#but most managers take a cut of the artist’s earnings

[twelvedaysinaugust]

That’s why I’m more into Louis as an Artist as well as a person. Bc even if some things seem manipulative and contradictory he comes across very genuine and honest. Not everything he did was right in my opinion and I would not defend him regardless of his actions, definitely not. After all I have high sympathy for him and I do want to support him as long as i don’t feel like he’s playing a role or is actively lying to his fans or tries to take advantage of them in an immoral, unfair way. Even if his behavior seems manipulative sometimes I view him as humane and trustworthy for some reason, I know that doesn’t make much sense but it’s genuinely how I feel. Like some reactions of his in the past towards Larry stuff were maybe not nice but they were kinda understandable. he can be impulsive but he is just honest and addresses things directly. With Harry I feel totally different. Especially since the Harry’s house era has started. The person on stage is so different from the Harry we get to see anywhere else. And I can’t really explain why but to me it seems like there is a change going on in the way he is presenting himself, in the way he is treating his fans and in the way he’s seems to play different roles depending on what set up he is in. You said, his behavior with Larry is more consistent and that’s why it feels more like baiting sometimes. And I totally agree. I really don’t view Harry as an honest person in general when it comes to his public presentation. It always feels like there’s so many people behind him that have a huge impact on him and on his official appearance. The only thing in terms Larry that felt more personal to me was i will survive at Coachella. And that doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with Larry, even. So whenever he does „something“ like the coordinates next to Tomlinson road, all I can see is a big office with a bunch of men in suits planning things for larries, for harries and all the other people in Harry’s fanbase. And with Louis it doesn’t feel like that at all. I always think about how Harry said he is like a mirror to his fans. And honestly yes he is and it’s like he’s giving us what we want. I have know idea what kind of person he truly is and what he really thinks about us. All the love tho, I support him and this is not supposed to be a rant at all haha. Sorry this is way too long!

Yeah, same. I don’t hate Harry. I just think he’s exceptionally greedy. Louis has his issues, too. 🤷‍♀️

Storytime: I was on Twitter looking for tickets and I saw a fan who bought two absolute nosebleed seats for platinum prices - $950. Her friend was trying frantically to sell them for her because she simply could not afford them at that price. It really soured my opinion of Harry, tbh. Why would you want to put even one fan in the position of panic-buying something they cannot afford? Artists can opt out of dynamic pricing. Plenty of people in the industry have spoken out against it and even gone as far as issuing fans refunds. Everyone jokes about Harry not leaving America, but does anyone ask why? Dynamic pricing is illegal in the EU! That’s why! It’s weird to me that people blame Jeff for all of this when Harry stands to benefit from it the most.

#idk Harry and Jeff’s arrangement #but most managers take a cut of the artist’s earnings #like 15-20% #so Harry would make more money than Jeff in that scenario #but it gets more complicated bc of the Azoffs investments #but Harry stands to gain a lot either way #that’s my point

[kookslastbutton]

Reflections ༓ kth (m) | "Stay with me until the end of the day"

✑ Summary: As a new hire at one of the most prestigious jewelry brands in the world; Adrien & Rosamel in Paris, you've been trying to build your professional portfolio for months. So when global brand ambassador Kim Taehyung comes in for a photoshoot but his personal photographer is unavailable, the company offers the gig to you. Oh of course you take it in a heartbeat—it's a given.

pairing: brand ambassador!Taehyung x new photographer!reader

genre/AU: fluff, angst, smut, photography au, modeling au, s2l, two part series (duology?)

word count: 11.3k

warnings: exposes "dark side" of fashion world, oc gets insulted by fashion assistants (b-word dropped once but our oc bites back), flirty yet annoying videographer!kook, angry!seokjin, sunshine!stylist!hobi, charming!makeup artist!jimin, cool manager!joonie, Taehyung is an elegant flirt and not like the others, jazz bar date🥺, Taehyung calls her darling a lot, tehyung gets jealous, talk about long distance relationship, sexual content

sexual warnings: dom!Taehyung, sub!reader, explicit sex (use of condom), big dick!tae (it takes a bit to get it all the way in 😬), praise kink, lingerie, small jewelry kink? (He f's oc with their ruby necklace on), doggy, size kink, multiple org*sms, squ*rting, oral (f. Receiving), half a hand*b, f*ngering, overstimulation, little bit of breastplay, cussing, d*rtytalk, foreplay, a little expressiveness, mention of aftercare, Taehyung just adores hers, hot car make out, mention of morning s*x

now playing: Slow Dancing by thv

a/n: first omg i never reached 11k in my life. Secondly, shoutout to anyone who has seen Devil Wears Prada...a personal favorite of mine. Also Layover is omg the best thing ever! So i decided to focus on slow dancing for this fic. Pls enjoy ❤

How many twenty-something-year-olds can say they work at one of the biggest, most luxurious jewelry & fragrance brands in the world? And on top of that, are located in the fashion capital; Paris, France? A rare handful, and it's because of those reasons that they're given the lowest positions possible; you being one of them.

Sure, climbing the corporate ladder is possible with years of relentless dedication, raw talent, and of course, let's not forget connections with the higher-ups. But competition grows fiercer with each passing year as more eager young people gun for advancements in hopes of survival.

After all, who can afford to be stuck on the bottom rung forever?

You didn't want to believe the undertone theme in the critically acclaimed movie The Devil Wears Prada was true, that underneath the glitz and glam of haute couture are ruthless, cutthroat fashion moguls. But from the moment you stepped through the doors of Adrien & Rosamel in your coffee brown slacks and beige button down shirt, it couldn't be refuted–

No one was your friend and no one wanted to be.

Newbies must establish their professional value to the brand as early as possible to prevent being cut at any given moment. On the other hand, experienced professionals who have already earned their merit through decades of labor refuse to give up the stake to their claim and must be careful not to have the carpet swept from under their feet to a junior half their age.

It's a vicious race and despite its bitter nature, you're at the very heart of it.

As a fashion photographer, your ultimate goal is to have weeks' worth of sessions with models from all over the world; all adorned with timeless pieces from genuine gold watches to the richest of gemstones.

These are the types of photographers who are the best and brightest in the industry. They have at least ten years of experience and are booked until the very last second with modeling photoshoots.

The odd prodigy exist too; individuals who are born with an insane wealth of insight and skill which allow them to move up in rank faster.

You wish you were good enough to be considered a prodigy but no such luck. Adrien & Rosamel have insanely high standards on who is allowed to handle the jewelry, let alone be around the models who are so-called showcasing them.

So here you are day what—241? And still stuck taking photos of the same jewelry pieces day in and day out. Sure the theme of the photos gets changed slightly but it's been eight months of this generic work and truth be told, you're getting sick of it.

.

"__!" Seokjin, your coworker and one of A&R's jewelry polishers calls your name anxiously. He rushes to your side where you're taking close-up photos of a limited-edition steel watch. "Be gentle with this, will you? This is selling for 7,000 euros which means $8,000, 10 million south korean won, and 6,000 pounds. I also just finished polishing it so don't be getting your grubby fingerprints all over it!"

You roll your eyes and continue to move the watch around on the display table until you get a perfect angle. "Relax princess, I'm barely touching it and I have gloves on."

Seokjin's fluffy eyebrows furrow together, face scrunching at the nickname you chose for him. "That's—that's completely uncalled for! Do you know how long I spent buffering the face of the watch alone?! One hour __!"

You hate yourself from bursting out in laughter but this isn't the first time you've gotten lectured by Seokjin. Its like the tiniest detail would set him off. Seokjin's been with the brand a little longer than you; a year now, but he still has that constant need to micromanage everyone he can.

"Look," he continues his scold. "If anything happens to these priceless watches it's my head on the chopping block. I can't afford to lose my job __!"

"Yes, I understand Seokjin. Nothing will happen to these alright?" You move around the man to get more pictures of the watch lying elegantly on its side. "Don't you have about fifty other watches to shine or do you like nitpicking my every movement instead?"

Seokjin scoffs at you, sticks his hands on his hip and walks away with a disapproving shake of his head. "I have my eye on you junior," he warns.

You ignore his subtle jab and continue taking photos. "Creep," you mutter under your breath.

Ten minutes pass and you're about ready to move on to the editing process for your photos. You take a quick peek at them through your camera, clicking through the gallery with the right arrow button.

"Not bad newbie," you hear a voice come from over your shoulder that causes you to jump in surprise.

"What the fuck Jeon," you throw your best side-eye at the young man who happens to be your only acquaintance in the whole company. His role was similar to yours, but instead of photographing jewelry he films them; he's a videographer. "I'm beginning to think you like sneaking up on me on purpose."

The young man laughs with a child-like energy. "What can I say? Seeing you flustered does something to me. But actually, I was just passing by. Haven't talked to you in a while."

Come to think of it he has a point. You haven't seen Jeon Jungkook in about two weeks straight. The two of you aren't friends so you don't check up on each other constantly but you'd like to think you have good rapport.

"What have you been up to anyway? I've seen you rushing around the place like you have millions of appointments to make," you ask.

"I've become a busy man babe," he replies with a cheeky grin. "The higher-ups have noticed my talent and I'm playing with the big boys now."

"You talk about the higher-ups like they're Big Brother or something. Come on, tell me again but in laymen terms."

He sighs at the need to repeat himself. "Okay, listen. I'm working with the models now and more specifically I have a 2 o'clock gig with Kim Taehyung tomorrow. You know, our global ambassador? I'm shooting the film portion of the campaign we're running for him. Isn't that insane?!" His eyes glow up at the mere mention of Kim Taehyung who you are well aware of.

Everything about your famed global ambassador is a fashion photographer's dream; tall, lean, and tantalizingly handsome.

"Of course, I know who Kim Taehyung is. His face is plastered all over the walls of Adrien & Rosamel. Even saw his face on one of our company mugs. Anyone who's anyone will sell their left kidney to breathe in the same room with him but how the heck did you land a shoot with him this early? You've been here for less time than me!"

You're not shouting, you promise. Just extremely envious at the continuous luck Jungkook is having.

"Well," he starts drawling his words. "I might have gotten close with Park Ji-hun over the last month or so. His daughter in particular." You raise your eyebrows in awe.

Park Ji-hun has been Kim Taehyung's personal photographer for nearly ten years. And next to the model himself, he's another highly talked about individual at Adrien & Rosamel.

"Please tell me you didn't use his daughter for your own professional gain," you interject. Jungkook waves his hands around disapprovingly at your suspicion.

"I didn't, we went out on a blind date. I didn't know who her father was until half-way through the date."

"Mhm, something tells me that that's not completely true."

"Okay, so maybe her name sounded a little familiar but I swear, I didn't know they were the same person. But long story short, we started going out and I managed to win her father's approval. And now he's letting me shoot with him!" Jungkook's enthusiasm dies when he sees you doing your best to give a tight-lipped smile. "Babe, listen. I know you and I had a thing a few months back but....you're not still pining over me are you?"

You shove him in the shoulder at the ridiculous question. "We never had a thing. Stop it. I'm just trying to wrap my mind around your recent success."

Jungkook shrugs. "I guess its fate. And we definitely had a thing," he gives a wink. "Well anyway, I need to get to another appointment in ten. Jimin's gonna completely flip if I'm late."

Your mouth gapes open. "You're working with Park Jimin too? He's one of our best makeup artists, what the hell?"

"There are many colors that suit you __. Green's not one of them." Jungkook spins himself around and walks away from you. "Catch you later!"

"Goddamnit," you curse to yourself. "Is he Mr. Perfect or something?"

"__, we're gonna need the space in about five minutes." Another photographer calls from behind you, reminding you that you need to make yourself scarce.

The next morning is absolute madness with the news of Kim Taehyung's arrival in Paris.

As one of the most iconic brand ambassadors and haute couture models, he has quite an impressive fan following from countries all over the world including France. From the moment he steps out of his plane until the minute he enters Adrien & Rosamel, the man is constantly surrounded by masses of people all standing around with their phone cameras.

The company doesn't exactly give him a break from the high intensity of the crowd either. All the assistants working today are tasked with both meeting his requests and socializing with him while the rest of the team hauls around studio equipment for his photoshoot.

"Did you see the way he looked at me Ha-rin?" You overhear one of the assistants boast to the other while passing in the hallway. "I've had such a crush on him for years and I finally have the chance to meet him. I swear, I'll do anything he asks me to do."

"Oh my god, how dense can you be? Sure he smiled at you but let's not forget who it was he asked to get water from," the second woman spats back, raising the unopened bottle of water in her left hand. "It was me. I'm the one he wanted."

You snort at how snarky the two of them are to each other. As if Kim Taehyung would give so much of a blink their way let alone "want" either of them. You've never met the man but you've seen his face enough to know he could have anyone he desired. And it sure as hell wasn't going to be anyone from the company.

"Excuse me," Ha-rin stops in her tracks and speaks in your direction. "Is there something you find funny?"

"I'm sorry?" You freeze in place, unsure of what the woman's referring to.

"Don't play coy junior. You snorted at us, kinda nosy to be listening in on a private conversation."

Fuck sake, you are getting so tried of everyone calling you junior. You weren't given the name __ for it to be ignored at will.

"My apologies if it seemed that way. I assure you I was thinking of other matters." Your Majesty, you wanted to add but didn't.

Ha-rin body scans you as you speak and it immediately makes you feel self-conscious. The way she purses her lips can't be anything but venom that's about to spit out at you. "It better be that way. And by the way, those pants don't do anything for you. Maybe wear a dress next time," she slithers.

"Oh you mean like the dress you're wearing?" you reply. "No thanks. I'm not looking to impress anyone here. I have to get back to work now so you'll both excuse me," you bid them adieu and continue walking down to your office.

"What a bitch," you overhear one of them say and you clench your fists with tears brimming underneath your eyes.

Don't you dare cry __. Not here.

So some of your eye makeup got smudged from your incident with thing 1 and thing 2. You hate how much such a shallow jab got to you but, you're only human.

Coming into such a luxe company you expected this type of behavior. Yet your dreams are so much bigger than them. You'll push through like always.

"Hey," a knock pounds on your door. "Need to talk to you. Busy?" Its you manager Namjoon.

"No." You give him your full attention. "What's going on?"

Namjoon closes his eyes in a desperate attempt to calm himself down. "We have a situation," he starts.

"Okay...what happened Joon?"

"Our shoot with Kim Taehyung is in less than an hour and Park Ji-hun is nowhere to be found in the building. We called him up and looks like he had another shoot scheduled during the same slot. Must have been an overlook on our part, his part, I don't care whose fault it is. But we need someone to fill in right now or we're not going to have any material for our campaign." It comes out all at once and the feeling of whiplash washes over you.

"On top of that," he continues, "I don't want to waste monsieur's time. He just flew 14 hours from Seoul. So, can you do it or no?"

Oh my god...you repeat at least twice in your head before forming a response.

"I'd be very grateful for this opportunity but shouldn't this go to the next best photographer available? I only shoot jewelry on its own. I've never done—"

"You are our next best option __. All our photographers are booked with other models for the next three months. You've been here long enough to know how packed schedules get. Please, I've seen your work. It's good. And if you want an in for your career, I'd grab your camera and meet Kim in the studio in two minutes."

