03.2024
Home Found
Chapter 11 (4,944 words) posted 06.03.2024
Chapter 12 (0 words)
Choices and Regrets
Chapter 10 (3,495 words) posted 17.03.2024
Chapter 11 (203 words)
Marriage of (IN)convenience—Big Moxie 2024 Q1
Chapter 1: He Said Yes! (1,538 words) posted 05.03.2024
Chapter 2: Save the Date (1,563 words) posted 22.03.2024
Breaking Up in Furniture Mart
Chapter 1 (1,756 words) posted 16.03.2024
April/May:
Total words posted in April/May: 8,505 words
Family, Familia, ‘Ohana
Chapter 13
Eddie (4,903 words)
Steve (2,359 words)
Danny (398 words)
Buck (7,175 words)
Chapter 14
Choices and Regrets
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Marriage of (IN)Convenience
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Home Found
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Breaking Up in Furniture Mart
Chapter 2 (3,742 words) posted 06.04.2024
Chapter 3 (4,763 words) posted 07.04.2024
All WIPs by fandom
Mass Effect/Mass Effect Andromeda
An Andromeda Tale
Reinventing Scott
What Happens in Vegas
To Follow
The Marks We Leave on One Another
Your Guide to Andromeda
If I See You In My Dreams
Recurrence
Shipwrecked
Death, Rebirth and the Jackal
911 Verse
Christmas for Cowboys
Alley With A View
A New Versión of Forplay
Family, Familia, ‘Ohana
The First Spectre
An All Time High
Choices and Regrets
Breaking Up In Furniture Mart—completed 07.04.2024
Foolish—completed 30.03.2024
Teen Wolf
To Catch a Fallen Star
Untitled Connie the Librarian fic (Firefighter!Derek verse)
Mayans MC
The Outlaw and the Cartel Boss
Moon Knight/Suits
Cousin Harvey
Hawaii 5-0
Mana’olana
A Marriage of (IN)Convenience (Big Moxie Q1)
MCU
Scintillation
Foundation
Reunion
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drarreckyninja · 1 year
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drarreckyninja’s top 50 ships of Nov 2022 [39. Rizzles]
Jane Rizzoli x Maura Isles [Rizzoli & Isles]
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EAD: Jane was born June 20, 1976; Maura was born August 7, 1976. There's a [10+31+7] 48-day age difference.
Incorrect Quote:
Maura: That sounds super! Doesn’t that sound super, Jane?
Jane: No.
Maura: I think I speak for Jane when I say it sounds really super.
Subship(s): N/A
Notes: Jane and Maura are so protective of each other and Maura is literally the only person who Jane just can't "say no" to. It's in quotation marks because she frequently tells her no, but she almost always gives in anyway
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sillyism · 4 months
Note
Dont like yew very much . Lord take all my pain and give it to yew .
what the fuc,k ddid you jus,t fuckin spay aobut mee, you lit;ttle bitch? ii;;ll have oyu know i graduatde t,op of my clca;.;ss in the navy sveals, and i've been involv,,;ed ni n. ,umerous secrett raids o;n al-quaeda, and ii a;.ve evr 300 cnoffrimd kils. i aam tr,ained in goorilla warfare and i;m the t op nsi,pre in thhe eentier.,. uus ar;mde f,orrcees. yoou arre nntohi,;.nn to me but just aonther tkargeet. i willl wipe you; the fucck uot witth precsiion t,,he liikes of whch has never bee, n seenn be; fore o nthis earth, mark my fuckkin words. yuo thk noyuu can gget aawy. wwith assiynn thatt sihtt to mme oevr thhe innetrne.tt? think gaain, fuckre. as we sppeak iw amm conttacctiin my sce;,rret netwrok of; sspies across th usa and yaou..,r ip , is ein ttraced right nnow so you bbetter prepaer for thee tsorm, ma.ggot. thee storm thatt wipe soutt the, paathhet.ic l..,iit tlle thin yuo;, cal,,ll your liffe. you;;re fuckiin d,ead, ki[d; . i can bee anyywhhere, a;nyytime, annd i can kill yoou ni voer,, seevn eehundred waayys, an dthhat;;s,; just wi,th my bar ehaands. noto oonlly,, am i eextnesi,vvley ttrained in u.,,narrmed ccombat, but i ha vve acccess to hte enttiree asrenaal of tth..e u,.nited states mar;;,ine ccorrps, and i wiill uuse io ttto iitts full extenntt too wiipe yyou mi,.ser,able sas of fthe face of thee cconntnient, yuo littlee shi,t. if nol.y y.,,ou cou l,,d h,ave knoaw hwat;,, u,nhool.. yrretirbution your little "clevenr" commment was about to bri ndown upo .n you, mayeb yu wou,;.ld havee heel dyoour fuckinn ton,,guue. but you could.n;t, youu ddidn, ;t, aand now oou,'rre payin t,hee priec, you ggoddanm idiot. i will siht fuury a;,.l,,l over;, you and,, you willl d,.,rown in iitt. you;re fucck;i nddeead, ki ddo.
