#STILL THE BOOK WAS SO MESMERISING AND WELL WRITTEN LIKE DAMN

[wineauntie]

THE LITTLE THINGS WITH BOYFRIEND!LUKE HUGHES

( luke hughes x fem!reader ) masterlist

note: this was written in 20 minutes and I love it <33

warnings: none, just Luke being soft!

BOYFRIEND!LUKE loves to make you tea in the morning when he comes home from morning skate. He knows you’re not an early riser when you don’t have work to go to, so he also knows that when he’s back from morning skate, you’ll still be curled up in bed asleep.

He will sit on the edge of the bed, gently caressing your mussed hair out of your face, as he tries to coax you awake. He keeps his voice low and steady, watching as you stir awake. He loves to watch you slowly blink and smile upon seeing Luke sitting, waiting with a cup of tea in hand for you. He’ll watch as you sit up and take the cup from him with a sleepy grin.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who will insist on kissing you despite your protests of morning breath. He will lean forward and peck your lips, with his own teasing smile across his face as he does so. He will then sit and talk to you, telling you all about his morning skate, allowing you to sip your tea and listen.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who fills up your favourite water bottle for you whenever he sees it close to being finished. You’ll be lying side by side with him on the couch, both of you relaxing when he notices its emptiness and scoops it out of your hands. He’ll practically run to the kitchen to fill it up before returning it to your hands and returning to the warmth of your side.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who sits on the bathroom counter and watches you doing your makeup. He’ll just be mesmerised by whatever you’re doing, his mouth slightly agape as he listens to you talking or singing along to whatever songs you’re listening to. Every now and again, he’ll ask you a question about what you’re doing and you’ll explain as he just stares as if you’ve hung the stars in the sky.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who will sit through your favourite reality TV shows despite “having a hatred towards them”. He will sit beside you, leaning back into the couch, his arm draped across the back, his fingers brushing your neck as he watches. Luke will say he’s not invested but give him one episode and he’s hooked on the drama.

“So, sunglasses girl hates Hawaiian shirt man because he cheated on her with the pink-haired girl?”

You’d laugh at his passion, knowing damn well that he lowkey likes the show.

“Yes! And the girl with the sunglasses knows and has known for a while so she slept with Hawaiian shirt's Dad!”

Luke would try to be subtle with his liking for the show, so much so that he’d groan and moan at the prospect of having to watch another episode.

“Another one? Oh baby, please not another one…fine, I guess I’ll suffer through another.”

BOYFRIEND!LUKE who loves to go on nighttime drives with you. He’d play some soft country music as the two of you bask in the quiet of the night. He’d drive with one hand on your thigh, his thumb caressing the skin there, as he’d quietly hum the lyrics to the song.

Luke loves his early nights but he is more than willing to sacrifice them for that time with you in his car. The two of you will idly talk back and forth, or simply coexist in a comfortable silence. Sometimes Luke will park up and he’ll pull you into his lap so that the two of you can talk and cuddle in the peace.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who insists that every time he goes for a pre-game nap, you join him. Claiming that you help him sleep better.

When Luke sleeps, he holds you practically on top of him, with your head nestled between his neck and shoulder. His arms completely engulf you, holding you as tight as possible. If you ever wake up before him and try to move away, Luke will simply not let go, pulling you closer to his body with a tired whine.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who indulges your monthly obsessions. You find yourself loving diy? Luke will drive you to every craft/hardware store nearby for you to stock up. You go through a phase of flying through books? Every day, Luke comes home with books he saw on your to-be-read list. You find yourself enraptured by a musician’s work? Luke is scouring the internet for vinyls, concert tickets and merchandise to surprise you with.

He just wants you to be happy and he loves to spoil you, it’s a win-win situation.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who buys you a memento from every city he goes to on a roadie. The memento is usually pretty ugly or ridiculous and ends up being a gag gift for you. You adore them, treasuring them all with your favourites being a “good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to Vegas” shot glass and a bright, pink T-shirt that stated “Texas SUV” with a cartoon longhorn cow.

No matter what, you and Luke always end up giggling over the crap presents and there’s a box in your wardrobe where you store them all for the memories.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who wears your initial on a chain around his neck. He doesn’t take it off, even tucking it deep beneath his jersey for games. Sometimes when the camera lingers on him, it’ll capture Luke fiddling with the chain, grasping it. He likes to have a piece of you wherever he goes, and he doesn’t care how many chirps he gets for it.

He couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot when you’d bought a necklace with his initials, wearing it every day, for him.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who has, on one or more occasions, introduced you as Mrs. Hughes or “the wife”. You’d turn up to a restaurant for a reservation for “Mr and Mrs Hughes”, that Luke made for your date night, or when Luke is out with friends, he’ll catch sight of you on his lock screen and get the urge to go home.

“Hey, I’m calling it a night…the wife is at home waiting.”

It got so bad that all of his teammates, call you Mrs little Hughes. Even Jack teasingly calls you his sister-in-law and has often referenced you and Luke’s future.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who will never leave your side if you’re out in public with him. His hand is always around your waist, or holding your hand. If you’re walking through the city, he walks on the outside of the footpath, with you pressed to his side, his eyes vigilantly scanning anything that could even potentially pose any harm to you.

If you’re at a charity event with Luke, his eyes will never leave you for longer than five seconds. He likes having you close and knowing you’re okay and you act disgruntled but you secretly love how much he cares for you.

BOYFRIEND!LUKE, who loves you so much that he can’t fathom a life without you. Luke, who adores you and trusts you with his life, knowing that you make his life worth living.

#wineauntie #new jersey devils #nhl x reader #luke hughes x reader #luke hughes fluff #luke hughes x y/n #luke hughes oneshot #luke hughes fic #luke hughes fanfiction #luke hughes fanfic #luke hughes imagine #Luke hughes

[smallblip]

Forever Fifteen

Levihan | Part I of Good Bones | written for Levihan Week 2021- Memory (day 6)

It’s on Ao3! https://archiveofourown.org/works/33635872

“Hello stranger…”

Hanji doesn’t have to look behind her to know who it is. Already, she’s pulling a cigarette case from the inner pocket of her jacket. She holds one out to her side, and with a brush of cold fingers against hers, it’s gone. Her heart beats out of her chest.

Oh be still! We’ve been through this before! This should be as mundane as- doing the laundry.

She turns to face him, scanning him from his nice dress shoes to the way his hair is slicked back, an exaggerated simper on her face.

“What’s a handsome stranger like you doing in a place like this?”

He scoffs. “The party’s not over yet…”

“I know…” she replies, tilting her head to get a better look at her company. “I’m just watching…”

He follows her gaze to the courtyard below the balconies, to where Jean is sitting with Mikasa. Just- talking.

“Happened right under our noses…” Hanji chuckles. Oh right… she mutters when Levi gestures for the light. There’s a little fumbling because of Hanji’s penchant for pockets, but she finds the box of matches eventually. She strikes one and holds it close to Levi. A bright little light that burns embers into the greys of his eyes. The dark circles under his eyes have made a permanent home under his skin, and there are now lines carved into the shadows. When did those get there?

As always, Levi is the first to look away.

“You wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with that would you?” He raises a brow.

Jean is now laughing at something. Levi clicks his tongue in annoyance. In the many years he has known these damned kids, he hasn’t once laughed at anything Mikasa has to say. Jean must be a fool then. Jean is a fool because he listens too well to Hanji. Listens when she tells him he should go for it if that’s what he wants. Tell her a good pickup line, swap a few jokes, share a little fruitcake. Easy.

Hanji gasps dramatically, “as Commander of the Survey Corps, I would like to remind you that I am well aware of the policy against fraternisation!”

“That never stopped you…” Levi answers. But oh it has. The people who knew them as lovers are now dust. And now the rumours speak for them, past prefixed to lovers as a way to explain the familiarity, as a way to grow the distance.

Oh it has stopped them.

“Never stopped you either… If only they knew the great Captain Levi wrote crazy ol’ Hanji Zoë a love letter in his youth…” Hanji chuckles, a little too brave so it must be the alcohol, because she feels anything but brave lately. Her laughter is a little too bright for the night. A little too beautiful and familiar that it makes Levi smile. There’s a spray of pink on his cheekbones. The thought of people knowing the details is mortifying to say the least. But no one will know. This secret will be buried in a shared grave. A cosy little grave that gets a little damp in the summer. But they’ll brave the heat. Good things happen in the sun. Good for the linens too. Just- not good enough to untether the smell of Hanji’s skin from the fabric of his sheets.

“Do you remember what was in that letter?” She continues.

He doesn’t look at her now. His gaze is fixed on Jean’s fidgeting and he thinks of his own attempts at romance. His own little love story that blossomed beautifully and died tragically as they grew older. When they were put in charge for lives outside their own. When Erwin had named Hanji the next in line for the cursed role of Commander. One last night with her. One kiss and a handshake and a- hello stranger, my name is Hanji Zoë.

Levi. He had replied, just Levi.

He remembers Pyxis’ smug little “maybe your boyfriend can help with the mission” and Hanji’s vacuous, unthinking “oh he’s not my boyfriend anymore…”. The look on Pyxis’ face had been one for the books- a genuine surprise from coming by two pieces of information. So they are exes. The rumours were true. Menacing Levi and Kooky Zoë. Levi had launched a kick at Hanji’s shin under the table. Never in Levi’s life had he wished so much for the earth to swallow him whole.

“No…”

He says. It’s not lying if she knows what he really means. If she can tell, between each drag of her cigarette, what he’s thinking.

And she can. Oh she can.

He lets the memory dance across his eyes. That night at the pub, two kids puffing out their chests so they wouldn’t rouse suspicions (not that people care much in the Underground), listening to the men sing songs about love. Oh what Levi would give be young again. To look at Hanji, really look at her for the first time and have his mind play static on loop. To realise that for the rest of his life he’ll only be mesmerised by her.

She chuckles. Another drag of her cigarette, two taps to watch the ash drip. A wink.

“We must be getting old then, Levi…” She says, “in a few years we’ll be a couple of old prunes, you and I…”

Levi smiles at her. He’s never really thought about the mechanics of growing old. But he thinks the image is nice. Of Hanji tracing pruny fingers along the length of his pruny skin where the crescent scars sit in the leather of his skin. And he’ll remind her of the time when they kids, because that’s what old couples do right? Tease each other endlessly, talk about the ambiguity of the good old days, reminisce over long walks? Levi wants the complete works. He laughs to himself, a private little joke that simmers to a murmur-

Four-eyed prune…

It’s a little later when Hanji decides maybe it’s time to stop eavesdropping and get back to the party. The musicians announce the last dance of the night. The trumpets trail after the saxophone and the sound is something grand. And Hanji asks Levi if he wants to dance, because she’s a sucker for romantics, even though she’ll never admit it. And she knows Levi is too. And Hanji thinks life must still be pretty sweet if she’s dancing with her ex lover with a sea of memories between them and the abject refusal to explicate the boundaries of exes. Because it’s hard to forget. Because it’s hard to wash your lover’s scent from your sheets. No matter how hard you scrub, no matter how much the sunlight eats at the fabric and bleaches it. So much so that Hanji thinks it’s all in her head. The smell of his skin, the taste of cigarettes on his tongue- he only smokes with her, only with her- the ghost of his breath against the shell of her ear.

And Levi’s heart is beating out his chest.

Oh be still! We’ve been through worse! We scrubbed at the sheets until our fingers were raw and pruny, remember?

But with Hanji it’s hard to catch a break. He knows. He’s dealt with this for so long that he doesn’t even flinch when she tells him-

“You’re my best friend, Levi…”

But she recognises all the signs. The slight twitch of the corner of his lips, the creasing of the skin between his brows, the sadness in his eyes so bright that she has to avert her gaze.

“Do you tell all the boys that when you dance with them?”

He answers. And she hears the rhythmic grate of the sheets against the washing board.

Forgetting is hard.

“I don’t dance with other boys…” She replies, channeling Hanji Zoë at fifteen- was it sixteen? Seventeen? Eighteen maybe? Hanji Zoë who would sneak into the boy’s barracks to make out with her boyfriend in the dead of night and scurry back under the sheets before anyone found out. “You know I like you the most…”

“Good…”

He says. And he’s Levi- a few years older than she had been, a little too curt, a little too much misplaced possessiveness, thinking to himself that maybe love isn’t so icky and banal. Thinking maybe this is what his mother had promised him. This is all that’s beautiful.

He leans his chin against her shoulder, wrestling against the caution thrown at his beating heart.

Let them talk. Let them say we were lovers in a past life. Because that’s all we are.

Hanji presses her temple against his. The familiarity is jarring in all the ways a stain is. Bright mustard yellow against white cotton, evidence of a split second stupid decision to eat on the duvet. This is a cumulation of mustard moments then- a stain so big the entire world turns yellow.

“I like you the most too…” Levi says, voice low like this is a secret. Like as if the whole of Paradis Island doesn’t already know.

Hanji chuckles, and the vibration that spreads from her bones to his makes him blush. He knocks his temple against hers. Stupid Hanji. Stupid mustard stain.

“Liar…” she laughs. The word is a breath that caresses his cheek. But she knows him- this boy Erwin collected from the underground city. He got under her skin and she proceeds to make it her job to get under his. She had greeted him with scars on his forearm and in return, she walked away with a bruised eye, a broken nose, and an epiphany. And in the years after- the good years- they do what every teenager would do-

fuck around and fall in love.

Levi pulls apart, and in that moment, his lips brush against her neck- fleeting casualness befitting a hey big idiot. It’s the hottest day in the history of mankind but I’ll brave the stickiness to kiss your sweaty neck. Befitting a lifelong stain of a crush on a stain of a human being that will never quite go away.

It’s hard to forget.

