#The lack of a red wave is making me punchy

[magpie-to-the-morning]

Good morning beautiful people. I hope you’re all well today. 😘😘😘

#The lack of a red wave is making me punchy #whatever happens #America did NOT give republicans the victory they expected #and I think that’s beautiful #also #I am sleep deprived and giddy

[certifiedskywalker]

Bounty, Meet Hunter - Dyn Jarren (The Mandalorian)

chritsiandior

so basically, i was wondering if u could write a fic of where the reader is the mission that he was offered and he took (like baby yoda in ep1) then after he caught her and put her in his ship, she started to initiate a conversation with him and after it got more personal, they realized there's this lingering sexual tension and they ended up hooking up at the end

AN: I tried to make it as tension packed as I could without traveling ~too far~ if you know what I mean.

You’ve been on the run for years. So what happens when you finally get captured by a quiet Mandalorian that doesn’t like to talk? Well, maybe, that Mandalorian was your way out.

“Whatever they’re paying you, I can double it!”

Silence; aside from your dulled footsteps as you were pulled through the sand.

“Triple it!”

The helmeted man leading you remained quiet. You eyed his confident swagger with a frown. There would be no changing his mind. You had seen his type before. Bounty hunters like him were either wed to the Guild’s code and deathly stubborn. That didn’t mean you wouldn’t try to converse your way out of the bindings. 

“I see you’d be fun at a bidding war,” you teased, hoping you could push him into speaking. Once he returned conversation, then you would hold the power. Then you would be able to slip your way in and out of harm’s way; or wherever the Mandalorian was taking you.

You would have kept talking, kept hurling punchy oneliners at the back of his head, if it weren’t for the people around you. With each step, you could feel the number of eyes on you growing. Small children looked at the Mandalorian with wonder in their eyes but when their gazes landed on you, a dark understanding spread along their features. They knew, every last one of them, that they would never see you walking free ever again.

“Hey, you mind loosening up,” you called out to the Mandalorian. 

He kept walking even as you slowed your pace in the hopes of getting his attention. All it got you was a tug as the slack in the binding stretched between you. You caught yourself before falling face-first into the sand below your feet. With a huff, you caught up with the hunter that had finally laid claim to the bounty on your head. 

You followed him up until his insect-like ship came into sight. Metal limbs planted the hulking beast to the ground; the size alone was enough to fill you with hope. The bigger the ship, the easier it was to escape. There would be more places to hide, to evade complete capture. All you had to do was get the Mandalorian to show you his cards.

“Nice ship you have here,” you shouted over the loud hum of the ship’s ramp lowering. “I get my own suite, I assume?”

As the cargo ramp finished its descent, the Mandalorian turned his helmeted head towards you. Even through the darkened glass and sleek beskar, you could feel the Mandalorian’s annoyance. You gave him a sly, knowing smile. Finally, he was beginning to crack; before long, you would be out of your bindings and free once more.

“Move.”

“What was that?” You leaned towards the bounty hunter, your ear turned in his direction.

“Move.” Before you could sass the Mandalorian again, he gave a yank to the binding that was still tightly gripped in his hand. It wasn’t enough to trip you up, but enough to stir you up.

“Alright, alright,” you marched past him with a smile, “your wish is my command.”

For a moment, you swore you heard a modulated scoff. After a second’s worth of a hestitation, wondering if you had merely imagined the sound, your bindings were jostled again. You raised you hands and waved at the Mandalorian.

“Yeah, I’m going.”

Escape possibilities aside, the bounty hunter’s ship was something to marvel at. The hull was impeccably clean; the only signs that it was even inhabited were the toilet and a spare pair of boots. What unnerved you was the lack of weapons. If you had to, you could make about anything fatal. It was the lack of refined weapons like blasters and rifles that set you on edge. From what little you did know about Mandalorians, their affinity for weapon stashes stuck out in your mind. This one had his favored tools hidden away.

“Keep going,” came the Mandalorian’s voice from behind you. You heard the hiss of the hydraulics as the loading ramp lifted. The last few rays of sunlight were cut from your vision, planting you firmly in captivity. You took a deep, dramatic breath through your nose and readied a new retort; but something stopped you.

“Is that…” you sniffed the air once more.

 The smell was unmistakable. It was just as sharply acidic and metallic as the last time: carbonite. You had been in enough gambling establishment and Hutt-owned cantinas to have become acquainted with the scent. The odor was reminiscent of sweat and blaster-fire. You would have known it anywhere.

“Carbonite.” You craned your neck to looked into the Mandalorian’s helmet. A renewed sense of dread filled your stomach and you tried your best not to show it. You forced your lips into a straight, unmoving line and relaxed your shoulders.

“Yep.”

“You got your own freezer? I bet that was a few thousand credits.” Your words were a poor attempt at calming yourself. An attempt that, you yourself knew, was transparent.

“It did,” he replied curtly, “bounties like yours are how I keep it running.”

“My offer still stan-”

“Cockpit is up the stairs,” the Mandalorian interrupted. Straight to business, you thought bitterly, he was definitely from the Guild. 

You bit your tongue and took the next few steps up the stairs. An array of blinking lights and buttons assaulted your vision. None of the said buttons were labeled or their function obvious to you. Without knowing the controls, there was no way you could safely navigate the ship if you managed to work free of your bindings.

The sound of the Mandalorian’s boots stomping behind you sent a chill down your spine. Carefully, you spared a glance behind you. In the sleek shine of the beskar helmet reflected the flashing colors. With each step the Mandalorian took, the lights looked like red and green stars dancing along the metal; except for the scattered, damaged patches.

“Sit,” he extended his arm out and gestured to a small chair situated behind the pilot’s console. You struggled for a moment before putting a smile on your face. 

“Why thank you,” you sat yourself down, “I don’t mind if I do.”

Silently, the Mandalorian took the pilot’s seat and flipped a few dials on the control panel before him. You watched his every movement with a careful eye. Although you tried to ignore how the thick slope of his shoulder met with the muscle of his upper arm. Even under his plate of armor and heavy fabric, you could tell he was strong. When the engines roared to life, you realized just how long you had been staring.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” you started with a sigh, “but who called for the bounty?”

“I do mind.” You stifled a bitter laugh that threatened to crawl up your throat. All you had to do was buy yourself some time and keep him distracted.

“Was it Harkness? No, he’s with the New Republic now...” 

As you spoke, you glanced around the cockpit. The immediate area was clean of any makeshift weapons. Nothing jostled loose as the ship took off into the dark space above. In fact, it was eerily quiet; to the point where all you heard your own heartbeat. Anxious to fill the noiseless void, you spoke up once more.

“It’s Hondo...Okna...Hondo Ohnaka. It’s got to be him.”

“The Guild doesn’t ask questions.” A smile slipped to your lips. You had been right: he was in the Guild. The rush of pride you felt at your correct assumption faded a second after. His Guild membership would make any possible corrupt all the more difficult. 

“I guess that leaves the questions to me then, huh?”

You heard it that time, that barely-there scoff. The sound was enough to make your smile shine true; something you didn’t think was possible outside gambling and running scams. Before you let yourself dwell on that thought any longer, you shook your head. There wasn’t time to get lost like that. Especially when you had a bounty hunter with a strange temperament and a carbonite freezer at his disposal. 

“You got a name?”

“Not for you to know,” he retorted. 

“You don’t like to talk much, do you?”

Inadvertently answering your question, the Mandalorian stayed silent. You let out a hum of amusement and shifted in your seat. It already felt like you had been sitting for hours and depending on where your bounty was placed, you could be sitting for much longer. After crossing then uncrossing your legs, struggling to get comfortable, you sighed.

“How much longer until we reach the site of my demise?”

“At least you have humor,” the modulated voice nearly sent chills down your spine. Was that a compliment? You forced your mind to clear and found your voice.

“You hafta have something,” you eyed the dome of his helmet before adding, “like how you have your armor. Beskar, right?”

“Right.”

You leaned forward and tried to look into the visor of the helmet. From what you could tell, the bounty hunter’s armor was worn. Spots, where a blaster bolt struck the painted metal, shone under the blinking lights in the cockpit. How long had he worn the set?

“Do you ever take that off?”

He turned to face you, the mask gleaming under the flashing dials as his gaze peered at you through the darkened visor. Your cheeks warmed as you realized the double meaning of your words. Panic flooded your system and you opened your mouth to speak; at first, only a choked sound slipped out.

“I-I…”

“Yes.” You could almost feel him smiling at you from under his helmet. This was not how it was supposed to go. You were not the one to fluster but there you were, floundering.

“I didn’t mean…I know that…” 

As you stumbled over your words, the bounty hunter turned his gaze back to the console. You let your still tied hands fall into your lap with defeat. With a sigh, you leaned back in your chair and set your feet up. The Mandalorian turned his head once more, all of the amusement gone in the way he held himself. 

“What?”

“Get your feet off my ship.”

“In that case, do you have an escape pod, Mando?” He sighed at your question, although you were only half-joking.

“No.” He stood up and you watched him go. He flipped a dial or two on a console to the left of his seat. When he turned back around and saw your feet still lifted, he tilted his head. Even with his expressionless helmet, he was so easy for you to read.

“Fine,” you moved your feet, “but answer me this.” You shifted to sit upright and face him. The Mandalorian was already posed to protest.

