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borisbubbles · 15 days

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Eurovision 2023: #02 & #01 (Finale)

02. CZECHIA Vesna - "My sister's crown" 10th place

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Decade ranking: 5/116 [Above Daði Freyr, below Käärijä]

Finland over Czechia seems like a no-brainer. Some midcarding bitches vs ~K*Ä*Ä*R*I*J*Ä~ come on, how hard can it be? Who is Czechia even for?!

ME, motherfucker. This entry is for ME, and FOR ME ALONE!!! and since this is MY ranking, that made the decision very difficult. It took me MONTHS to settle who to put at the top.

Vesna are often cited as one of the more overrated acts in the year. Overrated by whom? Who overrates Vesna? Isn't 10th a correct placement? i've met NO ONE who would even consider putting them as high as second? - and I obv don't count since it took me AN ETERITY to out myself as a Vesna stan!!

I'd counter that Czechia are THE MOST UNDERRATED by the fandom (not by placement - that is Slovenia, as always) and absolutely deserved all the good things that happened to them ^_^

So obviously, there are multiple factors at work here. The song is a fantastic earworm. Like, defo one of the best in the year? In terms of sheer replayability, "My Sister's Crown" is on the same level as "Edgar" (studio only :-/) and "Carpe Diem", and you know how much I value those. The song has four languages (including Bulgarian) and none of them clash. The lyrics are quotable and fun. This is a track with ATTITUDE and ZEST, that managed to criticize the war in Ukraine without beating us over the head with it via a poorly hidden, clumsily written political message. The song is SMART, and respects its listeners.

LOVE'S NOT A MONEY BAG BLOOD'S ON YOUR GOD'S HANDS YOU CANNOT STEAL OUR SOULS

However, going into the year, there were issues - Vesna were messy and dissonant, and the six girls often gave the impression of competing against each other for attention. They were not a UNIT. Although "My Sister's Crown" was always one of the best songs, many (including myself!) were sceptical it could come together.

And it did, spectacularly.

See, one of the things about this year is that the good performances and good songs were often mismatched. Albania, Estonia and Poland had great on-stage glam-ups, but they were severely hampered by the songs being what they were. Other countries such as France and Austria had good songs, but required really good acts to tie them together, and failed or, in case of say UK, has good acts that were performed badly.

If you made a Venn Diagram between the best songs and the biggest growers, there wouldn't be much overlap. Except for Czechia.

To quote Matteo Lane's pearl of wisdom; if there's only ONE GAY, everything gets done! Ahmad Malloun was the One Gay and channeled his bossbottom energy to fuss Vesna into shape. Suddenly, the girls were harmonious and disciplined and that made all the difference. Suddenly, Czechia had an act with a clear vision - Six women united visually through their outfits. Vesna had become a UNIT, united through sisterhood.

SESTRO KRASIVA OI TI SILYNA HOROBRA JEDINA KORONA TVOJA

It really doesn't get mentioned nearly often enough how amazing the Czech staging was. Sure, Loreen and Käärijä, both top notch. But this is my personal favourite of the bunch. It's a visually stunning, avant garde act that fits the music, that fits the thematics, that pulls you in and tells a story without overtly complicating matters. They start as a group of angry hexaplets and then burst into joyful sororian rapture at the end. The staging is both aesthetically pleasing and intuitive. They hit the gold standard for acts that everyone should try to strive for!!

There are times where I wonder whether I really should rank Vesna above Käärijä. My Sister's Crown fully morphed into a me-coded entry. And perhaps, if and when I watch 2023 again, I may do exactly that. For now though, I've decided against it. The argument for Finland is less complicated, so I went with that. And now for the winner of this ranking I am sure NOBODY saw coming ever:

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01. FINLAND Käärijä - "Cha Cha Cha" 2nd place

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Decade ranking: 4/116 [Above Vesna, below Chanel]

It's Käärijä, bitch.

I rest my case for ranking Finland first. I don't think anyone argues this as invalid? Good, let's pick it all apart because if there's anything Käärijä deserves, it is being talked about. 😉

So um, where to start? Maybe it's best to start with the song - "Cha Cha Cha" was that rare 1-in-500 entry. I always say that novelty always tends to become stale over time - once in a blue moon however, it endures. "Cha Cha Cha" is a novelty song that is also an excellent song in its own right, and it stil holds up very well. It's a fun song to listen to, even without all the circus and theatrics.

The circus and theatrics though, omg <3 Talk about a DELECTABLE act, once again. This is yet again an example of how staging compliments the song and makes it digestible. Cha Cha Cha is entirely in Finnish with only a few loan words tossed in - difficult to get into on paper. The staging however, brings the plot points home.

The song's about wanting to overcome anxieties to dance? So break from the crates

Confront the inner Dance Demons that harass your psyche

make your way to the dancefloor while dodging decapitation via errant wires.

and then, when you overcome all fears transition to that godly, campy key chance, ride your them, having overcome your inhibitions.

AND I GALLAVANT ON THE FLOOR LIKE A CHA CHA CHA AND MY ANXIETIES HAVE NO GRIP ON ME NO MORE

The act is BRILLIANT. The ballroom dancers with their creepy pearly-whites, the dorkopotamus choreography, the styling, the overwhelming sense of triumph once the key change hits... It's the same deal as Vesna and Loreen, just a handful of visual cues that visualize the song's themes (anxiety, rather than sisterhood or desolation) are easy to understand and don't further complicate matters. THIS is how it's done. This is how you Eurovision.

The magical ingredient that tied it all together was the man, the dad bod, the bolero himself - Käärijä. Talk about a personality so massive everything gravitated towards him. It's hard to put the extent of his likeability into words - he's just so disarmingly himself. The key here is that Käärijä doesn't see himself as anything special. To him, he's just "boy from Vantaa who likes queen Loreen". He's just self-aware enough to realize the effect he has on others, but not self-aware enough to understand what exactly endears him to so many people. So when Käärijä plays up for funsies, he magnifies all aspects of his personality which makes him... even more endearing. 😍

(it's the same magic dust that has people flock to Baby Lasagna this year, really.)

It's rare to have a contestant who managed to completely warp the meta around him to this extent. It's even more rare that the contestant in this position then loses the competition. I remember telling my friend André, who was behind on NF news, that Käärijä had won UMK, and he replied with an innocuous "great, I haven't been this excited for a contestant since Verka!". I think I realize in that moment, that was to be Käärij��'s destiny. Verka was the Hot Favourite in their year, the breakout star of 2007 - and Verka placed second to a more competent entry (Molitva <3). It was in that moment that I knew that Käärijä's inevitable fate was to come second to Loreen.

And I feel like, we all knew deep down that was where we were headed. We all wanted Käärijä to win as much as we did, because we knew that he would not. He was blissfully cruising towards a loss, and that was too much of an injustice to accept it and not manifest a reality where he beats Sweden.

It even got to a point where some people are now retroactively trying push the notion Tattoo is better than Euphoria (that statement is more offensive than anything I've ever commited to print or speech, including the one time I called Lesley Roy frumpy on cam <3) and the best entry ever (excuse you?) largely because it beat Cha Cha Cha.

So if Käärijä is this great, then why the doubt? Why only fourth for the decade (for the moment)?

Well, it's same deal as Cornelia for me. The best live of Cha Cha Cha that we received was the first one, at UMK, and every other performance we've had since then was not as good. The one in Eurovision had terrible vocals and slightly less impressive staging compared to UMK. I know right? The ESC staging did MORE and yet accomplished LESS. They got rid of all the wrestling references? Where's the close-up at the end? The arena? THE LIFT?

Sure, these inaccuracies didn't detract from my personal enjoyment of Cha Cha Cha. They however did allow for Käärijä to fall behind far enough behind Loreen in the jury vote so that he could no longer catch up with her in the televote, like a death by a thousand paper cuts.

It was a great live, but it wasn't great enough to win. Eurovision Käärijä was not Käärijä at his best, while Vesna without question gave their best performance in the Grand Final. Hence my doubts.

However, I ultimately went with Käärijä anyway because he did something Vesna could not - he gave a concert in my city, and I attended. HE MADE ME LEAVE THE HOUSE AFTER DARK. And god, if you've not been to a Käârijä gig before, absolutely fucking go if you're able to - IT'S CRAZY IT'S PARTY is the perfect catchphrase for this hyperactive, sexually amorphous, adorkable gremlin.

He was his unadulterated self, slapping his belly only vaguely aware of his sex appeal, swooning over a group of Slovene attendees because they reminded him of The Love Of His Life Bojan Cveticanin, ripping one of his merch t-shirts in half and then wearing it as a jacket, airdiving a wayward balloon that floated its way on the stage. The music was also excellent. Exposed to to the FULL scope of Käärijäness, made all the good memories of the 2023 preshow flow back, how could I not rank him anywhere other than first? Maybe I will change my mind and rank Vesna first in a few years from now, but for now, let's savour him while he's still fresh in our minds.

REMINDER THAT THE 2024 ROSTER IS GREAT LARGELY THANKS TO KÄÄRIJÄ.

REMINDER THAT HE WOULD SO WIN ANY FUTURE EUROVISION IF HE WANTED TO:

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(May I just name this as my fave song from the 2024 nf season MAY I????*)

He WAS 2023. He WAS Eurovision.

He may have lost the contest, but he has won life. (and paid his taxes.)

ALL RISE FOR THE BEST ACT OF 2023!

The RANKING (completed)

"Novo, Bolje" was my fave 2024 NF also-ran. Obv.

ADDENDUM: ABOUT ESC2024

Yeah, obviously i'm not going to do a pre-show ranking. With all the poison and controversy going on, it's just not the right time. I delayed this ranking specificially so that I wouldn't be temped to do the 2024 one later. (Unlike a certain broadcasting institution, I possess a modest amount of insight, foresight and self-awareness. 🙂 )

Hopefully, ESC 2024 goes down without too many incidents, and I'll able to start my post-show ranking the week after the Grand Final.

