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EYE FOR AN EYE

Synopsis: As the new transfer in college you managed to befriend the popular sweet innocent girl everyone deems her to be. But as you uncover her true colors, you decide to put her in her place by going after someone whom she truly cares for, her father.

Warning: SMUT / Angst /. Swear word usage, cheating, Dad!Yuta x Daughters’BFF!Reader. Manipulation, blackmailing, revenge, reader is in college, engagement, mentions of drugging and backstabbing + more.

A/N: I’m back yall! So sorry for the long wait but hope you enjoy, those who have sent requests they will be posted shortly promise!🤍

Pairing: Yuta x fem reader

MARK

NCT AFFAIR SERIES

8:04 A.M

College students scurried off frantically to get to their designated classes. The campus is loud as they conversed with their friends. Some laughing and others tiredly yawning. A few silent with their earbuds plugged in and others running off inside the building. Just arrived, Yuri gets out of her pink corvette. The boys, her friends that were waiting for her are quickly at her side helping her with her heavy books. Asking if she woke up okay, wondering if she ate. What class did she need to get to. All as they bombarded her with questions, her girls came over and waved them off. Demanding to give her space and stop crowding her. All with a smile on her face.

Greeting her group of friends, she makes her way onto campus gracefully. A certain aura vibrates around her, it’s what many get attracted to. Her silky hair flowing freely down her back, her bangs barely covering her eyes as she shows her pearly white teeth each time she smiled. Manicured hands always greeting anyone and everyone even if they were strangers to her. Speaking with a soft tone, never daring to raise her voice as she stands straight. Posture never slouching and always wearing nice, clean attire. A skirt just the right size with a tight shirt that’s covered with a matching blazer to her skirt. Heels the newest edition and jewelry that costs most of the students monthly rent. Nakamoto Yuri was the it girl at the college she attended. Even those in near schools know about her, how could they not? Her family is wealthy, admired and respected. They do so much for the community and their success overseas is what makes the country proud to present such a family in their island. It wouldn’t be a surprise if all of Japan knew who she was. Her father is printed on every magazine cover, news outline. Yearly, a family photo is captured and there presents Yuri with a gracious smile. Glowing in her beauty and wealth.

Truly, she was the purity this world needed more of. If what she gave, really was purity.

Heels can be heard clicking on the ground, steady steps that get closer to her. The friend group was still rowdy. Consisting of seven if you include her. Three of them are her boy best friends. Aro, shaggy light brown hair. The tallest of the three but also the scrawniest. Known for his bubbly persona and optimism he’s spoken as the man of hope. Always ready to be your right ear to lend if needed, and has no problem giving you as much needed help. He shows his love through acts of service and although he tends to be anxious at times, he tries his best to get out of his shell if it means it’ll help others do so to. Riku, bright white hair, strands of his hair covers his eyes which results him in blowing it away from poking his eyes. Slight freckles near his nose and the second tallest. He has a bit of muscles, he tends to hit the gym but mostly it’s to work on his arms. It’s not a lot, but enough to still woo the ladies. He’s the chick magnet out of the three. His smile captivates any woman but unfortunately to him, never did it captivate Yuri. For the most part he was the class clown in all of his years in school and college is no different.

He can joke for days but can’t speak his emotions to save his life. A few small tattoos can be seen starting from his neck down to his chest. Lastly, Sota. The youngest and shortest of the three. Only slightly taller than Yuri and has jet black hair. A few slight curls but for the most part, wavy. A mole sitting on his right cheekbone. A slit on one of his eyebrows and a single earring dangling. Tattooed on his left arm but it’s still to be completed in a full sleeve. Despite being the shortest he’s the strongest. He has more muscles than Riku. He’s, the gym rat but he’s the sweetest, most caring person. Even though as the youngest he’s teased the most, he still makes any decision like a ‘gentleman’. The three of them are the rambunctious trio any one has ever known. And even though they manage to lose themselves in their own little world, they were the ones who noticed the new presence nearing. Their smiles faltered as well as their laughs, the girls grow confused and follow their sight.

Standing behind them, a new face presents themselves to the group. They couldn’t deny it, her natural beauty was jaw dropping. You were a natural beauty. You wore nothing but lipstick and eyeliner because your bare face looked as if it already had makeup applied on. Your hair as healthy as it can ever be, skin glowing and smooth. Your hands tender like it never had to lift a single thing. You weren’t wearing anything fancy, no Balenciaga, no Chanel nor Saint Laurent. And yet with the mostly black and white outfit you had on managed to reveal your most favorable aspects. The boys gulped at the sight of you, they wondered who you were. How is it that they never heard of you, were you new? A transfer?

“Hello, the name’s y/n.” You smile politely. Before any of the girls can say anything, the boys are quick to introduce themselves. “Hello! I’m Sota-“ “I’m Riku-“.“Aro!” Giggling, you tilt your head at them and give ‘em a once over. They weren’t bad to look at, but their high energy already seemed like it’d be draining. At least for you. Being pushed to the side, a girl with shorter black hair extends her hand out. She’s the smallest out of the group. “I’m sorry about them, I’m Ai.” She smiles warmly at you. Accepting her hand you shake it. “Are you a transfer?” Nodding, you hum and show them the portfolio the school had given you the day prior. “Do you need help finding your class?” Riku asks you. “I Can show you if you want.” Sota adds. “Boys.” The girl to Ai’s left hisses at them. “Please ignore them, I’m Emi.” She goes to shake your hand. “No worries, I get that a lot.” You chuckle. You notice a look on Emi’s face but it doesn’t falter the smile on her face.

Emi would be considered the ‘bigger’ of the group. According to Japanese standards she wasn’t thin even though she weighs 140 lbs for someone in her twenties. Her hair was spread in two buns. Curtain bangs and makeup nicely done that did a nice job showing her cute nose. She wore baggier clothes, self conscious with her appearance, she prefers to wear oversized shirts than crop tops. Baggy pants than tight jeans or short skirts. Sneakers than heels. But her style still holds some sort of familiarity. And when you see her stand next to Yuri, the last girl yet to greet you. It clicked. The colors, the jewelry, the manicured hands and makeup. The clothes even look alike it’s just one is tighter, shorter and the other is bigger, baggier. Then you notice Ai, and see she too wears a familiar style to Yuri’s. It was obvious they looked up to her. Her influence was apparent in them.

“Hi hun! I’m Yuri. You might already have heard of me.” She giggles, a large smile on her face as she goes for a hug. Different than what her friends did. “Yeah, you’re famous.” Waving her hand at you she chuckles. “Not really. I mean I appear in a magazine every now and then and in an interview-“ “So how old are you y/n?” Riku asks you. Yuri is shocked for a moment but is quick to cover it. She watched Riku stick to your side as he awaits for you answer. A grin on his face as he listens to you intently. Just as he normally would with her. Riku’s never been this intent in knowing about a girl ever since he’s met Yuri. If anything, all his focus was mainly on Yuri when it came to any girl. And yet, you haven’t been here for a good five minutes and you captured his undivided attention. And not just that, Sota and Aro’s. They too shifted closer to you, paying close attention as they too had questions of their own to ask you.

Yuri isn’t going to lie, you’re beautiful. Gorgeous really. Your eyes bright like stars, as soft as those of a doe and smile that can brighten any gloomy day. Your giggle can be confused with those of symphonies and it’s what has her intrigued as to who you are. Wedging herself between you and the Riku who already had his arm around you. She walks you inside, “Come on, I’ll walk you inside. And you can tell me all about yourself.”

Ai, you come to find out is a bundle of joy. Apparently her and Sato are the youngest and have eyes for each other but haven’t done anything to make it official. She has a love for makeup, clothes and is actually studying to becoming a designer. Her father helped her get an internship at Calvin Klein where she’ll be a co-designer for those modeling in vogue magazine. She’s also the emotional one, like a golden retriever she holds a lot of love and gets attached easily. A bit oblivious and ditzy but she has good intentions. Emi is more level headed and a bit hard going. Like the mother of the group, she’s the common sense not many of them have. She speaks her mind and is very protective of her friends. Loyal to an extent and has had the biggest crush on Riku but it was only mutual given Riku has always had the hots for Yuri despite her never returning the feelings.

Yuri. She’s what they say the voice of reason. Apparently she helps band the group back together if there’s ever an imbalance. Soft spoken and patient she is able to see both side of the same picture. Aro and her have more chemistry. Unlike Riku, Yuri likes Aro. But much like Ai and Sato, haven’t done anything. There’s no real reason as to why, maybe it’s because she doesn’t want to make things difficult between the rest. Afraid to commit, or to cause conflict. Whatever it is, she keeps him at arms length.

They were quick to accept you into their clique. And it only took a matter of time before word got out about you and by the end of the day, you were practically a famous celebrity. Many glanced and whispered. Awes and oohs as they admired your beauty from a distance. Crushes already made on you, and then the chattering happened. “She’s as beautiful as Yuri, maybe even more.” One whispers. “It seems like Yuri has competition.” Another says. “She’s going to be the new popular girl trust.” And it kept going. You pretended to not hear. You feign ignorance just like the presence of Aro coming up behind you. “Y/n wait up!” Turning your head to see him send you a smile he chuckles awkwardly. “You going home?” “Actually I was thinking of getting a coffee. Wanna come?”

“Yeah!” Embarrassed by the quick response, he blushed and looked away. Giggling, you pat his bicep. Typical go to move and it works every time as just expected, he leans closer. “So where did you move from?” “Kyoto.” “Oh really? My parents live there.” “That’s cool, I’ve lived there my whole life but I decided I needed to start fresh and moved here.” “Well you did good choosing Tokyo. Very lively here, and lots more opportunities.” Nodding, the two of you are just about to enter the parking lot when you hear Yuri call out. “Where are you two headed?” Walking closer with the rest, she stares at the proximity between the two of you. Practically touching shoulders. “To go get coffee wanna come?” You tell her with a smile. “I do!” Ai says and Sato waste no time joining her to walk over to the two of you. “I can go for a latte.” Emi speaks. “I really want to try some of the refreshers.” Riku adds. Soon after, the eight of you were heading to the nearest cafe. Aro would admit, he was a bit bummed that it wouldn’t be the two of you. But when Yuri comes up beside him and looks up at him with a smile. He feels slightly guilty to think about not wanting her to join you two.

There wasn’t much dirt about Yuri. Since the first grade she has won countless awards for good sportsmanship, skills and behavior. She has won medals for all sorts of clubs she’s joined and was practically the smartest person. An ace overall. But it’s that, that causes suspicion. No one is ever that perfect. Surely there has to be a flaw she has, and much like everyone you were ready to accept that she was in fact perfect until you saw the clip. An unedited clip of the family preparing for an important dinner with the president. As Yuri’s mother spoke of what was being prepared, in the background was a maid. Hands together and head staring at the ground. Apologizing profoundly as Yuri scowled at her, cursing at her for spilling all over her now stained dress. The clip was cut out almost immediately after it was posted. Completely wiped off the internet and no matter how hard you try to find it, it’s completely gone. But you saw it. Maybe one of the few who saw it. And you would make sure to reveal Nakamoto Yuri’s true colors.

