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#that WHOLE bit. immaculate. i think about it a lot
xiewho · 1 month
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hiii :) i just wanted 2 say i love how u draw gorgug and fabian thistlecaster is such an underrated ship and their interactions are some of the best in fh
HI ANONNN THANK U !! i wholly agree they have such a fun and interesting dynamic i wish people explored more !! here's a silly gorgug + fabian moment from fhsy for u <3 (cause i want an excuse to draw them again hehe) hoot growl baby !!
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kissitbttr · 5 months
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Hi lovely! Your cake tasting fic was literally immaculate. I was just thinking about how r and miguel met, and how cute it would be to see a blurb where he gets all flustered when he sees her for the first time? You are amazing! Xoxo
sending u lots and lots of kisses MWAH MWAH thank u baby😚😚😚 anyHOWWWW i’m so glad someone asked for this! I’ve been waiting for it TEEHEE! now i did mention a little bit on the cake testing fic how they first met, sooo i might just have to expand from there yuhyuh!
this turned out a bit onger than i expected lol but I hope you'd enjoy it regardless!
miguel masterlist
miguel meeting his wife for the first time
-
“the laboratory is 80% damaged, miguel. we need to get it fixed or else we can no longer continue our work.”
miguel sighs deeply, pinching his eyebrows with his index finger and thumb. the ungodly amount of research papers stacked neatly in the corner of his working desk, along with bunch of scrunched papers on top.
“jessica, no ahora”
she rolls her eyes at his stubbornness, arms crossed over her chest. his eyes glued on the monitor, framed glasses perched on the bridge of his thick nose bone
“you need a break.”
“I don’t” he disagrees. if anything, he needs to put on more hours of work. “i can’t leave before everything is done. we’ll get it fixed next week.”
“that’s what you said last week, miguel” jessica points out, eyes scanning around the room. “look at this mess! the HQ haven’t got fixed in months! if you want this building to be safely secured and leave no casualties in the future, you have to do what i say.”
again, miguel disagrees. shaking his head without looking up. “and i said, no.”
but jessica refuses to be told like that, shrugging her shoulders like it’s nothing. “well too bad, because i already found someone who’s willing to work on it and you’re meeting them”
that seems to catch his attention, his pen dropping off between his finger as his head whips towards jessica’s direction.
“you—what?!”
“i’m not going to be responsible for many injured people in the future. not when we have too much enemies coming to bite our asses so i suggest you get down from there and come here”
miguel has a temper. a very short one, and it’s not easy to control it when he’s surrounded by people who’s trying to tell him what to do. it’s supposed to be the other way around.
but miguel has no energy to fight back, so instead of telling her to fuck off, he just nods his head.
“alright fine” an upset mutter falls from his lips before he makes his way down the stairs. hands on his hips. “where is he?”
jessica scoffs, “why do you always assume everyone is a he?” she chuckles lightly at miguel’s quirk eyebrow. “you can come in now, ms. y/l/n”
the sound of his office door clicks after that, and miguel seems to be less than impressed because he has no energy in him to talk to people other than himself,
yet, his jaw drops instantly soon as he sees the person who walks through it,
a woman—a very gorgeous one—who looks like to be in her mid twenties makes an entrance as her heels click against the marble floor, carrying what seems to be a tablet and folders. she’s dressed in a grey long tight fitting dress that falls down to her ankles with a cropped beige colored cardigan completing the whole look as an outer, leaving only the left shoulder exposed. a smile appears on her face as she fixes the frame of her black reading glasses.
miguel has never seen a more beautiful woman than the one he’s staring at right now,
“ms. y/l/n, this is miguel o’hara. the head of Alchemax and leader of Spider Society.” jessica smirks at the way miguel is gaping right now, as he makes no intention in hiding it away.
guess, her 70% of her plan is slowly working.
“ugh! come on, jessica you’ve known me long enough to stop saying my last name” she giggles, “mr. o’hara. my name is y/n. it is very nice to meet you. jessica had told me many things about you. i am so impressed with everything you had done”
‘fuck, even her voice is pretty’ he thinks
he regains his composure, clearing his throat before taking off his glasses. “thank you, y/n. you and jessica are close?”
with a nod, she responds, “we go way back. haven’t been off each other’s arms for a long time. hard to keep me away from this woman”
so jessica had been hiding her away from him? that’s rude.
“oh hush. always with the sweet talk” jessica waves her off with a smile. “miguel, y/n has plans on remodeling the hq for us. i’ve told her about what needs to be done and so forth. she has already inspected the lab, cafetería, training rooms. this smart woman right here came with conclusions in just five minutes.”
a blush creeping into y/n’s cheeks, shyly tucking a loose hair behind her ear which makes miguel’s heart warms at the sight,
“i’ve seen her work and i wouldn’t just bring anyone when it comes to our matter. she’s the perfect person for this. now since i have so many things to catch up on, i hope it’s okay for me to leave you two and have her explain it all—“
“yes” miguel replies a bit too quickly, causing the two women to raise their eyebrows. this makes him slightly bit embarrassed at how eager he might have come off. “i mean-yeah, of course. it’s not like i was doing anything. have a bit of a time off.”
“i though you said—“
“that’s enough jessica. thank you” he nods at her, shooting her a tight smile. “i would love to hear it.”
a giddiness blooms in his chest when y/n gives him a toothy grin. and it may become his favorite thing to look at,
“alright then. i’ll see you later. bye, sweetheart” jessica waves at her friend before walking out of miguel’s office and shutting the door behind her,
now it’s just them,
y/n’s gaze averts back to his tall figure. she had heard stories about miguel o’hara. jessica loves to spill teas about her partner and had showed pictures of him when y/n was curious on how he look like. he is indeed handsome.
but now, looking at him in person? fuck, even the greek gods are no match to him
beautiful bronze skinned, broad shoulders, high cheekbones with sharp jawlines. she glances a bit at his toned chest then down to his torso for a bit. abs rock hard enough to be seen through the working shirt he’s wearing. this man built like he contains zero body fat.
however, his mesmerizing red eyes are what got her hooked.
“it’s very nice of you to make the time for this, mr. o’hara. i know you are a very busy man and i hate to be the one who’s preventing you from your work.”
miguel’s head shakes, giving her a small genuine smile. “no apologies necessary. and please, call me miguel”
“okay then, miguel” she nods, returning his smile. “may i begin showing you what i’ve been working on?”
miguel’s arm extends towards a large wooden table, allowing her to walk first. “by all means” he folds his arms behind his back, following her from behind.
he’s very much struggling not to look at her ass while she moves,
“okay, so” she lays her things flat on the table, getting to work quickly. “i’ve planned a pre-design for your laboratory, given that the lab is one that needs extra precautions and highly detailed instructions, i’ve figured i should get that one done first. and here” she unlocks her tablet before tapping one app, showing the minimum design. “there are important keys that needs to be highlighted. i need exact measurements of how many people will be coming in and out of your lab, objects you’re thinking of storing, etc. because it will determine the amount of space i’ll be working on”
miguel doesn’t know jack shit about what she’s talking about but fuck, it sounds incredibly sexy to his ears,
“jessica had explained to me before that there will be less than fifteen people working in there. i would advise to create a fingerprint for entry. and it will require more space, more equipment and materials for me and my team to be able to carry on with our tasks. but i need you to not worry, miguel. i’ve done the trials and errors to limit the damage that might occur with the calculations.” she pushes her tablet for him to see clearly, colorful scribbles of geometry with shapes and patterns,
not only that, but she has a few mockups too. giving him a small vision on how the area would look like once it’s done.
miguel’s eyebrows raise, moving a bit closer to where she stands. “christ. this is amazing. you did that in…?”
“a week” she finishes with a smile, nails tapping against the table. watching how his eyes amazed at her small simple work “some would take more than that but, i take my work seriously, i don’t like postponing.”
his eyes move upwards to look at her, impressed by the details and efforts she had done with it. one thing about miguel, is that he is very much attracted to people who are putting their careers above anything,
and she has ticked that box,
“indeed” he lets out a breathe, nodding. “does that mean you don’t have a lot of free time?”
she thinks for a while. “not much definitely. but it’s not like i’m missing out on anything. what do people do nowadays? partying and gossiping? i rather not.”
he chuckles in amusement, “understandable. i thought that you might be into those kind of stuff.”
“and what gave you the assumption?”
he raises his shoulders. “you look young. young people like to have fun.”
“and how old do you think i am?” she asks with arms crossed,
he pinches his eyebrows. “28?”
she hums with a small laugh. “i’m 26”
miguel’a eyes widen slightly, “makes me older than you, then”
“how old are you?”
“32”
“really?” she asks in disbelief. “i thought older.”
“yeah?”