"Well I—"

"Yes or no __? Because I can always give the opportunity to another jewelry photographer. I'd rather not because they're techniques not as good as yours but I'll do it if I have to."

Your mind scrambles for a concise answer. You've been working towards something like this for months, doing your best to perfect your craft in hopes the higher-ups might recognize you as they did Jungkook. Yet until now it's been null; no one has made you such an important offer.

"I'll grab my equipment and meet you all in the studio," you decide. Your manager nods in approval and moves to exit your office.

"That's what I was hoping to hear. You'll be working closely with Jungkook, Jimin, and Hoseok. I'm sure you're familiar with them, no?"

"Yes sir," you reply. "Quite familiar."

"Jung Hoseok," the man with likely the brightest and most genuine smile you've ever seen shakes your hand. "I'm Kim Taehyung's stylist for this shoot. We're going for laid-back, yet elegant and refined for the studio shoot. Tomorrow we'll go with a completely free theme when we shoot at the beach. I have some specific fashion pieces picked out that I think he'll make pop for this campaign."

"That sounds great Hoseok. I wasn't aware we were going to a location tomorrow though." You don't mean to sound naive but you really were just thrown into this only minutes ago.

He lets go of your hand after the quick shake. "Yes, we have a two-day shoot planned. I know this is all news to you as of five minutes ago. And I'll do my best to help I'm any way I can. Park Ji-hun believes that the jewelry pieces and cologne picked out for Taehyung will be best suited in two places. One, in the studio to highlight the jewelry and two, at the beach to create an atmosphere for the cologne."

"Makes sense, thank you for filling me in."

"Like I said, I'm going to do as much as I can to help. Jimin get over here and introduce yourself to __." He calls to the pink hair boy who's busy sorting through his makeup palettes.

"Park Jimin," he walks over to you and also shakes your hand. "Makeup artist. Jungkook's told me about you."

"Oh god," you slip out and everyone chuckles. "Do I need to go hide somewhere now?" Who knows what Jungkook's said about you. Looks like he really is trying to get cozy with as many people as he can here.

"No no," Jimin waves of your slight embarrassment. "He just said you're an acquaintance that's all." You want to believe him but the smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth has you second-guessing.

It's not like Jungkook has a lot of beef with you or "secrets" to spill. He just had a big mouth, flirted with everyone in sight his first three months at the company and you happened to be his first target.

But no biggie. He's dating Park Ji-hun's daughter now, right?

"Love," it's Jimin's voice again. "Don't take this as any offense but I think you need a touch-up. Half your makeup's wiped from your face. Let me fix it for you okay?"

Well if you weren't embarrassed before you are now. Jimin's a professional make-up artist, surely his eyes are fine-tuned to the human face and pick up on make-up inconsistencies.

"Sure," you give in. "That'd be great."

Jimin walks over to his pile of make-up supplies and grabs a classic black eyeliner. "Close your lids," he tells you softly. He gently draws a wing over the lid that needs the most help and then, reaches for an eyeshadow that matches the other eye. "Okay, almost there. Just a few more brushes of this and you'll be good to go."

Though your eyes are closed you can easily distinguish the sound of a third voice.

"So you said yes huh?" Jungkook nears you and Jimin with a cheesy grin. "Now who's moving up in the world?"

"This is our first time working together Jeon," you reply. "Let's keep things professional shall we?"

"Oh please, you should be thanking me instead of giving me pointers on how our professional relationship should be." Jungkook snaps back and you stiffen at his words.

"Thank you? For what?"

"Namjoon didn't mention who exactly dropped your name as a potential candidate to clear up this little mess of ours? When Ji-hun told us he accidentally double-booked I immediately suggested you. I'm hurt you didn't know." He puts his hands over his heart as if pretending to be in pain.

"Wow, well you're right. I suppose I owe you my thanks." And here you thought people only looked out for themselves. Still, it's not like you and Jungkook are gunning for the same position. Him helping you doesn't exactly put him at a disadvantage.

You do feel more pressured to do well for this shoot though. Not only is it your first model shoot, and with all people, it happens to be with Kim Taehyung but it'll backfire on Jungkook if the photos you capture turn up bad. You don't want to imagine what that'll do to both of your professional credibility.

"Alright you're good as new love," Jimin pipes up. You open your eyes and mouth a thank you but you find the words turn into gibberish as the man of the hour finally rounds the corner of the studio.

"Monsieur," Hoseok is the first to greet Kim Taehyung as he enters the space. "Good to see you again."

"How are you Hobi?" Such an endearing nickname comes from a deep, honey voice. It charms your ears. Kim Taehyung stands straight with one hand in the pocket of his loose black slacks while the other rests near the edge of his matching black blazer. It's oversized with a basic, yet clean white t-shirt. Elegant yet, relaxed.

"Doing well, thank you. But I'm afraid you'll need to change out of these clothes soon. We have a perfect ensemble picked out that'll combine well with your style and the pieces you'll be showing off." Hoseok guides him towards the dressing rooms but as he does, your eyes catch Taehyung's.

"Monsieur," Jimin and Jungkook rush to his side at once when they see him looking over. "This is __." They gesture at you with a hand. "She'll be filling in for Park Ji-hun during the entirety of the shoot."

Taehyung's chocolate eyes study your features, your posture, and most of all your lack of movement as he waits for you to say something.

You bow realizing all you've been doing is staring at his flawless face. You've seen him on social media, posters, promo banners, everything, and anything but seeing him in person is not at all the same. "Monsieur," you greet. "It's a pleasure to meet you and to be working with you for the next two days. As the others have said, my name is __."

The man takes long, purposeful strides toward you. "I promise, the pleasure is all mine," he says with a hand moving to shake yours. His long, beautiful fingers wrap around your hand and pull you into a firm grip. "Thank you for stepping in for Ji-hun. And from now on, there's no need to be formal. You can call me Taehyung."

He then flashes you a smile that makes you begin to understand why the two assistants from earlier were so adamant on getting his attention; he's breathtakingly gorgeous. You feel yourself on the brink of a cold sweat at any moment.

"I insist everyone call me by my first name," he says. "I'm an easy man."

"But Mons–" you start but he quirks a brow at you in expectation to fulfill his request. "I understand."

"Do you model as well?" Taehyung asks casually after retracting his hand. "Sorry, I can't help but notice that you have a lovely bone structure. I like to paint in my spare time and sometimes I enjoy having live models as a reference."

The question takes you by surprise. Not many people bother to compliment your physical features expect maybe a few of your closest friends. "I don't model. I prefer being the one behind the creation, like how I'll be behind the camera with you."

He chuckles at your reply. "If you ever change your mind, I'd be happy to paint a portrait of you."

"Well thank you. I'm afraid I don't do nudes though." You really ought to shut your mouth sometimes. Of course, artists don't solely paint nude portraits. What are you saying?

The man in front of you ponders your choice of words for a few seconds too long then leans in towards your ear. Not so far that it's invasive but enough that you're the only one able to hear. "Again, if you ever change your mind....I'd be honored to paint you."

"Monsieur this is not appropriate to be saying."

"I'm not the one saying inappropriate things. I merely said I wanted to paint you as any artist would. You're the one that mentioned getting undressed."

Taehyung straightens himself back up and turns his whole body around. "Hobi," he shifts his attention to his stylist. "Show me what I need to wear today."

You're left standing with a baffled facial expression.

Kim Taehyung is the most elegant flirt and tease you've ever met.

After fifteen minutes Taehyung comes back to the studio in a shaggy grey button-down cardigan and plaid grey slacks. A gold chain necklace with a panther and tassle-like pendant hangs around his neck and on his left hand is a matching gold watch with a gold ring resting on his pointer finger.

They're all part of A&R's newest Panther collection and look nothing short of magnificent on him.

"We'll start with a few standing shots focusing on the ring and necklace separately," you say.

Taehyung nods in understanding and walks over to the studio setup that has a grey-ish purple green screen. Large studio lights hover on either side of the set to which Taehyung poses himself between.

He stands straight forward, eyes directly in line with the camera lens and jaw relaxed into a natural facial expression. It's a simple first pose to start off with but for a reason unexplainable Taehyung gives it new meaning.

It's takes you aback when you look at him through the lens of your camera. The closer you moves towards him to capture a clear shot, the more you're spooked by his intense eyes.

What makes it worse is when he decides to bring his pointer finger, the one with the ring, up to his mouth. His teeth latch gently around the gold band as it settles between his lips. You take several shots, adjusting the exposure on your camera as needed.

"Stunning," you hum in approval. Taehyung then slips the ring off his finger and again places it between his teeth. He tilts his head to the side to add to the flirtatious undertone of the pose.

"How was that?" He asks you after a few rapid flashes of the camera. "Thought I'd try something a little different this time."

"Came out perfect," you answer. "Flirty yet classically romantic. It molds well with our Panther campaign and brand. Suits you well too."

Taehyung's pleased by your words. "I'm glad you see it that way. I've always had a love for timeless themes. It's one of the reasons why I became an ambassador for Adrien & Rosamel. No other brand brings back the romantic past better."

"I agree with you completely. I fell in love with Adrien & Rosamel at a young age, around 13 I'd say. I always imagined myself to be largely integrated with the brand when I became an adult. Photography happened to help me get my foot in the door."

"Don't forget about me __," Jungkook interrupts from a couple feet away. "I got you this gig didn't I?"

Taehyung frowns at Jungkook's comment. "What does he mean?" He asks you. "Ji-hun specifically chose you to fill in for him didn't he?"

"Not exactly," you says with a flushed face. "Jungkook works closely with him and he was the one who recommended me to step in today. So I do owe him my life I suppose."

"You don't at all," Taehyung replied in a firmer tone than before. "He may have done you a favor but it's your talent that got you here. If your work wasn't good, do you think he'd take the risk of suggesting you?"

You stay silent as he continues.

"I've been in the industry for ten years, and no one lays their head on the line for you unless it benefits them in some way. Don't let him rob you of your achievements. And between you and me, I think he has an odd fixation on you." Taehyung lowers his voice. "Forgive me for being forward but he's not a jealous ex is he?"

You want to chuckle at the notion. "He's not, not at all." Taehyung laughs with you.

"So he's just a pain in the ass then," he says and you snort. "Had my share of them but not to worry. The best thing to do is to shake it off and in time, he'll realize everything you've gotten is by your own efforts and that you don't need his so called favors."

"Thank you Taehyung," you say, still a bit uneven as calling models like Taehyung was not what you were trained to do at Adrien & Rosamel. "We should probably move on with the shoot now."

"Sure, there's another pose I have in mind that I think will make the necklace stand out."

Taehyung steps away from you and turns around so his face is in front of the green screen. The cardigan he's wearing is cut to expose a large section of his back which allows pieces of the necklace to dangle against his smooth, bronze skin.

"What do you think? Does this fit the theme or does it look weird?" He rests one hand behind his head while the other raises above his head.

"Very artistic, hold the pose for me. Also, it's highly unlikely that you could ever look weird Taehyung." You focus the camera on the gold pendant. "You're a living and breathing aesthetic on your own."

"You know those are the same exact words I thought of when I mentioned wanting to paint you earlier. Seems like we see similarly don't we?"

"I guess we do, wow I never thought of myself as capable of having my own aesthetic. I feel like a carbon copy of everyone else some days." Once again you're stunned by his forwardness but you take it at face value. Perhaps he's naturally flirtatious even if he isn't meaning to be.

Taehyung looks over his shoulder at you and shakes his head in protest. "There's only one you __. You're not a carbon copy, so believe me when I say you're an aesthetic of your own as well. Which I would still like to get on canvas by the way."

"You're relentless about turning me into some kind of muse. I'm afraid I don't think I have the time, and neither do you now that I think of it. You fly back to Seoul after our shoot is over don't you?"

"I'm here for a couple of months actually," he surprises you with his reply. "Thought if I'm in Paris I might as well take some time to enjoy myself."

"That's fair. Now turn around again, I need to get a few more shots of the necklace."

"Your wish is my command." Taehyung faces away from you with a smile. He's decided he likes you. Maybe its a gift that Park Ji-hun couldn't do his photo session today.

"Do you want to know my favorite position?" Taehyung lays on his side with one hand supporting his head while the other clutches his elbow. The angle let's light from the softbox hit the gold watch perfectly, allowing it to be the star of the show; which is no easy task to achieve when it's Kim Taehyung who's modeling.

"No talking please," you respond, bending down on a knee in front for him. Your eye peeks through the camera lens to capture a good shot.

At your request, Taehyung does his best to remain silent but he can't help but notice your grip on the camera has gotten shakier. "Are you alright?" he asks with the tiniest smirk on his face. "Do you need a break? We've been going nonstop for nearly two hours now."

"Everything's fine Mon—"

"Taehyung," he interjects softly and slowly sits up from his position on the chaise lounge. "And here I thought we were starting to become comfortable with each other. Yet watching you struggle to hold that camera in place makes me feel bad. Let's pause for a few okay?"

You flush as he nears you, a tad embarrassed at the situation. You're a professional photographer which means you should be fully capable of moving forward with today's session without any breaks.

But you're palms are sweaty and all the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight from taking hours of close-up shots of the most handsome man on earth.

What's more, is that he keeps tossing out more flirty one-liners and finding ways to compliment you. And let's not forget your earlier exchange about the whole painting ordeal–wanting to put you on canvas and all.

No one warned you Kim Taehyung was going to be like this.

"What can I do to make you comfortable again, __?" He crouches directly in front of you with wisps of his honeyed locks dangling over his eyes. As he waits for your answer, the camera shutter clicks, getting a not-so-elegant close-up of his crotch.

Fuck. You didn't mean to take that.

"Too bad Hobi didn't give me a designer belt to wear. That would have made a great photo," Taehyung teases as he watches your fingers scrabble to delete the photo from your camera roll. "Imagine the kind of awards you'd win."

Oh god. You want to slap yourself awake now.

"Sorry," you rush to say anything at this point. "I think a break might be good after all."

"How about some fresh air? Last I knew it's a beautiful day out." Taehyung stands up and offers you a hand.

"You're offering to go out together?" You hesitate to put your hand in his at first but ultimately give in.

"Why not? It's up to you but I'd like to get some air in my lungs. Gets a little stuffy in here doesn't it?" Once he pulls you up he pulls his hand back. "Let's take a fifteen-minute break everyone," he calls to the rest of the team who nod and scatter in opposite directions.

"Fantastic." You hear Jimin talk to himself. "I've been needing to go to the bathroom for an hour already!" He scurries out of the studio as quick as his legs will carry him.

You and Taehyung find a quiet spot on the terrace above the company's enclosed garden. It's a recent edition the executives thought might give employees a small escape from the chaos of the day. And so far, it's been much appreciated. Being an unconventional hour to take a break, you're the only ones currently using the space.

"Can I ask you a question?" You cross your arms on the metal railing of the terrace and look at Taehyung beside you. He's standing calmly by the railing too with his hands in his pocket.

"Ask me anything," he replies.

"I haven't been in the fashion world nearly as long as you have but I know enough that people aren't as open as you are. You're much friendlier than most and I was wondering if you've always been that way. Even with Hoseok you call him Hobi, an endearing name."