Hanji watches as Jean crosses the hall back to where Connie and Sasha are. A sheepish grin plastered on a bright red face. The two tease him endlessly and as always, Jean swats them away, trying to maintain his cool. Hanji knows nothing really happened, but his reaction can only mean hopeful possibility. She smiles.

“Hey, do you think we would’ve worked out?”

Hanji asks when they’re walking back to the barracks, her jacket concealing a few bottles of alcohol. The other bottles have found their way to Levi’s reluctant hands. They’ve been through this before. It’s okay now. After all, comfort is a stained duvet. Soon, she’ll have to bid him farewell with a goodnight, stranger. But for now, Levi answers without looking at her.

“Yeah…” he replies, matter of fact, “we’ve got good bones…”

Oh be still! Hanji feels betrayed that her heart- a wretched thing so broken- still beats the same for him- this beautiful stain of a human being. This moment is living, breathing nostalgia. What had they been before one another? Menacing Levi and Kooky Zoë. How could anything bad ever happen to them. She grins at him.

“The best…”

#levihan #lhw2021 #levihanweek2021 #day 6 #memory #Levi x hange #Levi x Hanji #Levi Ackerman #Hange Zoë #my fic #mine #levihan fanfic

[dominikadecember]

Love Letter to Leverage

I discovered Leverage on accident. I was rewatching Angel and it was the episode where Lindsey sings and I decided to stalk Christian Kane because his voice is like hot damn hottness.

The bank shot job aired when I decided to give it a go simply cus Kane was in it and he was looking cute and adorable whilst beating up bad guys.

I sort of knew Timothy and Gina from some of their previous stuff but had no idea who Beth and Aldis were but it was still primarily because of Kane.

Then I watched the first episode and JESUS CHRIST! In every person's life there are shows/books/games/movies that they consider as iconic and as a part of their life, nearly like the characters are a part of their family. Leverage is one of those for me.

The dynamic from the very first episode is absolutely EXCELLENT!!! The characters are so well written (especially the female characters which is very high praise for male writers), the storylines are interesting and the comedy is excellent for a sarcastic little shit like me. The 'implied' OT3. The representation for everyone (it's not a coincidence that majority of the rich villains are old white men). The brilliant guest stars (@wilwheaton if you don't make a cameo in the revival we shall be devastated). Everything about Leverage is truly magnificent.

We got Parker who is an excellent little thief, looking cute as hell all the time with inept social skills. Brilliant! Not only that but I connect with her want for money on a very special level.

We got Hardison who comes off as this player but changes that stereotype the moment he smiles like the precious baby angel he is and utters the most beautiful words; "Age of the geek, baby."

We got Nate. A dysfunctional alcoholic who lost his son and brings the team together. What's to say about Nate? He's an asshole, pure and simple. His behaviour is never excused though, the team don't ignore it, acknowledge he has a problem and get on with the job. The thing that makes Nate special though? He can see the good in people. He can see the injustice in the world and very reluctantly wants to do something about it. He's not my favourite but when he has those good moments, they are incredible.

We got Eliot who I adore already because of the Kane factor. Eliot Spencer is a man destroyed by the brutality and realities of the world and still manages to keep his heart. He is so complex and there's so much we don't know about him still and we probably never will because his past his so painful and horrible but he doesn't stop fighting to rectify the wrongs of his past. He protects those he loves and flips his gorgeous hair whilst doing it.

And then we got Sophie Devereaux who makes the team a complete set. She is sexy, she is beautiful, she wears so many different masks that when she wants to reveal her true self, that is one of the most difficult things she can do. Sophie strives to find true happiness outside of being a grifter and her journey searching for herself is absolutely mesmerising.

God this show is so brilliant and it taught me so much about loving myself, flaws and all. It taught me that for every oddball there is someone who will appreciate them and most importantly, it taught me that family does not need to mean blood.

I never expected this show to make it past season 1 because it was just too damn good!!! But not only did it get renewed for 4 more seasons, it got a revival. With brilliant additions who fit into the team seamlessly. I knew Noah would cus his work on the Librarians was a big hit but Aleyse is such a cutie!!!! I am so happy she's on here and I hope her career will become such a big success like her 'Leverage big bros'. (Seriously proud of Aldis and how far he's come)

We're only 8 episodes back into this world but it feels like a hug enveloping me coming back to these wonderful characters. It's a show that deals with how the world is specially designed for the rich and the unfairness of it all. It deals with real emotional issues, it deals with regret over our pasts and it has brilliant one-liners whilst doing it!

I'm just so fucking grateful for this show.

#leverage #favourite show #leverage redemption

[yikeswtfmate]

Part 1: Ungodly Hours

Of Tinder Dates & Caramel Macchiatos - Series Masterlist // main masterlist // next part

Summary: Y/N had no idea her new work routine would bring a certain handsome bartender to her table where she drinks her coffee every morning. Steve is sweet, although a bit sleep deprived, and Natasha thinks Y/N and him would make the perfect pair. But dating him is out of the question. What happens when, tired of Nat’s bizarre behaviour, Y/N installs Tinder and meets this really cute guy who can read her like an open book?

Pairings: Steve Rogers x Reader; Thor Odinson x Reader

Warnings: language, alcohol consumption, sexual references and themes

A/N: guess who’s back! back again with a very long Steve series that might be the end of me but that i already love with my whole heart and oh god i am so nervous i really hope you’re gonna like this

Coffee shops in the morning could easily be considered anyone’s personal hell. The sheer amount of people trudging along to get their daily fix of caffeine would normally make Y/N stop in her tracks and take a turn towards the nearest coffee vending machine, even if it tastes worse than crap. At least she doesn’t have to wait for half an hour in line stuck between a very loud lawyer and that one mum who insists on buying the nastiest green smoothie she’s ever seen in her life.

However, coffee shops at 6 in the morning, right about when Peter changes the sign from closed to open, are heaven sent. Sure, the prospect of having to be out and about for work at 6 am is less than ideal, but at least she’s always been more or less a morning person. And her paycheck has been considerably fatter last month. 

Y/N takes her usual seat outside, caramel macchiato right next to her laptop. Today should be an easy day - fill out some paperwork before she heads to the office at 8.45, pick up Pepper’s coffee, and sort out whatever has been left of this week. Easy, simple and to the point, although Nat would love to argue that Saturdays are for sleeping in, and not for personally picking up documents from various stakeholders. 

“Or better yet, download Tinder and work out your stress with random guys.” Nat had suggested last night on the phone, when Y/N made the mistake of mentioning she hadn’t had any in too many months to count. “There’s this great guy I know…”

“No.” Y/N interrupted, knowing exactly where that would’ve gone. “Every time you tried to set me up with someone, it ended up in disaster. We’re not doing this again, Nat.”

“I just want you to be happy.” She muttered, most definitely being silently admonished by Bucky for trying to interfere in her friend’s life yet again.

“I am happy, sweetheart. Just because I’m not getting any at the moment, that doesn’t mean I’m not happy. Plus, you know what I think -”

“If it’s meant to be, there’s no point in me chasing it, yes.” Nat echoed with a roll of her eyes. “Sometimes your whole attitude of ‘go with the flow’ pisses me off. I say you should go after what you want.”

“Well, there’s nothing, or no one to want at the moment so there’s no point in me getting into a frenzy about it. When the moment’s right, it will happen.”

“Hey!” 

The voice cuts right through the middle of her thought, interrupting Nat’s sneered answer of ‘I just hope he won’t be an asshole like your ex’, making Y/N look up from her laptop. There’s a guy standing next to her, one steaming cup of coffee in a hand, uncertain smile on a face ragged by what can only be lack of sleep. He’s tall and broad shouldered, and she can’t place him for a second, before her eyes land on the sleeve tattoo on his right arm. 

“Steve?” She asks, just as hesitant.

“Yeah!” He grins, running his free hand through his hair, until there’s a blond mess of it. “Y/N, right? You’re Nat’s friend.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I uh- how are you?”

The whole scene most probably looks ridiculous to the outside eye - her sitting down, craning her neck to look at this monolith of a man, both of them oozing with awkwardness and hesitation. She’s always hated that touch of absurdity in interactions between people who know each other, but are not even acquaintances. Even though her job as an executive assistant requires her to navigate situations just like these, that does not mean it makes it easier for her to know how to do that in her personal life. It’s called balance - be a badass at your job, but you’re left an embarrassing mess when it comes to talking to cute guys that you don’t actually know.

“Just got off my shift. Thought I should grab a coffee and spare myself of falling asleep on the subway again.”

“Oh. You’re still working as a bartender then?” She replies, digging her claws into the faint memory of him running from one end of the bar to the other, barely managing to shake her hand after a brief introduction that one time she agreed to go out with Nat and Bucky. 

“Yep. I’m actually part-owner now.” Steve says proudly and she can’t help but grin with him. 

“Congratulations!” Y/N claps her hands - what is that, come on, get yourself together. “Hey, do you wanna take a seat and have your coffee? I feel weird sitting while you’re standing.”

“Ah, I shouldn’t. I’ve been up for almost 24 hours now.” He scratches the back of his head, checks his watch and glances at her again in thought. “But I can spare 5 more minutes to finish this. Wouldn’t want to spill it all over me again.”

Y/N smiles and does her best at clearing at least one corner of the table. He takes a seat, and she notices the way his knee brushes softly against hers, and fair enough, the table is small, but this guy is massive and he’s dwarfing everything around him - it’s no wonder they can barely fit together. 

“So what are you up to at this ungodly hour of the morning on a Saturday?” He asks after swiftly scanning all the papers and electronics between them.

“Ah, my life is definitely less exciting than yours.” She laughs. “I’m just getting to work.”

“On a Saturday?” His confusion is clear. So is his amusement as he takes a sip of his coffee.

“I see Nat hasn’t been complaining to everyone around her about me. That’s reassuring.”

“I wouldn’t know.” Steve shrugs. “Whenever they come to the bar, I’m usually working. I can barely exchange two words with them.”

“That’s right. I remember her saying something about you needing to get a break.” 

“More like a life. I haven’t had a day off in months, I don’t even know what daylight looks like anymore.”

There’s no denying the fact that he looks exhausted - if the dark circles under his eyes wouldn’t be indication enough, it’s easy to read it in the tense set of his shoulders, the way he’s more slumping than sitting in his chair. Y/N is filled with a weird sense of wanting to make this man a cup of tea and order him to go to bed already. His gaze keeps shifting, as if it can’t focus on anything for more than a few seconds, and there’s a slight hint of misery written all over his features that is cleverly hidden by his happy-go-lucky attitude, which seems superficial if analysed closely. Perks of being the best at her job, curse for people who don’t want their business pried into, but then again...they don’t know each other that well, so she keeps her mouth shut. Whatever is bothering him is none of her damn business.

“If it makes you feel any better, I have no idea what nightlife looks like anymore.” She offers.

“We’d make an invincible human being if we were to join forces.” Steve laughs. “I’ll tell you all about teenagers trying to get in with fake IDs, how to get rid of vomit in the toilets and what’s the best way to mix a Long Island and you can tell me all about traffic in the morning, rush hour at lunchtime and what kids are up to when they get off school.”

“Mostly TikTok dances.” Y/N shrugs, which earns her the cutest sleep-deprived laugh she’s ever heard in her life. 

“Is that what those are? Oh God, I feel old now.” 

She chuckles - it’s cute, he’s cute. In a lost puppy kind of way, but her final verdict is interrupted by her phone vibrating next to her hand. Now, she wouldn’t normally be so rude as to answer a phone in the middle of a conversation, especially when she is focused on the crinkles at the corners of his eyes when he’s grinning at his not-exactly-joke, but PEPPER CALLING is a rude awakening that she is supposed to actually be at work in less than 15 minutes. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I have to get this, it’s my boss.”

“No worries. I should get going anyway. I think I’ve already slipped into sleepwalking anyway.” He stands up and fumbles around for a few seconds - yet another situation that neither of them seems to know how to handle. Are they supposed to shake hands? Hug? Take an imaginary hat off? 

So Y/N settles on a smile, which must put him at ease a teensy bit, because he grins back at her - that boyish grin that made her think cute way too many times by this time of the day. 

“It was great seeing you, Y/N. Don’t overwork yourself today. It is Saturday after all.”

“Says the one who’s 90% asleep.” Y/N giggles. “Bye, Steve!”

“See you around, sweetheart!”

*

Nat takes out a bottle of wine, moving around the well-lit kitchen as if she’s lived there her whole entire life, and not only for the past three weeks. Y/N is still mesmerised by the fake brick wall in front of her to pay attention to the glass thrust between her fingers - this apartment is gorgeous. She had no idea Bucky was so good at interior design, which must have been a huge selling point when they’ve decided where to live together. Christ, Y/N would have wanted to move in with him after only 5 months, for this apartment alone. But Nat is frowning - that deep line between her eyebrows leaves nothing to speculation, and Y/N knows her best friend too well not to realise that she is not happy with what she’s hearing.

“Are you going to say anything or should I just assume you’re pissed off?”

“I’m not pissed off.” Nat says, an immediate response that sounds too close to defensiveness to sound like truth. “I’m just- I’m surprised, is all. I mean, it is Steve we’re talking about here after all.”

“That’s exactly why I don’t understand why you’re reacting like this.”

Nat brings her foot up on her stool, and braces her knee while her other hand is playing with the rim of her glass. She’s avoiding eye contact, which is never a good sign when it comes to her, yet Y/N simply can’t put her finger on the reason behind her sudden change in demeanour when she’s told her that she met Steve this morning. 

“I just don’t think that Steve would be the right person for you right now.” She finally mutters and there’s a tinge of embarrassment in her tone that Y/N can’t decipher.

“Ok, you’re going to have to explain what the hell is going on because I have no idea what’s with all this hostility. All I did was tell you that I chatted with Steve for half an hour this morning. How did you connect that to me getting into a relationship with him?”