See you there, hopefully, if Eurovision isn't dead and buried by then! 💚

#Eurovision 2023 #ESC 2023 #ESC #Eurovision #Eurovision Song Contest #Eurovision2023 #BorisBubbles #Vesna #My Sister's Crown #Czechia #Finland #Käärijä #Cha Cha Cha

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brf-rumortrackinganon · 4 days

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Do you really think Meghan actually wants to make and sell products? And that she wants to create a brand that has a real marketable potential?

Everything we have seen so far, right from 2O12/13, when she first hit some recognition with with suits, all she has ever wanted was to famous. And by association, be known as beautiful, desirable, intelligent and high value.

All her ventures were geared towards increasing her own social capital - the people she knew, the places she was seen at, what she wore, what she used, the activities she did as leisure, her knowledge of all things fine, elite, luxury.

All financial benefits she recieved were though her social capital. She did not undertake any activity that would add to her craft as an actor, which she apparently has a degree in. No auditions, no plays, no training workshops, no new longterm projects, no producer gigs or interests even after she had some financial security etc

Even the Tig was more like documenting an extended luxury vacation. All her focus was geared towards finding a rich guy with a luxury lifestyle, to settle down with. Her long term plans did not include acting, getting better projects or stable long-term business ventures.

And for all intents and purposes, she seems to have got what she wanted. We may side-eye her that she bagged Harry of all the rich eligible men she could find, we may even question her quality of life. But, she seems to be living it up pretty good.

She is miles from where she was. Harry is bringing in all the money and even if they go broke, that is never make money from their ventures, Harry's BRF connection is always the backup plan. At least financially.

She gets to live is a huge place, she is back in LA. She only ever wears designer wear. Everything she does is scrutinized and talked about, good or bad. She gets entry into places and circles she could never have imagined herself in.

Al she wants is be in special shows or docuntaries where she is the centre of attention. So she will never do a show about a charity or something. The money will keep coming in.

And a divorce settlement is always a viable option. Plus Harry is the one who has made a fool of himself infront of everyone that cared about him.

So, I don't think she cares about what products she seels, whether they could have long term money making potential etc.

She is living her dream life. And the past 7 years have only fuelled her entitlement.

So, I don't think she cares if Roop fails. Or the products are stupid.

Meghan wants to be so fabulously filthy rich and famous she never has to work again in her life. She thinks she is literally just one idea away from having it all, and we know that about her because the second she realizes it's not working, she bails.

Just look at her track record:

2011: Producer Wife

2012 - 2013: Suits

2014: Lifestyle influencer (The Tig) and humanitarian activist (Ice Bucket Challenge)

2015: Foodie

2016: Humanitarian activist (March), Tennis fan (June/July), Royal girlfriend (November)

2017: Better than Kate (January), Health/Beauty influencer (April/May), Royal almost-fiancee (June/July), Africa (August), Duchess Material (Sept/Oct), Royal rulebreaker (Nov/Dec)

2018: Shy Di (Feb/Mar), Bride (Apr/May), Country Girl (June - Aug), Global Superstar Di (Sept/Oct), New Young Mother (Nov - May 2019)

2019: New Young Mother (continued), Feminist Who Supports and Inspires Women (summer), Nobody Asked Me If I'm OK (Sept/Oct), Glam Military Wife (Nov)

2020: Protecting My Peace (January), Revenge Tour (March), Helping the Hungry Because Everyone Else Is (April), New Young Mother Again (May), Black Lives Matter (summertime), Author and Content Creator (autumn), Hot Military Wife and Nobody Asked Me If I'm OK Part 2: Miscarriage Edition (Nov)

2021: New Young Mother Part 3 (February), Still Protecting My Peace (March), Lilibet (June), The Bench, Humanitarian Activist and Time Magazine cover model (Sept/Oct)

2022: We're Still Royals Platinum Jubilee edition (springtime), Podcaster/Socialite (July/August), We're Still Royals Mini-tour edition (pre-HLM September), Grieving Granddaughter-in-Law (September), Humanitarian Activist and Netflix Superstars (December)

2023: We're Still Royals Coronation edition (March through May), Di-Chased-By-Paparazzi-in-New York (May/June), WME Superstar (June), Author and Content Creator (July/Aug/September), Hot Military Wife Dusseldorf Edition (Sept/Oct), Red Carpet Fashion Superstar (autumn)

2024: We're Still Royals Invictus Games in Canada Edition (February), Goop Wannabe (March), Duchy Originals Wannabe (April)

#ask #sussexes #theories #pr shenanigans

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thecourtesanschateau · 2 years

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the assessment.

hair - is always well kept with a soft sheen, almost always long at least cleavage length. hairstyles are simple, usually long and flowing (either straight, wavy or loosely curled). hair extensions are probably added.

skin - clear. flawless with a soft glow grooming - immaculate. eyebrows plucked and arched to perfection, lash extensions, fillers. here's something i noticed about their nails and makeup that i didn't expect:

their makeup, while it was usually a "full face" or applied "heavy" at times, was almost always in neutral or natural colors. lips were shades of pink,nude,browns or red. same thing with eyeshadow. it was never any colors like purple, blue and it was also never "loud" or extravagant. i guess the best way to describe this would be "soft glam".

as far as nails go, it was pretty much the same. shades of white, light pinks (i didn't see too many dark/hot pinks, rarely was there any color (i noticed that if there was, they were usually on vacation or it was around halloween or a special event), the boldest was either a red nail or various versions of french manicures.

body - slim/slender or hwp with average to big breasts (implants). something else i noticed is that while a lot of these girls may be naturally skinny they still go to the gym and workout. there is a difference between being naturally slim and being fit and toned. these girls definitely prefer to be fit and very toned, especially when it comes to their legs and stomachs. preferred workouts are cardio and pilates.

this wasn't shown a lot but from what i did gather, these women eat healthy 75% of the time (if not more). supplements, vitamins and protein powder were apart of their fitness/workout regimes. it seems like everyone has a sweet tooth though. favorite indulgences where chocolate and desserts from restaurants.

teeth - perfection. hollywood smiles. bright white.

wardrobe - i would call this elegant yet very stylish. quite a bit of lace, fur, and ruffles. i noticed that the color palette skewed slightly more towards neutral colors: white, black, nudes, beiges, light/baby pinks, light greys and light brown (usually in the fall/winter). when they did wear color (which was often) i realized that it was because they were promoting/modeling clothes. when it seemed that they were wearing their own clothes, it was usually with a more neutral palette.

when colors were worn, the two forefronts were deep blue and hot pink. other colors such as orange, yellow, green, etc seem to be usually worn during mid summer or on tropical vacations.

jeans are rarely worn. when pants or shorts are worn (and this is rare as well just not as rare as denim) it's usually apart of a 2 pc set or paired with a silk/satin/lace shirt.

solid colors were still in the majority but as far as patterns go, the main one was floral, then the versace baroque print and some animal print, also there was plaid but almost only when worn with tweed (usually a tweed suit, jacket or blazer) and it was almost always accessorized with a chanel brooch, chanel jewelry or a purse, or pearl jewelry.

accessories - always designer (unless they were modeling someone else's designs), the 3 major designer purses were louis vuitton, chanel and hermes. and honorable mention is the lady dior bag. other accessories were sunglasses, luxury jewelry mainly cartier and vancleef and arpels, watches were rolex or patek and of course diamonds are a girl's best friend.

when it came to shoes, this was the exception to the rule. shoes were in various colors and styles and embellishments. and it was usually heels. heels. and more heels. sneakers were worn sparingly and usually only at the gym or while shopping. flats were usually worn on at the beach (or a beach club) or while shopping. flats of choice are the hermès orans and the sneakers of choice are chanel.

it seems as if the clothes don't need to come from saks, bergdorfs, etc. but my guess is that they do need to be made well and of quality. also baggy/loose clothes are hardly ever worn unless it's a sweater; form fitting clothes are preferred. dresses and skirts are worn wayyyy more than pants.

lifestyle - i'm going to keep this short because it should be pretty obvious: these women only associate with rich, generous men. they have a tendency to go after men that really love the feminine, slightly sexy look. and the men in their life are most definitely sponsoring their lifestyle. if the woman is new to the game, the man will be introducing her to the luxury life, if she's been in it a while he will be keeping her at the level she is accustomed to at minimum or taking her higher.

they are always eating at upscale restaurants, going to events, sunbathing on yachts and traveling to the hottest vacation destinations around the world: maldives, monaco, mykonos, etc.

in their world it's either luxury or nothing. and if you want her to be apart of your world you better be able to afford her.

this is the aesthetic and lifestyle i am aiming for.

#hypergamy #high maintenance #high value woman #hypergamous black women

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princessofdarkness21 · 10 months

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(TRIGGER WARNING/TW FOR THIS ENTIRE POST GUYS) Dee angst for @anomalocaris-enthustist

<3 Dee is battling an eating disorder. We see him skip breakfast in one episode, and we also see him skip lunch to blackmail another kid at his school and pathetically attempt to “save” Heavy from gopher. His parents also threw a lunch bag at Heavy but it didn’t show them giving one to Dee??? Hmm that was weird of his parents. it’s suspicious that we really never see him actually eat

<3 Dee cuts… he always wears jeans and boots even when other characters are wearing shorts and he wears leather bracelets that he never takes off. Even in Heavy’s insta when they’re wearing “Halloween costumes” or got into Glam’s old rock clothes, Dee is wearing the same bracelets. And then when asked how he deals with everything? He hesitates for a second looks at his wrists, then simply states, “I have my methods.”