He looks out into the distance at the perfectly trimmed bushes and trees, all square-shaped. "I became a model when I was 17. I hadn't even graduated high school yet when an agency recruited me. I thought it was a great opportunity until I saw the hunger for fame in my peer's eyes. Due to my appearance, I was given more chances to be on the cover of serious magazines like Vogue and Louis Vuitton but models who were there longer than me didn't. They were given shoots too but they were on a lower scale. Long story short they would scheme to get me in some kind of trouble so I'd get fired so they could take my place."

"I'm sorry that happened to you. I didn't want to believe that the industry was as vicious as I was told prior to entering it myself, but it is. So many of my coworkers can't wait to see someone fail so they can be promoted."

"It's a shame that it's like this __." Taehyung looks at you now, a serious expression on. "It doesn't have to be this aggressive cycle of stepping on the next guy to get to your ideal position. That's why I've decided to go against the current and make as many friends as I can. People I genuinely like tend to be my closest connections." His eyes soften at this as he scans your face.

"That's a nice sentiment but doesn't that open you up to being taken advantage of?" You think back to the two assistants from earlier this morning in the hallway. Seemingly friends on the surface but actually yanking on each other's hair below.

He shrugs and pushes a couple of loose strands of his hair behind his ear. "Sure it might but, I couldn't sleep peacefully knowing I earned my achievements by cheating everyone else out of theirs. Life's too difficult to not have a good night's sleep do you think?"

"True," you agree. "I wish more people had this sort of mindset."

"Well, luckily we can lead by example. I assume you run against the current too?"

"I try but I still have a lot of ambition so I can't say I've made any friends so far. Other than maybe Jungkook."

"Ambition is good, distinguishes the serious people from the non-serious. Friends aren't easy to make in our world __ and pardon me but that Jungkook guy isn't your friend. At most he probably has a crush on you."

"Jungkook has a crush on anyone with two legs and boobs," you chuckle and Taehyung does the same. "But he has a girlfriend now I think."

"Well, that's a relief." His tongue darts out to wet his lips. "I don't have to worry about him being a threat anymore."

You snicker at his comment. "What threat?"

Taehyung breaks into a shy grin and looks towards the ground. "Forget it, I'm just kidding around. We should head back inside. I think our time's about up." He moves to walk back inside the building but you stop him.

"Wait, no." You step closer to him. "I didn't get that joke."

He flickers his eyes up and down your body, taking in your curiosity. "You need me to spell it out for you __?" He pauses and takes a breath. "You're beautiful and I find myself extremely attracted to you. I'd–god forgive me if this makes you uncomfortable– I'd like to take you out while I'm still in Paris."

"Taehyung, that's....not a joke. Are you asking me on a date?"

"Yes, I'm asking you on a date. If you don't want to it's okay. Just say the word."

You smooth your hands down the side of your pants nervously. "Okay, what time and where?"

Taehyung's as shocked as you are by your response. "What are you doing tonight at 7 p.m?" he replies.

"Nothing, what are you doing?"

"Taking you out on a date I think. How's your dancing?"

"Oh I...I don't know. Depends on the type of dance. Why?" You know why. Of course, someone like Taehyung will want to take a slightly unconventional path for a first date.

"I want to take you to Le Duc des Lombards, you know that private jazz bar in town. So, if you can sway and don't mind being close to me we'll be in business."

"Alright." Don't overthink it, you think to yourself. It's just dancing. No biggie. "7 it is. I'll meet you there I guess."

"I can pick you up, actually, I'd really like to pick you up if I can. I know I'm such an old soul aren't I?"

"No problem," you can't contain your beaming smile. "We can exchange numbers and I'll text you my address."

"My phone's back in the studio. Let's do that before the end of the shoot."

"Shut the front door __!" Your best friend Elaine screams over the phone. "You're definitely wearing the sexy red dress I bought you for your birthday if you going to a jazz bar with, oh my god I can't even say his name. I'm so excited for you babe!"

"It's one date, Elaine. It'll probably not go anywhere either. I'm going into this as a fun night out with a very handsome man and that's all." You browse through your closet for something to wear. You've already showered and touched up your make-up. "Damn it, I have about twenty minutes before he gets here."

"I'm telling you __, wear the red one. Even if this will be a one-night thing it doesn't mean you can't look drop-dead gorgeous. Also, one more thing. What are you wearing for underwear?"

"Elaine!"

"What? If it were me I'd be looking as hot as I can tonight. Gives you a boost of confidence."

"Maybe," you say and pull out a black dress. "I'll think about it."

"Well think fast, because you're down to fifteen minutes now."

"Uh, shit." You toss the dress when you see there's a small tear in the strap. "Please tell me how I'm in the fashion industry and can't find anything to wear without holes in it."

"This is the last time I'm saying this __. Put on the red dress. It's more of a maroon so it'll make you blend with the mood of jazz but you'll pop out as well. And you'll look elegant with the silk sleeves and it's above the knee so you'll stay cool when you dance."

You card back the hangers until you get the dress Elaine is talking about. It's never been worn and it really is beautiful. "The neckline's kinda deep though," you say.

"You're boobs aren't gonna fall out if that's what you're worried about. I've seen the dress and it'll be great on your body. Plus, worst-case scenario you get laid by the hottest man in the damn universe."

"I'm not having sex with him you know..." you feel a blush creep on your cheeks. "This is a–"

"Fun night out. Yes babe, whatever you want to think." Elaine snickers over the phone.

"Fine, you win but I have to change now okay?" You set the phone down and start untying your robe. Are you wearing a transparent black lace set underneath? Yeah, but it's not like anyone's going to know about it.

"Don't forget to call me later! Or tomorrow depending on how tonight goes," she snickers again.

"Goodbye Elaine," you shake your head and end the call.

"You know what might look great with this dress is that ruby necklace I bought ages ago," you say to yourself. The necklace you're referring to is dainty yet never a let down no matter what you pair it with.

Satisfied, you head to your jewlery case in search for it.

"I see you found the place okay." You say once you hop into the passenger seat of Taehyung's Porsche. Man does well for himself.

"I did, and you look like a million dollars darling. Aphrodite herself couldn't even compare. I'm going to have the worst time trying not to stare at you tonight." Taehyung stands on the other side of your door and waits for your feet to be tucked in the vehicle before letting the door shut.

He insisted he come around and open it for you when he saw a glimpse of your figure walking towards his car.

"Darling?" you repeat inquisitively when he jumps in the drivers seat.

"Do you not like it? It's kinda old I know." Taehyung starts the car and puts the car in gear. He turns the wheel single-handedly and pulls out of your driveway.

There's something about seeing a man do this that always lights a fire inside you. Especially when said man is currently in a white, freshly pressed dress shirt, unbuttoned at the top, and dark grey dress pants.

"I like it," you say. "Darling. It fits the night well, since we're going go the jazz club. I like this look on you by the way."

Taehyung smiles at you briefly before focusing back on the road. The hand that rests on his knee shakes a little and his grip tightens on the wheel. "Hearing you compliment me makes me a little shy, sorry. But by the way, I like that ruby necklace you have on."

You smile and play with the chain. Always a hit.

The club is moderately crowded when you step foot in the building. The atmosphere is warm and inviting with the creme tones, bright white ceiling lights, and soft purple strobe lighting that shines from the stage. You and Taehyung are lucky to find a free table to claim on the end of the second row of seating.

"Have you been to Le Duc des Lombards before?" He asks, letting you take the inner seat.

"I came once but it was a long time ago when I was in college," you answer.

"Really?" Taehyung takes the seat next to you. "Where did you study?"

"Spéos photography school. A lot of wanna-be professional photographers attend there. I'm fortunate to be able to go."

"I'm glad you got to study there. I assume that's how you got a job with Adrien & Rosamel right?"

"It was definitely the main reason but," you sigh. "I did have some gracious references who help me get in, including Jungkook who went to the same school. As a videographer we were project partners a few times so he was a good person of contact. Along with a few professors of course."

Taehyung snatches the bar menu placed at your table, more aggressively than expected. "No offense but I'm really starting to not like that guy," he grits, jaw clenching. "From now on you can put me down for any further references. The photos you took look wonderful and you know I have some solid connections with some very important individuals."

"Taehyung..." You're amused by the peek of jealousy. "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself? The photos need to be approved by our campaign managers first before any merit is given. Plus, you're not my boyfriend."

"Could be your boyfriend," he quips back and you whip your head in his direction.

"Hm?"

"Hm what? You heard me."

"I thought you said you were shy tonight," you accuse and lean over his shoulder to scan over the drink menu with him. When you do you get a strong whiff of his cologne. God, you love the smell of cologne. Would it be too far for you to grab him by the shirt collar and throw your face into his chest?

Yes __, too far. Don't do that. You waive off the thought.

"What do you want from the bar?" Taehyung asks and you give him your response. He heads for the bar in the back of the room as soon as you tell him, not even giving you any time to grab your wallet.

"Tae–" you jump up from you seat. "You don't have to pay for me. I can get my own."

"As my date, I'd be my honor to buy a drink for you __. But you can keep calling me Tae, it sounds nice coming from your lips." He turns around and continues to the bar.

Nearly two hours of live jazz music later and a few drinks later, you find yourself in a pair of long, sturdy arms. One of Taehyung's hands curls around your waist while the other laces in your fingers.

"You sway well," he drawls, pulling you closer to his body. I'd make you squirm more than you already are if it weren't for a bit of liquor in your system. "In fact, you're a natural. Makes me wonder what other areas you have a natural talent for."

"Okay monsieur," you playfully joke and continue to let him dance you in small circles. "We're getting a little close to the hot zone now."

"Are we? Must be because you're so unbearably hot. Did I tell you to look like Aphrodite in this dress?" Taehyung slips his hand from your waist. "Can I spin you?"

You nod and distance your body from his to prepare to spin into him. "If my memory serves right, you told me Aphrodite couldn't compare to me. Not that I look like her," you respond to his prior question.

"Ah that's right," he hums. "That's even better."

Taehyung's slender arms wrap around your waist when you get to the end of your twirls. Your back presses tight against his chest as he brings his lips near your ear. "You remember when I asked you if you wanted to know my favorite position? Well, this is one of them, darling."

Your breaths get shorter as you take in his charm and you're forced to look into the crowd of people in front of you. Most are busy dancing with their own partners but a few stragglers smile in your direction.

"You make a lovely couple," one older woman says to you both. "You'll make beautiful children."

"Oh we're not–"

"Yes, we will. Thank you, madame," Taehyung cuts in and you pull yourself from his hold to face him.

"Tae, what the hell are you saying?" His face sculpted from the gods themselves stares down at you in a devilish smirk.

"Is it too hot now?" He teases as he refers to your comment minutes ago about it getting too close to the hot zone.

"You're drunk aren't you?" You gently accuse with your arms crossing over your chest.

"I'm not." He snakes his arms back around you smoothly. "I have to drive you home tonight. What kind of man would I be if I got drunk?"

You let him pull you into himself again and this time when he does you feel the outline of an erection forming in his trousers.

Fuck, you curse to yourself, he's not small that's for damn sure.

"How are you feeling __? Getting tired or you wanna stay longer?"

You smirk. "I should be asking you that seeing you have a situation down there."

"Shit—" he quickly retracts his hands on your waist and backs away from you. "I'm sorry, I know we've been flirting around but I don't want to you to think that's all I'm here for."

"Its okay Taehyung, it's just a biological response," you try to soothe. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah but it's because of you," he stresses. "I want you to know that I'm into you romantically and not just horny with lust."

Your heart clenches and your feet move to approach him on their own. You cup his cheeks with your hands and stare deep into his coffee-black eyes. "Taehyung, I've had my share of male suitors who have all been horny with lust and nothing else. I never thought for a second you were one of them okay? Plus, you're not the only one worked up tonight." You bite your cheek, unsure what'll come from admitting to the following.

"I like you too Taehyung," you finish.

"You do?" He asks with stars in his eyes, same blinding smile as usual.

You nod in affirmation.

"Is this the part where I get to kiss you?" His lids relax as he waits for your response.

"I suppose you can. Are you a good kisser?"

Taehyung snorts lightly and surprises you with a quick peck to your lips. But when he tilts his head back to look you in the eye again, you pull his face back to yours and press your lips fully on his.

Taehyung finds your waist with his fingers again the longer and deeper the kiss gets. He moves his soft lips on yours firmly then sucks on your bottom lip until his tongue is granted access into your mouth.

"Tae," you moan his name quietly. "People are starting to stare."

"And?"

You reluctantly break the kiss. "We should probably finish this in the car."

"I'd much rather have you finish in my bed though," he says before thinking it through. "Shit—sorry I did it again."

Taehyung's lips move against yours roughly as he makes out with you in the back seat. You decided I'd be easier to kiss without the center console getting in the way.

"You know I don't like putting out on the first date but...how long until you have to return to Seoul?" You tug his blonde hair as his hands wander up and down your torso.

"Two months," he replies, slightly pained. "That's actually something we should talk about if this is going where I think it is."

"Do you not do long distance relationships?"

"I don't know." He brings his lips to the side of your neck, sucking on the delicate skin. "I've never done it before. Have you?"

You shake you head. "No but I heard it's not easy."

Taehyung moves away from your neck to take your hands in his and presses a kiss to them. "I guess we have a few choices then. One, we stop here and sum it up to a nice evening out where I got to steal a kiss the most beautiful woman. I might cry myself to sleep later," he jokes but you wouldn't out it completely past him.

"Two, we make the best of it while I'm here. I'll take you out every night possible until I have to leave. We call it a temporary relationship of sorts. Or my personal favorite, we date with intent and I'll visit you every chance I get. I'll even relocate if necessary."

"God Taehyung, I don't even know. How can you decide so soon?"

"The moving part was too much, I know. I just meant that I want to be serious. Or at least give it a shot. But if that's something that doesn't work for you then we should probably stop here."

"I want to go out again though. I don't want to stop."

"So what?"

"Call me crazy but let's be serious. You're an adult, I'm an adult. Let's fucking do this." You go to kiss him again but he doesn't let you.

"Wait, __. You sure you want to go through with this?"

"I know there's a lot of grey areas to consider but I'd hate to miss out on something amazing because of a potential threat. We go out and if it works out well, then maybe...one of us can relocate. And if it doesn't then we gave it our best."

"Alright," he slowly leans his face towards you again. "If you're on board then I am too. Since we're doing it this way....do you want me to take you home?"

You shake your head in rejection. "Take me to your bed Taehyung."

"Just when I thought you couldn't get more beautiful you always make a fool out of me."

Taehyung traces down the curves of your body with cool hands as you stand in front of him in nothing but your black lingerie on. He's asked that your ruby necklace stay on too which did throw you off guard a tad.

His shirt is off himself, revealing his lean, tanned torso. His pants are off as well, showing off his his muscular thighs. No wonder he's one of the most wanted models in the world.

He's absolutely breathtaking.

"Is this designer?" He asks and you nod. "Of course, only the finest lace should be allowed to touch your body." Slender fingers dance across the cups of your bra, feeling the fabric carefully. He's not gropping at all.

"You're a flatterer aren't you?" You look him in the eye and your heart skips a beat. He's staring back at you with a similar intensity as the shoot earlier. Just like a panther, you think —alluring, dangerous, and incapable of escaping.

"Not flattering darling. Admiring," he responds lowly. "Can I remove it?" He leans forward to reach behind your back and graze across the hooks of the bra. His lips press a kiss to the space just below your ear as he does.