“yeah. around 40ish maybe.”
“that’s quite offensive, love” he fakes a gasp, shoving his hands into his pockets as he watches her scramble through more papers,
her heart skips a beat at the nickname, though she doesn’t think much of it. “it’s a compliment. the older the better, i’d say”
miguel smiles at that, walking around the table so now he stands across from her. “what did you and jessica talk about?”
“hm?”
“about me” he confirms. “you said that the two of you had talking about me.”
“oh, well” she begins, standing up straight to look into his eyes and miguel swears his knees almost give up. “she told me how much she admires you. your intelligence, bravery. your work ethic. told me all about the good things you had done for the people—“
“i don’t know about that”
“which” she cuts him off. “i am so, undeniably impressed by. keeping the universe intact while trying not to lose your fucking mind is hard, i could tell. I don’t know how you do it. makes me admire you too”
he stares at her as if he’s searching for a trace of doubt or a lie on her face. when he finds none, his heart softens. never in his life had someone come up to him and say how he’s doing a great job. let alone being impressed.
“thank you— i needed that actually” he laughs a bit. “wish people could say the same.”
“in my opinion, i don’t think you need to know about what other people think or say. you’re a grown man, correct?” she taps the eraser of her pencil on one of her sketchbook, eyeing any misguided lines she needs to work on. “if they don’t appreciate that, might as well kick their asses into a new universe”
a genuine chuckle escapes him, nodding in agreement. “i keep that in mind” he clears his throat, thinking about whether or not to make a small talk,
she notices the long pause between them before speaking up, “please, i hate awkward silence. you can talk to me, if you want to, miguel” her head shoots up at him with a playful tone,
“is architectural the only thing you’re doing?” he finds himself curious at her line of work,
“apart from this, i do a little bit of interior design. not too far off from architectural but not exactly the same either. i love anything that goes from there. putting ideas in my head before making it into a reality. also, it’s warming to see how i can help my clients dream come true” she responds simply, a small smile engraves on her pretty features.
“i also am studying in biochemistry at the moment. having a bit fun with molecular study.”
that perks his interest. “biochemistry?” he asks in a surprise tone. “i’m no expert in architectural but i don’t think it has anything to do with that.”
“it doesn’t” she confirms, picking a ruler before sketching out more details on the design. “i do it for fun.”
“for fun?” again, his question comes out in surprise, “why’s that?”
“i just think that learning shouldn’t be limited to one, you know? i like knowing about things. doing more things. the more knowledge, the more you have room to grow. plus, learning about molecules is interesting. might take it seriously on that one”
‘holy fuck, she’s perfect’
“that’s a— wow—“ he huffs out a heavy breath, can’t exactly tell if he’s impressed or intimidated. earning a soft giggle from her.
so, she’s gorgeous, brilliant and ambitious.
“how about you? jessica mentioned about you specializing in genetics. is that some sort of science thingy? because it sounds pretty fucking cool”
miguel scratches the back of his head. “something like that. i more focused on DNA’s, genetics pairings, human genome. all sorts of that. pretty boring if you ask me”
“doesn’t sound boring” she scoffs. “if anything, i find it very attractive when men are willing to learn about science. and i’m not just talking about the glasses, but the brains as well. you ticked every single quota, miguel”
she points at the working glasses he has on, causing his eyes to bug out at her boldness. y/n watches how he shyly takes it off, flustered at the compliment. she smirks as if she keeps trying to keep score on how many times she’s succeeded,
“okay, so” she continues, palms resting on the table before shifting the tablet. “let’s talk about your office. is there something you’re willing to change? because, not to be rude but your infrastructure is quite—shit. keep this up in two months then the apocalypse might have come early”
miguel bites back a laugh at her choice of words, scanning over his office walls, ceilings and monitors. “what do you suggest?”
she pauses, biting the end of her pencil before her eyes begin to do a 360 walkthrough. the sight is almost too perfect for miguel.
“we could do something about elevating the ceilings. make it a bit higher. and i see you have lesser—safety features? which could be quite concerning. we need to install biosafety cabinets, more detection systems and fire protection. I know you’re no ordinary man and could probably handle all the damage that might happen in the future but, it is my responsibility to ensure my client’s safety.”
miguel feels like a lovesick fool right now. and an asshole. he hadn't been listening a lot to what she had to say, merely focused on the way her pink glossed lips moving and how her fingers would occasionally fiddle against one another,
he imagines how her mouth would feel like, molding against his. there is no doubt in his mind that he would immediately be entranced with it.
"miguel? you listening?"
her sweet voice pulls him out of his train of thought, eyes blinking rapidly before meeting y/n's confused gaze,
"oh--y-yeah! yeah uhm.. that sounds great, would love that” his nervous chuckles makes her smile. “you’re really quick with it, aren’t you?”
“just doing my job, mr.o’hara” her tone is professional and prideful. “i’ll work quickly on the building designs, exploring more concepts for it and run a few test drives. however this might steal a bit of your time, from your job. weekly meetings are needed during this process. i’ll bring the mockups, sketches, models and everything. your inputs and feedbacks are required since this is your building after all. would that work?”
spending more time with her? oh, absolutely. he’d make it work,
he gives her a nod. “of course. i’ll clear my schedule off for it, just let me know when”
“excellent!” she exclaims with a bright smile, clapping her hands. “i will do my best to get it done as quickly as possible for you, miguel. i made a promise to jessica and i intend to keep that promise. it’s a long process but i need your full trust on me, okay? do you trust me?”
“yes” he answers without hesitation. “i trust you.”
“great! okay, that is all i have for you today. do you have any questions?”
miguel doesn’t like the idea of it ending here. not seeing her again until next week? that doesn’t feel right.
“you have a boyfriend?”
y/n halts at his question, looking at him with a confused yet amused expression. lip quirking in curiosity. “getting personal, aren’t we?”
“fuck, sorry, hermosa. you don’t have to answer that”
her heart skips a beat at the nickname. he just called her beautiful?
she eyes at how his gaze cast down the floor, head shaking. probably mentally kicking himself at the bold question he had thrown at her,
but she finds it adorable,
tilting her head to the side, she responds. “no. i don’t have a boyfriend. they are not quite up the standards i’m looking for.”
“yeah?” miguel takes a step forward, eyebrow raising. “and what are they?”
“my standards”
he finds it attractive at how she doesn’t like settling for less. she knows her worth without coming off too cocky nor bitchy about it,
“am i not allowed to know?”
“you can fuck around and find out” she smirks, pushing her tongue against the inside of her cheek. “i like to see them try.”
“you like seeing men on their knees begging for your time?”
she nods. “i live for it.”
he feels his cock growing hard at that,
“are you free, this friday?”
she bites down on her lower lip, watching how his biceps almost ripping his shirt off when he crossed his arms,
“i’m a busy woman, miguel”
“so am i” he responds quickly. “say dinner or a drink, anything. an hour or two tops, how about it?”
the way he’s looking at her should be illegal. he has this glint in his eyes. primal, confident. and it’s extremely charming in her own opinion,
she hates how it makes her heat rises,
with a hum, she slowly gather up her things, stacking the compiling files on the tablet. tucking them against her left breast.
“pick me up at 7. don’t be late. and i’m choosing where we should go. it was nice meeting you, mr. o’hara. i will see you then” with that she gives him a smile and a subtle wink before turning around to exit out of his office. leaving miguel completely speechless but enamored.
“fuck. i’m in love” he exhales a dreamy sigh
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yeyinde · 9 months
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lavender skies | Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x GN!Reader
Then suddenly, and all at once, there's a loudness in your head: a hundred whispers echoing in time to the same off-beat rhythm, full of memories and moments shared between you, threads woven throughout the years all buoying to the surface as you realise you're a little bit in love with him.  (And that, maybe, you've been a little bit in love with him the whole time.)
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tags: friends to lovers (but the type of friends who are basically already dating and everyone knows except them - until suddenly they do), mutual pining. Slight Kent bashing, oops. Golden Girls as a coping mechanism. warnings: none. very tame, considering who I am as a person. Heavy make-out sess, though. word count: 6,6k notes: This has been sitting in my requests forever (I lost the original, but the gist was: Gaz + pining + idiots in love). You can blame a lot of this on summer rain and 80s city pop. Been going to the pier and listening to it while I wrote this. Not my best, sure, but it was fun.
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The Tinder date he warned you not to go on (and seriously, mate, who uses Tinder anymore?) ends like this:
Your date, the biggest gentleman in Kent, as proclaimed in his bio (a red flag in hindsight—there's no such thing as a gentleman from Kent), sneaks his number to the waitress, and then leaves you behind in downtown Manchester to go bar hopping with a group he just met. 