“I don’t-”

“Is it true what they say?” When his head cocked to the side you stood up. “Is it true what they say about Mandalorians?”

You took a step towards him and you watched his stance stiffen. His hand moved to the side and pushed aside his cloak. Underneath, you saw the shine of his holstered blaster. You took another step towards him. For a moment, it was like you were gambling again: would he fire or were you reading into his well-crafted bluff. 

“I don’t know what you’re trying to imply.” You leaned close to him, to the point where you could feel his body heat mingling with your own.

“That they like to keep the helmet on du-”

A loud, ear-piercing alarm cut off your teasing. You spun and glanced out the viewport. The console before the port was now home to a now flashing red light. Something told you that, out of all the blinking dials on this unique ship, that the large red one was not meant to go off. You turned back to the Mandalorian who was already reaching past you. 

“The fuel tank,” he grumbled and he slammed his fist down on the console.

“A leak?” You asked, but he was already stomping down the stairs to the hull.

You followed swiftly after him as the alarm grew louder and louder. Red light poured down around you and made everything in the ship darker. The shine of the Mandalorian’s helmet turned crimson and, under the light, you understood why Mandalorian armor was so prized. Overall, it looked menacing, dangerous, and strong.

“Go back up!” He shouted as he pulled away a segment of the wall. A series of pipes were exposed and a wave of familiarity washed over you. This, this was something you knew.

“How many tanks?”

The Mandalorian turned his head and you could feel his muddled shock. 

“How many tanks does your ship have?”

“Five.” 

You nodded and nudged the helmeted man aside. Carefully, you brushed your fingers along the five largest pipes. The first two were hot to the touch, the third ice cold. After you dragged your fingertips along the last two pipes and pulled away with warmed hands, you sat back on your heels. “Your main thruster tank is malfunctioning.” You looked up and saw the bounty hunter staring down at you. “What? I wasn’t always a smuggler and notorious gambler.”

Silence, although, this time, it wasn’t out of professionalism. He was surprised. You tried to imagine what this nameless man looked like. You wondered if his eyebrows, which were most likely raised in shock, were bushy. Perhaps he was handsome; if that was the case, you surely hoped that what you had heard about Mandalorians was wrong. 

“I need to reroute the fuel,” you said, letting logic take hold of your wandering thoughts. “Do you have an impact wrench and,” you glanced back at the pipes, “a hexdriver?”

The Mandalorian darted off and you went back to the pipes in the wall. You thought back to every lesson and swallowed the memory of who taught you how to listening to the whistling of the metal and flow of fuel. Memories resurfaced anyway and you felt a sense of underlying darkness. You had been doomed from the start. 

Now, here you were, repairing the ship of a bounty hunter so you both wouldn’t die lost in space. Instead, once you fixed the ship, you would be killed by whoever placed a hefty bounty on your head. Either way, you were faced with death. Before you could dwell any longer, the natural weight of hexdriver fell into your hand.

When you looked up, the Mandalorian was standing at your side. In his hand, he held an impact wrench and on the floor beside his feet, there was a cramped toolbox. The sight was enough to make you forget. You smiled and gripped the hexdriver tightly.

“Do you mind?” You lifted your still bound hands up to the Mandalorian. A moment’s hesitation lingered, still heavy with the tension you had built with your teasing questions. Yet, the bounty hunter released you binding with a click and you sighed. “Let’s get to work.”

“Alright,” you sat back and wiped at your forehead. “That should do it.”

As if your words were the final wave of a Jedi’s magic hand, the red light faded and the still-ringing alarm faded. You smiled in relief but, like the alarm, it fell from your lips and into nonexistence. With the job done, reality sank back in. You were a bounty and the person you had just saved, besides yourself, was the one bringing you in.

“Thank you.” The Mandalorian’s voice sounded shallow, almost as if the words traveled out of his mouth on a held breath.

“Yeah, no problem.” 

You bit the inside of your cheek as he shoved the panel back into the wall. As he hid the pipes once more, you glanced at the floor around the Mandalorian. Your search ended when you tried to curl your hand into a fist. You still held the hexdriver; the perfect weapon.

Shakily, you stood up and studied the Mandalorian’s exposed back. Despite your heart racing in your chest, it felt like everything else was trudging through the swamps on Dagobah. Your doubts and worries danced slowly in your mind. With each passing thought, your legs stalled in their movement. If you did strike him, where would that leave you?

You had spent your whole life trying to carve out some semblance of sanctuary. From gambling to smuggling, you had committed almost every crime to cut through the poverty that kept you from such refuge. Those missteps and dalliances in deviance had roped you in with pirates, the Hutts, and made you much too close to the grimy world of street law. Now, the threats of bounty hunters and death had caught up with you.

Attacking the Mandalorian could accomplish two things. One way, you would not be able to wound him and he would shoot you through the gut without a second thought. Another way, your strike could prove fatal and you would be free. Free to continue running and evading death that, if the Mandalorian was any indicator of, would be lurking around every corner.

“I wouldn’t.”

The Mandalorian’s voice broke you from your thoughts. You lowered the hexdriver and the man turned around. When faced with his helmeted head, you found yourself peering into the visor. You wondered that if you looked hard enough you could perhaps catch a glimpse of his eyes. Before you could test the theory, the Mandalorian held out his hand and your gaze followed the fluid movement.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about Mando,” you sighed bitterly. You pressed the hexdriver into the bounty hunter’s hand. 

“Yeah,” he said, putting the tool in one of his pockets. “I’m sure you don’t.”

“So, care to tell me about who placed the bounty now?”

“No,” he said coldly, but he didn’t turn away. “I have a question.” You raised a brow and crossed your arms over your chest.

“I thought the Guild didn’t ask questions,” you countered. There it was again, that little scoff that made you feel hopeful. You couldn’t quite explain why the sound made your shoulders feel light. Instead, you just let yourself enjoy it; you didn’t know how long you had left to enjoy anything else.

“I’m asking,” the Mandalorian clarified. After a pause, you nodded for him to continue. 

“Okay, shoot.”

“Do you want a job?” The question made your stomach twist.

“What?”

“Do you want a job? You know what you’re doing here,” he gestured to the now hidden pipes, “and you’ve proven your worth.”

“I almost killed you.” You almost shouted it, lost in the Mandalorian’s reasoning. “How can you trust me?”

“I can’t,” he said cooly and he started to move past you. “But you can’t trust me either.”

He was right. Just as you could kill him, he could kill you; or worse, he could turn you in and collect on the bounty. At the thought, you swallowed hard and found yourself walking towards the Mandalorian. He didn’t tense like he did before as you stopped a step before him. In a flash, you extended a hand to him.

“I want a job.”

“Good. You started today.” You couldn’t help the smile that spread along your lips. He took your hand a gave it a firm shake. The touch, however professional, sent a shiver down your spine. 

“When do I get paid?” The Mandalorian sighed and dropped your hand. You had to stifle the laugh that nearly slipped up your throat. 

“You ask too many questions,” he observed as he clambered up into the cockpit. From down in the hull, you watched him go.

“I have one more!” The Mandalorian turned around and you stared into the visor of the mask. Maybe you could see his eyes because, for a moment, it felt like you were being seen, truly seen, for the first time. 

“What?” 

You smiled.  “Is it true what they say about Mandalorians and their helmets?”

It felt like, maybe, the Mandalorian was smiling too when he replied.

“You’ll have to stay around to find out.” That and your name, you thought to yourself with a smile.

With that teasing response, the Mandalorian turned and stomped back up to the cockpit. Once he was out of sight, you looked around the ship. You could make this work. As the thought entered your mind, you looked back up to the cockpit only to catch the shine of the Mandalorian’s helmet. Yeah, you could definitely make this work. 

#the mandalorian #the mandalorian imagine #the mandalorian imagines #the mandalorian fanfic #the mandalorian fanfiction #mandalorian fanfiction #mandalorian imagine #mandalorian imagines #mandalorian fanfic #sw #sw imagine #sw imagines #sw fanfiction #star wars #star wars imagine #star wars imagines #star wars fanfic #star wars fanfiction #the mandalorian x reader #mandalorian x reader #dyn jarren #dyn jarren imagine #dyn jarren imagines #dyn jarren fanfic #dyn jarren fanfiction #dyn jarren x reader #pedro pascal

[ogcassiopeia]

M+M’s Top 10 Kpop Songs of 2020

NOTE: Please remember these choices are only my opinions and I am not exactly a professional music critic. If you disagree with me that is perfectly okay,  I only make these lists for fun and entertainment purposes.

10. Not Shy – ITZY

This song is so fun, boppy and sassy! It’s my favorite song that Itzy has put out thus far, and I feel they looked and sounded super confident on this track, telling us how they will get what they want and aren’t afraid to ask for it. I was dancing to this track all through the summer months and I think I will keep it on rotation even heading into 2021.

9. Sukhumvit Swimming – ONF

This is the only song I have ever listened to by ONF but I absolutely adore it. I adore it even though when the members sing ‘sukhumvit’ it sounds like they are saying, ‘stupid’.  It just comes out “I’m like a stupid swimming!” and I can’t help but cringe…but for some reason I can forgive that because the hook is just so damn ear-wormy and delicious.