"Y-yes, please do," your voice hitches.

Taehyung unfastens the material from your body and you shake it off your arms and let it fall on the floor.

"Fuck," he swears and nibbles the edge of your ear while he palms your bare breasts. He thumbs at your nipples a little until their pebbling to his satisfaction. "Are you sure I can't make you my muse for my next painting?"

You chuckle and let him mouth at one of your breasts. "Maybe in time—oh god that feels good," you moan his tongue licks across you nipple.

"In time? Seems we've made some progress. You gave me a flat out no this morning." Taehyung lowers himself on his knee and presses a kiss to your bare waist. Its gentle and featherlike. He then fiddles with the edge of your lace panties as he did with your bra.

"That's because we were strangers, coworkers. However you want to call it."

"Mm, you have a point. May I?" He asks for permission and you nod with a small whine. His fingers brushing around your hips, nearing your ass only hightens your arousal.

Once he drags the thin material down your legs you step out of them and kick them to the side. Taehyung groans deeply when your center is exposed to him.

"Gods I want to lick this pussy so much. Will you let me eat you out tonight?"

"Fuck Tae," you card through his blonde hair. "Yes."

"Lets get you on my bed," he grunts, getting up from his kneeled position. He leads you to the edge of his bed where you crawl on top of his rich comforter, ass in full view as he follows behind you.

Once you're settled on your back Taehyung pushes your legs up and spreads your thighs wide open. He then crouches between them and kisses you inner thighs.

"You're very wet down here," he mumbles. "Do you want fingers first?"

"Three please," you request, already clawing at the sheets.

"Three?" Taehyung lifts his head to look at you. "You're certain you want to start with three?"

You chuckle. "I have the feeling that I'm going to need to take at least three fingers and your tongue before I can take your cock wholely. Correct me if I'm wrong."

He smirks and brings a slender finger up your slit. "No, you couldn't be more right." He pushes the finger all the way in, sinking between your velvety walls.

"Ohh," you moan.

Taehyung adds another, pumping and curling both fingers before adding the third. "So wet baby, do you hear yourself?"

The squelching sound of his fingers working in your pussy causes your core to clench and a streak of pearly white liquid to run down your thigh. Taehyung grows feral at the sight and starts pumping into you at a faster pace.

"Goddamn you're a sensitive one. When's the last time you were fingered?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. Probably two years ago?"

"Well allow me to reacquaint you with such pleasure."

Taehyung continues to work in your pussy with his fingers, hitting your g-spot with every push and curl. Strings of profanities leave your mouth as he does this and when he licks his tongue over your folds you scream in pleasure.

"Fuck Tae, don't stop! So good, oh my god," you moan and sink your fingers in his hair.

He doesn't stop at all, he doesn't slow down either. His fingers eventually pull out of you after a dozen more pumps to make room for his tongue to dip in your pussy. He teases your clit too which is all you needed to send you over the edge.

"I'm coming Tae," you say as your come on his tongue. He groans at the act and cleans up as much left over spillage as he can before moving away from your center.

"I love the way you taste," he licks the corner of his lips and makes his way up your body until he's hovering over your face. Taehyung presses a hard kiss to your lips after with traces of your come still on his tongue.

"Don't you agree?" He asks when he gives you a breath.

"I think I'd prefer the taste of something else instead," you respond with eyes flickering to his crotch.

He smirks and brings a hand up to graze the ruby necklace that's still around your neck. "You want my cock in your mouth baby? Wanna suck on it nice and firm between those pretty lips?"

"I do. Want to make you feel good too and taste your come."

"Mm," he groans. "Don't temp me darling. I'd really much rather come in your tight pussy."

"In a condom," you remind him.

"Yes of course, but still, in your pussy," he replies. "But who am I to deny you of what you want. Pick one, in your mouth or in your cunt?"

Your pussy clenches at his casualness. "Do I have to pick just one?"

"Fucking hell," he seethes. "You're a little greedy for our first time together aren't you?"

"ijuswansucuok."

"What?"

"I just want to suck your cock," you repeat. "But if I had to choose I want you to fuck me."

Taehyung gets off the bed hearing your words and sticks his thumbs in his briefs. "I'll tell you what," he pushes his underwear down to let his cock bounce free. It's huge, vein tracing up the underside, and leaking with pre-cum at the tip.

"I'll let you suck me off any other time because as you can see, I'm inches away from blowing my load already. But to make up for it, I'll let you have your pick of any position you want."

Your eyes train on his throbbing length as he crawls back to you on the bed. You know you should control yourself but you can't help but reach out and touch it.

"Oh fuuck," he clenches his teeth as your hand tightens around him. Your thumb traces his slit, rubbing circles on it. "God your fingers feel heavenly on me. But I need you to stop and tell me what position you want to be in, please."

"Doggy and can you make me squirt?"

"Yes fuck," he moans as you keep teasing his slit. "Face the headboard and get on your hands and knees."

You do as as he says and thank god you did because he was seconds away from thrusting up in your hand. Taehyung grabs a condom from the drawer by his nightstand and rips it open with his teeth. He then rolls it down his think length until he completely covered.

"Ready?" He asks you.

"Put it in me Tae. Need you inside me, please."

"I'm going to ease in alright? I'm pretty fucking big and I don't want to hurt you." At that he clamps his hands around your waist and starts nudging his cock into your entrance.

"Oh fuck—" you screw your eyes shut at the stretch. So good but he's right, he's too big. You don't know how he's going to fit himself all the way in you.

"Keep breathing darling and relax your muscles. We're taking this really slow until I can bottom out."

You do as he says as he continues to sink his length into you. "Taehyung, Taehyung fuck it feel so good but god you're a beast."

"I know and you're doing so good for me," he coos. "We're about halfway there. You're pussy feels amazing around me. Still wet with your come."

You grip the mattress and let out moan after moan. "You're only half-way in me? God I feel like I'm being split in half."

Taehyung pulls himself out of you then thrusts back in, gently but firm enough to jolt your whole body forward. He repeats the motion with each thrust going deeper than the last.

"Shit!" He groans as he beats himself into you. "So close baby. I'm almost all the way in."

"Taehyungtaehyungtaehyung," is the only word coming from you. All you feel is pleasure as he thrusts himself into you. It's been so long since you felt this good, and who the hell would have guessed it'd be Kim Taehyung to remind you of such feelings.

"There we go," he grunts as he finally, finally bottoms out. "There we fucking go baby, how are you feeling?" He asks as he picks up his pace.

"Fuck me—harder Tae," your moans are incoherent as your whole body to Taehyung.

The next ten minutes are nothing but skin slapping against skin as his cock beats inside of you, desperately working you up to another orgasm.

"Oh fuck, fuck fuck fuck," Taehyung pulls himself all the way back then snaps his hips back in, making you dizzy with arousal. "Look at you taking my big cock all at once. Just so eager to please huh? Like the way I fill you up?"

"Yes, yes I do," you pant, sweat dripping from your forehead. If you looked over your shoulder you'd see Taehyung doing the same. "I'm getting close Tae!"

"Go ahead and play with your clit for me then," he growls. "You must be so sore down there."

You quickly reach a hand down to your clit, circling it while Taehyung thrusts himself into you wholeheartedly. "Oh god, I'm almost there. I feel it Tae," you moan as the cord inside you gets tighter, threatening to break any second.

"Go on, coat my cock with your slick darling. Show me how good I'm making you feel as I rearrange your guts. You feel it deep in your stomach can't you? Fuck, I'm close myself!"

You grind your hips on his cock a few times and with that you reach your high, releasing all over Taehyung. But despite your second orgasm, his cock keeps thrusting into you.

"Can you give me one more? Need to make you squirt."

"Uh I don't know Tae, I'm not sure if I can c-come again."

"Yes you can and you will." He fucks into as hard as he can at that, no other words come from him other than deep groans. You on the other hand can't stop screaming.

"Too much Taehyung, I can't, please, need you to come. Fuck!" Despite your protest you are indeed close to a other orgasm; the third one of the night. You pussy uncontrollably clenches around Taehyung as his cock starts twitching inside you.

"Just a little more darling, getting so close. Gonna make you feel so good," he promises as his thrusts get sloppier.

"You already made me feel good Tae, want you to come too."

"I am," he replies, finally releasing. "Oh shit!"

"What? What is it?"

"You're squirting baby. Making a mess all over me and my thousand dollar sheets."

"Oh god, I'm so sorry-fuck. I'll replace them!"

"Like hell you will," he pulls out of you, ties his condom off and tosses in the trash next to his bed. He then flips you on your back and captures your lips roughly. "These sheets are mine and they'll stay mine just like you will from now on. As long as I can help it at least. Sound good?"

"Okay Taehyung," you nod. "Yours."

"Good, now how does a bath sound?"

"Fantastic," you exhale and close your eyes.

"Taehyung, Taehyung wake up." You shake the man by the shoulders next to you with both hands. "Get up get up get up!"

"What's the emergency?" He rubs his tired eyes as you move to leap up from the bed. You have the sheets wrapped tight around your body.

"We have a shoot at the beach with the team in half an hour! Hurry up and put your clothes on, you have to drive me back to my house so I can change into proper clothing."

"Why don't you wear one of my shirts or something?" He yanks your wrist towards him until you're forced to loosen your grip on his sheets and are forced atop his chest.

"Seriously? Why don't we just tell them we slept together at that point? You're crazy Kim Taehyung."

"You're making it sound like we had a one night stand," he pouts for the first time and you chuckle at how cute he looks.

"Of course it's not that Tae, it's just we still work together. We can't have them knowing we have a thing this early."

"Can we at least tell Jungkook?"

"No!" You playfully slap his shoulder. "Stop being so obsessed with him. He's got a girlfriend. Now get up, we really need to go."

"Alright, but give me a kiss first." He puckers up his lips and you concede by pressing your lips to his. "Are you a morning sex person?" He asks.

"No, we need to leave." You hop out of the bed and race to his bathroom.

"Goddamn it," he curses by himself. "Day one of being your girlfriend and she's already leaving you high and dry."

Taehyung throws the covers off his naked body and walks to the bathroom to join you in the shower—nothing but a big, happy grin on his face.

a/n: oh my gosh guys, this took me a long time. But I hope you enjoyed and lmk what you think 💞☺

Masterlist

Taglist:

@faiyh @brieeoche @lovemeforeternity @daughterof-aphrodit @daughterof-aphrodit @jjkluver7 @mystaerytete @sparklingocean @main-bangtansmauyeondan @ahgasegotarmy116

no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton

#taehyung smut #taehyung fluff #taehyung x reader #taehyung fanfic #taehyung imagine #bts smut #bts x reader #bts fanfic #bts au #bts imagines #fic:reflections #kookslastbutton

[florenceafternoon]

━。゜✿ jily fic recommendations ✿ ゜。━

Some more AUs I've been loving. I'm trying to alternate between AU and canon verse rec lists so bear with me. Remember that if you like a fic you should definitely let the author know as such.

For reference, anything in italics is taken from the summaries on ao3.

theogony by @clare-with-no-i

The trip that Lily Evans expects to go on is the annual pre-dissertation jaunt to Athens with the rest of her Classical Civilizations PhD program. The trip she does not expect to go on is to 479 BCE, right on the cusp of one of the most important battles in the Greco-Persian war. Now, she has to navigate antiquity as she tries to find her way back to the 21st Century, God—or gods—help her.

James wants to win this war. No, James needs to win this war. He is a man of honor and duty, and even if it means dying a gruesome, bloody death, he will go down in history as one of Athens's great warriors. He will suffer no distractions; not even beautiful ones who speak strangely and refuse to listen to his orders.

 -- OR: The Outlander-Meets-Ancient-Greece Jily AU that no one asked for Maya dreams of.

I can't believe it took me this long to read this fic but OH MY GOD!! Clare's writing is phenomenal, I've known this for a while now, but THE DEDICATION TO HISTORICAL ACCURACY, I'm so impressed. If only I could put even half that amount of effort into my major essays for school. EVERYONE GO READ THIS NOW

Sweathearts' Special by @tinyluminaryzombie

What happens when your coffee shop nemesis, asks you to pretend to be a couple?

Or "I’ve been staring at the stupid cupcakes for the past hour, and they look way too good. Anyways, would you be willing to join forces and pretend to be together for the free cupcake and coffee?”

Welcome to Pettyville by @women-inthe-sequel

When Lily Evans accidentally sends a text to the wrong number, she isn’t expecting to find the right person behind it. She can’t stop talking to Prongs. The only thing is, Prongs can’t stop talking about the girl in his class. What could go wrong, other than the number?

A love square but it's just the same two idiots

Tall Dark and Glasses by @jamesunderwater

Tall Dark and Glasses (or TDG as he is more affectionately known) is the mysterious, painfully good-looking stranger who has been frequenting Lily's favourite coffee shop for months now. But despite having an embarrassing acronym for him, Lily, a burned-out STEM major, is too comfortable being a wallflower to go up to him herself. Thank god for playing cards, I guess.

coffee shops and copious amounts of sugar by @mystinkysocks

James decides to finally start revising, the coffee shop he attends introduces him to someone new!

As someone who spends an ungodly amount of time studying in public (at cafés and libraries), all I dream of is to one day live out my very own coffee shop AU

Unlicenced by @ohmygodshesinsane

Lily Evans begrudgingly agrees to get in the car with classmate and sometime-foe James Potter and his not-quite-earned P-plates after a particularly rubbish day.

Drop-Off also by @/ ohmygodshesinsane

James Potter takes Lily Evans home, and wants to make something clear.

Disclaimer that they’re Australian in this AU. You guys don't understand how much Lily Evans means to me. I want to give her a hug.

pretty, pretty boy by rosiemary0 (on ao3)

Pretty face, with golden brown eyes and strong cheekbones (one of which is adorned with a smudge of charcoal). Pretty hands—very, very pretty hands, Lily’s thoughts interject—which hold a jar each, one with water and the other paintbrushes.

Or the one where James is an artist and Lily hates socialising.

I'll Manage by @kaymardsa

James and Lily fall in love during the war.

In which Lily runs a refugee camp and James is an ex-sniper

I can't remember if I've recommended this fic already but again I recently re-read it and wanted to share

'Tis the Fucking Season by @thequibblah

Six-year absences. Yearly photograph burnings (figuratively). Low-cut tops. Two nosebleeds. Little red notebooks. The Past, with a capital P. The desire to pour your heart out to strangers (maybe pathologically). The desire to do unspeakably bad things to one James Potter. These are the ingredients that make up Lily Evans's holiday season.

Shelby the cabbie is in for a fucking ride.

I have been searching for this fic for two months and nearly gave up. An absolute classic that everyone should read!!

Two's a Crowd also by @/ thequibblah

Regency AU in which "the only thing Lily Evans can share with the Earl of Devon is a healthy dose of mutual dislike."

In Search of Something More by @kay-elle-cee

In the sunlit garden of her sister’s home, Lord Potter had promised Lily a life of her own design, with minimal expectations—her presence at community events, companionship, and an heir. As the two stumble into the routine of marriage and work to make a life together at Stinchcombe Hall, unsolicited feelings provoke each to start wondering if this is merely a marriage…or if it could be something more.

No, I will not shut up about this fic. Anything that Kelsey writes is bound to be amazing but this one holds a special place in my heart. Note that this is an ongoing fic though. I tend to recommend completed works but this one is too good not to include.