It's not a great loss. All things considered, it's not even the worst date you've ever been on. It was just a spur-of-the-moment whim—equal parts anxiety and megrim: the sudden fear of being single forever (and no, despite what Kyle might say, it has nothing to do with the wedding invitation you'd gotten on Facebook, or the three others that came before it)—and therefore, there isn't much to be upset about. Not really. 
But the world doesn't work on half-hearted lies and shaky truths, and on a dank little corner in Manchester, abandoned by your ride home, your abysmal date who barely looked at you, you can't deny that it hurts. That it's a little bit of a hit to your self-esteem in a way that makes you angrier than you were before, because, honestly—he wasn't even a catch to begin with. 
Stupid. 
You should have listened to Kyle, to his immaculate wisdom and emotional maturity far beyond his years, but you hadn't because—
Well. Sometimes the world should work on little lies. If only to the ones you tell yourself. Ones like:
It's completely fine—really it is—if your friend of nearly eight years is moving on with his life. And it's totally, absolutely okay if your best friend meets some flighty barista in Amsterdam and won't stop talking about her for the meagre three weeks he's been back from his impromptu trip to the Netherlands, then to Mexico. It's fine. It's all fine. 
Because maybe you are, too. 
And maybe that's the reason you went out with David from Kent. 
From Kent? He texted, only hours before your date. (Hours because he'd been busy with this thing for his job—his boss is corrupt and the world is, too, but at least Amsterdam Barista is doing fine). You can do so much better than that, birdy.
You wanted to say, what? Like someone from Amsterdam instead? but you're doing this new thing where you try not to sound as mad as you think you are. Zen, maybe. Internal peace and happiness. So, instead, you say:
He's nice. I like him. 
Words that, of course, have come back to bite you. 
He isn't nice. He wouldn't stop staring at the waitress, and talking over you, or just generally ignoring your existence. He left you downtown, stranded without a way home. You don't like him. You really don't even think you were that interested in him. 
But it makes sense.
Kyle is moving on. Your friends are getting married. 
And where does that leave you? 
Well—
It leaves you stuck downtown with shoes that were intended to be used for aesthetics, the kind that means standing entirely still and immobile, and not walking the fifteen kilometres to your flat because you'd spent all your money on this super flattering outfit and these unfunctional shoes, and can't afford a cab or an Uber. 
Sometimes, you pretend you're a functional adult—one who knows how to navigate everything with ease, and you live in the present, the real world, where time is fluid and unchangeable, and things make sense (maths and geometry and physics) unless they don't (black holes and the vastitude of space and fate)—but moments like these remind you that you don't. That you live, instead, somewhere in the parentheses of both. 
The indigo sky, murky black and void of any stars, seems to grumble along with you as you turn toward the street, readying yourself for the long walk home. Except the groan sounds less commiserating and more ominous. A noise that seems to reverberate through the crowded street, and right into your bones.
Some have the wherewithal to find shelter. A smart move because almost a moment later, the heavens split, and a summer deluge drenches the street. It's unrelenting in its downpour, soaking everything in its path in a shrill roar. 
Caught in the middle of St Peter's Square, there are not many places to duck under for sanctuary, but you find an alcove beside a store, and dart toward it. The non-functional boots are pretty to look at, but with each step, you feel the hard synthetic rubber grind against your heel. Blisters form, break. The burn makes you inhale sharply against the pain, hobbling now on tender feet. 
The wall is slick with condensation, but you lean against it to keep your feet from taking the brunt of your weight. 
It reminds you, quite suddenly, of that night in Cardiff with Kyle. When you'd drank three-dollar margaritas at some downtrodden bar with your friends and ate rather limp-looking fish tacos (a mistake, of course, and Kyle still can't look at corn tortillas the same way), and laughed until your belly hurt at something he'd said—the words lost to alcohol and faded with time—and then leaned over, promptly throwing up in a bush. 
You still can't drink tequila without giggling (and gagging) at nothing, a phantom memory, and the thought presses against a tender spot in your chest in all the wrong ways. 
Time is fluid. An unavoidable truism that you can't escape. 
There are people you've known since you were a child whose faces you can barely remember. Ones you promised the world to, to always be together, who you hardly think of anymore. 
Moving on. Moving forward. 
You think, then, of Kyle. Of the distance that lingers between you both, widening each day. It's nothing you've done, nor he; it's just—
Life. Concurrent. Everpresent. 
It hurts to lose a friend, you'd always think. A small moment of grief, of loss. But not like this. Never like this. 
Stuck in a downpour in the middle of Manchester, you realise you miss him. Have been missing him. 
Huddling under an awning, you fish your phone from your soaked pocket, and pull up the only person you want to be around right now, in this moment of vulnerability. Loneliness. 
You send him a quick text, date was a bust. Stuck downtown. Are you busy?
Kyle's reply comes three breaths later. For you? Never. Send me your location. 
You send him your pin. 
Another message pops up: stay put. I'm on my way. 
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You met Kyle Garrick at university. 
It's one of those things in life that just sometimes happens. A happy accident. An eventuality that makes the world feel a little less daunting. A lock and key sliding into place. Sunsets in pretty ochre. 
Someone you knew and someone he knew (two people who are now best man and groom in the upcoming wedding) decided to invite all of their friends out for a night, and it was then, slightly tipsy on cheap ale when you realised the boy in the back—a head taller than everyone else and more befitting inside the glossy pages of a magazine—was different, somehow, from anyone else you'd ever met. 
It started when some stupid kids decided to pick on another. A smaller boy with a blue cap. 
Kyle was the only one who noticed. The only one who seemed to care. 
It was his anger that drew you to him in the first place. Moth to a flame. It's quick—the sizzling flame of a lit match: suddenly burning the wick and nearly uncontrollable. But it's short. A flickering star, burning bright, burning hot, and then being tempered and swallowed down until it's smouldering. Still hot, still dangerous, but—
Managed. 
It was a snap. He was laughing, jovial. Telling jokes, and having fun, but still maintaining that enviable enigmatic persona: reserved but kind. Funny, but mature. And then it crumpled in an instant, folded away into anger. Bright and blistering. He walked to them, eyes blazing, and didn't wait for any excuses when the kids noticed him, just quickly decimated their foundations, and crushed their feeble lies between his teeth. 
"Bullyin'? That's a pretty foul thing to do, innit, mate?" 
And that was that. 
He handed the kid back his hat—the one the others knocked off into the gutter—and told him, clipped, that he was better than them. 
Just keep your chin up, yeah? Fuckin' losers, that lot. Don't go messing about with them anymore. Fucking pricks. That's a nice hat, too. Where'd you get it? Really? Oh, that's mint—
It was that moment when, unprompted and unnoticed, he easily slipped away from the group to help some kid he didn't even know that you realised you were very keen to get to know him. 
"Fancy a kebab, hero?" You asked, smirking up at him. 
A grin broke across his face. Sharp, feral. "I could always go to a lamb kebab."
The rest, really, just came quite naturally. Your best friend. The person you go to for anything—even terrible dates that leave you stranded in the rain. 
You just wish you knew when it all began to change, to fall apart. 
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Kyle meets you near St Peter's Square. 
You spot him first from your hiding spot beneath the awning, catching sight of his form moving through the (now) empty streets, hands shoved in the pockets of his denim trousers, the bottoms tucked, sensibly, into his fawn-coloured boots. 
Even with the hood of his windbreaker pulled low over his brow, you can pick him out of a crowd with an ease that is as warming as it is jarring. 
You wave him over when he stops on the mouth of Mount Street, looking in toward the Starbucks on the corner. 
He finds you just as easily. And oh, his expression makes your toes curl in your misshapen boots. 
Anger pinches the corner of his mouth, and hangs off the furrow of his brow, the divot between his eyes. 
"Unbelievable," he huffs when he reaches you in the middle of the street, and sucks his teeth when you open your mouth to protest. 
"It is what it is," you offer, playing the peacekeeper. You fall into step with him, trying not to wince. "I'm over it." 
"Yeah?" The shadows across his brow deepen. "Are you sure? 'Cause… I'll fuck him up for you." 
Setting your friend on a man from Kent feels entirely too vindictive, despite how much of a rush you get at the thought of seeing the man cowed a little bit. You shake your head, playing the part of a reasonable adult. 
"It's okay. I'm just—I'm just, over this, yeah? Can we—"
Kyle stops you with his hand against your shoulder. "You alright?"
"My feet hurt," your smile is strained. "Terrible shoes." 
"Take 'em off."
"Are you crazy—?"
"I brought slides for you. Figured you'd wear something stupid." 
"Okay, fair. But—ouch? We can't all be crazy good-looking Armani models. Some of us have to work for it." 
Kyle snorts. "Just take your shoes off, yeah? Throw 'em in my bag."
