#cece's cocktail celebration

[theemporium]

♥️47 w/ Nico Hischier… please and thank you

this is inspired by the return of the moustache but fuelled by my brain being fried from uni so the smut is mediocre at best🤠thank you for requesting!

47. "You heard me. I want you to sit on my face."

.

To be perfectly candid, you were less than subtle about admiring your boyfriend’s new look for the off-season.

But, as his girlfriend, it was your right to helplessly ogle your boyfriend after he decided to shave the rest of his beard short and leave his moustache to be accompanied by some stubble. Add in the fact he had still put off cutting his hair—thank every fucking superior being for that one—and had a new glow about him since the stress of the hockey season was finally off his shoulders, it was impossible not to stare. 

He was just so pretty and he was all yours. And, yeah, you really fucking missed staring at Nico’s face with no practices or games or meetings getting in your way. 

It just never occurred to you that Nico would ever call you out on the blatant way you would ogle him since he brought back the moustache, which is why his words completely caught you off guard.

“What?” 

Nico grinned at you, so fucking smug and sure of himself as he placed his hands on his hips like you were talking about the weather. “You heard me,” he said, his voice low and sweet and far too fucking melodic for you to really concentrate on his ego when he sounded like that. “I want you to sit on my face.” 

You blinked, standing in the doorway between your shared bedroom and the joined ensuite bathroom. You stared at him, your mind whirling with a million different thoughts but you couldn’t bring yourself to say a single word. 

“Been thinking about it all week,” he continued as he started to close the distance between you, his eyes glinting with an emotion that made your stomach twist in desire. “I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking, baby. Tell me you haven’t thought about it too.” 

“I—” You stuttered out, your face burning in response. Because truthfully, you had been thinking about it. But your thoughts had been based around Nico pinning your hips to the mattress, to settle between your legs and to let you feel the scratch of his beard across your sensitive inner thighs until you were left begging and panting and whining for more.

It never crossed your mind for you to be the one on top.

“Just want my pretty girl on top of me,” Nico hummed as he reached for you, his large hands engulfing the back of your head and it made your brain short circuit for a few moments. “Let me have a taste, hm?” 

“Nico,” you murmured, and the hesitancy was clear in your voice. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea—”

He frowned. “Why not?” 

“I–” You let out a noise before shrugging. “What if I squish you or—”

You barely had a chance to react to the snort he let out before his hands dropped from your head, reaching for your thighs and lifting you into his arms with an ease that didn’t feel human at all. You blinked, left speechless as Nico shamelessly grinned up at you, walking back towards the bed with you in his arms.

“I can handle it, baby,” he said, squeezing the fat of your thighs as he emphasised his point. “Now, be a good girl and sit on my face, hm? Wanna fucking drown in you.”

And you really couldn’t be blamed for being unable to say no to those pretty brown eyes staring up at you like he wanted to devour you. You could, however, be blamed for that naive voice in the back of your mind that told you that you’d be in control because you were on top.

It took all of five minutes for that belief to crumble the second Nico got his hands on you. 

“Fuck,” you let out a high-pitched whine, head tipped back and lips parted as you felt his lips wrap around your clit and suck, humming deeply as he did. 

His arms were locked around your thighs, keeping you in position with his hands pawing your ass and guiding your rocking hips. His hair was dishevelled and messy, spread across the pillow like some twisted angelic painting whilst those pretty brown eyes were now glued to you, watching as he licked and sucked and kissed every single noise out of you. 

His chin and lips were glistening with your release, that moustache fucking soaked and his tongue branded with the taste of you—and fuck, Nico truly believed he was in heaven. Because that was the only reasonable explanation for this: for the sight of you on top, your hips rocking and your soaked cunt at his mercy, your hands squeezing your tits and your mouth moaning his name. 

It was fucking heaven and it made him rock hard in the flimsy shorts he had put on earlier, probably seconds away from busting a load despite not even touching himself once. 

His only coherent thought was that he should have shaved earlier if this was what he could gain from it. 

“Fuck, Nico, baby,” you stuttered out, all breathy and panting as you reached one hand down to tangle in his hair, tugging lightly as he groaned against your cunt. “Shit, I-I can’t.”

“One more, schat,” he murmured, his warm breath fanned across your core and it made your legs twitch, and it made Nico smile against your cunt in response. “Please, baby, let me taste you. Let me taste my pretty girl.”

And you were fucking putty in his arms, letting yourself tip over the edge as you clung onto the headboard to keep yourself from keeling over. 

Yet, all he could think was that he definitely wasn’t getting rid of the moustache anytime soon.

.

#cece's cocktail celebration #nico hischier #nhl #new jersey devils #nico hischier x reader #nico hischier x you #nico hischier x y/n #nico hischier fic #nico hischier one shot #nico hischier smut #nhl x reader #nhl x you #nhl x y/n #nhl fic #nhl one shot #nhl smut

[retropolitanllc]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: NWT Womens Size 14 Cece by Cynthia Steffe Black Velvet Bow Detail Jumpsuit.

[abcnewspr]

HIGHLIGHTS FOR ABC NEWS’ ‘GMA3: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW,’ NOV. 14-18

The following report highlights the programming of ABC’s “GMA3: What You Need to Know” during the week of Nov. 14-18. “GMA3: What You Need to Know” is a one-hour program co-anchored by Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, with Dr. Jennifer Ashton as chief medical correspondent. The news program airs weekdays at 1:00 p.m. EST | 12:00 p.m. CST on ABC, and 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. EST on ABC News Live.

Highlights of the week include the following:

Monday, Nov. 14 — “GMA3” spotlights Southern Smoke Festival; founder and CEO of Sidus Space Carol Craig; author Chelsey Luger joins “GMA3” to celebrate National Native American Heritage Month (“The Seven Circles”); actress Lacey Chabert on new Hallmark movie (“Haul Out the Holly”)

Tuesday, Nov. 15 — “GMA3” features Hispanic fashion designers Jennifer Serrano and Vero Vasquez; ABC News chief business, economics and technology correspondent Rebecca Jarvis; former NFL coach and author Jimmy Johnson talks new memoir (“Swagger”); TV and film writer and director Paul Feig on new book (“Cocktail Time!”); actor Gabriel Byrne on new Broadway play (“Walking with Ghosts”)

Wednesday, Nov. 16 — “GMA3” spotlights model Sofía Jirau; ABC News correspondent Phil Lipof speaks with Latin pop star Sebastián Yatra; writer, performance artist and comedian ALOK; Deals and Steals with ABC e-commerce editor Tory Johnson

Thursday, Nov. 17 — “GMA3” highlights Lauren B’s Jr. Beauty Boot Camp; CEO of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson; hip-hop artist and author Joseph “Fat Joe” Cartagena on new book (“The Book of Jose”); TV personality Rocsi Diazwith a guide to holiday gifts

Friday, Nov. 18 — “GMA3” features bone marrow donor; singer-songwriter Rauw Alejandro; Faith Friday with gospel singer CeCe Winans; actor Jesse Williams on new Broadway play (“Take Me Out”)

ABC Media Relations

Brooks Lancaster

[email protected]

-- ABC --

[gravityfissure]

All Good Things End : Deirdre & Otto

Summary: Deirdre summons her mushroom husband for his final sacrifice. TW: Blood, Injury, Mushroom Manipulation PARTIES: @deathduty & Otto

"We're all gathered here today to witness a truly beautiful event: the death of Otto." Deirdre, host, waved her ceremonial toaster around. The rest of the fae in attendance, mostly pixies and leprechauns, lifted—or attempted to lift—their own toasters. She'd forgotten what the toasters were supposed to represent exactly, other than their triumph and humanity's inferiority, but most things usually represented that. She turned to her husband, and smirked at him. She recalled their dalliance in the cemetery, their wedding in the woods and the escapades that followed. She was almost sad to be rid of him now. He was, perhaps, the funnest human she'd ever ensnared. Out of fondness, or nostalgia, or something else entirely, she gestured to him and her gaze softened. "Do you have anything you'd like to say, Otto? You're allowed some words before you die." The pixies gasped in unison; it was customary to get the humans to be as silent as possible, during these things—their voices were largely annoying. Deirdre shook her head and quickly explained to them, "Otto is my guest, and my human. He represents me, too. I want him to speak." And so she allowed it.

How the hell had this become his life? It was a thought that crossed his mind rather often and one that crossed his mind right now as he made his way up to the spot that Deirdre had ordered him to come along to. She’d instructed him to clean up, wear a nice nose piercing (for he’d gotten a selection from the store with his punishment) explaining the black steel ring that pierced his right nostril and not tell anyone about what he was doing. Things had not been good of late. Whatever the hell had happened at the bar, the fact he’d been forced to live as nothing more than a mundane human. Wash the dishes. Brush his hair. Empty the trash. No snap of his fingers and things took care of themselves. Worry had kept him up for several nights, waiting for any hint of it to come back. It had to come back didn’t it? Hells there was no way this could be his life. No way he could live without the essence of his very being. The toll was clear, even with the effort he’d taken to make himself look presentable.

Admittedly a loophole he’d found in that instruction was that he hadn’t been told not to tell anyone where he was going, explaining the google-maps pin he’d dropped Mercy, Jane and Cece for good measure. If someone did need to do corpse collection… Well, at least they had a start on where to find him he supposed. The phone had been tucked away and forgotten as the new ceremony began. Different this time and Otto truly wasn’t sure what to expect he couldn’t see any knives that Deirdre had claimed to be fond of in the past so maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. The myriad of thoughts running through his mind was distracting, and when he was finally invited to speak and say someone Otto was at a loss for words; a rare occurrence on any normal day. “I guess-- Actually yeah, are there drinks? I’m way too sober for this shit,” maybe he could stall for a bit, though a drink also didn’t sound like a bad idea either right now. “Honestly, I’d kill for a cocktail before I kick the bucket… It’s a personal nightmare to go out stone cold sober ‘cause that’s absolutely not what my life’s about.”