The famous ball the Nakamoto family would be hosting was just around the corner. It’s all anyone was talking about. Their large mansion will be absolutely packed in a short few weeks, the richest most respected people will be attending. Friends, family, acquaintances and more. And now officially part of their clique, they dragged you to go dress shopping. “How about this one?” You hear Emi ask to no one in particular. Lifting the dress up to the mirror in front of you, you watch as Yuri looks over the dress with a slight distasteful look. A tiny smile as she tells her it makes her look huge. “Maybe wear something less short and puffy.” She pats her shoulder before walking off to change into her selection of dresses. You notice the slight frown on Emi’s face, looking over and seeing an emerald green dress that goes down to the floor, an off the shoulders and slight sparkles towards the bottom of the dress. An underskirt with it. “Here wear this.” Motioning for her to enter the stall, Yuri and Ai come out wearing the dress of their preference. “You look pretty in them.” You compliment them. Grinning they twirl and ogle at each other’s dress. When the door opens, the three of you turn and find Emi nervously fidgeting with her fingers. “You look so gorgeous!” Ai squeals. Yuri who hadn’t said anything just watches Emi chuckle and look at herself in the mirror. “The dress does look nice.” Turning to face you, she smiles appreciatively. “Thank you y/n.” Yuri looks at your hands connected and forces a smile. “Emi you look lovely. You should buy it, maybe after this we can even do your hair. Maybe cut the bangs and some of the dead ends.”

“No need to cut the bangs.” You interject. Turning to face you, Yuri stares as you brushed Emi’s bangs to the side. “Maybe part them a bit but they definitely define your face shape well. Maybe even the ends and if you want do some touch ups on the balayage.” Emi nods excitedly in which you respond with a grin. “What about you y/n?” Ai asks. “Have you picked out a dress yet?” “Mmm.” Looking through the rack of dresses, you look at the many different colors and styles. But none gain your attention. “I suggest this one!” Yuri says and hands you a bright orange one. “Ew! Yuri orange is never a good color.” Ai wrinkles her nose. “But y/n you’re beautiful I wouldn’t be surprised if you could pull of that color.” Shrugging, you walk over to the orange dresses. “I’ll try this one.” While you go in to change, the boys had just gotten back from buying their tuxedos. Their loudness can be heard as they converse with the girls. Yuri quick to stand next to Aro where they begin their own little conversation. “How dress shopping go?” Aro asks her. “Good, I found my dress.” She shows him her blue gown. “I’m sure it’ll look great on-“

“Woah! Y/n you look fantastic!” Riku exclaims. Heads turning to see you walking out of the fitting room, the orange dress flowed freely down your waist. It wasn’t a bright orange, the kind that’ll give you a migraine. It was a sunset looking orange but the white layer underneath gave it a certain pop. Like Emi’s there were a few sparkles at the bottom and there were cleavage around the chest area. Only the top of your shoulders would be covered with a puffy silk material around it, the top looked one of a corset. The silk of the dress flowed beautifully that with every step you took looked graceful. “Wow.” Aro breathes out before taking a step forward. “You look…wow.” Giggling, you send him a shy smile that he returns. “Okay love birds, we better get going!” Ai squeals, none noticing the frown on Yuri’s face. Well none except you. Going back in to change, Aro waits for you and joins you to the counter. “I got this.” He pays for your dress, a shock to everyone especially Yuri. “You shouldn’t have.” He shrugs and hangs you the bag. “Wanted to.”

By the time the ball came, it was flooded with people. Many you didn’t know, but your beauty was ethereal everyone’s eyes was on you the second you entered. Ai squealing and shaking your arm, excited for you. Happy you’re getting all the compliments and jaw drops. Every year Yuri is the talk of the night. Paparazzi and news reporters all come together to see what Yuri would be wearing for the ball. Every year there would be debates on what she’ll wear and how she’ll outdo the previous year. Something Yuri always looks forward to. But this year, no one barely batted an eye at her. All of it was on you. Since you stepped foot out of the limousine, the cameras were pointed at you. Everyone dying to know your name, to figure out your name. Even the host of the night, and of the entire ball. Nakamoto Yuta.

The longer you stuck around, Yuri has started to feel neglected. You were the talk of the week, your face on every news outlet. And at school, people crowded you and not Yuri. People would bump into her and give her a quick apology before their attention went back to you. She felt like the black sheep, a shadow and for once, the side character. The smile she practically always had plastered on her face has started to decay little by little as you were the center of attention. Professors adored you, the Dean favored you and any person who came across you couldn’t help but want to befriend you. Truly, she had no idea how everything began to slip through her fingers so quickly. Yuri no longer sat in the middle when the group would go out to eat. No, you were. Everyone’s attention was no longer on Yuri, but on you. Every decision they’d confirm it with you, any opinion they made, they sought out your approval. And the bitterness little by little was beginning to bubble up inside the Nakamoto girl.

“Y/nie Can you please help me pick out an outfit. Sota has finally asked me out!” Ai claps her hands excitedly. Currently in the cafeteria where the boys were off getting snacks the girls sat at their designated table. With Emi and Yuri both at your side, they watch as the smallest one comes skipping. “Oh I can help you Ai.” Yuri speaks up, a soft tone in her voice as she turns to you. “I’m sure y/nie is very busy.” “Nope! Not at all!” You grin. Squealing, Ai comes up from behind you and gives you a big hug. “Thank you! Ugh we’re going to have so much fun on our dates.” “Our?” Yuri asks. Nodding, Ai pats your shoulders. “Yep! Our little y/n here was asked out on a date. By none other than…” giggling, she turns to look over at the three boys who were making their way over.

Emi gasps and widens her eyes. “No way!” The boys raise a brow and silent ask what was going on. “Aro did you ask y/n out on a date?!” The boys erupt in cheers as they look over to him and see he’s begun to blush. The group teases the two of you, Emi stands and grabs Aro’s hand to sit him next to you. “Y/n and Aro sitting in a tree, k-i -s-s-i-n-g!” As they celebrated the growing connection between the two of you, Yuri scowled. Glaring at you, she felt anger. She practically cursed you out in her head and wished to simply push you off a cliff for taking Aro away from him. It wasn’t until she notices a passerby had taken a notice of her scowl that she quickly changes it and beams. “Well I’m happy for you two.” She gains everyone’s attention, setting a hand on top of yours as she holds eye contact with you. “Thank you Yuri.” You give back the same plastic smile.

As you suspected, Yuri had slowly began to lose her patience. Her backhanded compliments continued and became more common. From your education, to your looks and your personality. The constant wedging between you and Aro to put as much distance. And the faking in order to gain the all the lost attention back on her. “Ow!” She falls clutching her ankle. “Yuri you okay??” They ask her but she only cries, wailing she can’t walk. “Please Aro help me up.” And he does. You stand back, arms crossed and a smirk on your face as you notice how she continues to cry out in ‘pain’. “How did you hurt yourself?” “I slipped on y/n’s purse.” She pouts. “Oh no, y/n why would you leave your purse on the ground?” Emi asked you. Shrugging, you change your facial expression to one of guilt. Playing with your hair you look down at the ground. “Yuri had taken up all the table with her makeup, i just didn’t want to bother her making space for my purse. I’m sorry.” “Well she does make a good point Yuri.” Riku says. “Yeah next time make sure there’s a spot for her stuff so you won’t fall again.” Sota adds. Watching as they lead her into the living room, you notice her jaw clenched and hardened eyes as she continues to fake her limp.

Things changed drastically the day Yuri insisted to throw a sleep over at her house. It was meant to be a small get together, a few drinks and play some truth or dare. Aro had excused himself to go get some water and you noticed only a few seconds later Yuri stood up to use to bathroom. It’s been exactly a month since you befriended them and a week of becoming official with Aro. Taking a sip of your beer, you stand up and excuse yourself. Taking slow, steady steps. You hide behind the corner that leads into the kitchen, and lord and behold. Was none other than Aro and Yuri. His eyes were widen as he’s pressed up against the counter, Yuri pressing her lips up against his and a few seconds later he reciprocates. Taking your phone out, you record the entire thing. Their kiss turns heated, Aro turns them around and sets you on the counter. When you felt like you had enough video footage. You take a step back and walk away not before causing noise that gets them to stop and freeze. “Do you think anyone saw us?” Aro says worriedly. “No, but don’t worry. It’ll be our little secret.”

Entering back into her bedroom where the rest awaited. You watch as she tries to fix herself, wiping her lips that were stained red. Patting down her hair and laboring her breathing. Her eyes meet yours momentarily, she pauses before looking down nervously. Taking a seat next to Ai who rushes her to choose truth or dare. After a while the group got tired and decided to settle down and watch a movie. Aro came to cuddle you in which you let him but when it was half way through the film and everyone fell asleep you slipped out of his embrace and walked out. The house was empty, the employees had already left and from what you were told Yuri’s parents were out of town for a business trip. Luckily as the only child she was able to have the entire mansion to herself. Fixing yourself a cold glass of water, you turn around abruptly when you hear a sudden noise. Standing there, in a black suit, hair slicked back and a suit case was none other than Nakamoto Yuta. The very man you’ve heard of for years and now here he is before you, in the flesh. A fixed smirk on your face as you set the glass down. “Well look what we have here, Nakamoto Yuta.” Raising a brow, he sets the suitcase down and takes a step closer. “Do I know you?” “No, but I know you remember me.” You were right, he did. The day at the ball where he stood at the top of the stairs speaking with his business partners he noticed the sunset orange dress. Your beauty immediately captivated him but unfortunately he wasn’t given much time to get to know you. He tried searching for you, to figure out who you were but it seemed like you didn’t exist on the internet. Untraceable, only images the reporters took of you the night of the ball.

Stepping closer to him, you extend your arm out. “The names y/n y/l/n. The beaut you couldn’t keep your eyes off of.” Feeling the ends of his lip curl, he nods and accepts your hand. But he doesn’t shake it, instead he brings it up to his lips where he presses a soft gentle kiss while remaining eye contact with you. “Well greetings y/n, may I ask what brings you here?” Shrugging your shoulders, you come face to face. Wrapping your arms around his neck which causes him to lean down to accommodate you. “You.” Leaning in, you press a chaste kiss to his lips and he doesn’t hesitate in returning the energy. Getting a hold of your waist he pulls you in. Pressing you to feel his growing bulge. “Already hard?” Growling, he tugs at your hair and pulls you down on your knees. “You got an attitude alright, but it’s okay I’ll fuck it out of you.” Unbuckling his pants you pull em down and free his constricted cock. Pressing a soft kiss to his angry red tip. His veins prominent, you let your tongue hang and lick a long stripe up from his base. You hear him let out a loud hiss, his slicked back hair has begun to unstick. Small strands of his hair falling on his forehead as he looks down at you. His hand making a shift ponytail with your hair as he gets you to take more of him.

“No teasing and suck, pretty girl.” Feeling yourself get aroused by the nickname, you obey and deep throat him. Pulling him out and spitting on him, you jerk off before taking him back in your mouth. The kitchen wall bounces off the loud gags and gurgles you make with every inch you take him in. Heavy breathing and low deep grunts Yuta let’s out. After a stressful business meeting and a blow out with his wife he decided to head home days early and now here he is, standing in his kitchen getting sucked by the chick he hasn’t been able to get out of his head since the ball. He doesn’t regret the decision. “Swallow every drop princess.” He grunts as he begins to thrust powerfully in your mouth. Your nails digging into his thighs as you feel him explode hot cum in the back of your throat. Staring up at him with innocent looking eyes, gulping every drop and pulling away with a pop. You show him your tongue to prove to him you listened to him. A chesire grin on his face as he helps you stand. “Turn around.” Leaning over the counter, he lifts your leg to rest on the stool. Dropping your pijama bottoms on the floor, you gasp when his tip prods at your tight hole, shutting your eyes and leaning your forehead on the cold marble surface. His ring covered fingers coming to grip your arms and place them behind your back. Using it as leverage to fuck you harder.