Pinkest Bluestocking of the Ton by @wearingaberetinparis 

Dearest Reader, the ton are abuzz with the latest gossip, and so it is my honour to impart to you the news that the Duke of Peverell has returned to London at last! A year after setting off on his tour of Europe, Lady Peverell's son has returned and rumour has it that his mother is preparing for the most joyous of occasions: a late summer wedding that sees her son wed the next Duchess of Peverell. It is my sincere hope that you have stored a bottle of wine for this most delightful of upcoming events for if ever there were a more determined mama, this writer is Icarus and this society paper has been scorched for flying too close to the sun.

A Jily Regency Romance inspired by Shondaland's "Bridgerton".

Again this is an ongoing fic, but it's too good not to include in this rec list! I haven’t caught up with all the chapters yet but I love the story so far!

A Heart of Coal also by @/ wearingaberetinparis

They say fortune favours the bold, yet Lily Evans was given her death sentence at seventeen. As soon as midnight strikes on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, her heart will turn to coal. Gryffindor knight James Potter, however, is the last to accept such a fate. For while Lily Evans’ curse foretells her death, his foreshadows a life without his unrequited true love at his side.

Fairytale AU in which the love is requited they're just idiots

Three Lemons and a Dragon by @thelighthousestale

Once upon a time, there lived a Prince named James who had to save his father's Kingdom by getting married. One day an older woman gifts him three lemons that will lead him to his true love.

Dillweed in a Fancy Metal Can by @eastwindmlk

When Lily gets dragged to a Renaissance Faire, she reluctantly agreed to go to the jousting event where she is pulled into the show against her will, or is it?

Lily represents me

Queen Foxtail also by @/ eastwindmlk

Once Upon A Time...

There was an arrogant prince who turned down every suitable match and drove his parents to do something drastic. Marry him off to the next merchant that steps through their gates.

across the universe by rcdwings (on ao3)

“So, you’re saying that in these other worlds, James Potter and Lily Evans exist, too?”

She hadn’t expected to hear that, hadn’t even thought about it that way. She was too busy thinking about if in those other worlds, she and her friends could be seventeen and free instead of the war torn teenagers they were. Now that he’d put it that way, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander.

“I would assume so,” she swallowed. “Not sure what we would be like, though.”

A beat, then a soft hum. “Anything,” he smiled at her, “There are countless worlds, right? We could be anything.”

only love can hurt like this by @fireblts 

Lily doesn’t quite know everything, but it feels pretty close.

The main thing she still doesn’t get is soulmates. Love doesn’t seem like something that should be painful. Or rather, love seems like it’s painful enough on its own without any help.

Soulmate AU - whenever your soulmate is hurt or in pain, you can feel it too.

Soulmate AUs are my comfort genre of fics. I haven't been feeling to well lately and rediscovering this fic was a delight

The Librarian of Hogsmeade Village by @ohmygodshesinsane

Lily's work as a librarian in the small village of Hogsmeade has kept her occupied for the past six years, forever keeping the wheels of the town on the track. As the holidays approach, she prepares to settle in with a nice mug of tea and a well-thumbed old book. When a new resident and his son arrive at her weekly story-reading, with cheeky smiles and big hearts, those plans are tossed out the window in favour of chasing love, for once - not escaping it.

Lily living the cozy life of my dreams. I think it's well known by now that I love reading about single parents and well James with his baby boy always puts a smile on my face.

Spitting Image by @charmsandtealeaves

James Potter always knew he wanted to build a family, he just hadn’t found the right person to build it with - yet. Freezing his sperm at Gringotts Sperm Bank was a no-brainer really. He’d have children when he found the right person, and now he had an insurance policy. Then Lily Evans walked into his place of work with her son - the spitting image of him.

linking this art that the talented @constancezin drew inspired by this fic

Every time I see that Ray has updated, reading the new chapter becomes the highlight of my day

The Stag Prince Across The Sea also by @/ charmsandtealeaves

The realm of Hogwarts had lived for decades in a carefully negotiated harmony between the leaders of the four clans. However, when the time came for son to marry daughter, the Slytherin King refused to offer his daughter's hand to any of the other grand houses’ suitors. As the Slytherin King departed the shore, bound for the ship that would allow him to escape across the Green Sea, he cast a curse on the great families.

“Let ye be marked. Marred by tooth, hoof, and claw. May your sons never be fit for any bride!”

Slytherin invoked an ancient magic, which transformed each family's eldest son into creatures under the light of the full moon. The Kings searched far and wide for a cure to no avail while trying to keep secret the wrong that had been done to them. Years passed and with them grew a sense of unrest, a kingdom on the precipice of collapse...

what love is, I think by @potterandevans-blog-blog

It's James Potter's birthday, his nineteenth to be exact. Some people, if they're lucky, find a tattoo on their back on their nineteenth birthday, a tattoo that can help them discover their soulmate. And if the antlers on his back are anything to go by, James might just have a soulmate of his own out there, somewhere.

oil be there for you by @abby10fanfic

Texting/Social Media AU: Lily and James haven't spoken for 2 years. But that's all about to change thanks to Peter and his involvement in an essential oil pyramid scheme. Featuring boss babes, toxin-free lifestyles, binding contracts, and a very oily journey.

#if you're like me and check the jily fic tag nearly every morning you've probably read most of these already #but I just wanted to share my recent favourites #lily evans #james potter #jily #jple #james x lily #lily x james #jily fic rec

[mmani-e]

Part 2 of the DR1 Demix Series! Here we have:

Hifumi as the Ultimate Pop Sensation

Celestia as the Ultimate Baseball Star

Saku(ra) as the Ultimate Programmer

Chihiro as the Ultimate Fighter

Touko as the Ultimate Fanfic Artist

and Yasuhiro as the Ultimate Gambler

As always, some design insights below the cut.

Celestia: Unlike Leon, Celes loves being the ultimate baseball player. She loves the fame, the attention, and the fact it makes her feel special, and far from the boring life she grew up in. She wants to start life over after hope's peak not as Taeko Yasuhiro, but as Celestia Ludenberg.

Hifumi: Hifumi is a body-positive pop sensation who got his position because he submitted a recording of himself singing a song he wrote as a dare to a radio station, aftwards his career started after a kind agent saw the potential in the big boy. Enough for a career.

Touko: Toko I imagine is not very hard to put in the role of fanfic author, in this au she never goes full psycho because she was picked up by a gaggle of anime nerd women her first school so while she lives a shitty life in her parents place she has at least had people to hang out with and bond to. So instead of a psycho, she's just her unpleasant self + anime gatekeeping.

Yasuhiro: If you had a 33% chance guarantee of winning every bet you place at a casino you should always be gambling. Even if you're not that good and a huge moron, a 1 in 3 chance of winning every bet is crazy and that's what Yasuhiro managed to be born with, a 33% chance to win any bet or call he makes, making him stupid rich... or at least he should be, if he wasn't an idiot and manage to still rack a huge debt up.

Saku(ra): Sakura in this AU is known as "Saku" to most of the public, as the only successor to her family's business, in the stead of her father's teachings, she agreed to operate in public as a man in order to save her family's business from falling to malevolent forces in her distant family, who all but disallow the idea of a woman taking over the family business... the Ogami IT Consultancy firm...

Oh the muscles are normal, she's an Assembly programmer.

Chihiro: Essentially a Karate Kid story where all the bullying Chihiro suffered caused him to hit back at one point, causing him to bloody up a bully's face so bad he had to be suspended temporarily. In this suspension, Chihiro's father enrolled him into a dojo, and then shenanigans would ensue causing him to get sent to more and more prestigious institutes of martial learning until he would eventually beat the once-ultimate fighter and earn his title

#danganronpa #fanart #talentswap #talentswap au #danganronpa demix #hifumi yamada #celestia ludenberg #celesfumi #yamaceles #sakura ogami #chihiro fujisaki #toko fukawa #yasuhiro hagakure #danganronpa thh

[haliteatiger]

This my "Tav", Silence. I'm still sorta working out her background details, but for now it's safe to say she's had it pretty rough.

Check below the cut for a lot of rambling and pointless, self-indulgent headcanons.

Her name comes from the fact that she didn't speak for the first few years of her life, instead learning to play the violin and communicating through her art. Someone started calling her "Little Silence" and it just sort of stuck. She didn't know her parents, but was adopted by a noble who saw her as a unique "pet" given her unusual appearance - even for a tiefling - and her musical and artistic talents.

Unfortunately, the guy was bad with money, and ended up gambling away a good portion of whatever Silence earned, in the end becoming desperate enough to try and auction off her virginity when she came of age. Silence, obviously, was not going to stand for this, and managed to escape - possibly killing the man who bought her in the process, she wasn't sure and frankly doesn't care.

With only her violin and a precious few belongings in tow, Silence made her way to Baldur's Gate and was eventually found by a gang of performers and thieves (that I have yet to come up with a name for) where she learned ways on how to survive on the streets and defend herself with her art. Now in her late 20s, and poised to set out on her own due to some complications within her social circle, she was taken aboard the Nautiloid.

There are two sides to Silence - one is kind of quiet, observant, and sensitive. She has a way of simply blending into the background if she doesn't want to be observed (she's good at Stealthing, I guess), and the other is her more or less "bard persona", which is outgoing and charismatic. Contrary to her name, Silence can be quite talkative when the mood strikes her. It's usually when she becomes angry, flustered, or anxious where she seems to forget words entirely and has a hard time articulating herself, which has led into some dramatic situations when she lashes out more physically.

Overall, she's easygoing, and tries very hard not to let her emotions get in the way of her making decisions, and so often comes off as more pragmatic than anything. She's also pretty accepting of those around her even if she is, in actuality, slow to trust. I guess you could say she's highly manipulative as a defence mechanism. So it's not that she lies to people, per se, but she can come off as liking someone more than she does if only to deflect harm from herself. She is not a people-pleaser, however, and has very defined boundaries in terms of how far she's willing to concede to someone, especially a stranger. She's excellent at reading people (most of the time), acts more confident than she seems, knows a little about a lot of topics, and is always eager to learn more. She can be impulsive and rude without meaning to, and has something of a sarcastic and dry sense of humor that always seems almost prepared in advance whenever she snaps back at someone. Her charisma and wit often seem to leave others with the mistaken impression that she knows what she's doing in any given situation, and thus has often been beset with expectations she's sure she's more often than not fallen short of. Somehow, people just seem to think she's the most competent one in the room because she talks a good talk. Due to her dual upbringing, she is capable of blending in with high society as well as she does low. Silence will generally act within her own best interests or those of her friends, but it doesn't really take much to persuade her to do the right thing.

A good example would be when she and the gang arrive at the druid hold and is asked to help the tieflings. Initially she denies getting involved until mocked by Astarion for "turning her back on the needy", at which point, just to annoy him, agrees to help. (Although, when pressed she admits she mostly did it because she realized they needed some things in the area anyway and helping them could be beneficial to their cause). She can have kind of an impish sense of humor and while she doesn't like to see others get hurt, probably does take more pleasure in watching her enemies die writhing in agony than she'd care to admit.

Random fun fact: Silence is a feral tiefling, and her tail is supposed to be reminiscent of a heraldic unicorn's or lion's tail. She often carries it with a curl or S shape as she has a somewhat chronic fear of it being stepped on or pulled. She also has cat-like eyes (that I've had to mod in, but really wish Larian would include them naturally in the game because why not??? Same with more variations in tails...)

Other fun fact is that Silence has a Secret Power in which she's capable of using her tadpole to influence those around her when she plays a song infused with a particular strong emotion. Unfortunately, she cannot replicate the song later, at least not in the same way or with the same impact as when she played it. This generally acts like an empathic attack on those who can see and hear her, impressing upon them the emotion she's attempting to convey through song which can manifest in the audience's minds as how she imagines it - so a full orchestra if that's what she's hearing in her head. As one can imagine, the situations in which this is actually useful are few and far between, as it would require the proper conditions and emotional preparation for it to be effective, although I like to imagine she has used it a few times on a smaller scale to calm tensions in the group when camping some nights.

Relationships with the other NPCs:

Lae'zel - Admires her strength, but is suspicious of her motivations mostly because she seems more than capable of finding this creche by herself, but instead wants to drag the rest of them along with her. Either she's hiding an altruistic side to her or something else is going on. Silence tolerates Lae'zel's nasty attitude, but also can't help but find her and her people's culture fascinating. She often tries to overlook the Gith's biting tongue in order to inquire more about it. It's a mystery to Silence what Lae'zel truly thinks of her, but it's probably nothing good (even if she seems to get bonus points every time she shows an interest in her people.) About the only time she gets anything resembling a compliment from her is when she agrees with her about the use of their tadpole or if she does something worth being commended for in battle. Otherwise, Lae'zel doesn't seem to be terribly fond of Silence's violin playing as the high-pitched tones seem to bother her.

Gale - Gale and her get along famously, and, next to Wyll, finds him probably one of the easiest to talk to in the group. They both share a great interest in magic and, at times, a similar sense of humor (which is to say she's about as bad at puns as he is). They're both well-travelled and well-educated, and if she doesn't know or understand something magic-related, she's quick to ask Gale for guidance, and enjoys seeing him in his element. Gale seems fond of her wit, open-mindedness, and appreciation and interest she takes in the world around her and those that live in it. She seems to have a genuine interest and appreciation for everyone in the group and admires her dedication to watching their backs, even if it's obvious she doesn't entirely trust any of them. He likes that she seems to know a surprising amount about wizardry despite not being one herself - at least enough to ask advanced questions about things that he might consider to be outside the interest of most bards, as well as the fact that she isn't easily fazed by things that would turn most people's stomachs or make them balk in disbelief. As could be evidenced by her rather extensive anatomy studies on the bodies of their fallen enemies ("It's free art references!")

Admittedly, Silence was a bit shocked and uncomfortable to learn about Gale's history and his need to consume magic artifacts, but as he seems sincere in his efforts to keep it under control, chooses not to worry about it and does what she can to support him, which he greatly appreciates. There's still that little nagging voice in the back of her mind, however, even if he's friendly enough to get her to forget that at times. She has to remind herself on occasion that she doesn't really know him.

Shadowheart - Shadowheart and her also get along very well, even if they're both somewhat guarded around each other still, and Shadowheart, when not in the right mood, can be very difficult to talk to just in general. But, it's Silence who is first to lower her defenses, and speak to the Shar acolyte candidly. Silence finds the two of them have a lot in common in terms of how they approach most situations - pragmatic but always erring to self-preservation or that of the group's. Shadowheart seems to appreciate Silence's amicability, willingness to compromise, and respects that, even though she is friendly, she isn't naive about it. It also helps that Silence doesn't seem to have a problem with her being a worshipper of Shar and respects her desire for privacy even without being prompted. Silence appreciates how much of a team player Shadowheart really is, with her main interests usually centring around maintaining the group and essentially keeping everyone content enough not to turn on one another.