<3 Dee longs so desperately for his father’s approval. As we see in the show, he’s loved by his teacher at school and is almost worshipped as the smartest in the class. He performs well on every test. He doesn’t get the validation he wants from Glam so he looks to get it from his teacher instead. I feel like although Dee makes it seem like it comes easy to him, it doesn’t. I imagine little sticky notes about the collapse of the Byzantine Empire in his copy of Lord of the Rings, hours spent lying awake late at night thinking about the next unit, a pristine looking textbook for school and one with demented scribbles all over it to study at home. Music doesn’t come easy for Dee, sure, but if Glam nurtured it instead of rejecting that Dee has any talent at all, Dee might’ve been as good at guitar as he is at school.

<3 Dee is bullied at school. Not just by Chipmunk but by other kids as well. He always tries to be a hero and protect Heavy when Heavy gets in fights, but I feel like he may be bullied just in general when Heavy is not involved as well. I also have a theory where Dee sneaks out of the window at night because he has made “deals” with kids who would bully Heavy, but they leave Heavy alone in exchange for Dee going to meet them at night instead. Maybe sometimes they would be satisfied just beating Dee up, or sometimes they’ll ask him to steal things for them… the possibilities are endless

<3 Dee hates being looked at, maybe due to not liking his appearance. We see he averts his eyes when Lif looks directly at him, and he is outright mean to Diane when she stares for too long. He’s just very insecure about himself.

<3 Dee struggles with anxiety and depression. He just has the vibes for it

<3 Glam and Vicky focus so much on Heavy because he’s younger and such a handful that they forget Dee is still growing too. I’ve noticed they tend to treat Heavy more like an actual kid, but whenever Dee is involved they seem to treat him like an adult. For example, when they told Glam on separate occasions that he’d been summoned to school, Glam’s reaction to Heavy was just an “ok :)!” But when Dee came in Glam was surprised and disappointed like, “Oh… it’s you, Dee :(.” And it may be because they expect Dee to be more mature but they’re always harsher with him. Like when Dee doesn’t go to school bc he has a field trip first period and Vicky immediately starts yelling, but a few episodes later Heavy gets to skip school on the day of an important test for his birthday

(also guys making it clear that i don’t headcanon glam or Vicky as abusive. I think they both have trauma and they’re trying their best to overcome it and honestly the way they treat Dee is a pretty common dynamic some parents fall into. Although I do think they should maybe try to make up for their mistakes at some point)

#metal family #dee metal family #I hope you guys like this #I know it doesn’t seem like much #I’m better at fluffy stuff so a surprising amount of rewatching the show went into this #Also I just feel like dees parents overlook him sometimes

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redqueenphoenix · 7 months

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Comic-Con (A TWD One Shot)

Comic-Con

(A TWD Fan Fiction)

I do not own any of the rights to The Walking Dead, nor do I own any of the characters mentioned from here on in, other than Veronica Strauss. Some situations have been changed and some people may have been switched in this alternate universe.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan x Female OC

Word Count: 2416

~*~

Veronica looked down at her cell phone as she put her earrings on. She knew that she had to be getting out the door in a hurry. She was scheduled at a comic-con panel for The Walking Dead and time was running out for her to get ready.

There was a knock on the door of her hotel room door as a security team member called into her. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah.” She grabbed her bag and headed for the door. Veronica was dressed in a form fitting maroon colored dress that struck her mid thigh with a little glitz and glam. Wearing the earring and necklace that was left in her hotel room by a co-star. One last look in the mirror she adjusted her ponytail that held her long, red curls back. Pulling open the door she was met by her security team. To her they were a bit much, but she quickly became a fan favorite upon her debut in the show.

Benny, her main security guard that drove her to most of her events, smiled at her. “I can’t believe this is the last season. Are you excited about this panel?”

“Yeah, but I am also a bit sad. I will miss all my co-stars. They have become like family.”

Benny nodded as he brought his radio up to his face, “Miss. Strauss is on the move. Heading to the car now.”

The radio popped back, “Morgan is on the move too.”

“Alright see you there.” Benny said as he motioned for Veronica to walk with him. They made their way down a private elevator into the basement garage of the motel. Her eyes looked around the parking garage and smiled as she saw Jeffrey Dean Morgan heading to his car with his security team.

Benny nodded to her as he held the door open for Veronica, allowing her to settle into the back of the car.

As she settled in her phone gently vibrated, spreading a mile wide smile across her lips.

“You seem pretty composed after last night, Kitten.”

Blush crept onto her face as she looked down at her screen, “I may have had one too many drinks, but I assure you, Jeffrey, I’m fine.”

“I’ll take that as you had fun.”

Veronica laughed as she closed the text message thread. She leaned back in the car as Benny drove down the street to the Civic Center.

“We’re about to pull in with Team Saviors.” He said over his radio.

“Are you referring to us as ‘Team Saviors?’ Lord, I would hate to hear everyone else's codes.” She laughed as they pulled to a stop right behind the car that was bringing Jeffrey Dean Morgan to the event.

Benny got out of the driver's seat and came around the car to help her out as the fans screamed and took photos.

Veronica moved to the other side of the car to get out as Benny opened the door. Her eyes went up as soon as she noticed that it wasn’t Benny’s hand that reached in for her. The very familiar tattoos of Jeffrey’s hand sent blush straight to her cheeks as he helped her out of the car.

A shit eating grin played on his face at her reaction. “That’s quite a lovely color. And you wear my jewelry wonderfully.” He chuckled as he placed a hand on her back as they walked between the ropes that kept the fans at bay. Stopping to take photos, mingle and sign autographs.

As soon as they entered the Civic center they were met with a few of their fellow co-stars lined up to head out to the panel.

She could hear the crowd cheering as the announcer, Chad Hardwick, began introducing the cast to walk out to the panel seating.

“You know them as Rick and Carl. Please welcome to the stage: Andrew Lincoln and Chandler Riggs.” The crowd roared to life as they stepped out onto the stage.

“The unexpected friends of the group, Euguene and Princess: Josh McDermitt and Paola Lázaro.”

“The couple that’s not a couple but should be, Daryl and Carol: Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride.” The pair walked out smiling as they waved to the group.

“The unstoppable force known as Maggie: Lauren Cohan.” She smiled as she stepped out waving back at Veronica and Jeffrey.

Jeffrey smiled as he placed his baseball bat, Lucille, on his shoulder and motioned for a microphone before they could be announced.

“You ready, darlin?” Jeffrey smiled at her as he prepared to walk with her out the doors.

“Yeah.” She smiled back as she kissed his cheek. No one on the cast knew that they had been secretly seeing each other since their debut together. Which made for some interesting encounters for both of them.

“Please welcome the duo you love to hate. Negan and Victoria: Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Veronica Strauss.” The crowd went wild. So loud that it was almost deafening as they opened the doors for them to walk out.

“Are we pissin’ our pants yet?” Jeffrey said into the microphone as they began to walk out. He hooked his arm around the end of Lucille so he could balance her on his shoulder while he still held the microphone. Placing his free hand on the small of Veronica’s back.

“You can breathe, you can blink, you can fuckin’ cry. Oh hell you’re all going to be doing that!” He laughed as he switched hands with the microphone and pointed Lucille over the crowd. “Vicky, darlin’ any one of these shits stand out to you?”

Veronica walked behind the panel and stopped behind Melissa McBride and raised her hands, causing the crowd to cheer. Then she moved down the line to Norman Reedus. Before she could raise her hands for the cheer, Norman turned around and wrapped her into a tight hug.

After the crowd settled down the pair made their way to their seats. Sitting at the end, Veronica was smack dab between Jeffrey Dean Morgan and her best friend Paola Lázaro.

She laughed as Norman came down to them with his cell phone taking pictures of himself with everyone like he was one of the fan girls in the crowd.

Finally Norman sat down and Chad Hardwick started talking, Veronica’s mind started to drift to the night before. Noticing, Jeffrey smiled as his foot nudged over to her.

He leaned over to whisper in Veronica’s ear as Paola’s eyes went wide next to her. “I know last night was fun, but focus, Kitten. There’ll be time for that later.”

Blush stained her cheeks as she turned back to the crowd. Attempting to bring her focus back to the panel.

“...and the dinner scene, even though we were all laughing it was really emotional.” Paola spoke into her microphone beside her.

“The amount of takes we had to do because we all started tearing up was starting to annoy the camera men.” Josh McDermitt added with a laugh.

Chad Hardwick looked down the panel table as he spoke, “So were Carol and Daryl’s ending scenes scripted or did you guys actually cry?”

Melissa McBride chuckled as she looked at Norman, “Do we have to answer this one?”

The whole panel laughed along with the crowd at her answer.

“She started crying and that made me emotional. Thank god the camera switched to the back of us cuz by the end of it she had me in tears too.” Norman smiled as he grabbed his water bottle.

“Admit it, we all cried at least once in the last days of shooting.” Lauren Cohan spoke with nostalgia.

“Well, that brings me to my next question. Some of you will be seen in new spin offs of the show. I know that Lauren, Jeffrey and Veronica will be reunited in The Walking Dead: Dead City here soon. Are you all excited about that?”

Veronica smiled as she moved towards her microphone, “I’m personally excited to see how this one pans out. Victoria Hawkins meant a lot to me to play and I can’t wait to step back into her shoes.”

“The three of us coming together in character is more of a need than a fear between them now. They each have a reason for why they are in this.” Lauren looked down to Veronica and Jeffrey.

“I like that. It’s more of a need than a fear. We’re getting those made into bumper stickers guys!” Jeffrey laughed as his hand went to go over the top of Veronica’s.

“I can’t wait to see how that show plays out with you three. It’s sure to be explosive!” Chad laughed as he turned back to his cards. “So we have time for a few fan questions.”

A young man dressed as a walker came up to the microphone with a nervous smile, “So my question is for Lauren, Jeffrey and Veronica. Since your characters have a shaky past with each other on The Walking Dead, does that impact your friendship in real life?”

