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nerendus · 3 months

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Okay, finished Rogue Trader, time for my in depth review.

This was my first Warhammer 40k game, and in terms of just how good it is to start with as someone who has extremely limited knowledge of the lore, it's very good. As a person who quite likes dark choir and Gregorian chant music and just existing online for a long time, it's kinda difficult to not gather some, albeit extremely out of context, snippets of the lore, but this game does it really well that you can go in completely blind and still be able to understand what was going on.

Before I go over the negatives of this game, I naturally have to bring attention to many of the positives.

The true highlight of this game was easily the companions. I was unable to grab Ulfar due to a bug and I got rid of Marazhai when I realised "oh no, he's going to be an awful person to all my canon lovers," but everyone else I loved dearly. Cassia....least of all, her whole thing got boring very quickly, and Yrliet was cool but her combat dialogue made me very annoyed with her. Yes, you are not my xeno pet, now can you please shoot that celestial being that is trying to kill all of us?

Everyone else, I have no complaints with. Argenta was very extreme, but in a sort of endearing way. Idira's story made me so sad, and I'm glad I was able to give her an ending where she lived a happy life. That bit of Jae taking her to go see the void whales nearly brought a tear to my eye. Heinrix...I like to make fun of him and call him a snitching bitch, but I do genuinely like him. It's just I like him in a way that I constantly want to bully him because I think it's funny. Jae and Pasqal are legally both my wives and I don't care what canon says. Abelard...Abelard is my Kim Kitsuragi. Most of my choices in the game were based around if he would approve or not. I wasn't able to give most of my friends the best possible outcome (tbh at a certain point I stopped trying), but just being able to send that old man off peacefully surrounded by people who love him was the greatest feeling in the entire world.

In terms of gameplay, naturally my favourite part was the space exploration. Finding new worlds and uncovering their ancient pasts...it was all so much fun. More on that in a moment.

The story towards the end did begin to bother me, but there were two moments that really made it worthwhile. First, the final goodbyes to all of your friends. I don't know how different the conversations would be if you were an asshole to them, but being on good terms with everyone really just warms the heart. Being able to hug Idira, Pasqal saying he was glad to travel with me, Abelard........being Abelard. The only thing I would change is that I think, as Lord Captain, I should've been able to order a group hug. I loved them all so much and I truly think they should've at the bare minimum hugged (bare maximum: best orgy the Expanse has ever seen).

The second part was...the ending sequence itself. I did the Iconoclast ending with my lovely son Nomos, and that whole sequence of the Rogue Trader going Go, my sweet summer child and watching my son becoming a literal god was great. I had...a few concerns throughout the game that because I played a good person I would get a bad ending since the Dystopian Fascist Government That's In Denial That They Are A Dystopia would naturally try to off my girl, but Nomos coming in clutch to save the Expanse was amazing. If Iconoclast had been a certified bad ending, especially after all the bullshit that happened in Act 3 and beyond, I would have been so pissed. Having a satisfying ending, however bittersweet it may be, made the difficult and stressful journey worth it. Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader was my Mordor, and I was Frodo Baggins and Abelard was Samwise Gamgee.

In terms of endings.....I did okay. Abelard got the best ending, Idira did as well though she didn't reconcile with Vigdis or Argenta--if someone can explain how you do that, especially Vigdis, please tell me I'm curious. Everyone else....lived a life. Heinrix got assassinated, Jae got assassinated, Pasqal became a heretic which I think is hot of him, Yrliet was killed by Pasqal which is honestly kinda funny, Cassia...I didn't care enough to actually read her ending but I think it was okay.

I was only really trying to get good endings for Abelard, Idira, and Pasqal because naturally they were the characters I got the most attached to. I was initially trying with Jae, but after I realised that after Act 3 you can't go forward with romancing her, I was so fucking tired of this bullshit that I gave up. Everyone else I did make an effort to help them, but I didn't care that much about getting the perfect ending for them.

So...now is time for the negatives. First one is the one that I've mentioned a few times, and that's the story. Up until Act 3 I was deeply immersed in the story, I really liked where it was headed. But once you get to Commorragh (which I will now refer to strictly as Low Budget Tower of Latria) it starts to fall apart.

The very beginning was great. The Rogue Trader being mentally tortured and struggling to get by as she searches for her comrades that have also bear witness to the Horrors. Finding out the different ways they were abused at the hands of that....fish....elf....mermaid....thing was great. And the idea of then going to try and get revenge on the fuckers who tortured you was also good but it just...kept...going. The battles were just so boring, and the dungeon just kept spiraling on in a way that wasn't fun at all. It doesn't help that the story also just...wasn't appetizing. After we gather the crew and Tervantias told us to fuck off, it just became boring. Yeah, those dudes want to see us fight to the death, can I please continue on to the next area already?

I also just have an issue with just how...after Act 3 the torture is only really referenced in idle dialogue between companions. Funnily enough, the only one I got to mention it was Idira and she wasn't even there. Like, I feel like they should have put in at least a little bit of extra effort into placing those events into the overall storyline for the companions that were actually there. Make Abelard sad, Cassia even more of a whiny bitch. Hell, you literally tell Pasqal "hey man, we'll deal with the weird xenotech in your body once we get out of this place" and then it is never mentioned again. It felt so out of place for you to go through literal hell with your best friends and it not have a lasting impact on anybody. At the very least, there should have been the ability that the companions that went to Bad Latria to have new dialogue options open up at the bridge--there's no way you wouldn't have a deeper connection with these folk after all that.

But eventually, Act 3 passes and Act 4...was Act 4. I'm trying to keep my breakdown of the events linear, but I just...really think Act 4 and Act 5 should have been switched, or at the very least, the bosses switched. But I'll get into that in a moment.

Act 4 wasn't terrible. Most of it was just finishing up on companion questlines, and the questlines were genuinely fun to do...except Cassia. Look, at a certain point you lose patience with characters like her, and I just picked options that didn't make me sound like a total asshole. Pasqal's questline was fun...even though it was hard to keep up with the constant new information and names I most certainly don't remember being referenced. I really wasn't expecting the Truth to be that he is like, robot Moses, I really thought that he was just a septuplet or something. I did really like the twist even though I didn't fully understand it. Argenta's mission was cool. Abelard's was amazing even though I had to enlist the help of the wiki since it didn't really click at first.

There's also the bit on Footfall of making things normal again, and honestly, gathering a squad of bandits-turned-politicians-turned-bandits, pirates, priests, drunkards, to fight against Some Woman was really fun. But...then the inquisitor sends you off to war.

The war part itself was fun, even though it was just a storytelling bit. Grandpa Opticon-22 died, but comparing that to his Alive Ending....his sacrifice honestly just felt far more satisfying than robbing him of his martyrdom. Also, he's Grandpa, his legs must be so tired, he deserves some rest.

But then you get into the facility and the anger just comes back at full force. Listen, I'm not the biggest fan of turn based fights in video games--if I went seeking gameplay like that I'd go play DND--but Rogue Trader had been for the most part not bad though it does get quite repetitive and boring, but the shit on that planet fucking sucked. It wasn't fun. It was over staying its welcome for a really long goddamn time. And then you go fight Urlon and the bird....it's the same shit. It was boring as hell and didn't spark any fun whatsoever. The Urlon portion wasn't that bad, but the bird....man, fuck that bird.

There was a moment after returning to Footfall for answers that I did like, and that was all of the faction leaders sort of wishing the Rogue Trader good luck on her journey. It was cute, but I didn't manage to max out friendship with any of the factions by a long shot. I was aiming for really good rep with the Navy and AdMech since the colony stuff related to them was the most interesting to me, but...alas. Are you able to max out more than one faction? I've heard people maxing out the Navy, but I don't know if the only way to max out a faction is by focusing solely on one or what.

There was that bit of a Star Trek feel when you finally get through that portal and end up somewhere completely uncharted. It felt so magical, but it ended just as quickly as it began. There was only like, four, maybe five systems that you got to explore before you were at the end of the game, which just fucking sucked. The map for the Expanse is so huge and you only get to explore like 1/3 of it that if felt so...unfulfilling. I loved that feeling when I first pulled open the map and thought "Wow! This thing is huge! I can't wait to explore every nook and cranny!" and just for most of that space to go untouched really hurt my explorer brain.

So....the Inquisitor. I really hated how the story handled him. Sort of suddenly and disjointedly at the end of Act 4 the story begins to try and paint him as the big bad mastermind of the game and it just...didn't work for me. If there had been more intrigue...mystery....unanswered questions that just chewed at your brain throughout the game, maybe it could have worked. But really it was mainly just, you go up to this man and he has to explain how every little detail of the game was directly his fault. It did not feel satisfying at all. It just happened, and then he was dead.

I think, even if they kept him as the True Mastermind, he and Urlon should have swapped places. Urlon and Kunrad just mean so much more for the Rogue Trader's personal journey, that I can't help but think they should have been put at the end instead of the Inquisitor. So much of the story had been this sort of quest for revenge, and for the ending to not be a fulfillment of that revenge just feels wrong.

As for the actual final boss, no major complaints. C'tan was a bit....boring. They could've hired their orchestra to have a truly magnificent final boss theme and gave him far more cool and epic moves instead of just...standing there most of the time. I will say, though, I did really like that one attack that puts a bunch of spears in a companion and you can just...have another companion swap places. I think that was really neat.

The other part of the negatives is bugs...but this is already way too long so I'll be quick with this part.

Ulfar just...wasn't able to be recruited

enemies just remaining in their idle poses during fights and it taking upwards to a minute for the game to finally move to another fighter

Stairs.

Idle dialogue not supporting the canon events (Abelard grieving the idea of the Rogue Trader and Cassia being put into a loveless marriage....despite that not being a thing)

This isn't really a bug, but fuck if the camera angles in oddly shaped rooms don't just jerk you around constantly

There's probably more bugs and more grievances I have that I have just forgotten...but this is long and I just want this to be over.

I've wanted to get into Warhammer 40k for years, but with there being so much material and not knowing what would be a good starting point as someone with no knowledge, this game was a godsend. There's very certain things that I'm very much into about the universe: AdMech, the Necrons, the Elves all specifically and having now the basics to go forth I know what I want to go more into since there is no way in hell I'm going to play every game and read every book there is.

I'm not very interested in the Space Marines and the Imperium...but not for the reason you'd think. I don't care that they're facists and their god is a dead dude, it's....just that they look ugly. Not physically, some of them are quite attractive face-wise, but them just wearing this big bulky armour but their faces being exposed just fills me with a rage that even I don't understand. The reason I want to kill the God-Emperor isn't because he created an awful place to live, it's because I saw one picture of him as a Man In Armour and it just made me so mad and now I hate everything he stands for. It's weird, I can't explain it.

But yeah...I'm really glad that I played this game. There's talk of a DLC mayhaps coming, and I have absolutely no desire to play it. Act 3 and beyond just makes the game immediately unreplayable for me, but I am still very grateful that I did play it.

Final score. 6/10.

#texts from the underbrush #warhammer 40k #rogue trader

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marshmallowprotection · 11 months

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Recently bought a new tarot deck and keep thinking of the old post about saeyoung with a witchy MC. the deck is cat themed. It's funny to image Saeyoung wary and maybe a little spooked by Witchy Stuff(tm) but also... he canonically cannot resist a cat picture. I show him The Emperor. it's a big fluffy white cat. I show him The Lovers. "that's us" I tell him.

Saeyoung is a certified Good Catholic Boy™. He was raised in that cathedral and found security in God. His faith is personal. He keeps that to himself because he hasn't had time to settle into church each week nor has he had time to share his faith with anyone since he has to stay hidden. The only time he was able to go to church every week was when he was a child, and when he spent time abroad in America since it wasn't hard to find a Catholic church.

He enjoyed that. But, over time, he started to value his relationship with God in a more private way. So, he practices at home and only goes to church on holidays if he can. He keeps to himself unless he needs to be in a church to feel peace. There are only so many times when he does that, though.

Some people think he would be wary of dating an MC outside his religion, but that will never be the case. You can be religious, atheist, or agnostic and Saeyoung will love and support you all the same. He is respectful and a good boy, so never think for a second that he will not love you for what you find comfort in.

Faith, after all, is about finding peace and comfort in something that is higher than yourself, be it gods, goddesses, or nature itself. He might have a few misconceptions about your faith or not even have a clue if he hasn't heard of it before, but his knowledge is rooted in the Abrahamic religions. So, he's familiar with those first and foremost, but give him some time, and he'll learn as much as he can about what makes you comfortable in your faith, or the lack therefore.

Saeyoung hasn't had to research much about witchcraft before. His mind is likely rooted in Halloween metaphors and misconceptions in the Catholic church about what it means to practice witchcraft. He's a little clueless and wary, but not disrespectful. He has a lot of tough questions you might not know the answers to, but that's from a place where Saeyoung devours information. You know how he is. He wants to learn everything.

He may be skeptical about tarot, in particular, but he'll warm up once he has a better understanding of the craft. It's not fear in his eyes, he has no room to fear things he doesn't understand. If he feared things, he would never be able to learn. His God would want him to question things and learn to be a better man by relating to and understanding others, even if they're different from him. I think he would settle into an area that's healthy, where he supports you and your feelings with wide smiles and beckoning arms.

Do you need something for your altar, if you have one? Do you want more crystals? Is there anything he can get you to cleanse your area? Do you want candles? What can he do to help you feel at peace with your faith in the same way you're always considerate of his faith? The fact alone that you can relax around each other with that has got to be comfortable. You both talk a lot about your overlap in what your practice is like, and where it differs.

Don't think for a second once he's more comfortable that he won't ask you for a tarot reading. He will. He wants to learn, and he trusts you.

But, you're right, he would gush over the cats. Cats help everything and he wants to understand the artist's thought process in trying to fit the theme of the deck with different cats. Watch out, though, he will ask you to recreate the cat art if it's feasible. What can I say? He is nothing if not consistent when it comes to his love of felines.

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nightmaremp · 2 months

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Weremayhem: Song of Beasts. Ch 20: Phases of the Feline

“Why?” asked Dr. Teeth as he lay his head on his keyboard. His voice is sad. The keyboard plays a sad tune each time the good doctor plays a note. He kept repeating “Why?” over and over.

“Huh,” said Zoot, who was next to him. “Maybe the next line is Z.” he added.

“After the phase of malaise, comes musical self-doubt” said Janice. Her, Floyd, Nora, and Moog were in the recording part of the basement. They were watching the doc and Zoot through the glass.

“Yeah, who am I kidding? I’m no ivory tickler” said the ginger haired male.

“I can’t even ding the dang triangle” he added as he pulled out the triangle and tried to play it. No sound was made from the metal triangle.

“What?” asked the dark blue haired male.

“See? Doesn’t sound good” replied Teeth, his voice sounding so upset and stressed. “See?” he added.

“And after he dings the dang, then comes explosive rebellion” said Floyd.

“Enough! I don’t need you!” snapped the good doctor as he slammed his hand on the keyboard. His fingers had some long sharp nails on them. He points at the saxophonist.

“I don’t need my parents! I don’t need triangles!” he added with a hiss of a cat.

“In fact, I rejectify shapes of all kinds. Even the rhombus” said the doc as he moved his hand in a sassy, bossy way.

“Then comes explosive regret,” said the blonde female. The red haired male nods his head.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” said Dr. Teeth as he brought Zoot into a bear hug but it felt like a snake was squeezing him to death. He groans as his lover hugs him so tight. “I’m so sorry” said the ginger haired male as he hugs his short lover to death.

“And this is nothing compared to the next phase, which is a very abrupt flashbac-” Floyd Pepper started to say before the flashback cut him off.

The flashback starts. Pomp and circumstance was playing in front of a dental school for dentists. Teeth was probably 20 or in his early 20s. He had graduated from the school to be a dentist like his mother wanted him to be. The ginger haired male was wearing his graduating outfit which was a black robe with some purple on it. His hair had grown out where now it was in a small man bun under his hat. He was now up to his father’s shoulder in his height.

Tina was filled with so much joy, she was proud of her son. She was wearing a pink and orange dress suit with a gold necklace with a gold tooth on it. Her earrings were white fangs of wolves, they were real. Her sleeve of her dress suit was short which revealed a huge scar on her right arm. A wereanimal hunter cause the wound when Teeth and his siblings were three weeks old kittens.

“Oh, my baby boy is a certified tooth doctor,” said Tina with a smile as she gently pitched his cheek.

“Like your late great granddaddy said, “May your spit cups always overflow with good fortune” she added.

“Ain’t that right, Gerald?” asked the ginger haired female.