“Because!” Nat groans. “You and Steve would be perfect for each other. Not to mention you’re my best friend and he’s Bucky’s best friend and just that idea alone gives me cavities. I want you to be together!”

“I’ve seriously never been more confused in my entire life.”

“Ok, look, I’m going to be completely honest with you right now.” Nat sighs and she at long last makes eye contact. “It’s not my story to tell, but the gist of it is that Steve’s recently gotten out of a relationship with one of my friends from work. He was completely swept off his feet, even Bucky’s never seen him this infatuated with someone. The problem is that, as much as I love Peggy, she really did a number on him. He’s been a complete wreck ever since and he doesn’t even know that she’s gotten back together with her ex. I’m just saying that he’s not in the right emotional state to get into another relationship right now. And you’re in a complete state at the moment as well.”

“Me?” Y/N squeals, surprised by this sudden change of direction. “What is wrong with me?”

“Honey, you also recently got out of a serious relationship where you were practically married to the guy. I really think you should spend some time alone and focus on yourself, and not guys. Flings, fuck buddies, Tinder, sure, whatever. Do whatever you couldn’t during these past few years, but you’re not ready to jump into another serious relationship again. I love you and I love Steve, but you’d probably destroy each other if you were to get together.”

Y/N waits for a few more seconds in order to make sure Nat’s said her piece. She’s surprised by her friend’s outburst - it was only yesterday that Y/N’s explained to her that she’s not willing to get herself out there just yet and she was rebuffed by promises of friends and possibilities. This mix of encouragement and relentlessness is nothing short of confusing. Especially since Y/N hasn’t even hinted at a potential romance with Steve.

“Ok, first of all, I want you to know that I agree with you. I’m not ready to get into another relationship right now, but I also want you to understand that I’m not going back to jumping into bed with guys I barely know. Look where that got me last time! Second, I didn’t tell you I saw Steve today because I want to be in a relationship with him. We just talked. As friends. Nothing more.”

They look at each other in silence for a few moments, a sense of uneasiness that Y/N’s never felt in the whole time she’s known Nat. There’s something odd about her reaction, but she can’t say what it is exactly. She guesses she can understand her friend’s protectiveness over Steve - after all, she knows all too well how much of a mama bear Nat can be with people she cares about, but isn’t she supposed to care more about what her best friend might want? Even if Y/N doesn’t want Steve, but it’s the principle of it!

“Right.” Nat mutters. “Well, I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Nat, I’m not doing anything. I barely talked once with the guy by accident.” 

This is getting ridiculous.

“Just remember that I don’t want to be involved in this.”

“There’s no this to be involved in!”

#steve rogers x reader #thor x reader #thor odinson x reader #series: of tinder dates & caramel macchiatos #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers fic #thor odinson fanfiction #thor odinson fic

[oosteven-universe]

Chasing the Dragon #2

Chasing the Dragon #2 Heavy Metal Presents/Magma Comix 2021 Written by Denton J. Tipton Illustrated by Menton3 Lettered & Designed by Gilberto Laqzcano Explore a dark fantasy world ravaged by the rampant abuse of a drug made from the blood of dragons.  Two escaped slaves must overcome their fears before attempting to cross a deadly acid lake. But they don't have a moment to lose, with the kingdom's most notorious slave hunter hot on their trail. This is amazing interesting to see unfold.  There is something that borders on erotic with what we see throughout the book as our two heroes, for lack of a better term, are out trying to get to their destination.  I mean I’m sorry but the outside of the castle has a very phallic look and feel to it.  I am also pretty impressed with the way that Denton is writing this as he’s not wasting any time with how the story progresses while still leaving enough open for the reader to become more fully engaged and wonder/think/speculate on what it is they are seeing.  Plus there is some levity to what we see as well, “well, i’ll be an Elvish uncle” yeah that made me crack a smile with a silent giggle. I am digging the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The two of them are so lost and are winging it as they go from here to there and somehow they’ve got the wherewithal to understand that time isn’t on their side and it has this odd affect upon the reader which is a welcome sight.  This goes hand-in-hand with the character development of course and they appear to be such innocents but there’s a gut feeling that tells me otherwise and i’m not exactly sure why but it’s there.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story the more the reader becomes a part of this world, willing or unwilling participant if you will. How we see the structured with the layers within the story continuing and new ones arising really do draw the reader in and engage their minds to think as much as experience what they see.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow while constantly moving the story forward is wonderful to see. Damn Menton3 and his god given talent.  The white hair, or absence of colour, against such a dark and dreary background is startling.  The man’s face on page two is something I may see in my nightmares and all the phallic symbols yeah wow it all conspires to really create this hypnotic and mesmerising effect.   I know this is painted but it feels like there’s more than that going on here and you could simply get lost for hours staring at page after page and never get bored.  Sometimes it takes me longer to read this because i’m so wrapped up in seeing how utterly gorgeous this work is.  The composition within the panels and how they serve to bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is marvellously rendered.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show an incredibly masterful eye for storytelling.  The colours, good lord the colour work is divine.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is extraordinary. ​ There is just something here, something that engages the reader on multiple levels and ignites their creativity and imagination so incredibly well.  The writing is stupendous and the characterisation is super solid and these magnificent interior pages bringing it all to life means there is no reason whatsoever why this isn’t in your reading pile.

#Comic Books #Comics Reviews #Heavy Metal #Magma Comix

[lochsides]

evermore: Track-by-Track review

I didn't think I'd be writing another review for a Taylor Swift album so soon after folklore but here we are. Truthfully though, evermore feels more like a figment of my imagination than a real album, and as a result this album has been a grower for me. When Taylor said evemore would be the sister record to folklore, I was curious as to the distinguishable differences between the two, because Taylor wouldn't simply give us the same album twice. evermore is, strangely, both the wild younger sister that's more experimental and the wise older sister with a mature outlook on life. Where folklore was a product of isolation, evermore is a product of creativity and that can be felt in the music.

I’ve written my thoughts and theories on each song, and bolded my favourites, below the cut, if you’re interested. I also included my current ranking at the bottom.

Taylor has been very good at picking leading singles for the folklore/evermore era. willow is brilliantly catchy while maintaining the alternative folk sound that she established in folklore. Her vocals suit the song so well, especially on ‘follow’/“hollow” in the chorus. They pair so beautifully with the mesmerising production. The reason this song is one my favourites is purely because of the rhythm and the guitar. The lyrics are, for once, a bonus. As an entry point to evermore, willow does not ease the listener in, the song instead throws the listener in the deep end — which I feel was intentional, as Taylor said evermore was the product of wandering further into the folklorian woods.

champagne problems is easily my favourite song on this album. Storytelling is Taylor's biggest strength as a songwriter and I think this song is a achingly beautiful example of what an emotive storyteller Taylor is. It would be so difficult for me to pick a favourite lyric from this song but I love how she sets in train in the opening line, "you booked the night train for a reason, so you could sit there in this hurt / bustling crowds or silent sleepers, you're not sure which is worse." The accompaniment is gorgeous and the composition of the bridge is breathtaking. Every time the bridge plays I get chills.

gold rush was a grower for me. I'm still not a fan of the intro/outro but I enjoy the production in the rest of the song once the beat kicks in. I think it's one of the more experimental sounds on evermore but it's very catchy. I won't even talk about how the chorus called me out with "I don't like slow-motion, double vision in a rose blush, I don't like that falling feels like flying 'til the bone crush."

'tis the damn season is the non-holiday-holiday song that still has a classic sound and production. I know this song is Dorothea's perspective but I get a lot of illicit affairs parallels with this one as well: "don't call me baby" / "you could call me babe for the weekend", "what started in beautiful rooms ends with meetings in parking lots" / "the road not taken looks real good now, time flies, messy as the mud on your truck tires".

tolerate it is a hard song for me to review because I literally zone out every time I listen to it. I think it's my brain's way of protecting me from toxic relationship trauma 🙃 but it's another gut-punch track five, what else is new? I mean she literally said "now I'm begging for footnotes in the story of your life, drawing hearts in the byline, always taking up too much space or time," and broke my nervous system.

no body, no crime is the best country song Taylor has ever written, period. The sirens at the start, the storytelling, the way it sounds like an old-school murder-mystery movie. HAIM on the backing vocals were great, though I do wish they had at least a verse of their own. That's literally my only critique of this song. It's that good.

There's so much maturity in Taylor's outlook on happiness. I connect this song to her tarnished relationship Sc*tt/BMG and how she's happy after leaving but she was also happy during the time she was with them. I really enjoyed the simple addition of the piano and the way it built up to add depth to the production. Taylor's delivery of the line "no one teaches what to do when a good man hurts you and you know you hurt him too" really hits me.

dorothea is a really nostalgic, retro school-dance-vibe, kinda playful song with a personality, which I adore. The production is absolutely timeless. I woke up today with the chorus stuck in my head. I think "if you're ever tired of being known for who you know, you know, you'll always know me" is fun word play and I'm a nerd of that type of thing. (Side note: to me, this song feels very reminiscent of her friendship with Karlie Kloss, right down to the "selling makeup in magazines.")

coney island gives me desolate, abandoned theme park vibes. The simplicity of the production only enhances it. It's everything I could've hoped for in a song titled "coney island" and featuring The National. Matt Berninger's vocals are absolutely astounding. What does it say about me that my favourite aspect of this song is the feeling of despair laced into its bloodstream.

ivy is another favourite but what did I expect from a song filled to the brim with longing and mentioning the crescent moon? The instrumentation and her vocal styling is similar to willow. There are also lyrical parallels of "... your freezing hand, taking mine" / "I'm begging for you to take my hand" and "how's one to know I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bone" / "I never would've known from the look on your face" and she echoes both those sentiments in a different way after the respective bridges and I wonder if that's intentional. Knowing Taylor Swift, probably.

cowboy like me belongs in the center of a country/folk/slow blues Venn diagram. It's the perfect blend of the three genres. Marcus Mumford's back vocals sound so good with Taylor's. "We could be the way forward, and I know I'll pay for it" and "the skeletons in both our closets plotted hard to fuck this up" are great lyrics.

I'm not all about the way long story short stars but the song quickly settles into its skin. This is easily the most pop-sounding song on evermore but it's still somewhat experimental in comparison to Taylor's existing discography and I think it's cool that she can find space to experiment within a musical space that she has all but mastered. Say what you will but Taylor Swift knows how to make hits no matter the genre. The lyrics "he's passing by, rare as the glimmer of a comet in the sky and he feels like home" reminds me so much of Call It What You Want.

marjorie gave me chills on the very first listen when Taylor sings about how her grandmother left her backlogged dreams to her. I love that they used her grandmother's actual vocals in the background, that's a really heartwarming detail. This song comes with some really solid advice too. It just feels very personal. I love the way production builds on "what does didn't stay dead" right to the bridge, which is my favourite part of the song.

closure is easily the most experimental song on the album with that the scratch tape sound and those drums. I love the sheer pettiness in her tone and the lyric "don't treat me like some situation that needs to be handled" is brilliant. That said, this is probably my least favourite. I think it's a cool song but just not for me.

evermore has some of the most beautiful lyrics on the album. "I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone, trying to find the one where I went wrong" and "barefoot in the wildest winter" are some of my favourites. I'm not a big fan of the sudden shift in tempo on either end of the bridge but Justin Vernon's falsetto makes up for it. The production is otherwise beautiful.

Note that the bonus tracks are currently at the bottom because they have not been released yet.

#taylor swift #evermore #reviews #music #ts

[samsideup]

🌹 THE ROSE 🌹 SPECIAL EVENT IN KL

The whole of last week I’ve been trying to sit my ass down to write this but I couldn’t.. & then life caught up & idk when I’d end up posting this, or who will read this, but I’ll try to put down the (broken) memories of my experience into words!

Prelude:

I took the longest time considering if I should buy the special event tickets (I finally bought it nearing the closing date). While I was so afraid it’ll be sold out, I was skeptical about spending another large sum of money on top of buying the VVIP tickets. If I had known that special event was going to happen- I’d probably have bought balcony tickets for the concert so I’ll get to hang with the boys up close (during special event) and also see them perform as 4 (I couldn’t really see jeff throughout the concert, but that’s a story for another time).

Event day:

I was confused as ever. No staff was stationed outside to direct anyone or anything the entire time, until 1:30pm when they were supposed to meet us. By then the queue for concert tagging was already growing (which explains my confusion). They called our names and lined us up accordingly (to the sequence that we bought our tickets in I assume). Then we were given our concert tags ahead of the actual issue time - so we were supposed to be given priority in entering the venue during the concert, after the top 10 tastemakers (but I still couldn’t snatch the front row- yet another story for another time). Soon enough, we were brought into the concert venue. For some reason, all of us who bought the special event tickets were not screaming all over. I think the staff thought it was odd cos she was like “okay yay!!!” in attempt to hype us up, to which we responded with low “yays”. I was honestly just too nervous at that point to react to her (I’m sorry!)

Special event:

It took place at the balcony area of the concert hall, so we had a prelude to the view that the balcony broses would have during the concert. We were lined up along the balcony, in front of a long table where the boys were to sit at. After we were given instructions, we just waited around for the boys. I made friends with broses who were behind me in the queue (s/o to my dear Farah & Nadiah who were incredibly warm!) and the three of us were just- we just don’t know how to feel at that point.

So I was just looking around and that was when I saw Hajoon backstage through a little opening in the curtain. I flipped and started tapping Farah “look look that’s hajoon right?!” the rest of the broses in line were unable to see it from their end- so i was just helplessly trying to wave to get his attention. I failed. Yes. Because at that exact moment he turned around to leave the backstage and come up to us. Saw a sneak peak of woosung’s back too tho!

I think it was when they actually appeared that I completely started freaking out internally. I was tryna look chill on the outside. But it really wasn’t working. Farah, Nadiah and I started asking each other “wait ok so what are you gonna say to them?!” since we were the last 3 in line, we literally asked each other this question a million times. None of us knew what to say. It was all blank. While queuing we also overheard their korean staff (speaking in korean) to make the line move faster (whaaaaaat) cos they were bored? I hope we were hearing things- but I doubt that.