You can't deny it feels blissful when you lean against the slick wall outside of a shop, toeing off your tight boots. Aching feet freed from their prison. The sigh you let out makes him glance up at you from the pavement, bent over the rucksack he brought. 
There's disapproval in his gaze—maybe at your choice. Choices. The date he warned you about. The boots. The socks he spots are stained with blood on the knob of your foot. 
He tuts. A soft admonishment that cuts through the silence of the empty square. But it's all he says. He swallows the rest and drops the shoes he grabbed on the pavement in front of you, slowly pushing them forward with the tip of his toe.
You try not to grin when you see them.
Crocs. The ugliest ones you could find in Schuh. You'd bullied him into getting a matching pair with you. Neon yellow adorned with little clips. 
You slip them on as Kyle reaches down to grab your boots. He pauses with them in his hand, eying them with something that taints the air with his disdain. 
"When did you buy these?"
"On Friday." When he was sleeping off his impromptu trip to Chicago. He brought you home deep-dish pizza, frozen, and promised that it tasted much better fresh. "For the date."
"Why?" Is all he asks. 
You shrug. "They're cute…?"
His eyes stray to your shoulders. The wet fabric of your shirt. His chin lowers slightly, but his eyes stay fixed on your flesh, on the goosebumps that bubble to the surface, spreading over your exposed skin. Eyes flicker, catching a droplet of water you can feel running down from behind your ear, falling over the slope of your neck. It breaks against your collarbone. He watches it all. 
There's tension in the air. Static. The pressure builds and reeks of ozone when it presses into you, knuckles digging into the hollow of your throat. It renders you unable to speak—locked in a paradigm where the world beyond the honeycomb of his eyes ceases to matter, to exist almost. Thick honey ensnares you. Molasses. It clots against reason, logic, and makes you feel weightless. Floating, unmoored, in this unfamiliar abyss that closes in around you. 
Except—
It isn’t. 
There’s something aberrant about it, anomalous, that you can’t ignore; but beneath it sits a preternatural sense of familiarity that bends the paradox into knowns. Into tangibles. Concretes. 
This is the same tension that has been simmering—festering, almost—since before he joined the miliary. In Cardiff when he leaned against you in the taxi, boney shoulder digging into your arm, and said, ‘dunno what I'd do without you, y’know? 
It was the hazy smear of neon from the shops perched on the street. An ethereal gold hue streamed in from the window, cutting across the tenebrous in an asymmetrical chiaroscuro. The light was soaked up by him. Warm honey, the perfect compliment to his eyes, to the soft pink of his lips. 
How could you possibly describe the feeling that spumes in the pit of your stomach outside of undiluted comfort? 
Home.
It feels like like in shades; muted. A soft undercurrent that lingers inside something else, something deeper—
Moments in the foyer when he was heading back home for the evening. When he’d linger in the doorway, shoulder balanced against the frame, arms folded over his chest, and warned you not to watch Taskmaster without him. 
He’d know, he said. 
When you asked how, he just said:
“Because I know you.”
It feels like that. Like that and something more. Everything, all of it, coalesces into this. Into this moment where you can’t stop staring into the flecks of mahogany and charred birchwood in his eyes, and he can’t seem to decide where to keep his, vacillating between the slope of your neck and matching your stare. A lurch, a flash of something in your chest when your gazes meet. The deep sfumato of a bare forest in the middle of winter—rich browns, raw topaz, honey and amber in a sea of white. A sleepy hinterland. Solemnent and peaceful. Dreamy. Hypnogogic. 
The world always seems to shudder into a deep slumber whenever he’s around. 
He dips closer, swaying into you. Gravity, maybe. Tidally locked satellites on the same rung. Something bubbles in your chest. Unwinds from its dormant perch between the gaps in your ribs, and climbs up your esophagus. Ready, you think, to be free—
In the distance, tyres squeal against the pavement. 
—and all at once, the moment burst, breaks. Shatters into a million pieces, cosmic dust, and you watch them fall around you, blinking rapidly, as though you’ve just woken. 
It feels like slowly coming down to earth when you quietly gather your things, words now stuck in your throat. In their prison. 
Kyle tears his gaze away from your bare skin, clearing his throat. 
"Hardly." He murmurs after a moment and slips his jacket off his shoulders before wrapping it around yours. It smells of rainwater, wet rubber. Beneath the polymer, you can smell Kyle—vetiver, cypress, jasmine; sweet and heady—and you bury your nose in the hood when he turns back to the empty street. “Well, uh—”
You can’t speak. Not yet. 
He seems to understand. 
"Yeah," he nods, and reaches out, tugging on the end of the drawstring. "Let's get out of here." 
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The rain lightens into a muted drizzle, soft droplets that fall, almost rhythmless, on the wet pavement. The town sleeps, the streets bare. Empty. The only sounds come from your slick footfalls, a horn in the distance. 
It’s an easy silence that lapses between you—not at all unlike the lulls before, when things were easy and featherlight and endless; when you could talk to him about everything, anything, and all of the worries in your life were saved for something else. Never him. Never, ever him. 
But it tugs at something in your chest. The same pressure blooms at the edges, lingering in the periphery. You think of the spell you fell under—quiet yearning—and shake your head, desperate now to break it. 
It’s just as easy to slip into familiarity. To tease, and taunt. And so, you do. 
"I'm surprised you haven't said I told you so by now. That's so impressive self-restraint."
His gaze slides over to you. "Well, you know, it's implied."
"Oh, is it, now?"
"Yeah, like when you messaged me and told me about it and I said—"
"Who even uses Tinder?"
"—that he's knobhead, and you're gonna get hurt."
You scoff. "He's from Kent, so."
"Even worse," he makes a face, derision contrasted by the jaundiced lamp spilling over the pavement. "A Tinder date with a guy from Kent? What's next? Moving to Bristol?"
"It's a nice area." 
He rolls his eyes. "Sure. As nice as Essex, maybe." 
"The two are not even comparable—"
"'Dunno why you're rushing into anything, anyway,” he angles his chin toward you. “If this is about Carver's wedding, I said I'd go with you, didn't I?"
"Yeah, but…"
"But what?"
"That's sort of—like, you just have your own thing going on. I don't want to get in the way."
"I've always had my own thing going on. So have you. But that's never stopped us before, has it? What's changed."
"What about—" you swallow down something thick, bitter that wells in the back of your throat. "You know. Amsterdam. The Barista, or whatever."
His brow knots together. "And what about David from Kent?"
You sweep your hands out, motioning morosely toward your Crocs, your damp outfit. "This is what happened with David from Kent. Not exactly the fairytale meet cute you have with Amsterdam—" he makes a noise, like he means to interrupt. You cut him off. Bury it. "And besides, you should take her. I'll just—" 
"I want to go with you."
"Why?"
Kyle falls to a stop near the Kebab shop you usually go to whenever he comes back from his missions, when he's craving good, hearty food that will rot his insides and clog his arteries. A small comfort from before, when everything he has now was just a dream, and you were struggling students in university who could barely afford a meal each and would split a lamb dinner over ale and terrible movies from the noughties back at your flat. 
The suddenness of it all makes you blink beside him, slowly angling your chin up at him. A questioning noise wells in the back of your throat, but when you finally turn your gaze to him, it does out. A snuffed flame. 
He brings his hand up, finger scratching at the soft patch of skin on the bridge of his nose where it starts to arch up. The look on his face, hidden, slightly, by the night blanketing overhead, but just illuminated enough by smears of neon and flushed street lamps for you to see it clove into something slightly flustered, hesitant. Sheepish, almost, like he hadn't meant to say what he did, and now doesn't know how to proceed forward. Cards tucked tight to his chest. Does he play his hand or fold? 
You blink. Then blink again. Struggling, almost, to take in the suddenness of his flustered state. 
Because the thing is:
Kyle doesn't get embarrassed or sheepish. 
A running gag in your mutual friend group is that Kyle is twenty-eight going on sixty-five. An old man crammed inside the body of a young adult. He runs hot—passionate about his beliefs, quick to temper when he thinks an injustice is being doled out; a disciple of loose stoicism, but of a new age variety that is half parts stereotypical stoner chillness and ripe maturity—but he rarely is ever caught unawares enough to become embarrassed by something. He just has a perfect gauge of himself and those around him, able to quickly make friends with anybody he meets, and self-aware enough to know when he's in the wrong, when he needs to dial it back. 
Being his friend for so long, you know the nuance of these expressions. His mien is ingrained in your head: known and catalogued. Nothing about Kyle is a mystery to you except the things you're barred from knowing (his second life away from home, you often joke: wholly confidential, entirety draped in secrecy). 
But the look on his face is entirely alien to you. An expression you hadn't thought him capable of making. 