His thrusts were fast but steady, he was using you to burn off steam you can tell. His face concentrated and with every smack he left on your cheek it got louder and became more painful. You chuckle as he wraps his hand around your throat and gets you to stand. Your back pressed against his chest, “Careful daddy, get too reckless and you might just wake up Yuri.” Something in him was set off at the mention of his daughter. Pulling out and turning you to face him, he lifts you up. Quick to wrap your legs around him, he wastes no time in pounding into you again. “Don’t mention her again.” “But why? She is a good friend of mine. Wonder what she’ll think if she saw you fucking her friend.” Gripping your throat he presses you up against the wall and uses his other hand to rub harsh circles on your clit. Jaw slacking, you start to mewl by the over sensitivity. “Fucking brat.” He hisses, his relent never seizing. Your gummy walls grip him so tight he finds it hard to keep thrusting. Trying to muffle the grunts that are begging to come out. But he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t want to give you the satisfaction that you’re making him feel immense pleasure. That he hasn’t had a good fuck in a while and you’re making him go insane.

But you can see through him. Cupping his face, he glares at you. Too intimidate, he should be putting you in your place. To shut you up but instead he’s becoming obsessed with you. “Admit you need me. Say it and I’m yours.” Shaking his head he grips your hands and keeps them over your head. Looking down and seeing the connection between your soaked pussy and his slick covered dick. Spitting at your entrance he watches how well you take it all in. “Don’t fucking, ngh! - need you!” Shutting his eyes, his thrusting stutters as he shivers at the pleasure. He’s close, he can feel it but he refuses to climax. “Look at you baby, you’re becoming putty for me.” “Shut up!” Moaning out loud, he covers your mouth and continues to hit your g-spot. He doesn’t stop until your walls are constricting around him. Until he feels you come all over his cock, then does he set you down on your feet and walk off.

Catching your breath, you huff and roll your eyes. Pulling up your bottoms, you take a sip of your water and wonder back to the bedroom. Aro shifts in his spot but once he feels your presence he comes closer to cuddle you. He presses a soft kiss to your shoulder before muttering a tired goodnight. Ignorant to the fact that you had Yuta’s juices running down your legs.

Yuri was becoming more and more careless. She thinks she finally began to regain her power. The attention would finally be hers again. Days went on and she and Aro have secretly been seeing each other. But you know. You see everything and as you continue to get popular, you are being told more about things no matter how much google searching would be able to give you. “Me and Aro need to go study for our upcoming finals, bye guys!” Yuri excuses them. “Bye baby!” You smile at him, leaning in to press his lips on yours, you see Yuri looking upset from the corner of your eyes. Just as Aro goes to pull away you notice the red hickey on his neck. “Burn yourself babe?” You ask as you press on the dark mark. Gaining the attention of others. Yuri’s eye’s widen momentarily, an awkward chuckle falls from the boy’s mouth before covering it with his hand. “Yeah, my coworker got me during one of my shifts.” Nodding, you wave them goodbye. And once they were gone, you excused yourself. “But you’re so fun please don’t leave!” They try to convince you to stay but you give them a sad smile and wave them goodbye.

“You got the files?” You ask the Dean once you enter the office. They nod and hand you a beige looking file with a name on top. Yuri Nakamoto. “Acceptance, SATs, and any other record we have of her is on there.” “I don’t see any acceptance letter.” “She never got one.” Raising a brow, you look up at them. “Why?” Shrugging their shoulders, you nod and thank them. Walking out of campus you get in your car. Shoving the file into your glove compartment, the door to the passenger seat opens and in enters the very man who fucked you in his kitchen nights ago. “Well, well well.” You say with a smug look. He doesn’t say a thing only leans in and kisses you hungrily. Moaning, you allow him to shove his tongue down your throat. And when he pulls you away roughly you bite your lip. “Knew you needed me.” “Drive.” “Where to daddy?” Glaring, he goes to buckle himself. “Your place.”

The keys to your apartment is tossed to the ground the second the door gets opened. Slamming the door shut as Yuta picks you up and slams you up against it. Removing you of your jacket, crop top and bra. He’s impatient and doesn’t waste time sucking your perky tits. You run your hands through his soft hair, you can’t help but feel content. Your heart beats rapidly and your heat throbs, yearns for him. “Missed me?” You hum. You didn’t expect him to answer but when his dazed looking eyes move to look up at you, capturing your chin to pull you in for a soft kiss you knew the answer to your question.

For the rest of the day, it was spent indulging in the man’s needs. You let him fuck you up against the door, you let him press you against the cold glass window. A perfect view of you and him, any one even paparazzi would be able to see but Yuta didn’t care. He spread you across the kitchen table as he ate you out. Didn’t stop until you squirted for him, until your cried for him. Until you begged him to stop. In the shower, he bent you over where he used the shower head to overstimulate you, and on the bed where he took you doggy style until he made you come into subspace. Even when you woke up, you woke up to him settled between your legs and mouth already attached to your breasts. The man was a beast and no amount of experience would help you prepare yourself. When he wore himself out, you straddled him. Running a hand through his sweaty hair, completely fucked out and passed out on your bed. You took this as an opportunity to take pictures of him, the scratch marks apparent on his chest. Love marks displayed on both his and your skin. Like a piece of art work created by Davinci himself, you toss the phone aside and lean down to pepper his face with soft gentle kisses. “Mine.” You mumble, admiring the beautiful man sleeping below you. His soft cock still snuggled deep inside you. “All mine.” You lay one last kiss on his lips.

Yuta has fallen under your spell almost immediately. His mind filled with the thought of you. He can’t concentrate any more, his business partners have to call out his name multiple times during meetings. Interviewers can barely get a decent response from him and his work ethic has been slacking off. His wife and daughter don’t make it any better given how much they nag him. They are never content with what they have, they want more. Need more, and it seems like they are one for the other. Yuri’s mother defends her wrongful actions, Yuri sees no problem with the ignorant thinking her mother has. The Nakamoto women have grown to be selfish, greedy, classist monsters. And slowly by the years, they began to suck the life out of Yuta. But you were different. You gave him oxygen, the life he thought has lost all these years. He feels like a man who had just been reborn and he finds it hard to ever come to let you go. And even though it’s wrong, to cheat on his wife. To put his family on the line, he can’t stop himself. Doesn’t he have the right to be selfish at least once as well?

So what if he masturbates to the thought of you in the shower? Or sends you nude pictures of himself to you? Or has sex with you in secrecy? To open his heart to you, to wish to live a different life where it’s just the two of you. Is it really so bad to say he’s fallen in love with you?

“Divorce her.” You tell him one afternoon. In his office, door locked and a strict order to not bother him at all. His shirt undone along with his tie on the floor. His black work pants slightly lowered enough to reveal his long veiny dick. With you on his lap wearing the shortest, skimpiest checkered skirt and a top that only covers your breasts. A finger curled to take a hold of your Diamond necklace, specifically the one he gifted to you. Leaning in to press a kiss on your boobs, he hums and squeezes your ass. “Is that what you want?” Cupping his face you make look you in the eyes. “With all my heart. I want to love you like you deserve, give you the life you lost. It’s not too late to give yourself a fresh start.” “What about Yuri-“. “She’ll have to deal with it.” You tell him sternly. He’s confused by the tone, it’s almost like you’re sure of something he’s not in the know but he doesn’t push it. “Your wife,” kissing his cheek. “Doesn’t know what love is.” You kiss his jaw, “doesn’t know how to love you,” he closes his eyes and relishes in the gentle kisses you leave on his face. “Doesn’t know how to cherish you.” Lastly, kissing his lips he gets a hold of the back of your head and pulls you closer making sure you can’t pull away faster than he wants to.

Groaning when you clench around his girth, he moves you to grind on him. His heavy breathing coming back when he lets you pull away. Biting your bottom lip softly as he looks up at you. “Your family has taken advantage of you left and right, but me…” grabbing his hand and lowering it to your cunt you hear him groan. The lust coming back in his eyes. “I know how to satisfy you. How to make you happy, make you feel loved…marry me and I’ll give you the world.” Whining when he begins to rub fast circles on your clit you look into his eyes. He smiles and kisses your temple. “And I’ll give you the stars pretty girl.”

The news of the filing of divorce between the Nakamoto’s hit ever news channel possible. It’s all anyone can talk about. It was sudden, unexpected and no one can understand how that happened. It seemed like the couple were happy. If anything they were admired for being such a happy loving family. And it didn’t take long for the rumors to start that maybe there was a mistress. That one of them wasn’t faithful, or maybe abusive. The people of Japan were demanding for answers and before she can prepare herself, Yuri was being bombarded with them every time she took a step out of the comfort of her home. At school she can barely walk by without being crowded. Ironic how much she’s grown to hate the crowding given it’s all she’s ever wanted. “Yuri did your mother cheat?” One yells. “Is your father abusive?” Another says. “Guys give her space!” Emi and Ai shouts as the boys try to put distance. Yuri only covers her ears as she rushes by with tears in her eyes. She felt humiliated, never did she think everyone’s eyes would be on her with looks of judgment and pity. Since when did everyone care what goes on in her family’s lives? What is it to them?

And as she enters the bathroom about ready to break down, she’s met with a few girls already there, reapplying their makeup. Snickering and smirking once they get a look of her. “How pathetic.” They scoff before shoving their shoulders against hers. Falling on the ground, she breaks down into loud sobs. She cursed her parents for separating. How could they do this to her? To embarrass her to this extent, how selfish could they get? Did they not care how much this would affect her? The door to the bathroom opens abruptly and in enters Aro. Concerned looks as he asks if she was okay. “Oh Aro!” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she seeks his comfort. So much they don’t notice a lurker just right outside the bathroom listening to them. What was suppose to be a reassuring hug turns into sex, a camera was snuck in and capturing the entire thing. “Oh you poor thing.” You tsk once you end the recording and walk off.

Yuri refused to speak to her father. After her mother told her that he was the one who demanded the divorce, she had a growing hatred for him. It wasn’t fair, her mother had no where to go. All the money she made she blew it up on luxuries and what’s left isn’t enough to satisfy her. She wanted a large mansion not an apartment. She wanted a driver not a personal car where she’d drive herself. But her budget didn’t cut it. All business she had was cut given she made contracts with them through her ex husband. More people began to believe the rumors that she cheated. No one wanted her face to be connected with their company in worry it’ll tarnish their reputation. She had approximately a week to move out before she was forced out. Luckily Yuta never wrote a prenup, seemed like the only good decision he made all those years ago.

Stressed with everything going on, he needed you more than anything. For a few classes you were absent because you refused to leave his side. And despite Aro and the others asking about your whereabouts you only gave them short responses and nothing more. “You did good baby.” You comfort your fiancé. The large Diamond engagement ring fits perfectly on you. The twinkle shines brightly, Yuta sends you a fond smile and takes a hold of your hand. Pressing a kiss to the ring, he pulls you for a hug. “I love you.” He murmurs in your chest. “And I love you.” And you do, which is why you went through great lengths to make sure everything came out in your favor. Laying him down on your bed, you undress him. Unbuckling his pants as you take his dick in your mouth. Your soft hand coming to fist what you can’t get in your mouth, the bright Diamond glimmering in the sunlight that enters your room. Yuta’s head is thrown back as he focuses on the pure bliss he’s receiving, letting his grunts fall out freely with each lick and suck you give him. Climbing on top of him and taking all of his inches, rolling your eyes back when he manages to hit deep inside you. Bouncing on his cock until you’re going stupid on him, his hand coming to brush your hair out of your face. Cooing at you as you try your hardest to not enter cloud nine but he’s addicting. You want more of him, you can never have enough of him. Which is why you beg him to take you, fuck you like he hates you and he does. He fills you with his white warm semen over and over again until your bloated with his babies. Falling asleep only to wake up and do it all over again.