So the boys sat down according to this order- dojoon, jaehyeong, woosung, hajoon. Dojoon was an absolute ball of sunshine, he was so loud and cheery. It was so contagious. Jaehyeong was WAY too smiley, I have nothing but heart eyes for him, seriously. Woosung looked so good. I just- he just looked so chill and cool. I- my heart- Then hajoon. He’s the absolute sweetest, just sitting there being a sweetheart ugh massive sigh.

I was so nervous I simply couldn’t remember my entire experience with them, but here are some of the highlights with each of them:

Dojoon

You seriously cannot help but feel comfortable around him. He’s just so cheerful and you’d feel obliged to match his energy- completely no complains though aghhh! He signed on the right of my scrapbook, where he was supposed to. Then he saw the post-it note that I had stuck at the left side of the book, written “hello my name is qian” in cursive. He was like “oh can I write there?” *points to the left of the notebook” and I said “sure please do!” he wrote “hello my name is dojoon” in cursive and I was like “wow your handwriting is nicer than mine!” He deadass said “of course!”. I was thrown off but ended up replying “you’re good at everything” to which he literally beamed at me *cues awwww in sunglasses*

Jaehyeong

I thought people were exaggerating when they said they that jeff was so good looking that they lost their shit. You seriously won’t know how that feels until you SEE HIM IRL. I was so so so mesmerised by his looks I couldn’t even remember what I said to him. He kept smiling and laughing prettily the entire time. I asked if he was tired from tour and he said “oh, no no no” in his cute little way (you’d know) and I told him his English really improved. He laughed and said thank you. So I had post-it bunnies sticking out of the notebook (& I chose them because I secretly felt like each of the bunnies signified each member). idk why the fuck- but I was so comfortable around him that I told him that that tall bunny was him. I feel stupid, yes, I’m well aware, thanks. Of all the things in the world I could have said- I said “this bunny is you” dear lord please help me.

Woosung

My entire universe. He was so laid back (but tbh it may even have come off as cold hmm). I told him I was from Singapore & I think that picked his interest- because he immediately said “oh cool! I really want to visit Singapore” and he repeated it multiple times on his own accord (so I’m convinced he really wants to!) i had to cut his excitement in order to talk abt something else lol so I talked to him a little more and when I was about to be asked to leave I deadass looked at him in the eyes and said “Sammy” he looked at me, and I pointed to him and whispered “smoke less ok” I only caught his laughed before I had to move on......

Hajoon

The last of the 4. I swear this is absolutely his era- his blond hair looks nothing short of amazing up close. I honestly can’t remember what we talked about because half the time I just rlly wanted to squish his cheeks (altho mine was way chubbier than his- so wHO AM I TO SQUISH HIS). But at the end I also asked him if he was tired from the tour. His eyes shot up from signing my book and VERY SMILEY & CHEERFULLY SAID “Oh... No! I’m not tired! Because of you guys”. & that, my friends, was instant K.O. Hajoon 1, Qian 0. Mmhmm

After signing, we went back to join the line to take our photos together with the boys. It happened so damn quickly- LITERALLY “with a blink, shot shot” and it was over....

To sum up this experience:

it was extremely short- but absolutely worth it meeting the boys up close. It was my first experience and I told myself it will be my only. But after meeting them for myself- my stand has wavered..

My takeaway:

Go to special event PREPARED. Memorise what you want to tell the boys, rehearse what you want to do. Be more prepared than you have ever been for any formal presentations that you’ve gone through in your life. Because eventually when you get there you’d be completely star struck (I speak for all of us) and you’d freeze and forget it all. You’d be lucky if you remember to breathe - honestly.

#RAW & UNEDITED YET #the rose #woosung #sammy #kim woosung #dojoon #park dojoon #leo #hajoon #lee hajoon #dylan #lee jaehyeong #jaehyeong #jeff #roses #tour #the rose in kl #personal #special event #mine

[sserpente]

A/N: Request from @kingslayers-angel and @ohheyshortstuff and @lunajones24. I literally got like six requests involving the mistletoe and hey, I just had to write it. xD

Words: 2093 Warnings: fluff

You quickly looked away when he caught you staring but it did not scary you away. You would secretly watch him reading, talking to Thor and… to be honest, there wasn’t a lot the God of Mischief did around this place. Mostly, he acted extremely bored and bothered by the Avengers, all of which kept eyeing him like he was some kind of nasty insect.

You froze when his blue gaze met yours. Look away, quick! And so this went on and on and on, every time you believed he wouldn’t notice your longing glances and soft smiles when by some miracle, you did interact with each other.

How would you best put it? Yes. You loved Loki. Well, you were crushing on him. Casual thoughts at first—he looked hot, handsome, ravishing, his raven hair was gorgeous, his blue eyes mesmerising, when he fought, how did he manage to look both intimidating and this graceful?

Next, you had deliberately taken an interest in his hobbies—reading the same books, appreciating the art of dagger crafting, culture and languages. He was beyond intelligent—and it intrigued you.

And then you had started to care. Feeling compassionate when the Avengers ignored him yet again, excluded him from some fun activity or met him with simple and unnecessary cruelty. You were beyond fearful and worried when he returned from a mission injured or overly exhausted and it was getting harder to hide it with every day that passed.

The others noticed of course. Quite frankly, everyone but Loki himself did. They all knew you liked the God of Mischief more than it was healthy, that it was dangerous to trust him—which you did, against all reason. They weren’t exactly fond of your feelings but you kept hanging in there. You knew he was more than he let on, hiding his good heart out of fear of getting hurt again. You would never.

Sometimes, so it seemed, it felt like a poorly retold version of ‘The Beauty and the Beast’... If only it could be this easy. It would be a Christmas miracle, if anything. Loki wasn’t exactly a fan of mortals, after all.

Only a few weeks back, you had eavesdropped a conversation between him and Thor, almost dropping your coffee mug upon hearing his harsh words, crushing all of your hopes like a smoldering light bulb.

‘Petty mortals’, ‘pathetically short lives’ and ‘unwise to get attached’ were only a few of the phrases that had fallen.

So here you were. Lusting over a man you knew you could never have. Stealing secret glances, mustering him like a piece of art and quickly looking away when he caught you staring. Had he noticed there was something going on? Something that, perhaps, shouldn’t?

Maybe you should just get drunk tonight and forget about all this. It was Christmas Eve and Tony had insisted on throwing one of his ridiculously expensive parties. When you entered the living room, ornaments hung from the ceiling wherever you looked, scented candles burned in the corners and countless Christmas decoration—from red reindeer to sleighs and snowmen… was that… an ice sculpture on the buffet table?—filled the manor. The giant Christmas tree in the middle of it shone out, of course, with dozens of lights, ornaments and electric candles.

Sighing, you hesitated, not quite stepping over the threshold, your hands clutching at your long evening dress. It was green—ironic, really.

This had been such a stupid idea. You could be up in your room reading that book Loki loved so much but instead, you had chosen to spend Christmas Eve with a bunch of strangers who all thought themselves superheroes. Apart from the Avengers and Loki, you didn’t know anyone after all.

“Are you waiting for a prince to pick you up? Or are you simply planning to stand there all night?” Your heart jumped when you suddenly heard his alluring and smooth voice. You had searched the room for him almost automatically upon your arrival, how could you not have seen him approaching you? Had it been his intention?

You replied by biting your lower lip, unable to speak a proper sentence like usual when he was this close to you. No matter what you would come up with to say, you never deemed it intellectual enough for him. So you just kept your mouth shut and acting awkwardly.

“A beautiful dress,” he continued then, smirking down at you. Had he just… given you a compliment? You were about to open your mouth to thank him, astonished, when Tony suddenly showed up with an alcoholic drink in his hands. You could clearly tell he was tipsy already, the malicious glistening in his eyes was daring.

“(Y/N)! You like my decorations?”

“She loves them,” Clint tossed in, followed by Natasha giggling to herself. You were pretty sure you had never heard the Black Widow giggling before.

“You’re being silly, are you drunk?”

“Maybe. But you’re the one standing under the mistletoe.” He replied, winking in the process. Your blood ran cold. Damn those decorations. So Tony had put them there for a bloody reason and that said reason had just complimented you on your green dress.

“Fucking shit.” You hissed, rolling your eyes to hide the sudden fear creeping up your body. God, this was way worse than joining the Avengers on a mission and dealing with humanoid alien races that regularly attempted to kill you. You were ready to bolt and leave the party again, that hour wasted on applying your make-up be damned.

“Come on, (Y/N), you know the rules.” Natasha mused, raising her eyebrows. This must have been a set up. Was Loki involved? Was this why he had admired your dress? Were they all just mocking you?

When you turned to face him again, however, you quickly discarded the thought again. Loki seemed about as confused as you were as he glared at the dew-fresh plant decorated with a red bow right above him.

“What is this about?” He asked languidly, clearly annoyed by the fuss there was made about you.

You were going to slap yourself after this, your heart beating like a steam hammer as you stood on your toes, your eyes fixed on his thin lips. Wasn’t this what you always wanted? Finding out what he tasted like? What it would be like to kiss him? Yes. But not like that.

“I-I… I’m so sorry.” You whispered, shortly before pressing a quick kiss on his lips. It was barely there—a light brushing of skin against skin, like butterfly wings and yet…

It was like electricity that pumped through your veins when your mouths touched, if only briefly. Paired with the numbing adrenaline, you took a deep breath to apologise yet again but actions, as you knew, spoke louder than words.

So you ran, fleeing to the first place that came to your mind that would be deserted at this time of the day. The balcony.

“What was that all about?” Loki demanded to know, still frowning at the plant above him. They all acted like it had supernatural healing powers and then, when you had kissed him… shaking his head, he stared Tony directly in the eye—something he usually avoided—they weren’t that friendly after all.

It had been a while he had felt soft lips against his. In fact, he had never felt lips as soft as yours. The royal concubines he had slept with back in Asgard preferred to do… different things with their mouth and tongue and although your kiss had been short and shy, he had felt it.

The lightnings that had cursed through every cell of body, setting his skin on fire… you looked ravishing tonight. How come he had never seen it before? Your cordial attitude towards him, your longing looks… all at once, with ice cold shivers running up and down his spine, he put one and one together and realised.

“Mistletoe,” Tony finally explained. “It’s a Christmas tradition to kiss underneath it.”

“Is that so?” Loki murmured absentmindedly. Confusion was still written all over his face when he brought his fingers up to his lips, ignoring how the Avengers all watched him like a strange animal until he went after you.

It was time to sort things out and collect that unexpected confession from you.

You flinched when the door to the balcony opened. Looking back at it, it had been a rather stupid idea to come out here, especially this late. It was freezing cold, the temperature of the night wrapping around your body like blankets made of ice. Even the bright stars above you—shining out from the black sky to create a clear and beautiful night—didn’t quite help distracting you.

Loki did. He approached you almost carefully, his thin lips pressed together to a thin line. He looked incredibly handsome, dressed in his all-black suit.

“Are you going to explain this?” He noticed your bold staring, for you were, only this once, not bothering to hide your admiration. The cards were on the table now. Loki would be stupid not to find out what was going on with you.

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I just… Tony did that on purpose, he… and the others… they all knew about… well, whatever.”

“Whatever?” The God of Mischief smirked. “Go ahead. Tell me.”

“As if you didn’t know already,”

“Perhaps I have a suspicion but I want to hear it from you. Why have you been hiding it?”

Instantly, your eyebrows shot up. “Hiding it? What did you expect me to do, throw myself into your arms? Because you would have been so delighted with that,” you remarked sarcastically. “I’m mortal. I didn’t think you would ever even look at me twice.”

Loki frowned. Of course you had a point there. He had said it himself, human lives were a heartbeat compared to his own and yet… he somehow desperately wished for this to work out somehow. Did he like you back? Maybe. He hadn’t felt anything like this ever before. He would find out but he didn’t doubt it had something to do with wanting to feel you kiss him again.

“I didn’t want to humiliate you out there or anything.” You admitted quietly then, your eyes fixed on the ground to your feet. You were surprised you had managed to run in those black high heels in the first place.

“You did not. Quite frankly I was unaware of this… tradition.” Was that… a smile? Loki smiled? Surprised, your lips parted, seeking out his blue gaze. No mischief or malice sparkled in them like usual, when you admired him from afar… this time it was, it was… it was affection? “Is it common to run after barely touching lips though?” He continued. Now there was the mischief you had missed. It made him even more attractive, especially since it seemed like he was teasing you not to mock you but… but to impress you? To get your attention?

Your heart ceased to follow any rhythm when you shook your head, giggling a little at yourself. Your Christmas miracle. Was it actually happening?

You shrieked when Loki lifted you off the ground, taking control and sweeping you off your feet, pressing his lips against yours again, this time longer and much more passionate. Fireworks exploded in your body, numbing all of your senses and sending you flying over the balcony and high up into the air to the stars. It felt like levitating, like a beautiful, beautiful dream.

Loki’s tongue sneaked into your mouth to intensify the kiss, battling yours teasingly while his hands were exploring your body, stroking every inch he could grasp. No… this was even better than a dream.

He only pulled away when he noticed you were running out of breath, sucking in the fresh and cold air when he released you. Upon your startled look, he only pointed above him. Another mistletoe, dew-fresh and glistening in the dim light, seemed to practically mock you when you spotted it hanging from the open balcony door.

“I… wow.”

Loki smirked and reached for you, gently grabbing your wrist. You were putty in his hands—and he was very well aware of that.

“Now let us dance. The night is still young.” He reassured you, winking as he did. It was a promise. No… it was a Christmas miracle.

Smiling, you followed him inside, the butterflies in your stomach going crazy with cheer.