“Drinks?” Deirdre glanced around, regarding the fae in attendance. “Did we bring drinks?” The fae murmured to each other, pixies fluttered about until a leprechaun hobbled forward, offering solem clicks and whistles of disappointment. She turned to Otto. “No drinks.” Which was suddenly very unfortunate, because she was craving some too. “But I like your spirit, Otto! Is that all the last words you have to offer? Usually the humans start begging now. They tell me all about how much money they can offer, about any children or lovers. They get very desperate, I love to see it on their faces.” She turned to Otto, smiling. He seemed...okay, strangely enough. Not that Deirdre was any expert on reading human’s facial expressions, they all looked mostly the same, and were too ugly to pay attention to. But this man, fun and carefree, gave her no sobbing or begging. Suddenly, she boiled with anger. “BEG FOR YOUR LIFE!” She threw her toaster down at his feet, snarling. “GIVE US ENTERTAINMENT! You think this is a game, human? I gathered my friends here to watch something good, and your smart quips are getting us—“ a Leprechaun whistles at her. Deirdre snapped around. He swished a half-empty bottle of wine. “Never mind, I’m being informed we do have some drinks.” She took the bottle and offered it to Otto. “Here, now you can die slightly tipsy.”

“Oh come on,” he protested at the shakes of multiple little heads in every direction “I thought this was meant to be a celebration of your totalitarian toaster termination techniques on full unadulterated display… That you guys knew how to party.” The clarification that normally this was the point people started begging for their lives was met with a twist of his mouth and mildly distasteful look. “Well, I mean I can’t really do that because I don’t have any of those things. Kids suck they’re so whiny and really who has the commitment for a partner when people just end up letting you down in the end, you know?” he glanced at a wizened old leprechaun who seemed to mull on this statement and nod in agreement before taking a puff on his pipe “see? This dude, he gets it.” It’s so much effort for so little reward.” Perhaps now was not the time for philosophical questioning but it was what came to mind. - if it’s a time for confession guess there’s no better time to say thanks for the motorcycle I conned you into buying for me. Really was swell of you.” But any further smartass remarks were put on hold as he dodged the toaster lobbed in his general direction and found his knees giving out as he threw himself on the floor against his will. “No- NO PLEASE!” tears welled unbidden to his eyes as he clasped at Deirdre’s boots the sobs rising against his will “I’LL DO ANYTHING, I’LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT! PLEASE JUST-- DON’T KILL ME! IT’S NOT A GAME! I SWEAR. PLEASE I-” he hiccuped, swallowing air “ Pleasepleaseplease.” The sobbing at her feet continued despite the profference of booze for the command to stop had not yet been given.

Deirdre frowned as Otto spoke, she reached a hand out to lay gingerly on his shoulder. “Otto...are you sad and lonely?” The fae looked at her pointedly. She flushed and withdrew both her concern and her hand, but thought to elaborate. “Having a partner is great. I love my girlfriend. I don’t believe people let you down always, sometimes they surprise you.” The leprechaun clicked his disagreement, and Deirdre waved the conversation away. “You conned me into buying you a motorcycle?” She thought about it, and expected anger or pride to come to her. Anger for the audacity of a human to think to trick her, and pride that her subordinate had tried at all. Mostly she was just...disappointed. “Why didn’t you con me out of more than just a motorcycle?” She asked, “I mean, I have the money to give you more. What’s a motorcycle worth? Like a measly few thousand dollars?” It was good then, that he started to beg, and her mood lifted. “Yes, you pathetic urchin.” She hissed and snapped her feet away from him. “I think we’re good to begin now, don’t you?” She smiled and turned to her fellow fae, careful to keep herself out of the ring again. “Stop your begging and be quiet, Otto. Now it’s time--” The pixies struggled to play their flute, leaving the air with a discordant whittling that stung Deirdre’s ears. A leprechaun banged his toaster to create a drum beat, as horrible as it was earnest. Deirdre hissed again and picked Otto off the floor and shoved him into the circle. “Go impale yourself on the tree branch there.” She pointed at the one that had been sharpened for this purpose. “Take your time though, I do like a slow death. And you may do whatever you like before you’re impaled, so long as you stay in the circle, and it doesn’t take too long.” She waved her hand in the air. “Or if I find it boring.”

Otto’s eyes widened for a moment before he laughed, well and truly laughed deeply at the notion. “Oh hells, me? Lonely? No. Lonely’s pathetic, I’m definitely not pathetic.” But then again, a part of him couldn’t help but wonder. Would anyone ever notice? Would Mercy, Cece or anyone else in his rather truncated list of acquaintances even bother to come out and look for him? “Sure did, was fun watching you bend over backwards to save your friend’s face. Can’t say it worked but it was fun to watch either way.”

But then the wet mud was soaking into his knees, immaculate nails clawing for purchase on Deirdre’s shoe that soon retracted leaving him falling facefirst into a pile of moss. As the urge to beg rescinded, he lay there for a moment gathering what little remained of his dignity and pushed himself up to his feet. Spotting the leprechaun nearby about to drain the wine he snatched the bottle out of its tiny hands and gulped it down, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve. Deirdre was speaking again though and the horrible irony of everything he’d been told dawned on him.

You’re not dead.

It was this thought that drifted through his mind as Otto walked with purposeful steps towards the sharpened bark. A haze of strange determination silencing all questions or thoughts that this was wrong. That he needed to run. No matter how much his mind screamed, rending itself apart.

The sharpened tip pierced the soft flesh of his abdomen, a slow progression as steps faltered and blood began to trickle in a cascade, staining the front of his shirt. A second and third followed, and as the crimson rivulets flowed their course twin tears glistened in hazel eyes. The dawning revelation of a truth Otto had always denied.

Perhaps he was lonely indeed.

Too late to do anything about it now though.

Delight spread across the fae like wildfire, infectious and brighter the longer it burned. Deirdre watched curiously. She waited for the same delight to reach her. And she waited. And she watched, and she waited. And yet, the only feeling that entered her as she watched Otto impale himself was something cold, and then sharp; something she wouldn’t dare put a name to. Emma’s eyes flashed in her mind, the look of desperation that gleamed there, and the hope that sat on her lips that Deirdre might free her. She couldn’t see Otto’s face now, and she felt all the better for it. “Stop,” she told him, “stop that. S-stop doing that.” Her command was barely a whisper above the din of celebration, fae poured into the circle, ready to party--dancing progressed around Otto’s limp body, and the music grew louder and further away from any pleasurable tune. The mushroom drums in her own head grew silent, and she left to watch the fae as an outsider to their delight. Once, she had been a child peeking from behind old trees, watching the fae with their wings and wondering when it would be her turn to be like them. The feeling she had chased for so long fluttered around her, it was cheered on by the congratulatory clicks and whistles of the leprechauns, but it could not find her heart. An organ she had long since suspected she’d lost sometime ago, some many deaths before.

She turned her back to Otto, to the mushrooms and fae surrounding him, and she walked. “I want to be good,” she told the trees as she stumbled around them. “I want to be good.” She willed the feeling to reach her. She willed herself to feel anything at all. But where she fell to the ground, staring at her unstained hands, she found nothing.

Nothing inside of her.

Eventually Otto reached a point that his feet could no longer find purchase enough to continue walking. Or perhaps it was simply the gradual weakening that came with the blood-loss. Blood-loss that left him feeling cold and tired. Tired in a way that was bone deep. There was no method to question on his lips to implore them to stop and let him go so that he might live his life. The feelings that swirled in his chest were those of anguish and an aching loneliness for which words were inadequate to describe. Loneliness he'd laughed so heartily at not five minutes prior. So maybe Deirdre was right. Perhaps he was… But too little too late.

I thought this was meant to hurt less. It always sounded like it would hurt less .

Where the voice in his mind came from he couldn’t rightly say. No warm embrace, no bright light or whatever the hell you were meant to get if this truly was the end. Just empty darkness. Even as he reached for his magic, gone since that night at the bar. Just an echo, but that’s all he was now wasn’t he? An echo of what he should’ve been. The breath rattled in his throat, life slipping away in the trickle of his lifesblood as the cold grasp of darkness coiled tighter around him; his life served forth by fate's own servant to the overture of cheerful clicks and whistles.

Perhaps someone will remember me.

#p: deirdre #all good things end #para

[insideeotl]

Creature Comforts: Selecting party furnishings for your next event

Events today feature cushy seating areas, elaborate tablescapes, branded bars and pillows and curtains, tents and throws. 

If you want to host a party people will talk about in a good way, you’ll need to set the stage even if your guests number just a handful. 

Tables & Chairs

Sure you can go traditional, but why would you when your party can look like this?

Our Reclaimed Wood Dining Table paired with our Teakwood Folding Chair will give your event a rustic feel. Looks perfect beachside, don’t you think?

Even corporate events don’t have to have that same generic look of a hotel ballroom. Up the ante by looking for party rentals that offer a twist on the traditional.

Last month, we staged the Feeding South Florida community fundraiser featuring our Aviator Dining Table and Cece Dining Chairs.

Consider using coffee tables, high boys, bistro tables, barrel tables and more to give your event a funky feel.

We often recommend additional seating, giving guests places to comfortably sip cocktails and after-dinner drinks. Below is one of the VIP lounges we created at at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in May.

We opted for a chic all-white look for this outdoor sitting room with wicker benches

You can rent a wide range of furnishings like faux trees and plants, decorative lighting, and backdrops to completely revamp a backyard or ballroom, or create a space like none other. Here’s the selfie station we created for the Fort Lauderdale Fourth of July celebration earlier this year.