“Yep,” replied her husband. He was wearing a baby blue suit with a red bow tie. The dark brown hair male had his camera with him and was smiling with happiness for his son.

“Aww, thanks for all those wonderful words, mama” replied Teeth. His voice had the deep growl to it now but is ain’t loud like his present self. “And that nice one from you, too, Daddy,” he added.

“Well, it is about to get nicer,” replied his mother as she revealed a solid gold floss case. Tina chuckles as she sees her son’s eyes go wide in shock.

He gently took it out of his mother’s hand. “Great Granddaddy’s solid floss case?” asked Junior.

“Indeed” replied the ginger haired female.

“Now, you go say bye to your dental friends while we go get the Molar Express” she added.

“Come one, Gerald” said Tina as she and her husband leaves.

“Thank you, mama. Thank you, daddy” replied their son.

“Move your little tushy, Gerald” said Tina to her dark brown haired lover.

“Hey” said Luna, one of Teeth’s sisters. She was holding Flora, his younger sister. Luna has long dark brown hair that was in a bun. She had a pink nose like their mother. Luna was chubby like Junior. She had on was a light purple dress with some dark purple high heels.

“Hey” replied the doc.

“Great job on becoming a dentist” she replied with a smile.

“Brother!” said Flora as she reached for her older brother. He chuckles as he picks her up. Flora had long hair that had dark brown at the roots and the bottom of her hair while the middle was ginger color. Her nose is pink like Luna’s nose. She was wearing a light blue dress that had some flowers on it, she also had some black dress shoes with white socks under it.

“Hey Flora, happy to see your big brother become a dentist?” asked Teeth with a smile.

“Yeah!” replied his little sister with a smile. The moment was cut short when Liam, Teeth’s other brother came running and hid behind him. They look to see what scares Liam and it was Xavier, Teeth’s little brother who was holding a full on rat.

Xavier is Flora’s twin brother. They were both six years old. He has ginger hair with brown fluffy eyebrows like their father. His nose was pink like his sisters’ noses. He had a shitty grin on his face as he tried to get Liam to scream like a girl. “How the hell did he catch a rat?” Junior asked himself.

“Xavier! Stop!” whimper Laim as he hides behind the doc. He had long dark brown hair that was put in a ponytail, also brown fluffy eyebrows like their father. He had an orange nose like the good doctor. People get confused between Liam and Gerald because they look like clones of each other except for their heights. Their father was the tallest one out of their family.

“Xavier! Leave Liam alone!” hissed Luna as she picked up the small boy with her free hand. She groans as their little brother starts to throw a tantrum.

“We’re going to catch up with mama and daddy” she said to Teeth before leaving.

“Thank you” said Liam to Junior.

“Of course, no problem,” he replied with a chuckle.

“See you” he said before following their other siblings.

After they leave, Teeth suddenly hears a guitar strumming nearby. He looks over to see Floyd who look so different now, on a bench. He was playing his guitar.

The red haired male had a full mustache that he has in the present. He isn’t wearing any glasses. Floyd Pepper was wearing a green army jacket with a gray t-shirt under it. Also had some blue jeans on with some brown boots. The red haired male had his long red hair in a ponytail like Liam and was wearing a dark green hat.

Floyd was vocalizing as the good doctor walked over. He suddenly stopped while he noticed Teeth. “Oh! Hey there! I know you. Future Doctor Man, right?” said the red haired male. Junior looked around before he realized he was talking to him. “Or should I say, Present Doctor Man? Remember me from the music shop?” asked Floyd Pepper with a smile.

“Oh, yeah” replied Teeth. “I barely recognize you with the mustache and no glasses,” he added.

“Yeah, well, I grew them out and threw them out,” replied Floyd. The ginger haired male chuckles.

“Do I walk into walls sometimes? You bet” he added with a chuckle.

“But now, I just let the music be my guide,” said the red haired male.

“Well, I salute that, Sarge.” replied Junior.

“Actually, I got dishonorably discharged from West Point for turning Taps into a jazz odyssey.” replied Floyd. They both laugh.

“And now I’m just following my dreams. Kinda like you?” he added.

“Yeah. Yeah, I suppose so” replied the doc.

“Yeah” replied the red haired male. He mess up a note on the guitar which causes the note to be discordant.

“I still can’t get the hang of that last string” said Floyd Pepper.

“Say, have you ever thought about playing the bass guitar?” asked the ginger haired male.

“Mmm. Less strings, less fingers. You are smart, Doc” replied Floyd with a soft smile. They both chuckle.

“Hey, that reminds me. I’ve been holding on to something for you” he added as he reached to get something out of his guitar case. It was the harmonica that Teeth played at the music shop when he was 16. The good doctor’s eyes got wide. He couldn’t believe that he kept it for him.

“Here you go” said Floyd as he held it out to the other male.

“Come on!” replied Junior in shock. “I can’t believe you have that” he added as he gently take the harmonica from the red haired male.

“Well, I always wanted to thank you for that bridge you gave me,” replied Floyd Pepper.

“You know…” he started to say before he played it. “How about taking it for another spin?” asked the red haired male with a smile on his face.

“Oh, no, thanks. No, no, I’m no musician. I don’t even know how to…” Junior started to say before he started playing the harmonica.

“That’s it,” said Floyd. Teeth chuckles. “Come on, now” added the red haired male.

Suddenly, the sound of the Molar Express’s horn filled the air. Teeth’s parents were back with the bus. Teeth’s siblings look at their brother who was with Floyd Pepper. Luna couldn't believe her brother was that good at music.

“All aboard, Junior” said Tina as she opened the door to the express. Junior stops and looks at his mother in fear. She gasped when she saw the red haired male again.

“Are you fraternizing with that music hooligan again?” asked the ginger haired female with venom in her tone.

“Well, your father won’t allow it. Ain’t that right, Gerald?” she added.

“Yep” replied Gerald.

Teeth look at the solid gold floss case then the harmonica. He hands the harmonica back to Floyd. “Thanks again, but you best keep that. And good luck with your dream, Sarge” said Junior.

“You, too, Doc. You, too” replied Floyd.

The flash back ends, Teeth’s fingers move quickly across the keyboard. He was playing frenetically. “Nothing like a fantabulous little flashback to get those fingerlings aflying!” said the doc. “Whoo!” he added.

“Whoo is right!” replied Nora with a smile. “Does it mean this whole process is done?” she asked.

“No, no,” replied Janice. “This is just, like, his phase of manic prosperity” she added.

“You know what? I’ll take it” replied the black haired female. “I mean, look at him go!” Label Lady added.

“Moog, please tell me” she started to say before he cut her off.

“Recording every note” replied Moog.

“Dude, I could kiss you right now,” she replied. The black haired male blushes.

“Yeah, I’m just doing my job,” he replied.

“Nora,” said Animal.

“Oh!” replied Moog. “Yep” he replied.

“We all know you dig Nora” said the black haired male. The drummer was breathing heavily. He slowly put his hand on Moog’s chest.

“Nora” replied the wild man.

“Oh, wow. Your hand on my heart now” replied Moog in a nervous tone.

“Nora,” replied Animal.

“Okay” the black haired male replied.

“Hey, look, I got work to do here, buddy. All right? So maybe no more Nora-ing?” he added.

“Okay” replied the drummer before leaving.

“All right,” he replied with some nervous chuckles. The wild man start repeating “Nora” over and over again.

#the muppets #dr teeth and the electric mayhem #dr teeth #weremayhemau #lips muppet #muppet mayhem #zoot muppet #floyd pepper #animal muppet #tina teeth #janice muppets #The Teeth Siblings #gerald teeth #moog muppet mayhem #nora singh

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hani-at-cu · 6 months

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Michael Jackson: A Life in Ten Pictures (ESSAY)

Michael Jackson’s rise to becoming the world’s most recognisable pop idol began at the humble age of eight, when Jackson was set to be the lead vocalist of a familial band of brothers known as the Jackson 5. This band compromised of the five brothers after being musically coached by their father Joe Jackson and became a popular band amongst locals performing at children’s shows and Roosevelt High School, to later to be recognised for their accomplishments with awards and their first press. Most of their revenue came about performing within nightclubs. They begin to ease into the profession as the scale of their performances grew, and they were finally recognised to audition for Berry Gordy for their signage into Motown Records. (LLC, 2023)

Michael Jackson’s first solo release is often described as his way of identifying himself as a professional male vocalist; “Got To Be There”, it’s release in 1972 gave an opportunity for Jackson to separate himself from his five brothers as a musician (Intosh, 2022). There was a sense of intentional musical direction from Jackson with the overseeing and nourishment of his mother and father. The track list had confident covers like Bill Withers’ ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ and Carole King’s ‘You Got a Friend in Me’ as well are originals inspired by Diana Ross. His song ‘Maria (You Are the Only One)’ is on the topic of an old man seeking for his past lover, embellishing some of Jackson’s sadness and showing his maturity for his music to come. (Intosh, 2022)

'Off the Wall’ subsequently is often referred to as Jackson’s first solo album despite being his fifth studio release, as he signed to Epic Records in 1975, becoming his first rendition of his song writing and collaboration with his chosen producer being Quincy Jones. Jackson had expressed a distaste for the Vegas style shows and costumes while working within Jackson 5, Motown records and under his father unwavering discipline, ‘Off the Wall’ is recognised to be the liberation of Michael Jackson. (Dombal, 2016) With this album he expressed to the world that his goal was exceptionalism, ‘I will be magic. I will be a perfectionist.’ (Dombal, 2016) This album captured his desire to defy expectations in a natural and posed manner.

Upon its release in 1982, ‘Thriller’ is the album that formed Jackson’s position as an icon in the global world. It remains as the most successful album of all time, selling over one hundred million certified copies worldwide. (Ewing, 2008) Continuing his collaboration with Quincy Jones, they collectively produced an album that broke through even racial tensions. Jackson had created an album that could be enjoyed by all and carefully formulated the choreography and visuals with his album to be equally as significant. Due to its pleasing nature, ‘Thriller’ as an album has many troughs and ploughs with a lack of overall climax. (Ewing, 2008)

Another one of Jackson’s most iconic moments in history is his popularisation of the moonwalk, a dance originated from breakdancing and hip-hop techniques known as ‘popping and locking’ from the late 70s. (Childs, 2021) Jackson’s meticulous nature ensured that his performance was one to remember and last the decades to follow, in which it continued to inspire other young artists. The origins of the dance itself had variations found in prior decades, for example 50s tap dancing and 30s being called ‘the buzz’ or the ‘backslide’. There have also been instances of these variations being performed by other musicians such as James Brown. (Childs, 2021) It’s been thought that Jackson was taught these variations, where Jackson later formed his own rendition of the moonwalk alongside the pop-and-lock style.

Jackson received many awards in his career; his largest achievement where he became the first artist to win eight GRAMMY Awards in one year (GRAMMYs, 2017). Jackson was also awarded by President Ronald Reagan for the philanthropic efforts to dispel drunk driving across the United States, by campaigning with one of his highest-ranking songs, ‘Beat it’ towards the teenagers of America. This event sparked attention of President Reagan: ‘Jackson was at the height of his popularity, and the Reagan administration was engaged in its War on Drugs.’ (Ahner, 2022) The public and the administration assumption of the substance free lifestyle Jackson proposed would continue to become more questionable into the late 80s (Ahner, 2022).

In 1991, Jackson released one of his most controversial songs, “Black or White”. The song was features on Jackson’s eight studio album ‘Dangerous’ and quickly topped the charts over 20 countries (Valencia, 2023). The song addresses important issues surrounding race and racial identity, promotes unity, and encourages embracing our shared humanity. The song’s innovative music video featured ground-breaking visual effects and an all-star cast, and became an instant classic, which helped to establish Jackson as a true pioneer in the world of music (Valencia, 2023). Despite its release being more than thirty years ago, the song’s message of unity and acceptance still holds relevance – making it one of the most important pop songs of all time.

In 1993, Jackson’s agreed to appear on his most televised and controversial interview yet with show-host Oprah, in which he shared his reflection of his childhood trauma from being introduced into the industry so early on (Winfrey, 2009). The stark honesty and candid nature of the interview lead the conversation to the rumours around the whitening of his skin, in which he debunked any claims of skin bleaching with the medical condition vitiligo and covered any blotches with makeup. People have refuted his claim without any evidence from Jackson himself (Davis, 2014). ‘…He had absolutely no pigmentation in his skin – you are looking at his veins...’ a testimony from Oprah in her own reflection of her interview with Jackson (Winfrey, 2009).

Thirteen years ago, ‘Jackson sparked outrage when he appeared to dangle his baby son ‘Blanket’ over his hotel balcony in front of photographers in 2002…’ (Pocklington, 2015) At the time of the incident, his son was only nine months old. Jackson later apologised for the occurrence: ‘I offer no excuses for what happened. I got caught up in the excitement of the moment.’ In his interview with Oprah a few years prior, he had claimed his lack of childhood impact his outward work in amusement parks and few believe this incident came because of his previous trauma. (Winfrey, 2009)

In the afternoon of June 25th, 2009, Michael Jackson had died of apparent cardiac arrest in Los Angeles at the age of 50 (Grad, 2019). The Los Angeles County coroner’s office completes an autopsy on Jackson’s body and found the anaesthetic propofol and sedatives in Jackson’s system, creating a lethal mix. Jackson’s dead is ruled a homicide. Despite the worst kinds of allegations against him, his extravagances and his perceived narcissism (Grad, 2019) – the world still respected Michael Jackson for the music he made for more than four decades.

Bibliography

Ahner, L. (2022, June 17). Presidents and Celebrities: Ronald Reagan and Michael Jackson. Retrieved from Presidential Geeks Journal: https://potus-geeks.livejournal.com/1452721.html

Childs, J. (2021, September 23). The First Time Michael Jackson Moonwalked On Stage, The World Lost Its Mind. Retrieved from Ranker: https://www.ranker.com/list/the-first-time-michael-jackson-did-the-moonwalk/jesse-childs

Davis, L. (2014, June 25). VIDEO: Michael Jackson & Oprah Interview Outtakes (1993). Retrieved from SampleFace: https://sampleface.co.uk/michael-jackson-oprah-interview-outtakes-1993/

Dombal, R. (2016, February 24). Off the Wall. Retrieved from Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21548-off-the-wall/

Ewing, T. (2008, February 15). Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition. Retrieved from Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11163-thriller-25th-anniversary-edition/

Grad, S. (2019, June 25). Michael Jackson's Final Day: A sleepless night, dangerous drugs and a death that shook the world. Retrieved from Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-michael-jackson-death-anniversary-20190625-story.html

GRAMMYs, T. (2017, May 15). Remembering Michael Jackson's Record-Setting Music Career. Retrieved from GRAMMY Awards: https://www.grammy.com/news/michael-jackson-a-record-setter

Intosh, D. (2022, January 22). Michael Jackson’s Debut Solo Album ‘Got To Be There’ Turns 50 | Anniversary Retrospective. Retrieved from Albumism: https://albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-50-years-of-michael-jackson-debut-solo-album-got-to-be-there

LLC, J. E. (2023, January 1). History 60-60 of The Jacksons. Retrieved from thejacksons.com: https://www.thejacksons.com/history/the-jacksons-5-60-68/

Pocklington, R. (2015, June 10). Michael Jackson's son Blanket all grown up: See famous baby the singer dangled over balcony now. Retrieved from The Mirror : https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/michael-jacksons-son-blanket-grown-5859090

Valencia, M. (2023, October 12). The Meaning Behind The Song: Black Or White by Michael Jackson. Retrieved from OldTimeMusic: https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-black-or-white-by-michael-jackson/

Winfrey, O. (2009, September 16). The Michael Jackson Interview: Oprah Reflects . Retrieved from Oprah.com: https://www.oprah.com/entertainment/oprah-reflects-on-her-interview-with-michael-jackson/all

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mdr-writings · 2 years

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Just for you

eren x fem-reader

Genre: modern au , cottage core, fwb - fwb to lovers

Series Warnings: cheating, drug use, barn sex, bath sex, oral ( male and fem receiving), breeding kink, fingering, drowning, descriptive injury, explicit language

Chapter Warning: none

chp1

word count: 1,182

Chapter 2

Thursday ~ 5:19 pm ~

After your departure from the group and Eren’s brief pop up at your house to drop off your car. Thank god, the backyard door was still unlocked from yesterday’s star gazing with your parents . It would have been twice as embarrassing waiting for eren to hand you your keys to go inside. As soon as you got into the house, you did what every good child would do to make sure you wouldn't get a lecture from your parents, chores. You scrubbed and washed every utensil, plate, and pot that was insight, making sure there wasn’t an evidence of yesterday’s leftovers on them. After the dishes, you swept and mopped the kitchen floor till you could see your own reflection looking back at you. You were indeed a “good child” for sure. Yeah you were still living with your parents, rent is free as long as you went to college for a “ greater future”. It’s better than being up 4 in the morning, yacking your hair in frustration on how you were gonna pay your bills.