#loki imagine #loki x you #loki x reader #loki laufeyson #loki laufeyson imagine #loki laufeyson x you #loki laufeyson x reader #tom hiddleston #marvel #marvel imagine #thor #thor imagine #thor ragnarok #thor ragnarok imagine #the avengers #the avengers imagine

[imagine-wannaone]

Noh Taehyun Soulmate Au

First december upload and first Taehyun~

 • When you turned 13 your soulmate sign finally, finally, came into play after years of you waiting,  • Staring at your friends tattoos/words or sympathising with friends who couldn’t see colour, or knew they where going to lose it,  • You loved what your soulmate key was going to be, but you hated the waiting, impatient from a young age,  • But when you reached 13 you knew, now, whatever you wrote on your skin would turn up on your soulmates,  • You waited for a while first, a bit apprehensive and unsure,  • Although you knew this was fate; that most Soulmate signs where perfectly true, you still slightly doubted how this whole thing could possibly work,  • So you waited, jittery about making a move,  • Until you were sat in a class at school, trying to wrap your head around multi-step quadratics when you look down to your book in dispare, but find notes on your hand being quickly scrawled,  • You don’t understand what the equation they’re doing is, or how your soulmate is seemingly easily breezing through this maths, but you stare in wonder as ink seems to grow from your own skin,  • It hypnotizes you, his letters and numbers short and precises and sprouting from one another in a mesmerising pattern, you trace the appearing ink with a finger,  • Once the writing stops, the urge to write back is overwhelming, you stay back, afraid to make a fool of yourself, make your soulmate hate you, before even meeting them,  • So you bring your own pen to your skin, slowly, carefully drawing a perfect smiley face next to the complete working you, a small thumbs up next to it,  • You watch, anticipating whether they’ve seen it, how they’ll react, will they reply?  • Another, smaller, smiling face appears next to yours, a nod to you that they’ve received your graffiti, but it still makes your heart hammer and a smile stretch wide across your face,  • And that was the blossoming start of a relationship quite different to most,  • Normally, when people with this soulmate key turn 13 they immediately write to each other on their skin,  • Asking names and locations and where to meet, usually meeting up within a week,  • But you’ve never been one to go for the normal route, and it actually takes the two of you a few years to Actually meet, and even that’d be by accident,  •  You’re too shy, always afraid that your soulmate wouldn’t like you, and he must feel the same,  • Because you draw sprawling doodles, intricate and detailed and beautiful with your biro in your spare time, and your soulmate sometimes adds bits on themselves,  • They’re not great at drawing, but you still find it utterly adorable,  • Your skin becomes a canvas for both of you, your different writing and coloured pens lacing together smoothly, and even when you run out of skin you find more space on a different arm, different leg,  • Through the few years they grow more and more artsy and delicate and beautiful, learning how to draw with each other,  • Your parents would scream at you for drawing on yourself but sOuLMaTeS,  • You write notes to each other, hidden,  • You wake up to ‘have a good day’  • 'Good luck on your test today’ after having jotted the date down quickly one night,  • ’ Happy birthday’  • 'Today will be a good day, smile a lot’  • Hidden on your neck or behind your knee or even just in your wrist,  • Lmao u cringy as hell but do you care??? Nope,  • You sometimes ask him for help with maths, equations written on your forearm with multiple question marks, to which he shows you step by step how to complete it,  • Or he writes essay questions, and you write your ideas down to help, or you help to describe covalent bonding in atoms,  • lmao You barely know each other but you bond over how hard school is,  • Sometimes one of you get edgy and ask each other questions and it’s like a huge event okay,  • 'What’s your favourite colour?’  • 'Do you like dogs?’  • (A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION)  •  And then over time you get braver,  • 'What’s your name?’  • 'Do you have and sibling?’  • 'How old are you?’  • Like it actually hurts how slow the two of you go and the stupid questions but you’re fine with the pace, and by the looks of it, Taehyun,  • A name you’re now in love with,

  • Is fine with it as well,  • And not to mention all your friends are completely done with you and how star struck you are with this stranger and how slow you move they just wanna find out WhO iT IS so you can stop being so dreamy and Actually spend some quality time with your soulmate,  • Because despite having to wait a while for your sign, it’s one of the best keys out there, making it very easy for you to find your Soulmate,  • So while you stay at your basic level of sweet, fluffy communication, everyone else is dying for u,  • And you become known at school for your soulmate sign,

 • A whole arm or leg or neck or whatever covered with riots of pattern and drawing and stories told by ink pictures, all perfect and beautiful,  • You’re walking art, and you don’t mind showing other people your Beauty,  • I mean the school probably wouldn’t be pleased but honestly? How can they tell someone to prevent their Soulmate key?  • They cANT,  • So then after a good, what,  3-4 years? You’re going on a volleyball training camp, both the girls and boys team attending a get together regularly held in the next city over with a few selected teams to hone everyone’s skills,  • Rumours of a new school joining this year after defeating a regular in a friendly,  • Which makes everyone excited because?? New opponents to try new skills on???  New people to trade game play tactics with??  • You all volleyball nerds Honestly,  • So to pass the time on the bus ride there you doodle down the length of your leg, after no time at all you see another black line join your doodles, a content smile etching itself onto your face,  • You spend a decent amount of time catching up with everyone from the other teams in person, sharing gossip and new matches you watched and being goofy,  • If you’re new to the meetups the rule is you have to play a match against the second newest so everyone can check you out and whatever first yanno, just a right of passage kind of thing,  • So you settle next to some friends on the floor, ready to analyse everything about the new team,

 • Oh how different the match goes,  • The team walks on and it’s when the whistle goes that you notice it,  • The setter of the new team has black sprawling patterns across his left leg, peaking out from his knee pads and shorts, spiraling down his legs in loops and intertwining vines,  • You watch his set, his throws always a little to the left but nothing uncontrollable,  • This guy was your Taehyun, the guy you seemed to have known forever, however untrue that was,  • The guy that made you grin and left cute messages for you to wake up to, your cute fluffy ball,  • Now stood on a court, legs strong and face serious, except for a smile ghosting the sides of his face,  • Your plan on analysing the team went out the window rip,  • But you watch as his team revolved heavily around him, you watch how his eyes scan the court to decide the next steps, effortlessly leading his team,  • You watch his tell tale signs, how his eyes flicker when he’s going to dump, how he signals to his team who he’s going to pass to next,  • Normally you couldn’t pick any of this up, but the boy with ink appearing across his skin, something he obviously proudly shows the world, who makes your heart race at a glance draws your eyes to even his smallest of motion,  • And you’re not the only one who has noticed, in fact everyone has,  • All of the teams at the meet know you well, one of the gatherings’ longest members and someone who nearly always had ink appearing on their skin for everyone to see,  • So as they watch the game, they also send smiles to you, hitting your back in congratulations or hugging you from the side having matched your legs together,  • In fact the only people not to notice seem to be the new team oops,  • You always thought you’d panic, meeting Taehyun, but even just looking at him brings a peace to your heart and a reassuring warmth,  • So when the game ends, with their lose,  • (but that’s chill because the newbie always always lose their first match DW),  • While you have no idea what to say, you don’t feel panic,  • Everyone disperses to play a few organised matches before dinner and then to the dorms, but you wonder towards the new group with a few others to welcome them to the training camp,  • “Taehyun”  • The name rolls off your tongue smoothly as if it was made only for you as his eyes snap to you, smiling in greeting,  • He’s shook™ for a second, before his eyes drop to look you up and down in questioning, where they stay glued to your legs,  • I mean it sounds really weird but it’s not I swear,  •"Y/N?“  • Your name has never sounded so right, so made for you than in that moment, his dark eyes raising to meet yours in question, you get the pleasure of watching it click in his eyes as his face floods with how you feel,  • He wastes no time in pulling you into a tight hug, hands flat on your back as if checking if you’re there for real,  • You copy him, feeling his warmth, your soulmate, under your palms and everything seems right, in your heart and out, and you don’t know how you lived without this sense of fullness you had before,  • And damn if you guys don’t proceed to be the cutest couple at the camp, if not ever tbh,

#noh taehyun #taehyun #jbj #soulmate au #produce 101 #idk wether to still use that tag #imagines #headcanons #fluff #scenarios #jbj imagines #jbj scenarios #taehyun imagines #taehyun scenarios #taehyun fluff #jbj fluff #i such at tagging #never know what to put #og admin

[strawberrymarshmallowstories]

Cycle of Time

Title: Cycle of Time

Pairing: Jimin/OC

Word Count: 3k

Rating: SFW guys, it’s all safe!

Summary:  But there was still something that held you back and you couldn't let it go. No matter how hard you tried, your fingers stayed grasped around the material, your eyes flickering between his back and the soft knit in your hands.

Inspired by Serendipity

BTS Oneshot Collection: Gods & Goddesses AU

 Never seen such fear in sky-blue eyes,

Shall I keep your nightmares at bay?

It’d be easy, my breath against your lips,

My hand against your cheek,

And no words left unsaid.

 ~

 You first met him on a crisp Autumn morning, where the previous hot summer days sported tinted leaves and bone-chilling winds. Lowering degrees called for thicker coats and jackets, alongside with boots to hold out an unexpected shower or two.

But the sky had yet to lose its magical touch. The early morning glow still graced with its cool rays, albeit ones rarer with each passing. Autumn had always carried the essence of endings, like a late-summer sunset in its breathtaking beauty. 

But even such beauty couldn’t soothe the mournful twists, of a loss of something. A ticking bomb of the sorts, one without a timer but close, so close...

You blamed Fate, that old obnoxious bastard, for meddling where it didn’t belong. A pair of damned olive green gloves had been a bait.

Any other god would've ignored it, passed it off as irrelevant.

But not you.

One day it'd take you to your immortal grave, but until then it was your battle to fight. Diversity of human emotions - what a weakness to have. Addicting but oh-so-sweet. Ones so fickle, while the other of the strongest Ancient steels. 

 You drank in the warmth, fingers clenched around the knit as your eyes lingered on his turned back. You’d never tasted anything like this, like sugar on the tip of your tongue.

You’d never been drawn to sugar. Hated the toxicity of it.

 And before you realised, your feet moved on its own. An invisible pull, of a moth to a flame.

He'd piqued your interest, with a muted fog a shade over his truest colours. But while humans barely felt it, you could see it. A mask built through pain, from one life to another. Although now he’d forgotten, the lurking demons had never left.

All humans had their own. Ones silently waiting, until an opportunity arose to claim its throne.

 But this boy had the spirit of a fighter hidden behind kind eyes and rosy cheeks. Even subconsciously he tried to block your careful probing, to block an unfamiliar entity it had never met before.

You would’ve been wary had it been any other immortal, but he didn’t taste of the cold metal that could slice to bones. Instead he held warmth in his soul. A human touch.

But almost too stable for a human, when his inner strength more matched those of your kind. That's why for a second he'd confused you, with his well-formed shields, strong and resistant.

Your steps slowed.

A stability forged through necessity perhaps, you thought. Of perseverance and pressured practice. That’s how one leashed their demons. But one could never be rid of them. And so his own waited like ravenous carnivores, with their teeth a hot breath against his neck.

You clenched your fists. For eons Earth had vibrated in 3D. This world could never appreciate such a bright soul. 

He didn’t fit in either. Like you, in a way.

A smile, you realised. That’s what belonged on his lips. 

 And so you ran to meet dark caramel eyes of mesmerising shades. Soft and kind but with a depth of an electrifying touch.

Blush sparked your cheeks before you even realised. Did they have a name for this?

You wanted him closer, a realisation that had you stepping back. You wanted to touch his thoughts, glimpse at his memories.

Absurd and way out of any reason. 

But by then you no longer cared. You shouldn't have, had no reason to reach out to what humans considered private.

But you did. 

The unreasonable need was a warning number one.

Snippets of good deeds flashed before your eyes. With greed you drank it. Gorged on it. Many, oh so many memories that evoked something you couldn't explain. How he’d chased after a balloon, how he’d bought tea for a homeless man on the coldest days of winter.

Just because.

Humans didn’t do just because.

But he did. And the joy from his memories eased your twisting pain. Perhaps that's how he got to you, having his ease and bliss soothe your own pains.

 Most humans you’d met had been perfect examples of the 3D vibration. He only wanted to fit in, and so his dark blue haze acted like a mask. 

Because otherwise he'd shine too bright. 

And the brightest stars burned out the quickest.

But you could tell his energy sought something closer to match his. It wanted to be seen, appreciated for its light, although dimmed by physicality. And while the human world still resonated with 3D, his soul energy tried to push itself upwards. Unusual for a human, once again.

'I believe- is it yours?' You held out your palm. Only now your fingers unclenched around the soft knit, to reveal the rich forest green.

For a moment he looked at you, his eyes as if piercing through to your soul. And when  realisation sparked in those mesmerising browns, you watched the brightest of smiles form right in front of you.

How beautiful. And strange.

You’d seen many smiles, most with a touch of Arctic immortality. Just one glance and it could freeze human hearts into a million shards. None of those smiles had ever held even a flicker of warmth as did this man’s you'd never met.

For a moment you forgot how to breathe, as if Fate itself had clenched its fist around your throat. Suffocating as if no breath was quite enough.

But there was no fear. Because in a state of joy, fear didn’t exist.

On 3D Earth, to be without fear was unseen.

 Even in a world which lacked support for these lighted souls, in their finite bounds they needed to laugh the most. It all marked the start of a transformation phase, which they would one day lead. 

When there was enough of them.

For now many broke under societal pressures, only because they knew no other way. With anguished cries no one heard.

But you did. You always did, on nights with the blackest skies and thickest fogs that hid their desperate and inward directed pleads. Dark night of the soul, you'd call it.

You’d seen many of them. Bringers of light, is what you called them. Changing Earth one person at a time, one fragile lifetime at a time. Only led by inner calling. Only guided by an inner yearning.