To see our complete collection of rental furnishings visit EventsontheLoose.com

#rentalprovisions #partyplanning #tableware #tables #chairs #furnishings #eventdesign

[orbemnews]

You’ve Heard of Ghost Kitchens. Meet the Ghost Franchises. A video from MrBeast, a 22-year-old YouTube star with 54 million subscribers, usually goes something like this: An outlandish setup — say, staging a fake robbery — results in a fan’s winning thousands of dollars or a new car. But in late December, MrBeast (real name: Jimmy Donaldson, an upbeat bro from North Carolina) dropped something different on his viewers. “I literally just opened 300 restaurants all across America,” he said in a December video announcing MrBeast Burger, a chain serving smash burgers and fries. “But we only serve people through delivery apps.” But MrBeast Burger is not quite what most of us think of as a chain, or even a restaurant. In exchange for a cut of sales revenue, the brand supplies the name, logo, menu, recipes and publicity images to any restaurant owner with the space and staff to make burgers as a side hustle. When a customer orders from the MrBeast Burger in Midvale, Utah, the food is prepared at a location of the red-sauce chain Buca di Beppo, following a standardized MrBeast recipe. In Manhattan, a MrBeast Burger is prepared at the neighborhood bar Handcraft Kitchen & Cocktails. Call it a ghost franchise — and expect to see many more of them this year, with and without celebrity names attached. In December, Virtual Dining Concepts, the company behind MrBeast Burger, announced similar ventures with the TV personality Mario Lopez and the “Jersey Shore” alumnus Pauly D. The parent company of Nextbite, another pioneer of the model, received $120 million in venture-capital funding in October for its 13 virtual brands. Franklin Junction, founded last year, helps restaurants do business as known food brands, including Wow Bao and Nathan’s Famous. Companies like Future Foods, Combo Kitchen and the Local Culinary are all making similar plays. In the delivery app era, the ghost franchise can be a lifeline for the independent restaurateur, a way to make thousands of dollars a month in a devastating time. It can also be a liability, exploding the marketplace in ways that serve big brands more than small businesses. James Garofalo, 52, grew up working at his father’s diner in Chicago Heights, Ill. Now, he’s the chief operating officer at Goddess and the Baker, a cafe with several locations in Chicago and one in Brookfield, Wis. At first, Mr. Garofalo was skeptical of the ghost-franchise model. But as the pandemic cut off foot traffic, he decided it might make sense. “At this point, you’re looking for ways to generate dollars, keep staff on,” he added. Mr. Garofalo now runs 12 of Nextbite’s ghost franchises out of the kitchen of his Brookfield cafe: Monster Mac, the Big Melt, Grilled Cheese Society, Miss Mazy’s Amazin’ Chicken, Toss It Up, CraveBurger, Outlaw Burger, Ghost Grille, Firebelly Wings, Wild Wild Wings, the Wing Dynasty and HotBox by Wiz, from rapper Wiz Khalifa. The day-to-day is less chaotic than it sounds. Delivery-app orders stream into one tablet, and the takeout containers all come from the same pile; nothing is branded except HotBox orders, and those have just a sticker. Recipes from Nextbite’s Colorado test kitchen are easy to follow, and the company recommends ingredients from the suppliers Mr. Garofalo already uses. Nextbite takes a 45 percent cut of sales, but handles all delivery-app fees, which would be, for Mr. Garofalo, as high as 30 percent per order. In his best month so far, he cleared $20,000 across the 12 brands. The arrangement has allowed Mr. Garofalo to add new types of food without the labor of menu development or the worry of muddying his own brand. But what restaurant owners are really buying from these companies is not just recipes or a cutesy name. They’re buying a solution to a problem facing every small restaurant that’s living as a name on a screen among all the other names on a screen: visibility. “Before Covid, you had some restaurants that did not need to be on these third-party systems,” said Kymme Williams-Davis, the owner of Bushwick Grind, a cafe in Brooklyn. “But now every restaurant, every cafe, every commercial kitchen and every ghost kitchen is on these apps. It’s more competitive.” If someone on her block searches Grubhub for espresso, Bushwick Grind is buried below more than 20 shops, some of them miles away. The business model hinges on deals the ghost-franchise parent companies strike with third-party delivery apps (which are notorious for taking advantage of workers and restaurants), using the leverage of having hundreds of listable “restaurants” to broker top spots for them in search results. If a customer in the Brookfield area searches for grilled cheese on DoorDash, Grilled Cheese Society comes up as the first suggestion. In a search for wings, Firebelly is third and Wild Wild Wings is fourth. “Like anyone else, we pay to be on apps and we pay for placement,” said Geoff Madding, Nextbite’s chief executive. He added, “The more value you’re bringing, probably the stronger negotiating position you’re in.” In January, Ms. Williams-Davis started selling online as Mariah’s Cookies, the Virtual Dining Concepts brand partnership with the singer Mariah Carey, as a test run to see if the extra sales could help Bushwick Grind “stay alive during this really unprecedented time,” she said. She had to close for six months last year, she said, after her father and several of his cousins died from Covid-19. Her cafe is an exemplar of a community-minded business; she runs a community refrigerator, feeds vaccine workers and has plans to open an urban farm. “I don’t want to contribute to not buying local, right?” she said. “In one way, if you’re buying from Mariah’s Cookies, and that name and that advertising machine can get customers, you kind of are buying local because I’m making the cookies. But at the same time, the perception is that you’re not buying local. I’m on the fence. But if it nets out to hurt small businesses, it’s not something I’m going to continue to do.” Nationwide, more than 150 MrBeast Burgers are operating out of locations of Buca di Beppo, Bravo! Italian Kitchen, Brio Italian Grille and Bertucci’s Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta. Those four restaurant chains are owned and operated by Robert Earl, the founder of Planet Hollywood; Virtual Dining Concepts, which operates MrBeast Burger, was co-founded by Mr. Earl and his son, Robbie Earl. Similarly, many of Franklin Junction’s ghost franchises are operated out of a Ruby Tuesday or a Frisch’s Big Boy, chains owned by Franklin Junction’s parent company NRD Capital, a private equity firm. But even an independent restaurant can get a virtual brand up and running in less than 30 days, with few limits to the number of brands one owner can take on. And that potential speed of proliferation could result in a delivery-app ecosystem where the ghost-franchise parent companies duke it out at the top, while the truly independent restaurants are pushed farther down the list. In New York City, this is already happening. If you’ve noticed the torrent of perplexing restaurant names on delivery apps, many of them confusingly similar, this too is a manifestation of the ghost franchise. When Jacky Cheng, a resident of the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, ordered from Village Breakfast Snob on DoorDash, “it didn’t really cross my mind that it was a ghost kitchen,” he said. “Although it should have, because who the heck names their restaurant that?” The food, he later found out, came from a bodega in the East Village that is operating as at least 10 ghost brands, including LA Breakfast Club and American Cheesesteaks. New York is now home to the Pancake Snob, Breakfast Burrito Snob, Sushi Snob, Pad Thai Snob, Chicken Tikka Snob and Snobby Chicken Wings. There’s also the Burger Bae and Breakfast Be Loved. The style of these names creates a marketplace that parallels Amazon in some ways, said Lea Chu, a group director of naming at the brand strategy firm Siegel & Gale. You have a need — there, a hole puncher; here, a breakfast burrito — and a hyper-specific listing is there to fill it. Seven years ago, Ms. Chu surveyed the name of every restaurant in Manhattan, a project that took weeks. Restaurant owners usually want names that won’t sound silly in a year, she said. Here, that matters less. “What’s the worst that could happen?” Ms. Chu said. “Your name becomes irrelevant and you have to change it? It probably doesn’t matter. There’s so much fluctuation in this restaurant landscape that everyone’s going to be used to names changing all the time.” For now, we seem to be entering a period in which every “Bachelorette” contestant from the last 18 years will have a virtual deli. Mario’s Tortas Lopez and Pauly D’s Italian Subs are listed in dozens of markets. Since January, at least 130 outlets of Guy Fieri’s first virtual brand, Flavortown Kitchen, have opened. And MrBeast Burger has already spread to Canada. A following of 54 million YouTube subscribers sells a lot of sandwiches — more than a million in the first two months, in fact. “My son is 18, my daughter is 14, and they think MrBeast is hilarious,” said Cece Kaufman, an interior designer in San Francisco. In December, the family went on what Ms. Kaufman cheerfully called a “road trip” — a 40-minute drive into the delivery zone of the closest MrBeast Burger, to meet a DoorDash driver carrying three smash burgers and two orders of fries. The teenagers, like most ghost kitchen customers, had no idea where the food was made. “They didn’t care,” Ms. Kaufman said. “The wrapper had the MrBeast stickers on it, so they thought it was great.” Source link Orbem News #Franchises #Ghost #heard #Kitchens #Meet #youve

[theartificialdane]

Galactica, part 242

In this Raven throws the warmup party at the year, as she celebrates a night all about her!

Thank you @veronicasanders @samrull and @toriibelledarling for cowriting <3

“Violet!” Pearl kicked Violet’s door, her hands filled with her computer. “Can I borrow your charger, Turbo just chew through mine, the little assholem and I have a fucking deadlin-” Pearl almost tripped over Frida, the woman not looking up as she was desperately trying to save the file she was working on. Pearl looked up, the breath getting knocked out of her. “Wow…”

Violet was standing in front of her mirror, a ruby dress hugging her body, the long sleeves covering her arms while her shoulders were out, Violet’s delicate collarbones on display, a slender gold chain decorating her neck, and Pearl felt her jaw hit the floor. Violet looked breathtaking.

“Pearl, hi.” Violet turned around, her hair done in the soft curls she had worn for the Vogue Fashion Fund, her lips the most kissable dark red, and Pearl flushed, the whole situation beyond embarrassing. “Did you want something?”

“What? Oh. Right.” Pearl felt like a schoolgirl, unable to focus on anything but Violet’s louboutins. “Can I borrow your charger?”

“Sure.” Violet bent down, quickly going through her Chanel before she pulled out the charger, handing it to Pearl, their hands touching.

“Thanks..” Pearl grabbed it and left, not looking back, her mouth dry.

***

"I can't wait for the party!" Raven sing-sang as she walked around her living room one more time, drink in hand, making sure everything was perfect. It was still a few hours until she had invited the guests, and the TV crew was going to come running any minute. Raven was practically vibrating with excitement, her party something she had looked forward to for weeks.

“Calm down, princess.” Raja smiled and took Raven’s drink from her, making Raven pout.

“Raaaj, you’re so mean.”

“I’m not mean, I’m trying to keep my little event planner sober until her big night actually starts.”

“Fiiiiine.” Raven sat down, Raja putting her arm around her and kissed her fiance's head.

As much as the woman made fun of each other, they were both incredibly detail oriented and meticulous whenever they threw any kind of happening. Even though Raven could have hired an event planner for her party, she wanted to do it all herself. Raja loved how secretly domestic Raven was, and how much she enjoyed entertaining their close friends in their home. For Raven, event planning gave her an excuse to obsess over every tiny detail. She had spent two weeks coordinating the charger plates with the floral arrangements when Fame had thrown a dinner, and for baby Grace’s christening, Raven had ruled it all with an iron fist. Jaslene had even asked Raven to help plan her wedding because of her taste and the care she put into planning everything.