Astarion - Even though she enjoys picking on him from time to time, it's almost always in a way that he can also appreciate. She finds it more fun when the other person is in on the joke as well. This can and does include flirting, but thus far, she's made it pretty clear that she perceives it as simply something to laugh about (even if he might be absolutely serious about it). Unfortunately, at least initially, she also finds Astarion to be one of the hardest to read among the group, and picking on him isn't something she started doing until she knew where his boundaries lay. Up until then, she approached him delicately, allowing him to lead the conversations and learning what she could along the way, which, fortunately, he seems more than happy to do. As a result, he takes her quite a bit longer to translate than the rest, and doesn't feel entirely comfortable around him for a long time to come, really only engaging with him whenever he wishes to engage with her. As a result, the vampire tends to find Silence the most comfortable and trustworthy one of the group even if she seems careful enough not to let him get too close. He's likely the first to notice how little Silence voluntarily shares about herself, often distracting the others with reassurances, compliments, and asking questions she thinks they would enjoy answering.

Despite this he appreciates that she's easygoing and down-to-earth, while still having a good sense of humor and seems to know when to take something seriously, and, while at times seemingly easily impressed with the world around her (like he's one to talk), also seems to accept it for what it is and adapts accordingly.

In actuality, Astarion has about as much trouble reading her as she does him, as he's found it impossible to tell if she's genuine in her compliments and expressing interest in others around her. She certainly seems to have a gift for getting people to trust her. She's good at taking control of conversations and deflecting away from topics she doesn't want to talk about in the least offensive way possible, and he's made the mistake of reading her sincerity as naivety. She intrigues him as almost every time he thinks he has her figured out, she does or says something unexpected, or contrary to what he would assume about her, and he's not even sure if she's doing it on purpose. It's possibly a matter of them being out of step with one another, being of differing natures, even if he gets on better with her than he has anyone else in recent memory (insofar as we know about his story at least).

About the only things that get on his nerves at times is that she's maybe a little too soft, and a little too cautious and prone to overthinking than is good for her, mostly because it ends up involving dragging them into doing something boring or "unproductive" (not to their overall benefit). Never mind that she's encouraged him to wait in camp or go on without them if he has a problem with their decisions. It also bugs him that, even if she sees the merit in using the tadpoles, she's on board with the others that it isn't safe to do so until they know exactly what it is they're dealing with. Rather by accident, it would seem, Astarion finds himself liking her more than he realizes, especially after his condition comes to light and, lo and behold, she's not only okay with it, she wants to know everything about it and how they can use it to their benefit, even if she doesn't seem to be too terribly keen on being fed off of, as long as he can sate himself with bandits and ne'er-do-wells, she's off the hook insofar as she's concerned... for now, and has basically told him that she's his "emergency supply" if circumstances require it.

Despite all this, Silence is still vigilant, and while she trusts him with certain things, doesn't trust him completely, and knows full well the lengths to which his type is willing to go to cover their attempts at taking advantage of a situation.

#haligren's ocs #haligren's art #haligren's oc silence #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 tav #bg3 tav #haligren's fanfiction #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 astarion #baldur's gate 3 astarion #bg3 lae'zel #bg3 shadowheart #bg3 gale #bg3 fanart #baldur's gate 3 fanart

[cc-horan28]

Fake Promises: a Masterlist

Okay folks. So as an Indian fangirl, life is not easy.

Do not get me wrong. I love louis. I love niall. I love harry. I love zayn. I love liam.

But they've made so many fake fucking promises and just god. I'm sick and tired of this all. Give us a chance, please? beyond just tweets.

And then I realized, most people have no idea about this.

So let's take a look:

Starting with Louis, he's been the most active, atleast. He's often spoken about us and has atleast acknowledged us which is... ig it's something. I'm not holding him to any of his promises though.

And he spoke on an Indian radio channel, which I have transcribed:

"To the Louies in India, I would just say thank you. Thank you very much for your support and often I see on social media, and honestly, ALL the time I'm talking to management about coming to a show in India so we're gonna make it happen."

Niall has only ever talked about India once and to be fair to him, he did say 'If i get a chance'.

Liam has spoken twice, but ditto. He said he'd love to, 'if possible'.

Zayn did have a four city tour planned out, so I don't blame him at all. Of course, all his tour plans fell through, so.

Harry. Harold. Haz. H. What do I even say about him. Lets just say searching up harry styles India won't yield any results at all.

So yeah, that was just to give y'all a little idea of what it's like to be an indian fan. Still gonna remain hopeful one of them's gonna come here one day.

If you look up on google, why no artist every comes to india, and understand I mean, all artists. It says it's because we don't buy cds. Guess what, folks? They're not sold in any stores. And buying them off their websites is absolutely impossible to a normal person earning a normal amount of money by indian standards.

Seems a bit unfair.

And please, understand that I love them, very very much. They've saved me and I'm literally never gonna stop loving them. But it does hurt. Being ignored like this.

Maybe one day.

links under the cut

#one direction #india #desiblr #louis tomlinson #harry styles #niall horan #liam payne #zayn malik #directioners #1d india #hslot #tslot #tours in india #please dont let this post die #beyond the fact that i spent ages on this i really want more people to know about this #Youtube

[reunionatdawn]

My Analysis of the Best Paired Endings in 3H (Part 12: Raphael/Bernadetta)

Raphael: Mercenaries have no responsibilities, and no one else to worry about. But someone's gotta take care of my little sis, so that's out of the question. Serving as a knight in a noble house is more secure, and you don't have to worry about dying…unless there's a war. My sis has been through so much. I don't want her to have to worry about me.

Raphael chose a more difficult path in life for the sake of his little sister. After their parents died, he enrolled in the academy to become a knight to a noble house to earn money for her.

Raphael: Fighting alongside you and everyone else is a dream come true, Professor! And don't worry about my little sis. Right now she's back home helping out with the family business. I kinda figured I was gonna be stuck going back and taking over for her. But thanks to you and Claude, I get to work on my dream of becoming a proper knight!

Claude told him that a knight's main function was to fight and defend, but to Raphael, a proper knight was someone who was virtuous and always helped those in need. And his wish at the Goddess Tower was to become a proper knight. Taking over the inn was something he was always reluctant to do unless he had no choice.

Raphael: Sure, it's not my favorite thing in the world, but that was to keep my little sis fed. I had good reason for it. Byleth: It's the same for me. Raphael: The same, huh? I think I get what you mean. You do things you don't wanna do for the sake of everyone else. That's real noble of you, Professor. I guess I can't get in your way if you're doing it for the right reasons.

Nobody is nicer guy than Raphael. A big part of his character was that he did things he didn't want to do for the sake of others.

Raphael: And y'know? I'm totally OK not being a knight. Once this war is finally over and we're at peace again, I'm gonna take over the inn. So don't worry about me, OK? Follow your own dreams, Ignatz.

In Hopes, his Houses solo ending, and most of his paired endings, he doesn't achieve his dream of becoming a proper knight, because he gives up knighthood to manage his family's inn. In the paired endings where he does manage the inn, it helps his partner, but it wasn't what he wanted to do.

Raphael & Ignatz After returning to his hometown, Raphael served as a knight to the local lord while assisting his grandfather and sister in managing the inn they had opened as a side job. However, Maya, his sister, suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a note saying she wanted to become a painter. Raphael, resigning from his knighthood, managed the inn while waiting for his sister's return. Several years later, Maya returned, not as a painter, but as the wife of a painter. Introduced as her husband was Ignatz. At that time, he was nothing more than an unknown artist, but supported by Raphael, Maya, and his father and brother who recognized his talent, Ignatz continued to pursue his dream and eventually became a renowned painter representing Fódlan.

In his paired ending with Ignatz, he gives up his own dream so that Ignatz can live his dream with Maya. It's sweet of him to do so, but the ideal ending would be for both of them to achieve their dreams.

Ferdinand: Do you not realize that life is passing you by? Have you no desire to venture beyond this reclusive lifestyle? There is a whole world waiting for you out there.

It is important to note that Bernadetta is a Sagittarius. Fire signs are considered the most masculine signs. Sagittarius is bold, unapologetic and forward-thinking, and is known for its carefree nature. They are natural intellectuals and explorers. Bernie's hyper-anxious personality is completely unnatural for her. It is the result of sexist abuse to make her submissive, like a "good wife" should be. It's not who she really is.

Bernadetta: But wouldn't it be nice to spend some time alone with a nice guy in this lonely tower, cut off from all the rest of the world?

Bernie's wish at the Goddess Tower was to spend her life in solitude, something Byleth won't promise with her. But just before that, she said she wanted to be alone with a nice guy. So, she didn't really want to be alone. She shut herself away and let life pass her by, which all of her friends were concerned about. Her character arc was about overcoming her anxiety and her fear of befriending commoners, and also becoming more independent. Something which is extremely hard for her to do, based on her endings.

Bernadetta: I'm afraid to go home…afraid to see my parents…

In her solo ending, she becomes a hermit known as the "Bear of Varley". In her S-Support with Byleth, she is hiding away in her room again because she's afraid to go back home. In her ending with Byleth, she never overcomes her shyness (except in CF where she has to fight TWSITD). If she marries Ferdinand, she lives in his territory and stays home while he travels.

She does the same with Felix and becomes even more reclusive with him. If she marries Linhardt, she won't leave her room unless she has to give a lecture. In her ending with Caspar, he frequently counts her as one of his children. If she marries Seteth, she commits to life as a recluse. And she has to stay glued to Yuri's side.

Raphael: Really?! That would be great! We gotta get this war over with so you can have more time to cook! Bernadetta: You know, I'd actually like that.

Bernadetta bears the Crest of Indech, which is associated with Temperance. The Temperance card in Tarot is about the blending of opposites and the achieving of synthesis. It's about harmony, peace, and patience. As her complete opposite, Raphael was the one person who helped her the most. Bernadetta was the only female character who seemed to fall for Raphael at the end of their Support chain. The one "wifely" skill she enjoyed was cooking and Raphael's true passion was food. She was even excited for the war to end so she could cook for him whenever he wanted.

Bernadetta & Raphael Bernadetta succeeded the title of Countess Varley in place of her father but chose to seclude herself within her domain, never involving herself in national affairs. Raphael appeared on the scene, aiming to help Bernadetta engage with others. According to Bernadetta's memoirs, it was described as "a kind of public humiliation," yet whether this tough love worked or not, she began to interact with her subjects as their ruler, eventually becoming involved in central policies. Their grand wedding reportedly featured a bride uncharacteristically outgoing and a groom flexing his muscles as he circulated among guests.

This is the only ending (besides the one with Byleth in CF) where Bernie totally overcomes her shyness and actually becomes outgoing and assertive, like she would have been all along if not for her father's abuse. She's the exact opposite of a submissive wife and competently manages her territory.

And it's the only ending where Raphael achieves his dream and becomes a knight to a noble house (much safer than being a mercenary), while also helping someone in need. It's also one of the only endings where he finds love and gets married. He's certainly not the rich nobleman her father would have chosen, so we know that Bernie has developed the confidence to stand up to him.

#fe3h #fe3h meta #bernadetta von varley #raphael kirsten #raphadetta

[extremelyboredandanxious]

Curiosity Killed the Cat (2)

Andrew Neiman x Figure Skater!reader

R U MINE? "I go crazy 'cause here isn't where I wanna be; and satisfaction feels like a distant memory"

a/n: instead of blushing when y/n gets embarrassed or flustered , I used "invading eye-contact" as an alternative. + sorry this part might seem really long, might not be able to update for a while

Every other Friday, Andrew and his father either went to the movies or a random restaurant Andrew's father was dying to try. Although, this night was a bit different. His father wasn't able to make it, and instead sent Andrew money to buy take-out at the restaurant his father had been rambling about. As he entered the restaurant, he took a second to check out his surroundings, it looked like a combination of a bar and an 80s restaurant. He took a mental note to check out the Jukebox.

"Didn't think I'd see you here, you're stalking me now?" A familiar voice said, "y/n? you work here?" he asked. "Been working here since the beginning of the year, what brings you here?" she asked. "I'd usually be here with my dad but he wasn't able to make it" he explained, "there goes your partner in crime" she said, earning a small chuckle from him. "Anyways, you ready to order" she asked, "surprise me" he said, "if you say so" she said, relaying the order to chef.

"Didn't know you had a boyfriend y/n" her coworker, Nikolai said, causing her to lightly shove him. "He's not my boyfriend, I just met him last week" she replied, "but you think he's cute?" Nikolai questioned, "yeah, a bit" she admitted. "So do something about it!" He exclaimed, "Jesus, keep your voice down!" she said, the duos conversation was cut short by the chef handing out Andrew's order to y/n. "Orders ready" she said softly, observing his concentrated face as he skipped through each of the songs on the Jukebox. "Thanks," he said handing her money.

It was like a lightbulb flickered over her head as she had most brilliant idea. "Are you free Monday night? There's this movie I'd think you'd like, and I happen to have the blu-ray version of it" she asked. Andrew's mind went blank for a second, "Yeah, I'm free" was all he managed to say, mentally cringing at how he sounded. "Can I get your number then? In case anything comes up" he asked holding out his phone. The duo exchanged numbers, Andrew putting his contact name with a ':)' at the end. "See you Monday" Andrew said, internally celebrating, "Cya!" she said as he exited. "Real smooth, you're gonna have to teach me that line one day" Nikolai teased.

MONDAY (italics = text messages)

Andrew stared at the numbers "511". He debated if he should wait a few more minutes before knocking, or if he should just get it over with. He knocked on the apartment door, and soon y/n unlocked it. He stared at her for a few moments, taking in her appearance. "Hey! you made it" she said with a small smile, as she let him in. He looked around her room, her many skating and academic awards were on a shelf on the left side of her room, along with a small desk with a sewing machine and what looked like a costume. On the wall behind her bed, there were posters of her favorite music artists, as well as figure skaters he didn't recognize. Lastly, the desk by her bed had a bunch of family and baby pictures, followed by cheesecake sleeping on the edge of bed.

"Make yourself at home" She said as she put on the movie, and grabbed a bunch of snacks from her snack drawer. "What's the movie about anyways?" he asked as he laid on the bed, "If I told you, it would be a spoiler" she said as she awkwardly laid beside him. Both of them struggling a bit to lay on the twin size mattress, "for the price we pay for these apartments, I'd think the beds would be a bit bigger" Andrew commented. "You should've brought your mattress over and combined them" she added. Eventually the two settled on a more comfortable position, y/n rested her head on his chest, with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. "You comfortable?" Andrew questioned, "very comfortable" she said, breaking eye-contact with him as she played the movie.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked him, propping herself on her elbow, he nodded in response. "I'm going to assume you enjoy playing the drums, do you think you could live without playing them?" she asked. "No way, I've been playing the drums since I could walk, it would feel weird if I stopped, for whatever reason" he responded, "I got into Schaffer because I wanted to pursue it as a career" he added. "Holy shit! That's amazing, you should give me your autograph, I could resell it when your super famous!" She exclaimed, "Don't get me wrong, it's great school but I'm only an alternate drummer" he sighed. "I wanna earn my spot in the core band" he added, "and you will! Everyone starts somewhere, doesn't matter if you're an alternative or not, doesn't deny the fact that you're capable".

"What's the story with you and skating?" He asked, "Well, it was my mom's idea actually, she put me up for it when I was 6, won my first competition when I was 8, never stopped since" she began. She told him about how it expensive it was, but how much she managed to accomplish. "Sectionals are in 3 months, If I make it the top 4, then I move on to regionals" She added. "Would you mind If I watched you skate at Sectionals?" Andrew asked, now staring at ceiling. "You'd really come?" She said, excitement laced in her voice, "Of course I would" He responded.