8. Love Killa – Monsta X

 I am a sucker for a dark concept…we all know this by now. This song is pure badass, choas energy reigned in only by a dark, deep bass and hard-hitting, punchy lyrics. Love Killa is smooth and seductive while being intimidating and dangerous. Monsta X also rocked their form fitting suits and blood red lips in the music video (emulating popular thriller movies) while dancing in an imitation of a dirty, back-room bar brawl.

7. Home – YEZI

Gorgeous, ethereal and emotion filled, YEZI belts out incredible notes throughout the final chorus of this song about how when you love someone, they become your safe space. The mixing on the EDM back track can get a bit muddled in spots, but overall it’s a lovely song that I’ve been listening to repeatedly since it’s debut.

6. All That Love – Shim Changmin (MAX)

It’s my forever bias, hitting me again with his incredible songwriting ability and this sweater-warm song. Changmin once again reminds me of how mellow he can make his voice if he feels it suits the song, as he does get to hit some impressive notes but he never gets too loud or screechy…just sits perfectly in this melodic middle-ground. This song should have been more popular…newer kpop fans keep sleeping on TVXQ, Changmin and Yunho and it frustrates me to no end.

5. LA DI DA – Everglow

If you had spoken to me last year, I would have told you I hated Everglow. I found their previous tracks to be lacking in imagination, creativity and uniqueness so I just skipped them if they came up on Spotify. So it was a surprise to me when I listened to LA DI DA and immediately fell in love. It’s 80s synth heavy, hitting you smack in the face with retrowave/synthwave techno beats and an earworm chorus that you just can’t help but feel like your listening to the opening of some fantastical 1985 sci-fi movie.

4. Scream/BOCA – Dreamcatcher

I couldn’t chose between these two bangers which one I liked more, so I added them both at #4. Dreamcatcher has become my favorite kpop girl group of all time and it’s been a slow climb to the top of my list, but it’s a well-deserved spot for them. I came into Kpop AFTER jpop and jrock, and so Dreamcatcher’s sound and influence is like home for me. I adore the horror concept and their various takes on it, the members’ chemistry is palpable and distinct, and they actually seem to LOVE what they do and how they do it. I believe Dreamcatcher LOVES being the group they are and it’s so refreshing to see this kind of positivity and friendship in kpop….its not exactly the reality in most regards, ya know. Scream and BOCA were both hard hitting and wonderfully different in a kpop genre that’s getting a little stifled with same-y sounding releases. I hope Dreamcatcher continues to find success and produce bops, because I definitely don’t want to say goodbye to these 7 girls anytime soon.

3. Pporappippam – SUNMI

It’s 80s synthwave inspired and I love it. I love it so fucking much. You should all know by now that I am a sucker for this kind of sound. I am nothing if not consistent. Sunmi is pure perfection on this track, stunningly melodic over a low thumping synth beat that makes me want to drive down a desert road at sunset in the middle of summer. Sunmi never disappoints in her efforts to be a solo artist who can only deliver bops of the highest caliber.

2. A Song Written Easily – ONEUS

 Before this song’s release I couldn’t have cared less about this newbie kpop group and their following releases haven’t caught my attention either…but this song….this song just hits different. I do not know if it is because this song just sounds incredibly nostalgic for me or what? It takes me back to the early years of kpop, specifically 2002-2009, in it’s overall sound and presentation. Its melody sounds like a lullaby and it rolls through the song like sparks of sunshine on a wave lapping at the shore of a quiet beach. It’s perfection to me and I’ve listened to it way too many times for it to be okay LOL.

1.Lie – Shim Changmin (MAX) feat Chungha

YES. YES YES YES. 1000X YES. This song has been played so much during this year that if it had been on Spotify it would have been my #1 song. (SM WHY HAVEN’T YOU UPLOADED CHANGMIN’S SOLO ALBUM AGAIN TO SPOTIFY…ANSWER ME THIS?!) Changmin’s entire solo album, “Chocolate” was the best surprise I got this year and the fact that this album had no bad songs, nothing skippable, was such a fucking feat. This song especially hit me like a load of melodic bricks to the face. IT’S FUCKING GORGEOUS! Changmin and Chungha’s vocals go so well together, the beat is repetitive like a heart beat and the lyrics speak to the confused feelings one can have when a relationship is near it’s end.  It’s sweet, it’s smooth and when Changmin reigns in his powerful vocals and just…croons….I can’t help but swoon. Changmin can sound like Adam Lambert in one song and them come off like Michael Buble in a another and it’s one of the reasons I adore his wide vocal range. I cannot believe that this album and this song were never appreciated enough this year.

 Honorable Mentions:

I Can’t Stop Me – TWICE, Pit a Pat – XIA, Girls – NATURE, Can’t You See Me and Run Away – TXT, Cassette – DEMIAN, LALALILALA – APRIL, PLAY – Chungha, Don’t Touch Me – Refund Sisters, Boy – Treasure, Zombie – DAY6, Dumhdurum – APINK

#kpop #kpop list #end of year list #2020 kpop list #favorite list #tvxq #tohoshinki #shim changmin #changmin #MAX #max changmin #chungha #twice #xia #nature #TXT #Demian #APRIL #Refund Sisters #treasure #day6 #apink #oneus #sunmi #dreamcatcher #everglow #yezi #Monsta X #onf #itzy

[whirlybirbs]

Ooh what about Poe/Punchy walking in on the other softly crying over something. Like a real close call that shook them up, the death of a friend, or just swelling emotions in general?? Cue the comfort bby

Sometimes, it’s a lot.

Sometimes, Poe wishes his Mom was here. 

(She always knew what to do -- when things went bad, she always knew how to fix it, be it words or actions. Shara Bey was a saint in her own right, a hero, a good mom. Poe can barely stomach the reminder that she would never see him grow to walk in her footsteps with the Resistance, to become a New Republic Navy Pilot, to be good. She was taken from him and his father too soon. In moments like these, it hurts like a new wound.)

When you find him, he’s slumped over an ammo crate by the hangar doors. They’re open, letting in the late D’Qar summer air -- overhead, the stars look dimmer than usual. The world lacks its usual crescendo of life and you wonder if that’s the Force mourning.

Bad missions happen.

Doesn’t make them any easier to stomach.

Poe is a good man who blames himself too easily. You note the bounce of his knee, the way his hands are clasped tightly as his head bows. You can see the break of frustration in his shoulders, hear the quiet intake of a broken breath. 

You hesitate, mouth opening -- you’re silent, though, wondering if this is even your place. You speak anyways, words sounding so fake, so forced. They curl your lip in regret as soon as they leave your mouth.

“I was looking all over for you, Commander.”

Poe’s head snaps up, eyes widening a fraction as he quickly paws at the tears on his cheeks. He inhales sharply and coughs before speaking quickly. He tries to cover it up, cover the emotions stirring in his gut like a tumultuous sea.

“Yep,” he nods, “Yeah, I’m -- I’m here.”

His voice cracks and you realize that this isn’t good.

But, he stands, claps his hands together, and tries to move on like he always does. Always moving on, always moving forward. You stand there, rooted in the hangar, as he nears. He jams his hands in the pockets of his flight suit and you can see the redness around his eyes -- they’re a give-away of the held-back emotions there. His eyes dart to the mission reports in your hand and you can see him trying not to physically recoil.

The contents within those pages aren’t good.

“What’d you need me for?” he asks, “Report log clearances?”

The datapad in your hand is forgotten. Your voice is soft. It feels foreign.

“... Are you okay?”

Poe’s mouth opens, but nothing comes out.

Brown eyes fly around, for a moment, before his facade crashes and his jaw tightens. His gaze hits the floor and he rocks on his heels, chewing his lip and turning his back to you. Poe moves, then, back to the ammo crate and crumples against it. 

“... No. I’m not.”

You’re quiet when you settle next to him, eyes soft as your hand falls along his shoulders. 

“Poe,” you say after a second, broken by the way he just... stares off into the sky, “Today, we lost three good pilots. That isn’t your fault. None of it is.”

He gives a dry laugh. “I was CO on the mission, Punchy. It is my fault.”

“No,” you say sternly then, shoving him lightly, “It’s not. You’re the CO who brought home twenty-two pilots. You’re the CO who successfully manned a mission to destroy the First Order outpost of this war. And if... if you’re going to call that whole mission a failure because of those three losses? That makes their deaths mean nothing.”

His lashes flutter. His nostrils flare. He’s pinned under your gaze. You’re beautiful.

“I’m serious, Poe,” you breathe, “You did everything right -- You... You always do.”

The confession is pulled apart by distance. You move away, ignoring the closeness of his face as you wave your hand and turn to the stars. Now isn’t the time to wish for closer moments, now isn’t the time to ache for his skin on yours. Now isn’t the time to want to touch him, to soothe away the worry.

“No one blames you,” you mumble, “No one.”

“And still,” he croaks, “I have to sign those reports -- sign those letters to their family --”

“Because you’re a good leader,” you cut him off, sternness returning as your turn fully to eye him carefully. Your hand falls to his shoulder and you plead, “You need to see that, Poe. All of those things are formalities. You think the First Order does that?”

He goes quiet. 

“You can mourn, Poe,” you say finally, “Fet and Jheda and Glov were our friends. But don’t... don’t shoulder the weight of their deaths alone. Please. For me.”

A shaky nod. You nudge him.

“I mean it.”

“I know.”

“You know where my quarters are,” you say as you stand, “If you wanna talk.”

Poe swallows thickly, heart lurching. “Thanks, Punchy.”