Raven heard the doorbell, and jumped excitedly from Raja’s arms, running forwards the door. Raven had spent all day making sure that everything would work out, that the appetizers were in fact perfect, that her over the top Venetian hour dessert spread was beyond anything anyone had ever seen, and that the drinks matched up as they should. That and keeping track of the messages therapists, the nail technicians the spa personnel were all there and ready to work. All in all, this was  to be a lovely little girly party and Raven couldn't wait to begin.

“Hey, so where can we put all this stuff?”

Raven sneered as the camera man in question just walked straight into her home, the man barely wiping his shoes before he stepped onto her Pierre Frey carpet.

“Did your mom drop you as a baby?”

Raven was just about to go off, when Raja came into the hallway, her fiance grabbing her jacket from the hook before she leaned down to kiss Raven.

“Are you sure you’re not going to stay?”

“There isn’t enough money in the world.” Raja laughed, and Raven pouted, the two kissing again.

“Say hi to everyone from me?”

“I will.”

***

“Hey…” Courtney leaned on Bianca’s shoulder from behind, Courtney dressed up to the nines. “So I was thinking… Maybe I can some with you tonight, instead of to going to Raven’s…”

Bianca turned around and kissed Courtney’s cheek, lacing their fingers together. “Sounds good to me.”

“I wish,” Courtney groaned and peeled herself off Bianca, getting ready to go.

“What’s the matter? I thought those drunk bitches were your new BFFs, and hasn’t Raven been good, too?”

“Yeah, everyone’s been cool.” Courtney shrugged. “It’s her friends I don’t trust.”

“Well, they’re jealous, baby. I mean… You’ve got everything they want.” Bianca flashed her dimples.

Courtney laughed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know, I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”

Bianca kissed her neck. “Luck has very little to do with it…”

Giggling, Courtney slid her arms around Bianca’s shoulders. “To be honest, those cunts are probably a safer bet than Fame and Raja anyway.”

“That’s...accurate.”

***

"Ravey baby abre la puerta!" Jaslene yelled in Spanish from out in the hall where she had just been let in by a very confused cameraman.

"Raaave, where are you? We have the juice of your homeland!" Celia laughed as they dumped into the livingroom.

"Heeey!" Raven greeted as the two women enveloped her in a crushing hug.

"It's Ravey's bachelorette party!" Jaslene sang as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Yay Rave!" Celia squealed as she held he Russian woman tighter.

"I can't breathe," Raven wheezed out before Celia and Jaslene let her go, allowing her to take a deep breath. "Thank you."

"No problem," Celia chirped brightly with a brilliant smile, "We can't afford to have you pass out, and then endure your wrath for messing with the flow of your party."

"Because we all know how Raven is about her events." Jaslene said.

Raven laughed to herself, Celia and Jaslene looking around for the first time.

“Shit… You really outdid yourself this time Rave.”

The entire apartment had been transformed. Cascading waterfalls and lush floral arrangements lead the way to the bedrooms, where a rack of plush robes and slippers announced a full day spa with a nail salon, masseurs, and all kinds of beauty treatments.

The livingroom was a club/lounge with dance poles (governed by the one and only Mariah), a DJ, and a bartender mixing signature cocktails.

And in the dining room, three master pastry chefs were creating the most elaborate and divine desserts anyone had ever seen. Raven’s sweet tooth and grandiosity combined to form the greatest Venetian hour in history.

“Aww thanks Cece!” Raven beamed as the trio walked further into the room.

“It looks like, super professional.” Jaslene laughed, just before they heard the doorbell ring, more of the guests slowly arriving.

“You two go and get some snacks or a pre party facial,” Raven said brightly, “enjoy yourself, but most importantly, remember to enjoy Raja’s money!” ***

“Hey boo hey!” Jujubee greeted as soon as Raven opened the door to her home, the small asian woman smiling brightly.

“My little Juju!” Raven sang, giving her friend a big hug. “Hey Kelly belly,” she added as Kelly come into view, the teen looking mightily bored with the whole situation.

“Oh my god,” Kelly groaned as she hugged Raven before stepping into the condo. “Don't you think I've outgrown that name?” She whined pitifully while handing Raven a pink and gold gift bag.

“But you had such a cute little baby gut.”

“Wait, are those cameras?”

“Oh, right!” Raven smiled and grabbed the paperwork next that was laying on a little side table. “Courtney is filming Housewifes tonight, so you have to sign this.”

“Awesome!” Kelly reached out, ready to sign, but her mom grabbed her hand.

“Don’t even think about it Kelly Sanderson.”

“But moooom-”

“No.”

“Fine.” Kelly rolled her eyes, clearly displeased, but she gave up quickly, finding the beauty treatments on offer much more exciting.

“She gets it from her father,” Jujubee replied easily, putting her hands on her hips, easily signing the form herself.

“Ah, right...the other host of the evening. I wonder how he’s doing…” Raven chuckled to herself.

***

“The baby is finally sleeping,” Fame announced. “And now I think I understand why you invited us here, De.”

“That’s unfair. I invited you to celebrate Raja’s last few glorious days of singledom and reunite the group, all of us, …” Detox looked around and raised his glass, a smile on his face. “To Raja, and to the upcoming holidays.”

“Hear hear!” Sutan called, raising his beer bottle. Even though he and Raja were Muslim, he still absolutely loved christmas.

Patrick kissed Fame on the cheek and she leaned against him happily. Bianca rolling her eyes since she still hadn’t totally forgiven Patrick yet.

“So are you actually going to grill for us, or should I have a Postmates order ready to go?” Bianca asked, sipping her beer. They were all sitting in the livingroom, surrounded by toys and kids drawings.

“Oh ye of little faith!” Detox cried.

“Yeah, I feel like I literally just said I have no faith. None.” Bianca cackled, everyone laughing together. They could have gone out to celebrate Raja, but honestly all of them just wanted to stay in and spend time together, instead of going out and dealing with the public and the paparazzi.

Raja laughed and slung an arm around Bianca’s shoulders. “Let’s give him like an hour,” she said. “If there’s nothing edible by 7:30, then we can go for delivery.”

“Look, I had to give the monsters their dinner first, okay?” Detox smiled, Julia and Owen tucked up nicely in their room with Disney Channel on, the two beyond excited with the juice boxes and candy they got to share. “It’s done, so now I can fire up the grill!”

“You know it’s December, right? I’m just really skeptical of this whole plan.” Bianca dunked her beer, making Raja laugh, the woman clearly enjoying her friends’ argument.

“Let him do his thing, B. Stop being such a control freak,” Fame said.

“Oh I’m a control freak?! Said the bitch whose entire home is white.” Fame huffed and rolled her eyes while Patrick smirked, the state of their home and Fame’s choice in colorpalette often something their friends made fun of.

Suddenly two small creatures flew into the room and hurled themselves at the sofa.

“Holy shit!” Raja almost fell back as she was tackled, her arms filled with tiny twins, their mouths blue from their candy.

“YOU MADE A CURSE!” Julia giggled, pointing at Raja.

“How did you ever get used to that? I just got the wind knocked out of me!” Raja gasped.

“Oh, you never do.” Detox shook his head, easily picking up one of the twins, Owen settling down on his lap, the little boy looking around with wide eyes as Julia settled down on Raja’s lap.

“Bibi, where’s Courtney?” asked Julia, smiling at Bianca.

“She’s at Auntie Raven’s.”

“Oh. Where’s Auntie Raven?” Julia titled her head, looking at Bianca like she was trying to figure out a puzzle.

“She’s having another party. None of us are invited. It’s not for kids and it’s not for older people.”

“Isn’t that where Mommy is?” Julia said.

“Yes.”

“But she’s an older people.”

Sutan snorted, clearly entertained by Julia.

“She’s fun, though.”

“Oh yeah.” Julia laughed. Owen looked up.

“So you guys are having the boring party, and they have the fun party?”

Bianca reached for the little girl, tickling her. “Yes, exactly. Welcome to the boring party.”

***

“So remember, you’re supposed to get both of them to drink,” Jane instructed, as the sound guy strapped on Courtney’s mic pack.

“Yes, Jane.”

“A lot.”

“Yes, Jane.”

“We need a light, fun, turnt-up party sequence.”

“Got it, Jane.”

“But like, if they get emotional or cry or throw drinks, that’s awesome too.”

“Yes, Jane.”

“Basically, you know, the usual.” Jane winked and sent Courtney off towards the elevator, where she joined Adore, Alaska and Jinkx. Ramona and Sonja were still getting their mics placed, laughing and flirting with the cute sound guys.

“Jesus,” said Alaska. “Is she always so...”

“Yes,” Courtney sighed.

“You alright?” Adore asked.

“Yeah!” Courtney flashed a smile. “I’m always a little nervous with Raven et al… You know.”

“I thought you guys were like besties now?” Jinkx wondered.

“Well...I mean, yeah. But now her whole squad will be there, and the cameras. Those girls just love drama and they all blame me for Bianca firing her even though I had nothing to do with it - I actually still don’t even know what happened. But I did get Tati the job. And then there was all that drama at the Galactica show, which made it into the tabloid, and...but I mean, no, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Adore put an arm around Courtney’s shoulders. “Look, we got your back, babe. Plus, we’ll just drink heavily and try to get Sonja to go insane..”

“It doesn’t take much,” Courtney laughed, stepping out of the elevator and ringing Raven’s doorbell.

“Exactly!  Then the cameras will focus on that!”

“/Jane…/” hissed a voice over the walkie.

“/Yeah, Jeremy, I heard it./”

“/Want me to go start some shit with the models?/”

“/Of course I do, Jeremy./”

“/Copy that, boss./”

“Adore darling!” Raven greeted as she leapt at the younger woman as soon as she opened the door.

“Mother Russia!” Adore replied as Raven crushed her face in between her boobs as she hugged the shorter girl. “Your boobs are smothering me,” she wheezed out.

“Oops,” Raven said as she let Adore go. “Sorry, I just didn't think you were coming since I didn't hear from you,” She continued happily as she looked Adore up and down, “you look good, has your butt gotten bigger?”

“I texted you! I hope my plus two isn’t an issue,” Adore laughed.

“Of course not, the more the merrier. Hey, ladies, welcome,” Raven greeted Alaska and Jinkx with air kisses, and gave Courtney a hug. “Come see this,” Raven winked, leading them inside.