It's jarring. It bludgeons into you with a ferocity that takes your breath away. 
You know the man standing beside you, but this, everything else, is so unearthly. So foreign. 
"Kyle," you hedge, taking a small step closer to him. You're not sure why. Maybe to reacquaint yourself with the man standing before you. Maybe to find something of familiarity within him to comfort the sudden crescendo of your pounding heart because even just the heady scent of his cologne—vetiver, amber—quells the sudden bloom of anxiety in the pit of your stomach. "Are you—?"
"No," he mumbles, then huffs out a soft laugh. It sounds mean, in a self-deprecating way, and your heart lurches for him. "Yeah, no. I'm alright. I just—shit, you know? 'Course I'd wanna go with you. Should be kinda obvious, no?"
Sure, you want to say. Sure, no, totally. Very obvious. And maybe had he not stopped, not made this peculiar expression on his face—like he isn't sure what to do when he always knows what he wants, what he's meant to do—you might have said them. Might let them tumble from your lips, equally self-deprecating and a touch forlorn despite never really knowing why, but that would be a lie, now. 
Because you do. 
The look on his face is upsetting—not because Kyle never makes that expression, or because he's never uncertain about anything, ever, but because you don't know it. It's not something you've ever seen before. And it hurts. 
It's stupid. This whole thing. It shouldn't make you feel some sense of loss when he does something you don't expect. He always does. It's his brand, now—jettisoning across the world to catch bad guys and slap the trite American sense of justice and liberty for all across the faces of anyone who tries to oppose it—and you're very much acclimated to this side of him, the one he hides away from you, giving nothing at all about where he's going, what he's doing, what he's done, until he's back in England, safe and sound, and texting you at six in the morning for an English spread because he missed home. And maybe, maybe he missed you, too. 
Those quiet moments are tucked into a cosm where it's only you and him, and greasy food, and reruns of Golden Girls together with your feet in his lap as you sit on the chaise and pick favourites (his is, of course, Rose) until the sun goes down, and he heads home because he has a debriefing in the morning in Hereford, and you have work. It's bereft of unease, of tension. Time slips through your fingers fluidly, and you hardly notice it's been hours since he first arrived. Comfortable, wholly, in his presence and in your skin. 
Soulmates, everyone used to joke. You just get each other. Near finish each other's sentences. 
Except for lately, where there has been this undeniable tension simmering between the two of you—a sense of fragility that you can't comprehend.
Growing apart, you thought. And then: guess it's time to do the same. 
It made sense to make the first move. To download Tinder—much to his chagrin—and start looking for your—
Your Barista from Amsterdam. 
And oh. 
Oh. 
Maybe it's the way the street light frames the angles and plains of his face, or the shadows that run deep lines of tenebrous across the valleys in his eyes, the sharp slope of his lips, the soft pout. The inscrutable expression that rents a jagged divot between his brow, and an unsure twist of his mouth. Maybe it's everything. Nothing. 
But the only thing you know right now is that you know him. Have known him. Deeply. Intimately. In a way that goes beyond the boundaries of bodies, of flesh and blood. Bones and marrow. You know his soul. His essence. The foundations of who he is cobbled together in a lonely kebab shop over cheap ale, commiserating on an endless stream of papers and assignments; the eventuality of ever after when you hand in the final one. Over beans and toast in the afternoon, a whole day spent lounging in your flat watching reruns of Golden Girls, and petty arguments over Taskmaster that always seem to go a little bit too far, and never far enough. Fights that end two days later when he shows up with Greggs and a complete box set of that show you said you wanted to watch but never had the time for. Bargain shopping in Tottenham on an early Saturday morning because there's this chair, you see, one that you saw on their Instagram page and you simply must have it. 
Soft moments in between, brackets where life doesn't seem to wrap its cold hands around your throat. Time spent in each other's company just for the sake of it. 
Climbing onto your roof—a thatched mess of moss and straw and broken asphalt shingles that will one day give under your weight—and watching the stars, always searching for one that rockets across the sky while he murmurs beside you, quiet in this stillness that falls like snow in the dead of night around you. A hushed whisper as he relays the places he's been—all stars, he rasps, hand brushing wide strokes across the raspberry sky, dusted with light pollution: I'll take you there one day to see. Best fucking beer I'd ever had, too, just don't tell my cousin because he thinks the shitty lager he makes for his bar is good—and you try to picture it amongst the grey clouds. A life on the opposite side of the world. Just the two of you. Always. 
And that's what it's always been, hasn't it? Just you. Just him. 
It's sometime past midnight on a street corner in Manchester. Your feet hurt from walking all night, and your clothes are damp from the rain that caught you off-guard. A summer downpour. It clings to your skin in a way that's both freeing and wholly uncomfortable, but you're not thinking about that. You're not thinking about anything at all, not now. Not really. There's a silence in your head as the world falls into pieces, breaking like the jaundiced light that cuts crevasses and canyons in the tenebrous that colours sharp valleys of his face. He turns, then, a gentle list of his head as he takes you in, breathes your silence and questions the wideness of your eyes, the soft parting of your lips. The movement makes the light spill over the arch of his nose, the slope of his brow. The dawning of a new day. A new world. The untouchable of the moon where no light shines now burning hot under the sun. 
Then suddenly, and all at once, there's a loudness in your head: a hundred whispers echoing in time to the same off-beat rhythm, full of memories and moments shared between you, threads woven throughout the years all buoying to the surface as you realise you're a little bit in love with him. 
(And maybe you've been a little bit in love with him the whole time.)
So, you say it. You whisper all the words that bubble up, impatiently waiting between your teeth, effervescent and burning white-hot as they throw themselves over bone and flesh to be free. 
Confessing goes like this: 
Molten agony in your guts as the secrets you barely understand yourself dissolve into the atmosphere, spoken aloud and born on cobblestone and petrichor. Wide-eyed shock, uncertainty, as a new quiet falls over your shoulders, louder than anything you'd ever heard. Guncotton in your nose. A million detonations in your ears. 
You've never much liked the silence. You break it, then, with your bare hands. 
"...and that's basically it." 
It isn't much. It isn't poetry. You're not even sure the words were real. A figment of your imagination, broken free because of baristas in Amsterdam and losers from Kent, abysmal dates and the unending fear of being wholly alone in a world you're not prepared for, all without the person who makes you feel a little bit better about the nothingness that permeates around you. 
And sure. Sure. You don't need him. If Kyle decided never to speak to you again, you'd cry and you'd hurt, but you wouldn't be less of a person because of his absence. He doesn't complete you in the same way you've read about in thick books with strong-willed protagonists and an abundance of petty misunderstandings, but he compliments you. Elevates the good and stifles the bad. You want to experience things with him—not because there's some grand force at play, red strings knotted around your fingers that lead you back to him—but because you like his company. His thoughts. His mind. His presence. His essence fills you with joy in the same strokes it makes you want to pull your hair out sometimes. Good and bad. You want it all. 
You want it. Want him. 
And he—
He's taking you home a little past midnight where you'll make yourself beans and toast and maybe try and sleep, or turn on the television to watch four women you're intricately connected to eat cheesecake and solve each other's problems. He could be at his own flat right now, playing that video game he said he wanted to try when he got back, or watching that movie he was supposed to with his flatmates, his friends. He could be talking to some barista in Amsterdam. 
But he isn't. 
He's here with you. Still. Still. 
"I just—," you say, or try to. 
But the rest is a muffled gasp against soft lips when he presses his against yours, stealing the words out of your mouth. 
You can feel your heart beating through your lips. Taste him on your tongue when he draws you closer, hands reaching, grasping. Pulling you into him, into his body. You fit against him, tucked safe between the parentheses of his arms. He tastes of cardamom and cornflower. Lavender notes between his molars. Hints of milk on his tongue. You drink him down and know, then, that this is what they mean they talk about love being a feast because you chase this taste for the rest of your life and never be satiated. 
He loops his arm around the small of your back, dragging you closer still. As if any atom between your bodies is an affront. There’s no hesitation in the action, in the way he burrows into your skin. No trepidation. 
And maybe it would be silly for there to be any. You know him—every iota, every inch; secrets whispered at midnight in a shallow breath and dreams uttered at noon. To be known, to know, is a powerful thing. You feel it ghost across your flesh, featherlight, and reach for it with your bare hands. Seeking, searching. You don’t stop until the tips of your fingers meet his warm skin, curling around him. Anchoring yourself to him. Stuck, now, in permanence. 
You find spots that were untouched before. Behind his ears, the dip of his brow, the curve of his nose, and the slope of his jaw. Cupping it in the palm of your hand, a plinth for him to rest his chin. 