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annonymouslyblonde · 1 year
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The WIP game
Rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs. @suzyq31 I hope you know what you’ve done lol
Harry Potter:
New Order Rising series (harmony) Piece by Piece Undercover (working title) In Ruin One Shots Untitled prequel One Less Plate at Dinner Ghost of You 5 misc one shot ideas As Long As You Need series (fremione) Renegade Secrets Sweater Weather Anemoia Laughter isn't the Only Medicine Woulda, Shoulda (Charlie Weasley/OC) Don't Talk to Strangers Weasley Party of Three Any Other Way series (dramione) The Prefect's Bath The Room of Requirements The Coin The Aftermath Changes (working title, see EAD for snippet) (harmony) Harry Potter and the Boy Who Lived (harmony) Doctor!Hermione and Professor!Harry mystery (snippet posted on EAD) (harmony) Paralyzed (harmony) Wasted (harmony) Interlocked with Cassidy Landry (harmony?) One/two Shots and drabbles Kiss Into Better Days (fremione) Hermione's luck (harmony) Retroactive (harmony) Four Days - part 2 (harmony) What a Man Gotta Do (harmony) Truth be Told (harmony) The Ties that Bind (snippets in EAD) (harmony?) Enchanted (harmony) Through the Looking Glass (harmony) HHF (fremione) Slughorn dinner (nevmione)
Percy Jackson:
Luke Castellan and the Heroes of Olympus (canon ships) Luke Castellan and the Mark of Athena Luke Castellan and the House of Hades Luke Castellan and the Blood of Olympus Living series (canon ships, percabeth focus) Life in Purgatory Life in Nightmare Life in the Aftermath Curse of Hera (canon ships) Interlocked with Cassady Landry (canon ships) Sour (canon ships) One-Shots Long Live (percabeth) Haunted (percabeth) Paul Blofis - Poseidon (percabeth, Paul/Sally) TLO Distance (percabeth) Where I Should Be - part 2 (percabeth) Pregnancy fluff (percabeth) Annabeth bonds with her stepmom July 12th (percabeth, jisper) Halloween (percabeth)
Doctor Who:
Daughter of Time (TenToo/Rose, Twelve/River, Luke Smith/OC)  All the Pretty Lights (Nine/Rose)
The Host:
The Human (Jamie Ryder/OC)
Originals:
Blood Like Gasoline Stealing Life Within the Walls Manifesting (working title)
Let’s face it. I don’t know this many people, so consider this your invitation to repost and tag the artist you want to play! But @possumwritesfics you have to do this.
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whiskeysmulti · 3 months
Note
[meme] - Ash
﹉﹉﹉
From 10am until now, King had spent the day reading with Ash at the NYPL, he was surprisingly pleasant company to read with. True he preferred the non fiction, but he was here to learn, King was just there to absorb everything. Not that they would admit it, but while fiction was fun, it still held non-fictional truths for King. If a something was fake in this world, didn't mean it couldn't still be a world elsewhere. They thumbed over the page of the fantasy novel, and sighed, setting it down to crack open the dictionary nearby them to learn what yet another ancient word meant. Blue eyes glanced up through black hair to see Ash still researching, nose deep in the stack of books around him and a hand on the keyboard of the computer. He really did enjoy this place. They watched as the hours ticked on, and King frowned gently, they would soon be kicked out if they were caught still lingering. The hour was 7pm and 8pm was closing time. Darkness was spilling across the streets, only to be annihilated by the street lights flickering on. King looked at the topics he was researching, noting them in their mind. They then scrolled their saved offline databases on their phone for the topic or anything related to it. Humming under their breath they tapped the tablet they had brought, pulling up the information for it onto the screen. It was different information than what he had been learning, times were different and all that, but... King figured he'd appreciate it. And so they walked up to the desk, asking if they had a copy machine. They had one, and so King fifteen minutes of the remaining hour in the library copying their information from their tablet onto copy sheet pages, and spent the remaining 45 hand copying what notes needed to be translated, into American English for Ash, into a notebook they purchased. Returning to the table Ash sat at with the stacks of books, finding him nearly asleep, and grumpily staring at the pages and the big screen of the computer in front of him.
"'ey. Instead 'f passin' out 'ere an' gettin' weird marks on yer cheek- Why don't we 'ead back an' ya can look ov'r these notes I compiled fer ya. If ye're worried 'bout a fav'r- Consider it savin' me fr'm havin' t' carry ya back..."
King thumped the notebook down, and the stack of stapled copy papers down in front of him, the header labeled with the subject he was researching. They watched him get up, cautious around him, not knowing what they would do if he collapsed. They still were unsure if he was okay with physical contact, hand hovering nearby but not close enough that they'd touch him without his consent.
"Though... As a pr'caution, in case ya do collapse, do I 'ave yer permission t' carry ya, or 'm I supposed t' call up one 'f the boys?"