*

Violet pushed the door to the kitchen open, sneaking inside, a breath of relief leaving her as she found the kitchen blissfully empty besides the waiters who were thankfully ignoring her. As soon as Violet had walked into Raja and Raven’s apartment, Frida dropped off downstairs at Sutan’s, she had been cornered by a production assistant, the man bothering her with a photo release that Violet had refused to sign right away. There was no way in hell she was going to end up on TV, no matter how much Courtney and well... Bascially everyone around her seemed to think it was a good idea. Violet opened the cabinet and grabbed a glass of water, filling it with ice cold water. It was going to be a long, long, long night at the Amrull Petruschin household.

*

“Holy shit…” Adore breathed.

Raven laughed, putting an arm around Adore. “I decided my theme would be ‘Raven’s Favorite Things’...you know, like Oprah…”

“I mean, even for you, this is over the fucking top, dude,” Adore said, looking back and forth between the dance floor, the waterfalls, the pastry chefs, spa services...she snatched a crabcake piled with caviar from a passing tray.

“Thank you,” Raven fluttered her lashes in mock humility.

“Courtney, I think we found your homegirls…” Alaska said, gesturing to the dance poles, where Sonja and Ramona were drinking white wine and twirling around with no rhythm, accompanied by a beautiful black woman. She appeared amused by their antics though, holding a martini and laughing with them as they gyrated wildly.

“Courtneyyyyyyy!” Sonja screamed, pulling the younger blonde in for a hug.

“Hiya!” Courtney said, looking back at Adore and Alaska with a look of terror on her face, the cameraman in the corner of the room catching her expression perfectly.

“Come dance, baby! This gorgeous bitch, Mariah, is teaching us all these greaaaaat moves!” Sonja slurred.

“I think I need a drink or two to catch up,” Courtney laughed.

“I think I’m gonna go get a massage,” said Jinkx, turning around to leave the dancefloor as Courtney was dragged away.

“We can’t leave her!” Adore said, a whine in her voice.

“You can stay and get turnt with the ladies who lunch. Imma get a massage.” Jinkx kissed Adore on the forehead.

Alaska blew Adore a kiss and followed Jinkx. “Sorry, Lil’ Bear. You’ll understand when you hit your thirties…”

Adore rolled her eyes and grabbed two cocktails from a passing tray. “Here Courtney! Drink this!”

*** “Are you sure Raven wants me here, Allie?”

“Of course.” Allison smiled, her and Tatianna taking their jackets off, Allison quickly brushing a bit of snow out of Tatianna’s long black hair. “Everyone loves you.”

“If you say so.”

Allison took the releases they had been given. “So... Are you going to sign?”

“Do you think Sutan would forgive us if we didn’t?”

“Not really no.”

“Give it here then.”

Allison laughed and handed Tatianna a pen.

***

“Celia, right? And Jaslene?”

The girls looked up from their massage tables at the squirrely-looking man holding a clipboard, flanked by two cameramen. “Yeah…?” Celia said sweetly, with only a slight tinge of suspicion. She wasn’t going to be overtly rude even though she could tell this man had shady intentions. Screentime was screentime, after all.

“I just wanted to ask you about some history you have with one of our cast members...Courtney Act? She mentioned you in a confessional.”

Jaslene narrowed her eyes. “Oh really?”

“Well, she mentioned that her friend Tatianna knows you. Apparently Tatianna said that you were rude to her at a fashion show because Courtney had gotten her a job that you thought she’d stolen from the guest of honor? Is that true?”

Jeremy cocked his head as Jaslene looked at Celia. “Is that bitch Tati still talking about the fucking Galactica show, even after Allie has taken her under her wing?! And whining to Courtney about it? Who repeats it? I swear that bitch has no fucking sense.”

“Raven was right about her from the beginning. I can’t wait until Bianca dumps her basic Britney wannabe ass.”

Jeremy smiled, nodding to the cameras to keep rolling as he slowly backed away.

***

“See, I told you you’d like it!” Raven laughed. “Peachy crystal pink is the perfect shade for you!” Raven wiggled her fingers, her own nails filed and ready to dig into Raja’s back the moment she got the chance to jump her fiance.

Courtney giggled and spun around, finishing her drink. “You’re so lucky you can have long nails all the time.. These french tips look bitching on me.”

Bitching? Courtney was really drunk. Raven took her hand back, admiring the color. “Well. What can I say, it’s all part of life as a princess.”

Courtney’s mouth opened in an adorable O, the woman clearly ready to make it into an argument that Raven would love to pick apart piece by piece, but just then Adora came running, pulling Courtney away.

“Lighten up, bitch! Keep drinking!” Adore cried. “This is our song!”

“Fine, fine, fine!” Courtney laughed and got up, following Adore onto the dance floor that was filled with people that Raven knew, some better than others.

Raven leaned back in her chair, pulling her phone up to send Raja a picture of the makeup and hair the makeup artist had done on her.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got your back!”

Raven looked up, confused at Celia that had just sat down next to her, the blonde whispering to her and ruining her selfie session.

“Thanks, girl!” Raven replied, slightly puzzled, handing her a glass of champagne. “Cheers!”

Celia toasted her and then backed away, shooting an ice glare towards the dancefloor. Raven had no idea what was going on, but Raja had just viewed her snap, and that was all that mattered.

#galactica #au aag verse #rpdr fanfiction #my fics

[foxydebbbie]

#WheresMyFox? 🦊 I hope you can come out and play with me! Tue. 6/19 7pm-2am - @organized.grime.crew presents #TatTuesday’s @oitnb Cosplay at @replaylakeview! Come party w/ us for your chance to win a FREE TATTOO SESSION at @pinkrhinotattoo & prizes from @mensroomchicago, #Steamworks, @sportlube, @pncofficial & @cheesies_chicago! $3 @budlight Drafts & $4 @larcenybourbon! Wed. 6/20 9pm-midnight - Cher-aoke Contest at Replay Lakeview! Come sing your favorite Cher song for your chance to with tickets to see @thechershow from @broadwayinchicago! $5 you call it Top Shelf & Draft Beer poured by @michaelrelm & I all night long! Thu. 2/22 - Pulling double duty! 7pm-9pm -1st catch me at Replay Lakeview hosting the viewing of @rupaulsdragrace & play Drag Phrase Bingo for your chance to win some awesome prizes! $10 cocktail pitchers, $5 @stoli flavors & $3 @pabstblueribbon Tall Boys! 10pm-2am - @progressbarchi presents #TheGig w/ me & @joshmaggiodj playing your favorite dance hits! $4 @fireballwhisky, $5 @tequilaavion, $6 @greygoose Flavors! Fri. 6/22 9pm-2am - Queen! & @redbullmusic teamed up to bring you Steve “Silk” Hurley & CeCe Peniston for an 18+ show at @metrochicago! Get your tickets in advance! Sat. 6/23 1pm-midnight - Replay Lakeview is celebrating Pride! Come try our new @dogfishhead Brewing co. beers & enjoy #PowerHour 9pm-10pm w/ $3 shots of @jameson_us, Fireball, @dobeltequila & @coldspellwhiskey! Sun. 6/24 it’s gonna be a long day! 1st catch me in the Pride Parade on the Queen! float! Then I’ll be bartending at Replay Lakeview from 5pm-midnight! #BusyDragQueen #WorkingGirl #BusyBoy #BusyBartender #OITNB #Cosplay #Cher #Karaoke #DragRace #RuPaulsDragRace #Bingo #RedbullGivesYouWings #DebbieFox #Foxtails #BoystownsSweetheart #PinUpOfHalsted #ChicagosMouseketeer #Chicago #Boystown #Nightlife #Halsted #Pinup #ClubKid #Drag #DragQueen #Instadrag #Gay #Instagay #Makeup #Hair #Wig #Hashtags (at Chicago, Illinois)

#foxtails #pinup #tattuesday #clubkid #cosplay #debbiefox #karaoke #wheresmyfox #cher #chicago #bingo #oitnb #makeup #instagay #busydragqueen #hair #boystownssweetheart #powerhour #thegig #rupaulsdragrace #steamworks #dragqueen #boystown #drag #gay #redbullgivesyouwings #dragrace #nightlife #instadrag #workinggirl

[metamarcy]

TAROT READINGS at GEMINI & SCORPIO's Meet Me in Paris: Clandestine Cabaret in BROOKLYN

Join Marcy at the Gemini & Scorpio Loft for their annual Valentine's Day Party! ===+++===+++===+++=== CLANDESTINE CABARET: 2/10 ===+++===+++===+++===

Gemini & Scorpio present

Meet Me in Paris: a clandestine cabaret

Sat, Feb 10, $20 until 1am, $10 after, 21+ (25+ suggested)

$40 for reserved table seats w/prime stage view

9-10pm cocktail hour, 10pm-1am live acts, 1am-5am dancing & lounging Gemini and Scorpio Lofe, must RSVP for Gowanus, BK address Details & address RSVP: http://www.geminiandscorpio.com/events.html Tix: http://bit.ly/GS_cabaret (advance recommended) FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/1619167091462743/

A clandestine French cabaret with sensuous live music, sultry burlesque and variety acts, followed by late-night dancing and lounging in our softly-lit loft, absinthe and other special libations at the bar, and kissing on the sprawling roof. Our house band will be playing three full sets to swoon, sway and dance to, with deliciously naughty performances in between. It's also our annual Birthday celebration: we turn 16 this year!

Featuring: - Three sets of vintage danceable French gems by Myriam Phiro & the Cavaliers of Swing - Risqué burlesque by Dandy Dillinger and Eden Atencio - Can-can and more by our delightful new dance troupe (so new it doesn't have a name yet!) featuring Mademoiselle Estelle, CeCe BrownSugah & Karen Ng - Hosted by dashing & dangerous magician Eric Walton - Nouvelle chanson to electro-swing mix by DJ Poodlecannon (Marc Nasdor) - Love & compatibility tarot readings by Marcy Currier

Dress code (as usual, required): Cabaret through the ages (turn-of-century Belle Époque La Goulue cabaret, 1920s Josephine Baker cabaret, 1930s Marlene Dietrich cabaret, 1940s Edith Piaf cabaret, 1950s Jacques Brel cabaret, 60s and beyond cabaret lounge, anachronistic punk cabaret); "Cabaret" the movie; vintage or modern high style; dressy & classy.