The day Yuta brought you to his mansion, the housekeepers bringing in your luggages. Yuri couldn’t believe her eyes. “How could you?!” She shrieks, disgusted in seeing you hold hands with her father. “How could you do this to me? To Aro?” Snickering, you shake your head and pull Yuta’s head to kiss him. You felt proud to see her face turn red as she practically shakes in anger. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she glares daggers into your head. “I want to talk to Yuri alone, please babe?” Nodding, he presses one last kiss to your temple before signaling the housekeepers to follow him upstairs. Going to comfort his daughter, he’s disappointed to see her distance herself from him and give him a look of disgust. Once he was out of hearing range, you couldn’t help but laugh. “You bitch!” She seethes at you. “Never did I think you’d stoop so low. Guess you were the mistress my father has been seeing, should’ve known you were here with no good intentions.”

“Me? With no good intentions.” Chuckling, you take cautious steps around you. Your heels are heard hitting the tiled floor with each step taken. “Yuri, you know better than to be hypocritical.” You grin. Furrowing her brow, she continued to glare at you. “What are you talking about?” Chuckling, you clap your hands and shake your head. “Seriously, did you think I wasn’t made aware of whats been going on between you and Aro?” Her face drops to one of horror. “The sleep over, making out in the kitchen where anyone can see?” Shrugging you pick at your nails. “Eh but its okay, your father and I fucked about an hour after you fell asleep on the same exact spot you backstabbed me.” About to defend her honor, you cut her off.

“I wonder what Emi will think when she finds out the reason she’s feeling insecure is because you have been convincing guys to not approach her. Saying she’s, ‘emotionally unstable’ or how about she’s currently fighting off an, ‘STD’ Mhm?” “Lies!” “Really? So if I were to ask half the boys at school they would all say I made it up? How stupid of them to think you were doing it for Emi’s benefit. That you were ‘looking out for her’.” Laughing you shake your head and walk closer to her. “What about Ai?” “I did nothing.”

Tsking, you sigh. “Another lie.” Taking out your phone, you find the photo in your gallery and show it to her. It’s satisfying to see the color drain from her face. “Just the day after Sota asked her out did you just have to swoop in and steal her thunder. Seriously though? Did you really have to kiss him? Fifteen minutes after making it official?” Clear as day did the photo show Yuri and Sota kissing. The rest of the group just the room next to them. “How did you…” “Remember Yuri, I see everything. You’re not the sweet innocent girl you make yourself out to be. No, you’re arrogant, egotistical and greedy. Can never be happy for others, everything has to be about you. You need to have the most awards, medals, achievements, to be in the best clubs and go into a college with an acceptance rate of 3%.”

Frozen in her spot, she swallows when she sees you take out a file from behind your back. “Funny how there’s no record of being accepted to…anything really. And yet, what I did find were receipts. With large quantities of money. So tell me Yuri, how much did mommy have to pay in order to get you in without Yuta finding out? $1,000? $10,000?” Pushing you away she denies it all. “I got in all by myself!” “Really?!” You mock shock. “Because Ritsu told me, you sucked him off in order to enter the debate team and was paid to keep quiet?” Drawing her hand back, a loud smack is heard resonating throughout the large house. “Y/n!” You hear Yuta call out for you, climbing down the stairs he sees the red mark beginning to form on your face. “What the hell is wrong with you Yuri?!” Tears had formed in her eye sockets, some running down her face as she feels exposed. “I hate you!” She screams at you, “YURI!” His voice booms off the walls.

“You don’t know the kind of woman she is daddy! She’s only using you!” “That’s not true!” You say as you cradle your face. Standing next to him, you hold his arm and cuddle into his side. “I love you Yuta.” You soften your eyes at him, “But she won’t let us be happy.” You get your eyes to water. “She won’t accept that I love you and you love me!” “Don’t listen to her! -“ “That’s enough Yuri! I’ve had it with you! I wasted all these years trying to give you the life you deserve and you threw that all away with your greed. It’s my time to be happy and if you don’t like it, you can always move out and go live with your mother.” Shutting up, she glares at the scene in front of her. Her father inspecting your face gently as he presses a soft kiss to your face. “Ill get you some ice.” Once he left, you turned to look at her with the same satisfied smirk.

“You can try your best to separate us. But just remember, I can easily make your life a living hell. You wouldn’t want the world to find out just how evil you are right? Drugging Riku’s drink to have sex with you, manipulating Aro into thinking he’s only ever good enough being with you. Blackmailing the hundreds of people to keep shut, doing your dirty work and deleting any video footage that captures the real you. In a second, I can end you. So do us a favor, and stay the hell out of my business with your father.” Taking one step closer to her, her tears much more noticeable you lean down to stoop to her level.

“Because I’m going to love your father whether you like it or not, and he’s going to love me just as much.” Hearing him call out to you, you give her a wink and walk off into the direction of the kitchen.

And as you walk in and find the man you love holding an ice pack, you let him gently press it on your face. Sensing her eyes watching the two of you, you move his hand out the way and pull him down by his shirt. Pulling him into a heated make out right in front of his daughter without him knowing. And as much as Yuri hates her life at the moment, she will soon come to despise it even more when you decide to expose her crimes nonetheless.

#nct x reader #nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct smut #nct reactions #nct 127 #nct yuta #yuta nakamoto smut #yuta imagines #yuta x reader #yuta smut #nct johnny #mark nct #nct haechan #nct taeyong #nct 127 imagines #nct 127 x reader #nct 127 smut

[mofyjo]

'A sketch of Slipknot's Corey Taylor by [Q] Hayashida.'

From Natalie.

Direct Google translation of an interview Q Hayashida participated in below.

'I first learned about Slipknot in the fall of 2000 when I happened to come across Grind House Magazine at a bookstore. I just finished drawing the first episode of a manga called "Dorohedoro" which is full of masked characters. I felt something about the Slipknot photo on the cover, so I bought the magazine and took it home. The next day I went to buy a CD. The music was great, and I remember feeling happy and thinking, "We hit the jackpot!"

Slipknot's live performances are just so much fun.

In 2001, I went to ``SUMMER SONIC'''s two solo concerts in Tokyo and Osaka in November, and two more in 2002. I watched from a corner of the front row every time, and I have many fond memories of getting bruises from the fences from the pressure of the mosh behind me, and ending up in the hospital because of excessive headbanging.

That's why the recommended playlist is made up of songs that were fun to play live.

As for "People = Shit" and "The Heretic Anthem," the live recordings from "The Pledge of Allegiance Tour" are ferocious and beautiful, and I would have definitely recommended them, but it's a shame that they are no longer in print. . I still listen to the live recordings of these two songs whenever I feel angry.

I used to buy boot videos of overseas live performances at the now-defunct AIRS in Nishi-Shinjuku. I drew the manga while playing it on TV.

The early handmade mask and dirty jumpsuit costume are wonderful.

I have a habit of compiling ideas for work in endless sketchbooks, and there I would also scrape up Slipknot doodles and concert tickets.

I had no plans to show it to anyone, but since I received this kind of work this time, I posted one of the pages.

The dark, intense, rough and tumble, yet lively and fun atmosphere of Slipknot that I saw live had a lot of influence on my manga.

I also think that I was influenced a lot by Slipknot's seriousness and service-minded approach to work.'

#lost my shit when i found this so im posting this here with the interview so i can keep coming back to it #the image in the interview has better quality ;; #can add this to the dorohedoro slipknot collection #q hayashida #dorohedoro #corey taylor

[skippyv20]

Hi Skippy & Friends-Pilgrim here getting to the bottom of this sneaky system we were not fully aware of it seems. Here are a few quotes from “Public Service or Propaganda? a 2014 Time Magazine article by Phil Bicker. This is just about the time the con artist grifter was getting into her groove of gaslighting. Discovering this wide-open arena must have been like finding the Golden Fleece for her.

"Many images published around the world on a daily basis are not taken by news organizations or commissioned by magazines, but are instead provided by third-party vendors who are, for various reasons, closer to the source of the story. Whether viewed as a public service or as propaganda, widely disseminated handout images provide visual material the public would otherwise rarely see. They can also, at times, constitute a minefield for the sources and publishers working with the material.”

It mentions the use of photos from places in the world no one is allowed like North Korea or where most humans can’t get to like space. But then there is this side of the coin. “Publicity machines, PR organizations, educational institutions and activist organizations like Greenpeace are also players in the handout business.”

“News organizations — AP, Reuters, Getty — who carefully vet these images to determine authenticity and the motives of those supplying them distribute these photos and, in a sense, validate them. Handouts distributed via the news agencies do bear a warning for those who receive them: namely, that the image was provided by a third party. However, sometimes this level of transparency and accuracy is not embraced by the media organizations who receive and disseminate the material to the public.” The christening photo and many others supplied by the Sussex PR machine with phony meta data information they plugged in, was deemed acceptable by these wizards of news!!

What a sham! For decades these news organizations have pandered images from con artists, making untold millions for all of them! They sell us garbage in the name of truth and now are cowering like the sleazeballs they are, hiding behind pithy excuses-or paid off photographers?! I think every Handout photo printed in the press needs to have a red HANDOUT stamp with the name of who provided it. The sensational Sussex photos went worldwide and were presented as truth, coming from the royal family!!! This will not be swept under the worn-out carpet and people like Ms Carparkle who abuse this shady system to the max needs to be stopped and identified as the desperate fraud she has become. Over and out for now.

Great post!  Thank you so much dear Pilgrim!  Much appreciated!🙂❤️

[sharry-arry-odd]

Don Corleone had no desire, no intention, of letting his youngest son be killed in the service of a power foreign to himself. Doctors had been bribed, secret arrangements had been made. A great deal of money had been spent to take the proper precautions. But Michael was twenty-one years of age and nothing could be done against his own willfulness. He enlisted and fought over the Pacific Ocean. He became a captain and won medals. In 1944 his picture was printed in Life magazine with a photo layout of his deeds. A friend had shown Don Corleone the magazine (his family did not dare), and the Don had grunted disdainfully and said, "He performs those miracles for strangers."

The Godfather, by Mario Puzo

#page 17 #the godfather #godfather #mario puzo #don corleone #corleone family #vito corleone #michael corleone #italian american #mafia #mob #quote #quotes #literature #book #booklr #reading #family #WWII #WW2

[stardustandash]

Thinking about a Modern AU for the batch and these are my thoughts:

Hunter: Works as a park ranger. Can go on long rants about people leaving garbage on trails. Has scared several drunk/high people when he’s found them in off trail areas in the past, leading to local legends about a “half-skeleton man” roaming in the forests around the area. The batch teases him mercilessly about this.

Wrecker: works as a line cook in Cid’s pub. Man is unstoppable with new recipes and makes killer comfort food. Everyone in the kitchen loves him. No one cares about his scars and he loves it. Brings home the kitchen leftovers for the family and does hold this over them when he wants something. 

Tech: a mechanic in a local garage by day, a freelance programmer by night. He’s the one who bought the Marauder (the family sprinter van) and will hide the keys out of spite. Wants to apply to a racing team but also refuses to leave his family. Is certified to fly/drive most vehicles but keeps it quiet so he can pull that out like a party trick. 

Echo: wanted to be a paramedic like Rex and the rest of his 501st brothers, but being a triple amputee makes that hard. Instead he’s gone back to school to become a licensed therapist and the batch live closest to campus so he moved in with them. Volunteers at the big city hospital’s rehab centre on weekends.