But you felt the faint touch of his eternity. Of his distinct colour and of his scent. That could never be taken away, even from a human.

 With an awkward smile your hands fell back to your sides. And when he said his greetings, even though hoarse and rough, the melody never faltered.

 Your energy touched his in a welcome. And when the light flickered in the broken cracks of his dark hazed mask, you knew you not only wished, but wanted to see more.

‘You're welcome,' you blurted out. To your surprise he only smiled wider, his eyes half crescents that must've taken many hostage.

Warning number two.

You fidgeted with your scarf, the reminder crystal clear. One that could no longer be ignored. You were not of this world. You were not to leave a trace.

You stepped away, with heavy feet and sunken heart.

And you ran. Although you saw his hand rise in a try to stop you.

 You hadn’t been thinking, of course you hadn’t. Not when the sparks lighted the ashy embers in your heart. Something so simple as a smile, but a power that could change the worlds.

And he was only human. A mere human that held no powers.

Or perhaps he did.

 You turned the corner, heart galloping in your chest, damning Fate and its cruel game of trickery. Or perhaps was meant for you, written in stone despite your immortality? To be ruined, and to suffer with others as weak as you.

As if Fate had been baiting them.

 You'd only read about whatever this was, from human books that not always made sense. Some said it made people steal, cheat and lie. Some said it was a blessing of life, healing the most severe of illnesses.

Biased? Definitely.

So perhaps your fellow immortals had been right, when they said you had stayed for too long. Because you were one of them and they knew the best, right?

And you weren't stupid. Not usually. You knew it could never be.

 Because their fleeting life would never match yours.

 *** *** ***

  The second twist of fate found you months later, when an ill-omened rainstorm gave way to bright sky blues. The early Sun still lingered close to the horizon, longing for its travel across the sky. Only the damp heaviness spoke of the past storm, one that had come and left without a warning.

 You sent out a warm welcome at the touch of warmth on your eyelids. But even the bright rays couldn’t wash away the previous night, when the air had been electrified and your energy restless in its bounds. 

Things were shifting on Earth. Quicker, by each day and each year with Gaia's growing impatience. She moved through the Universe at an unimaginable speed, towards a new age it sought. Even with opposition at every taken inch.

But where you’d expected chaos, you only got an ominous sign in the darkest skies. Whatever it was, it kept its distance. Waiting for an opportunity perhaps. Not yet ready, but gathering strength to fight back..

With a sigh you turned around, eyes landing on a small hilltop you frequented on promising mornings. Its picturesque platform had retained its beauty through many decades, its wilderness groomed by human hands. 

But today your stomach hollowed.

A couple had settled in on a wooden bench you often occupied, cuddled side-by-side as the morning chill pinched their cheeks. Sipping coffee with its steam as enticing as its scent. 

Embraced by the colour of budding love, softest of champagne pinks. Barely there, faintest of the blushes. Fragile as roses of ice, with one touch you'd have it bleeding your hands.

 That’s why you’d distanced yourself from humans, because among your immortal stillness pulsed a yearning heart for what would be a tragedy. A fatal weakness that could cost your eternal life.

A gift and a curse.

A tap on your shoulder jolted you out of your thoughts. You snapped around, knowing you shouldn’t have.

Another warning ignored, in your stupid and selfish desires, as you met this boy with caramel blonde hair to match his eyes. With a beautiful crystal soul you’d only met twice. Never, not even once, in a human.

 'Hi,' he started, a radiant grin on his lips. 'It's you, isn't it?'

 His smile got your own lips tugging upwards, even his voice a tempting siren call. Another warning bell, sound and clear. 

Why did you keep ignoring it?

Your eyes fell to his extended palm, to the bright coloured gloves he presented with pride. The second later you touched your backpack. Gone. 

You couldn't help but laugh. Fate had its own strange games, ones you’d never understand. 

Coincidences? More like webbed traps that sought its next victim.

 'Well, this is embarrassing,’ you admitted as you reached for what was yours. His own green knits peeked out from his pocket.

 You ignored that as well. 

Another smile that got your knees close to buckling, and he introduced himself as Jimin. A name that tasted like sugar on the tip of your tongue. Nothing had ever been so velvet soft.

No other immortal would’ve laughed at the clumsy joke that followed. But somehow he did it, and you couldn’t resist.

 But perhaps it wasn’t for the joke itself, as it could’ve been the laughter bubbling from his soul. An enticing sound that for the first time ever, made you want to keep it. To play it again,  to carry it with you.

To the next decade, and perhaps even to the next.

A selfish something to cheer you up on your path of solitude.

 Was this what humans felt? Was this the experience you’d yearned to have? To have his energy field interact with yours, your celadon-tinged hue welcoming his unfamiliar humanity. Both trying to feel each other, to understand each other. 

He wasn't at fault. How could’ve he known?

But you did. And that made the difference. You'd allowed it. Even though the caress was one of strange intimacies, far beyond polite interaction you'd allow from an immortal. Two different worlds. Two different beings. 

Who was this kid?

 And why did he pique your interest this much?

As he shifted with an invite lingering on his lips, you could tell he waited for the perfect moment. But it wasn’t about you, it was his humanity, its fragility. 

And you weren't supposed to befriend humans.

So before the perfect moment reached the present, you cut him off with an excuse. 

Saying that you had to go, even though it faded the bright stars in his eyes.

As if the words that you were running very very late were words of a rejection.

Which they were.

For his own good.

 So you held strong, even when his warmth and the energy of life sunk its claws into your heart. He'd gotten too close, somehow, amidst your protective shields and barriers you had honed to perfection. Who knew a heart could feel so close with only a word and a smile.

And it was then, after the rejection that wasn't one, when his shadows raised its head again to step forward. To stand next to him and seep its dark haze all over his crystal blue. 

And there was nothing you could do.

 For this brief moment you hated the whole world. But most of all you hated yourself for what you were. Because you’d given way to his demons.

 And what you had intended as a kind deed had caught up with its consequences after all.

  *** *** ***

  The third time was a test, a miraged choice presented in the most innocent of ways. 

His human steps light and a haunted tune on his lips, he stopped at the traffic lights. His energy had already recognised yours, a welcome brushing against your outer perimeter.

Your brows knitted together in a frown. The touch gentle and barely there. Was this really possible? For a human?

His eyes found yours, as if he’d too felt it. You could tell, by the way his face lit up with a smile that could save the worlds. No hesitation, not even an ounce. And you knew it would never be simple, never as clear as black and white.

Too many greys. Too many shades and too many angles.

A warning jolted through your spine. You glanced at the road, as if someone had called your name. Your true name. And you knew why, as you saw a car approaching at an impossible speed. 

 The traffic light binged green for crossing.

No.

 You weren't to get involved, you weren’t allowed to.

But you'd never forgive yourself.

Not when this beautiful soul would have to leave. Not when his only crime was crossing roads with you.

 And something inside of you snapped. Eyes widening, you watched your fingertips tingle with familiar silver threads reaching out, to disappear into dimensional space. First time ever your energy acted before your command. 

It had acted on its own.

Time slowed to a crawl of a snail, until it stopped. A leaf lingered mid-air, its path stopped and stilled by your interference.

Even Jimin stood there, with everyone else in a world drained of colour. Muted tones, too many greys.

You hated yourself. But it was done.

As if your body was no longer yours, you made your way through the stilled crowd. Of laughs midway through, of clothes stilled in movement, of a toddler with a crocodile tear on her cheek. Of many more people, in mid-step, waiting, expecting, chatting.

How silly. Everyone else was safe.

Only Jimin had been moving too quick. Because of you. Because he’d seen you.

And now it was too late. Perhaps Fate had assigned you to suffer, to face the consequences of no willpower. Perhaps you were too different, even for your own world. Perhaps being different was a sin, even in a world filled with so many beings, entities, of energies.

‘I’m sorry,’ you whispered, your fingertips brushing against his cheek. Even though the stilled world held too many greys, the spark remained in his caramel-chocolate browns. Even his cute little nose had crinkled up, a sign of a forming grin.

Your eyes fell on his lips. What would it feel like?

 Just once?

 Was it really that bad of a crime? This human, who'd given warmth to your cold body, blood moving with fervor - heat you’d never felt before. And for the first time in centuries, your hands felt warm. 

And your body buzzed with life you’d never felt before.

 But he’s just a human.

 You pulled at his hand, leading him back to the sidewalk. In this moment he would live. The choice had been made, and this bright soul would live.

Your free hand balled into a fist - you'd saved him, even if it was the last thing you did. If you went down, if the Ancient Council called you out, it’d be for a reason.

You'd lived long enough anyway.

 What was the use of being a goddess if you had to obey rules. Ones no one really remembered, created eons ago, only vaguely referenced. Only the Source itself could act as a judge. And perhaps Fate.

 You came to a halt with a bitter smile. This gentle soul had given you what you’d asked for, even if he’d never know. 

You pulled off your mittens, the bright orange ones that would forever remind you of Jimin. You took his hand in yours, whispering your last blessings in an Ancient language not many remembered.

A charm of sorts you rarely used, for good luck one never had enough of. But also something of yours, no matter how stupid it might've been.

Closing the charm with a quick peck on his cheek, you stepped away. One out of indulgence rather than necessity. One last side-step you allowed.

Be gone, you whispered, and the energy rose in a whirlwind.

And then you left for the last time.

   ~

BTS Oneshot Collection: Gods & Goddesses AU

#sfwbangtan #jimin #park himin #bts #bts fanfiction #btsfanfiction #btsfanfic #bts fanfic #strawberrymarshmallowstories

[bloggerblagger]

85) Hashtag Strap-on. Edinburgh Fringe 2018, explored, explained,  and reviewed.

If you have a spare few days left in August, drop everything and take advantage of my top holiday tip. Take the high road or the low road, the plane or even the train (provided you’re prepared to stand for four or five hours)  and  hightail it to the Athens of the North.

The Edinburgh Fringe is truly a once in a lifetime experience. And that’s an understatement. Because once you get the bug you may very well find yourself  - like me - going  back year after year.

Never mind that the weather is often, inevitably, dreich. (Dictionary definition: Scottish dialect for ‘Bleak, miserable, dismal, cheerless, dreary.’ And pronounced and meaning almost exactly the same as  ‘dreck’  which is Yiddish for lousy. How curious.)

Worry not that the  restaurant prices are ludicrous - in a bad way.  Nor that you’ll be lucky to get a room you could swing a kitten with dwarfism in, no matter how much you’re willing to pay - ‘how much?!!!’. Nor even that the pavements are so crowded - ‘OMG, will you just get out of the fucking way?!’ - you have to walk in the road if you want to travel above  sub sloth pace.

Because, really, who gives a shit? What’s the occasional near death experience compared to the non stop adrenaline rush of the Fringe.

If there is a better legal high available, answers on a postcard please.

Do mind the quality and still feel the width.

It is said there are 3000 shows on during the Fringe and that, during August,  the population of Edinburgh doubles. Frankly when you’re there it feels like these are gross under estimates.

Every lecture hall, every  room - very possibly every broom cupboard -  in the University campus becomes a theatre. Every basement in every pub and every loft above every bar seems to have a mic and a makeshift stage. And every doorway in every street seems to lead to a stand up comedian, or a sketch show, or a play, or to music or magic or mime.

The standard length - and it rarely varies - of any performance is one hour and shows begin at 9a.m and go on to 1 or 2 the following morning. If you had the stamina  and could survive the sensory overload,  you could, theoretically, do ten shows a day. But  even if you did, you would still see less than 10% of what is available.

And the standard is astonishing. True, every so often you come across a dud but, in my experience - three years now -  for a show even to be  average it  has to be pretty damn good.

Essential Fringe primer. 

Eight super-cunning tips (in no particular order).

1) If you want to know the best things to see,  find a friend who has been and ask them. LIKE ME! My reviews are below and as regular followers of my blog know, I am never wrong. Failing that, Google the  recommendations from The Guardian, the Beeb and The Scotsman.

2)  It’s useful to understand the basic ‘architecture’ of the event because there are several events going on in parallel in Edinburgh.

First, the original Edinburgh Festival festival which takes place in proper venues and is sort of proper culcher  and proper expensive.

Second, the Edinburgh Fringe which, as it name suggests, exists outside the Festival  proper, began nearly 50 years ago, has grown like the Beanstalk on steroids, and in which, shows, generally speaking, charge £10-12 for entrance.

Third, there is the Free Fringe, in which you find acts, so far as I can tell, that  are not in the actual Fringe and for which you can get a separate programme, and which, as the name suggests, don’t charge.

(There are also lots of other things going on - like the Edinburgh Book Festival - but I am not sure where they fit into the scheme of things. Might be part of the actual Festival, but not really relevant.)

3) Download and use the Edinburgh Fringe App. It’s really cleverly designed and once you’ve worked it out, it’s a great way to narrow down the insane choice, to find out what tickets are available, and offers an easy way to buy them. (I didn’t even bother getting the  hard copy brochure/guide. Who wants to schlep a telephone directory around?)

4) There are lots of shows you can take children and young teens to, but if you want to avoid a lot of  the kids, go on August 15th or afterwards. Because, as odd as it seems to us non-Scots, Scottish schools return for the autumn term in mid-August.  I am inclined to think that is the best time to go anyway. After a couple of weeks the shows will be properly grooved.

5) If you are part of a couple try it to make sure you are there on a Monday and Tuesday. There are lots of two for one offers available to all on those days.

6) Couples going for a few days or more, should get a Friend of the Fringe membership. Costs £35, and there lots of other ‘two for one’ offers available every day to FOFs.

Otherwise, to see 3 or 4 shows a day (the right level, for a serious  and hardy Fringe goer, I would say) you need to budget about £40 per day per person for entertainment before costs of  food, drinks, accom etc. Well, I never said it was cheap. ((By the way, my max fringe binge  this year was five shows in one day.)