You hesitate before you leave, speaking gently. “You’d do the same for me.”

He would. You know that.

#punchy #poe dameron x reader #poe dameron imagine #ooF #long post #Anonymous

[thenovelartist]

Falling for the Dork, set 4

<<Previous set  Next set>>

11.      Facetime

When Alya went on a trip, she and Marinette would text back and forth and then maybe call once. Marinette did not desperately miss her best friend and feel lonely.

Apparently, Adrien was different.

It was because she had a crush on him. It had to be. There was no other reason for it. She was just one of those overly clingy girls that needed to learn what personal space was.

Adrien was on a two-week long trip, and he was four days into it. She could buck up for ten more days. She could get a grip.

It wasn’t… that long… of a time…

She reached for her phone.

Hey, she texted. Just thinking of you and hoping your having a good time.

There. A text. They could text about the day. That was okay. Not her clingy need to see him.

Too bad that her heart rebelled, racing when she saw those three bubbles meaning he was responding.

I’m hopeless, she thought. But when she saw his next text, she realized she was plenty okay with that.

…

Adrien was being ridiculous. He knew it. Friends were able to stay apart for days on end and not have the desperate need to see each other. He would see Marinette when he got back. No big deal.

So why was he reaching for his phone?

Before he could type anything out, he saw that there were bubbles on her end of the text thread. His heart fluttered in his chest, excitement suddenly racing through him.

And when he finally saw the text, he beamed. What a coincidence! He texted back. I was just thinking of you too :D

The little dots appeared on his screen, and he waited eagerly for her response.

Miss beating you in UMS

Adrien laughed. I don’t miss that XP

He was a liar. She always did this little victory dance when she won, and it was one of his favorite things in the world to watch.

Can I facetime you? He texted on a whim.

There was silence for a while, and Adrien thought he royally screwed up. But then, his phone rang with a facetime request. From Marinette.

He instantly answered. “Hey!”

“Hey,” she said with a grin. Her chin was propped up on her forearms and it looked like she was already in bed. “How’s the trip?”

Adrien rolled over, laying down on his pillow and holding the phone above his face. “Fine,” he said. “There are good moments and a lot of boring ones.”

“Bummer.”

“It’s what happens when dad has a business trip. I’m used to it.”

“Still sucks.”

Adrien couldn’t disagree with that. “Yeah. Oh well.”

Marinette asked about all the good details of his trip, which Adrien was happy to recount. And in the end, they ended up chatting for two hours.

“It’s late,” Adrien commented. “As much as I want to stay up talking with you, I should go to bed. Early morning.”

Marinette hummed, but it was clear she was disappointed. “I understand. Can… can we do this again soon?”

“I’d hope so,” Adrien answered maybe a bit too quickly. “I’ll text you?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“Good night, Marinette.”

Marinette smiled, waving at him through the phone in an almost shy way that somehow tugged at his heart. He wanted a screenshot.

He almost caught one.

“Sleep well, Adrien. I’ll talk to you soon.”

And with that, she was gone.

Leaving Adrien to stare at the ceiling in disappointment for a good while before finally drifting off to sleep.

 12.      “Adrien’s Girlfriend”

IF the sake of her heart, it was a really bad idea to agree.

But when had she ever been able to say no to Adrien.

Hence why she was here, in a fancy ballgown dress she’d designed, attending an event hosted by Gabriel Agreste

As Adrien’s date for the evening.

The limo stopped in front of Adrien’s house, and Marinette got out on her own before the chauffer could open the door for her. She pushed the skirt of her dress­—full from many layers of tulle—out the door before stepping out of the car.

The night was warm thanks to the ending of summer, and the light breeze caused her hair to flutter on her bare shoulders. It had been daring to go strapless, but in the end, it made Marinette feel much older than she was. Like she was a beautiful, capable young woman who was worthy to stand beside Adrien.

Halfway to her walk toward the front door, Adrien appeared in the doorway.

Her breath hitched, and she froze. He cleaned up so nicely in that perfectly tailored black suit. His hair was tamed and brushed to the side in a stylish fashion, and he was missing his glasses meaning he must be wearing contact lenses.

And he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

“Wow,” were the first words out of his mouth as he slowly approached her. “You… you look… wow.”

Her face was warm, and she doubted it was from the heat of the night. “You look handsome yourself.”

“I’m nothing compared to you.”

The words slipped smoothly out of his mouth and caused her heart to ramp up its pace yet again. Only then did she realize the problem with wearing a strapless dress: if she were to blush deeply, the top of her chest was on display, meaning everyone would know just how flustered a certain young man caused her to be.

She regretted the strapless decision.

“Well,” Adrien said, regaining his composure. He extended an elbow towards her. “Shall we go?”

With a small, embarrassed smile, she wrapped her arm over his elbow. “We shall.”

“Before we go in,” Adrien said, a blush spreading on his own cheeks. “I… should probably warn you that there was a little misunderstanding, and before I could correct it, half the people there believed that my…” he cleared his throat. “My girlfriend would be my date for the evening.”

Marinette felt her blush deepen. “O-oh?”

Adrien gave her a sheepish smile. “Are you okay with that? Or should I tell everyone you suddenly were ill upon arrival.”

She was fine with that because she wanted to be that. Not that she could say that to Adrien. “That’s fine. It will keep the women off your back, right? Which is why you wanted me to attend in the first place.”

Adrien’s smile softened as he looked down at her, and Marinette wanted nothing more than for him to look at her with that smile much more often. “Then let’s go, milady.”

It wouldn’t be until much later that Marinette realized that the only reason everyone thought she was Adrien’s girlfriend was because Adrien had never bothered to correct anyone for the mistake in the first place.

Her heart wasn’t quite sure how to take that.

 13.      Good Luck

He was on a roll with the cat puns. He was feeling kinda punchy this morning, but then again, that might be the coffee talking. He and Marinette had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish a project that took a little longer than it should have. Now, Adrien was running on a double shot of espresso and maybe four hours of sleep.

“You know,” Marinette began in a tone Adrien couldn’t fully distinguish. She was either fed up or teasing him. “This nickname is way overdue, but with the excessive cat puns and cat puns on shirts, I’m going to start calling you ‘kitty’.”

“Kitty?”

Marinette nodded with just enough sass for Adrien to know she wasn’t teasing as much as she was fed up. Or maybe tired. She, too, was running on a mocha with a double shot and four hours of sleep. “Especially when you wear something like that, nerd.”

He looked down at his t-shirt—his favorite anime kitty one—for a while. “You know,” he admitted. “I’m kinda shocked it took you this long, too.”

She rolled her eyes. “Come, kitty, kitty. We have class.”

Adrien took the new nickname in stride. But one thing bothered him quite a bit. “I don’t have one for you.”

“Good,” Marinette grumbled.

“No,” he whined. “Not good. I don’t have anything cute to call you.”

“My name for you is not cute,” she said, her voice a little too growly to be teasing.

He ignored it. “Of course, it is. You gave it to me.”

In an instant, she turned bright red. “Dork,” she mumbled, quickly turning away.

“You know what this means, right?” Adrien pressed as though he didn’t just cause her to go beet red for who knows what reason.

“What?”

“It means I get to think up one for you.”

“Why?” she whined.

“Because you’re my little good luck charm and you deserve it.”

Again, she spun away. Okay, that time, he knew why she blushed.

“Aww. Is my little good luck charm embarrassed?”

“Back off, dork.”

“No way. Not when I have to give a cute name to my little lucky charm.”

“Adrien,” she whined.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said with a smirk. “Am I embarrassing you?”

She hid her face in her hands and groaned.

Adrien felt rather proud of himself. “Come on lucky, let’s go.”

“Noooooo,” she whined.

“Don’t like that? What about ‘little ladybug’?”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“You’re as red as one. Oh! What about bugaboo? No, you’re classier than that. Milady? No, too formal. What about—”

“Adrien!”

He stopped. Her face was red, but it was more than that. Her eyes almost looked glassy.

He took it too far.

“Sorry,” he said. “I… I’m sorry.”

She bowed her head, arms crossed over her chest and making her look small.

He sighed. Draping his arm over her shoulders and pulling her close, he led her over to a more secluded spot of the school. “Lack of sleep and caffeine catching up to you?” he asked in a low tone.

She nodded.

“This isn’t the first night you’ve pulled that, huh?”

She shook her head.

“That’s what I suspected,” he said, pulling her close for a brief hug. “How many nights?”

“All week.”

“Sewing project?”

“No. This one.”

Adrien stopped dead in his tracks. “What do you mean?”

She sighed. “I mean I’ve been working really hard to get this done.”

Adrien’s brow furrowed. “Was it too much?”

“No!” she snipped, stomping her foot in a childish gesture. “It was just… I couldn’t get it.”

“Mari,” he whined. “Then why didn’t you ask me for help?”

“Because! You were always busy with your stuff or working on your half of the project and doing other things and…” She trailed off, her lip quivering.

He curled her close to his chest, rubbing her back in soothing motions. “You should have asked. And next time, please do, okay? This isn’t healthy for you to run like this and I’d rather stay up a little later to help you than have you stay up way too late too many nights in a row and have you crash like this. Understand?”

He felt her nod against his chest.

“Okay,” he said. “Come on, princess. Let’s get to class.”

There was no teasing in that comment as he curled an arm around her waist to tuck her to his side and guided her through the hallways.