Crosshair: took the longest to adjust to civilian life. Has had a string of truly awful customer service jobs but also found a passion for photography, especially wildlife. His sniper skills give him the ability to patiently wait for the perfect shot with a long lens camera (that all the batch scraped together the money for to make him happy). He’s had some success selling his photos to various magazines but refuses to make a big deal out of it. Wrecker’s hung several of his prints at Cid’s pub. 

All of them volunteer with the local search and rescue. Gonky is the world’s fattest cat with the loudest purr and wonkiest meow. 

#the bad batch #i'm having ideas #maybe for future fics. #omega of course would be here and still be traumatized from nala se #rip #modern au #TO BE CLEAR IF YOU LIKE THESE IDEAS AND U WANT TO USE THEM GO FOR IT #PLEASE TAKE THEM AND USE THEM #i just always see the same ideas for a modern au #and i wanted something different #tbb au

[lostloveletters]

Bruised Fruit Chapter 3 (Michael Corleone x OC)

Summary: An engagement party only sinks Gloria's roots deeper into the Corleone family and gives her a glimpse of what her future may hold.

Note: I plan to have chapter 4 posted next weekend! This fic has been so fun to write, and I appreciate the support on here and AO3 for it🖤

Warnings: Angst, canonical major character death, discussions of infidelity, emotional manipulation. Sexually explicit content which includes masochism.

Do not interact if you are under 18 or post thinspo/ED content. I will block you.

Chapter 2 | AO3 Link | Masterlist

“Looks like Senator Kennedy might run for president next year. They’re saying just because he’s Catholic, he’d probably lose the primaries in the South,” Gloria said, scanning the copy of the Boston Globe that room service had brought up with breakfast, along with that day’s editions of the New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Post. “Can you believe that?”

Michael nodded from his spot next to her on the loveseat, using his toast to mop up the yolk from his poached egg. “I can believe it.”

She glanced at the photo of Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy printed on the Globe’s article. “He sure is easy on the eyes. Almost got my vote already.”

“Would you really vote for a candidate just because you thought he was attractive?”

Gloria shielded her face behind the newspaper, hiding her grin. “It sure helps. You’d win by a landslide.” She started giggling when she heard him scoff. 

She knew the Senate hearings were still a sore spot for him, his family business being speculated about on the national stage. Throughout the hearings, she’d naturally kept an eye on the papers, amused by the various asides about Michael’s appearance. Intimidating, they called him, a powerful presence who commanded the attention of the room. She especially liked the article in a gossip magazine she indulged in that described him as handsome in a dark and dangerous way that almost inspires something primal in a woman. 

“You’re funny.”

“I’m not allowed to give you a compliment?”

He acquiesced with the slightest smile on his face. “Thank you.”

She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You’re welcome,” she said as she flipped to the next page of the article. “My mom’s already chomping at the bit to volunteer for his campaign.”

Gloria’s mother, Julia, was especially active in the Queens branch of the New York Democratic Party, volunteering for every one of Franklin Roosevelt’s presidential campaigns. Gloria could remember canvassing with her mother during election years. After he was elected president a third time, Julia received a thank you letter in the mail from Eleanor Roosevelt. She had the letter framed, and as far as Gloria knew, it was still displayed in the living room of her childhood home.

“Have you heard from your parents about the engagement party?”

“They’re not coming. Dad can’t take the time off of work,” Gloria said. 

When he had told her such, she knew it wasn’t entirely true, but she wasn’t about to tell Michael that she could hear her father pour himself a drink over the phone when she informed him that she would be marrying a gangster.

He nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’d like to speak with your father soon.”

Gloria hummed noncommittally. “How many people are going to be there?”

“Just family, around thirty or so.”

“Thirty? Michael, you said it was going to be a small gathering.”

He grinned. “In my family it is.” He brushed some of her long black hair from her face. “You’ll know everyone soon enough.”

“Well, I already know your siblings. They’re going to be there, right?”

“Fredo can’t make it.”

“That’s a shame. He introduced us, after all.”

“It can’t be helped,” he said dismissively. “Connie will be there. I know you haven’t seen her in a while.”

Gloria liked all of Michael’s siblings, but she considered Connie a friend. Whenever Connie was in Vegas, which was quite often when she wasn’t jet-setting with her latest beau, Michael would ask Gloria to keep an eye on her. Of course, this would turn into nights of drinking, partying, and watching Connie win or lose astonishing amounts of money in the casino. 

“You have nothing to worry about. They’re friendlier than I am,” he said, earning a soft laugh from her.

By the end of the week, she wasn’t so sure, but Michael had been the one who insisted on the engagement party, telling her that his family had never been involved in his wedding preparations in the past. They hadn’t even attended the ceremony. With his mother’s health declining, it was important to him. 

If Gloria had been nervous to meet Michael’s children, meeting the rest of his family had her stomach in knots. She poured herself a drink to calm down before the car arrived to pick her up from her hotel. While Anthony and Mary could be shielded from the truth of Michael and Gloria’s relationship by virtue of their youth, she figured the rest of his family already considered her a homewrecker. Not entirely untrue, but she wondered how what tale had been woven prior to her arrival. Undoubtedly something to make her more palatable to his extended family.

As she crossed the threshold of his home for the first time, she felt a different warmth in his house than the kind that engulfed her in her childhood home when she had visited for Thanksgiving a few months prior. That warmth had given way to a love that wrapped around her like a blanket, a love she could dream in. The love that permeated the air in Michael’s home clung to her skin like summer sweat. Nevertheless, she supposed a sweltering love was better than none at all.

Though, when he squeezed her hand, his smile betrayed his fondness for her, and she couldn’t help but smile back. It almost made her wish that they were alone again, but there were introductions to be made. Namely, his mother Carmela, who was clearly being polite to Gloria for Michael’s sake and to set a good example for Anthony and Mary. Michael’s children barely left their grandmother’s side but seemed happy to see Gloria again. Taking the hint, Michael kept the conversation short. 

“I have some business to go over with Tom. It won’t take long, but I think my sister’s about to steal you anyway,” Michael said softly, giving Gloria a gentle kiss on her cheek. 

As he retreated into his office, Connie rushed over to Gloria. 

Connie beamed, pulling her in for a hug. “Gloria! God, how long has it been?”

“Hi, Connie,” she said, returning her future sister-in-law’s embrace. “It’s great to see you again.”

“Congratulations! Now let me see that ring!”

Gloria moved back, holding out her hand so Connie could inspect the engagement ring Michael gave her. The night had been quiet, unceremonious if not for his presenting her with the ring, beautiful yet understated. After he slid it onto her finger, her hand burned, and she thought she was having some kind of allergic reaction to the metal until she noticed no redness or hives on her skin—psychosomatic, merely branded in her mind’s eye.

“Gorgeous, oh my god,” Connie gasped. “It suits you.”

Before Gloria could say anything more to Connie, a gaggle of younger relatives walked over to introduce themselves. All nieces and nephews, some older with their spouses and fiances of their own. Despite Connie reminding Gloria who was who, she felt her head spin at the amount of new names and faces she would be expected to know. It didn’t help that Michael’s late brother Sonny had twin girls, who were the spitting image of their mother, Sandra. While both of Gloria’s parents had a handful of siblings themselves, her extended family wasn’t nearly as close-knit as the Corleones were.

The line between business and family was almost nonexistent for them. Each son fated to take up some role in the volatile business, a Greek tragedy enacted by mostly Sicilian players–Sonny, the eldest son, dead by enemies taking advantage of his anger and hubris; Tom, the adopted son, a trusted advisor, though his heritage always left him the outsider; Fredo, the forgotten son, good-natured yet quietly resentful; Michael, the youngest son, who tried to escape his destiny but was instead doomed by a narrative greater than himself and even further corrupted by it. The chorus raged on with its warnings of the ruthless pursuit of power ignored, and Gloria shuddered to think what lay ahead for Anthony and the son Michael wanted her to carry.

Going forward, her life would be nothing short of a whirlwind of people. She wondered how Michael’s children could stand it, how he could stand it. For a family so guarded and secretive, they didn’t have much privacy. Everyone knew everything about each other. Corleone family associates filtered in and out of his house day and night. 

“Why don’t you all give the woman a break so she can get something to eat?” Sandra finally said, putting her arm around Gloria’s shoulders and leading her into the kitchen.

“Thank you. I couldn’t eat before I got here. My nerves were all over the place,” Gloria said, taking a plate and helping herself to the antipasto that was set out on the table. She popped a few olives in her mouth as she piled the various meats and cheeses onto her plate.

Sandra stood next to her, taking a slice of prosciutto for herself. “No, I understand. We’re insular, guess it’s just easier that way.” 

Gloria silently wondered how easy it really could be. Sandra had been a widow for at least a decade, with Sonny having been brutally murdered on the Long Beach causeway during the Corleones’ war with rival families. The details were all over the papers at the time, but none showed the photos of Sonny’s body, apparently too gruesome to be printed as he was riddled with bullets to the point where he was nearly unrecognizable. Still, Sandra was taken care of, her marriage all but secured that even after her husband’s death, an Old World life insurance policy. 

“I don’t know what I expected. Everyone seems so…normal,” Gloria said, a blush spreading across her cheeks. “Ah, that’s not the right word. I mean—“

“This thing’s been going on longer than you and me,” Sandra said, gesturing vaguely. “I stopped trying to understand it a long time ago. It’ll drive you crazy.”

“I don’t even bother,” Gloria said through a mouthful of mozzarella. “He keeps me too busy to even think about it, anyway.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Sandra said, a sly smile on her face that Gloria couldn’t help but snicker in response to. “Believe me honey, I get mine.”

Tom appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

She noticed the look Sandra and Tom shared as he walked over, albeit brief, it was all too familiar. The desire, the longing, the silent promise of later, despite Tom’s wife Theresa being just a room away. Interesting. Gloria had more in common with the Corleone women than she thought.

“Gloria, congratulations,” Tom said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. 

“Thank you, Tom. I appreciate it.”

“Could you come with me to Michael’s office? I just need to go over a few things with you.”

Gloria nodded, following him out of the kitchen and through the labyrinth of people in the living room. 

As soon as she stepped into Michael’s office, she nearly felt the urge to genuflect before taking a seat next to him on the leather upholstered couch, as if sliding into a pew during mass. His face lit up ever so slightly when he saw her, and he took her hand in his. 

“It’s good news, darling. Don’t worry,” Michael said, reading her hesitation.

She gave him a weak smile before bringing her attention to Tom.

“The divorce is almost finalized, but I’ve sent Michael’s petition to the Vatican to have his marriage to Kay annulled,” Tom said. “Between our connections to the Holy See and the severity of what she committed, I don’t anticipate this taking more than two or three months.”

All Gloria could manage in response was a quiet, “Wow.”

Michael smiled, patting Gloria’s hand. The gesture meant to be reassuring, as if Gloria had asked for it, like she was the one who wanted Kay’s sin repaid pound for pound if not in blood, then in excommunication and eternal damnation. Kay’s decision was her own, but Gloria wasn’t without sin, and neither was Michael, yet he was more than willing to have his soon to be ex-wife formally damned. Knowing Michael, the most he believed in was the hierarchy, the institution. God was merely an irritating obstacle at best and outright competition at worst.

The revelation of Kay’s mortal sin to the Vatican would almost guarantee Michael an annulment. With that in place, there’d be nothing to stop them from having a formal wedding mass despite his being divorced from a consummated marriage. An otherwise long and tedious process to convince the Catholic Church to invalidate the eternal, holy bond of matrimony would be taken care of in a matter of months. 