Lauren laughed as Jeffrey looked at the two women with a shocked look.

“No, we are really good friends outside of the Walking Dead Universe.” Veronica chuckled as she smiled.

“All I can say is watch the bloopers reel on the DVD’s, you can see how many times we all broke character cuz we are all such good friends.” Jeffrey laughed as his arm snaked around the back of Veronica’s chair.

“I broke character because you two are so darn funny.” Lauren laughed as she looked down at the two, “You made it hard to work sometimes.”

Paola chimed in, “they really do.” The crowd started laughing.

Chad pointed out another fan to come to the microphone, this woman had blonde hair with red tips and dressed like she was at a funeral. “My question is for Jeffrey. Would I be able to take you out?”

His eyebrows furrowed together with a smirk crossing his lips, “like to dinner? On a date? With a sniper rifle?”

“Well since you offered it, maybe a date?” The girl dared to ask.

Jeffrey felt Veronica tense up a bit at her question and he glanced at her with a grin. “I have to politely decline. I’m already seeing someone.”

The room exploded in gasps including the panel. His response rocked the room in shock.

“What the hell?!” Norman Reedus blurted out, “Now's not the time to talk about us.”

Jeffrey laughed and smiled widely as the room all started buzzing about his comment. “Sorry, Norman, your cuddles just ain't cutting it anymore. I’m breaking up the bromance.”

Norman gasped and acted like he was heartbroken as the crowd hung on their every word.

The goth girl went back to her seat as an older guy stepped to the microphone. “Hey there, my name is Matt and my question is for Veronica. First off I want to say your dynamic and chemistry with Jeffrey on set was phenomenal. Was the intimate scenes with Jeffrey awkward? Like I bet they are now knowing he’s seeing someone.” The guy chuckled.

Veronica blushed deep red as he finished his question while Jeffrey chuckled looking over at her and leaning into the microphone.

“Well, Veronica, was it awkward?” His tone was playful as he smirked at her remembering the night before.

Veronica took a deep breath and smiled, “I didn't think they were. I actually enjoyed them a lot.”

The crowd cheered, making ohh and ahh sounds as they watched the pair. Paola even joined the group next to her.

“Hey now! This panel is getting a little spicy!” Melissa McBride moved up to her microphone.

“Now is that why you two were late to a couple shootings, because you were practicing?” Chandler Riggs chimed in with a chuckle.

This time Jeffrey turned a shade of red alongside Veronica.

“And I wasn’t Invited!” Norman called from down the table.

Andrew Lincoln laughed as he blurted out, “Don’t feel bad I wasn't invited either!”

Veronica began giggling in embarrassment as the group joked with them.

Jeffrey’s face suddenly went serious as he turned to Veronica, leaning in and whispering into her ear, “follow me.” He extended his hand to her as he stood up.

Her eyes went wide as she took his hand, helping her out of the seat. Leading her towards the front of the panel table while holding a microphone in his other hand. Getting to the middle of the table, so that their co-stars could see along with the crowd.

Brining the microphone to his lips he smiled, “I think it’s time to blow it out the water. Four years of working with you and you are just as beautiful as the day I first met you. Veronica. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner for Negan than you.” His hand dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box causing the room to roar with cheers. He dropped down to his knee, “four years of seeing you in secret, but now I want the world to know. Will you be my wife?”

Veronica blinked a few times as she stared at the ring in the box.

“Well, if you’re not gonna answer…” Norman laughed as he started to act like he was gonna climb over the table.

“Yes.” Her answer was not heard due to her not having a microphone.

Norman wasn’t having it not be heard as he sat down on the table and yanked his microphone from the table. Holding it to her lips and motioning his hand for her to say it again.

“Yes, Jeffrey, a million times yes.” She exclaimed as he slipped the ring onto her finger and embraced her.

Out in the crowd two younger guys dressed as Sam and Dean Winchester yelled over the crowd, “GO DAD!”

Jeffrey kissed Veronica with a chuckle, then turned to the crowd. Squinting looking for the boys who called out. “Sam, Dean. I told you both to wait at the hotel!”

The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter as the panel came around the table to congratulate them.

#fan fiction #ao3 #negan #the walking dead #writer #twd negan #twd fanfiction #negan fanfiction #negan smith #Walking Dead Cast #jeffrey dean morgan #Jeffrey Dean Morgan Fanfic

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istorkyou · 1 year

Text

The Price Of Love (Modern!Ivar AU)

A Modern!Ivar x F Reader

Warnings - See individual chapters. STRICTLY 18+

Synopsis - Money isn’t everything.

Word Count - 3229

Note - This is the second fic I ever wrote and I’m not sure why I never posted it. I think I started writing The Arrangement not long after and kind of fell out of love with this one. Still, it’s been festering in my completed docs for well over a year so I figure I might as well post it 😬 It’s fluffy, and maybe a little cheesy (and by a little I mean a lot!) so if that’s your bag I hope you enjoy it!

Moodboard - The beautiful moodboard is made the magical, amazing @serasvictoria. Thank you so much xxxx

This was beta read by my aussie wife who has left Tumblr. All love, all the time Lou x

Tag List - Let me know if you want on or off :)@smears-and-spots @punkrocknpearls @youbloodymadgenius @momowhoo @zuxiezendler @not-another-viking-fanfic-blog @ivar-s-my-brat-tamer @pieces-by-me @heavenly1927 @berryonasummerevening @synnersaint @out-of-the-box-and-into-alchemy @petite-hime @serasvictoria @mimiiinspace @itsmysticalmystery @lonewolf471 @mylifeisactuallyamess @draculasbride-blog @love-all-things-writing @southernbe @redhead7799 @kaybee87 @ivarlover @ivarhoegh @idgafiamallthefandoms @darkphoenix5037 @profoundtyrantharmony @snarling-through-our-smiles @crazyunsexycool @xceafh @bragisrunes@noway4u @batmandallyboy @complicatedbutrare @readsalot73 @meandmycherrytree @mymindfuckery

Masterpost

CHAPTER 14

The morning of the ball you are a bag of nerves.

“Y/N, I’ve done something and I don't want any protests because it’s done now and I can’t undo it.” Ivar's warning tone is surprising.

Your eyes narrow suspiciously. “What have you done, Ivar?”

“I may have arranged for a hair stylist and a makeup artist to come here to get you ready for the ball. Please don’t take it the wrong way like I think you aren’t capable of doing it yourself, I just wanted to pamper you a bit, try and take off some of the pressure. Ok?” His face is pulled in apprehension.

You walk to him and throw your arms around his neck.

“Oh thank fuck, thank you so much, Ivar! I’ve been so worried about doing my own hair and I was kicking myself that I hadn’t booked in anywhere. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” You cover his face in kisses.

His face is so proud it’s adorable.

—————————————-

The glam team gets to his apartment and immediately starts discussing what to do for you. You show them the dress.

“I had an idea for hair earlier, I was thinking soft waves, like a 40s siren. With bright red lips?” You show them some pictures.

“Perfect. Classic. Love it,” shouts Caleb and he starts moving your hair into the shape in the photo.

“Yes, I’ve the perfect shade of red for your skin tone, we will do a less bold eye with statement winged liner” Jasmine, the makeup artist says excitedly.

They get to work right away.

Esmé even comes over a bit later in the day to make sure everything with the dress is ok.

“I feel like I’m heading off to the bloody Oscars,” you huff out a laugh at the three of them.

“You bloody look like you are,” Caleb retorts.

“It’s an important social event, Y/N,” Esmé tells you.

“Not as important as Pizza Sundays with the girls, which you must come to by the way. Sadie says she knows you and she asked me to ask you to come if I saw you again,” you tell Esmé, a little blush forms on her face at the mention of Sadie. You grin at her. It’s the same blush Sadie had when you mentioned you’d met Esmé.

“Sounds great, I would love to.”

When you are all ready you slip on Aslaug's heels and look at yourself in the mirror. You barely recognise yourself. Jesus Christ, I actually look hot. Legitimately hot. Ivar is going to be so proud to be seen with me.

Caleb, Jasmine and Esmé act like your own personal hype men which gives you the confidence to go and show Ivar. The three of them pack up and head for the elevator shouting out to Ivar that he is in for a treat.

You leave Ivar’s room, looking forward to his reaction.

He is waiting for you as you round the corner into the living room area.

His mouth drops open. He’s deliberately chosen to not see your dress and has not been in the bedroom all afternoon, so this is the first time seeing you in anything like this.

“See, baby, you can polish a turd.” you joke and laugh at yourself.

He just stares at you. Mouth wide open. Eyes roaming all over you.

You do a little twirl and look at him over your shoulder, letting him see your naked back with the line of jewels running down your spine. He groans at the sight of you, covering his mouth and rubbing his chin. You spin back round to face him.

“Say something, Ivar. I’m getting uncomfortable with you just staring at me!”

“We can't go,” he says seriously. “It’s a bad look for the CEO to be walking around with a raging hard on all night.” You burst out laughing at his words.

“I can’t even help you with it, I can’t mess up my makeup or hair!” You tell him from under your lashes.

“You are breathtaking. You are stunning. You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. None of these words are doing you justice, Y/N.”

You eyes sweep over him in his tuxedo. “You look incredible in that tux, sexy as fuck” you walk to him but he steps away.

“Just let me look at you for a bit longer. My god, what did I do in a previous life to deserve you?” His voice is nothing but sincere.

You huff out a laugh at him. “Probably the same thing I did to deserve you,” you walk to him and cup his cheek, “we better get going.” His face is dazed. “Ivar, snap out of it, we need to go,” you laugh at him.

“Ok, but you have to walk in front of me all night so I can admire the view,” his voice is predatory now.

“Deal.”