Their voice was unsure, but not in the flustered way more in the hesitant if he'll even process what they're asking anymore way. He did look dead on his feet from too much researching...
(Hey. of passing. here and getting. your. head. and you. over. for you. you are. about. favor. saving. from having to. you. precaution. you. have your. to. you. am. to. of.))
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My muse has been working all day non stop and collapses in front of your muse, how does your muse react?- no longer accepting!
Ash had been reading and researching all day from the time the library opened until a little bit ago when he suddenly passed out in the rose reading room, his favorite place to go. He often enjoyed the silence and peace of the New York Public Library and always joked he'd die there one day. However he hadn't expected to do so much research he fell into a deep sleep at the desk, stack of books next to him as he scribbled down notes on medicines and drugs that possibly could be Banana Fish.
He'd been there all day once again and hadn't realized how tired he was until he started to drift off and heard the sudden 'thud' of the books next to him. He looked at his watch when King said something and got up and put the books away and saved his notes on the laptop to a microsoft word document.
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"You're right, we should head back. I'll treat you to dinner for staying with me all day." Even though that dinner would be two hot dogs from one of the local carts, it was still something.
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thatsneakymedic · 10 months
Note
Sasori was late to his meeting with Kabuto. He was never late. And if that wasn't bad enough, he was hungover from a night of drinking and woke up in a hotel room after an unknown one-night stand--no idea who was it as they were long gone by the time he was up, maybe for the best. He was never drinking King of the Night Sake again. Fuck him.
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" I'm 'ere, I'm 'ere. Bleedin' 'ell my 'ead. Oi, Kabuto! Listen 'ere: never--an' I mean never--drink King of the Night Sake. Worst 'angover of yer life! An' you'll go to bed with a iffy bloke--er shelia. I don't 'member which it was but whoever they was, 'ad silver 'air. Spent all mornin' pluckin' it outta my joints--an' other places. Hmm. . .now I think 'bout it, silver 'air like you but ain't in no Hell I fucked you! Ugh, it best not be 'idan either. "
" Anyway, where's that report? 'and it over so I can get back to base. I need a bloody nap. "
@reddawnmultimuse
Not wanting to waste anymore time nor is curious enough to start investigating on what really happened other than the obvious. Right away, he immediately left the hotel room and paid the bill and then headed straight for the bathhouse to use the public bathroom and shower to wash off any kind of scent, fluids, drool, bruises, marks, his shame... everything as long as he can feel clean again. He wasn't really feeling any sense of trauma or anything, more like just annoyance that he had let down his guard and allow this to happen in the first place.
Even to be 100% sure, he even used a personal STD test from the local pharmacy just in case and he's so relieved that he's in the clear as well. Considering that he almost never has unprotected sex.
Thankfully, he was at the meeting spot first before Sasori could show up, since he realized that he had accidentally spilled that godforsaken sake on it and almost smudged the writing. So he had to rewrite it's contents on a newer and more clean scroll. Hopefully Sasori doesn't mind the bland looking scroll.
An hour later...
He found it rather strange that Sasori of all people was an hour late to their meeting, and he was already slightly dozing off while he sat at the withered log that was on the path. His head still ached despite the pain reliever medication, but he struggled to stay awake. Since he's still all alone here.
The rugged raspy voice wakes him up from his partial nap and he immediately stands up and he prepares the scroll in his hand. Though he couldn't help but notice that despite that he knows that the Hiruko shell is a puppet, he was moving quite sluggish.
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The... hell did he just say? He also drank the King of the Night Sake?! So that means that he was in the same town as Kabuto when the special sake was sold?! They had to pull grey-white hair from their parts... Does this mean that... he and Kabuto...? How was that possible when he didn't even see Hiruko, but what he did see was that strange puppet with the red hair that he couldn't see it's identity. Was that his true body or did he use that puppet as some sort of foreplay sex object while he was probably sleeping somewhere where Kabuto didn't see him in the room?
A twist of regret, shock and disgust overwhelms his body and he stays firm to not show the other his reactions to their words or even give a hint of him realizing it. As their words on the truth about sleeping with him are not good. Even if it wasn't his fault in the first place.
His hands tightened around the scroll underneath his cloak as he shakes his head at their question, "No, it shouldn't have been me, Lord Sasori. I didn't visit any kind of bars as of recently. And I wouldn't know if Hidan was nearby or not. Since you only told me about where you will be staying, and Zetsu has not talked to me as of recently."
Handing over the scroll into their wooden hands, he pulls his hood down to not let them see in his eyes on how much discomfort he's feeling now that he knows the truth about what happened between them. He wished that he could just die right then and there or at least turn invisible for the entire year.
He must NEVER allow anyone to know what happened and a promise to not drink while traveling. Especially the Kings of the Night Sake.
"That's all there is to it. Is there anything else you want to know about before I head back out? And I'll remember your advice on that certain brand of sake, since it does sound dangerous to consume without supervision."
Back at the town where they stayed, the drink itself has risen to popularity as well as the increased notoriety of the precautions of drinking it.
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