Press: "A Pigalle-style playground with can can dancers, cabaret acts and vintage gypsy jazz" - TimeOut NY. "If there's one team of party planners we trust with throwing a stunning clandestine French cabaret, it's Gemini & Scorpio." - Flavorpill.

[blkwidowsweb]

WHAT A WEEK IN CHICAGO HOUSE MUSIC!

What a week it was!

Before the Festival

I’m finally fully recuperated from last week’s events. It was non-stop parties, music, fellowship, and fun! The drinks were flowing and the music was amazing. The Chosen Few Djs once again outdid themselves with a week filled with events that had house heads dancing for several days! The week kicked off with House Music Night at the Chicago White Sox game last Monday evening. House heads gathered with friends and family and enjoyed music before the game, DJs spinning on the field and Chosen Few DJ, Wayne Williams throwing out the first pitch! After the game, the after party was held at the ChiSoxx sports bar & grill. Tuesday, we gathered at Reynolds for our favorite party of the week.  We R Tuesday nights at Reynolds.  Chosen Few DJ, Mike Dunn and Tony T did what they do best, pack a house and made them sweat. The energy was infectious and the crowed was ready to party! Weds was the official kickoff.  House heads gathered at Daley Plaza under the Picasso statue for a lunch time dance party. 2 hours of house music filled the downtown Chicago air.  That evening, there were two main events, the House Club Pub Crawl and the Single Release party for Chicago Artist, Jon Pierce.  The 3rd Annual House Club Tour/Pub Crawl featured 40 DJs, 13 clubs and lasted for 7 hours.  House heads were transported to some of the hottest clubs in the city to enjoy music until midnight.  It was like getting to hear your favorite DJs in one night! One of the stops on the house club pub tour was the Renaissance Bronzeville. Renaissance hosted the single release party for Chicago Artist, Jon Pierce.  Jon released his newest single, Come Together, on Traxsource and held a party to celebrate its release.  Performing with his amazing band, Jon brought his soulful sounds and amazing live show to the Renaissance and gave the crowd a show filled with some of his many hits.   The Renaissance was jammed packed and filled with music lovers who grooved to his soulful sound.  Thursday night held the first pre-party for the Chosen Few Festival.  Stan Zeff was the guest DJ at the Promontory Thursday Night.  Friday featured two Chosen Few Parties.  A day party with Ian Friday, James Vincent & Cordell Johnson at the Promontory and the Chosen Few DJs at the Mid Chicago that night. 

Day 1 of the Festival

My friend Alraynita and I got up early and headed over to the park by 5am. When we arrived, there was already a line.  These are the ones I call 1st responders! The ones, who arrive at the park early, bring everything but the kitchen sink and come with such great energy and excitement for the day.  We unloaded our fully packed SUV and joined everyone else in line.  Laughter, jokes, and reminiscing on past chosen few picnics were the topics of conversation.  As I spoke to people in line, I realized we all were there early for the same reason; we were setting up tents for our friends to join us in later. We were the hosts within the festival.  BBQ Grilling experts shared their favorite marinades and amateur bar stars shared their favorite cocktail recipes in line. We admired one another’s equipment and even shared where we bought some of the things that help transport all of our gear into the park easier.  Once the doors opened, we gathered our stuff and headed into the park to find the “perfect location” to set up.   Tent City was being built and we all looked like worker bees, setting up the perfect area for our friends to chill in later in the day.  Our “Black, White and Bling” tent was a success and we had friends join us throughout the day to relax, chat, eat and dance.  Day 1 of the festival was full of some of your favorite DJs and house music.  The Chosen Few DJs played throughout the day along with special guests, Steve “Silk Hurley”, DJ Spinna, Mike Risk, Steve Maxwell, Brian Frazier and Greg Gray.  A highlight of the day was a special live performance by Cece Peniston and Dajae, who belted out some of the songs we grew up dancing too.  Each DJ played Chicago classics and house tracks that kept the packed dance floor moving.   After the picnic ended, those who still had energy to burn joined the Chosen Few DJs with special guest, Teddy Douglas at The Renaissance Bronzeville. After being at the park for 18 hours, I was worn out and in need of a hot bath and some sleep because we were getting ready to do it all over again Sunday!

Day 2 of the Festival

The Chosen Few added a 2nd day last year and this was my first year attending both days. I’m so glad I did. Sunday was perfect. The weather was sunny, the music was bananas and the vibe of the crowd was upbeat. We packed lighter for Sunday, just a tent, table and chairs. We decided not to cook and took the time to enjoy the many vendors that day for food!  It was a smaller crowd but the energy was just as high.  Sunday featured The Chosen Few DJs and special guests, Ron Trent, Sadar Bahar, Craig Loftis, Hula Mahone, Dee Jay Alicia, Big Al and Mike Boogie.  Legend, Donna McGhee blessed the stage with her classics such as “It ain’t no big thing”, “Love Bug” and “Everybody Dance”. She sounded absolutely amazing and was such a genuine and warm individual. House Music Queen, Monique Bingham also performed live and sang my some of my favorites!  She sounds just as good in person as she does on her tracks!   Sunday’s music was filled with variety.  Each DJ played sets that were true to their style and form and I was appreciative of the diversity in the musical selection. The Festival closed, appropriately, with an uplifting gospel house mix that truly summed up how I felt about this year’s festival��nothing but gratitude.  The Chosen Few DJs take it up a notch each and every year, making improvements and learning from the past.  Having a lineup for two days with mostly Chicago talent highlighted what I love about being a house loving fan from Chicago; this is the birthplace of house music and the talent in this city is unmatched.  The weekend closed with a finale party at Bassline featuring Chosen Few DJ, Terry Hunter, Greg Winfield and special guest, Recloose.  

Final Thoughts

I literally stayed in bed on Monday. My body needed a full day of rest after a week of non-stop partying and dancing but I have to say, I was not disappointed. This year’s festival lived up to all of my expectations.  We call it our “house holiday” and it really is. I reconnected with friends, saw people I hadn’t seen in years, danced until my feet hurt and enjoyed some of the best music by the best DJs.  It’s a shame this event wasn’t covered by many in the media. Two days of peace, love and music without one negative incident deserves to be celebrated, especially with all the negative news about Chicago in the news on a daily basis.  The cost of $25 a day ($40 if you didn't grab your early bird tickets) for 8+hours of music and fun is a deal you can't beat. There is no other festival in the country that offers what the Chosen Few Festival offers! I'm so happy I live here and can enjoy this year after year!  For the amount of music and talent I witnessed, it was worth the price of admission and more. It’s my favorite time of year and I can’t wait until next year!

Congratulations Chosen Few DJs for another year and another amazing festival! 

Until next time,

See you on a Dance Floor,

Black Widow

#chicago house #chicago house music #chicago house scene #chosen few DJs #Chosen Few Picnic #chosen Few Festival #Chosen Few Festival 2017 #Blkwidowsweb

[theemporium]

blue-"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." nico being devastated he’s hurt and just needs to be held by his girlfriend

i made it a bit more emotional hurt than physical! thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

29. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

.

It was bittersweet. 

He knew it was coming. The team knew it was coming. The fans knew it was coming. It had been a rough year with messy strategies, tough injuries and bad luck slapping them in the face after the season they had the previous year. It was rough and it weighed down on everyone and it was shattering. 

But, deep down, there was this little spark of hope in his chest. 

Hope that they could pull through and do the impossible. Hope that they could defy the odds and make it through to the playoffs. Hope that they would click and be the amazing team he knew they could be. 

He had so much fucking hope and it was completely washed away the second that final buzzer went, the reality that they had been eliminated finally settling amongst them as they looked at each other on the ice.

But Nico stepped up. He was the captain. He had these boys looking up to him and seeking him out as a pillar of comfort and reassurance. He couldn’t be moping around the locker room, not when he had to take care of his boys first. Not when he had to face the media and drag the interview out as long as he could so the other boys didn’t have to spend too long with them. Not when he had to deal with whatever debrief meetings and logistics the coaches and team wanted to have.

They may have been eliminated but he still had his duties to perform. 

He felt like he was running on pure muscle memory by the time he left the Rock, settling behind the wheel of his car with a heavy sigh. His brain was racing with a million different thoughts as he drove home, plaguing him with what if’s and could have been’s. Despite the exhaustion settling in his body, his mind felt far too wired and overwhelming and, fuck, he just wanted it to stop. 

And then he walked through the door and saw you cuddled up on the couch, drowning in one of his hoodies and a blanket his mother had gifted you both when you moved in, and the last of his resolve crumbled.

“Hey, baby,” you murmured, your voice soft and sweet and soothing as he dropped his bags at the door and quickly made his way towards you. He didn’t even hesitate as he practically draped himself on top of you, burying his face into the fabric of your—his—hoodie.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he blurted out because the words had been on the tip of his tongue. They had been lingering in the back of his head since the season had started, had been lingering after every loss and hardship the team and fans had to face. 

“Shhh, it’s not your fault, Nico,” you cooed, your arms winding around his body to hold him tight. Because somehow you knew what was going through his head, you knew the way he was spiralling, you just knew him. “None of this is your fault.”

“Just their faces—” he cut himself off with an unpleasant sound, something stuck between a sob and a scoff. Instead, he nuzzled himself closer like he could bury himself between your ribs and stay there forever. 

“I know, baby, I know.” Your fingers ran through his hair, your nails lightly scraping along his scalp in an attempt to soothe him. “Last year wasn’t a fluke, okay? This year was the fluke. Next season will be your season, I just know it.”

“You don’t know that,” he murmured, his words twisting the self-deprecating knife lodged in his heart since the season had started going downhill. 

“I know everything,” you corrected before lightly tugging on his hair until he lifted his head. You flashed him a soft smile, your hands gently holding his face as your thumb smoothed over the small scar on his cheek. “You’re gonna lead that team to the win you all deserve, Nico. I know that. The boys know that. The fans know that.”

He could only muster a small smile.

“And I will happily remind you until you believe in yourself again,” you added before leaning over to peck his lips, feeling the tension in his body finally start to leave for the first time since he entered the apartment.

“I love you,” he murmured when he couldn’t find any other words to capture how he was feeling.

“I love you too, baby.”

.