7) Build your schedule around the plays at the Traverse theatre. The Traverse, known as one of     Britain’s leading centres of new writing, is not strictly part of the Fringe nor part of the Festival but hovers somewhere in between. HOWEVER, its programme is included in the Fringe. (No, I don’t quite understand either, but that’s what I was told.)

Anyway, notwithstanding that, they put on about half a dozen plays of about 60-90 mins length - why aren’t all plays that short? - cuts out nine tenths of the snoring - and they rotate them so they play at different times every day. Invariably brilliant stuff and probably all sold out this year. But they do get RETURNS. Call them on 0131 228 1404 to find out how to get one.

8) My strong advice is to book accommodation as far in advance in possible - like right now for next year - even if you are not 100 per cent sure you are going. You can always cancel.  I stay 20 miles out of town with friends - lucky me! - and this year, hired a car and every day drove into a Park n’ Ride (50p per day) and caught the train in for the last 5 miles. Inexpensive and just about manageable, although it took some organising. So if you have some mates in striking distance, blag a room.

If you have a ‘winibago’, you could do as a few enterprising Fringe goers do and take your leviathan and park in a Park ’n Ride. (There are quite a few situated all around the borders of Edinburgh.) Not sure I would want to stay in the Hotel Park n’ Ride but I saw people who did it.

This year’s BloggerBlagger  reviews.

I went to twenty three things in all. (22 performances of one kind or another plus 1 something else.)

These comprised, again in no particular order:

Five straight plays.

Games. A two hander based upon the story of two Jewish women at the time of the Berlin Olympics and simply stunning, as were Borders and Angels,  the last two fringe offerings written by former comedian Henry Naylor.  Henry, (who I am pleased to call a friend from the time I directed him in a Direct Line campaign 20  years ago - yes, funny old world) was  bracketed by one reviewer with Athol Fugard after the recent off-Broadway production of ‘Angels’.  

His standard does not drop. ‘Games’ is gripping from first to last and subtly draws chilling parallels with the era of Trump. Commit murder to get a ticket. (You may have to.) Five Bloggerblaggerstars.

Freeman. Half a dozen actors, with no scenery, constantly switch between different roles and different centuries to produce a riveting commentary on the sins of slavery and it’s rippling effect into the present day. Wonderful performances. Great imagination. Utterly compelling. Not on any account to be missed. Five Bloggerblaggerstars.

Revenants. A more conventional piece of theatre set in 1942 in which Queen Mary (widow of George V) is portrayed as a game old bird with a touch more brain power than the Royal Family are usually said to have. Surprisingly this too, turns out to be a story about race.

Had its moments but didn’t quite do it for me.Three Bloggerblaggerstars.

Underground Railroad Game. A theatrical experience like no other I have ever experienced. Once again this is about slavery,  a  mesmerising two hander  at the Traverse presented in a constantly shifting context and style. Sometimes comedic, sometimes tragic, and sometimes explicitly  and, even for a man of the world like me, shockingly  sexual, it never stops surprising.

Two wonderful performances, particularly by Jennifer Kidwell, an actor of astonishing power. You may have to commit a murder for this one too, but well worth  a lifetime in prison  so go for it.

My joint pick of the week.Five Bloggerblaggerstars Plus.

Chihuahua. A clever one woman performance that switches between the life of a character in  an Edith Wharton novel and that of a waitress in a coffee shop in Scotland; two women who are linked in a not very defined way by chihuahuas. This was presented in a much smaller venue than the other plays I saw, and also unlike those, it was only half full.

I thought the actress and writer, whose name I didn’t write down and now can’t locate on the internet, was heroic in the face of such a small audience. I think the title might be the problem. I am sure there must be something  that would grab a passer-by or a flicker-through with  much more grip. Three and a bit BloggerBlaggerStars.

Two plays with music.

What are Girls Made Of?.  Another Traverse presentation, this one with four excellent actors, three of whom were obviously at least as gifted as musicians,  and the fourth of whom sang wonderfully. Apparently she would have danced too had she not suffered a nasty injury at some previous performance,  a misfortune that the disembodied voice of the artistic director of the Traverse told us about  at the outset, before apologising for the show’s relative shortcomings and  begging the audience’s  indulgence. She needn’t have bothered her invisible head.

Cora Bissett, the injured singer, was so assured in this tale of the sudden rise and precipitous fall of a young rock star, told  as she approaches forty, that neither she nor we missed a step. She was completely convincing in the role,  unsurprisingly in a sense, since it was her own true life story she was telling, and, of course, she wrote it. Five Bloggerblaggerstars.

Vulvarine. Much more authentically Fringe in that it was conceived and performed by five fresh faced performers with great verve and obvious talent but with the odd rough edge still to be professionally smoothed. ‘Vulverine’ is a more than creditable  attempt at a musical comedy with a sort of ironic feminist theme and has some quite decent tunes and lyrics and  more than a few genuinely funny bits.

Allie Munro, plays the lead part of boring Brony Buckle who is transformed into Superheroine Vulvarine, and she was, I thought,  terrific.  Likewise the rest of the cast with one obvious exception. But given the youthful gusto that made this show so much fun, it would seem mean to name the culprit so, should you go, you can decide for yourself who I meant. Four Bloggerblaggerstars.

Four other musical shows.

21st Century Speakeasy Andrea Carlson and the Love  Police. Andrea Carlson, who, I would guess, is comfortably north of fifty,  has a sweet voice, vaguely reminiscent of Blossom Dearie if you are old enough to know who that is or maybe Maria Muldaur if you’re a little bit younger.

Sadly she had a rather faded quality - her costume seemed a little contrived and dated - and I don’t think it was intentional. The tunes were, by and large, pleasant enough  and she and her rather elderly backing musicians performed faultlessly, but the whole thing felt slightly tragic to me, an impression not helped by the only half-filled room. Two Bloggerblaggerstars.

Jess Robinson - No filter. This was  not a name I knew but she played to a packed audience in a relatively large venue so evidently a lot of people knew what I had been missing. Jess Robinson seems to be not just a singer, but an impressionist and has, according to Wikipedia,  been on the telly quite a bit, in Dead Ringers amongst other things. (She also nearly made the final of Britain’s Got Talent, seventh series.)

Regrettably I didn’t know many of the people she was impersonating as her cast of characters didn’t include   Vera Lynn or Gracie Fields or Marie Lloyd or Mrs.Patrick Campbell. My companion on the night described it as a bit ‘low rent’ which I thought was a tad harsh, but I knew what she meant. Two and a half Bloggerblaggerstars.

Johnny Woo’s Brexit Cabaret. Not a terribly clever musical revue with nothing very original to say about you know what. I didn’t realise Johnny Woo was a drag artist and I probably wouldn’t have gone if I had.  (More fool me for not perusing the blurb closely enough.)

I have never understood the point of drag - never got panto dames or Danny LaRue - although I suppose I do  remember liking the film of La Cage Aux Folles. And in the modern world, where, happily,  everyone in enlightened countries has the opportunity  (theoretically anyway) to be what they want to be - drag seems to me to be somehow redundant. Slick but shallow is about the best I can say of this effort. Two Bloggerblaggerstars.

Frau Welt. Another drag show, though this time, I had a better excuse as it was the only show on in the place where I  was, at the time I was there, and I was determined to see something, anything. This one was full-on screaming camp and I found the first ten minutes  spectacularly unamusing. One word kept coming to mind: WHY? Then I left. Zero  Bloggerblaggerstars.

Five stand ups.

All the stand-ups I saw this year, apart from the polished old stager, Fred MacAulay - whom I caught in the second half of The Best of Scottish Comedy, which a friend smuggled me into after I had fled the horrendous Frau Welt - were just a little disappointing. None were remotely bad, but none got me guffawing uncontrollably.

They were all watchable and, every so often, amusing and applaudable but, apart  from Maisie Adams, none seemed to me to have any stardust sprinkled on them. She has a routine in  which she discusses  her own epilepsy, and at  24 - she told us that - is clearly a natural performer. But she wound  up by telling us how she had overcome her disability, and being the ancient curmudgeon that I am, I found that bit a touch self-congratulatory.

AAA (Batteries Not Included) with ChrisTurner

Gràinne Maguire

Jan Lafferty:  Wheesht!

All two point six seven three ( why not?) Bloggerblaggerstars.

Maisie Adams Three and a tad Bloggerblaggerstars.

The  Best of Scottish comedy: Fred MacAulay. Four Bloggerblaggerstars.

Three other comic turns (I think you would classify them as ‘absurdist’)

Siblings. This two girl comedy duo is made up of  the  Bye sisters, who, as the ultracognoscenti know, are the real life daughters of Ruby Wax. (And Ed Bye - poor bloke, never gets a mention.) I saw them last year and thought they were hilarious, but,  as I remember it, their routine was slightly more conventional, in that there was a logical thread that you could just about follow.

This year it seemed to have a larger element of out and out bonkersness which didn’t really work for a couple of the people I had insisted accompany me. “You will LOVE them” I had said, but it was quickly evident they were just baffled. I would say (the) Siblings probably weren’t  quite as funny as last year but I really can’t be sure because all I could  think about were the fingers of blame that would be jabbed at me afterwards.“You said we’d love them.Love WHAT?” 

Three Bloggerblaggerstars. (My friends are superannuated old gits, so what would they know.)

The Kagools. Another female duo, Aussies Claire Ford and Nicky Wilkinson, who have a completely word-free act that is simply ingenious. They interact with a film of themselves  so that they are live on stage one moment and the next vanishing behind the screen to reappear in the film. It is clearly rehearsed to the millisecond because the timing is absolutely perfect - a moving arm  is  half live and half on film at one point, seemingly without a join.

The really impressive thing though is that,  despite the precision, it all seems completely spontaneous. The technique never gets in the way of the comedy and The Kagools are simultaneously  wonderfully silly and completely charming. An absolute delight, they are the other half of my joint pick of the week. Five Bloggerblaggerstars Plus.

Claire Sullivan, I wish I owned a hotel for dogs. Another Aussie, Claire takes absurdist comedy to new heights - or to new records of excess in whichever dimension absurdism exists. Think Vic and Bob on acid. And then some. Quite honestly, I didn’t have the faintest idea what was going on at any time, but she has a winning way which can’t but help force a smile. I did like her but I really don’t know why. Two and a half Bloggerblaggerstars.

One acrobaticky sort of show.

360 All Stars.  Five blokes in baseball caps worn at various angles doing tricks on BMX’s and with basketballs and  breakdancing mentally and doing somersaults and all that sort of thing. Probably great for the ten and unders and not too bad for the rest of us. But I wouldn’t be falling over myself to go again. Seen better Circusy things at the Fringe.Two and a half Bloggerblaggerstars.

Two ‘well known names’ shows.

Maureen Lipman. As those with knowledge of my murky advertising past  will know, Maureen and I go a long way back, so in aiming for proper objectivity, I might have to have be  more critical than I normally would be. In which case, she was even better than I thought, and that was very, very good indeed.

Her show was a splendid mixture, of comedy monologues, jolly good jokes and some excellent music supplied by Jackie Dankworth (Cleo and Johnny’s daughter I assume),  a fine pianist and, extraordinarily, on guitar, Harry Shearer, legendary Simpsons’ voice and co-writer and co-star of Spinal Tap.

At 72 - don’t think I’m giving away secrets there -  and now in Coronation Street, Maureen has, despite achieving national treasure status,  most definitely not run out of creative steam.  Sadly you can’t get tickets for this show no matter who you kill, because her run has  finished. Five Bloggerblaggerstars.

Nina Conti. *And now, at last, to the explanation of  ‘hashtag strap-on’. Nina Conti’s show began with another pre-performance announcement, this time to tell us that there was a Tourettes sufferer in the audience and to ask for our understanding. She turned out to be sitting a few rows behind my  seat and began to randomly pepper the show with lots of very audible ‘biscuits’ and suchlike. I can’t say this wasn’t slightly off-putting while at the same time provoking an occasionally guilty giggle, and it would have been a fearsome challenge for most performers.

Fortunately much of Nina Conti’s incredibly clever ventriloquist’s act -  I was in the front row and never saw her lips move once -  is ad-libbed and she somehow contrived  to incorporate one or two of the Tourettisms into the show, notably ‘tortoises’. (Really can’t explain but it was both utterly surreal and bloody funny.) The highpoint came when Nina, who uses volunteers from the audience as her dummies by fitting  pigs’ masks on their faces, and operating the lips with a hand control, was fiddling about with one of the velcro ties that holds each mask in place. ‘Hashtag Strap-On’ shouted out the Tourettes lady and  almost literally stopped the show. Five Bloggerblaggerstars.

One participation game-show (no audience)

Werewolves. A parlour game with twenty participants paying a tenner each, played at midnight every night,  masterminded by an Australian (they’re everywhere in Edinburgh) called Nick who sports a long beard, a topper and full Edwardian costume including an ankle length fur coat that must be a fraction too warm even in a Scottish summer.

The rules are a bit too complex to explain but think of it as a sort of  super de luxe, infinitely wittier version of the game where you wink at people to kill them. I warn you. It is addictive. Having made my debut last year, I played three times last week- meaning I was still up at two on three mornings! - and loved it. (Also a winner - twice! Not that I’m one to brag.) Totally recommended. 

Twenty Five Bloggerblaggerstars at least.