"Only on one condition, I get to watch you perform on stage" she reasoned, "Deal" he said. Hours later, the duo finished the movie. "Are you free in 2 weeks, there's this really good pizza place, I'd like to you take you out to" he said. "I should be free," she said, "great, it's a date! If you want it to be, I-". "It's a date," she confirmed, a bright smile on her face, "good luck with drumming, don't overwork yourself!" she added as they walked to the door, "same goes to you, goodnight y/n" he said before exiting.

#whiplash 2014 #whiplash #andrew nieman x reader #andrew neiman #andrew nieman #miles teller #fanfic #miles teller x reader #andrew neiman x reader

[lenteur]

random thoughts about tell me that you love me, episode five

(the rest is under the cut because i'm worried about your eyes having to read ALL OF THAT and this post might contain spoilers)

I feel like this is becoming a recurring motif in my posts about the drama but I'm in love with the leads. They're both so caring and thoughtful. The fact they're there for each other and are witnessing the other evolve. My heart feels warm. They're one of the best things to happen to this show.

Jin woo focusing on mo eun's acting <3 I'd love it if the drama showed more scenes like the one where he came to support her at the theater. I think he could become an asset to mo eun's acting career because he can't hear so he's only focusing on the facial expressions/body language part of acting. A good actor is someone who can make you feel things even when you don't relate/know what they're talking about. A good actor is someone who doesn't need a lot of words to make you understand what they're feeling. So I can see mo eun showing her acting to jin woo as a rehearsal coach. You know asking him what he felt when he saw her acting, what he thinks she's talking about, etc. That'd be great if the drama gave us some of these moments in the future.

It might not seem like a lot but I'm happy to see the other actors congratulate mo eun on her acting. Knowing how hard she worked and how many rejections she had to go through, I'm relieved to see people believe in her and praise her for her splendid acting

It's so cute how she immediately ran to him after being congratulated by her colleagues. You can see how much she values him and his opinion. Just like he was able to calm her down before she started the play, she wants to ask him for his opinion. The more I watch them together, the more I ship them.

Girl we're not even ten minutes into the episode and I'm on the verge of writing a love letter to the main couple. They are made for each other.

"You're a good listener" because he always tries to focus on each word that comes out of her mouth. He makes efforts to make her feel understood and I think that's beautiful.

"It feels like you're listening to my heart, not my voice" OH COME ON!!! TAKE MY HEART TAKE MY EVERYTHING IF THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED BUT I DON'T NEED TO BE CRYING ON A THURSDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT AT 12 AM

"To me, you're a comfortable person"

The fact that after watching the play, jin woo wished he could hear makes me cry a little bit (ngl)

The whole confrontation with the parents scene... I am torn because I understand both sides.

The parents are worried for her because becoming an actress (and an artist in general) is really hard and only a few manage to make a living out of it. Even less people manage to become super popular and earn lots of money. So yeah, I know the parents want the best for her and don't want her to think about how to make ends meet. However, that doesn't mean it's okay to be so judgemental towards their own daughter. They looked like they were on the verge of disowning her because of her choice of career. The mother saying mo eun is immature for pursuing her dream career, that's rich. I mean your daughter has spent most of her life following what YOU wanted her to do. It's normal for mo eun to be fed up with this and decide to live her life the way she wants. The worst part is when her mother said she'll never make it because she's too old for that career (which is true because as most artistic jobs, your image is a crucial part) but had the nerve to oppose to mo eun when she wanted to study theater and movie (or something like that i don't remember the exact terms) at uni. I'm just disappointed by the parents' reaction but I can understand where they come from.

On mo eun's part, I just can't imagine how she's feeling after all that happened. She wanted to tell them first she decided to become an actress, but unfortunately her role as an extra was shown on tv. She was robbed of telling her parents the truth. Like she said, it wasn't an impulsive decision. She thought long and hard about it and decided to do it in the end. She kept a false front in front of her parents because she's always followed their advice so she was scared of their reaction to the whole actress thing. And she was right. Mo eun is already feeling guilty about her decision. She doesn't want to worry her parents. I feel for her.

What made my blood boil is how the brother sided with the parents. He knew all along but then when the truth was out, he was the first one to drop mo eun and act shocked by her choice of career. I don't know a lot about their relationship but I thought he'd at least try to defend her a little bit. Guess I was wrong. Sigh

Ji yu and mo d am's bickering is one of the most hilarious things ever,

Mo eun's face lighting up when she saw name (jin woo can be funny when he wants to lol naming his cat name). She's just like me.

Ji yu is a great friend. She's happy for mo eun's success, she's worried about her because she knows mo eun has a hard time dating someone. I'm glad ji yu is there for mo eun.

Song seo kyung's arrival. The plot thickens. I can't wait to learn more about the fire and how the situation will be resolved.

Overall this is a great episode, I'm giving this a 9/10

#it feels like the last random thoughts post i made was forever ago #when in reality it's been a week or two ago #anyway i hope i didn't mix up names (i'm too tired and don't want to proofread myself) #can't wait for the next episode #random(al) thoughts #kdrama #tell me that you love me

[freaoscanlin]

Hi, I don’t know if I’m too late but the for the fic meme thing - Chapter 01.docx- was really intriguing to me. I mean also the friendship calculator.

Definitely not too late! The friendship calculator was a Stardew Valley thing because I was tooling around with some challenge runs (Get the statue of perfection as fast as I can was that particular one). As for Chapter 01.docx, I just opened it and it turns out it's a restart of a story I've been tooling with on and off for years but have never posted publicly. And I've been writing on it for so long that attitudes in Hollywood (where the story takes place) have majorly shifted about queer actors. So the story doesn't entirely work anymore, but it was a hell of a lot of fun to kick around. Going to change some names and post a bit of it under the cut.

“They’re replacing you with a goddamn nobody.”

“I hear she’s cute. And I’m not being replaced.”

Greg gave her a quit-the-bullshit look. “You took a cut to take this role, they should be pandering to you—”

“Nobody says ‘don’t you know who I am’ anymore,” Marisa told him. “It’s not a good look.”

“That’s beside the point.”

Marisa gave the script a look that contained absolutely nothing of what she felt inside. With most actors and their managers, the dynamic would have been reversed. Greg by all rights should have to break the news gently to her that things were not going her way. With another one of his clients, he would have had to sit them down and explain that this industry was fickle, and fast-paced, and could instantly change.

But Marisa had been in the tabloids before she had even articulated her first words. She would have been, even without her chosen career path. She’d inherited her first name from her very famous sitcom-star-turned-pop-singer, and her jawline from her football superstar father. Luckily, on her it had softened somewhat, giving her a good structure and cheekbones that makeup artists regularly cooed over. The ice blue eyes came from her mother, but the poise—that had been earned over a long lifetime surviving in an arena where it took beauty, connections, and luck to make it through every perilous day.

Which was why she gave Greg a small smile. “I saw this coming weeks ago.”

“Of course you did.” But he didn’t sound surprised as he dug into his breakfast burrito.

“I also don’t want to break my contract,” she said.

“Of course you don’t. Most people would be demoralized, but you—you just shrug.”

Marisa ate another bite of omelet. She had to be at the studio in an hour, and her driver would be there soon to collect her, no doubt. And it had been sweet of her manager to invite her to breakfast before what was guaranteed to be a long day of filming. Even if he thought she should be more disgruntled about what was soon to happen.

She was getting replaced.

Oh, not physically. Her contract on the show Sci-Fi Super Show stipulated exactly where her name fell in the cast sheet order, and that wouldn’t change. But after months of every entertainment journalist taking potshots at the forced romance between her character and the show’s lead. Trent Gomez, whose blue eyes smoldered in every promo still, regularly hit all the Top 100 lists. So did Marisa herself. Together they had, as one particularly puzzling review had put it, the chemistry of a wet paper towel.

Marisa had seen that writing for weeks: the romance would need to be retooled or one of them tossed. And since the show was literally named after Trent’s character, she doubted it would be him.

“Let’s look at it this way,” she said. “Fewer kissing scenes.”

“There’s a fucking silver lining,” Greg said with a snort.

It really was, and not for the way he thought. Marisa gave him a light smile. “My writing’ll get better now that I’m not the potential girlfriend. Bet you twenty bucks.”

“I stopped betting against you when you were thirteen, you all-knowing heathen.” Greg snorted and finished his burrito.

#gal pals #frea replies #thank you anon! #this made my morning but now i have to rush to get to work on time. :D #might eventually end up posting this story on AO3 as an original since I don't think it's ever going to be one i submit for publishing

[oset-d-ochoty]

tolkien's "leaf by niggle" (LBN) got me thinking about "the banshees of inisherin" (BoI)

it's the parallels of kindness/niceness vs legacy + the supposedly opposite but actually similar pair of main characters (niggle & parish vs colm & padraic)

and ngl, these first paragraphs really called me out as well

the settings for niggle and colm are somewhat similar – both live in a remote place with all which that entails – manual labour around the house, garden/pasture, helping their neighbous; and both are, at the same time, artists; both are nearing "their time". In LBN it's allegorized as "a long journey to make" in some unknown but near future. In BoI an aging colm openly expresses his fear of passing time or of nearing death – and both want to finish their life's work, or life's piece before their time comes. Also, both feel most bothered by their close, dull, neighbours (in the case of niggle, parish isn't really said to be a friend, but colm and padraic are said to have had a close relationship before the events of the film)

but from this point on the similarities between the two works drastically diverge, cause while niggle keeps complaining that he'd like to stop being nice,

he doesn't ever, and he gets nicer afterwards, recognizes parish with kindness, which earns him his salvation and the immortalization of his painting in paradise as a place called "niggle's parish in the bay" (hehe, ship material);

(and parish recognizes niggle's artistry and helps him work on it unlike padraic, who doesn't seem to entirely believe in colm's dedication to music?)

whereas colm cuts himself off entirely from padraic and takes the unkind route, desperately trying to shut off his "kind heart". Even if "other people's troubles" still make him visibly uncomfortable, he stands strong in his wish to be left alone, to be left to work on his music

and unlike niggle, he does not get to experience salvation thru the completion and acknowledgment of his art; it's a bit more muddled here and open to interpretation. not wanting to spoil a major plot point of the film, thru his actions colm either seems to give up on being able to create art and thru this he finds some respite; or he manages to find inspiration in the momentary "un-dulling" of his life (and imo, thru bringing out evil padraic who is his banshee-muse)

(gonna follow up in a another post cause i reached the ten image limit)

#the banshees of inisherin #leaf by niggle

[randomvarious]

Stories - "Brother Louie" GoodNoise Compilations Number Ones (1970-1974) Song released in 1974. Compilation released in 1998. Pop-Rock / R&B

Plays: 4.385M on Spotify // Too many to add up on YouTube 😅

Stories was a one-hit wonder band from New York City that gave the US "Brother Louie," a song that managed to top Billboard's Hot 100 chart for a brief couple weeks in 1973, and then failed to follow up with anything that resembled the lightning in a bottle that they had originally caught with it. They were founded by a pair of guys whose fathers had been professional violinist chums for a long time and who had decided to finally introduce their sons to each other.

Keyboardist Michael Brown had actually found a good deal of success before meeting lead vocalist and bassist Ian Lloyd, though, with a pair of top-20 hits from his baroque pop band The Left Banke in '66 and '67. "Walk Away Renee" went to #5 and "Pretty Ballerina" went to #15. And Lloyd himself had managed to cut a promo 7-inch on United Artists Records in '66 too, under the moniker Lloyd London. Once they decided that they wanted to form a Beatles-type band, though, they brought in two other guys to fill out the group: guitarist Steve Love and drummer Bryan Madey.

Stories' 1972 self-titled debut LP on Kama Sutra Records wound up faring okay. It peaked at #182 on the Billboard 200 album chart and it landed a single just outside the top 40 with "I'm Coming Home."

But the second album, About Us, produced by superstar record producer Eddie Kramer, actually did worse. And after its release, Michael Brown abruptly quit the band to go do something else. But soon after his departure, the group came up with "Brother Louie."

Now, if you've ever found it awkward that a band of white dudes would make a song whose titular character is a white guy with the earned nickname of "Brother Louie" because he's dating a black woman, it's because this song isn't actually originally by Stories. The first version is actually by black UK funk and soul band Hot Chocolate, who scored a top-10 hit with "Brother Louie" back home, but didn't chart across the pond with it at all. And a couple years later they'd make their indelible contribution to the 70s global pop music canon, with the sugar-catchy and sleekly dreamy absurdity that is "You Sexy Thing."

But while Hot Chocolate's version came with a deeper shade of funk to it, as well as a much deeper and gruffer lead vocal, Stories' take loaded itself up with dramatic, cinematic strings, rock guitar, a little piano, wavy rubber-band keyboard funk, and Ian Lloyd's own cartoonish, scratch-passionate high pitch. And despite not being attached to a forthcoming album, the single still managed to rise to #1 in the US. And just how Hot Chocolate's version didn't make a showing in the States, neither did Stories' cover over in the UK.

But the immediate US success of Stories' version ended up generating a significant amount of interest in the band. So, with re-pressings of the failed About Us, they tacked on "Brother Louie" at the end, sometimes even just stuffing a 45 of it inside the sleeve to go along with the LP itself. And then, on the sole strength of "Brother Louie," About Us managed to rise from a total commercial failure to a very respectable #28 on the 200 album chart.

So, it's funny that the band sheds its most famous and successful member, Michael Brown, and then achieves a top spot on the Hot 100 immediately after his departure anyway, which is something Brown never managed to accomplish himself. Not necessarily saying that one thing caused the other, because I really just don't know, but it's definitely interesting that it happened in the first place!

And another thing of note is how, by 1973, the US was able to accept a song like this about an interracial couple and help it reach  #1; because just six years prior, some radio stations, including a massive one like Chicago's WLS, had refused to play Janis Ian's debut single, "Society's Child," which also dealt with the topic of a scorned interracial couple. That song was a huge hit in some cities, but because a bunch of stations still opted to not play it, it only made it to #14 on the national Hot 100. However, Stories' version of "Brother Louie" didn't end up encountering those same obstacles, so I think that indicates a marker of societal progress, especially since it managed its way to becoming the top song in the entire country.

But Stories wasn't able to make another notable hit after "Brother Louie." "Mammy Blue," a cover of a French song that has absolutely nothing to do with the derogatory term for an enslaved black woman in the antebellum south, went to #50 in 1973; "It Feels Good" went to #88 in 1974, and then "Another Love," which contained controversial lyrics about bisexuality, didn't manage to chart at all. And apparently, its lyrical content played a role in its overall lack of success. So, the hurdles of singing successfully about straight interracial couples had been cleared, but a song about bisexuality still appeared to be a bridge too far for the US at that time. And then the following year, Stories decided to split up for good.

Although it was a song by white guys who were doing a cover of black guys, and, as a result, made the lyrics feel a little bit weird, Stories' version of "Brother Louie" was still a great, catchy, and also important hit that showed what the US was generally willing to accept in its pop music in 1973. A small mark of societal progress and a nice triumph for this ultimate one-hit wonder to score their sole smash. But their final single showed that we still had a hell of a way long way to go 😕.