“Once that’s all sorted out, the two of you will be able to set a date. Obviously the situation isn’t ideal, but—“

“Thank you, Tom. I appreciate the effort,” Gloria said awkwardly. 

He nodded, his tight-lipped smile slightly strained. He lacked the pleasure that his brother had in the situation at hand, but there was little else he could do as consigliere. 

“I have one more thing to discuss with Tom, but I’ll join you again soon,” Michael said, walking her over to the door. “Won’t leave you with the sharks too long.”

He kissed the top of her hand before she made her exit. As soon as the door shut behind her, Gloria searched out Connie, who was helping herself to a glass of wine. 

“Always business with them, huh?” Connie quipped.

“Something like that,” Gloria said. “Hey, did Michael tell you why Fredo couldn’t make it? You’d think he’d be here. He introduced Michael and me.”

“You know, I’m not sure myself,” Connie said, though her tone wasn’t entirely convincing. “Hard to keep track of everyone. I mean, Francesca and her fiance are god knows where, and Ma just went off to take a walk.”

Gloria sighed. “I don’t think your mother likes me very much.”

“Ma’s old fashioned, is all,” Connie assured her. “She hasn’t liked anyone I married.”

“Gee, thanks, Connie.”

“You know what I mean. Don’t let this keep you from being excited.”

“I’m excited, absolutely,” Gloria said, feeling that anxious was more appropriate. “The relationship feels so different now compared to when me and Michael were just fooling around.”

Connie’s laugh caught the attention of just about everyone within a few feet of them, turning to see what the commotion was about. “Gloria, you know as well as I do that my brother does not fool around,” she whispered.

That much was true. Michael had a sense of humor, it was one of Gloria’s favorite things about him, but even that was guarded, doled out sparingly to a select few. Nothing half-assed or left to chance, he was meticulous and calculated, necessary traits to earn wartime promotions and later lead the Corleone family. She should have realized sooner that his maintaining their relationship for so long would serve a greater purpose.

Conversely, Gloria never considered herself the marrying type, not finding the trappings of domesticity appealing compared to the independence she enjoyed as a single woman. None of her other dalliances ever lasted longer than a few weeks. While she never considered herself quite the party girl that her Las Vegas peers were, she was never one to deny herself pleasure, throwing caution to the wind in pursuit of a good time if she felt so inclined.

Perhaps her appeal as a wife to Michael was two-fold, what she could offer him as potential mother of his child, and an ego boost in conquering her, a woman half-feral whose worldliness coursed through her veins. A much needed triumph after the domestication of his sophisticated New Englandite ex-wife had regressed until she destroyed her cage, blood and iron reflected in her wild green eyes. 

She looked at Mary and Anthony, playing with their cousins, seemingly unaware of the significance of the occasion. After the dinner a few weeks prior, Michael said that he had told them Kay had done something very bad, and so she left and wasn’t coming back, and they weren’t to ask him any more questions about it. She wondered if they actually believed him.

“I need some air,” Gloria said abruptly.

She rushed over to the sliding glass door that led outside, shoving a cigarette between her lips as she made her way onto the deck that overlooked Lake Tahoe. Lighting the cigarette with shaky hands, she almost didn’t notice her future mother-in-law standing just a few feet away from her.

“Mrs. Corleone—uh, hi,” Gloria said.

The matriarch was silent, save for a brief nod of acknowledgement. 

“How are you liking the party?”

“It’s fine.”

“That’s good. Michael will be glad to hear it.”

Silence once again hung in the air. Gloria brought her cigarette to her lips, watching the smoke rise above them.

“I don’t approve of the way you and Michael conducted your relationship, contributing to his marital strife,” Carmela said, pausing briefly. “Maybe it would have ended up this way without you in the picture.”

Carmela and Kay were close, she knew as much. Connie had told her that the two would often go to Mass together. For all intents and purposes, Carmela had taken Kay under her wing. It made sense, Kay had taken up the mantle previously held by Carmela, and it helped that she was a nice, college-educated woman while still being a devoted wife and mother—until she couldn’t take it anymore. Gloria being Michael’s mistress was enough for her future mother-in-law to have already made up her mind about her.

“I understand.”

“What Kay did was desperate, a horrible thing after her cries for help weren’t heeded by my son.” Carmela side-eyed Gloria. “How often was he preoccupied with you?”

“Whenever he was in Vegas on business,” Gloria answered honestly. “We went to Los Angeles together twice, too.”

“My husband, God rest his soul, always used to tell our sons, ‘A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.’”

It was Gloria’s turn to be silent. She didn’t know the late Don Vito Corleone. Didn’t know whether or not he was a hypocrite. Michael admired him. The whole family spoke fondly of their dearly deceased patriarch. As far as Gloria was concerned, Vito was a myth, a superstition that existed in the whispers of every mafioso, spinning taller tales about their former Don with each passing year. For all she knew, people misquoted him the way they did Abraham Lincoln. 

“I’m not going to pretend I haven’t been selfish and made a lot of questionable choices. I’m not exactly sorry for them, either. For some reason, Michael loves me in spite of all of that, and I do love him.”

“That’s all that matters now, isn’t it? The only thing that can keep the family together…what’s left of it, anyway.” She gave Gloria a wistful smile. “Michael looked happy when he walked in with you. I haven’t seen him like that in a long time.”

Gloria took a long drag on her cigarette, knowing Carmela would rather that happiness be with Kay, his wife, rather than with her. 

“Am I interrupting something?” Michael asked, startling Gloria a bit. She hadn’t heard him open the glass door to go outside.

“No, I’m going to head back inside now,” his mother said. “Chilly out.”

Michael nodded. “Alright, Ma. Don’t want you to catch a cold.”

Michael and Gloria were silent as the Corleone matriarch made her exit. Gloria leaned against the railing, her back pressing against the hard wood as she took one last inhale of her cigarette before flicking it aside. She watched the ember glow faintly in the wet pile of spring leaves on the ground before going out.

“I didn’t see you inside. Connie told me you needed some air,” Michael said, standing in front of her.

“Just felt a little overwhelmed. So many people,” she said, as if that hadn’t been her job for five years. Except those were all strangers. Every person in that house was related to or worked for Michael, and soon she’d be part of it. “You really didn’t have to do all of this.”

“I wanted to,” he said. 

“Like how you want to marry me?” she asked. “The way it all happened, I just—“

“You just what?”

Her attention drifted to her hands, playing with her engagement ring as she withered beneath his intense gaze. “I just wonder if you thought this through.”

“I’ve done the thinking for both of us. I know you’re nervous, darling, but this is what’s best for you,” Michael said, with all the conviction of a man who still believed she was formed of his rib. Silly woman, head full of glittering diamonds, champagne bubbles, and red lipstick. He placed a firm hand over her fidgeting one. “I won’t be as careless as I have been in the past.”

Gloria stared at him for a moment, thinking she liked him better careless, at least more so than the front he put on for everyone, including her. For how important he claimed his family was, there was always distance, if not emotional then physical. At the very least, she closed the few inches between them, kissing him with the ferocity of a woman who was still resisting the trappings of domesticity. 

It didn’t matter to him. His hands found her hips as they always did, fingers pressing deep to claim her flesh as his own. His own instinct had momentarily clouded his reason, as he pulled away from her, albeit reluctantly. His eyes were trained on hers, pupils dilated when he finally glanced behind him, as if to make sure his family hadn’t seen this temporary lapse of control from their Don.

And they hadn’t. At least none of them indicated such as the night went on, and they slowly dispersed back to their respective homes on the vast Lake Tahoe compound or in the surrounding city, giving their congratulations and well-wishes to Gloria and Michael. 

She was grateful he’d at least arranged for his children to stay over at his mother’s, though she could tell he was growing tired of her insisting they be given time to adjust to Kay’s absence and Gloria’s sudden intrusion into their life. They’d undoubtedly have questions about Gloria staying the night, in their father’s bedroom, no less.

All traces of Kay ever being there were long gone, but Gloria glanced at the bed, Michael’s initials embroidered on the linens, wondering how many nights Kay had lain awake in that very bed, knowing her husband was with her. Maybe it was a relief after a while, seeing as Kay’s tolerance for Michael only dwindled as time went on.

Gloria liked it better when those things were separate, when she could be the other woman without having to think too hard about the implications. But she hadn’t driven Kay away. Michael had. And that same man was dragging her in, his desperation not quite as raw as the night he made his proposal, but still evident, if only to her.

This time, he initiated the kiss, his lips claiming hers, payback for her daring public display of affection earlier. He sunk his teeth into her lower lip, fresh blood blending with the red lipstick she wore, no doubt smeared across her mouth as the traces of it were on his. Though his intensity scared her at times, she found it thrilling, perhaps addicted to the adrenaline that came with riling him up, the one time she felt like she had the upper hand on him.

She kissed his neck, knowing better than to leave a mark, but at least temporarily leaving a streak of crimson in her wake. Reaching between them, she rubbed his cock through his pants, feeling it harden beneath her until his hips just barely bucked.

“Jesus—fuck, Gloria,” he groaned.

She gently protested his attempt to guide her back onto the bed. “Missionary, missionary,” she teased against his lips. “You know I’m the type of woman who likes variety.”

His nostrils flared, eyes widened at her words, and she resisted the urge to smirk until he’d turned her around, forcing her ass-up on the edge of his marital bed. Only in her black satin slip and panties, the latter were quickly discarded. She licked her bruised lip when she heard him unbuckling his belt, the rustling of fabric preceding his hand slipping between her folds, his fingers feeling the slick that already coated her pussy. 

She shuddered at the sensation of him rubbing her clit, and as she gripped the comforter she lay on, she silently determined that if she couldn’t get her pleasure from anyone but him going forward, she’d make sure it was on her terms. She loved sex, which was acceptable for mistresses but apparently not for wives, as the act was then relegated for procreation rather than pleasure. She didn’t see why they couldn't have both.

Michael grabbed Gloria’s hips, and she steeled herself as he pushed his cock inside her, his thrusts deep and slow until she growled, “Harder. I’m not gonna break.”

Her nails dug into the soft fabric beneath her, clawing at it as her back arched, cat-like as she took him deeper, his pace unforgiving, her cries of pleasure filling the room. He had jokingly accused her of being a masochist in the past. She never outright denied it.

“Is this what you wanted all night?” he forced out through gritted teeth.

Her moan wasn’t a good enough response, as he slapped her ass, sending a jolt through her.

“Answer me.”

“I always want you.”

“Only me.”

“Only you.”

With that, he came inside of her, and she humped the bed for that extra bit of friction on her clit, feeling her own orgasm achingly close as she felt his seed filling her. Biting her barely healed lip finally sent her over the edge, and she buried her face in the comforter, lifting it a few moments after riding out her orgasm on Michael’s cock to see a stain of blood, spit, and mascara. 

She whimpered when he pulled out of her, her pussy still throbbing from her climax. With aching muscles, she crawled up the mattress, leaning against the neatly made pillows. He undressed, his gaze fixed on her he joined her on the bed, pulling her against his chest, still slightly heaving from the exertion.

“What got into you?” he asked, amusement in his eyes.

“Besides you?” she joked before speaking her next words carefully, ever so manipulatively, “I know we’ve been trying for the baby, but can’t it at least be fun?”

He smiled, kissing the crown of her head. “I don’t see why not.”