You decide to head up into your room to start packing your clothes for a week long stay. You being excited was a understatement, as you were internally bouncing off the walls of your mind. You were already imagining the stay at the farm. Running in the green meadows, swimming in the clear rivers, playing with the baby calfs and foals.

Joy rushed through your body as you approached your room. you twist the door knob to room and pushed open the door. You lazily chucked you phone onto your bed. Then, you ran to your closet and scavenged through it until you pulled out your suit case. That suit case was a good decade old. From what you remembered, you had it for years, it was spotless like you just had bought it fresh out of Macy’s. You then began to walk over to your dresser-

~BUZZ~ ~BUZZ~ ~BUZZ~

You rolled your eyes at your phone began to vibrate 3 times.

You walked to side of you bed to reach over to grab your phone. Tapping the front of your screen, you see a text form Mikasa.

Mi Casa 🏠👩‍❤️‍👩 5:57 PM

[We need to talk ] 15 sec ago

[asap ] 17 sec ago

[join the call NOW] 25 sec ago

“Ugh”, you groaned as you opened up the imessage icon. You hop on the top of your soft sheets. You then clicked on the group chat messages and pressed join call.

“hell-

“Y/N!” ,everyone on the call yelled through the phone. You moved the away from your face as irritation pulsed through your veins. “What did I do now”, you asked as if you were being scolded by your elders.

“Y/n you know you cant run off and not give us details about where we’re going”, jean stated. Okay, you might have gotten a bit too excited about the trip and left out important details.

“Yeah, not cool”, connie adds. “shush baldie”, Eren ordered. Connie pouts while putting himself out of the camera’s view.

“Anyways”, Mikasa starts, “Y/n, you need to fill us in on who’s farm it is, where it’s at and et cetera.

“Alright”, you sighed, ” so it’s my grandparents farm”.

Yes indeed, your grandparents were certified country back folks. They worked hard for their land. They started small from the corner store job they had, actually that's where they met. Your grandmother was working the family corner store as she was filling in for your great-grandfather’s place. The time seem to go slow, not as much customers were flowing in. It wasn’t until she began to nod off with her head in her hand , a ding ranged around the store. A handsome yet dirt stained- clothed man waltz into the store. Your grandmother jolted her back straight and gently brushed imaginary dust off of her clothes. Then the eyes of your grandmother and soon to be grandfather locked. You remembered him telling you he went in for one item and ended up staying in the store until it closed talking your grandmother’s ear off. Ever since that day, he went back to the store to speak to her daily.

Eventually your great grandfather saw how much your grandfather came into the store, he assumed he wanted a job. So, he hired him right away. Of course this gave your grandfather a upper hand to woo your grandmother when no other being was around. From those days on forward, they fell deeply in love and the rest is history.

You only wish to find a love as true and strong as your grandparents. You told yourself in time will do, but you could only tell yourself that for so long.

“Y/N”, the group yelled as they snapped you out of your silent trance.

“Sorry!”, you frantically apologized, you refocus your attention to your phone again. “ Yeah, so, it’s about a good 3 hour drive away from here”, you continued.

“THREE HOURS?”, Sasha shouted in shock. She groaned as she dropped her phone on her bed. “ Stop being a big baby Sasha’’ Jean scolded her. “How long did you honestly expect it to be if it’s a farm were going to ?”

“I don’t know, but not 3 flipping hours”, she cried while running her hands across her face.

“Honestly”, Armin interrupted her protest, “ I think this is a great opportunity to get away from everything”. “I also assume there wont be great or even any service at all ?”, Armin questioned.

“You’re correct”, you responded. More groans erupted from your phone. “But at least, we’ll have electricity?”, you assured.

“Will we have ac or a refrigerator”, Eren asked.

“Ac, no, refrigerator, yes, you answer.

He nods his head in understanding. Eren wasn’t opposed to this trip, he also liked the idea of “getting away”. It would just mean, more quality time with the friend group.

“Oh! and I almost forgot to tell you guys,we will have to tend to the animals”, you look over everyone’s face to your announcement.

Sasha’s face light up, “Jean we’ll finally get to see the rest of your family”, she says while laughing through her joke.

The group burst into laughter, while jean frowns. His lip quirks up slowing into a smile and soon into a laugh. “You got me”, Jean chuckles through his words.

You smile gently at the group. Moments like this made your body grow warm. “ So”, you spoke up, “everyone is okay with the trip right?”.

“Yes”

“Yup”

“I’m A-Okay”

“Pretty much”

“It’s a yes for me”

“I’m literally packing right now”, everyone responded.

You quickly wanted to conclude with the topic of trip because you could feel your insides combust with exhilaration.” Alright, so it’s set, we’ll meet at my house at two pm on Saturday”, you beamed brightly at the group.

You swiftly exited the call, falling back into the cushions of your pillows. Ignoring the constant buzzing of of your phone, you smile sheepishly into your ceiling.

#eren #eren x reader #eren jeager x reader #eren yaeger x reader #aot x reader #eren jeagar #eren yeager #eren yeager x reader #eren x you #eren x y/n #eren jaeger x reader

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bigbraincel · 2 years

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this is a weird mix of old drama and meta, so if you want to skip the preamble, go to the text under the heading ‘love vs conquest’. the drama: ok so this speculative post about book!daenerys’ fate ended up being way more controversial than i ever expected. i was pretty blindsided by the response. the only reason i made it in the first place is because it was massive cope for the prospect that book!daenerys might end up getting killed off at the end. i got kind of cowed into believing this ending was an inevitability since i had received nothing but sneering derision from reddit bros for even suggesting daenerys might have a different course in the books and live. plus GRRM himself has said the general plot points are the same. etherealdany went on to accuse me of being a biased sansa stan, then even weirder, accused me of shipping sansa/daenerys in order to hide my bias & true “hatred” for daenerys or something. i don't even actively ship them, i just rb’d cute art of them once 🤷‍♀️

anyway, it was pretty much cope, because i thought the idea of dany dying heroically on her own terms to save the fucking world was a lot more palatable than her “going crazy” and getting murdered by her lover. don’t get me wrong, i understand how insulting that is. there’s still the problem of yet another female character dying for Man Pain(tm), the major protagonist of the series no less, but again... i was kinda just trying to come to terms with an ending i really don’t want and see if i could find anything salvageable in it. upon reflection, i shouldn’t accept something just because i became convinced it was inevitable. i still think etherealdany really overreacted and it’s wild that people defended them. imo, even if you think i had a garbage idea, you don’t have to insult my intelligence because of it or search for imaginary resentment i’m apparently harbouring over a fictional character. now, yeah, obviously asoiaf is known as a series where plenty of major characters die, none of them are safe etc. so the idea of her dying isn’t out of the question. but beyond loving daenerys as a character, my main reason for not wanting this ending for dany is fairly simple! it would be narratively unsatisfying -- and not in a good way. let me get into why. love vs conquest imo, the classic “want vs need” conflict for daenerys is her desire for the throne vs her need for love. she wants the throne because she’s been fed stories about targ supremacy/westeros by viserys, but what she really needs is what she’s been lacking her entire life precisely because of viserys’ dream: she needs to be nurtured and loved. despite what the show writers thought, dany doesn’t just want obedience. there’s a reason book!daenerys genuinely tries to make her betrothal & marriage to hizdahr work, while show!daenerys intimidates him by burning men alive in front of him, then only agrees to marry him after he's begged and pleaded on his knees for mercy. at the time, i think the show writers wanted to make this a certified Girl Boss moment because daenerys trying her hardest to be diplomatic just isn’t cool enough (lol), but they later covered their asses by pretending it was foreshadowing, actually, for her eventual ‘madness’. book!daenerys constantly laments how the people around her love her as a queen, not as daenerys. which........... come to think of it, is strikingly similar to sansa’s lamentation she may never find true love..................... they should kiss (joke). she repeatedly draws a clear distinction between the impersonal love of a ruler versus the romantic, passionate love she craves. hell, even after ser jorah forces a kiss on her, she blames herself for not wanting it and tries real hard to think of him as a potential lover. this obviously says a lot about the social dynamics of the world they live in, but i think it also speaks to her deep loneliness. ser barristan loves daenerys as a knight loves his queen, irri has sex with her because it’s what daenerys wants, and daario probably just wants her for her crown. even if his love is true, it’s telling that one of her biggest fears is that it may not be. and in my opinion drogo “loved” her mainly because she would bear the stallion that mounts the world & daenerys understandably has rose tinted glasses on when it comes to their relationship. book!daenerys’ fate: short story is: i think defeating the others will come after the destruction of king’s landing -- the destruction of which will be caused by the mad queen. except “the mad queen” isn’t daenerys, it’s cersei. joncon will also 100000% have a hand in this (and i have thoughts on how this will happen but to stop this from becoming an asoiaf-length post i’m gonna stay vague). so i believe daenerys will unintentionally destroy king’s landing, and in doing so, realise that conquest...... isn’t really... worth it. i think that dovetails pretty nicely with GRRM’s general views & his dramatically ironic twists. of course, her want vs need conflict could still align with the idea i wrote in my original post; daenerys could hear of the nissa nissa prophecy and sacrifice herself with longclaw, ignoring jon’s heartbroken protests, and turn longclaw into lightbringer. then she would die with the knowledge that someone finally truly and honestly loves her for her. tragic and sentimental af, which is in keeping with GRRM’s style.

but even if it happened in a less shitty way than the show, that doesn’t make it any less shitty. how about this instead: if daenerys finds love, realises it’s worth more to her than the throne, and is forever changed by this realisation, wouldn’t it be far more meaningful if she got to live with this drastic change? daenerys being nissa nissa’d would be akin to killing off jaime pretty soon after he had his hand cut off. like, sure, it’s not unthinkable, but wasn’t it a lot more narratively satisfying to read the way this event shook jaime to his core and transformed the trajectory of his life? or maybe a more apt comparison is sandor clegane. as far as we know, the hound is dead and his story is over. but the heavy implication george gives us is that sandor lives and finds peace in the quiet isles after the hound dies. and that’s... far more interesting to me?? the great thing is, it might not even be a stretch to say this will happen. as etherealdany helpfully pointed out, it could be argued that daenerys has already fulfilled the nissa nissa prophecy and lightbringer is drogon. this is a really cool idea and LORD i hope it happens. ultimately, i do still think her story will end in a bittersweet way with her riding off into the sunset on drogon’s back, all while being reviled as “the mad queen” by the masses. which, incidentally, would be a super interesting meta commentary on what the show writers did to her legacy & how people react to powerful women generally. but is george based enough to pull this off? who the fuck knows. i certainly hope so, but i’m not holding my breath.

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thesweatycollectiontyrant · 2 years

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Anna Karenina

The show that I’ve always wanted to listen to because of its amount of legit repertoire, but have never had the time to. Now is the time.

It's been two and a half years since I went through a show this way. I graduated from college a week ago tomorrow, and I am finding time to do my favorite things again. It's been such a fun time reflecting on my time at university. I'm grateful.

Background Info

Anna Karenina ran at Circle in the Square in the early 1990s. It wasn’t largely successful from what I understand. It is based on the Tolstoy novel of the same name. There was no cast recording for the musical until 2007, when an absolutely crazytown (my favorite term for TALENTED) group of people recorded it for posterity! Wait until you hear these names.

Writers

Music for Anna Karenina was written by Daniel Levine, who received a Tony nomination for Best Original Score for his work on the show. Peter Kellogg wrote the book and the lyrics.

I’ve been through hell and high waters trying to get a legible and complete score for this show, so we shall see how this goes.

Character List

COUNT ALEXIS VRONSKY (Baritone) - Anna's lover, a cavalry officer.

ANNA KARENINA (Soprano) - Oblonsky's sister, Karenin's wife, and Vronsky's lover. A woman who is unhappy in her marriage and searching for fulfillment in her own way.

CONSTANTIN LEVIN (Tenor) - Kitty's suitor, Stiva's old friend, certified nervous wreck.

PRINCE STEVEN OBLONSKY (Baritone) - Civil servant, Anna's brother, and man about town.

PRINCESS KITTY SCHERBATSKY (Mezzo-Soprano) - Sister-in-law to Oblonsky, pursued by Levin. Bubbly and fun.

NICOLAI KARENIN (Bass) - Senior statesman and Anna's husband, twenty years her senior.

Who’s Singing?

As I mentioned above, there was a studio cast recording that happened in 2007. It has an all-star cast, including Brian d’Arcy James as Vronsky, Melissa Errico as Anna, Gregg Edelman as Levin, Marc Kudisch as Oblonsky, Kerry Butler as Kitty, and Jeff McCarthy as Karenin. This is such a group of amazing singers and actors, especially the four men. I’m very excited to dig into this show.

Let’s Do This

In the cast album, we begin with “Journey to Moscow.” The interweaving eighth notes remind me of Anastasia. The 3+3+2 accent pattern begins as the ensemble and principals begin to sing about being on the train and all of their personal problems that will be fixed by being on the train…? I love that each of the principals get a little moment of solo line throughout. Not the most dramatically exciting opening number, but the rhythmic pulse in the music does a good job compensating for it. I do love the end, especially the piano swell.

Anna and Oblonsky sing a duet called “There’s More to Life Than Love,” filled with witty conversation. Anna is trying to tell Oblonsky that there is more to life than love (as if you didn’t get that from the title) and she is telling him this by bringing up other topics, hobbies, and humanities, however for everything she brings up, he counteracts with its connection to love. It’s written as a waltz. Marc Kudisch does such a fun job of coloring all of his comebacks. I love how Melissa Errico so casually throws her soprano up into the stratosphere out of nowhere. I especially love the very end where you think it’s going to be a big finish, but Oblonsky so quickly and quietly spits out the last lines, saying “But who cares?”

Kerry Butler enters the picture as Kitty with her solo “How Awful.” As she always is, she is earnest and hilarious. This is a fun range-y song for a mixer looking for something that is funny, but not well known. The beats are fun to play, the melody is challenging and fun to sing as well. Kerry Butler sings the role with a lot of charm.

“Would You” introduces us to Levin, who when asked how long he’d be in Moscow replies with a marriage proposal. I am beyond utterly obsessed with this song. The energy is so exciting, and the odd time signature makes it all feel a little disjunct and scared and anxious and excited. Lovely singing from Gregg Edelman!

There’s a conversation piece (Wonderful Town, anyone?) number for Kitty, Anna, Levin and Vronsky called “In a Room.” They sing individually, voicing their thoughts while the others chatter (perhaps?) I was more focused on following along in the music because the copy I have has the song, but it may as well be a completely different piece by a completely different composer for a completely different musical. It’s cute. Not very memorable.

Anna has her first solo with “Nothing Has Changed.” She lists the things she finds similar compared to the last time she was here. Levine’s harmony in this song is really remarkable. There is a constant churning with both the mode used for this piece, and also the extra notes in the chords. The suspensions added to the root position chords are impossible to miss. This song is really stunning musically. Dramatically, it’s one of those songs that tries to make something bigger out of ending exactly where the character began. Oops.

In “I Shall Work,” Levin sings about how he will become a learned man in order to ignore the romantic feelings he has for Kitty. The song reminds me a bit of Henrik from A Little Night Music. It’s got a solid high note at the end too.

“How Many Men” is where Kitty wonders how many romantic trysts she’ll have to go on before she can meet “the one.” Kerry Butler takes every opportunity to make this fun, and she succeeds. In a waltz, she allows the melody and music to accompany the dramatics of the song. This is a great audition song that no one does!

In his first solo “We Were Dancing,” Vronsky sings, presumably to Anna, as they dance. Another solo that I don’t have music for, but it’s beautiful. It reminds me of Anastasia yet again. Brian d’Arcy James keeps the material interesting.

Jeff McCarthy, everyone’s favorite officer (Lockstock) comes in as Karenin. His solo “Karenin’s List” begins with a fiery recitative. He jumps into the song proper and plots what he will say to his wife. The melody twists and turns around the scale as he maneuvers his brain through the possibilities of what to do here. McCarthy has always had a sort of operatic sound to his voice. It never ceases to amaze me. His sound has always been so remarkable for every show he’s been in. So many of these songs would work so well in an audition setting. It reminds me of She Loves Me because of the amount of solos!