[oosteven-universe]

The Visitor #3

The Visitor #3 Valiant Entertainment 2019 Written by Paul Levitz Illustrated by MJ Kim Coloured by Ulises Arreola Lettered by Simon Bowland     The Visitor’s origin revealed!? As the unkillable assassin continues hunting his targets, the fate of the future begins to come into focus.     Oh I am loving this book! There are moments throughout that make you shake your head and double and triple check what you saw and read to make sure it wasn't a mistake. Paul shows us why he's still one of today's most accomplished writers and I couldn't be any more thrilled by this. Also I really am enjoying seeing how someone can be prejudiced based on culture because it really isn't something we see that often, at least not in this manner. Of course there's more at play here and by turning to the Americans they've opened a can of worms that they will have to explain at some point.     I think the way that this is being told is extremely well handled. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented sensationally. There is some nice layering happening here and we can multiple characters each with their own agenda and one who just wants to do her job. The way we see things happening we may not notice how intricate the layering really is. The character development is phenomenal and the more the we see them the more we get to know them and our opinions keep changing just like they would in real with the more we learn. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way it helps to create this dynamic ebb & flow.     This is full of those awkward moments and delicious tension that gives you pause. You pause because you don't know what is going to pop out at you but you need to turn the page to find out what's going to pop out at you. This level of engagement as well as how Paul takes us off-script is phenomenally well achieved. Also as I think about it all these moving parts are like the inner working of a clock, each separate piece and yet continually working together in sync to create something greater as a whole. Coincidentally this is also the way that the entire creative team works together.     The interiors here are utterly marvellous to behold. The linework is mindbogglingly good and it shows such a strong and steady hand as the varying weights create this quality and level of detail. I am super impressed with how we see backgrounds utilised here and how they are utilised within the composition in the panels to bring us depth perception, scale and that overall sense of size and scope. As I sit here looking at this I really am awed by the linework and just how well we see this attention to detail it's really beautiful. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masters eye for storytelling. The colour work is done with aplomb. The work really is divine and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours to create the shading, highlights and shadows is amazing. ​     I expect a lot from Valiant and this exceeds the standards I have placed on them. The way that the story keeps unfolding and introducing new elements as one are revealed keeps this so mesmerising. Then there are moments like when Talia was examining the blood that are well you can see for yourself but damn. Also I am dying to know more about this Visitor and how human it is because that love affair he had I want to see more of. This is the hot now series and if you aren't reading it then you're missing out on one of the truly great reads.

#comic books #comics reviews #Valiant Entertainment #paul levitz #mj kim #Ulises Arreola #simon bowland

[oosteven-universe]

Street Fighter Akuma vs. Hell #1

Street Fighter Akuma vs. Hell #1 UDON Entertainment/Capcom 2019 Written by Ken Siu-Chong Illustrated by Joe Vriens Coloured by Josh Perez Lettered by Marshall Dillon     After his encounter with the demonic Darkstalkers, Akuma chose to remain in the hellish Makai dimension to take his training to terrifying new levels. Alone in a demonic landscape, Akuma battles unearthly creatures, giant monstrosities, and an undead ghost from his past!     Can I just say that I am a huge fan of the Street Fighter franchise as it's being done here at UDON. I know this is a video game, hell I saw it in the Arcade in the 80's and in the bowling alley if I'm not mistaken however, what Ken does with the writing here is so incredibly fantastic to me. He manages to give these characters depth and layers like we would see in anyone we meet. Aside from that we still get a damn good, solid story and the action and fighting that are requisite with this type of book. Everything is here that needs to be here and then some.     This issue was absolutely stunning to me. The story & plot development alongside the character development that we see as they can be one single entity or more as they need to be. The depth of the characterisation here is mindbogglingly good. So when you add in the pacing this story takes on a whole new trajectory. There is not one thing here that is not essential to the story, not entertaining in some way and it is completely revealing and almost stripping Akuma to his basics before building him back up again. This took me by surprise, blew me away and needs to be considered for those Ringo Awards with that writer, best issue, artist, cover artist, letterer you name it!     I hope with all sincerity that those of you reading this will pick this up, make sure your shop orders if they don't have it. This single issue makes me want more. I wanna see what's next with Akuma and after the way this issue ends yeah that's gonna need to happen. As a reviewer I read a ton of books a week and I average about 25 reviews and for me to this excited, enthusiastic and overall just plain blown away should be enough to tell you how good this is. The way characterisation is something we get once in a blue moon as the depths that Ken takes it and how articulately he manages to show us through Akuma's own narration and dialogue leaves a changed man.     So while I am gushing about the writing here we need to talk about how strong the interior artwork here is. From the opening with Lilith and the Lady Morrigan and her servants we see how strong, clean and crisp the linework is. The varying weights that we see which bring out this attention to detail is marvellous and can be either humorous or incredibly frightening. The way we see action sequences and how they show movement as well how we see depth perception through the use of foregrounds and backgrounds is stupendous. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show us a masterful eye for storytelling. I can't believe I am about to say this but the lack of backgrounds is fine with me because of the movement, and how the creatures fill the panels. The colour work is serendipitous to the linework. I mean to see all these colours, their hues and tones within them being utilised and how they all manage to create this shading and shadows makes me want to weep with joy. ​     The opening makes you want to see more, the meat of the story captives, mesmerises and thrills you while the ending leaves anticipating what is next. And what's next is exactly what I want to see. Sigh UDON has a great way of releasing their books to keep us hungry, on our toes and eager to snatch up the next one. So for those of you who aren't reading this or think it's cheesy or the kind of book you wouldn't think to get, it's time to branch out, change your mind and this up. Start buying one book a week from a company like this and see what happens when you experience this level and quality of storytelling.

#comic books #comics reviews #udon entertainment #capcom #Ken Siu-Chong #joe vriens

[oosteven-universe]

Something is Killing the Children #3

Something is Killing the Children #3 Boom! Studios 2019 Written by James Tynion IV Illustrated by Werther Dell'Edra Coloured by Miquel Muerto Lettered by AndWorld Design     Things in Archer’s Peak are only growing worse. Erica Slaughter is on the hunt, but the children are still dying. Angry and afraid, the inhabitants turn their suspicions on the stranger in their midst, the woman who arrived just as the killings began. Will Erica be able to save the town, or will the very people she is trying to protect turn on her?     This is what I love about James writing, he never lets you think you know what is going on here. Erica's role in this is to stop the killings that much we know but the whole time she's at the jail with the Sheriff the way we see the dialogue is extraordinarily well done. I mean there's a whole lot said while nothing is really said at all and it's this that draws me to his writing. The exchanges they have and the way everything between is laid out if utterly brilliant to see on paper it's just that matter of fact simple.     The story & plot development that we see through the sequence of events unfolding and how the reader is given information is exceptionally well done. The entire time we are reading this everything that we see feels as if it's right, normal or natural in how they occur and this is beautiful to see. The character development is phenomenal to see. How the situations that the characters find themselves in and how they react to that helps to define them and keep their evolution moving ever forward. With the pacing here, which is sublime, we see how the twists and turns give the book this unique ebb & flow. There is a way to tell this near slice of life way of storytelling that feels like a day in the life as the story needs room to grow and James does that beautifully here.     The opening here is fantastic! It has everything it would need to grab the readers' attention, draw them in and leave them wanting to know more. Then of course there is what will become infamously known around the business as the interrogation scene that is one of if not THE best scenes in comicdom. Now if you think I say this lightly or that my opinion is skewed or somehow misplaced on that, you clearly haven't read it because once you do you'll understand, so say we all.     Werther's work on the interiors is just perfectly done. His linework is nicely laid down and we do see this nice utilisation of the varying weights to bring some attention to detail. This issue it's really his utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in them that really blows me away. These two-page spreads and how the panels are done with the conversational stuff just show is the beautiful eye for storytelling. Just the way he manages to utilise the story to flow through him and onto the pages like it spoke to him and said this is how it needs to be seen, granted it might not be that but in my minds eye it is. I am a fan of the colour work we see here as well. The scenes in different settings have different moods and tones to them thanks to the lighting or overall essence of what it's about and the colours mimic and set those perfectly. ​     Overall there is just something that mesmerises the reader so acutely that it's eerie. James is a stupendous writer and he's got this talent that seems to ooze into every project he works on and it's always a damn good time.  

#comic books #comics reviews #BOOM! Studios #james tynion iv #werther dell'edera #miquel muerto

[oosteven-universe]

John Carpenter’s Tales of Science Fiction: Surviving Nuclear Attack #3

John Carpenter's Tales of Science Fiction Surviving Nuclear Attack #3 Storm King Productions 2019 Written by Joe Harris Illustrated by Cat Staggs Lettered by Janice Chiang     Over sixty years ago, the Archonite Initiative studied the effects of stress and loss upon potential survivors of a nuclear war. Underground, in the dark, and believing they could well be the last humans left alive, the Kutter Family would experience sensory manipulation and divisions in their ranks which would eventually tear them apart. But as the manipulations and machinations of this supposedly abandoned Cold War-era simulator are revealed, Donnie, Keith and the others begin to lose their patience, their minds and their lives.     I don't know what it is about this book that has me so crazy for it but I'll be damned if Joe isn't spinning one of the best slow burn horror thrillers that I've ever seen. Now I don't know if there is something or someone dark and twisted that is still living within this bunker or if it is simply just the computer having an artificial intelligence but either way that it lured these guys in and then restarted a simulation that killed the Kutter family is horrific, creepy and the very thing that kept me glued to The Thing when I saw it in the theatre.     I love the way this is being told. Joe has a way of making the story & plot development and the character development feel like the same thing and as the pacing carries us through the book we begin to see more and more of the odd behaviour that in some way shape or form administered through the ventilation system. The sheer fact that as a reader my mind goes places and tries to find some logical explanation for what's happening means that Joe is doing a hell of a job here. Not only does the reader become engaged and invested in the story and the book but then they talk about it to their friends and family. We all know word of mouth is a very powerful tool.     I am really enjoying the opening flashback to the Kutter family in each issue. So what is up with Bobby and his wandering mind eh? He's a little cutie and his dad well seems a little too, shall we say tightly wound. While I wasn't expecting the Donna Reed family per se, however, I was expecting something along those lines.     The interior artwork here is spectacular. Cat's been amazing in her consistency of the characters and the bunker itself. The linework is beautifully done and there's a nice sense of strength to the lines. Then there is also this sense of realism that we see and it makes all the characters feel that much more human and not just characters. Donnie and Keith are guys I wouldn't mind being stranded with to tell the truth. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a stellar eye for storytelling. When we see the backgrounds being utilised they enhance the moments and bring this size and scope to the book that we need. This bunker was home to four people so its going to need space for all they need and seeing those items reinforces the idea of it. The colour work is sensational and whether it's the normal tones or the emergency green lighting the way that light sources are utilised to create shading and shadows is excellent. I do love the gradation we see in the colours and no matter where of what hues they are utilised in it's stunning work.     Finally something that I wasn't expecting to see and yet was hoping to see. Not accurate when I saw that happen I realised that it should have already happened and didn't realise I missed it until I saw it. So whatever roundabout way I am trying to say this it's a perfectly timed occurrence that may or may not be able to save those still alive. Because let's face it since entering the bunker their life spans have decreased dramatically. ​     This is captivating, mesmerising, engaging and beautifully delivered on ever single level imaginable and then some. ​

#comic books #comics reviews #storm king comics #joe harris #cat staggs #janice chiang

[oosteven-universe]

Blossoms 666 #3

Blossoms 666 #3 Archie Horror 2019 Written by Cullen Bunn Illustrated by Laura Braga Coloured by Matt Herms Lettered by Jack Morelli     Cheryl and Jason Blossom are in a competition to be the one, true Anti-Christ. Following a raucous pool party thrown by the twins, Dilton Doiley, Ethel Muggs and Reggie Mantle all went missing. The disappearances of the three have had people concerned—most of all being Betty Cooper, who’s determined to prove that there’s something up with the Blossom Twins. Meanwhile, back at the Blossom household, the siblings’ rivalry got more challenging when they learned that they’re not the only two competing—so is Julian, their older brother.     Damn you Cullen for this story. I mean I am sitting here contemplating the significance of the first born, let alone the first born son. From the beginning of man’s attempt at recording history we have seen the importance placed upon the first born so why should that be any different here? Still I have spent the last 30 minutes on this subject so damn you and spectacular writing that makes me seek answers to my own questions elsewhere. Actually in all seriousness this is what Cullen he takes you from the story and into your world where you expand upon what you see and try as you might figure out how much is fabrication and how much is from lore.     So the way this issue opens is fantastic as we get to see the birth of the Blossom children. Of course at the same time this is a flashback it’s also the parents telling their children the truth about their brother and how it all came to be that they are where they are now. This of course was a huge deal with what I said above and I am sure that the folks that were there for the delivery thought very much the same thing I had. As is the Blossom way the revelation of the truth was never about welcoming a long lost sibling it was what that meant for them in the long run. You have to love Cheryl because regardless of the situation she isn’t afraid to speak her mind or the first to throw someone under a bus while doing so.     Laura and Matt do some absolutely stunning work on the interiors here. While most colours are muted to set a darker more sinister tone the red-headed Blossoms have their shining like a beacon with this whole notice me I am meant to stand out manner. The linework is utterly gorgeous and how we see the varying weights utilised to bring this to life is sensational. There is a romance and beauty to the book that somehow perfectly fits with this whole Anti-Christ story. It’s not technically Gothic in nature but there is this undeniable presence about it that really keeps this centred in the horror genre. Without even knowing anything about this the work here screams it and it’s captivating, mesmerising and hauntingly beautiful. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off this stupendous eye for storytelling. The way we see backgrounds utilised as well do wonders in enhancing the moment and bringing a sense of size and scope to Riverdale on the whole. ​     This incarnation of Betty as Nancy Drew is something I love seeing. The tomboy fixing cars, innocent and naive in the ways of the world, super sleuth is something that makes her new fresh and fascinating but still somehow keeping her in the vein of her original incarnation. The characterisation we see here is out of this world. Every single page that’s turned leads to something new that is going on in this story and depending on who’s doing what there’s this feeling of unease and foreboding doom and I can’t get enough of it! ​

#comic books #comics reviews #archie horror #cullen bunn #laura braga