#pop rock #pop #rock #r&b #r and b #r & b #classic rock #classic pop #music #70s #70s music #70's #70's music

[cal-metacritic]

Sputnikmusic - Can't Stand the Sight of Myself

Poppy

Can’t Stand the Sight of Myself

92/100

Poppy has quietly been one of the most interesting artists working in music for a little while now. Despite a lack of prominence in the news cycle and a rather low profile within the cultural zeitgeist, she has managed to create bodies of work that’ve found themselves shoulder to shoulder with some of the most ground shifting albums released in the last few years. Her recent but notable nomination for Album of the Year with the acclaimed predecessor to her new album set a new precedent for Poppy, and the question was raised within the underground music scene whether or not she’d rise to the challenge of seeing that precedent met. 

Truthfully, it’s hard to argue that she didn’t achieve exactly that and then some. 

Her new album ‘Can’t Stand the Sight of Myself’ is another huge step forward for the versatile and talented young artist. While her previous record was a more blatantly metal influenced piece, this album is a patchwork of different rock and metal subgenres. It touches upon shoegaze, acoustic indie rock, dark rock, and everything in between. While on paper such a mish-mash of styles could spell disaster, in practice this instead propels this album to insane heights. 

Make no mistake, this is a dark and at times twisted album that speaks so candidly about horrific things. Thematically, it’s tinged with death, but spiritually it’s vital and fresh and alive. 

Alongside noted producer Terry Date, this album dives deep into dark places. Addiction, abuse, death, depression, self-hatred, and violence are all on the table here and not a single one of those topics is handled with delicacy. This is a blunt album that is intent upon smashing itself right into you, not giving you a moment to breathe or step away from the strings it unravels. It’s visceral, and it’s so incredibly real. At no point does this album feel like edgelord content. This is something meaningful to Poppy, be it an expression of her rage or her sorrow or anything else within that spectrum. 

The songwriting on the album is simply sublime. Poppy’s lyrics have always occupied a different space than many artists, but this album really shines a light on her poetry. She paints such stark and vivid pictures within this record, and it allows you to feel so much of the same things that you imagine she felt as she was making these songs come to life. 

Her poetry is backed by wonderful production. At times it’s bombastic and loud and at other times its simplistic and soft. The decisions she made along with Date for how to track this album all pay off. Each song is like a little miniature cinematic experience with immersive sonic textures and a perfect marriage between aural and lyrical tonality. While it remains to be seen if this collaboration will continue beyond this record, it’s safe to say this is a match made in heaven. 

This album, unlike Poppy’s last, did land with some expectations set. Meeting them would’ve been a job well done, but exceeding them in this way just adds another jewel to Poppy’s crown. There are few voices within any genre today that are bringing listeners to the places that Poppy is with the approach that she takes. No other album released this year even comes close to occupying this realm, and as such it’s a deeply unique experience. It’s also a scary one, a horrific one, a brutal one, and a beautiful one. Such wonderful contradictions locked within such a wonderful record. 

One can only hope that Poppy will once again earn the recognition of the academy because this is without question one of the best albums released this year. 

Top Tracks: Warped, Parasite, Crash, Lullaby for My Baby, Girl Trying to Cut a Sunbeam

[witchern]

book recommendation time!! ✨

"blood in the machine: the origins of the rebellion against big tech" by brian merchant. tells the story of the luddites in early 19th-century england and how they rose up and literally smashed the machines that were taking their jobs away.

there's a whole like 5 pages i wanna quote to entice y'all but i'll just cut it down to these paragraphs that are sooo validating to read in print that they gave me heart palpitations:

Imagine dedicating years of your life to learn a difficult job that was supposed to guarantee you a good living – playing by the rules, you might say; going to school, learning a trade, investing incredible volumes of time and resources to obtain a modest level of station and security – only to realize that the deal was suddenly void. Your faith in systems working as intended would be as broken as a hammer-smashed frame.

Now, you do not know if, when, or how your job will vanish altogether, along with your identity. Imagine not having any other realistic options. What you did know was that someone else, with advantages you did not have, could suddenly acquire new technologies that would allow them to reorganize those rules for their benefit.

[...]

Maybe you don't even need to imagine this, because you live in the twenty-first century and have seen a corporation, a platform, or a manager use technology to rewrite the social contract that once defined your own job. Maybe you are a cab driver who saved up years to own your car and medallion, who knows miles of city streets as if they were your own backyard, only to have Uber show up on the scene, undercut prices with its store of venture capital and its algorithmic management system, and render your investment worthless. Or maybe you have worked for years as a salesperson, acquiring contacts and relationships with vendors, only to see your company introduce an automated portal that performs most of your role. Or maybe you are a writer or an artist who was let go from the digital media company that published your work, just as the outlet announced it would begin using AI to generate content. Or maybe you are a warehouse worker dependent on the job to pay rent for your family, and you are hustling to keep up with the array of robots on the shop floor. Maybe you are a truck driver who has trained yourself to weather the endless stretches of highway, and now you are reading about an autonomous big rig that drove itself from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

Maybe you've just spent years in high school and college, studying and working around the clock to get good grades and to pad out your resume, yet the only jobs you seem to be able to find after graduation are benefits-free contract work through online temp agencies or gig apps.

[...]

Workers have been told for centuries that this process is normal, even morally good, because it will benefit society in the long run by making some products cheaper and more plentiful. [...] A craftsman could walk by the building where his work had been relocated to be done by a machine, while he might be hungry and the factory owner was getting richer. [...] There was no negotiation involved in this transfer of earning power, and to the worker it looked a lot like theft.

#*t #unionize your workplace / fuck AI / power to the people / etc etc #what's the address for chatGPT's headquarters bc i'll head over there right now with a sledgehammer and a box of matches

[jawahareyehospital0]

Unlocking the World of Vasculopathy Specialists in NCR and the Best Ophthalmologist in Meerut

In the bustling heart of Northern India, where the historical echoes of Delhi seamlessly blend with the rustic charm of Meerut, lies a confluence of medical excellence that has been transforming lives. This region, known for its rich cultural heritage, is also home to some of the finest medical professionals in the country. Among these, vasculopathy specialists in NCR and ophthalmologists stand out as the silent heroes of healthcare, dedicated to restoring the gift of sight and managing the intricate web of vascular diseases. In this exploration, we dive deep into the world of vasculopathy specialists in the National Capital Region (NCR) and seek to uncover the best ophthalmologist in Meerut, where compassionate care and cutting-edge expertise converge.

Navigating the Realm of Vasculopathy Specialists in NCR

The Artistry of Vascular Care

Within the labyrinthine corridors of the NCR, there exists a cadre of medical marvels known as vasculopathy specialists. These physicians are adept in navigating the intricate highways of blood vessels, ensuring the uninterrupted flow of life-giving blood. Vasculopathy, a broad term encompassing a range of vascular disorders, demands a skill set that combines surgical precision with unwavering dedication.

Amidst this realm of expertise, Dr. Verma shines as a beacon of hope for those grappling with vasculopathy. With her extensive experience and a penchant for innovation, Dr. Verma has earned a reputation as one of the leading vasculopathy specialists in NCR. She approaches each case as a unique puzzle, meticulously piecing together the diagnostic clues and crafting personalized treatment plans.

Her mastery over endovascular procedures, such as angioplasty and stent placement, has enabled her to save countless lives by restoring blood flow in occluded vessels. Dr. Verma's compassionate bedside manner and her ability to demystify complex medical jargon make her a trusted ally for patients and their families. She is a testament to the fact that the finest vasculopathy specialists are not just healers; they are artists sculpting the landscape of life.

The Multifaceted Approach to Vascular Health

The human vascular system is a labyrinthine network of arteries, veins, and capillaries, an intricacy that sometimes succumbs to the relentless march of disease. In NCR, patients in pursuit of effective vasculopathy management often seek out DR. RAJEEV JAIN, a pioneering vascular surgeon renowned for his multifaceted approach.

Dr. AURORA believes in holistic care that extends beyond the surgical theater. He emphasizes the importance of lifestyle modifications, dietary choices, and exercise regimens in managing vasculopathy. With a genuine concern for his patients' well-being, he works tirelessly to educate them about the disease, empowering them to take control of their health.

Furthermore, Dr. AURORA's commitment to research keeps him at the forefront of medical advancements. He actively collaborates with renowned international institutions to bring cutting-edge treatments to his patients. His practice is not merely a clinic but a hub of vascular health advocacy, where the latest knowledge and unwavering empathy converge.

Unveiling the Best Ophthalmologist in Meerut

Visionary Excellence in Meerut

Meerut, a city steeped in history and nestled amidst the lush plains of Uttar Pradesh, has been the backdrop for countless stories. But in the narrative of healthcare, one name shines as brightly as the North Star – DR. UMANG VARMA, the best ophthalmologist Meerut has ever witnessed.

Dr. Verma's journey in the realm of ophthalmology began as a quest to restore the most precious of senses – vision. Her practice resonates with a fusion of artistry and medical science, where every eye is a canvas, and she is a skilled painter.

With a knack for precision, Dr. Verrma has transformed the lives of innumerable patients suffering from cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal disorders. Her surgical skills are renowned, and her dedication to post-operative care is unwavering. Moreover, Dr. Verma's clinic serves as an educational hub, nurturing young ophthalmologists and raising the standard of eye care in Meerut.

The Visionary Philanthropist

Beyond her surgical prowess, Dr. Verma is a visionary philanthropist, spearheading eye care initiatives that transcend borders. Her commitment to eradicating preventable blindness in underprivileged communities has led to the establishment of free eye camps and outreach programs, extending the light of hope to the darkest corners.

Dr. Verma's remarkable journey is a testament to the transformative power of human touch and medical expertise. In a world where the gift of sight is often taken for granted, she stands as a guardian of vision, a beacon of hope for those who once lived in perpetual darkness.

In the heart of the National Capital Region and amidst the vibrant tapestry of Meerut, these specialists in vasculopathy and ophthalmology have carved their unique legacies. DR. AJAY AURORA and Dr. Rajesh Kapoor exemplify the relentless pursuit of excellence in the field of vasculopathy, each a compassionate healer and a virtuoso in their own right. In Meerut, Dr. 's dedication to vision restoration transcends the confines of her clinic, illuminating lives far and wide.

Their stories remind us that beyond the concrete jungles and historical landscapes, the true marvels of this region are the dedicated individuals who labor ceaselessly to heal, restore, and uplift. In the world of medicine, these individuals are the guiding stars, and their work resonates as a testament to the indomitable human spirit.

#Vasculopathy Specialists in NCR #Best Ophthalmologist in Meerut

[solulabinc]

8 Best Software to Create NFT Art

The world is witnessing a shift towards the NFT digital art hub, offering a thrilling and promising industry, all thanks to the decentralized system introduced by cryptocurrencies. Whether you are an art enthusiast or someone exploring this realm, you are in the ideal place to discover and create NFT art. In this article, we will explore the best software available to unleash your creativity and produce unique NFT artworks.

Where to Explore and Purchase NFT Art?

Before delving into the world of NFT art creation, it's essential to research the types of NFTs that sell well and the markets where you can mint your creations. Understanding the market demand will not only guide your artistic path but also help you align your designs with potential buyers.

While some NFT marketplaces require invitations from existing members, others are more welcoming to up-and-coming artists. Each online marketplace has its unique features that can affect the usability and compatibility of your NFT art.

Selecting the Best NFT Marketplace

If you own Ethereum cryptocurrency and want to diversify your earning potential, consider buying NFTs for yourself. However, it is crucial to conduct thorough research and gain a comprehensive understanding of cryptocurrencies before making any investment decisions.

Once you are well-informed, choose the online marketplace that aligns with your preferences. You may opt for low-value transactions and quick NFT sales, or you might decide to invest in reputable NFTs and hold them for potential long-term price appreciation. Your approach depends on whether you aim to preserve NFTs for the future or seek immediate profits.

Best Software for Creating NFT Art

Adobe Illustrator: Unleash Your Creativity

Adobe Illustrator stands as an excellent choice for creating NFTs and building massive collections. As one of the most widely used digital art programs worldwide, Illustrator provides a vast toolkit, allowing you to design almost anything without the need for coding expertise. With the option to use ready-made presets and objects, you can quickly create original NFTs or craft entirely unique works. Moreover, the fact that Adobe accepts the cryptocurrency platform Polygon facilitates the display and marketing of your NFT innovations.

NFT Generator: A Comprehensive Toolset

NFT Generator offers all the necessary tools to create NFTs, making it a layer-based tool suitable for users without a strong background in graphic design. You can easily upload your layers and construct your desired NFT, arranging attributes, producing metadata, and creating sophisticated collections using various features. The absence of watermarks on collections provides artists with complete control over their creations. The platform's intuitive nature allows users to start generating NFTs without creating an account and even provides helpful tutorials for beginners.

Fotor: Simplified NFT Art Creation

For those looking for an effortless way to succeed as an NFT artist, Fotor provides a user-friendly experience with cutting-edge AI tools. This software makes it simple to produce digital art with just a few clicks. By uploading your image and choosing an art style, the software takes care of the rest. Fotor eliminates the need for coding knowledge, allowing you to add layers, personalize your artwork, and enhance its overall appearance.

Krita: A Reliable Open-Source Tool

Krita, an open-source drawing program, allows you to create original digital art that you can sell in your chosen market. With its support for HDR painting, over 100 brushes, and vector tools, Krita stands as a dependable choice for producing NFT art. Additionally, users can download brushes from community artists through the Resource Manager feature, further enhancing their creative possibilities.

NFT Art Generator: Web-Based Simplicity

As a web-based utility, NFT Art Generator uses minimal resources and offers a straightforward user interface. You can export your digital work in various formats, such as GIF, PNG, and MP4, and create multi-layered images akin to other digital art software. The program provides a free version, while additional features are available for purchase.

NightCafe: Where AI Meets Digital Art

NightCafe utilizes cutting-edge AI through neural style transfer, enabling users to effortlessly produce beautiful digital art. With its many options for art styles, users can upload their images, choose a style, and let AI transform them accordingly. NightCafe allows high-resolution artwork downloads and permits bulk creation for generating multiple images at once. The platform even offers up to five watermark-free artworks for free daily.

SketchAR: Art on the Go

For artists on the move, SketchAR provides a mobile platform to create digital art using sophisticated AR. With the assistance of the drawing tool offered by SketchAR, users can easily convert their digital artwork or photographs into NFTs. The platform may even select creators of the week, turning their artworks into NFTs and sharing them with the vibrant SketchAR community.

VoxEdit: Producing Top-Notch NFT Artworks

Last but not least, VoxEdit offers a beautiful design and comprehensive tools, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced users. With the ability to animate artwork using the timeline, users can produce high-quality NFT artworks that they can list and sell on various marketplaces.

Conclusion: Navigating the NFT Art World

As you explore the best software for creating NFT art, it's essential to be aware of the drawbacks and risks associated with the booming market. Engaging in NFT trading requires familiarity with cryptocurrencies and market regulations. Before selling your artwork, thoroughly understand NFT ownership and its implications. With comprehensive knowledge and the right tools at hand, you can navigate the NFT art world and unleash the potential of your digital masterpieces.

#solulab #blockchaintechnology #developer #nft #technology #NFTart