Anna has another solo called “I’m Lost.” She realizes where she is in her relationship with her husband and where she is in her relationship with Vronsky. A woman discontented, she sings to herself “on the way home” according to Wikipedia. Not a big fan of the lyric “So lost, and I don’t even want to be found!” It’s giving the reaction that 8-year-olds have when they hear “you’re grounded give me your phone and go to your room” instead of “Isn’t it rich? Are we a pair?”

In the Act I Finale, “Waiting for You,” Anna and Vronsky finally have a love duet. This music is soul-stirring, and beautifully lush. Perhaps the music didn’t work its charm until the two lovers were able to embrace their love for each other. Oops. Again. Stunning vocal performances from both Errico and d’Arcy James.

Act II starts with “This Can’t Go On.” It is an operatic trio between Anna, Vronsky, and Karenin where the three individually lament their situations. Anna asks Karenin for a divorce and reveals that she is pregnant. The harmony swells and surges. It reminds me of the “Storm” from The Secret Garden. The stakes are HIGH at the top of Act II, people! At least no one’s singing about a train anymore.

It seems that Levin’s heart has been broken in “That Will Serve Her Right.” Rather than feeling bad, he feels rage - makes for a much more interesting song. Edelman does a good job as he reprises his role from Broadway fifteen years prior. The resolution is so apparent in his voice!

Anna and Vronsky sing a duet called “Everything’s Fine.” I’m thinking about the structure of the story and I don’t see how many of these songs function in the narrative. I hunted for a script, but I couldn’t find one. Both Errico and d’Arcy James sound incredible on this music.

Anna and Kitty have their duet with “I Never Dreamed” where they both look forward to marriage, Kitty with Levin and Anna with Vronsky.

Karenin gets the eleven o’clock slot with “Only at Night.” He sings that he misses Anna, but only at night. There’s an incredible bridge here that could work so well in a cut. McCarthy is simply masterful. In this role, it reminds me of when he was in Side Show as Terry Connor.

As she denies her son, realizing that he is better off without her, Anna goes to railroad tracks and stands in front of a train in “Seryozha.” It is a hauntingly beautiful finale into a lovely “Epilogue.”

Audition Songs

There are so many solos in this show!

“How Awful” - Princess Kitty Scherbatsky, C4-F5

There is a fun, tantrum-like energy to this song. It would work for younger roles really well.

“Would You?” - Constantin Levin, C3-B4

This song is perfect for a role like Laurie from Little Women. There’s such an excited and nervous energy here. It bubbles through the accompaniment and the irregular time, and it is a fun challenge in musicianship and acting.

“Nothing Has Changed” - Anna Karenina, G3-D5

This song has a lot of beauty musically. The only problem is that, just like the title, nothing changes. It is up to the actor to choose a good and interesting cut because the music is really incredible.

“I Shall Work” - Constantin Levin, D3-B4

This time, the B is not sustained, but it is full voice. The A right beneath it is sustained right before it! This one seems like a lot of fun to act and sing. Complete devotion to someone. There are a few roles that this would be really good for. I said earlier that this reminds me of Henrik in A Little Night Music. Certainly, use it for that.

“How Many Men” - Princess Kitty Scherbatsky, A3-G5

This song has Kristin Chenoweth’s style written all over it, especially the early roles of her career. Glinda, Sally, Precious, all of them! Put it in your books!

“Karenin’s List” - Nicolai Karenin, A#2-F4

Great for a bass-baritone. There are moments of patter, but it isn’t frenzied - it is metered, it is precise, and it is premeditated. The F isn’t sustained, just tapped a couple of times.

“That Will Serve Her Right” - Constantin Levin, G2-E4

The music I have has the range listed above. The version that Gregg Edelman sings on the studio cast recording is very different. The pitches, rhythms, and many lyrics are changed.

“Only At Night” - Nicolai Karenin, Bb2-Eb4

This song is hauntingly beautiful. It lingers. The key that Jeff McCarthy sings it in is lower than the music I have.

To Wrap It Up

I didn’t see this show as one that would astound me. It didn’t flop, but it didn’t remain particularly noteworthy after its closing. Another sign is that there is no way to license the show. The good thing is that there is a lot of really good material for singers who want to explore more of a legit sound in their singing. I really like the role of Levin!

Thanks for reading!

#anna karenina #broadway musical #broadway #musical #musical theatre #marc kudisch #melissa errico #kerry butler #gregg edelman #jeff mccarthy #brian d'arcy james #anna #karenina #tolstoy #rose #flop #broadway flop

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how-to-do-it-better · 1 month

Text

The Blowjob Guild's Handbook

A textbook For the Art of fellatio.

By Bee cee. Listen to the podcast at How To Sex.

The old world of centuries past, had a trusted process of passing on skills from one generation to the next. Apprenticeships were an effective way to learn through practice. The concept is still used in many trades, But today it also incorporates testing and demonstrations of skills acquired, in order to be certified by an oversight guild or trade association.

We’re instituting this same concept of mastery, to help lovers assess their progress in the art of erotic coupling.

Youthful pledges enter apprenticeships where they learn fundamental skills and benefit from supervised practice.

When they show consistent aptitude of the fundamentals, The guild certifies them as journeymen.

They continue to develop their artistry, until they attain the level of Master, where they are trusted to properly mentor others.

Only the most highly talented and very experienced, will ever be regarded as a grandmaster.

The Apprentice

Many women have only a basic idea of how to give a man a good blow job. Most seem to think that by closing their mouth around a man’s cock and bobbing their head lustily up and down as fast as they can until he shoots his load constitutes a good blow job.

This is true to a point and all well and good for a quick blow job in the car or under the office desk when time is limited. If you want to bring him off quickly then this is an extremely satisfying way, but what does the man's cock really want?

You should preferably pick a time when you will not be disturbed in a reasonably lit area so that both you and he can see what's going on.

Overcome any shyness that you may have and let him see his cock disappear deep inside your mouth, observe and make a mental note of the responses from his cock and indeed the look of pleasure on his face that your tongue and lips are providing are the first steps to master.

For a typical guy, your lips around his ‘family jewels’ is the greatest visual expression of love & devotion. It dramatically impacts his arousal, emotionally, even more than physical.

Pull his foreskin down to reveal his corona and run the tip of your tongue around the base of it.

Close your mouth onto his cock and flick the underside of his corona with your tongue.

Talk to him, tell him his cock is wonderful and that you are not going to stop until he cums in your mouth.

Always stay in control and don't ask which part he likes best, find that out for yourself. Keep your tongue, mouth and hands active.

Cup his balls and gently scratch with your finger nails the area between his anus and balls.

If you are wary of the amount of cum he will produce, just as he is about to erupt, place your thumb and forefinger at the base of his cock and gently squeeze to restrict the flow.

The amount of cum a man produces is a good indication of how much he has enjoyed what you have done for him. Most men who have been stimulated in this way will produce copious amounts. Slow down and relax are the golden rules.

Every woman should also be aware of the most sensitive and sensual moment that a man's cock experiences.

Most mornings, men wake up with a hard on, referred to generally as piss proud. This moment is about two or three minutes after he has relieved himself; and is the ideal time to give him a sensual blow job.

What position should you be in?

Because of the structure of his cock, as well as the structure of your mouth, lips, tongue and teeth, you can provide the highest degree of sensation for yourself and your partner by kneeling between his legs with him either sat down or standing up and with your head tipped slightly back, approaching his cock from the bottom rather than from the side or top.

This will enable you to read the expressions on his face and observe how his cock is reacting to your stimulation.

Alternatively, lie on your back on the bed and position yourself so that your back is on a pillow or two, but your head is just beyond the pillow. Let your head drop to the mattress so you are able to take him deep.

Relax and make yourself as comfortable as possible and open your mouth ready to accept him.

He should approach you on his knees from above; and as soon as you have his cock in your mouth, take control of the situation by placing both of your hands on his buttocks. This will allow you to guide him in and out at your own pace and to stop him thrusting and gagging you.

His ball sack will likely straddle the bridge of your nose, so close your eyes and concentrate, as you direct his hips with your hands.

Types of Blow Jobs

There are three types:

· The Quickie, which we just outlined; for when there is not much time e.g. in the shop doorway on your way home from the pub, in the car or even in aunt Mabel's living room when she is making the tea.

· Pure sensual oral love making when you really want to do something special and you have plenty of time. We’re about to discuss that art, in great detail.

· Deep Throat which needs plenty of practice to be able to accommodate his cock fully down your throat and past your tonsils without choking you, discussed last in this episode.

Plan on improving your skills and expressions every new lovemaking event. If you’re perfect in your execution on the very first time, we probably don’t believe you.

If your performance is awkward and disrupted by clumsiness, just know that you’ll only get better as you apply yourself. Your man is more impressed by your devotion to his pleasure, than your prowess.

Take Initiative

The ‘journeywoman’

Lead him in to the bedroom, telling him that you have a very special surprise for him and that it will be something he will always remember. You will most probably have given your man a number of blow jobs before and will be quite comfortable to take his cum in your mouth and swallow it.

Also, know exactly which point of your stimulation brings him to his point of no return. Sit on the edge of the bed with him and reach over for a couple of pillows. Push him down on to his back and place the pillows under his head making sure that his head is tipped slightly forward so that he can observe everything you are doing.

Remove his trousers and underwear. Part his legs and approach his cock from below, with your mouth slightly open and your tongue licking your top and bottom lips until they are really wet.

Tell him that he is about to receive the best blow job of his life, and that he should just relax and let you take control of the situation.

He should already have at least a semi hard-on, at this stage; so take his cock in your hand and very slowly start to stroke him.

Bring your wet lips close to his cock and do full, long, slow hand strokes, so that the corona, or head; is extended.

Don't be shy. Encourage him to watch you loving on his cock!

Any man loves to see his cock disappear deep into a woman's mouth.

This will be one of the most erotic scenes either of you will ever experience. Occasionally, pause the downward stroke long enough to give the corona a long lick with your wet tongue.

Look up to see the response on his face each time your tongue touches different parts of his cock and let him see that you are wanting him to enjoy every minute of it.

Close your eyes down to a slit and make erotic facial gestures. No man can stay soft under these circumstances, especially in anticipation of what you have made clear that you are going to do for him next.

Anticipation and teasing are all part of giving tremendous oral sex; but don't spend too much time in this area or his cock may stop responding and could even go limp on you.

Once you have started to wank and lick his cock, it will obviously become very hard and swollen.

Gaze into his eyes lovingly and open your mouth fairly wide, then slowly take his cock as deep into your mouth as possible. Hold this moment for as long as you feel is right then very slowly pull back until his cock is just at the tip of your lips.

Pull down gently on his foreskin as far as you can to reveal his corona.

Gently lick under and around the rim of his corona, you will see by the expression on his face how much pleasure he is receiving from you.

Close your mouth onto his cock again keeping his foreskin pulled down with one hand and slowly feed it as deep into your mouth as possible, again slowly pull back off repeating this action several times.

After a self determined number of "sucks", pull off and lick his cock up, down and around to see which option gives him the most pleasure.

Let the tip of your tongue softly caress his "opening, at the very tip.

This is heavenly for most men. Talk to him and tell him what a lovely cock he has and that you will not stop until he has cum in your mouth.

With all this sucking and licking, his cock must be ready to explode by now.

You will certainly feel it pulsing and twitching, (and surely him groaning with pleasure).

He will probably tell you amid his groans of pleasure; that he is ready to cum but you should already have a good idea anyway.

He may instinctively try to push his cock further down your throat than you are comfortable with.

To keep the situation fully under your control, move both your hands up to his hands and place them on to his stomach, hold them there while you carry on sucking him at your own slow pace.

Now is the time to give your man the greatest pleasure of all, to take his cum in your mouth.

Keep his cock as deep into your mouth as you can, tilt your head back slightly and make eye contact whilst sucking nodding back and forth ever so slowly, your tongue swallowing or rubbing on the under side of his glans. until you feel his climax ripple through his body and up through his cock.

Just as his cum is about to erupt, hold your mouth and lips still, maintain eye contact and let him sense and feel his cum spraying inside your mouth.

Swallow as much as you can. Let him feel you swallowing it, but don't release the grip of your lips from his cock just yet.

Once his orgasm has subsided, let go of his hands and bring one of your hands round to the base of his cock and squeeze it gently between your thumb and fore finger in an upward motion (slightly wanking it into your mouth).

This will force most of the remaining cum up and out of his cock. When his cock has stopped pulsating in ecstasy; and he has relaxed, pull back very slowly making sure that his foreskin is still pulled down, then gently lick and suck any remaining cum into your mouth.

Place your thumb and forefinger at the base of his cock as before, gently squeeze and with an upward motion, milk his cock for any remaining cum, this will usually produce a small amount which you can dip your tongue into and swirl it around the head of his cock.

Let him see his cum on your tongue and in your mouth before you take his cock back into your mouth for a further self determined number of deep sucks.

This is the ultimate in sexual dreams that a man can have (at least until the next time); so make your man’s dreams come true.

Sensual Fellatio Arts

The mistress

Experience and practice are the only requirements needed to give a sensual blow job and provide a man with the highest degree of pleasure possible.

Try some variety. If the two of you are enjoying a movie night at home, You might want to take initiative on the sofa.

Get your man to sit on the edge of the sofa with his legs apart and Kneel in front of him.

If he’s more interested in the tv screen than you are, Just tell him to unbuckle and slide out of the pants, and shorts; so you can visit his manhood for a while. With your mouth fairly close and partly open, wank his cock ever so slowly, occasionally rubbing your thumb over the head.

Look into his eyes. Tease him by licking your lips (a wet warm mouth is very erotic).

It won't be long before you have a raging hard on in your hand; so turn your attention to a different area to take his mind off cumming too soon.

Cup his balls gently with your free hand and let your fingers explore the underside scratching lightly with your fingernails and paying particular attention to the area just before his anus. Gently pull down his foreskin to expose the full head of his cock. Close your mouth around the head and tease it with your tongue, still looking into his eyes and observing any reactions. Using your tongue, lick softly along the entire underside of his now throbbing cock.

As you suck and lick; you will learn those areas that give him the greatest pleasure when your tongue is touching them. Are you paying attention to his signals?

He should by now have provided you with several clues as to which areas are most pleasurable to him.

The most sensitive area for most men will be the ring (or corona) of the head. The underside of the cock head, called the glans penis

By continued licking and sucking around this area with your tongue you are going to bring forth a geyser.

If you are not skilled and you want to please him in a hurry I suggest that you get him off in this manner in order to become familiar at first hand with the nature and delight of his climax.

As he is approaching climax you will note changes in his cock. These signs will be the same every time he climaxes and you can learn how to react and prepare for his cum properly.

The head of his cock will swell somewhat larger than it is during the normal course of his erection. He may reflexively thrust his hips forward as he tries to shove his cock deeper into your mouth.

For most men, immediately prior to his cum, there will appear at the tip of his cock a clear drop or two of pre-cum. This isn’t urine. It’s not gross. When you see or taste his pre-cum you will know that he is ready to shoot his load.

By now you will have a very swollen throbbing cock in your mouth and will feel and sense the urgency in which he needs to shoot his load. His cock is probably deep red, or maybe slightly purple.

His cock and his whole body is now quivering and you can feel his cum emptying from his balls, up the length of his cock and spurting uncontrollably into your hot wet mouth. His balls will constrict up tightly against the base of his cock when his cum starts to flow.

Don't let him rush you. Take as much of his cock into your mouth as you can, and suck him up and down slowly keeping your lips fairly tight round his cock. Try to make eye contact just before he cums and let him see that you are enjoying this moment as much as he is.

He’ll never forget this moment of devotion.

A natural reaction at the point of ejaculation is to suck harder and faster, don't!

Just carry on slowly and when you feel the first spurt, almost stop, gazing into his eyes and let his cock as deep into your wrapped mouth as you can and hold still. Use your flat tongue to stroke under his shaft as your tight lips hold him wrapped in an oral hug.

Tilt your head slightly back so that he can see his raging cock buried deep in your mouth. Breathe only through your nostrils during this precious event.

Now just hold still and gently suck, let his cum flow over your tongue and down your throat.

You can swallow most of his cum directly at this stage without releasing the grip of your lips. His cock will spasm several times during orgasm and each spasm will produce a fair amount of cum.

The amount of cum your man produces is a general guide as to how much you have pleased him.

When his cock stops pumping, pull back very slowly, to wring out his spent cock; then take the head back into your mouth and gently suck the remaining cum into your mouth. Carry on licking gently around the head and occasionally, close your wet mouth over it until he stops spasming and jerking.

He will love the sensuality of your mouth caressing his cock, extending his orgasmic bliss for as long as possible.

This bliss only lasts about half a minute, for a guy. Females’ orgasms can last a good bit longer. So let his fully enjoy each precious second.