“Oh, Sadie sent me some cufflinks, can you do them up for me?” He holds out the box. Two cufflinks with your initials engraved on one and his initial engraved on the other.

“You don’t have to wear those, Ivar,” you tell him, you wonder if he is doing it for Sadies sake.

“I fucking do, I love them,” holding his arms out for you to help him.

———————————————————

You navigate the red carpet quickly, you spend a couple of minutes being photographed with Ivar, it’s so disorientating. People are shouting your names and you need to get out of the flashes so you whisper to Ivar you are going to head inside to the party, he gives you a kiss and the flashes go wild. You hurry inside leaving Ivar to it. You head to the bar quickly, and order an old fashioned. Your hands are shaking.

Hvitserk finds you trying to steady your nerves.

“Y/N, so nice to finally meet you in person, not just on FaceTime! I feel like I know you already the amount of time Ivar spends talking about you,” he smiles at your cringing face. “How was the red carpet?”

“Fucking horrific. I’m shaking!” You exclaim. You show him your trembling hand and he takes it in his.

“It gets easier, promise. You look amazing, by the way. Ivar has been smitten with you since you first met, as was Ubbe, I can see why,” he gives a smile, “I’m pleased that Ivar was the one, Y/N. He deserves happiness, and it’s clear you give him that.” You give him a look of genuine appreciation and a peck on the cheek.

“Get off her,” Ivar's voice is joking behind his brother “I refuse to let another Lothbrok man kiss my girl.” You both spin to him, Hvitserk puts both hands up and smirks at Ivar.

“Baby, just a heads up. Freydis is here, she just came up to me on the carpet and there were pictures taken.” He looks so angry that it makes you chuckle.

“Meh, don’t worry about it,” you shrug.

“Two old fashioneds please.” Ivar asks the bartender, giving you a wink.

“How has you being polite become an ‘in’ joke for us?” You laugh.

—————————————————

The night is surprisingly fun. The music is good and Ivar asks you to dance when a slow song comes on.

He leads you to the dance floor and pulls you close to him, one hand entwined with yours and the other hand slides down from the nape of your neck coming to rest on the small of your back.

It’s almost as though you are the only people in this ballroom, but you quickly become aware of the eyes on you and he must feel the tension in your body.

“Just ignore everyone, love. Don't worry about the eyes, it’s just you and me. Like it always is, like it always will be. They don’t matter.” His voice is so reassuring that you relax into him.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispers in your ear, “Thank you so much for coming with me tonight. I used to dread these things but now I have you, it’s enjoyable. I love you.” Your heart skips a beat and you kiss him on his cheek.

“I love you, Ivar.” You can feel his smile against your cheek.

“Baby, we can’t stop dancing until my boner goes down.” He says quietly, making you throw your head back in laughter.

———————

Ivar has to go and mingle with the guests and you head towards the restrooms.

Aslaug catches your eye as you walk through the event and beckons you over. She gives you a kiss on the cheek.

“Y/N. Stunning, sensational, classic.” She tells you, you spin around to show her the necklace.

“Perfect, very you,” she winks and you laugh. You chat for a few minutes then you head off to use the bathroom.

You couldn’t have picked a more awkward time. Freydis is standing, reapplying her lipstick in the mirror.

You use the toilet and come out to wash your hands. She is still standing looking in the mirror.

“Oh hello. Nice to meet the woman who stole my boyfriend,” she spits the words at you.

You turn to look behind you for dramatic effect, you know she’s speaking about you. You let out a massive sigh. “We both know that’s not true. You weren't together.”

“Well we would have been if it wasn’t for you. He’s just slumming it with you for a bit then will come back to the calibre of woman he deserves.” She goes back to applying her lipstick with a satisfied look on her face.

You scoff and turn to leave, but you can’t let her rudeness slide.

“You think you are better than me, why is that?” You walk to her side and face her. She shifts uncomfortably.

“You aren't a patch on me. You don’t move in the same circles as us. He needs someone more accomplished than you,” she says patronisingly, looking you up and down.

“How are you accomplished?” You ask genuinely.

“I am on the board of charities, I have raised huge amounts of money.” She looks so self satisfied it irks you.

“Freydis, that’s amazing, genuinely, but you are able to do that because you were born into an incredibly wealthy family. You haven’t had to make your own way in the world. Do you even pay for your own house, car, clothes, food? Don’t get me wrong, good for you, I am not hating on you, but don’t for one second think you are better than me because of it. You are just luckier than me because of it.” Your tone is light as you explain your view to her, her face is shocked.

You go to leave but turn back to her, “Ivar and I are in love, I’m sorry if you like him and that hurts your feelings, but that’s the reality of it.”

A fleeting expression of sadness crosses her face. You give her a quick sympathetic squeeze on her hand and leave.

——————-

You head to the bar and order your usual. As you are enjoying watching the bartender make your drink, the hairs in the back of your neck prickle. You feel a finger slide from your neck all the way down your spine and dip under the fabric of your dress into the crack of your ass. You spin around shocked, you thought it was Ivar at first but you know he wouldn’t have gone below the line of your dress in a room full of his colleagues. He wouldn’t disrespect you like that.

You are faced with a giant man, you only reach up to his chest, with heels on. His face is familiar, he reminds you of Ubbe.

“Hello beautiful, that’s quite the dress.” His eyes are all over you and it makes your skin crawl.

Anger flares within you at his disrespect. “Don’t touch me like that. Who the fuck do you think you are?”

“Someone who can show you a good time, or maybe you can show me a good time. Do you charge by the hour?” His hand reaches out to touch your shoulder, you flinch away from him and he laughs “I’m Bjorn Lothbrok.”

This is Ivar’s half brother, same father, different mother. Ivar hasn’t told you much about him, but what he has told you isn’t positive.

The memory of his fingers on you makes outrage course through your veins, why do some men think they can do whatever they want to women? And he thinks I am a prostitute. You are seething. The wild woman within you makes you decide to teach the oaf a lesson, the setting you are in be damned.

You smile seductively and take a step into his space. He raises an eyebrow at your movement but his expression changes quickly when he feels your stiletto on the top of his foot. You shift all your weight onto the heel digging into him. His face grimaces and he goes to push you off him.

“Don’t make a scene, big man, if you touch me I will be very, very vocal,” you threaten him as you grind your stiletto further into his foot with a sickenly false smile on your face.

Your lip curls in disgust. “Do not ever touch a woman you don’t know like that again, you fucking pervert. Women aren’t here for your enjoyment, we have a right to feel safe and remain unmolested. Whether you believe me to be a prostitute or not, that is not how you approach a woman.” You nod at him with your eyebrows raised. You grind your heel again, getting satisfaction from the pain that crosses his features.

“Now, can I remove my heel and let you out into this civilised crowd with a promise you will keep your filthy fucking hands to yourself?” Your voice is light and airy but you are still feeling a burn of rage in your stomach.

You look down at his shoe, your heel has pierced the leather and probably the skin under it. Good.

“You might need some antiseptic on that foot, the expensive Italian leather hasn’t offered you much in the way of protection, has it?” You remove your heel, painfully slowly so you can see the savour the look on his face.

“I’m going to have you thrown out of here, you little fucking bitch!” His face is pulled into a threatening expression.

“Oh I’m not a little bitch, I’m a giant fucking bitch when it comes to dealing with assholes like you. Good luck getting me thrown out, you fucking ape,” you hiss at him.

Ivar has caught the end of the exchange and hurries over to you, searching your face. He puts his arm around your waist and stares at Bjorn.

“Is she yours?” Bjorn asks Ivar, gesturing at you.

You cut Ivar off before he can say anything. “No I am not, he doesn’t own me, but we are together if that is what you meant, and not just for the night, you Neanderthal. Please don’t be mistaken though, I would have put a hole through your foot whoever the fuck I was with after the way you touched me”

Ivars face swings to Bjorn. “What the fuck did you do?”

His eyes are back on you. “What do you mean ‘the way he touched you?”

The look on Ivar's face is scary, his jaw muscles are ticking and his nostrils are flaring in pure, unadulterated rage, his fists are clenched, his eyes back on Bjorn.

Shit, he is going to explode, he can’t in front of all these people, his colleagues. I can’t be responsible for fucking with his business.

“Ivar, love, look at me,” you say softly, slipping your hand into his. His face turns to you, “calm down please, he’s not worth it. It’s ok, I’m ok. I promise you.”

His face softens whilst looking at you but turns hard when he turns back to Bjorn.

“Get the fuck out of here Bjorn, you weren’t even invited. If you ever come near her again I will personally make sure it’s the last thing you do.” He motions for security.

Bjorn looks at Ivar, weighing up his options, looking around at the people in the room. He goes quietly, not before sneering at you both.

Ivars turns to you, his expression completely different, full of worry. “Baby, what did he do? Are you ok?” His hand is on your cheek. You let out a shaky breath you didn’t realise you were holding.

“I’m ok, Ivar,” you run both hands up his arms and wrap them around his neck “nothing I didn’t handle, just let it go. I do not like him at all,” you huff.

You don’t know it but Aslaug has seen the whole exchange between you and Bjorn from the other side of the room. You also don’t see her mouth pulled into a proud smile as you calm Ivar down quickly and effortlessly.

Ivar pulls you in for a cuddle, his hand running from your back up to the nape of your neck.

“I’m done here, baby, let’s get back to our normal life.”

“Ivar, this is part of our normal life. You have a job to do here, go off and do it and we will leave as soon as we can. Don’t worry, I was on my way over to your brothers before Bjorn interrupted me.” You kiss him and usher him away to a group of old looking men in tuxedos.

He kisses your hand. “As soon as I’m finished we are out of here, I promise,” he walks back to you and whispers in your ear. “I am fucking you in the dress tonight.”