Your canvassing makes him groan, makes him tilt down into you as he begins his own exploration, chasing you in a mad pursuit. Sliding over your valleys, your plains. Running over the rugged mountains and the steep cliffs. He scours your topography with eager, nimble fingers. It’s slow, languid. There’s no rush with this, a consensus you both seem to come to rather quickly when he pries open your mouth and tangles his tongue with yours. It’s sweet, soft. His hands mimic his chase, sliding along your body as if he means to commit the entirety of you to memory, searing it in his brain. 
It’s only when he comes to a crossroads at your navel, pushed flush against his body, does he stop. You moan in despair at it, wanting more and more, not ready to give up this taste that curls over your tongue—saccharine sweet, salty—and Kyle echoes the noise with a groan, a quiet plea for air that both of you desperately need but can’t quite make yourself take. 
“Fuck—” he groans again, breath stuttering out in sharp, deep gasps. “Can’t bloody tell you how long I wanted to do this for, fuck—”
His words seem to peel back the dreamy gossamer of a slowly burning sensuality. It ignites in a blaze, not at all unlike the swiftness of his anger. The sharp, sudden strike of a match. The crackle and hiss of flames renting the air. 
The blaze starts at the point where your upper lip touches his, and almost immediately, it consumes you. 
It's frenzied when he kisses you again—feral and wild: all teeth and tongue and nips against your bottom lip but the moment you sink into the fervour, Kyle changes it. Slows down. Chaste pecks to your sore lips amid a sensual onslaught. A languid roll of his tongue, soothing the burn his teeth left behind. 
The way he kisses you feels like a paradox. 
It's organised chaos. Refined madness. A cluttered mess of finesse and deliberate suckles; an artist's masterstroke. 
You can't keep up. His rhythm is fierce and uncatchable. 
Each step seems to stutter. An avartan you can’t keep pace with. Elongated taals, dips. A crescendo of harmony that is matchless, unreproducible. You struggle along with his swift current, his unerring tide that sweeps you away; unmoored, adrift. The tentative exploration ends. He knows you, now. All of you. And this is his summit. His scramble to the top. It’s biting passion; roaring flames. 
You cling to him, holding tight to the liferaft he offers in a slow huff, a gust of mirth across your lips and into your lungs, slowing down to accommodate you. Malleable, now, he lets you lead, lets you take over, and move seamlessly with him. In tandem, parallel. Equilibrium brings you to heel, and you sigh into his mouth—a deep exhale of everything that has been building and building, tipping the scales around you until it was unbalanced and precarious. Teetering on the edge a precipice unknown. 
His hand roams across your known geography—hills and streams, rivers and canyons—until he reaches your hand still bracketed around his cheeks, slowly peeling it away from his flesh to slide his fingers between yours, holding tight, and—
Kissing is immaculate. Bending at an altar, and making an offering to something bigger than yourself. It’s the spark of lightning flashing overhead, static in the air. Magnets drawing closer and closer until they snap together in the middle.
But holding his hand?
It feels like coming home. 
The world tipping back into place. Amber warmth in your veins; the softness of a jasmine petal. You suck in a deep breath at the shock of it all. 
You think of missing puzzles and loose sea ice drifting alone in the vastitude of the ocean. You think of a life where he isn’t in it and find yourself shuddering at the wrongness that emanates from it. 
You want him. Want him—
It’s Kyle who pulls away first, resting his forehead against yours. You blink slowly, eyes catching dark amber, honeycomb. It draws a smile from you, full and deep. Giddy on the taste of him, of this. 
The only thought in your head is finally, finally.
You see his lips curl in response, eyes lidded and heavy. Blooming with want, affection. Adoration. 
"What, ah—," he laughs a little, then, breathless and happy, and the noise anchors itself to your breastbone, pressing into the hollow of your ribs. A place you'll keep it forever. "What now?"
He hands you the starless sky, and places it into the cup of your palm. Breathes laughter in the air, paints the moon with his joy. You think about the places he wants to take you, and the ones he swears you'll never go. You think about aeons from now when the world is gone and the stars all die out, when there's just the hazy lavender of endless abyss you can't make sense of. You think of him, and you think of you, and you wonder when it started to just make sense for there to always be two. 
Maybe that night in Cardiff when he held your shoes and gave you his coat. When he draped his arm around your shoulders, laughing at something stupid you'd said. A year before he joined this task force he makes cheeky remarks about but never goes too deeply into detail. When it was just endless summers spent working and drinking and eating good food. 
He'd asked the same thing, then, half slumped over in the taxi, and three sheets to the wind. It made his eyes darken, endless pits. Black holes. The expanse of the sky is framed by brown lashes, and drooping lids.
And you'd said—
"Beans and toast?" It feels right. It feels good. "We can—"
He huffed, too, just like he does now, and squeezes your hand once, tugging you along. 
"We're not watching Golden Girls."
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You watch Golden Girls. Kyle wraps his arm around your neck, keeps you tucked in close to his side. He steals kisses from you when Sophia says something that makes you laugh until you're breathless and trembling. 
When David from Kent texts you, he grins wide, and whispers in your ear, think I've always been a little bit in love with you, you know? 
Yeah, you say, and kiss back until the taste of him is etched into the space between your teeth. Since Cardiff. For you?
"Since Uni for sure." He smiles again, sheepish and a touch flustered. It glitters on his brow and nips the apples of his cheeks. "You stole my heart when you devoured four lamb kebabs and then ate my tabbouleh. Said to myself, yeah, that's the one for me, innit?"
"On second thought, what's that Barista's number? Might try my luck instead."
"Nah, you're smitten," he presses his lips into the hollow of your throat, nips his teeth against your pulse point. "And you're all mine. No take backs."
"Ah, for fuck's sake—"
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Ahhhhhhhh. Sappy romcoms are my kryptonite and it shows.
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saltpepperbeard · 6 months
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Poison into Positivity: A List of What I Liked in OFMD S2
Hello hello everyone! Things have been a little rough around here. Even away from the more heated takes, I've still seen a few "down in the dumps" murmurs. To which, I'm giving y'all big hugs, but also offering up some little bits of warmth! I wanted to share quite a few bullets of the things I enjoyed about this season. Maybe it'll serve as a reminder, or maybe it'll just serve as a chaotic, silly little read as per usual PFFF.
But I invite you to read along, and even add some of your own points should you feel inclined! Also, this might not even be my full list; these are just the ones that came to me quickly/off the top of my head. Still, let's dive on down like a fantastical, dazzling goldfish, shall we?
All the callbacks/parallels. My goodness. When I tell you I'm a SLUT for metaphors/parallels/callbacks/etc etc. Seeing so many things and being able to just *Leonardo Dicaprio pointing meme.* I know people might not share that same opinion because some might view it to be excessive, but I personally LOVED being able to point at my screen and be like "oH EYYYYYYY!!!" Maybe because it makes for such immaculate gifset/meta material <3 SJKJDLHSK
The costuming and makeup. WHEN THEY TALKED AT ECCC ABOUT EVERYONE GETTING HOTTER, THEY WERE NOT KIDDING LMAO. EVERYONE LOOKED SO, SO GOOD. and listen, i am on my knees begging for them to give ed with his hair up back to us. i need Her back,,,ALSO, SOMETHING SOMETHING COMPLICATED EMOTIONS TOWARDS STEDE'S LATTER HALF LOOK, BUT ALSO...GOD DAMN, MR. DARBY,,,,,,
Speaking of Mr. Darby, the acting in this season. The ACTTTINNNGG. Everyone acted their ASSES off. Everyone put their entire piratussies into this season. Though, I'm PARTICULARLY impressed with Taika and Rhys, because again with their "oh we're comedians lol so idk drama can be Difficult Difficult Lemon Difficult." MMMM I THINK THE FUCK NOT, MY GUYS LMAO??? They both did SO well with all the drama and painful moments. The acting in episodes 2, 3, 6, and 7 in particular like...God. GOD!!!
I loved so many characters in this season, and I'll of course have to give two individual shoutouts to my two favorite new ladies, but man. LET'S GO FRENCHIE!!! ALWAYS A DELIGHT!!! FANG/KEVIN MY ABSOLUTE SWEETHEART. JIM SERVING ABSOLUTE FUCKING GENDER THIS SEASON. OLU OLU DARLING OLU. PETE NEVER MISSING WITH HIS ONELINERS. LUCIUS BEING SO THEATRICAL AHDJKSDK LIKE NATHAN PLEASE YOU KILL ME. ROACH MAKING ME LAUGH OUT LOUD NUMEROUS TIMES AS HE DOES. WEE JOHN AND HIS KNITTING AND DRAG!!! AND THEN OF COURSE MY DEARLY BELOVEDS, ED AND STEDE. I JUST LOVE THEMMMMM!!! But okay okay okay-
Zheng my beloved. I just love this badass pirate queen with her sweet little pigtails and her IMMACULATE LINE DELIVERIES SDHJKSKL. A lot of my favorite deliveries from the entire season came from her quite honestly. Please see: "Girl, how ARE you?" and "Hiiiiiii. I KNOWWW it's been a day" and "I've killed mediocre men. I've killed exceptional men. But you're the worst kind: a mediocre man who thinks he's exceptional."