Becoming His Fellatio Artist

The Grandmistress

By understanding your anatomy you will begin to understand the requirements that will allow you to take the full length of your man’s hard cock into your mouth and all the way down your throat without choking you.

The biggest obstacle is the fact that there is a bend of almost eighty degrees behind your tongue leading down into your throat. So the first thing you need to do is get his cock past that angle without you gasping for breath and ruining the moment.

A relaxed and well-lubricated throat is essential. Warm sweet tea is a good thing to have sitting at the nightstand before you begin. Take a long drink before you get into position.

Now get in a position where you can tilt your head in such a way that your mouth and throat lie almost in a straight line. The best way to accomplish this position is to lie on your back on the bed with your head positioned just over the edge of a pillow, cushion, or mattress; and tipped sharply back.

This position will put your mouth and throat nearly in a line and will allow him to approach on his knees giving you full control over how much of his cock you can take.

You can then gently guide him in and out of your mouth at your own pace by grasping his buttocks and pulling & pushing him. Keep a firm grip on his cock with your lips and keep your tongue as straight as possible.

It is possible that not everyone will learn the "Deep Throat" technique until several sessions have been completed but this should not stop you from practicing. You must learn to allow your throat to relax completely and breathe through your nose instead of your mouth.

Pull his cock as deep into your throat as you comfortably can. To do this long enough for him to completely orgasm and cum down your throat is very difficult and may require practice beyond this one day alone.

It may be that you will be able to take his cock completely down your throat, but you will not be able to maintain a good grip with your mouth. If this is the situation, then pull, push and suck as deeply as you can until he is just about to erupt.

As his cum starts to pump in to your mouth, pull him past your tonsils and hold him still for as long as you can.

Next time you will know precisely what to expect and how to react. It is important for the first few times at least that you let him know that you must be in complete control of his cock in this situation because only you know how much you can comfortably take.

After several sessions on your deep throat skills; you will learn to relax and will feel more comfortable each time.

You will know precisely when he is about to cum; and how much of his cock you can take.

If you are feeling comfortable at this point, let him fuck your mouth at his own pace.

It is possible to take a full 10 inch cock all the way past your tonsils and deep into your throat. His thickness is the biggest challenge, not his length.

You can feel his foreskin peel back as it eases past the back of your throat just as it does when he first enters your cunt. As he fucks your throat, he will not be able to or want to hold back for very long. The pure sensation of his foreskin pulling back and forth deep inside your throat will bring forth an enormous amount of cum.

Another technique, which is not really deep throating but will still give him the same sensation is to clench your hand around his cock as near to the base as possible; and as you go down on him with your mouth, pull slightly downwards.

And on the way up, pull slightly upwards pulling his foreskin back and forth over the corona. Keep your clenched hand close to your mouth and this will feel to him like his whole cock is engorged; and again will produce copious amounts of cum.

As mentioned before, the amount of cum a man produces is a direct result of how much pleasure you have given him. Feel free to follow all or some of these exercises, and maybe make your own alterations & improvements along the way.

If the man has any sense of gratitude, he’ll already be yanking your panties down and eating you out with a passion. Let him! This is a perfect redirect, while his cock recovers for another round of fucking, but the finale will be his cock visiting the depth of your very wet cunt. And his 2nd serving of spunk only erupts after a longer, more sensual time of deep fucking.

By Bee cee for Literotica.

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lovexjoe · 2 years

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omg can you please write something about jack dating an artist? like the reader is a r&b/soul artist and jack would always come to her shows and keeing their relationship in private but also the fans figuring it out 😅

FLASHING LIGHTS PART 1

Y/N was trying hard to calm her nerves down. Tonight was the VMA’s and she was performing for the first time. Her career took off out of no where, she mentally thanked all her social media platforms and her fans. She would be nothing without her fans. She struggled a lot before touching fame. Her abusive relationship with the father of her child…….she tries to push it in the back of her mind. She remembers him telling her she’ll never be nothing in her life. Now look at her. Her image was a mix of Sza, Doja and Summer Walker but she somehow stood out in her own way. Her love for her fans was just different. She’ll stop after every show to talk to her fans waiting outside for her. They truly saved her and her daughter’s life.

“PLEASE WELCOME ON STAGE, THE BEAUTIFUL Y/N!!!” They announced her name and she popped out on stage. Her stage presence was immaculate. From her slow songs to a song you could dance to she held the audience in her hands. She looked out past the fans in the pit to the front row to see all her idols in the front row. There was Nicki Minaj, Drake, Jennifer Lopez and many more artists she grew up listening to. After her performance everyone stood up to applaud her. She takes it all in, telling everyone thank you and shedding a few tears. Her little one runs on stage to hug her. She picks her up and introduces her.

“Thank you guys for all your love and support. She’s the main reason I’m pushing to pursue my dreams. Say hi Elena!” The two year old waves and tells the audience a small hi then hids into her mom’s chest. Y/N exits holding her two year old. Her team takes her to her dressing room to change since she’s presenting an award. Not just an award, the award of the night; The Video of the Year Award. The nanny takes Elena to a dressing room where she can play without interrupting anyone. Y/N slips into a light blue dress, with a slit and v cut. Diamond earring complementary from a company for advertisement. She slips into her heels and glance at herself one last time. She heads on stage with the one and only; Drake. Everyone cheers as they walk up to the mic with him holding the envelope of the winner in his hand. As the audience calms down, certified lover boy tries to shoot his shot.

“Can we get another round of applause for how beautiful Y/N looks tonight? You know I’m thinking about taking her out tonight!” The crowd goes crazy and Y/N starts to laugh. This man is unstoppable.

“Well Certified lover boy, we’d have to stop to get diapers first if you’re cool with that.” Everyone in the crowd started to laugh.

“Exactly not ideal right? Anyway nominees for The Video of Year are!” They pan to the screen to see

Doja Cat for Streets

Sza for Good Days

Lil Nas X feat Jack Harlow for Industry baby

Drake for Way to Sexy

“Alright the winner for The Video Of the Year goes to!” The suspense of Drake opening the envelope. They both looked at each other and smiled. This video definitely deserved it.

“Lil Nas X feat Jack Harlow for Industry Baby!!!” The crowd goes wild as the two artist makes their way on stage to accept the award. Nas was already a close friend to you so this was a blessing to give him this award. You’ve never met Jack and you never realized how tall he was. He towers over your 5’3 frame even with heels to bless you with a few inches. Nas was already thanking the crowd, but Jack had his eyes on you. He was surely handsome. The eyes never lie. You could get lost in them.

“Hi I’m Jack” he reaches out and shakes my hand. He holds my hand as Nas moves over so Jack can say his thanks.

“Thank you to my team, Nas and the fans! It’s truly been an honor to be apart of this song! And I have to agree with my idol that Y/N looks absolutely breathtaking tonight.” The crowd was eating up the interaction between the two. Twitter and Instagram was sure to be blowing up right now as well. They all headed backstage. Y/N’s cheeks were red as can be. Jack turns to her and smiles.

“Sorry couldn’t help myself. Would you like to go out sometime ?” Jack’s hands were in his pockets and boy was he nervous.

“I’m sorry, I’m a single mom with a lot of ex drama. I don’t think this would be a good idea. I’m sorry.” With that she hurries to her dressing room to be with her child. She didn’t really like to stay at award functions too long. She definitely didn’t want to date anyone let alone someone famous. Her relationship with her daughter and herself was the most important. Jack stood there shocked. She’s the first person to ever reject him.

Part 2????

#jackharlow #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow blurb #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow imagine #jack harlow smut #jack harlow

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ditttiii · 3 years

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gold rush. || kth {m}

⇢ summary: kim taehyung is a walking heartbreak waiting to happen. all narrow eyes and long nose and devilish smirks, he is everyone’s dream. after months of sharing an elevator with the man who makes your heart race until you can scarcely breathe when the chance finally comes; are you willing to risk it all for his touch?

⇢ genre: porn with feelings, soft smut, angst, is unresolved tension and feelings a genre?

⇢ pairing: kim taehyung x reader

⇢ word count: 4.4k

⇢ rating: explicit / 18+

⇢ theme: strangers to lovers, s2l!au

⇢warning/s: public/elevator sex, exhibitionism, fingering, cunnilingus/oral (female receiving), lots of kissing, hickeys, unprotected sex? reader’s on the pill, swearing, tension and so much of it, unresolved-repressed feelings, taehyung is a certified dingus & reader is hopelessly smitten.

⇢ a/n: betaed by @yeojaa who owns my heart and is the most precious bean ever.

also have all my virtual, socially distanced cuddles @btsmosphere @papillonsgf @birbdae & @unoriginal-username15432. if it weren’t for their support this wouldn’t be out today. my gratitude knows no bounds ♡ also big thanks to taylor for the fic title.

banner by @chillingkoo & moodboard by @today-we-will-survive their art breathed life into this fic ♡ a belated birthday fic for one mr.kim taehyung & the beautiful @kerikaaria. this fic is also my submission for @thebtswritersclub january monthly project.

lastly, i had a lot of fun writing this so i hope you guys enjoy it x 2021 here v go ♡

You wonder when the shame stopped making you hide behind a curtain of messy bed hair. When the smell of a man's cologne on you and a fruity fragrance on him started to feel normal; routine.

The elevator closes with a 'ping', and your eyes track the numbers as they descend, the warmth of another human, the soft puffs of his breath, warming your shivering, scantily dressed body.

"What happened to ‘she’s too old for me?’ " You grunt, slipping off your six inches of agony inducing footwear and pushing them to a corner.

"What happened to you not being jealous?" You can feel his smirk, oozing of self-assured nonchalance and smugness that would seem ugly on anyone but fits like a well-tailored suit on him. From the corner of your eye, you watch as he leans back, hands resting on the metal railing while his tall, lean body slouches lazily, almost invitingly, and you have to force your eyes away from tracing the curves of his pecs. It's a tempting sight, but you aren't about to give him any more ammo to goad you with. As it is, he already knows too much, is far too keen.

"Of your sugar mama? I don't think so."

Taehyung hums but doesn't refute the statement and the silence between you two stretches on. A burning ball of jealousy in your stomach continues to eat away at your peace, and with a clenched jaw, you allow your head to rest against the cool metal of the elevator and pretend that the proximity doesn't affect you.

It's always the same between you two, a constant game of tug and war, where one pulls too firmly, and then the other comes tumbling close until one of you comes back to your senses and then it's back to square one. Back to bickering and recounting the previous night’s escapades of half-truths and lies told from kiss-swollen lips and hooded gazes as you try your best to rile the other one up.

It's stupid. You are in your twenties and this isn't like you. The lying, the pretence that you are still seeing your ex-boyfriend and biting and sucking your own lip until it swells; until you look properly ravished; none of this is you.

You should have known the day he first stumbled into the elevator with a half-buttoned shirt and bite marks painted over the pale skin of his neck, a satisfied smirk curled on his dark pink lips, that he wasn't good for you. But no, like the absolute fool that you are, you fell for him. Fell knowing full well he wasn't yours to have, that back then you weren't his to have.

The elevator comes to a stop with a shudder. Your eyes, closed sometime during the descent, snap open and your feet pause when the sight of the closed doors grace you.

"You stopped the elevator." It's not a question, not when his hand is still hovering over the stop button, head tilted as his eyes stay trained on you.

"I did." He admits to a question you never asked.

Biting back a hiss at his insistence on being difficult, you twist on your heels, lips pulled into a smile whose edges sting like shards of a broken glass and parry, "And why did you do that, pray tell?"

He doesn't answer, just looks at you with that half-lidded gaze and his silence only infuriates you more, makes the back of your neck feel heated as an angry flush rises from your chest all the way up to your cheeks and with a few angry stomps you’re in Taehyung's space, barely a few inches left between you two.

"God!" You start, and the anger, the jealousy, the ugly ball of insecurity and lust and something you haven't quite found a name for yet all coagulate and rise up your throat, burning your heart in their wake until you are hurting and seething. “I don’t get you, nor do I want to anymore!" The words tumble out, one after another and half thought out but your chest still burns and the ugly ball still feels scorching hot in your throat and you can't bring yourself to stop, to shut up and think. "Stop doing this. Stop flirting with me and stop looking at me with those hooded eyes of yours and for the love of god, do you really need to lick your lip that often? Why don't you carry a lip balm if your lips are that dry, huh?"

The cross of your eyes is almost painful, but you have started and fuelled by anger and unreciprocated feelings there’s no stopping your steam. "And now this! Stopping the elevator! What the hell is this supposed to mean?" His lips part as if to answer but without waiting for his response, you plow on, "What! Do you actually have an answer? Really? Let's face it; you think I’m some sort of challenge that needs to be conquered. Another notch on your bedpost. You and your stupid smirks and half-lidded eyes and that damn mole on your nose and god, can you just not—"

The soft pad of his finger on your lips pauses your rant, leaves them parted and your heart hammering while unsaid words clutter the hollow spaces in your throat, tighten around your vocal cords like a noose until they become their own nemesis.

"I broke up with her last night," Taehyung says, and from where you are standing so close to him, his breath on your neck, cheeks, lips is too enchanting, too much like something you had hoped and begged and prayed for far too long now. Breathing out harshly you blink yourself back to reality because you must be hearing him wrong.

"Huh?"

His hand slowly comes up to hold your chin, thumb running over your lower lip with a feather-like touch, "I broke up with her last night, went home and came back early because I didn't want to miss you." He says, and your chest feels tight, palms numb and it's only when his hand gently settles over the nape of your neck and you inhale painfully that you realise that you had stopped breathing.

"Why?" You rasp out.

Don't hope. This means nothing. Do not hope.

Something twists in your belly, a thread tightens around your heart, and you know, despite it all, that you are hoping.

"Why do you think?" He asks instead, and you stifle the sudden desire to bash his head into a wall.

"Don't play games with me."

A sigh, his breath dancing on your lips and you barely suppress the tingles that burn down your spine, "I'm not. I don't want to, not anymore." The hand resting around your neck curls, fingers caressing the soft skin behind your ear.

"What do you want then?" Your words are quiet, hope and longing laced into every syllable that you desperately hope to hide but fail.

Your heart hammers into your ribs with so much force you are half afraid it will leave them cracked; splintered just like your love for the man who is touching you, holding your entire heart in the palm of his hands while you wait for it to be crushed. Because it will, it's inevitable. Kim Taehyung is a walking heartbreak waiting to happen. All narrow eyes and long nose and devilish smirks, he is too good. Too good for the woman he was with and certainly too good for you. You would be happy if you looked half as good on your wedding day as he regularly does because he is that gorgeous. And unreal, and pretty and it hurts.

It hurts because you can never have him and any second now he will push you away and ridicule you for getting flustered so easily and he will never understand, and god it cuts. It tears at you because despite knowing better, you long for him, his touch, his warmth.

Maybe even his love. But that is one hope you refuse to acknowledge out loud.

Your breaths mingle from where you two are standing so close, and part of you aches to reach out, to pull him closer and wrap yourself around him until you can sync the beat of your heart to his, to nestle your face in the crook of his neck and breathe him in, drown in the scent of that spicy cologne that you associate with him and nobody else. Because it's tempting, oh so inviting and he is so so close.

You could touch his chest, caress the skin peeking from in between the dip of his low neck shirt and it would be easy, he would let you, you know that too but what about after? How do you come back from holding someone your soul is in love with and then pretend that being with them for one night was enough? How does your hope keep living on in the name of that fragment of love? His arms your shelter for one night and then you are back to being strangers, sharing elevators and bumping into each other at the grocery store, pretending all the while that you do not yearn to visit that one night you spent together whenever your head hits the pillow?

"I..." Taehyung struggles, chews the words before his lips form them because this is his last chance and if he loses you now, it's over; he knows that too. The pair of you are done playing cat and mouse.

"I know my words don't hold a whole lot of value. I could promise you things, but you won't believe me and that's fair. I get it." He admits, another hand coming up until your face is cradled in his open palms, fingers slipping behind the edges of your ears and you will yourself to not drop your gaze, to look into his eyes and search for...love? Honesty? You wish you could say you know what it is that you are hunting for, but held so close all you can think about is the chestnut brown of his eyes, the black that rims them, the high arched brows and the thin, smooth lips and that mole; that mole that you can only see when you are pressed close, a hair's breadth of space between you two.

"But...?" You ask, pray, and yet again, against your better judgement hope.

"But I love you." He confesses, voice forever rich and deep and you feel the hum of his baritone from where your chest is still pulled tight to his. "My love for you is unlike any I have ever known, and it scared me; it still scares me because I don't know. I don't know what I will do if I ever lose you. I care too much, I—" His grip on you tightens and instinctively your hands snake around his waist, clenching the soft cotton of his shirt, nails biting into your skin as his words thread your hopelessly lovesick heart back together; piece by piece.