“Iris suggested you can use my necklace as a leash,” his eyes flutter closed and a horny groan leaves him. He reaches behind you and gives it the tiniest of tugs, your eyes widen. “Not here, Ivar!”

The look he gives you sends a shiver all over your skin. He leans in slowly and kisses you.

“I will be as quick as I can, now I mean, not later.” His mouth is close to your ear and he whispers “Later I am taking my time with you, there is not an inch of your body I’m not going to lick,” he winks and walks off.

Aslaug is at your side before you realise and you know you are still blushing at Ivars words.

“Are you ok? I saw your exchange with Bjorn. I was on my way over until I saw you handling the situation on your own. He shouldn’t be here anyway, I am sorry at the way he treated you,” she says, her face is like thunder.

“Not to worry, I’m pretty sure I’m going to have left a stiletto shaped scar on his foot, a reminder to not be such a pervert,” you tell her with a shrug. “I’m sorry if there is blood on your heels, Aslaug,” you shrug and giggle.

“Worth it,” she winks at you. “Come and meet some of the board, they are looking forward to meeting the woman who has melted Ivars cold heart.”

“Cold heart?”

“Oh yes dear, you didn’t know the old Ivar, you have made a big change in him.”

Chapter 15

48 notes · View notes

theantarwitch · 1 year

Text

Clothing & Wearing Magic – Part 1

Something common within the witch community is to read the advice to enchant necklaces and rings for various purposes, and although it is also common to read about putting sigils hidden in clothes or the soles of shoes, there is much more cloth to cut regarding the subject. So I will classify it in several parts. Remember that it is only indicative, examples may be missing and there are a thousand enchantments that could be better, but it is only to give an idea.

Part 1: Location.

Different parts of the body have different biological functions, and while a charm on the hand or foot (for luck, for example) can have similar results, checking “where” it is implemented is important to maximize its potential when resort to correspondence. When several things correspond to the same end, they are potentiated, add their skills, which gives more lasting, strong and effective results. That is why I have divided the location based on the different parts of the body.

Headgear: Hats, earings, glasses, sunglasses, scarves, headphones, masks, etc. These elements tend to be linked to primary sensory characteristics and intelligence, it can be said that the head is dominated by the Air element, so what reigns here are the abilities to see/hear/smell/speak, eloquence, ability to talk, how the brain works in social mode. So any enchantment intended to enhance (or nullify) these abilities will benefit if applied to a head outfit, as well as strengthen Clairsentience. It also includes your own hair, hairstyle and hair color, which makes it more versatile.

Hats, beanies, veils, tiaras, headbands, hair clips, etc: By covering the head they function more as protectors, a natural barrier to energy. Since the top usually has the most "pure" energy, people who are sensitive to energy changes (or energy vampires) may benefit from enchanting hats. It can also serve to strengthen Claircognizance. Above all, it can help with charms dedicated to the brain, social anxiety, mental illness, etc. (pls mundane before magic okay baby? Love you).

Earings, ear piercings, headphones, hearing aid, cochlear implant: Ear charms. Hear truths, ignore lies, ignore gossip, hear dangers. It can benefit to strengthen Clairaudience.

Eyeglasses, sunglasses, eyebrow piercing, contact lenses, prosthetic eyes: Eye Charms. See the truth, not be affected by glam spells, barriers to spells and energies, focus, strengthen Clairvoyance.

Masks, scarves, mouth/tongue/nose piercing, brackets, necklaces, tracheostomy tube: It can help to verbalize our ideas, control stuttering, anxiety to speak, to say what should be said, in addition to strengthening Clairalience and Clairgustance.

Hand elements: Bracelets, watch, rings, nail color/design, wristbands, gloves. The hands are givers and takers of energy, you literally manipulate energy all day long, so the spells here can focus on that manipulation. They are the most common to enchant for their versatility and ease of exchange.

Torso Elements: The torso carries the center of our energy (and organs), so it is usually the area that requires the least protection (spiritually speaking, it is dominated by the four elements, but mainly Earth and Fire), since it carries accumulated energy, which is difficult to affect. The organs, the amount of "life" (biological activity, electricity, blood), accumulations of bones and organic material (organs, food, fluids), make it the defensive point of the body. Even so, it can be benefited by spells depending on the clothes.

Underwear/ binders/ necklaces/ medical equipment such as CPAP, colostomy bag, etc: They are linked to what is closest to the body, therefore, they can be enchanted for everything linked to internal desires, fears and, for medical equipment, to improve health (enchanting equipment can also help them work better, last longer in optimal condition, reduce symptoms and so on, but remember, be careful, pls).

Outerwear such as hoodies, jackets, poncho, coats or whatever you are wearing as a top layer: Being in direct contact with the outside world, you can benefit from enchanting it with protection, or spells for bravery, courage, strength.

Leg Elements: Pants, belts, canes, walkers, wheelchair, skirts, orthopedic legs. Ruled mainly by the Earth element, it can help to strengthen mobility, agility, speed, dexterity spells, not to move from your place, to remain firm.

Foot Elements: Shoes, slippers, orthopedic shoes, ankle bracelet. As with the legs, the feet focus on mobility, but they are also the ones that transport you through different energy spaces, they are the ones that can most easily receive the influence of the energy of the place, so it can be beneficial to add enchantments of protection. Socks are usually responsible for collecting odors, and due to their "nature" of being easily replaceable, it is not wrong to think that enchanting them can also help absorb bad energy, which will go down the drain when washed.

Part 2: Materials.

Part 3: Designs and Colors.

#witchcraft #witches #witch #witchy #correspondences #spell #spells #charms #paganism #pagan #baby witch #New Witch #witch beginner #material #cloths

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jess-moloney · 1 day

Note

I seriously think Jamie's been facing financial difficulties for a while. Don't want to mention his expensive merch drop gambling games he plays with his fans fooling fans they will get their purchase orders but so many never to receive. Some of his fans have been waiting for months to finally get their merch.

I don't mind to pay $200-$400 to get his merch but after I've read so many complains about his merch. I'm not gonna pay at all.

What we see on his social media can't define his financial state as he's always show us his glam luxury lifestyle. But let's have a real talk, Jamie is not a Hollywood Big Name. He's never been on a lists of highest paid actors. Facing financial crisis indeed he has no need to say a word as he acts totally loud. Convention to convention, Built up music duo BloodMagic, Fliming ST, and Merch Drop Scam.

For me personally I think Jamie is living life paycheck to paycheck with a few savings. What he's doing nowadays is for Money.

His merch drop is a gambling scam. Think twice wisely before place an order.

Summary: Jess more than likely barely makes any money because her employment can't be verified by anyone and Jamie is her personal bank account. He never acted this way before her and she lives way above her means with the lifestyle she demands. I don't think Jamie is trying to scam anyone I think Jess is making him fund the lifestyle she wants to live but doesn't want to work for.

That being said, I wouldn't fault anyone for not wanting to gamble on buying his merchandise, at this point, given the problems it's shown to have had and the favoritism he plays towards certain fans on Twitter.

A longer explanation follows:

He may not have ever been a big Hollywood name but he also never seemed to be struggling so hard for cash. Not until Jess. Let's take a look at that for a second:

What is Jess's job?

Well, she claims that she's a celebrity manager of some type but if you look it up she doesn't have a license to practice that (under that name) in the state of California. It cannot be confirmed that this is what she does as a job. Not legally anyway.

She also has some weird claim to being co-founder of Ice Studios. However, it's entirely unclear what her job for them actually is. She doesn't shoot photos, she doesn't arrange photo shoots, and she doesn't go to an office or have an office, Ice Studios as an entity is based out of New York where she rarely (if ever) visits. Renell is doing at least 98% of the work and somehow Jess probably gets a cut of this but it can't be a large cut (unless she's tricked her way into getting 50% of everything Renell makes by being co-owner).

However, even if the case is that she gets 50% of Renell's cut, how much can Renell be making? I mean specifically for Ice Studios. Jess would only get the cut that is attributed to Ice Studios (or is only entitled to that) and she'd only be entitled to a cut from whatever alleged jobs she gets anyone and probably not a high level either.

The higher end of the scale would be for people with A-List clients (and a lot of them), not the 2 or 3 photographers and not actors that she claims to represent. If she's representing more than that it can't be a lot and they definitely aren't A-List or super famous. This means that she's possibly only making around 100K but it's more than likely less than that since it's impossible to verify she even has clients at all.

We also know that the Ice Studios webstore can't have been making any money in the past 5 or so months because they shut down and if Jess even got a cut of what they sold at the sample sale, that's up for debate as well.

So then let's break down Jess's living expenses:

Botox treatments every few months

Lip fillers every 6 weeks

The expensive skin care treatment she's promoted

$300 dollar haircuts in Beverly Hills by celebrity stylists

Designer bags, clothing, jewelry

Lavish trips and hotels with Jamie

Any other plastic surgery she's gotten within the time she's been with Jamie

Paying for her to maintain a business license in the UK for a business she doesn't even use

Getting her tattoos touched up every few months (which she'd have to do with the ones on her hands as they'd fade)

Whatever she has to pay to keep filing with Ice Studios and that business

This is just what we know she has spent money on and would have to keep spending money on, over and over because these are things she maintains and does over and over. I didn't even bring up her manicures and obvious hair extensions when she has them. Jess, herself, is living well above her means when it comes to the income that she surely brings in by herself.

This directly points to Jamie being the one to supplement the lifestyle she wants to live but can never afford on her own. Why he doesn't just leave her instead of working himself half to death to give her all this money to make her look as fake as possible while she hogs all of his credit and acts like she's queen shit, I don't know, but I think that all of this has way more to do with Jess being a money hungry fame queen (who doesn't want to work for it) than Jamie, on purpose, trying to scam anyone out of anything.

#jess moloney #jamie campbell bower #jamie bower #mail

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littlehouseplant · 9 months

Text

Jumin x reader.