AND ARCHIE MY BELOVED. She kills me because I remember seeing like, those ~*~audition tape whispers~*~ WAY back in the day, and subsequently thinking she was going to be quite a different character. Only for this silly goofy bubbly energetic darling to pop up and snag my heart. HER deliveries kill me also, like when she goes "Like...STEDE Stede?" and the whole "I was IN the fuckin' snake!" also hhngngngngnershkfhslkds tattooed ladies Hot :(
Speaking of which, the comedy. THE DELIVERIES. THE WAY I LAUGHED OUT LOUD NUMEROUS TIMES THROUGHOUT, EVEN WITH THE DEEP UNDERCURRENT OF DRAMA/ANGST. The whole bit where Stede is in hysterics over his cursed coat is just hsjkdhsklds; it will NEVER not make me wheeze. And then, like I said, almost EVERYTHING Pete says this season kills me; another thing that will never not make me laugh is "a doggie...?" weird little pirate show with weird little humor my beloved
The ROMANCE??? I genuinely was going into the season with the expectation of getting maybe like, one or two Gentlebeard kisses. Imagine my shock and utter delight when we ended up with FOUR, AS WELL AS AN INTIMATE SCENE, THE LETTER SCENES, AND THE LOVE PROFESSIONS. Like, one of them dropping a legitimate "I love you" felt like an unrealistic expectation--the HIGHEST dream tier really. And then wouldn't you know it. And that doesn't even account for all the rest of the couples either! The murder wives having their chaotic little moments of fucked up affection??? LUCIUS AND PETE GETTING ENGAGED AND THEN MARRIED??? HELLO??????
The sets! I know people have pointed out that the world felt a bit simplified this time around, due to budget restraints and what have you. But I still loved what they did with the world even with the various constraints. The market in episode 6 is a PARTICULAR favorite of mine; it's just so lush and colorful. I also love what they did with The Revenge during episode 6 too!
Also, this might be an unpopular opinion, but I really actually liked that they filmed on location. First of all, love that the Kiwis got to be right at home in Aotearoa. Love that they have an even more special connection to the show now. But second of all, I just like when scenery is...actually THERE? It feels way more TANGIBLE. Don't get me wrong; that hugeass wraparound screen that they use to film a lot of sets is a technological marvel. But I'm a sucker for practical.
The deeper and more complex dives into character motivations/trauma. Like, homie lol...When I tell you episodes 6 and 7 utterly set my brain alight in the best way possible. I was CHUGGING through thoughts. You know those gifs where someone is walking around and ranting/passionately talking,,, yeah. Yeah. Maybe because a lot of it "struck a chord" with me indeed, but I love love LOVE getting brain food like that.
Speaking of brain food, in PARTICULAR, the deeper dives into Ed's self-loathing and into Stede's troubles with confidence and masculinity. A lot of Stede's choices were fueled by those two things, and it was SO friggin fun to catch all of them, put them in a jar, and shake them around. I've seen a lot of people fearing his actions in the latter half were out of character, but to me, I don't see it that way. I just see a man who has been so spurned, so left behind, and SO deprived, a man who is stuck thinking he has to be someone else to mean something. And I think that plays a lot into even the EARLIEST developments we saw in season 1, so it was just so intriguing to watch everything messily play out.
THE INNKEEPER. THE INNKEEPER MY BELOVED. SO much about that episode absolutely has my heart. All the different developments, the stakes, the pacing, and the payoff at the end. Not to mention that I had a FEELING that mysterious figure in the trailers was Hornigold, so it was so SO validating to see him pop up PFFF. And also, all those dream/gravy basket sequences were so so good too. I don't know if it's the chemistry between Taika and Mark, or the deeper symbolism, or the lines that have become vocal stims for me SJKDLS (please see: ooOOoooO eddie eddie eddie...you're laying some heavy shit on me, bro), but man. MAN.
And this one gets its own bullet because of course it does: the fucking mermaid scene. Like, are we kidding. ARE WE KIDDING. THE ROMANCE OF IT ALL? THE FANTASTICAL-NESS INDEED?? THE WAY IT WAS ALL FUCKING PRACTICAL AND RHYS SWAM DOWN TO TAIKA AS A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GOLDFISH AND THEY HAD TO THROW HEART EYES AT EACH OTHER UNDERWATER??? WHAT THE FUCK!!! And don't even get me started on Kate Bush lol. This Woman's Work might easily be one of my favorite songs, if not my FAVORITE song from the season. And man. Man. The whole meaning behind Ed seeing Stede as this beautiful, sparkly being, and not some hypermasculine/extraordinary thing. He fell in love with Stede for who Stede really is. And so I ADORE that acknowledgement.
Speaking of songs, the MUSIC!!! Absolute bangers all throughout. And I loved how there seemed to be even more intermixed within the episodes. Like God... "These are the kids..." 🗣️ HELLO MY LOVE I HEARD A KISS FROM YOU 🦗🦟🦗🦟🦗🦟 . And all the beautiful classic piano pieces and NINA SIMONE AND JUST HSJKDHSFJKLHSKD????
Okay, I've always had and STILL have complicated thoughts and opinions on Izzy, but man, seeing him interact with the Revenge Crew was really something. Seeing Stede's influence come over the lot of them like a warm blanket, extending its welcoming and familial hands...It was just lovely. I love seeing our little sea family care for each other so much. They've probably all hurt so so much in different ways, so to see them all being a collective heart is just so nice.
Speaking of which, the queerness of it all, the queer celebration of it all. The way the whole crew is just...a representation of queer people finding each other, and subsequently finding love and family in each other. Like, when the whole world wants to cast you out, you pull each other in. When no one else wants you, you take refuge in each other. And just...the joy, beauty, and wonder that can be found in that.
And speaking of which x2, the overall care that was put into the entire thing, the effort that was put into the entire thing. I know Max fucked us over with the budget, which subsequently fucked things like the intricacy, the amount of characters, and especially the pacing. But, I don't know; I personally could still tell everyone involved was trying so so hard to deliver for us. Based on the little details, the little callbacks, and the little moments that felt so catered to us, it just seemed so...gifted to us. Not to mention of course, the way they so deliberately chose to end on a hopeful note in case we never get a third season. They care about us. They've always cherished our excitement and passion, so it just...idk; it feels so special to have a bit more of an intimate connection like that. I've never been involved with a piece of media that so avidly SEES its audience, and celebrates along with us. So, despite everything, despite any sort of troubles, despite any sort of lows, that's a big part of what has me clutching all of this so closely to my chest. And I really hope they can still see that love, because I want nothing more than for them to see this beautiful story through.
Also, getting to enjoy this with everyone. Getting to ride the wave from the beginning of filming, all the way through the finale. Getting to see all the excitement, all the theories, all the art, all the fanfiction, all the gif sets, all the meta, and everything in between. It has carried me through some nastiness in my personal life, and has subsequently served as a very welcomed distraction. It's been such a pleasure getting to delight in this new content with you all, and I hope we get to do so into the future. <3
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weirdmarioenemies · 26 days
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I am going to like totally finally finish ranking the Mario galaxies today. Stop Me.
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Thank you for you're patience. We can talk about the top 5 galaxies now
I'm not gonna bother with any prelude, you've waited for this for like years now I know you want the Goods so here you go!
5. Blue Grass Galaxy
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Tier: S+ Debut: Super Mario Galaxy 2
Blue Grass Galaxy is quite possibly the most elusive galaxy in the series. It was shown off briefly in the first ever Super Mario Galaxy 2 trailer, but when the game came out, it seemed like it was nowhere to be seen... Not even datamining could find it!
But as it turned out, we just weren't looking hard enough, because if you manage to grab every Green Star as Mario in a single sitting in under two hours without losing a single life, and then beat the Perfect Run, also without losing a single life, you unlock... A series of Red Stars for each Galaxy! And once you collect all of those in under an hour as Luigi without losing any lives, once again followed by another perfect Perfect Run, you unlock a bonus Hungry Luma on the World Map, who needs to be fed 9999 Star Bits on all three save files (so have fun speedrunning the green and red stars again!) before finally transforming into the Blue Grass Galaxy.