"I love you too much." Taehyung whispers and the ice around your heart thaws, his raw confession lighting a fire in your nerves until you are left buzzing from the high of his admission. "Trust me. Just this once. Please." He is vulnerable in his plea, and for the first time you wonder if you had characterised him wrong. Boxed and stored him like a gift on a shelf without bothering to look underneath the paper wrapping.

Taehyung doesn't have to beg, he doesn't have to try and persuade anyone, and for all the gibes you threw his way, all the daggered words about him dating only for money, you didn't truly believe any of them. Sure, the woman he had been with for the last few months was older (a voice in your head whispers wiser), but that wasn't because she was, as you would often insist, his 'sugar mama', but instead because their interests aligned. Kim Taehyung is a man of taste, whether it be his fondness for a violin's trill, fascination with modern art, or his love for jazz music. He is an enigma and with no small amount of embarrassment you think back to all the times you have bought a book after he made a passing comment on it, searched the pages and the characters to find some semblance of him.

Maybe you are pathetic, perhaps you are far too infatuated with this man for it to be healthy. Just maybe...

"No," Taehyung commands, his voice so determined you’re snapped back to the present, head thrown out of the haze your wandering thoughts had created.

Seeing your obscure expression and strayed eyes (look away because you can't acknowledge how much he matters), he pushes, one hand sliding down to grip your chin and urge you to look him in the eye. "Don't."

Maybe he sees something in your eyes, spots your hidden insecurities, reads you like an open book and dog-ears the pages that hold your weakness.

"Don't what?" You deflect, gaze drifting away again as you pretend to not know what he means but secretly long for him to keep pushing, to keep trying—your denial’s a facade to hide all your pleas.

"Don't do this to me. To us."

"You'll hurt me." You protest, a half-hearted attempt at trying to protect your already doomed heart even as your fingers clench tighter, pull him closer.

"No, I won't." He speaks with certainty that you don't wholly believe but fuelled by far too much love and longing, you don't protest any further and instead toe closer, rise higher, and breathe in the shaky exhale he lets out when your lips skim the sharp curve of his jaw.

"I've wanted this for so long." Unadulterated desire courses through your veins at his admission. Even if Taehyung is lying, even if he leaves you stranded after today, you'll live. You'll live on the high of this moment, the memory of his skin under your touch, the crisp of the cotton draped over his lean torso.

It's easier to let go and surrender yourself, easier to lay yourself bare because you have already come too far and there is no protecting yourself anymore—your heart is now his to do with.

Your hands twine around his waist, slide over the vast expanse of his back like he is yours; as though if you try hard enough, you'll leave an imprint, a sign that he belongs to you. Mark him for the rest of eternity and brand him with your name on his heart.

Kissing him is easy, the slight ache of staying on your tippy-toes going by unregistered as you get lost in the sensation of his lips, his sighs on your chin, the tickle of his lashes against the high curve of your cheek.

The cradle of his palms around your face is gentle, almost careful, as though you are a porcelain doll and he is afraid one harsh move will leave you splintered. Chest tight, you push down the last remaining traces of hesitation clinging inside your throat and twist to catch his lips instead, licking a long strip from the soft cleft of his chin over to his parted lips, dip into the hollow of his mouth and slide over the soft flesh on the inside before you catch his upper lip in between yours and suck.

His responding groan has you clenching your thighs and you break the kiss, breathing in to replenish the oxygen that doesn't seem as important when his lips are on yours. When your gaze catches his, for once you don't look away, don't force yourself to stop from swimming in the beautiful, clear pool of his eyes.

"I love you too." Your admission is quiet, more a careful whisper than anything else, as though any louder and you'll break this spell and things will go back to the way they were. He will come to his senses and realise he doesn't love you after all and then you'll go back to being a pining, lovesick fool, only this time with a broken heart and no hope to cling to.

His eyes grow soft—gentle in the curve of two crescent moons, and you smile your first real smile, the edges twitching and pulling into a gentle grin before you can bite it down and the answering smile that Taehyung rewards you with has your heart squeezing almost painfully inside your chest.

"Yeah?" He asks as though he already knows the answer but just wants to hear you say it again, profess your love for him again and you do. You say it again and again, press your lips over every inch of his face and emboss the words onto the smooth, unblemished skin.

Taking in a shuddering breath, you answer from around the suspended ball of disbelief and love in your throat. "Yeah."

When the clothes start coming off it’s a gentle, slow affair, the spaces in between filled with tender touches curious to explore the skin that they had desired for so long and open-mouthed kisses pressing promises of forever and happily ever after onto the naked expanse, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Legs twined around his waist like ivy, you arch off the floor. A tug of your hand and his shirt slips low, and then your mouth is pressing warm, wet, kisses, tongue slipping out and desperately tasting his skin, his sweat— him. You lean back and then he's on you, low, low, low until his lips are close enough to skim the edges of your panties and you buckle, arch and push without meaning to as you ache for relief only he can provide.

"You are beautiful. So so beautiful. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

His words are rough, less speech and more growl as he pushes his head closer to your soaking heat and inhales. "Fuck."

Breathes turning to hitches, words into gasps, you can scarcely keep your eyes open when he runs a long, slim finger through your folds and circles your wet opening before your walls are pulsing around him, sucking and pulling the finger in as deep as it will go. One and two then three, your cunt can't have enough of his fingers, his heat and him and oh—

His lips are velvet against your clit, your body a molten mass of gold moulding itself around his fingers, your sanity and restraint slipping and dripping down onto the carpeted floor from in between the spaces. With the last left strength, you prop yourself onto your elbows and the sight of Taehyung's mouth on your sex is almost enough to send you slipping back down again. His tongue laves across your folds with the desperation of a man parched, caressing every fold, greedily licking away your dripping arousal and moaning out obscenities too vulgar for how early the day is.

When you come, it's with a cry that sounds too animalistic to be yours. One that comes from your chest and leaves your back arched like the ends of a boomerang. "Good?" He asks with glistening lips, and you wanna scream, hysterical in your pitch— good? Is there anything better that exists in this world than his lips on you making you come? Again and again, until you can no longer stand the sensitivity?

But instead of screaming, or shaking him by his shoulders until it gets through his head, you reply with a spent nod and let your elbows slip. This is what being eaten out by Kim Taehyung feels like. The pleasure coursing through your veins is something far more potent than any you have ever felt before. The blood in your veins thrumming, almost sizzling under the thin layer of your skin.

He presses his forehead to yours, rests to catch his breath and with every shuddery inhale you breathe your arousal in, a swipe of your tongue across his glistening lips, and then you can taste it too. It tastes of nothing and yet everything. Coming from his lips, it tastes of what your dreams are built from, like liquified recklessness and yearning and above all —Taehyung.

It tastes of him and his smirks and all the kisses you couldn't have and all the kisses you now hope for.

His fingers are gentle when they tuck your hair, eyes bright behind the curtain of messy, ink-black strands, "There's a law somewhere that says when you love someone with all your heart, you are unavoidably loved by them as well. Amor ch'a null'amato amar perdona."

Your eyes search his, frantically rove all over his face, search the lines under his eyes, pause at the small mole on his nose, and then stop at the sight of the one on his lower lip, the one that your eyes would always drift to every time he'd smirk or grin in the past. Now he's smiling, lips stretched into a soft boxy curve, the mole evident against the edge and you raise a trembling hand, run your thumb across it. Cup his face with both your hands until your vision blurs and then your lips are on his. Locking and licking and your mouth is a leaking faucet of I love you's, hands working to the back of his head and getting lost in those perfectly long, wavy strands.

You hope this is the real thing when you wildly take off your dress, rip off his shirt unmindful of the last few buttons that clatter to the floor and undress until the both of you are as bare as you were the day you were born.

The steel railing is startlingly cold against your rear but before you can wince Taehyung's large hands are on your waist, pulling you closer until all that's on your mind is the feel of him, hard and hot against your dripping heat. His mouth is on your breast, lips sucking marks into the flesh and tying you to him, leaving traces of his presence behind until you can no longer differentiate the ache in your heart from the burn in your belly.

Somehow through the haze of want and compulsive need, you collect yourself enough to tell him you're on the pill when he remembers the lack of protection in his wallet, and then he's inside you. The thrust inside is fluid, and you are moaning, keening at your wetness, at how long he is, at how unbearably, entirely full you are.

Your name falls from his lips like a prayer, like the last words of a man dying an untimely death, desperate and hurried and like if he takes a second too long he might never get the chance again. The scratch of your nails against his back must hurt, the grip of your heels around his sides must be painful, and still you can't bring yourself to let up; to let go.

The air inside becomes humid, reeks of sex and sweat and everything that shouldn't seem so right, and yet does.

You come first, hit your peak and crash through it like a ship in a torrential sea, hot and volatile and like something vital that you'll retain even in the afterlife. Taehyung–sweet, sweet Taehyung – helps you ride it out, makes your body sing with the honed practice of a pianist who has spent more decades playing than he can recall. His tongue is on your neck, stroking that one sensitive spot in the hollow of your clavicle while his hand brushes your clit, builds the pleasure and lets it drift, unhurried and soft until you are crying from the overwhelming rightness of it.

With a shudder, you finally push his hand away from your quivering heat and bring it to your lips, kiss the bony knuckles and let it rest on your thigh from where he wraps it tight around your waist and drives to chase his own high.

Sated you watch Taehyung, catalogue all the features that you had never seen before but up close can. Just in case—just. File them all in a part of your heart where only he resides, a piece you will always come back to, regardless of if the man in your arms chooses to stay or not. You will be selfish with these memories, hoard and treasure them in secrecy until the day you can look back upon them with nothing more than nostalgic fondness.

The appearance of a deep furrow on his forehead, between those long arched brows and the breaking rhythm of his thrusts, alerts you to how close he is and you clench. Clench with all the love and devotion you nurture in your heart and hope that somehow it will be enough. If not forever, then at least until you can have your fill, until you can love him for a life's worth and live off on those memories. Live on them like a late mother's half-finished perfume bottle that you take out and sniff on your sorriest days, a push strong enough to keep you going.

One more day, then one more and then just one more until you can finally meet him in the afterlife, old and having done all that you had been sent to do. Except for love. You doubt you can ever love like this again.

Kissing him after feels like the best kind of heartbreak because you know, somewhere deep in your gut where you house your intuition and insecurities, you know this won't last.

Yet you wouldn't take back anything. Your lips form words on Taehyung's shoulder 'i love you so much. i always will', and you tighten your arms around his waist. Anchor him to the present and pray that the defence will be strong enough to keep him with you for a little while more.

Just a little.

a/n: the end is up to your interpretation, you are free to imagine whatever end you’d have liked to see. If you enjoyed reading this please let me know through comments, reblogs, tags or asks. the feedback makes me insanely happy and i love hearing from you guys ♡

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bluexiao · 2 years

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#threads of fate

—secret santa by @ohmykazuha & @almondoufu || my secret elf @wispycecilia

CHARACTERS. Ganyu; gn! Reader

THEMES. Soulmates, inspired by Chinese Mythology, first meetings ??

NOTES. hello hello irene i hope you’ll like what i wrote for you !! yes i’m your secret santa <33

“Excuse me, you seem familiar.”

Legend says that there is someone who ties the end of the red threads, who oversees the art of matchmaking and marriage–to other people, they call it soulmates.

“The Old Man Under the Moon,” they call the author of the book of names of people who were destined for each other, who were connected by the red thread of fate—the one that can never be severed or tangled.

Fate. Fate can be someone’s friend, family, lover, and as well as the enemy. One can never truly realize it, however, not until fate truly has cast its actions upon people.

In all the years of GANYU’s life, she had never met such a god who claims to do such things as the old man under the moon.

The sky was high and nothing to certify if it was day or night. It was not lively nor was its gloom. The impending silence never wavered, and if she believed that anywhere in Liyue was safe, then she’d say that Dragonspine was where she found comfort and peace.

She doesn’t come around here often, considering the amount of workload she has and also the refusal to take a nap in such a place, but whenever she does, she finds herself wrapped in a certain amount of contentment that only the cold weather and tranquil atmosphere of the place, which is quite essential in considering a certain location when there is a need to ponder and take a breath.

But maybe… just maybe, there is something that’s drawing her to that place.

Lilac meets familiar orbs, and for once that same hue shone under the dark skies and pure ground of Dragonspine, its owner’s heart skipping a beat, chest tightening, and breath faltering. Then, as if on impulse, her lips pursed tight and curved upwards that it almost seemed forced—but maybe it was.

“Oh-ha, uhh… familiar?” she sputtered even if she tried not to. At the very least, she fiddles with her fingers behind her. Despite the coldness of the atmosphere, she felt rather… warm. Was it just because… of you?

The person in front of her–you, hummed and nodded in response to her question. Opposite to her, however, the smile that was playing by your lips was genuine, almost like you were comfortable despite knowing you two were mere strangers.

“You looked like someone I’d marry,”

Once again, she feels the warmth travel to her face at your sudden words, and also the laugh that soon followed. It was as if the dullness in the air vanished with the sound of your laughter.

“Just kidding, just kidding!” you say, trying to calm down from your high, “Really, people these days are difficult to joke around with. You must be from Liyue, aren’t you? I can tell from your way of clothing.”

Ganyu unconsciously looks down at her clothes and for once, maybe twice, she feels flustered. Not because she was embarrassed, but it was more because she had heard this before—the same words, same voice… same face.

“Y/n…”

“Hm? Did you just say-”

She immediately corrects herself, “Yes, I am from Liyue. How about you? Must you be passing by Dragonspine on your way to Mondstadt? Please be on your guard, the weather and temperature here is harsh and there are-”

“I know,” you cut her off, turning to your side where the view was much more serene, then eyeing her on the corner of your gaze, “I must say the same for you, lady Adeptus.”

“How did... How did you know? I haven’t even…” she stutters, and she almost couldn’t meet your eyes, but she didn’t need to, not when yours were too far away, gaze focused somewhere else as if you were looking into the memories that you were denied from.

But maybe the gods… maybe the gods granted you such a gift? The hope of your memories staying intact bloomed in her heart like Glazed Lilies and Qingxins, but like unlike such flowers, that same hope shattered in your next words.

“Just a guess,” you muttered under your breath, “I mean… not everyone has-”

Ah… the horns, she thinks to herself.

Your contact with her eyes was unexpected, so sudden that she cannot even try to look away.

“Not everyone has the same aura as the Adepti. I haven’t met any of you yet, but you felt so familiar that I must have seen or met you in my past life. And judging from your reaction, it seems like you do.”

The words filled her chest with a sense of recognition that she had once thought will be gone, blown away by the harsh winds and over to a world, she could never reach. That’s right. Liyue was her home, but maybe she had been called upon this place because of this… this feeling inside her chest that had been suppressed for far too long that she had forgotten it was ever there.

The cold, the air, the sky—it all seemed to be like that day when everything appeared perfectly fine despite the war that went on. Like a lone and pure Qingxin blossoming through the top of a mountain, in its full bloom.

“There’s no need to respond to such claims,” you giggled, “I’m here to enjoy the place. How about you? Do you come here often? By yourself?”

As she pondered over the question even if she didn’t need to, scenes of memories floods in her mind like a harsh blizzard, a sudden wave of calamity that was bound to destroy everything if it was not stopped.

But Ganyu… how can she stop now? Not when the curse of the red thread of fate decides to come its way back to her… and you. She may not be able to see the thread despite being half a higher being, she may not even know who the god of fate or marriage is after all these years. But even so, the question remained; how can she stop now?

“I was by myself,” she says, the once forced smile fading and easing into one of relief, “yet am I not with you now?”

TAGLIST ( send an ask to be added !! )

@softlybeloved @icecappa @sushiyay @scaraslover @beastielevi @cursedraiden @thesatanofpizza @izayanna @stellumi @coco-goat-milk @nonniechan @m3gitsune @thispenguinrocks @chuubear @kiyoobi @catisnerd @ventislatte @weakestpoint @pinkfei @aweebstuff @zhongchi14 @windwheel-aster @irethepotato @squiddaloo @scaramunch @cruxdou @favonius-captain @aqualesha @kazuhas-alphabet @astreankitsune @crapimahuman @itsghostgirlyo @his-simp @meumorio @tkooooop

#genshin x reader #ganyu x reader #ganyu x you #genshin fluff #ganyu x y/n #genshin drabbles #genshin oneshots #genshin ganyu

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hotdamnhunnam · 3 years

Note

Charlie himself 😈 my emojis are 🎂🧶🍼

Thanks for your request for my Emoji Fic Fest! 💗

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Motherfucking Birthday

Pairing: Charlie Hunnam x F!Reader Warnings: smut, swearing, reader is a single mom, best friends to lovers with Mr. Hunnam Word Count: ~1.2k Emoji Prompt: 🎂🧶🍼 (key words are in bold)

You open the front door and blink in surprise at the sight in your driveway. The last thing you thought you would see bright and early today.