Here we meet, again

It had been two years rsince you joined the RFA, and boy oh boy, the things you’d experienced…

You could ALMOST officially call yourself mrs Han now. You got engaged to Jumin not too long after the party, and things had been going great for the two of you! Sarah and Glam were officially canceled, so no more of that drama! C&R had a few issues after the whole spectacle, but the business’s image quickly restored since the people were apparently so moved by the Love story between the two of you.

“All the girls at school are talking about your two!” Had Yoosung said

“They’re all dreaming about their own love story’s now. Wishing they had a cold guy who only had eyes for them, seriously when do nice guys get a chance !?*_*”

Not only that, the stock prices even went up! The company was doing better than ever!

If you were being honest though, this whole new life was not really easy to get used to… All the attention you got now, headlines, gossip papers.. it could get to you. And the whole rich life! Wow, there was a lot of culture shock in the beginning, but living with Jumin was getting more natural by day. And Jumins dad welcomed you warmly into the family, and you really appreciated that. Now the wedding just had to be planned…

You’d also grown much closer to everyone in the RFA. You often had coffee with Jeahee, saw Zen’s musical, helped Yoosung with studying or supervised Seven while he visited Elizabeth (he could visit her once every few weeks, if Jumin was feeling generous). But everyone really grown fond of you, and the whole RFA was closer than ever.

You slowly sipped your hot morning tea as you looked at the amazing view from the penthouse. You looked at the beautiful landscape. You may think Jumin is a city man, but he really loves nature.

A kiss pressed on your forehead. “Goodmorning, my love.” Jumin wore a blue bathrobe and his hair was slightly messy.He stroke your head, as if you were a cat.. (jk jk) then he sighed. “Ah, being with you always calms my mind”

He had been working overtime lately. You were worried for your fiancé, especially now his eye bags were really noticeable now. “Sweetheart, are you okay?” you asked “you look so tired.. I’m worried about you. You really ought to take a break”

Jumin sat down next to you and mindlessly grabbed your hand. It was a reflex for him now. “If I would be completely honest, I feel…. unpleasant. Is this what people call stress? There is a lot going on at work with a very important business proposal . it takes a while to explain but let’s just say that it tires me.. I just want to be fully focused on you and our wedding.”

You brought your hand up to his cheek. “ I’ll always be there for u you, you know that. Is there anything I could do for you so that you’d feel better?” You smiled as you wiped a strand of hair out of hiss face.

“You’re an angel sent by god, my darling. I’m happy with you just being here.,” he looked at you and lifted his hand to caress your cheek.” I have a flight to catch this afternoon. I know, it’s very sudden and I apologize. It’s a very important meeting I must attent.” He sighed. “But I’ll miss you so terribly.There’s nothing I would want more than to stay by your side right now.” Jumin still found it hard to leave you at times.

“I’ll be here when you get back, as always.”you put your hand on his. “Really, don’t worry. Now go catch your flight !” You send him a reassuring smile.

He sighed and stood up. “You really are such a sweetheart .” He briefly kissed your forehead. “I must get ready then, I’ll see you darling.”

You waved at him as he went back inside and took another sip of your tea. Bzzt, you got a message.

UNKNOWN:

• ag@/n14

• We728:!/9

• M382ts

• Did you miss me.?

You shivered. You hadn’t thought about this unknown person since the planning of the first party, and here he was again.

#mysme #mystic messenger #jumin x reader #juminmysticmessenger #daddy jumin #jumin route #mm jumin #mysme jumin #jumin han #jumin x mc #unknown

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mejomonster · 9 months

Text

To get real niche lol part of why I love old school lolita (you know besides literally growing up when that was The dominant lolita fashion style so its what got me into lolita)

Is that it embraces the 1 color dresses, 2 color no pattern dresses, lace, and less accessories.

For one, the no pattern and lace containing dresses nowadays are looked at as cheaper or something "not actually lolita" when like... in reality it was always lolita if it was a real lolita fashion brand, it's just the cheap cosplay knockoffs that were too short and actually anime outfits were copying that style more since that's the lolita dresses the anime were making skimpier and copying. And that's still mainly what cosplay cheap fake lolita like dresses look like, because anime took looks from lolita At That Time period and then it continued on as it's own beast (also anime is more likely to animate simple dresses than intense pattern dresses I'm guessing). The reality is like... lace is lolita if it's on a lolita brand dress. Period. People moved away from it, as well as avoiding black/white dresses, because as I mentioned anime and cosplay made rip off cheap fake lolita rhats too short and wrong style and bad quality and not brand (and not lolita on qualities they lack). But you CAN actually wear a real regular lolita brand good quality dress that is black and white with frills... and I think they're fucking cute.

2 a lot of older pictures online exist of old school lolita. I love how many look "cringe" in their own way the same way old emo pictures do. Some of the styles of old lolita dresses like the intense long poofy sleeves or lace trims, are generally Not popular in current lolita fashion trends. But hey, even though they're "cringy" to modern popular opinion. They're still real lolita style - the old style. So wear em if you like them!

3 the lack of Intense Accessory Requirement. There's lots of old Fruit magazine photos of people in lolita, with just a headband/hairclip and socks/tights as their accessories. I fell in and out of wearing lolita, and when I came back into it in the last couple years it's very common now to see the expectation a lolita outfit should include: lolita dress or blouse/skirt and petticoat and dress shoes (the base outfit), legwear (like before), headpiece (like before). And ALSO necklace, arm wear (bracelets or wrist cuffs), purse (I imagine hopefully optional as always since ppl use different bags), hair style done up (again i hope optional and it's just Instagram is High Glam so people tend to wear wigs or intensely style hair more for Instagram photo shoots). The big change for me though is the seemingly much higher expectation on jewelry accessories and Fancy Legwear and mandatory arm wear and some people thinking the outfit is incomplete without them. The lolita style to my knowledge started as base outfit (dress or blouse and skirt, petticoat, all in appropriate lolita shape and length) with some leg wear usually (though occasionally ppl just wear shoes) and some hairpiece (usually a bow or headband but I've seen just a hairclip or barrettes before).

I am assuming the rise in more expectations of accessories comes from: over the top styles currently being what's most popular (and yes like Decora fashion, OTT styling generally expects much more accesorizing), sweet style being currently what's most popular (heavy on patterns so in personal opinion I assume that means one may need to accessorize more or be more dramatic with say Patterned tights to get attention on elements of the outfit outside of the main piece).

On the other hand I've seen more leniency on jumper dresses without undershirts (especially chinese lolita brand dresses some of which are designed specifically to just be worn as straps without undershirts), which I think is nice because in old school lolita dresses were sometimes worn this way. I'd also like to hope in reality lolita fashion worn in person is for the peoples personal happiness and preference, versus online like Instagram where yeah people tend to dress up the Most as public eye is on them.

I just think of Kamikaze Girls lol and how I wear as few accessories as her. Now I get mine is out of laziness, and I hate the feel of so many things on my body. But I grew up wanting THAT look, not the OTT look.

And then I guess semi related? If you're into old school lolita styles (and in particular gothic lolita), I really can't recommend Atelier Pierrot enough. First of all, they have a plus size line they carry that is AMAZING. It's genuinely plus size, I've bought 3 dresses and 1 skirt from this line and love them. The plus size have open free waists and then use a tie around the waist so you can tie it as tight or loosely as your waist needs, and the overall dress shape retains the cute lolita look. The free waist means if like me you jump 20 lbs back and forth, the dresses are guaranteed to fit ans look nice even when weight changes. Also the waist can be loosened easily when bloated or in pain while still looking form fitting (which is great for my ibs lol and makes them the MOST comfortable lolita dresses I have), they're very thin lightweight good quality cotton so they can be worn in the heat or colder without feeling like you're suffocating. Buy based on the free waist size measurements when picking items. Atelier Pierrot also carries Marble which keeps a lot of classic solid color with frills kind of looks, has some plus size (but really CHECK MEASUREMENTS because marble runs very tight... I tend to buy bigger sizes Than I think I'll need). Atelier Pierrot also has an English language option on site, and international shipping options. It's my favorite lolita brand. I also really like the gothic lolita look most, and Atelier Pierrot and Marble are great for that.

Otherwise yeah I'm basic, I get bodyline stuff, because it's sturdy and true to size (though sometimes youll want to buy a size up) and has plus size items that will fit me. sometimes.

#rant #clothes #egl #feel free to ignore me cause for practicalitys sake #my fashion mentality for myself is ultimately punk grunge #in the fact i think ppl should do whatever they want and dress loud if they like and rules are stupid #(and rules are of course opposite of being able to consistently actually fit within any fashion label)#and then i think cheap things worn until theyre broken are fine and good #(which like.. well lolita is an Expensive Brand fashion so obviously grunge and the worn down to last use minimal effort #of grunge is not really compatible with pure lolita styling)#hence i guess what id wear is mostly lolita inspired but on a regular day absolutely not within the rule confines of real lolita outfits #since i WILL wear a lolita skirt without petticoat to work with a vintage american blouse #i will wear a plaid lolita dress with the cute shoes and tights but no headpiece (since i hate hair accessories)#when im just going out and not intending to go to a specifially lolita fashion meetup #ill conform to rules for a lolita meetup since like. its about the fashion there and if a strnager sees me #id like to represent that style.#but on an everyday basis i like pretty clothes in lolita style and will pair them with whatever i want which #makes the outfits no longer lolita

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bridgeportbritt · 2 years

Photo

The Glam House | Umbrage, SimDonia

Gemma Voice-over: I think everyone was exhausted and even a little sad when we went back to the Glam House after eliminations. It’s getting real.

Estefania: I’m still in shock that not only did I not get eliminated, but the judges seemed to love my photo and for an all pink photoshoot! I am sad to see someone go ahead. Sage seemed really nice, but I’m glad that I’m still here.