After that night, she increasingly split her time between the hotel and his house, slowly getting to know his family better. Carmela was still icy to Gloria when she was able to make it over to the house. Those instances became more scarce, until she could only take so many visitors at her home until one evening in late spring, she passed away.

Melancholy swept over the family at the loss of their beloved mother and grandmother. Gloria regretted not having the time to build a better relationship with the woman, but the more selfish part of her lamented that she would be expected to take up the matriarchal mantle so soon, something she neither desired nor felt prepared for.

“You look beautiful, darling,” Michael murmured, helping her clasp the gold necklace her grandmother had given her for her confirmation, the pendant of the Blessed Mother resting just above her collarbone.

They stood in his bedroom, preparing for the funeral mass and wake that were sure to bring in dozens of people to the cemetery and Corleone compound.

She turned around, forehead wrinkled in concern. “This is about you and your family. I’m not sure if I should even be there.”

“Enough of this, Gloria. You’re going to be my wife, that makes you part of this too,” he said. “There are going to be a lot of people here today, some very important. I need you with me. We need to show strength and solidarity right now.”

“Alright, I—you’re right, Michael,” she said. 

Gloria grabbed her black, lace gloves off the dresser, carefully sliding them onto her hands, though she hadn’t noticed until later at the funeral mass that her engagement ring had torn through the delicate fabric.

#the godfather #michael corleone #michael corleone x oc #michael corleone imagine #michael corleone fanfic #the godfather part ii #the godfather fanfic #the godfather imagine #michael corleone x ofc #bruised fruit fic

[handeaux]

Overwhelmed By Advertising? The Battle For Cincinnati Consumers Has Raged For More Than A Century

Depending on the source, it is estimated that each American is confronted by 6,000 to 10,000 advertising messages every single day. That immersive media onslaught swelled as we started carrying little video screens around wherever we go, but invasive and obnoxious marketing has bothered Cincinnatians for much more than a century.

For example, on 20 July 1871, a correspondent for the Cincinnati Times related an enjoyable voyage he had undertaken down the Ohio River. After praising the service of his riverboat’s staff, the remarkable scenery along the river, the picturesque little town he floated by, the writer registered one complaint, about a cliff near the town of Hanging Rock:

“High up on the face of this wall of white sandstone, hundreds of feet beyond the reach of a scaling ladder, I noticed a patent medicine advertisement. It was penciled there by a man let down with ropes from above, and the letters are large enough to be read from the deck of a steamer two miles distant. I was sorry to see this defacement. It is bad enough that all the fences throughout the land should be made to lie for patent medicines without debasing the hill-sides with such marking. I suppose that when the ‘chemical affinity necessary to be the motor of some immense flying machine’ shall be discovered, some enterprising patent medicine man will be plastering the face of the moon with some of his ‘wonderful remedies.’”

If only the poor man knew what lay ahead! Even in the 1870s, almost every vertical surface in Cincinnati was slathered with posters, placards and bills advertising shows at the local theaters, patent medicines and political candidates. Cincinnati was the center of the bill-posting world. For one thing, Cincinnati was among the top printing cities of the United States, with the mighty Strobridge Lithographing Company dominating the poster industry.

Also, Billboard magazine was headquartered here in Cincinnati. What we now think of as a music magazine, Billboard was founded in Cincinnati as a trade publication for men who posted “bills” on walls. From its first issue in 1894, Billboard covered the entertainment industry, such as circuses, fairs and burlesque shows, and also created a mail service for travelling entertainers. Initially it covered the advertising and bill-posting trade and was known as Billboard Advertising.

Far from inspiring civic pride, advertising rankled Cincinnati residents as they witnessed visual pollution encrusting the region’s hillsides. Leading the opposition was the Municipal Art Society – a sort of ad-hoc predecessor to today’s Urban Design Review Board. The opening shot was fired 24 August 1896 when the Enquirer reported:

“A matter that will undoubtedly be of interest to the business men is the fact that war has been declared by the Cincinnati Municipal Art Society against advertising signs on fences along the car routes and drives of the city. The art society maintains that these signs mar the beauty of the city, especially in the case of landscape scenes on the hills and in the suburbs, and that they are offensive to the public taste.”

The Society was persistent. It took five years but the Cincinnati Post reported [24 November 1901] that the Baldwin Piano Company had demolished 200 feet of billboards erected on company property along Gilbert Avenue. The Post described this as the “first result” of the Society’s campaign.

The Municipal Art Society was soon joined by some strange bedfellows. The Cincinnati Business Men’s Club, among whose members were certainly a number of advertisers who employed billboards to disseminate their messages, created its own Municipal Art Committee to lobby for restrictions on outdoor advertising. On 1 June 1907, the committee circulated a postcard illustrated with a photo of signage clogging the view from the Grand Central Depot, with the sarcastic caption, “A Nice Welcome To Cincinnati.”

As early as 1895, the city chased the Fountain saloon’s advertising off Fountain Square, but appears not to have drafted a comprehensive law about outdoor advertising until 1909 when, as part of a broader safety ordinance, the city adopted limitations on the size of billboards, their placement near thoroughfares and the materials to be used in their construction.

While the city pondered how to encourage commerce while maintaining attractive views, the entire billboard industry was gaining momentum through a Cincinnati entrepreneur named Philip Morton. Before Morton, “bill boards” were basically fences on which bill posters slapped printed advertisements glued up with a flour-water paste. Morton took outdoor advertising to a new level, according to Jay Gilbert, who has researched his influence on marketing [Cincinnati Magazine September 2016]:

“By 1898 he’d become the Steve Jobs of roadside blight. Doing business as Ph. Morton, Phil was an early pioneer of putting ads into free-standing frames called ‘bill-boards’ and plunking them down everywhere. Eventually every railroad route and motorway in America had its view ruined by a Ph. Morton billboard.”

Even the powerhouse Morton found himself in the city’s crosshairs. Parks Superintendent John W. Rodgers, according to the Enquirer [20 September 1907], exasperated by Morton’s billboards blocking the view of Inwood Park, erupted.

“Park Superintendent Rodgers yesterday tore down over 12,000 feet of big billboards that stretched along for a distance south of Hollister street, facing Vine street, in front of Inwood Park. The billboards were 12 feet high, about 1,000 feet long and contained the advertisements of leading firms of the city, and were illuminated at night with electric lights. They had been at that place for years.”

All of those billboards were leased by Philip Morton who, as coincidence would have it, dropped off a check to pay the lease while workmen were busily engaged demolishing his thousand feet of signage. This was the Boss Cox era in Cincinnati where the right hand was very often ignorant of the left hand’s activity. And so it was, while the Park Superintendent was demolishing billboards on Vine Street, the Board of Public Service pondered a lease for billboards along Gilbert Avenue. That’s right – the same Gilbert Avenue divested of billboards just six years earlier.

A common theme of cartoon artists at that time was the eventual coverage of all available exterior surfaces with advertising signs and slogans. In response, Cincinnati Post cartoonist Elmer Andrews Bushnell sketched City Hall wrapped from sidewalk to parapet in advertising while George Barnsdale Cox and his minion, August “Garry” Herrmann, happily apply more posters and Mayor Julius Fleischmann hides behind a billboard.

The battle raged for decades. Photographs from 1927 show dozens of billboards crowding the hillside over the Brighton overpass to Central Parkway and the Enquirer [24 March 1929] begged for relief because billboards and other unsightly structures had a negative effect on property values:

“What of the gaudy billboard that intrudes itself into a residential district, the sign which girds the tree or telephone pole, the roadside ‘shack’ which is made more ugly with bizarre advertisements? Do they affect values?”

A century later, we hardly notice billboards anymore. We’re too busy texting while we drive.

#cincinnati advertising #cincinnati billboards #billboard magazine #philip morton #boss cox

[jmdbjk]

Life can be fascinating.

Yesterday was something else.

We got Suchwita where Yoongi says "when we come back we might not be as hot..." uhhhhh.... and "we didn't do anything big" YOONGI! MY GOD! STOP BEING SO MODEST!

Hoshi had to say right away "dude, you all did a lot more than that."

Yoongi said things that calmed the anxiety I have about this era of waiting for them to do their service and get back to us.

With every episode I get to know his personality more and more. He long ago totally dispelled (x1000) my very first impressions of him but these Suchwita interviews he does are so beautiful and enlightening.

And now he's on his way to Bangkok to do who knows what...

We got a trailer for Hobi's J-Hope in the Box video on demand on Weverse. I can't wait to watch this documentary. The trailer is showing some very real scenes, much more authentic, along the lines of the previous documentary movies about BTS.

Yes, Hobi, life can be fascinating.

I heard this Disney+ project was a series... are we to expect a documentary like this for every member? And then perhaps a group one right before their group comeback? We don't know yet.

And lastly, as I was closing my eyes to sleep last night, this K-drama playing out in real life in Korea between two major competing entertainment corporations. Armys who have been around since the beginning... this was not on y'all's bingo card for this life time was it? If this deal sticks... the ramifications...

EXO fans... how we feeling today?

I don't think the saga is anywhere near being over. Someone needs to get us some more popcorn because this is the best real life drama we've seen since that slow speed police chase of OJ Simpson's Bronco down I-5 in Los Angeles in 1994.

And to top it all off, my six WKorea magazines arrived. The package was heavy. Probably 10lbs of paper in those six magazines. That's 4.5kg. But they were absolutely gorgeous. I don't regret purchasing all six covers, they are like oversize glossy art prints of Jimin.

I can't read any of it. But the pictures sure are pretty. I may sacrifice one (the close up black and white cover) so I can scan some of the inside photos to share. I will do something with the cover, frame it, display it... it's my favorite.

And I wake up and Jimin's done a live, told us his album is coming in March(!), he could take his clothes off to show us his tattoos but where's the fun in that? <bites fist> He comments about watching the most recent Suchwita and that he would like to appear on Yoongi's show (please, please, please).

Somehow, Jimin has overcome his "awkward" era while doing lives. For over an hour and a half he's chatting, being funny, making plastic flowers, singing, dancing... TO FILTER?! ... ... if Jimin does anything like what Hobi did and sings some of his previous songs... OMFG WE MIGHT FINALLY GET FILTER LIVE!!!!!!I21!!

Honestly, I am expecting Jimin to have something on his upcoming album that will give Filter a run for its money as far as "shock" value.

Of course I will come back with another post after the subs are up on his live.

#jimin #jimin filter #hybe x sm #suchwita #yoongi #hobi #j-hope #isnt life fascinating? you never know whats gonna happen

[sarkos]

“Im looking for a job, that pays well, related to my military experience (Shooting and Killing the marked target) so I can support my kid on the way,” Garcia allegedly wrote in one email, according to a criminal complaint filed in Tennessee federal court. “What can I say, I enjoy doing what I do, so if I can find a job that is similar to it, (such as this one) put me in coach!” An investigation was launched after he entered his inquiry, and in a phone interview conducted by sting operators, Garcia said that he'd be comfortable with taking ears or fingers as trophies as proof that he carried out his work. He was asked to do a $5,000 job in April, and was ultimately arrested on April 12 after he asked if he “needed to take a photo [of the dead body] as proof that the job was complete." The site was originally created in 2005 to “advertise a cyber security startup company,” prosecutors say. While the company ultimately never took off, the website received “many inquiries about murder-for-hire services” and eventually converted itself “to a parody site that contains false testimonials from those who have purported to use hitman services, and an intake form where people can request services," according to the criminal complaint.