#cece's cocktail celebration #nico hischier #nhl #new jersey devils #nico hischier x reader #nico hischier x you #nico hischier x y/n #nico hischier fic #nico hischier one shot #nhl x reader #nhl x you #nhl x y/n #nhl fic #nhl one shot

[theemporium]

hi king!! could i get a uuuuhhh…

"I'll do anything for a woman with a knife."

🩷 w/luke? xoxo

we tried something different with a wee historical fiction/prince au🤠they are not my forte but i wanted to try challenging myself. thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

22. "I'll do anything for a woman with a knife."

.

Luke had always found the royal festivities to be tedious and long winded. 

Maybe it was because they very rarely focused on him, with most guests taking interest in his parents or his older brothers—Quinn especially, being next in line to the throne. Or maybe—just fucking maybe—he found them tedious and long winded and boring because they were. 

He wasn’t even sure what the reasoning behind this one was, if he was being completely honest. Though, there was never usually a good reason for many of the high class patrons of the kingdom to deny the chance to be invited into the castle or flaunt their pretty fabrics. But Luke had to assume this one was semi-important if people from neighbouring kingdoms—people of importance—were making the journey. 

Still, it did little to make him feel anything but utter boredom as he did his rounds. He flashed the guests a few smiles, usually letting Jack or Quinn take over the conversation. And once he had shown his face for a socially appropriate amount of time, he found himself sneaking off in the shadows to find something to occupy himself before his father’s expected speech. 

Usually, he would find himself sneaking into the kitchens to see if the staff would slip him a few desserts before dinner or some snacks to entertain him with. 

This time around, Luke didn’t even make it to the secret corridor that led down the kitchen before he was pressed against the wall, his breath knocked out of his lungs and something cold pressed against his neck.

“Shit,” you hissed, only your eyes visible to the boy as you glanced over his face. 

Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through him that didn’t have him thinking straight. Maybe it was the excitement for something different to happen at this ball. 

Or maybe Luke just lacked common sense and self-preservation because the only response he managed after a random woman dressed in all black with a knife pressed against his throat was, “pick the wrong prince?” 

You blinked. “You matched the description.” 

“So…I was the right prince?” He asked, something akin to amusement in his voice and it threw you off.

“Do you have your life threatened often?” You questioned, partially rhetorical because a part of you was genuinely interested in the answer. “You seem very calm.” 

“I just assumed if you wanted me dead, I would have been dead already,” he replied honestly, making no move to try and escape your hold. He had a feeling you would bury that knife in him before he even got the chance to take a step.

“I could still kill you if you don’t listen to what I say,” you told him, and he knew better than to question how truthful you were with that promise. 

But still, Luke was young and sheltered and spent far too much of his time trapped in the castle, learning how to be a prim and proper gentleman. There was something thrilling about you and, for reasons his own brain couldn’t comprehend, he didn’t want to lose your attention just yet.

“I’ll do anything for a woman with a knife,” he retorted, his lips twitching upwards when he noticed your eyes widen slightly in response. 

“It’s like you have a death wish,” you grumbled, the edge of your blade digging a little further into his skin.

“So if I wasn’t your target, who was?” He asked casually, like you were two acquaintances catching up. Like there wasn’t the possibility of someone turning the corner and finding the two of you. Like there weren't guards already starting to notice his absence. 

“None of your business,” you snapped, your eyes narrowed in annoyance. He wondered if you were contemplating whether or not he was worth killing and adding the extra hassle for.

“It seems like my business when you have a blade to my throat,” Luke added cheekily. 

“You have no sense of survival,” you told him like it was an insult. 

He grinned. “Perks of being a prince, I assume.” 

“I don’t have time for this,” you grumbled and, in a blink of his eye, you were already three paces away from him. “You’re distracting me.”

He pushed down the uneasy feeling in his chest the second you were no longer pressed against him, the second your eyes were no longer on him. “Will I see you again?” 

You paused, tilting your head to the side. He couldn’t see your mouth but he had the strongest sense that you were smirking beneath your mask. 

“Depends what kind of enemies you plan to make, Your Highness.”

.

#cece's cocktail celebration #luke hughes #nhl #new jersey devils #luke hughes x reader #luke hughes x you #luke hughes x y/n #luke hughes fic #luke hughes one shot #nhl x reader #nhl x you #nhl x y/n #nhl fic #nhl one shot

[theemporium]

hey girl! i was wondering if i could order a drink? i was thinking a dirty flirtini with Oscar with the prompt "the fastest way to shut me up is to kiss me" - maybe it's the first time oscars been really bold and she's surprised but definitely not complaining - or you can make something new!

also holy shit 10k congrats you deserve it and so much more ily <33

thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

23. "The fastest way to shut me up is to kiss me."

.

Oscar would never consider himself a big drinker, Australian stereotypes be damned.

A big part of that was the fact he never really had a chance to drink or party. Despite what people assumed about the lavish life of a Formula One driver, nine times out of ten, he was too tired to even keep his eyes open on the elevator ride up to his hotel room, let alone go out to a club after the race. He wasn’t even sure how some of the other drivers managed to do it.

However, it was the race weekend just before summer break and it seemed like he didn’t have much of an excuse but to go out with the rest of the paddock—especially with Lando threatening to drag him out of his hotel room to do so. 

And honestly, he hadn’t planned to drink much that night. He thought he would nurse a few drinks over a couple of hours, show his face for a decent amount of time and talk to a couple of people before he could sneak off. 

That plan quickly went down the drain when Oscar noticed you were hanging around the McLaren group for the night and the nerves had him chugging down drinks far faster than he should have. 

Next thing he knew, he was drunk and giggly and, because the universe was against him, left alone with you.

If he was sober, it wouldn’t have been that bad. Oscar had gotten pretty good at hiding his obvious feelings for you, considering he had been doing as much since his first day. He thought it was a fleeting crush, one that would disappear as the season continued. 

Unfortunately for him, it did not. And even more unfortunately for him, it seemed like drunk Oscar didn’t have the same control over the words leaving his lips.

“You look really pretty today,” was the first thing for him to blurt out. 

You turned to face him in the booth you both were huddled in. You raised your brows in surprise, but there was a smile on your face which was a good sign for him, at least. 

“Just today?” You teased.

“No,” he said, so definitely as he shook his head in response. “You are pretty every day. I always think it. I just don’t say it. Which is stupid because I should tell you but I don’t want you thinking I am some weirdo who just stares at you all day. But Lando says I am already.”

“I wouldn’t think you are a weirdo, Osc,” you reassured him. 

“I like the way you say my name, too,” Oscar mumbled out, leaning his head against the back of the booth as he turned to look at you. “Like, so much better than when anyone else says it. I think everyone else should be banned from saying it because it will never sound as pretty as it does when you say it.” 

Your grin widened. “You’re really talkative tonight, I’ve never seen you like this.’

Oscar blinked. “Do you want me to shut up?”

You opened your mouth, but he bet you to it.

“Because the fastest way to shut me up is to kiss me,” he blurted out. And this time, he at least had the decency to look flustered by his own words.

Your palm felt warm when it landed on his arm. “And if I don’t want you to shut up?”

“Uh,” Oscar cleared his throat. “You can still kiss me, if you want. I won’t complain. Like, at all. If anything, I would probably—”

But he never quite got the chance to finish what he was saying. Not that he really remembered, not when you had placed your lips on his and every coherent thought disappeared from his brain. 

“Yeah,” he murmured against your lips. “Told you it would shut me up.”

You laughed, smiling fondly. “I happen to quite like your rambles, Osc. Just as much as your kisses.”

.

#cece's cocktail celebration #oscar piastri #formula one #f1 #oscar piastri x reader #oscar piastri x you #oscar piastri x y/n #oscar piastri fic #oscar piastri one shot #formula one x reader #formula one x you #formula one x y/n #formula one fic #formula one one shot #f1 x reader #f1 x you #f1 x y/n #f1 fic #f1 one shot

[theemporium]

can i request 💜 "You're the only one who gets to call me that, you know." with luke hughes please!!

thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

22. "You're the only one who gets to call me that, you know."

.

In a sport like hockey, you got used to being called a variety of different names for a variety of stupid reasons. 

Some made sense. Some had a funny backstory. Some were born from an embarrassing memory you could never escape. Some had no real correlation but it was used once and it stuck and now the whole team used it. It was just one of the dynamics of hockey that you got used to pretty early on. 

And the thing was that Luke didn’t hate his name. He didn’t, it would have broken his parents heart if he said as much. It just wasn’t exactly like he was ecstatic for people to throw ‘Luke Warren Hughes’ at him. Or at least, he didn’t like it when his middle name was brought into the locker room. 

Maybe it was PTSD from the teasing he got when he was in middle school. Maybe it was the fact it sounded a little like it belonged to a sixty year old man. Or maybe it was because he was so damn used to being known as ‘Luke Hughes’ or ‘the other Hughes’, that he sometimes forgot he had a middle name.

Whatever the reason was, Luke never liked it being used in the locker room by the boys. He didn’t really like the name being used, full stop. Unless it was one of his parents using it. He thought he managed to avoid it for years until he joined the New Jersey Devils and met the team—met you.

Because, for some fucking reason that was beyond his own understanding, every rule and belief Luke had went flying out the window when it came to you. 

Including the use of his middle name.

“God, Warren, couldn’t even use a comb this morning?” 

Luke felt his cheeks heat up as he lifted his head to find you wandering into the locker room. Most of the team were already out on the ice, but Luke was one of the stragglers that was still getting his gear on. It wasn’t his fault the team decided team pictures needed to be taken at an ungodly hour before practice. 

“Does it look that bad?” Luke questioned, trying to ignore the pleasant twist in his stomach when you flashed him a smile and made your way over to him.

“I think it looks cute,” you replied, lip tucked between your teeth as you reached out to gently run your fingers through his curls. “Curtis might give you some shit though.”

“Curtis always gives me shit,” he mumbled, letting his eyes flutter shut as your nails gently scraped along his scalp. 

“Hm, well tell him to come talk to me if he gives you a hard time for your curls,” you said, and even with his eyes closed, he could hear the smile in your voice. 

His cheeks burned as he tilted his head back to look at you, his own smile mirroring yours. “Gonna be my knight in shining armour?” 

“M’always gonna have your back, Warren,” you replied, your voice a little softer. A little more genuine. 