They walked in silence on their way to class, but Adrien stopped outside the classroom before they entered. “You okay now?” he asked out of concern.

She didn’t look up at him. “I like that name.”

It was a whisper. One Adrien barely caught. “What name?”

“Princess,” she answered, sliding out of his hold. “It almost sounded like you meant that one.”

And with that, she scurried into the classroom.

Leaving Adrien with a blush on his own cheeks. “Princess, huh?” he murmured to himself. “I like that one, too.”

#miraculous ladybug #fanfiction #adrienette april 2019 #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #fluff #and sweetness #and more pining

[metalgearkong]

Shazam! - Review!

4/8/19

Directed by David F. Sandberg (DC / Warner Bros.)

Seeing a trailer for this film several months ago, it looked like DC was steering abruptly into Marvel territory, overcompensating for their dark and dreary tones in favor of something extremely light-hearted. I was certain this film would fall flat on it's ass, focusing on trying to be as funny as possible, while forgetting to make a good story with good characters, simply for the sake of a course correction. Shazam himself is a superhero comparable to, and as old as, DC’s blue boy scout, but with a vastly different origins story and identity. Shazam! Turns out to be a pretty good movie, especially compared to the other DCEU films, evoking a more innocent and fun-loving era of super hero movies, but ultimately leaves some room for improvement to be a legitimately great film.

Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a 14 year old living on the streets after running away from one foster family after another. He is searching for his biological mother, but can’t seem to find her, desperate to reunite after being separated at a carnival approximately 10 years earlier. After the Zach Snyder era of the DCEU, the series has begun to re-identify itself, beginning with Aquaman, and now the equally goofy Shazam!

One day Billy is transported to a dimension where a wizard named Shazam offers him his power, as long as Billy is truly pure of heart and strong in spirit. The wizard is the last of a council of seven, who defended the world from the Seven Deadly Sins, represented by awesome looking gargoyle statures who taunt candidates into offering their lustful and destructive powers instead. Of course, Billy is worthy, after some skepticism and sarcasm, inherits the abilities of the wizard. This part of the film is what reminded me the most of a 80′s kids adventure film, wherein the young hero goes to another world to gain unique powers and knowledge, to then fight bullies and conquer fears in the real world. But what wasn’t fleshed out enough for me was what the criteria is for the wizard choosing candidates, and if all it took was for a kid to ask for the powers of the tempting Seven Deadly Sins, did every single candidate attempt to gain the powers of the Seven Deadly Sins, only to be stopped by the wizard, and sent back to the real world? 

With that topic, herein lies the opening scene of the movie, of which I predicted immediately was the origins story of not the hero, but the villain named Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong). Also as a child, Thaddeus was also a candidate for the powers of Shazam. He failed like everyone else, as he almost accepted the powers of the Seven Deadly Sins instead. Because Thaddeus was rejected by the wizard, and because he has a father and brother who treat him poorly in the real world, Thaddeus spins into a lifelong obsession and career dedicated to finding a way back into the wizard’s realm. Everyone has been saying how much they like Thaddeus as a villain, but I found his motivation incredibly underwhelming and one-dimensional.

I didn’t buy thus aspect of the character’s life, nor did we ever know what Thaddeus would do if he gained the powers of Shazam or the Seven Deadly Sins. Does he want to conquer the world? When he accepts the powers of the Seven Deadly Sins, is he just a vessel for the Sins to wreak havoc? What is the goal of the Sins? How much control does Thaddeus have? What I liked about the movie was the Sins themselves; at first represented by gargoyle statues with glowing red eyes, and once absorbed by Thaddeus, gray demon-like creatures who can teleport via smoke and like to bite people’s heads off. It reminded me of Gargoyles (1994) from my childhood, and made me hope that Jordan Peele’s live action film treatment ever gets off the ground.

What is the most commendable about this film are the lead actors Zacary Levi as the superhero form of Billy when he says the word “Shazam,” and Jack Dylan Grazer as Billy’s best friend and foster brother Freddy. Levi does an amazing job acting like a child in an adult body, and not just a child, but matching Asher Angel’s mannerisms incredibly well. Its this film’s biggest success that Billy seems like one cohesive character, despite being played by two very different people simultaneously. Grazer brings his A-game as well, reminding me of his character from It (2017), and still being a hilarious, neurotic, but genuine best friend who has a good heart (in fact, why wasn’t Freddy a Shazam candidate?). Their chemistry and antics when Billy first gains his powers are the best moments of the movie. While not every joke landed, I still found their shenanigans entertaining, amusing, and relatable. 

I also love the twists on the final fight between Billy and Thaddeus. The climax is less punchy punchy, and more so 14 year old messing with the bad guy, outsmarting him in a way a street kid from Philadelphia could actually do. The foster family Billy finds in the second act of the film are also played by charming actors, and while they aren’t all truly three dimensional characters, their performances were also adorable and charming. I like that a film involving foster life and a foster family doesn’t simply paint them as horrible people (looking at you, Harry Potter, and every foster movie from the 90′s and backwards). The film does go through a predictable lull halfway through, where the good guys have a misunderstanding and temporarily “break up,” just before shit hits the fan and the protagonist has to learn the responsibility of his powers. It’s part of why I feel like this movie is a little too formulaic and familiar at times.

Shazam! is a fresh take on deconstructing the superhero genre. Not every film in the genre has to be realistic and gritty, and in fact, in a wave of such films, Shazam! feels welcome and unique. This film has its heart in the right place, and the relationship between Billy and his foster family is some of the best meat of the movie. I can’t say how impressed I was with Zachary Levi either, literally playing a man-child in the best possible sense. It makes you wonder what it would be like to be obsessed with superheros, and suddenly gaining the powers of one. But the film does suffer with its long length, and not every joke or comedic bit was funny to me. The villain also fell flat and, while having cool powers and the command of the Seven Deadly Sins, I thought Thaddeus Sivana lacked depth and originality. Shazam! is recommended for families, and fans of slightly edgier kids adventure movies that we don’t get to see often enough these days. The best DCEU film to date? Probably. But not overall completely satisfying for myself.

7.5/10

#shazam #shazam! #thaddeus #sivana #markstrong #zacharylevi #comics #comicbookmovies #superhero #superheromovies #dc #dceu #cinematicuniverse #warnerbros #moviereview #refreshing #sevendeadlysins #davidfsandberg #davidsandberg #2019 #captainmarvel

[welcometophu]

Missed Fortunes: Crowns 7

Twinned Book 2: Missed Fortunes

Crowns 7

[ Previous | First | Next ]

Carolyn isn’t drunk. She hasn’t had a sip of alcohol, or any other substances that might alter her mood. But she’s happy. Giddy. Silly from dancing for hours and spending time with her friends, and perhaps a little punchy. She slips off her shoes as soon as she’s inside the house, then picks them up, straps dangling from her fingers, as Mac laughs.

“You don’t have to take off your shoes. We don’t have to sneak in,” Mac whispers.

“Then why are you whispering?” Carolyn whispers in return. Mac laughs again, the sound echoing off the walls in the small entryway; Carolyn presses a finger to her lips as she slowly climbs the stairs with Mac behind her.

It’s late, but not all that late. Some of the SigPsiE sisters are still at the event, cleaning up, or doing press with the local celebrities to be ready for the morning news. Most left earlier, heading out with families or significant others, disappearing to enjoy their lives outside of the Paint it Red gala.

Carolyn had stayed because her friends were there and she was having a great time. It wasn’t a surprise when Cass and Dax left before the evening was over, but Drea stayed, along with Corbin, and as long as they were there, so were Alaric and Chris. Carolyn had eventually persuaded Kit to join them on the dance floor, where Mac, Soledad, and Serina were already dancing with the group. They’d all danced until the DJ played the last song, and when silence fell, it was finally time to go home.

Mac hisses, “Shhhh,” and when Carolyn turns around, Mac opens her eyes wide and tiptoes up the stairs past her in exaggerated motion. Carolyn giggles, the sound loud in the strange silence of the house. She can’t remember ever feeling this silly while completely and utterly sober before.

A door opens on the second floor, and a girl calls out, “What are you guys doing?” The door slams again, and Carolyn laughs loudly while Mac hushes her equally loudly.

“We are sober!” Carolyn insists, lost to laughter.

“We are totally and completely sober,” Mac agrees, laugh fading to a quiet giggle. She nudges Carolyn. “Come on. We should get to bed. You’ve got a case of the sillies and so do I.”

“We’re punchy from lack of sleep.”

“It’s been a long week. A long few months,” Mac agrees, smile disappearing. She takes a deep breath as they reach the top of the stairs. Carolyn echoes her, the urge to giggle slowly fading with the long exhalation. It really has been a long few months. One night doesn’t erase all the stress, but it still makes Carolyn happy that they had this one good night.

“I love how, despite all the work that goes into it beforehand, Paint it Red always somehow ends up being fun,” Carolyn says quietly. “Even though there was plenty of awkward drama—”

“Did you hear Alaric shouting a time limit when Cass dragged Dax off the dance floor to leave?” Mac asks.

Carolyn winces. “I tried to ignore that part. Is Cass oversexed or is that just me?”