Estefania Voice-over: I was suprised that I was the first one up the next morning. I like to sleep in, but I think the excited jitters had me up early. I was also the first one to see that there was a little something in the living room.

Estefania: Girls! Wake up! We’ve got something.

Florence: What is it?

Terra: Looks like a note... from Bria?

Estefania: I’ll read it.

Estefania: Ladies, you’ve shown what it takes to rock the signature color, but can you also rock a tiara? Grab your fanciest gown and meet back at headquarters. If you’re late, it would be a royal mistake.

Gemma: Ooooh a royal themed shoot!

Terra: Well, ladies looks like I’ve got this one in the bag.

Florence laughs: May the best woman win.

Francine: I’m not sure if Terra’s goal is to intimidate everyone with her comment this morning, but it certainly won’t work. I may not be actual royalty, but some may consider me some kind of royalty. Either way, I don’t think being a royal gives anyone a leg up in these challenges.

Gemma: Time to head out, ladies!

@eslanes @royalmedani @someone-elsa @mickimagnum

#simdonia #chap 10 #sims of color #sims 4 story #sims 4 gameplay #ts4 #royal sims #royal simblr #next kbe model #hmm florence didn't appreciate terra's comments #who's excited for a royal shoot?

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hlupdate · 2 years

Text

“NEW YORK, ARE you feeling well and emotionally stable?” Harry Styles asked on the opening weekend of his historic 15-night stand at Madison Square Garden. When the entire crowd roared “Noooo,” he replied, “Good!” We can’t say he didn’t warn us. He kicked off his NYC Love on Tour residency with a riotous two-night celebration of mega-pop rapture at its most ecstatic. “Please feel free to do whatever you want to do in this room tonight,” Harry told the fans on Night Two. “Within reason.” It was a perfect intro, because the concept of “within reason” does not exist anywhere in the Harry cosmology—he couldn’t even say it with a straight face. Let’s just say this man is not doing wonders for the city’s emotional stability right now.

Styles is trying a new mode of touring, celebrating his blockbuster Harry’s House with extended residencies in New York, Austin, Chicago and L.A. As he told Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos in our brand new cover story, it’s a way to perform without the energy-sucking strains of travel. You can tell Harry’s in town, by the trail of feathers and sequins for blocks around—a touch of glam in the dog days of summer. NYC in August is usually a place people are desperate to escape, but he makes it seem like the most romantic destination on the planet.

Harry’s residency starts almost exactly 8 years after the first time I saw him onstage with One Direction, August 2014 at MetLife Stadium. It’s unmistakable how so much has changed about this guy, but not the weirdest thing—his pure devotion to Too Much All The Time. He thrives on an absurd drive to give his energy away, to bombard every corner of the room with the joy he gets from music, no matter how huge that room might be. As he sings in the show-opener “Daydreaming,” he wants to give you something to dream about. And he does, from the tubular-bells synth groove of “As It Was” to the destructo-punk headbang of “Kiwi.”

He took the stage to jazz pianist Bill Evans’ “Peace Piece,” which (as he told Rolling Stone in 2019) was his longtime wake-up ritual. The music was overlaid with the voice of Buddhist scholar Alan Watts, saying, “This sensation of being a separate lonely individual is a hallucination.” Watts is talking about the soul breaking free of “our phony feeling that we are something lonely locked up in a bag of skin.” But it’s also a perfect description of live music at its best: a room full of strangers from different cultures, countries, generations, breaking free to become part of something vast and strange and slightly scary. And a Harry show IS live music at its best.

One of the coolest fan signs in the pit: “Pose if you can see this.” Guess he saw it? Because this vixen never stopped wiggling, twirling, swooshing down the catwalk, giving high kicks like a Rockette with the rent due. This set is almost all uptempo bangers, mostly from Harry’s House. He’s going for a festively manic vibe, so you don’t mind him leaving out the ballads. (No “Falling,” “Cherry,” “Fine Line,” not even “Lights Up.”) It’s a super-emotional show, even without the sad songs, because the will to uplift never quits. The mood was summed up in the great moment where his guitar boogie “Cinema” crashes into “Music For A Sushi Restaurant,” linked by the horn fanfare from the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.”

When he debuted these songs live in May, at his NYC One Night Only extravaganza, his excitement was off the rails—he ended the show by doing “As It Was” twice, a totally unexpected and unplanned move, because he just didn’t want it to end. (At his very first NYC show, in 2017, it was “Kiwi” he did twice.) As he says in the Rolling Stone cover story, that moment was startling even for him. As he said, “I kind of felt like, ‘All right, I’ve seen how crazy it can get.’ And I think there was something about it where I was … not terrified, but I just needed a minute. Because I wasn’t sure what it was. Just that the energy felt insane.” That’s how this show feels all the way through.

It’s his first time at the Garden since his HarryWeen blow-out last October. He’s back to performing in the round, or as he elegantly put it, “I’m gonna be in the middle of you all night!” This stage set means he has to cover more space, but nobody loves covering space like he does. He explained, “Sometimes we’re gonna be face-to-face, eye-to-eye, window-to-soul. If I’m not facing you, you’ll be looking ass to face. If you have a preference, face or ass, let me know.” He gallantly promised to distribute his ass evenly, saying, “I can assure you there is plenty to go around. Which leads me to the introduction to this very sad song.” (Who else could get away with using an ass-to-face disclaimer as a lead-in to a ballad as heart-wrenching as “Matilda”? This man only.)

As always, he took special joy in roasting all the dads in the audience. On Night 2, he announced a new innovation. “It’s called Golf Dad Cam,” he said. “We’re gonna find the golf dads. Its like Kiss Cam, except nobody wants to kiss them, because they’re golf dads!” He found 30 victims to mortify on the video screen, then proclaimed, “At the end of these shows, they’re gonna erect a banner in Madison Square Garden in honor of the golf dads. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the bottom of your tucked-in polo-shirt hearts.”

(Note: Can you imagine if Harry played the Super Bowl halftime show? It would take hours because he’d have 70,000 golf dads in the house, and he’d need to make fun of every single one of them. They’d have to cancel the damn game.)

On Night 1, a fan held up a sign asking for advice: her ex just texted her after seven years. Harry took her phone to call the ex, Josh. (“It’s ALWAYS Josh, isn’t it?”) When Josh immediately hung up on him, Harry told her, “I wish you all the happiness. Just not with Josh. There’s someone else out there who will treat you with respect and love you for who you are. Never Josh!” At the end of the show, he told the crowd, “Make some noise for Josh, whatever kind of noise you want to make.”

Harry’s House was made in pandemic isolation, so it’s a trip to hear how the songs open up live. The album’s most ethereally beautiful moments—“Daylight,” “Keep Driving,” the peerless “Satellite”—turn into full-blown glitz-rockers, thanks to his all-star band: guitar god Mitch Rowland, drum guru Sarah Jones, percussion master Pauli Lovejoy, keyboardist Ny Oh, bassist Elin Sandberg, keyboardist Yaffra, and a jazzy four-piece horn section. On Sunday night, he busted out “Medicine,” really treating the microphone like a gentleman. At one point he paused so he could point out to Mitch and Sarah a t-shirt in the crowd that said “Bitch for Mitch.” (A category that pretty much included us all.)

He ended with the rock & roll mosh-pit raunch of “Kiwi,” a song that never fails to make strong buildings quiver in terror—both nights, it turned the floor of Madison Square Garden into Jell-O. Has anyone ever made a “Kiwi” supercut of Harry’s faces at the line “such an actress”? He gives a different actress every night, and it’s always an Oscar-worthy star turn. You also gotta love how he always says “get home safe” right before dropping “Kiwi” on our heads—it’s like telling someone “have a nice day” before setting them on fire.

“Grapejuice” isn’t in the set, probably because of its tonsil-trashing high notes, but maybe it’ll be the “To Be So Lonely” of this tour—the fan fave that sneaks into the show by popular demand. On Night 1, he teased an instrumental snippet while introducing the band—just a little edging. FWIW, when Paul McCartney hit the road this summer for his Got Back tour, he surprised fans by busting out the slightly similar Wings groove “Let ‘Em In.” Could this mean that Sir Paul is a “Grapejuice” head himself?

Harry slowed it down for his two most soulful ballads: “Sign of the Times” and the new “Matilda.” They feel spiritually linked—two poetic songs about trauma, grief, and rebirth. “Sign of the Times” is a communal anthem that gets mightier the more strangers you sing it with—in a way, that’s what the song is about. (I thought I already loved that song in 2017, but it’s built to be lived with over the years.) Yet “Matilda” is so intimate, it’s still disorienting to hear it in a crowded room. It’s a song designed for fans to access their most private selves, in a public, supportive space. Some spent “Matilda” having a meditative moment to themselves. Others let it all hang out, like the weepy group hug in front of me, with eight chosen sisters singing together. But everybody became part of the story. It’s the kind of moment Harry lives to generate.

He’d be the first to say that the audience creates these moments, and he just shows up to be part of it. But either way, the New York shows were a nonstop rush of those moments. You spend a couple of hours in this environment, and the outside world looks a little brighter when you leave, because you take that feeling with you. It’s a revelation that enthusiasm is everything. Somehow, a 15-night stand of Harry Styles seems like it could never be enough.

Set List:

“Daydreaming”

“Golden”

“Adore You”

“Daylight”

“Keep Driving”

“Matilda”

“Little Freak”

“Satellite”

“Cinema”

“Music for a Sushi Restaurant”

“Treat People With Kindness”

“What Makes You Beautiful”

“Late Night Talking”

“Watermelon Sugar”

“Love of My Life”

Encore:

“Sign of the Times”

“Medicine” (Sunday only)

“As It Was”

“Kiwi”

#harry styles #media #rolling stone #residency ny 3 #230822

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