He swallowed. “You’re the only one who gets to call me that, you know.” 

Your smile widened. “Oh, I know. Jack told me you once got into a fight during a game back in middle school after some guy on the other team used it.”

He groaned a little at the memory. “Quinn and Jack gave me so much shit after that. They called me Warren for a week after that.” 

You snorted. “What did you do?”

“I told on them,” he admitted, a little sheepish. “They got grounded for a week.” 

You laughed and his smile widened at the sound.

“So how come you let me use it?” You asked, something else in your voice that Luke couldn’t quite name but it still made his heart speed up a little.

“I guess I like you more than them.” It was meant to come out light-hearted and teasing, but it felt far too heavy and suggestive once the words left his mouth.

“Enough to grab something to eat after practice?” You asked, so casual and calm like you couldn’t see the way Luke’s whole face was burning a pretty shade of red. 

“More than enough,” he said with a nod, unable to fight the grin off his face when you smiled back.

“Then better get your pretty ass out there before the boys make you do drills after practice for being late,” you teased, laughing as you watched him quickly shove on the rest of his gear before rushing out the door.

.

#cece's cocktail celebration #luke hughes #nhl #new jersey devils #luke hughes x reader #luke hughes x you #luke hughes x y/n #luke hughes fic #luke hughes one shot #nhl x reader #nhl x you #nhl x y/n #nhl fic #nhl one shot

[theemporium]

Hi,

I’d like to order a violet fluff with Carlos and number 19. I really like your cocktail bar idea! No worries if it’s not possible ☺️

Bye, have a nice Sunday!

thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

19. "If the Gods choose to only give us daughters, then I will gladly have as many as you are willing to give me."

.

Logically, you knew he wouldn’t be angry but somewhere in the pregnancy hormones and lingering doubts, you found yourself spiralling. 

If there was one thing Carlos hated, it was that he couldn’t be with you twenty-four/seven for the duration of your pregnancy. He was over the moon to start this new chapter with you, even if it was a little earlier than either of you anticipated. He was excited to start a family with the love of his life. He had been so happy when you had originally told him during the winter break, so lost in the giddiness of it all that it took a few weeks before he realised he would be away from you for a majority of the pregnancy with the upcoming season. 

You had flown out for a few, but Carlos didn’t like stressing you out unnecessarily. His overprotectiveness reached new levels and a busy paddock wasn’t exactly ideal during the first trimester when everything was still delicate and a secret to everyone outside your immediate families. And then, as the pregnancy continued, it didn’t seem worth the risk just to fly out for a race weekend when he would be too busy working to really be with you. 

But it meant he missed important moments. He missed appointments and ultrasounds and milestones. He tried to be there for as many as he could, but it just wasn’t always possible with his busy schedule. 

And one of those moments was the gender. The two of you had decided you had wanted to find out before the baby arrived. And despite your insistence that you would wait for Carlos, he encouraged you to find out at the earliest possible moment.

And you were happy when you found out you were having a girl. You were over the fucking moon. 

But there was a voice in the back of your head, persistent and annoying and unnerving. And it didn’t leave you alone in the days following your appointment until Carlos had returned from the latest race. In all honesty, somewhere between pestering thoughts and baby brain, you had forgotten he was even coming home that night. 

“Mi amor?” 

You froze, sat on the edge of the bathtub with the latest ultrasound in your hand. You don’t even remember why you were in the bathroom, it had just happened and now Carlos was seconds away from walking in and you just weren’t ready to face the disappointment on his face.

“Amor? Where are—”

The door to the bathroom opened and you lifted your head to find Carlos smiling at you. He wasted no time in walking towards you, his hands cupping the back of your head as he leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead. 

“Hm, I’ve missed you,” he murmured the words against your skin before he glanced down at the small picture in your hands and let out a noise of excitement. “How’s our baby chilli?” 

Your throat closed up and blood was roaring in your ears, with the voice on a twisted loop in the back of your mind. But you also knew you couldn’t hide it any longer.

“She’s all good and healthy,” you managed to mutter out, watching his face closely. 

You barely blinked before the sight of Carlos’ huge smile made your chest tighten. 

“Princess baby chilli,” he murmured affectionately, his voice thick with emotion as he kneeled in front of you, his hands reaching out to gently cup your belly. “Mi princesa perfecta.”

“You’re happy?” 

Carlos looked up at you, his brows raised. “Are you…not?” 

“No, no, I am. I–” you choked by the words, feeling a sudden and overwhelming wave of emotion hit you. “I was scared.”

Carlos frowned, his demeanour changing as he straightened his spine. “Scared of what?” 

“That you would be upset we weren’t having a boy.” you admitted, a little ashamed but more so relieved to finally get the admission off your chest after it had been haunting you for the last few days. “That you would have wanted a mini you who could—”

“Hey, shhhh,” Carlos cooed softly, his hands cupping your face to wipe away a few stray tears you hadn’t realised had started to fall. “Baby, no. I would be happy with whatever we were having. If the Gods choose to only give us daughters, then I will gladly have as many as you are willing to give me."

“You mean it?” 

“I mean it,” he whispered with a soft smile before he leaned in to press a quick kiss to your lips, and then another to your stomach. “Plus, I always thought I gave girl dad energy.”

You snorted, despite yourself. But the sound made Carlos grin wider. 

“I can’t wait to meet our girl,” Carlos continued, his hands lightly squeezing your thighs before he stood up, offering his hand. “Now, c’mon. I’m going to make us dinner, whatever my girls want.”

You smiled. “Whatever we want?” 

“Whatever you want,” he confirmed with a nod. “My princesses deserve only the best and that is all I’m willing to give you both.”

“You sap.”

“Always, mi amor. Always for you.”

.

#cece's cocktail celebration #carlos sainz #formula one #f1 #carlos sainz x reader #carlos sainz x you #carlos sainz x y/n #carlos sainz fic #carlos sainz one shot #formula one x reader #formula one x you #formula one x y/n #formula one fic #formula one one shot #f1 x reader #f1 x you #f1 x y/n #f1 fic #f1 one shot

[theemporium]

A number 15 green-eyed mojito with Nico💚

thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

15. "What would I be jealous about?”

.

“You’re staring.” 

“I’m observing.”

“If looks could kill, he would be dead.”

“Tragic.” 

“Oh my god,” Jack grumbled under his breath, shooting his captain a concerned look before shaking his head. “Remind me not to piss you off.” 

Nico rolled his eyes. “You piss me off quite often, actually.”

“I—” Jack paused, his eyes narrowing as he lightly jabbed his side with his elbow. “One, that was rude. Two, you need to calm down. You’re acting like a jealous boyfriend and you aren’t even her boyfriend. You’re just the jealous part.”

Nico scoffed, but he didn’t tear his eyes away from you. 

Because, as much as it pained him to admit, Jack was right. He was acting like a jealous boyfriend and he was fully aware of that. But it wasn’t like self-awareness couldn’t exactly stop the bitter feelings bubbling in the pit of his stomach as he watched the man openly flirt with you. 

“You know,” Jack continued, something quite like amusement in his voice. “This wouldn’t be a problem if you just grew the balls to ask her out.” 

And he hated that Jack was right again. 

The crush he had been harbouring on you was obvious to everyone with a pair of working eyes. Or at least, everyone except you. Since the day you started on the team, Nico had been all lovesick smiles and longing gazes, practically throwing himself at any social media opportunity he could just so he could spend time with you. It was a little embarrassing and pathetic, all things considered. 

But the worst part was that it had been a better part of two years and Nico had made no move to confess his feelings towards you.

Which then led to moments like now, where Nico had no real reason to feel as irritated as he was over some guy from the media team flirting with you.

“Shut up,” was all he managed to mutter out.

“This is actually really sad to watch,” Jack muttered before sighing deeply. “Just know that I’m doing this because, as your friend and alternate, I’m worried about you possibly breaking your jaw before making a move.”

Nico frowned a little. “What are you—”

But before Nico could even stop whatever stupid move Jack was going to pull, he was calling out your name and waving his hands in such an exaggerated and overly dramatic manner that Nico felt his cheeks heating up. 

“I hate you,” Nico muttered under his breath as you began making your way over.

“You’re about to hate me so much more but I know you love me,” Jack whispered back before he grinned at you, the words leaving his mouth so quick that Nico almost thought he imagined it when the younger boy said, “Nico is jealous.” 

And then, the fucker was running off and leaving a gaping Nico in the dust to deal with the consequences.

You blinked in surprise before you turned to the boy. “You’re jealous?” 

“Me? Jealous? What would I be jealous about?” Nico attempted to laugh off, but it was forced and dry and it didn’t quite land the way he wanted to when he noticed your brows furrowing in concern. “Jack is just messing about, don’t listen to him.”

“Really?” You questioned, watching as Nico quickly nodded in response. “So it has nothing to do with the fact you have spent the last fifteen minutes glaring at Thomas?” 

Nico blinked, feeling the blush spread from his cheeks to the tip of his ears. “Uh—”

“For what it’s worth, I’m not interested in him,” you said.

“Oh.” He couldn’t bring himself to care how happy he sounded, how hopeful.

“I’m interested in someone else,” you continued.

“Oh.” The disappointment was clear and heavy in his voice, inklings of the previous jealousy sinking into his response.

“You might know him,” you added, trying to bite back your smile when you watched his nose scrunch up. “He’s a hockey player, has a cute accent and pretty brown eyes. Think he might even be the captain or something.” 

Blood roared in his ears and he was pretty sure his smile was going to split his cheeks, but he didn’t care. “Really?”

“Yeah, but he’s a little blind,” you teased, almost looking a little bashful despite the unwavering confidence in your voice. “I’ve been waiting for him to ask me out but he hasn’t been catching my hints.”

“He sounds a little stupid,” Nico murmured. Maybe he would’ve felt embarrassed if his heart didn’t feel like it was about to beat out of his own chest. “But I bet he’s wondering if you’re free at seven tonight.”

“Let him know it’s a date,” you said, grinning right back at him.

.

#cece's cocktail celebration #nico hischier #nhl #new jersey devils #nico hischier x reader #nico hischier x you #nico hischier x y/n #nico hischier fic #nico hischier one shot #nhl x reader #nhl x you #nhl x y/n #nhl fic #nhl one shot