“She’s got a healthy sex drive, and you prefer that people around you are private, which is fine.” Mac tugs, and Carolyn goes into the hug, lets Mac pat her on the head. Carolyn’s tall enough that Mac comes up to her nose, so she has to hunch over to let Mac try to take care of her. It’s uncomfortable, but kind of nice at the same time. Besides. She’s used to Heather being short.

Oh. Right.

Heather.

Carolyn looks at her own door. “Um. Do you know when they left?” She keeps her voice down, even though she knows that if Heather’s awake, she already has to know that Carolyn’s right there. It’s not like she’s managed to be quiet, after all.

“Last I saw they were slow dancing, then you went to drag Kit away from the table and I lost track of them.” Mac gestures at the stairs. “You’re welcome to sleep on my floor, if you need to.”

“No.” Carolyn puts her hand on the door knob, turns it without opening. “Nik’s already here most of the time. It’s not anything new tonight.”

Even if it actually is, because they’re dating now. Heather and Nikita are official, and Carolyn’s not sure what that means for her room. One nice thing about rooming with Heather has been the fact that neither Carolyn nor Heather has dated anyone since moving into this room. They haven’t had to worry about this before.

“The offer stands. Just knock if you change your mind,” Mac says. She waves as she heads for the stairs that lead up to her tiny room on the third floor.

Carolyn pushes the door open slowly. She figures that if they’re in the room, and awake, they already heard her outside, and she gave them plenty of warning by turning the knob and waiting before she opened the door. But more warning can’t hurt, so she calls out a soft, “Hey,” before she gets the door open all the way. As light spills out, she moves more quickly, stepping into the room.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Nik says, catching the door before Carolyn can let go. Nikita’s already wearing a sleep shirt and shorts, her feet bare as she pads down the hall.

Carolyn closes the door slowly. “Hey,” she says again.

Heather’s hair is loose from her earlier twist, frizzed and curled around her face. Abandoned semi-formal attire lies crumpled on the floor, and Heather’s also already dressed for sleep. She sits on her bed, cross-legged, her expression soft. “Hey,” she replies, smile blooming.

Carolyn feels calm wash over her. Soft pleasure in slow waves. “Um. Do you realize that you’re leaking happy all over the place?” she asks with a small laugh.

“I’m not the one who sounded drunk and could’ve woken the dead coming up here.” Heather slides off the bed, stretches. There’s a red mark on her side, where her shirt rides up, and for a moment Carolyn is concerned. Then Heather tugs the shirt down quickly, and Carolyn feels embarrassment wash over her.

She’s pretty sure that’s both her and Heather. Carolyn really doesn’t want to think about the specifics of how that mark got there. “Still leaking all the happy and awkward emotions,” she mumbles. “Also, I didn’t interrupt something, did I? I mean, is this sleepover a girlfriend thing, or a Dreamwalker thing? Do we need to start doing some kind of a sock on the door thing? Or you could just text me. I’ll read my texts before coming home.”

“It’s both a girlfriend and a Dreamwalker thing, but you didn’t interrupt anything,” Heather says, her expression still soft. “Is that going to be okay?”

“As long as you’re done having sex and I don’t have to see or hear it,” Carolyn says, because she knows Heather will value the bluntness. Still. Carolyn sighs heavily. “I barely saw you before the gala today. And we all had a really great time during it. You guys are really cute, and I can see that she likes you. A lot. I just… I’m sorry we fought last night.”

Heather licks her lips, her gaze darting toward the door. Her skin is flushed, stained with red. When she pushes a hand through her hair, pulling it back from her face, it lifts her shirt again. Carolyn stares at Heather’s face to avoid seeing any other signs of their intimacy.

“I’m sorry we fought, too,” Heather says. “I was going to tell you, but it wasn’t actually a girlfriend thing before you interrupted us last night. She kissed me, and I—”

“I didn’t even know you liked—” Carolyn stumbles to a stop. She didn’t mean to interrupt Heather, and she waves her hand in the air for her to continue. Or respond. She’s not sure exactly what.

“Nikita?” Heather says, breaking into low giggles.

“Girls,” Carolyn says quietly. It feels like something she should’ve known already. Heather knows that Carolyn doesn’t care, right?

“Yeah, I hadn’t really come to terms with that myself, either,” Heather admits. “I had crushes. I just never really thought about acting on them. I thought it was an aesthetic appreciation, or some kind of spillover of emotions from somewhere. You know how sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s internal and what’s external.” She touches her head, waves as if to say emotions could be coming from anywhere, and for Heather, Carolyn supposes they can. “I didn’t really think of it as me, and now I’m wondering how many opportunities I missed because I didn’t get past she’s cute and into oh hey I should ask her out before.”

Carolyn glances at the door, lowers her voice. She remembers Nikita saying how maybe Carolyn didn’t think Heather was gay enough for her, and she wonders if that was Nikita worrying out loud that maybe Heather wasn’t as invested as Nikita. “This isn’t an experimentation thing, right?” At Heather’s dark look. “I just—I don’t want you hurt. But at the same time, Nikita summoned a hail storm on my head. I’m pretty sure she really likes you, and she has universe destroying Talent. I don’t want to see her get hurt, either.”

“I don’t want to hurt her. I really like her. Emotionally, aesthetically, and physically.” Heather grins and wiggles her eyebrows. Her bright cheer is infectious, even without her emotions leaking. It’s obvious that she’s happy, and Carolyn’s happy for her.

Carolyn holds out her arms, hugs Heather hard and says, “Gross. No details.” She digs in the closet, pulling out a fresh t-shirt and shorts. “And stop thinking about missed opportunities. You make your own fortune in the end, right? And it seems to me like you’ve made the one you want most. You like Nikita, she likes you, so you’re where you need to be. Nothing’s been missed at all.”

“When you put it like that….”

“I almost sound like the smart one about relationships.” It’s a joke, and Heather laughs, as Carolyn meant for her to do. The change in tension gives Carolyn a chance to step back and get changed out of her dress, hanging it over the edge of her chair so she can send it off for dry-cleaning tomorrow. Once she’s changed, she picks up Heather’s and Nik’s clothes as well, draping them carefully.

By the time she looks at Heather, the serious expression has returned.

“We didn’t get to talk last night,” Heather says. “About what you did.”

Carolyn stops cleaning, confused. “I thought we just did.”

“Not about you barging in, or interrupting. About how you did it.” Heather gestures at her, at her backpack lying on the floor. “Was that your traveling Talent? Like in your dream? Did you do it on purpose this time?”

“Oh! That.” Carolyn grabs her discarded clutch and pulls out her phone and the two pictures now tucked in the pocket on the back. She motions for Heather to join her, then carefully unfolds them both on the desktop. “Do you remember when Kit did this sketch of our room back when we first moved in? Serina and I were at Sweet Scoops, and I told her about the illusions. She asked about the card I saw that got me back here when I had the nightmare, and I remembered this sketch. So I brought it out and I tried to see if I could create an illusion for it, and it sucked me in. I disappeared from Sweet Scoops entirely. Cass had to get Serina home, and she brought me my notebook when I left it behind.”

Heather’s smile blooms even wider, a tiny squeal of pleasure as she claps her hands. The sensation washes over Carolyn, infusing her bones with Heather’s cheerful delight. “You did it! What next? Was it because it was Kit’s sketch? I thought you were using your cards?”

Carolyn’s not sure she’s as excited as Heather. “This is still kind of terrifying and new,” she admits. “Kit’s art felt good. I had the cards in that dream, and I thought about a card for Alaric when I was desperate to get out of the dream with Mattie. But I haven’t been able to do it on purpose. With this picture, it worked when I wanted it to.”

“So you can control it,” Heather says.

The door creaks open slowly, thunking closed after Nikita slips in. “Don’t mind me,” she says.

“Carolyn made an illusion and traveled on purpose yesterday,” Heather says.

Carolyn winces. “On purpose and control are really big words for how I feel about this, Heather. I’m not sure either one really fully applies yet.”

Nikita huffs. “I completely understand that feeling,” she mutters. “Control and on purpose are things people say when they think you’ve figured everything out. Then next thing you know it’s hailing and you realize that it all means shit.”

It’s not exactly the same thing, but Carolyn appreciates the sentiment behind the statement. “Similar concept but with cards, illusions, and traveling, yeah.”

“What’s the picture of the library for?” Heather touches the new sketch on Carolyn’s desk.

“That’s my experiment for tonight.” Carolyn inhales slowly, holds the breath for a moment, counting. Trying to center herself and calm the nerves she can feel pricking at her skin. “I’ve only done it once that was mostly on purpose. So I still need practice, and it needs to be some kind of controlled practice. So I asked Kit if he could sketch the library Talent special collections room for me. I’m going to be spending a lot of time there this semester.”

Nikita slides up behind Heather, wraps her arms around her center. She’s tall enough to hook her hands together just below Heather’s breasts, the shirt bunching up as Nikita presses her cheek to Heather’s. It’s intimate in a surprisingly emotional way rather than physical, and Carolyn ducks her gaze away. She can’t figure out how she missed seeing it before now.

Probably because she’s not good with how people fit together, no matter how many people seem to be coming to her for advice lately.

“So you think you can use that picture to get to the library?” Nikita asks.

Carolyn’s heart trips because this seems like that moment to test the theory. “Yeah. I like the way my cards feel. They work for me for readings. They feel like a part of me. But when I want to reach out for an illusion, when I want to try to reach that new Talent, Kit’s art feels right to me. So I guess the trick is seeing if it’ll work, and making sure I take everything with me when I go.”