National Air Guardsman charged after he submitted his resume to 'hitman for hire' parody website - Raw Story - Celebrating 19 Years of Independent Journalism

In the last print issue of the British comedy magazine Punch, they had taken out ads in the back of magazines, in the names of James Bond villains applying for henchmen. They received one joke response back (IIRC, they were applying for Blofeld and mentioned they were a good cat-sitter), and the rest of the responses were military and special operations types genuinely applying for work on moonbases going into detail on how much killing they had done and were wiling to continue.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

#15yrsago Magazine subscription cards are a pack of lies https://longtail.typepad.com/the_long_tail/2007/11/when-is-my-indu.html

#10yrsago Danish entrepreneur helps people with autism get jobs that require focus, attention to detail https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/magazine/the-autism-advantage.html

#10yrsago TechDirt schools a copyfraudster who tried to censor a critical post with copyright threats https://www.techdirt.com/2012/11/29/open-letter-to-human-synergistics-international-response-to-your-accusation-that-techdirt-is-infringing/

#10yrsago California pot decriminalization correlated to lowest youth crime rate in recorded history https://www.alternet.org/2012/11/marijuana-decriminalization-drops-youth-crime-rates-stunning-20-one-year/

#10yrsago New FCC rules will let a single company own a town’s ISP, newspapers, 2 TV stations and 8 radio stations https://act.freepress.net/sign/murdoch_powergrab/

#10yrsago Staples to get in-store 3D printers https://web.archive.org/web/20121223123420/http://www.mcortechnologies.com/mcor-technologies-and-staples-division-launch-3d-printing-service/

#5yrsago Christmas is under attack: vandals steal Satanic Temple’s tree-topper from San Jose’s Christmas in the Park event https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Christmas-tree-San-Jose-Satanic-Temple-mask-stolen-12390435.php#photo-14618216

#5yrsago Republicans destroyed Oklahoma with billionaire/corporate tax cuts and got killed in the following election https://theintercept.com/2017/11/30/oklahoma-special-election-budget-cuts/

#5yrsago San Francisco Board of Supervisors rules that if you’re rich enough to own a private sidewalk, you don’t have to worry about overdue taxes https://www.njherald.com/story/news/weird-news/2017/11/28/rich-san-francisco-homeowners-get/3525507007/

#5yrsago The Credible Hulk: Ajit Pai thinks you only care about Net Neutrality because Mark Ruffalo told you to https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/11/ajit-pai-blames-cher-and-hulk-actor-for-ginning-up-net-neutrality-support/

#pluralistic

[bmaatuga]

We Tweeted the above photo of Anne Ruth Crawford (on left) this week and it got a great response. It was taken from this article in Terry, UGA’s business school’s magazine, as Mrs. Crawford was the business school’s first female graduate.  In 1954, she became the film librarian for UGA.

The General Extension Service started the film service in Atlanta, and it eventually moved to UGA.  An article from The Red and Black student paper from July 16, 1948 (p. 6) describes its purpose and reach:

In the Red and Black of April 20, 1951 (p. 8),  Meredith Hart was listed as the librarian. The huge projector being threaded with 35mm film likely has nothing to do with the 16mm film library being discussed, but it looks impressive.

In December that year, another short piece. By the way, we still have the print of BROTHERHOOD OF MAN.

On April 16, 1953, the Red and Black touts the library again, focusing more on numbers:

An April 27, 1967 article describes the basic operation of the library and, in the last paragraph, a bit of history of the library.

J.C. Wardlaw of the General Extension Service in Atlanta, contracted with Teaching Film Custodians to supply Extension with films, and his first order was for 100 films.  Here’s one of the film request forms found in the Hargrett Library, where records of the film library’s transactions are preserved. 

A 1937 Teaching Film Custodians catalog is available online thru HathiTrust. In it, you can read about the fascinating history of the organization that took it upon itself to educate students through film:  https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112067278421&view=1up&seq=11

A 1954 TFC catalog is available through the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/filmsforclassroo00virgrich/mode/2up?q=Georgia

Through labels on film cans we have, you can see the evolution of the Extention film library’s location; first in Atlanta--

Then housed in Old College at UGA in Athens--

Then to the Georgia Center (you can see one of these labels on a can on the shelves in the top photo of Mrs. Crawford)--

Then a later version of the Georgia Center label--

Unfortutnately, “River Valley Archaeology” is one of the films we never got in the archives. Sure, we have the can with its label, but the film inside that can was not RVA.  If anyone ever runs across it, we’d love to have that film! It’s mentioned in the February 16, 1951 issue of Red and Black:

We’re lucky to have the 11th edition of their catalog from 1955, but wish we had one for every year they existed!

One of the many pieces of film ephemera we keep at the bench is this reminder card, placed in each film can, from the Film Library. Some good advice for all film collections.

#16mm film #UGA #archives #education #library

[usafphantom2]

Dutch Air Force buys Gulfstream 650 used for VIP missions

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 07/05/2022 - 19:05 in Military

The current Gulfstream IV of the Royal Dutch Air Force will soon be replaced by a used G650.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense revealed that it has purchased a used Gulfstream 650 (G650) VIP transport aircraft that will enter service in 2023.

The ministry noted that this was a young aircraft from 2015, with more than 2,000 flight hours recorded.

The G650 will replace the Gulfstream IV, which is almost 35 years old and is coming to the end of its useful life.

According to the Dutch Ministry of Defense, the aircraft will be used for the fast and safe transportation of small groups of people, such as political and military leaders. Some of the missions are often difficult or impossible to complete with commercial flights, and the aircraft is also suitable for urgent repatriation of Ministry of Defense officials.

Artistic printing of the G650 in the colors of the Royal Dutch Air Force.

The G650 has a longer range than the current aircraft and can carry more passengers. The aircraft is also suitable for the installation of a certified self-protection system.

The Ministry of Defense explained that it chose a used fuselage due to guaranteed availability and lower purchase costs. The aircraft was acquired through Jet Aviation in Basel, Switzerland, which will also be responsible for converting the aircraft.

The old Gulfstream IV has been in use in Defense since 1996 and will be sold after the introduction of the G650.

The Netherlands bought the G650 after revealing its decision on its next generation transport aircraft. In June of this year, the Netherlands revealed that it had selected the C-390 Millenium, built by Embraer, as the successor to its former C-130H Hercules transport aircraft.

Tags: Military AviationG650GulfstreamRNLAF - Royal Netherlands Air Force / Royal Netherlands Air ForceVIP

Previous news

France receives the first renewed Mica interception and self-defense missiles

Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[zeejprint]

How do we use printing today?

Printing remains a vital part of everyday life, despite the digital age. Here's how we use printing today:

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Personal Use: Individuals use printing for various purposes, such as printing photos, resumes, invitations, greeting cards, and personal documents.

Books and Magazines: Despite the rise of e-books and digital magazines, printed books and magazines are still popular among readers. Printing allows for the distribution of physical copies to bookstores, libraries, and subscribers.

Legal and Government Documents: Legal contracts, government forms, permits, and licenses often require physical copies for authentication and record-keeping purposes.

Signage and Banners: Printing is essential for creating signage, banners, and posters for advertising, events, conferences, and public announcements.

Labels and Stickers: Printing is used for producing labels and stickers for product labeling, branding, organization, and decoration.

While digital alternatives exist for many of these purposes, printing continues to play a significant role in various aspects of modern life due to its tangible nature, convenience, and reliability.

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[cliping-path-finder]

What Is Post-Production In Photography? Everyone Should Know!

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Importance Of Post-Production In Photography

Who Needs Photography Post-Production?

Here are certain people who need photography post-production services:

Photographers of all levels, from amateurs to professionals, benefit from post-production to enhance their images.

Businesses and organizations rely on photography post-production to create visually appealing marketing materials, advertisements, and branding content.

E-commerce platforms and online retailers utilize post-production to showcase products in the best light and attract customers.

Media agencies, including magazines, newspapers, and online publications, require post-production to produce high-quality images for articles and editorial content.

Individuals seeking to enhance personal photos for social media, portfolios, or personal projects also find value in photography post-production.

When To Use Image Post-Production Services?

Aside from certain people, there are certain times when you need image post-production services. Here are some examples:

Professional Photography: Image post-production services refine photographs, ensuring professionalism and quality. They’re vital for enhancing captured moments or products, making them look polished and appealing.

E-commerce: These services optimize product images, which is crucial for online stores, attracting buyers with high-quality visuals that highlight product features effectively.

Marketing Campaigns: Enhance marketing materials for print or digital platforms, ensuring attention-grabbing visuals that convey messages effectively, improving campaign effectiveness.

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Types Of Post-Production In Photography.

There are many types of post-production in photography, such as color correction, retouching, cropping and composition adjustment, exposure adjustment, sharpening, white balance adjustment, shadow creation, etc. I will try to explain the most important ones below so you can better understand! 

Color Correction: This involves adjusting the colors in an image to achieve a desired look or to correct any discrepancies in color balance.

Retouching: Retouching involves refining the appearance of subjects in the image, such as removing blemishes, wrinkles, or other imperfections to enhance their overall look.

Cropping and Composition Adjustment: This involves cropping the image to improve its composition or framing and adjusting the placement of elements within the frame for better visual balance.

Exposure Adjustment: Post-production allows for fine-tuning exposure settings to ensure the image is neither too bright nor too dark, thus enhancing overall clarity and detail.

Sharpening: Sharpening is a post-production technique used to enhance the clarity and crispness of details in an image, making them more pronounced and defined.

How To Choose The Right Photo Post-Production Service Provider?

Choosing the right post-production service provider is crucial for achieving your desired results. Here are some key factors to consider:

Portfolio and Quality of Work: Review the provider’s portfolio to gauge the quality of their work. Look for consistency, attention to detail, and whether their style aligns with your preferences.

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Turnaround Time: Evaluate the provider’s turnaround time to ensure they can meet your project deadlines without compromising on quality. Prompt delivery is essential, especially for time-sensitive projects.

Communication and Collaboration: Choose a provider who communicates effectively and is open to collaboration. Clear communication ensures that your requirements are understood and implemented correctly.

Customer Reviews and Testimonials: Read reviews and testimonials from past clients to gain insights into their experiences with the provider. Positive feedback and testimonials indicate reliability and customer satisfaction.

Security and Confidentiality: Ensure the provider has robust security measures to protect your sensitive data and intellectual property. Confidentiality agreements may also be necessary to safeguard your assets.

Flexibility and Scalability: Choose a provider who offers flexibility and scalability to accommodate your evolving needs. They should be able to handle both small-scale and larger, more complex projects.

Technical Capabilities and Software: Assess the provider’s technical capabilities and the software they use for post-production. Ensure they can access the latest tools and technologies to deliver optimal results.

Customer Support and Satisfaction Guarantee: Look for a provider who offers reliable customer support and stands behind their work with a satisfaction guarantee. This demonstrates their commitment to client satisfaction and ensures peace of mind.

Best Photo Post-Production Service Provider For You!

In conclusion, regarding post-production services, Clipping Path Finder is the premier choice for individuals and businesses. Our dedication to excellence, attention to detail, and commitment to client satisfaction set us apart in the industry. With a skilled team of professionals, state-of-the-art tools, and comprehensive services, we have everything you need to enhance your images and elevate your visual content. From clipping paths to retouching and beyond, we ensure that your images are polished to perfection, ready to captivate your audience and make a lasting impression. Choose Clipping Path Finder for unparalleled quality, reliability, and results that exceed expectations.

[dxprintgroupbunburywa]

DX Print Group Bunbury WA

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Raise your school's photo with DX Imprint Team's first-rate academic products. Our professionals and also ink-jet printers will definitely deal with you to develop stationery that looks top-notch, raising your school's identification in a straightforward however standout style.

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