“Hey! Happy birthday!”

He arrived unannounced and you’re wearing your frumpiest PJs and this really isn’t okay. It’s your first birthday making shit work as a single mom ever since life threw a curveball your way, and you’re sure you look gnarly. Now here he is sitting in front of your place with that megawatt movie star smile on his face and his Hollywood certified ass on his Harley. Your childhood best friend and lifelong crush: Charlie.

“Thanks, I guess…?” you reply, blinking into the sun of his grin with your sleep-deprived eyes. His divine gorgeousness is a lot to digest. It sucks being hopelessly in love with your fucking best friend. “So is this where you pull that old joke about how your presence is a present?”

The young Charlie would have. The bad boy you grew up beside wishing someday he’d fuck you in half. Now he’s somewhat more grown and just brushes it off with a laugh. “Well, it is—we both know I’m a gift, but the real gift is this.”

Gestures down at his bike. Which is when you realize that this bike isn’t his. It’s a similar model you’d once seen, when you were both teens, and you first learned to ride at the same time and talked about which kinds you liked.

“Look, I get that it’s not really practical—even if you only ride it a few times a year I just want you to feel like your life can still be fun and magical. I could tell just how jaded you got after going through hell with that absolute asshole.”

It’s true that your prior relationship damaged you in a big way. You just didn’t know Charlie gave much of a shit; you’re still close but in recent years ever since he hit it big you do have to admit that it feels like the two of you drifted, a bit. “I, uh… don’t really know what to say…”

“If you’d rather not take it that’s totally okay—I’ll keep it myself or just give it away. But I came bearing mommy gifts too, and a big cake for you, and I figured I’d come by and help you take care of the kid for the day.”

… Is he serious? You had thought this might turn out to be the first year Charlie straight up forgot your birthday—but okay—here he is.

You’re not quite sure what ‘mommy gifts’ meant, till he pulls out a bag full of painfully practical presents. Bibs and booties and little milk bottles and big balls of yarn in case you want to knit, clothes for baby and blankets and shit. It’s so cute you cannot fucking handle it.

As you stand there not saying a word, Charlie worries that he may have gone overboard. “Maybe this is a little too much…”

“No, it’s not.” You reach out till your palm rests against his forearm—God, he’s so fucking warm—so damn hot… and the spark that once ruined your life is still there when you touch.

You don’t care anymore if you go overboard loving this man a little too much.

***************

The baby’s taking a quick nap, and Charlie’s grumbling about how it was so terribly lazy of him that he hadn’t individually packed each of your mommy gifts in gift wrap.

You just laugh and reassure him it’s okay ‘cause everything’s fucking okay when he’s on your couch and your head is in his lap.

He cracks some joke about how no one’s ever been this close to his dick without sucking it—you two are so close that you let him get away with talking shit—but not without dealing his jean-clad thigh a playful little slap.

By now he’s rock hard but you both go on ignoring it. For years you both have cared too much about the bond you share, to risk taking it elsewhere, ‘cause it kills you to imagine what the cost could be if you end up exploring it.

Talk about the bike he got. Try to convince yourself that you shouldn’t accept though you appreciate the thought.

“Babe, I’m not saying you should use this thing to drive the kid to school. But just ‘cause you’re a mom that doesn’t mean you can’t be cool.”

So he just called you babe for the first time ever and suddenly you’re grinning like a fool.

“I mean hey, you’re still hot.”

A smirk is curving up his lips and you can hear it and you fear it so you look away or else you won’t be able to resist the burning urge to kiss it off. Dismiss his words with a self-deprecating scoff. “No, I am definitely not.”

His smirk fades down, into a shadow of a frown. You’re still not looking but you know. It’s clear to him that you don’t see yourself the way that he sees you—that much was always true—he wishes he could change it though. “Babe, you really don’t think so?”

There he goes with the babe again. He said it once now it’s a thing all of a sudden. Sitting here with him some small part of you still cannot help but wonder if you’re just another game the famous bad boy came to play. It’s a small part of you because all of you knows he’d never hurt you in that way. “You know you don’t have to go buttering me up just because it’s my fucking birthday.”

“I don’t have to but I want to. ‘Cause it’s true.” That’s what you hear him say; he says more without needing words to get his feelings through. You’re beautiful today and every day—I want you—and I know you want this too.

Of course you fucking do.

It’s your first birthday as a mother and it turns into the first day of him fucking you.

It’s so much more than just a fuck—from the first kiss as much a cure as it’s a drug—you fumble with each other’s clothes and tumble down off of the couch onto the rug—both laugh about how this shit took you long enough. It’s making motherfucking love.

He knows how right it feels, but wonders if it’s too much or too little ‘cause he can’t believe it’s real. God, is this wrong? I’ve loved you for so fucking long.

You taste the truth off of his tongue. It tastes of buttercream and berries from the cake that he had brought you, even sweeter underneath the flavor of how much he wants you. It’s the same want that you’ve harbored all along. This man has always been your weakness but for once your weakness gives you life and makes you fucking strong.

It’s your first birthday as a single mom but maybe you won’t stay single for long… if Charlie Hunnam has it his way, he’ll make sure that every damn year from now on, he’s here beside you and inside you to give you a happy motherfucking birthday.

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Emoji Fic Masterlist

Emoji Fic Tag List – below; if you’d like to be added or removed, just let me know!

@happyhunnams @band--psycho @est11 @edonaspanca @starbooty @innerpaperexpertcloud @i-love-scott-mccall @six-camelot @alexa-rae-dreamz @coffeebooksandfandom @thesuicidalflower @flaireandsynch @helloheyhihowdyheya @gemini0410 @waywardodysseys @zozebo @bettergetusetoit @emilykjh @little-diable @rocketqueen @mrspeacem1nusone @miss-smutty @rayslittlekitten @abby-splace @chubbychubbs28 @miraclesoflove @tegggeeee @hunnambabe @missusnora @kesskirata @vixenrebellion @thexhostess @pomegranatearildreams @kandii395 @severewobblerlightdragon @itspdameronthings @niki-xie @cind-in-real-life @saweetspoiled @poge-life @few-proud-emotonal @samanthaisnthome @melodranas @soaharleys @charlie-hunnams-old-lady @simpmasterjr @nataliewalker93 @lovebarefootblonde @marvelousmermaid @tsukuyomi011 @sciapod @midnight-dreams-23

#charlie hunnam #charlie hunnam smut #charlie hunnam imagine #charlie hunnam fanfiction #charlie hunnam fic #charlie hunnam x reader #charlie hunnam x you #jax teller #sons of anarchy #soa #rpf #rpf fanfic #rpf fanfiction #celebrity imagines #emoji fics

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breezypunk · 2 years

Text

Through The Years

Bakkers - 2069 (19 Yrs Old) Certified Dumpster thief.

At 2 years old, Vaughn was adopted by the Bakkers clan. Never knowing his own parents, and barely seeing his own sister even though she was adopted by the same clan, Vaughn was pretty much on his own. Even though he made a new found family with his clan, he was always the type of person who preferred independence. He never liked being around huge crowds, and was known for lurking in the shadows and doing his own thing. Although he liked his privacy and alone time, he was always there to help out anyone who needed it and was a very positive influence on the clan, and they knew they could always count on Vaughn to be there whenever they needed him. Until than of course, you could find him roaming around the desert, and local rest stops dumpster diving like the little dirt boy he is.

Street Rat - 2074 (24 Yrs Old) Certified Rat Man

After escaping the Bakkers in his early 20′s, Vaughn made his way to Night City, where he met and confided in fellow street kid, Jackie Welles. Jackie gave him a job, and a new life to live after the hell he went through with his old clan. Vaughn knew he could trust Jackie with his darkest secrets, and felt thankful for having a true friend through his hardest times, but just like how he was growing up, Vaughn preferred to roam the back alleys and live in tents rather than homes. Even after Jackie offered him a room with a comfy bed, Vaughn’s life even in Night City, it didn’t change much.

Rebellious Merc - 2077 (27 Yrs Old) Certified Wannabe Bad Boy

Konpeki did more than kill him literally, it destroyed him emotionally. His anxiety was worse than it had ever been, and now that he had Johnny Silverhand nagging him in his mind 24/7, Vaughn needed something to get him away from his thoughts, and Johnny’s. He looked for local Fixer’s to do dodgy merc jobs for, even if it meant doing unthinkable things, killing and torture were his specialties. He had no remorse, nothing could stop him either, although somewhere deep down inside, he knew what he was doing wasn’t who he was. He was filling a void, and it’d take a very big positive change to help him stop coping.

Netrunner Era - 2078 (28 Yrs Old) Certified Night City Legend

That positive change came in the form of a new found family. After figuring out a way to live with the chip inside his brain, and knowing both him and Johnny would survive, Vaughn was finally able to breathe. Of course he wasn’t out of the woods yet when it came to danger, it always found him. But he found a new way to keep himself and those he loved safe. Netrunning was a passion of his, he found the time to get good at the skill, eventually becoming one of the most well known netrunner’s in Night City. Hating guns, and only being good at throwing knives, using quickhacks was probably his best trait at getting rid of the bad boys. Way to make a name for yourself, kiddo.

Aldecaldos - 2080 (30 Yrs Old) Certified Friend & Lover

After being asked to Join the Aldecaldos, Vaughn was terrified. He was honored, but scared. He had such a bad experience when he left the Bakkers, they weren’t accepting of him, but the Aldecaldos were, and it took Vaughn a while to realize how much of a family clan they truly were. Knowing this was a once in a lifetime chance to finally be happy, he grabbed Takemura, the absolute love of his life, and hauled ass to the badlands to join a group of individuals who wanted to give Vaughn and Goro the life they truly deserved. No more sadness, no more hate, no more loyalty to a corporation meant to destroy you. Vaughn was finally happy, and didn’t have to worry about whether anyone truly cared about him, cos he was cared for more than he could possibly imagine.

Yes this is a long post, sorry. I saw some people doing this a little while ago, and thought I’d jump in a little late. Vaughn is very precious to me, so I wanna be sure to do him justice. To those who did the “through the years” posts, thanks for the inspo. ♥ Happy Male V Monday!

#Cyberpunk 2077 #oc: Vaughn Leblanc #Male V Monday #Nomad V #Street Kid #Goro Takemura #Panam Palmer #Mitch Anderson #Saul Bright #Aldecaldos #cp77 #cp2077 #Cyberpunk 2077 photomode #My screenshots #Long post #Male V #Virtual Photography #Cyberpunk2077

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sashi-ya · 3 years

Text

One Piece Through The Ages Event by @heyitsdoe

Trafalgar Law x F! Reader ~ The Red String of Fate ~ Chapter 1

by @simpforroses + @sashi-ya

Hi! This is our entry for @heyitsdoe wonderful event, One Piece Through the Ages! Thank you @heyitsdoe for creating it! 💖

@simpforroses and I @sashi-ya chose to write this (multi chap) fic based in the era of China’s 3 Kingdoms. You will notice it’s a mix in between a modern AU and the Ancient China AU. So you will notice several temporal jumps between both timelines! We decided to include reader in both of the temporal timelines, so you will be able to experience both AUs from a personal perspective.

@simpforroses have created this beautiful work of art for this event, in which you can appreciate Ancient China! Law during one of the true historical battles, the Battle of Nanjun (208 AD).

The drawing and the fic are based on true facts and historical events, so if you want to learn a little more about the 3 Kingdoms you can by reading this love stor(ies) in one!

Tw: first ch. is SFW. Blood and violence related to war and battles. Temporal jumps between modern AU & Ancient China History.

A/n: The title is actually based in a Chinese well known tradition, "The Red String of Fate" which is an invisible string connecting those who were destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. It is unbreakable, and a reason why in Chinese literature, lovers would be willing to walk through hell, experience hardships, and literally fight gods/demons/defy death, in order to be with their lover or to get them back.

Wc: 4.7K

Chapter 1.

The alarm resonates all around your room. You growl opening your eyes slowly, annoyed by the repetitive sounds from your phone. A new day, your first day of classes… being the professor. Well, one of them, since there are going to be two. But in any case, it’s gonna be your first time teaching others Ancient Chinese History professionally. Yeah, that field in which you specialized in is finally having some sort of workshop at your university, and you, recently graduated, were invited to be the professor.

You hastily take a bath, a quick breakfast, and head out. Luckily, you have chosen your outfit yesterday, so there was no excess loss of time during the morning. You feel anxious, what if your students don’t like your class? What if nobody shows up? Will the other professor be a young or an old guy? The only thing you know is that he is a man.

Lost in your thoughts you enter your car and head out from your entrance. At the first red light you notice something important is missing from your wrist: the red string bracelet you inherited from your grandmother. Every time you felt nervous, you would play with it a little and feel instant peace. “F… where is it?” you think, and turn around your steering wheel in order to return to your house. It couldn’t be anywhere else.

You looked at both sides of the road and there you saw it, a complete U-bend -illegal as hell-. You hear a driver honking at you, and you step on the brake in order to avoid hitting the other car.

“Are you insane, woman?” a tall man, with long black hair, a goatee, grey eyes and caramel skin shouted at you while getting off his yellow New Beetle. “I’m really sorry, I… just…” you try to excuse yourself, but noticed that the man was already knocking at your window with his long fingers tattooed with “DEATH,” and holding a well known sword by you over his shoulder. “Who the fuck carries a miao dao openly in public nowadays? Is he asking to get arrested?” you mutter to yourself, until flinching in your seat and deciding you had enough of this morning. If that bastard wanted to slice you up, you should brace to defend yourself. You roll down the passenger seat window and bend forward. “Oi, it’s enough ok? I’m sorry. Go back before I get out of my car. I’m a certified black belt you know?” you lie, unscrupulously.

Both of you fix your eyes on each other in an unspoken fight for dominance, ignoring the rest of the drivers honking and spitting insults at you, so you could move from the middle of the street. “Oi, Torao! Stop it already” a green haired man shouts from the yellow Beetle.. “Tsk…” the inked man sizes you up from head to toe and turns around. “Cocky idiot” you mumble, before something catches your attention. Hanging from his miao dao, or nodachi, if we’re talking about the close Japanese equivalent, you notice a blood-red tassel hanging from the sheath. It appeared that the end part was sliced and you found yourself instinctively reaching for your wrist.

But your bracelet isn’t there, and you panic once again…

You enter your home, slamming the door, completely aware of the fact that you are going to be late for your first day at work. But, without your red armlet, you weren’t going anywhere. Luckily the scarlet string awaited you, sitting on your nightstand. You pick it up and put it on. “I’m sorry, I’m never taking you off my wrist ever again,” you say, while kissing the worn bundles and stray threads hanging from it.

Inner peace, calm, and confidence have been restored, so you head out once again. The traffic gets worse with every minute you spend on the streets, but fortunately, campus is close to your home, so it shouldn’t take more than ten minutes to get there.

The classroom looks bigger when you are standing on the other side. You take some time to breathe in the atmosphere. The wooden musk from the lecture room walls flood the place. Outside, red leaves fall from the trees, giving a lively embellishment to the dry grass below. Fall is here, and you love it.

You take a look at your watch and realize it’s almost time for your students to attend the class. You quickly prepare the PowerPoint presentation that provides a quick background to the important figures and elements of the 3 Kingdoms Era that you were going to be teaching.

The students begin to arrive, placing their materials over the desks, while you are fixing the presentation on the uncooperative laptop that seems to freeze each time you press any key. You sweat, nervously trying to make it work, when someone places a tanned inked hand over yours.

“Let me help you.”

You turn to face the owner of the voice, crystalline grey eyes fixed on yours. “Ah…” you momentarily stutter at discovering such beauty. Seconds pass that felt like an eternity, where neither of you made further movements, until the man with inked hands grazes the red bracelet around your wrist… An instant electricity makes you pull away your hand, as well as him.

Slowly grounding yourself from the awe of such handsomeness, you quickly realize who the man is right before your eyes... the yellow New Beetle bastard.

“Oh lord, don’t tell me you followed me,” you whisper a little too loudly, with slight irritation and apprehensiveness. “What? No, I didn’t follow you! Actually, what are you doing here? This is my class. I am the new professor of Ancient Chinese History and Medicine” he stated, with an air of pride,. “You… You are Mr. Trafalgar?” you ask, your cheeks on fire.