“Are you going now?” Heather’s brow furrows, and Nikita presses a kiss to her cheek.

Carolyn looks at the pictures on the desk, her phone lying next to them. She carefully folds up the picture of her room, tucks it back in the pocket, then shoves her phone into her bag. She has her notebook, and a book she needs to read if she gets tired of doing research. “Sure,” she says, not feeling as certain as she sounds. “Why not? I’m not tired, and you two probably wouldn’t mind some more privacy. And um….” Her smile wavers. “As cute as you are together, this is awkward. So I really wouldn’t mind giving you that privacy. Maybe text me when you’re going to sleep.”

“You could just walk over to the library,” Heather points out. Her lips are pursed, and Carolyn knows a lecture is coming. One that begins with you need to do things the right way and won’t be sated by anything Carolyn says.

So Carolyn shoulders her bag first, then picks up the picture and holds it in both hands. “The only way to know is to try it. And I need to know if it works before I can talk to Pawel about it, right?” She wiggles the picture a little, paper rustling. “So, I’ll just head to the library, do some more research. And if you text me when you’re going to bed, I’ll just… pop back here. Hopefully without tripping over things and landing on my knees this time. Practice. Control.” She breathes slowly, tries to project a far more calm presence than she feels, her heart hammering in her chest.

It’s impossible to lie to an Empath.

Heather stares at her, and Carolyn is absolutely positive that she’s reading her. Weighing the lie against the fact that one of Nikita’s hands lies flat against her belly, and the fact that Nikita’s kissing her cheek, then behind her ear.

Heather covers Nikita’s hand with her own, squeezes lightly, and Nikita straightens up to look at Carolyn.

“Show us the illusion?” Heather asks slowly.

Carolyn nods, as if she has any control over it whatsoever.

She holds onto the paper tightly, determined to take it with her when she goes through. She stares at the picture, thinking about the smell of the room, the order of the books on the shelves. She imagines it coming to life, and it does, springing up into a tiny image at first, just a few inches across. Carolyn inhales roughly, and the illusion expands over the edges of the paper. It takes up the space between herself and Heather and Nikita; they step back as if it’s chasing them.

“Text me,” Carolyn says.

“I will.” Heather nods.

And that has to be enough. This is going to work. She is going to do this on her terms, taking the picture with her, and being prepared to come back the same way. Carolyn holds onto the picture with one hand, reaches forward with the next. The illusion ripples as her fingers break the surface, and she resolutely steps forward and through.

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#welcome to phu #welcometophu #missed fortunes #phu twinned #twinned #mf crowns

[thesinglesjukebox]

CHRISTINA AGUILERA FT. DEMI LOVATO - FALL IN LINE

[5.30]

Weak song can't match up to the powerful pipes...

Katherine St Asaph: Like "Me Against the Music," a symbolic torch-passing from one pop generation to another, this time with their respective generations' powerhouse vocalists. Also like "Me Against the Music," a torch that first belonged to a non-celebrity -- Penelope Magnet in that, Audra Mae in this. Unlike "Little Red Wagon," Audra's recording wasn't released, so it's impossible to say whether Christina and Demi improved on it. She's also worked with Kelly Clarkson, and I suspect "Fall in Line" was pitched to Kelly -- there's a conservative edge to the lyrics, less "Can't Hold Us Down" than "I Do Not Hook Up," and just short of slut-shaming. ("Show some skin, make him want you," because God forbid you want that, or even just want to wear a damn sundress in this heat wave.) But like all these ballads, the point's in the voice -- Christina and Demi claiming vocal space amid widespread misogynist disdain for "oversinging." If the didactic lyrics are the theory, the vocals are the practice -- and the 6/8 simmer is the thing that makes it work as a song. Shame that dude barges in at the end to jerk off all over everything. [4]

Alex Clifton: It's an inspirational message, and honestly Christina x Demi are a fine match. But a song called "Fall In Line" shouldn't feel so paint-by-the-numbers. I often think some of Christina's music could do to be more "restrained" (mostly because it gets clogged with runs and vocal pyrotechnics rather than, like, the actual song), but a song like this demands something far brassier, like the explosiveness of Demi's "Confident." If you're going to write a self-empowerment song, make it loud and anthemic so that no-one can ignore you. [4]

Thomas Inskeep: I appreciate the sentiment, but it'sssssss tooooooooo sloooooowwwwww. [4]

Julian Axelrod: This is not for me. "Melodramatic Bond theme" has never been my favorite type of ballad, although the gender politics here couldn't be further from Fleming's works. And while Christina and Demi can belt a song like this in their sleep, their duet feels less like a unified display of strength and more like a sing-off from The Voice. And yet: This is not for me. This is for the women who have spent their whole lives being torn down and told they're not good enough. This is for the women who are sick of that disembodied voice telling them to shut up and stick their ass out. And if those women hear two powerhouse singers laying waste to the system that's abused them and feel a little bit more powerful, then none of my critiques matter one bit. [6]

Alfred Soto: They can sing, as their performances never stop reminding us. By the time the turgid last minute rolls over us the effect is akin to one of those forgotten Whitney Houston duets. "All the youth in the world will not save you from growing older" might've been a solid adage on which to build performances that didn't hide behind technique to show how almost twenty-five years in the industry between them gives Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato the necessary credibility. The song is fine, the duet a strafing session. [3]

Abdullah Siddiqui: Aguilera and Lovato rely too much on their combined star power. As a result, everything about this track works except for Aguilera and Lovato. While they each do an impressive job vocally, there just doesn't seem to be enough room in the sonic scope of this song for two heavy-duty powerhouse vocalists. Perhaps if they'd just put a little more thought into how the vocals are structured harmonically, it wouldn't sound so haphazard. The instrumental is executed with a lot of finesse, but its subtleties are overpowered by the blaring vocals. The pitched down rap in the bridge is a brilliant concept, but it doesn't sound fully integrated into the rest of the instrumental. But that's an issue one can overlook. This would have been a perfectly good song had any one of the vocalists chosen not to exert her voice to the extreme, or to simply sit this one out. [5]

Ramzi Awn: When two powerhouses come together to fall in line, the expectations are high. Fortunately, the single does not disappoint, playing to Christina's strengths as both a balladeer and a collaborator (she has been most successful in recent years on features.) Lovato adds the element of conflict that's been missing from Christina's oeuvre for some time. Demi is in full swing, riding a career high on the heels of the full-length Tell Me You Love Me and "Sober." Her cachet is not lost on "Fall in Line." The result is a classic Christina Aguilera power ballad with an effortless arch. Back to basics. [8]

Stephen Eisermann: Handmaid's Tale: The Musical sure lacks the subtlety of the original show. [5]

Vikram Joseph: The strident, discontentedly lurching "Fall In Line" has a fair bit going for it -- two very accomplished vocalists, an uncompromising feminist message, punchy brass and a sublime key change. I'm not sure why I'm not more sold on it -- Christina and Demi's constant attempts to out-caterwaul each other get exhausting, certainly, and it feels much longer than its 4-minute runtime. [6]

Rebecca A. Gowns: The entertainment industry is a microcosm of the rest of society; while it's mostly kept hidden behind a curtain, every once in a while a light shines into the dark, illuminating not only its corruption, but also the systems that keep the rest of us subjugated. This is what has been happening lately with "#metoo" and what makes people feel like, "What, all of this? All of a sudden?" It's barely the tip of the iceberg, it has been happening, it still happens, it will continue to happen until it's radically restructured. So what do you do, as a parent, when you have a talented kid who yearns for the limelight? That was me -- always climbing onto stages, doing impressions, singing songs in grocery stores. I did community theatre and auditioned for shady agencies that promised to give me a big break for cash upfront. My mom was always nervous about it and held me back from pursuing it as much as I wanted to. I begged and pleaded for performing arts camps, modeling searches at the mall, trips to Hollywood (only 45 minutes away!), and she always denied me. She saw the lines of kids lined up at auditions and it reminded her of lambs led to slaughter. At best, it's a series of disappointments and trying to fit yourself into what other people want, risking losing sight of what you actually want for yourself; at worst, there's wolves in the bed dressed up like grandmothers. I didn't see what she saw; I only saw the glimmer. And then, as an adult: I worked as a babysitter in Hollywood. I babysat child actors. And suddenly, I could see what my mom had seen: the whole game is rigged, the prize is a gilded cage, and if you want a shot at the prize -- and you have to, you have to push yourself until you want it with your whole being -- you have to fall in line. [8]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#Christina Aguilera #Demi Lovato

[eddiejpoplar]

FIRST DRIVE: 2018 Audi S5 Coupe

There are certain people that when you see them in pictures, they’re attractive but when you see them in person, or even just in a video, when you can see them move and see their mannerisms, they’re downright seductive. There’s just something about them that attracts you to them but you need to see them move, interact with them or talk to them to understand it, to see their true beauty. Alicia Vikander is my go-to example for that. In pictures, she’s a very pretty woman. When you see her in a movie, see that coy look, she’s irresistible. There’s something effortlessly seductive about her. The same goes for the 2018 Audi S5 Coupe.

Seductive Styling

When I first saw the new, second-generation Audi S5, it was in photos from its launch party. In those photos, I liked the new S5 from what I had seen. It was good looking and sporty but I felt that it wasn’t as pretty or as seductive as the previous, Walter de Silva-penned generation or even the BMW 4 Series. Then, just a few weeks ago, a Tango Red example was dropped off in front of my garage for me to borrow for a week and, almost immediately upon seeing it in person, I was smitten.

Seeing the Audi S5 Coupe in person really helps you understand just how pretty it really is. It’s muscular and aggressive, thanks to slightly flared rear wheel arches, fat C-pillars and a shoulder line that accentuates its rear wheels. If you didn’t know it was all-wheel drive, you might mistake it for a rear-wheel drive coupe. But it’s not just its overall shape that makes it looks so aggressive. Its sheet metal is so heavily and sharply creased that it seems as if it’s been stretched tightly over the muscular bodywork underneath. Pair all of that with large front air intakes, a rear diffuser and quad exhaust pipes and you have a car that simply stuns.

And stun it did, as everyone who saw the S5 or went for a ride was immediately won-over. It’s a gorgeous car and one that won smiles, waves and compliments everywhere it went. In fact, it even won over an friend who’s a BMW enthusiast that owns two. We actually tested the S5 Coupe back-to-back with a BMW 440i Coupe (Comparison test to come soon) and not a single person involved felt that the Bimmer was better looking. The S5 is a stunner.

Stunning Cabin

That goes for the inside, as well. Audi has been making some top-notch cabins as of late and the Audi S5’s is one of the best. Sure, it’s basically exactly the same as the one you’d find in an Audi S4 but that’s not really a bad thing. It just looks so exciting, from the diamond-stitched seats to the flat-bottomed steering wheel to the carbon fiber trim. It all looks incredibly sporty and makes you feel like you’re in something special, not just your average sporty coupe. The slick-looking MMI screen and the simply awesome Virtual Cockpit don’t hurt, either.

All of that technology is slick and easy to use, especially the Virtual Cockpit. We’ve spent a lot of time using it before and it never fails to impress. We do wish Audi’s MMI was a bit easier to use, though, as it can get a bit confusing, with several different sub-menus. As it stands now, it isn’t as good as BMW’s iDrive. It’s still one of the better systems on the market but it isn’t the best Bavarian. However, a new version has debuted in the new Audi A8 and A7 and it features two touchscreens, rather than the dash-mounted screen and rotary dial. We used that new system at the NY Auto Show and it works well but we’ll have to spend more time in it to know for sure if it’s better.

What Audi absolutely nails in the S5, though, are touch points. Not only do the seats look great but they feel fantastic and were completely comfortable over several hours of driving. I’m also a huge fan of Audi’s flat-bottomed steering wheel in the S5; it’s thin and covered in rich leather, making it great to hold. One oddity about the steering wheel is that you can’t have the flat-bottomed wheel heated, only the round one. A feature that would have been nice in the 20-degree weather.

New Turbocharged Engine

The best part, though, comes when you press that red-rimmed aluminum starter button on the console. Press that and the 3.0 liter turbocharged V6 snorts to life, as the digital tachometer does its little dance. It’s dramatic and exciting, making it feel like an event each and every time. There’s a bark from the exhaust when it starts, letting you and everyone else around you know that the S5 has some grunt. It would also sound great in a garage every morning.

Speaking of its turbocharged V6, it replaces the old S5’s 3.0 liter supercharged V6, an engine that many fans loved. Being supercharged, the old Audi S5 had zero turbo-lag and was seriously punchy. It also had a nice growly noise. This new turbo-unit, though, does come with a bit of lag, more so than I had anticipated for a “Hot-V” engine, where the turbocharger is mounted in the “V” of the engine for a sharper response. It makes up for that lag with more power than the old car, though.

Making 354 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, this new Audi S5 makes 21 more horsepower than the outgoing car and 44 lb-ft more torque. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, it feels like a lot more on the road. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the new turbocharged engine makes its peak torque at 1,370 rpm, while the older supercharged engine needed 2,900 revs to do so. So while the new S5 has a touch of lag, its torque comes on like a sledgehammer immediately after and it pulls hard through the rev range. According to Audi, 0-60 mph happens in just 4.4 seconds and we have no reason to doubt that. It feels properly quick.

Paired to that engine is an eight-speed ZF-sourced automatic and it works perfectly. Sure, a dual-clutch might be snappier and a bit more exciting but the ZF eight-speed is a delight, with smooth, rapid shifts in manual-mode and the ability to disappear and softly shrug off gear changes in auto-mode. We’d prefer a six-speed manual over both kinds of automatics but the auto in the S5 is no hindrance at all. In fact, it made cruising on the highway and being stuck in traffic that much easier.

  There were also these wonderful little barks from the exhaust on upshifts and tons of pops and bangs on downshifts. So while an auto might not be the enthusiast’s first choice, this one is quite exciting to drive. All of the noises which accompanied the S5’s rapid-fire shifts provided some real drama and excitement.

The Drive

We drove our Audi S5 tester from central New Jersey up to New York State during its stay, sort of on the border of both states. That drive consisted of six or seven hours of total driving, with a good mix of highways and twisty back roads to allow us a broad range of roads to sample our test car on. And through all of it, the Audi S5 seduced.

On the highway, it’s smooth and stable, even at very high, let’s say less-than-legal speeds. At highway speed, the S5 is rock-solid stable and never seems to feel nervous, regardless of speed. It’s also surprisingly comfortable. Its adjustable suspension is firm, as it should be in a car such as this, but it’s never harsh or uncomfortable. It dispatches bumps and imperfections in the road with one smooth motion. You feel it, it passes and then it’s over. No secondary motions or disruptions in the chassis.

Admittedly, the 19-inch wheels our tester was riding on did make it feel a touch spiky over some really rough pavement but, aside from that, it’s a really smooth ride. We just might suggest the 18-inch wheels if you do a lot of commuting. The 18-inch five-spokes just don’t look anywhere near as good as the 19-inchers.

That firmness pays dividends in the twisties, though. Of the three modes, Comfort, Auto and Dynamic, I found that Comfort was the best. In Comfort, there’s a bit of body roll, just enough to let you feel the chassis working, but it’s very controlled and allows the S5 to make easy work of fast driving. In Dynamic, it’s a bit too firm, it doesn’t round out bumps as nicely.

Our tester was running on Continental winter tires, which were sadly a bit too loud and rough. Though, they were necessary in the freezing temperatures we were in. Although, the biggest problem with them was lack of grip. Despite having Quattro all-wheel drive and an optional sport rear differential, our S5 tester was prone to a bit of understeer, simply because it was on winter tires that weren’t up to the job of hanging onto corners as well as the Audi can. Having said that, the S5 has a tremendous amount of mechanical grip of its own and is almost unflappable, regardless of tire.

Steering is also quite good. Most fast Audis are knocked for having numb, overly light steering. That’s not the case here. Sure, its steering weight is a touch light and it’s not dripping with feedback but it weights up nicely as you add steering lock and it’s very sharp and accurate. So you can place the car exactly where you want and that’s really all I ask of a car. If it does as I ask and responds to my inputs I’m happy. The S5 does just that. It’s not pure but it’s effective and it doesn’t diminish the experience.

Through twisty back roads, the Audi S5 is a fantastic companion. Turn-in is immediate and front-end grip is mega. The chassis also follows nicely, with the rear end rotating around the car more than you’d expect in a front-wheel drive-based all-wheel drive car. We suspect that has a lot to do with that optional differential, which has its own set of drive select modes, refreshingly. We kept it in Dynamic the entire time.

Beauty isn’t Perfect

While the Audi S5 is a fun, exciting and stunning companion, there are some faults, albeit minor ones. There is a touch too much understeer at the absolute limit, thanks to the engine being slung so far forward, ahead of the front axle. That’s a byproduct of Quattro all-wheel drive but it still isn’t ideal. I also don’t like how the interior ambient lighting is only white and if you want to be able to change its color, like in almost every single other premium car in its segment, you have to step up to the Prestige trim level. Also, the little paddle shifters behind the steering wheel are plastic and that comes off a bit cheap. They don’t actually feel that bad and they’re sturdy pieces but we’d like some aluminum ones in a car this expensive, please.

There’s also this weird noise that I’ve noticed in all modern Audis. After just taking off from a stop for the first time after starting the car, there’s an odd clicking noise that comes from what seems like the brake pedal. I’m not quite sure what it is and it only happens once after starting the car but it’s a bit strange. It doesn’t hinder anything in anyway but it can be a bit off-putting in a car in this segment, at this price.

Sweet Seduction

I won’t lie, I went into the test of the Audi S5 thinking it was going to be a quick, good looking coupe that lacked the substance to be a great sports car. Coming from driving BMWs often, there’s a stigma about Audis and how they aren’t proper driver’s cars. However, over the course of a week, the Audi S5 completely surprised me and seduced me. Not only me, though, everyone else who interacted with it. From its stunning good looks to its dynamite interior and its pugnacious character, the Audi S5 is easy to love. There may be sports cars that are better to drive at the limit and there may be coupes that are more premium and luxurious. But none of them combine all of those attributes into such a good looking and cohesive package like the Audi S5. After spending just a week with it, I’ve fallen victim to the S5’s Sweet Seduction.

[Source: QuattroDa from Performance Junk Blogger 6 http://www.bmwblog.com/2018/04/06/first-drive-2018-audi-s5-coupe/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Performance Junk Blogger 6