“Y-yes… then you must be Ms. (Surname)-ya?”

“Yes, I am.”

The students shifted in their seats, contemplating the obvious bickering between you two, wondering if that will be included or not in the final exam. A green haired man, the same guy sitting next to the “new beetle bastard” clears his throat to make you stop.

Law and you look at the man simultaneously with a death glare, but soon you realize he was signaling to you both to start class. Quickly, you let Mr. Trafalgar configure the laptop, while you nervously stood in front of a huge class.

“I hope you don’t teach them the same way you drive,” he whispers with some snark behind you.. You turn around with a menacing grin that suggests how you are going to kill him, once the class finishes, and return your attention back to your students. You can hear a subtle “heh” and can only imagine his shitty grin. A sexy shitty grin.

“Welcome students!”

The class goes smoothly, your pupils are half excited for your class, half excited for the young professor behind you. You learn that Mr. Trafalgar is called “Law,” and that he is a doctor specializing in traditional Chinese medicine. Through his studies, he also discovered many historical information and connections to his practice.

Class finally concludes, and with that, the students finally leave the classroom. While you are packing your materials, a black-haired woman reaches out to you. Law was in the back closing his bag, completely unaware of the events to follow.

“Hi, Ms. (Surname) I’m Nico Robin. I loved the class and wanted to ask you about something that I have seen in this book. It's quite peculiar, I must say,” she says with a kind smile, that you wouldn’t dare to ignore. The woman who sits behind Law’s friend shows you an ancient book. She opens it to a certain page marked by a bookmark with a red tassel hanging from it.

In the page there is information about “the Battle of Nanjun”. There is no new information that you were not already well-versed in, but there is something that catches your attention: a painting that depicts a man of notable presence and defined features. And not only that, but also holds the same surname and striking resemblance to Law…

You are absolutely amazed by the similarities between that man and him, and instantly shouted to him before he left the classroom. Law seems like a man that had an aversion to making friends, and it was evident by the expression he wore when he turned to look at you.

“What?”

You narrow your eyes, but brush off the edge in his voice, “Come here, take a look at this”. Law sighs in exasperation and comes to the desk.

His icy stare scans the book scratching his goatee. “Weird,” he mumbles. “Weird?! He looks just like you, plus, your surname! Are you a descendant?” you ask, a little more excited than you should. He turns his gaze to you, making your cheeks blush and burn in an instant. “I don’t know, I know my heritage but not that far. What’s actually even more weird is that the sword… it’s just like mine”.

“You mean the miao dao you were carrying today? The one you took with you as a ‘friendly courtesy’ when you came to me today?” you ask, a little annoyed and a little surprised because it looked just like his sword. Robin, the student, giggles, you two looked like a married couple fighting over the pettiest thing.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Nico,” you excuse yourself, taking your hand to your forehead.

“It’s ok! I’m late for my next class, but you can find the same book at the library to investigate further. There are plenty of copies. Just go to the “ancient history” section on the very end of the third bookshelf.” The raven haired woman leaves the classroom with a smile on her face, while Law and you are lost in the image you just have seen.

“Oi Torao, Luffy is waiting for us at the cafeteria, are you coming?” A voice breaks the silence in which the both of you were so pleasantly immersed, while reading the pages of that book. “Yeah, I’m coming” he responds, and picks up his bag. He walks away and stops right at the door. “Don’t get too obsessed with my image, ok?” he utters with a shit-eating grin and leaves with his marimo friend.

“You wish,” you tell him, and flip him off. Even if it’s not the proper way to treat your coworker, he deserves it.

You decide to have lunch in the park outside, the autumn scenery looks amazing on campus. During the whole time your mind has been wondering about the painting in that book. How is it possible? Is Law some kind of time traveler?... Your thoughts make you laugh out loud, causing a couple that was passing by to look at you as if you grew a second head.

But, you ignore it and decide to get up because you genuinely wanted to investigate a little more. “Am I getting obsessed with his image?” you ask yourself while walking into the big gothic building that leads to the library. “I might be intrigued, but not because he is hot. Wait a minute…”

You stopped in your tracks. Great. Of course you were starting to have a crush on that handsome man. Who wouldn’t? But, he is also somewhat annoying and somehow there is an energy of rivalry between you two, and you wonder why…

You find the perfect isolated spot in the back of the library for your investigation , with the large table completely free for you to display as many books as you need. Most importantly this spot provided privacy. Or so that’s what you thought, because the moment you pick the book from the shelf, someone pulls it from the other side. “Excuse me, but I saw it first!” you protest. “No. I did!” a familiar voice retorts. You fight over the book, until you realize who was on the other side…

“You are definitely following me.”

Law wins the fight for the book and comes around the shelf. “Take it, I can come later” he mutters, handing you the book. You take it in silence, and when you do, some old parchment piece falls from it.

Both of you crouch to lift it up -bumping your heads-. “Ouch” you hiss. “Are you ok?” he asks, inspecting your forehead. “I’m ok, thanks,” you say and quickly stand up, the close proximity of his face makes you want to run away as fast as you can.

You look at the parchment piece from each side, until you realize it appears to be a short letter, perhaps a note that’s been ripped from the main piece. It seems really old, almost as if it belonged to a museum. “Law, look at this!” you tell him with enthusiasm. “Hum?” he mumbles, knitting his eyebrows, yet he comes closer to read it out of curiosity.

“Ring”. “Fire?”. “Danger?” “Love?” you read aloud, attempting to decipher what was written.. “(Name-ya)” Law stops you with half-amazement and half-shock..

“What?”.

“I… have the missing piece with a hair pin at home,” he informs you. “What? How?” you ask in disbelief.. “My grandpa, before passing away, gave me a box with some items. The miao dao and the other piece with a hairpin… there is also more that I haven’t had the chance to look at…” he says. As soon as you two pick up your belongings, you head to Law’s home. Both of you are suckers for history, and this needed to be demystified.

Law’s place is clean, minimalistic, sleek, and cold. You wonder how things evolved from you almost killing each other on the street this morning, to you being a guest at his house researching a mysterious piece of paper.

“Want something to drink? Water?” he offers you as he takes his coat off. “Huh? Water would be ok, thank you,” you mumble, inspecting a huge bookcase embedded in the wall.

Your research partner comes back to the living room with a glass of water in one hand and a little key in the other. “Follow me, I have the things stored in the attic”. You nod and follow your coworker.

The place looks nothing like the clean and cold living room. Dust floated in every corner of the air and even some spider’s webs decorated the wooden ceiling. But you don’t really care, as the mystery of the little paper is far more important.

“Here” he points towards a big wooden chest. “This is where I found the sword and the little box” he indicates, while crunching and opening it. Law takes the little wooden box and hands it to you.

“Can I?” you ask, waiting for his approval to open it. “Go on”. Law sits on the ground in front of you as he waits for you to discover what’s inside. The box is beautifully crafted in red lacquer. A gold phoenix and a dragon decorated the lid, and it looks as ancient as the little piece of paper that fell from the book.

Inside lay a beautiful golden hair pin, with a crystal white moon donning it, with some plum blossoms, butterflies, and some chains hanging delicately from it. You are mesmerized, you passionately wish you lived in Ancient China, so you would be able to wear things like those everyday.

“So pretty,” you whisper. “Really pretty,” Law says with his soft sexy voice looking at you, resting his temple over the palm of his hand. You laugh nervously, that man might make you breathless if he ever decides to look at you in like that ever again.

You take the little paper you found out of your pocket and hand it to him. He looks at it and immediately unites it showing you that indeed he had the missing part. “See? Told you I had it.” You give him a side smile, inspecting the way Law’s slender hands hold the papers together. A sudden noise invades the dusty place as both of you take your time to appreciate the coincidence.

“Is there anything else inside the chest?” you ask, trying to fill the silent void that surrounds you two. “Uhum” he says and stretches an arm into the box, in order to take out some ancient books and scrolls. There is one that particularly catches your attention. Written over the cover it puts “The Red String of Fate”.

“Let’s read this one first” you say excitedly.. You have always been a romantic. After all, the little letter looked like some kind of warning to a loved one.

“Fine,” Law sighs but suddenly pauses. “You have been looking at the hairpin non-stop, if you want to, you can have it. I bet it would look good on you,” he says, taking the pin out of the box, before approaching you and nestling it in your hair. As he does, your faces get so close, and you can almost feel his lips over yours. Your eyes fixed in enchantment, amplifying the intense tension between you and him.

“Thank you,” you whisper. Law smiles, this time without sarcasm, but genuine sweetness; a smile you will cherish for as long as your memory can hold it. “It really looks good on you” he says, sitting back in his original place. You touch the fine piece that garnishes your hair, feeling like a princess in front of his prince.

Law takes the book written, which was entirely written in mineral ink and starts reading…

Chu-Han, Xian, Sanguo (3 Kingdoms), 208 AD, Winter - The day I met him

I was in charge of guarding one of the passes to one of our major forts when I was informed Wei forces were mobilizing toward us…

“I want two units to intercept them near our camp. The rest will be waiting here with me, understood?” you command. Every man in Shu’s army accepts the order in unison and mobilizes to stop the enemy. Your eyes, as sharp as the eyes of a hawk, are fixed forward into the cold scenery ahead. “You won’t anticipate me this time” you mumble, sure that the enemy strategist that has been consistently ruining your plans would be outsmarted today.

Some hours later, a scout notified you that Wei forces have made for the pass. “I knew it, they are all coming our way in one large unit” you say. “Take the oil barrels and draw a line closer to us, wait for them to come closer, and when I give you the signal… light them on fire!” you command.

Lines of oil are drawn right in front of the gates, waiting to be alighted, to protect the Shu kingdom, your kingdom. You want to create a better world for the people, and you will fight Wei to do so. They were the ones who have made you lose your family, as your emperor Liu Bei always says, because of “the cruelty and arrogance of the Wei”.

And of course there they are, the forces of Wei coming at you at full calvary strength and determined to win this encounter. But you are strong, you are pure strategy, pure intelligence…

“FIRE!!!” you shout.

A sudden wall of flames reflects into your eyes as you observe how the enemy steps back, their horses thrown into a frightened craze, as they run away, breaking formation. You smile. You have stopped them, or at least that’s what you thought.

There was something amiss. You noticed various captains and lieutenants scattered throughout their forces, but it was uncharacteristic that they would attack head-on without a sense of direction. Then it hit you. He must have been hiding in the ranks of the small detachment you allowed to pass earlier. His decoy proved to be useful, even if you anticipated it. As if on cue, a report came in detailing that the enemy detachment did not advance to the next camp, but in fact rounded back to aid the main forces to surround the gate. Soon, you found yourself in a pincher from both sides. It was typical of him to compose a tactic that would work in his favor, regardless of whether you or he made a move, but this didn’t deter you. You were known not only for your extreme intelligence, but also for your fierce determination to win.

And you will.

“We have no time to send for help, let’s go for a defensive formation, soldiers!” Everybody agrees immediately and follows your orders, the plan is to create a “Rotating Wheel”. However, it won’t be the normal type of “wheel,” the order is to turn their shields upside down and poke their spears at the bottom. That way, while moving in a rotating manner, your soldiers will be able to scare horses and make the cavalrymen fall.

And of course it’s efficient.

The battle continues and even if you are pissed with your opponent, you smile imagining his annoyance. And so, you grab your horse in order to find him. You want to see his face and you bet he wants you to see yours, too. You ride your horse, making your way inside the skirmish, cutting down every enemy that dares to attack.

Blood spilled on the ground, a crimson rain over the cold snow.

But nothing is as cold as the icy grey eyes of the man you were trying to find for so long. There he is, his sword to your neck, your sword to his neck. The scenery around you two is pure violence, but the moment feels frozen in time.

Chest rising up and down, pure hatred mixed with something else. The edge of his miao dao grazes your skin threateningly. A simple movement and your head is off… but his would be too. A sharp caress that both scares and excites you.

“Finally, there you are Trafalgar Law, servant of the Wei”

“Finally, there you are (Name), servant of the Shu”

And none of you move, eyes fixed, your chest feels warm, your heart beats fast. He is stunning, he looks so strong, and a powerful aura surrounds him. A man so handsome, with the blackest strands of long hair flowing in the wind. A trail of blood flowing like a thin river from his eyebrow to his neck. Stunning armor complimented by the stunning black horse he rides. The steady holding of his sword to your neck...

A man so strong and intelligent, the very first man deserving of your respect. You both smirk in challenge, he respects you, he sees you as a strong opponent… yet not before getting lost and having analyzed every inch, every curve, every part of you.

“Duel me” you mouth.

There is absolutely no difference in power and skill, each time your swords encounter, they collide, and you could swear even sparks fly from the edges. He fights with strength and intelligence. You do it with intelligence and strength.

Your mind is completely empty, his mind is too. You only focus on his movements and how the red tassel hanging from his grip appears similar to yours, before you both simultaneously commit the perfect cut to the other’s respective cords.

“I tied the sliced red tassel on my missing one, and he did the same with mine… it was our trophy… our acknowledgment of being equals. But soon…

“It turned into something else…” Law and you read at unison. Both of you look into each other's eyes, smiling, as the very first part of that strange diary satisfied something you have always wanted to read. But not only are you satisfied, but also curious and amazed. Law looks exactly like the painting and the description of the diary. That man must be related to him, it cannot be a coincidence.

But, it’s getting cold in the attic and you wanna keep reading even if your lips have turned a little blueish.

“Why don’t we take these to the living room, we can keep reading them there. You look cold” Law says, noticing you are indeed freezing up there. Leaving your pride aside, you agree with him and both of you go down the little stairs.

He prepares you hot cocoa and sits next to you. Outside the sky is turning dark, but he doesn't show any sign of wanting you to leave. What’s more, he takes a grey blanket that looks old as hell, yet clean, and puts it over your and his back.

The proximity with him feels a little too much, but still you are ok with it. The warmth of the blanket and his tattooed arms next to you makes you feel instantly relieved. “Thanks,” you whisper and nod as you take a sip of your drink.

“You are welcome, if you want we can order in,” he says, confirming he doesn’t want you to go any time soon. “Oh… ok,” you utter, perplexed. How did the grumpy man you met this morning turn into this nice companion? Law smiles at your thinking face, you are not talking but your eyes say it all.

“I’m not a bad guy after all, huh? What about some Chinese?”

You dig in as soon as the delivery guy arrives with your food. Some laughing and some noodles that traveled into your nose after, made you two feel in good company. You find out Law has a special smile when he feels at ease, and you wonder if it is because he likes you…

as much as you are starting to like him.

“I’m really curious about what’s coming next, aren’t you?” you ask, while Law is taking the dishes to the kitchen, and you follow him. “Uhum, me too. Let’s keep reading” he says, flashing a sweet smile to you. “Lord save me from this man,” you think, trying to kill every butterfly floating around your stomach.

After Law efficiently turned on the fireplace, you two sit in front of it over a few pillows. Law grabbed the diary once again and scanned the next pages. “Want me to read it? The next pages look as if it were written by another person,” he says, while you sit closer to him just to appreciate the fragile and worn pages that tattooed soft hands are holding. “Another person? Do you think is him? And please, do the honors...” you say, because his voice is like pure melody to your ears.

“Ok…

Chu-Han, Xian, Sanguo (3 Kingdoms), 208 AD, Winter - The first cup of tea I ever served to her,

I simply needed to speak to her, I wanted to. She was a mystery to me, I wanted to learn from her…”

He looks at her coming towards the prettiest and secluded tea house on his territory. Her clothes look different compared to the first encounter where blood stained her armor. Everybody looks at her as she walks, she is strong and intimidating, she carries the badge of the enemy… but also she looks beautiful, like a lotus flower.

His icy stare melts as she waves softly at him. “Trafalgar” she says. The sound of her voice mixes with the tinkling of her crescent moon hairpin.

“(Name)” he whispers, inviting his rival to take a seat on the cushion in front of him. Law immediately serves her a cup of tea trying to stop the subtle shaking in his hands…

“Law! Wait!” you shout, stopping him from reading. “What?” he asks, startled, because when he read, it felt as if he was almost living it in his mind. “Heh, sorry… but the moon pin” you say, pointing towards your head where Law has put it before.

He comes closer to you. So, so close you flinch a little. His subtle skin scent is once again invading your senses. Law inspects the hairpin on your head with a soft smirk, completely aware of the way you act when he gets closer to you.

“You are right, it must be the same…” he whispers, now looking at your eyes, noses almost touching. You swallow, his lips look so soft and tempting from there…

“Law…”

“Hum?”

to be continued ~

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