Of course, because the files for the Blue Grass Galaxy weren't included in the game, you'd need to download it by using a special, randomly-generated code on the Wii Shop Channel, but once you finally did, you could finally play the Blue Grass Galaxy to your heart's content. I know it might seem like quite the grind to get here, but man, every second you spend in the Blue Grass Galaxy is so immaculate, it makes the whole grind worth it. I almost don't have the words to describe how good it is, you'd really need to experience it for yourself! Sadly, you can't anymore, ever since the Wii Shop Channel shut down... Ah well. You really had to be there, I guess. I know some people were disappointed by it just reusing the Puzzle Plank Galaxy music, but I love that music so much that I don't mind.
My only gripe with the galaxy, and the main reason it only landed in the #5 spot, is because of the name. They called it the "Blue Grass" Galaxy, but that grass is very clearly green. This might seem like a pretty petty reason to put it so low, but when you get up that high, the small things can make a big difference, you know? If they called it the "Green Grass Galaxy" or the "Blue Sky Galaxy," I could easily imagine it getting the #1 spot, but respectable effort nonetheless, and a worthy reward for Super Players.
4. Wet-Dry World
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Tier: SS Game: Super Mario 64
I know what you may be thinking. "What could Wet-Dry World be doing on a list of Super Mario Galaxies?" Well, it's a World in a 3D Mario platformer where you can collect Power Stars. Need I say more? And ever since Throwback Galaxy confirmed Whomp's Fortress is a Galaxy, it's easy to extend this logic to the rest of Super Mario 64. So Wet-Dry World gets to make the top 5 also.
I mean, how would it not? It's a galaxy with a cool and unique gimmick! The idea of the height you enter at deciding the water level when you enter in is super cool, and I love all the ways they tie this gimmick into the galaxy's different missions. And while this might seem like a small thing to a lot of people, as a mod of Weird Mario Enemies, I can't help myself: I will ALWAYS love a galaxy that includes such memorable enemies as Chuckya and Skeeter! So Cool!
Even in a time before Super Mario Galaxy, they managed to get the "otherworldly" feeling of this location down pat! I mean, there's the fact the skybox is distinctively underwater, even when you're on dry land, there's the fact the way you adjust the water level is via these abstract crystals, there's the whole abandoned underwater city, giving hints as to long-gone civilizations and possible Wet-Dry World Lore, this galaxy has it all! I know some people say it has a Negative Emotional Aura, but those people just don't know the meaning of good atmosphere.
3. SNES Mario Circuit 3
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Tier: Good Debut: Super Mario Kart
For the #3 slot, it should only make sense that it's a place with "3" in the name. I know lots of you were probably expecting SNES Bowser Castle 3 to end up here, but it's just hard for me to ignore SNES Mario Circuit 3's legacy. I mean, it's been in five different games for crying out loud! It's hard for a course to show up in five games if it's not really good, right?
SNES Mario Circuit 3 may seem like a really basic course at a glance, what with it being completely flat and everything. Not a lot of bells and whistles in this one, that's for sure. But a better look at it reveals it to be a surprisingly technical track, with some tight turns that require good brake drifting to take optimally, and a bevy of off-road shortcuts that reward players for good item usage. While lots of courses get by thanks to their flashy gimmicks and setpieces, SNES Mario Circuit 3 cements itself as a fan-favorite as a pure test of players' skill. I mean, again, I have to assume it's a fan-favorite if it's in five games.
I also need to give a shoutout to SNES Mario Circuit 3's Atmosphere. The course has hardly changed at all since its original incarnation on the SNES, making it like, totally retro, and the staircases and flagpoles representing the original Super Mario Bros. only help to cement that identity. It also gives the course a very unique, almost liminal sort of feeling. The yellow sky is also an interesting touch. Is it merely set at sunset, or is it a biting commentary on how 30 years of go-karting have caused enough pollution to change the color of the sky? I'll let you be the judge.
Either way, it makes sense why this course has cemented itself as such a fan-favorite, and manages to always get picked in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online lobbies. It's just that Good!
2. Milky Way Galaxy
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Tier: X Game: Real
i live here hi!!!!!! :D
1. Sling Pod Galaxy
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Tier: The "S" is for "Slingpodgalaxy" Game: Super Mario Galaxy
It's always the ones you least expect who win in the end... I may have ranked it dead last when I started this series, but by using the momentum of the Sling Pods, it managed to slingshot itself allllll the way to the top! Bet you didn't see this one coming! But really, it should be obvious. This galaxy is an incredible test of timing and precision, offering a good challenge for skilled players, and with an aesthetic reminiscent of the beautiful Space Junk Galaxy, it ends up winning me over in more ways than one!
There's no question that as soon as you have enough Star Bits saved up to reach Sling Pod Galaxy that you should make a mad dash to the Fountain and shove them all into that Hungry Luma's mouth, because the Sling Pod Galaxy is an experience you'll never forget! And since it's a great place to farm Star Bits too, it practically pays for itself! Bonus!
Wow! What a wild ride that was !!!! hopefully we all learned something at the end.
i'll post the real top 5 some other time i'm sorry
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doll-elvis · 6 months
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PRISCILLA (2023)
~ my thoughts as an elvis fan
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(credit to @urpinkstargirl for the photo)
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD:
so I saw it last night and I’ve been stewing on it ever since as I wanted to be 100% sure in myself before saying this publicly
**brace yourselves**
After just one viewing… I feel confident in saying that I preferred this film over “Elvis” 2022 🤧. It was just so immersive and so deeply intimate that I walked away from the theater feeling like I had just lived a life with Elvis, and experienced all the ugly and wonderful things that came with it
I am seeing it again tonight and possibly tomorrow just to recapture that feeling (which made me cry… three times…)
And although I’m not the biggest fan of Sofia Coppola, there is simply no denying that she has perfected showing “girlhood” in film, and making the most unique experiences, like being Marie Antoinette and being Priscilla Presley, somehow universal to everybody. I haven’t felt being “14” since I was 14, which was a whole 5 years ago, but WHEW… I most definitely felt 14 again when watching Priscilla navigate life in Germany
Also- we all saw how Austin Butler was completely cheated out of an Oscar and so I’m begging that we do not do that again. Give the Oscar to Cailee Spaeny (who played Priscilla) right now 😤 There are no words besides “immaculate” to describe her performance. Her future is so bright as an actress, I just cannot wait to follow her career + she just seems like the sweetest person ever??
And I know it might seem insane to say that I preferred “Priscilla” over “Elvis” and some of y’all might crucify me for that take but my preference solely comes down to the fact that I appreciate Priscilla’s perspective much more so than the Colonel’s, who to me, has always been the least interesting aspect of Elvis’ story
My biggest gripe with having the Colonel narrative/tell Elvis’ life in the 2022 film is the fact that it made the film feel rather impersonal to Elvis as I don’t think the script or the storytelling ever fully allowed for Austin Butler to explore what he was like beyond the stage
And personally speaking, I have a much deeper love for Elvis the person as opposed to Elvis the performer, and I think that “Priscilla” showed the human side of him far more than “Elvis” ever did (like y’all we actually get to hear and see him reading his philosophy books in this!!!)
But before I get into what was actually depicted in film, and all my praises, I thought I would briefly state what I thought could have been done better. Don’t get me wrong, this movie was beyond amazing, however, it was definitely not without its’ faults:
1. If you have seen a lot of reviewers talk negatively about the pacing in this film- just know that they are unfortunately, completely right in that assessment. The whole timeline of Germany felt literally five minutes long, and the 70s also, felt maybe 10 minutes long which just made both the beginning and end feel rather rushed. Also there were at least 5 scenes that just faded to black before going onto the next one, and some very abrupt cuts in scenes which felt a bit awkward
2. Because this is a biopic, and because it’s based on a real life, there is no climax like you would be accustomed to normally in a film and so I think that the average viewer, like someone who may not really care about Priscilla or Elvis, will probably walk away from the film feeling unsatisfied- possibly bored. I saw it with my mom and my sister, and my mom was asleep in like 45 minutes 😭. The movie definitely got repetitive at some points but I acknowledge the fact that life is repetitive, especially for Priscilla in the 60s while Elvis was off making movies
3. While Priscilla (played by Cailee Spaeny) aged realistically and seamlessly, Elvis (played by Jacob Elordi) was essentially the same person (physically) for 95% percent of the film. For some reason, his hair was already dyed black in the Germany scenes, although we know it was brown at that time, and so there was no real transformation for him until Lisa Marie is born. The height of the actor was definitely jarring at first but eventually I got used to it…however…I damn near busted out laughing when they showed him in the Comeback special outfit 💀 His performance was nothing but incredible (ESPECIALLY THE VOICE) and so I learned to get over the physical disparities rather quickly
4. The ending of this film, particularly the song, was overwhelmingly sad and impactful but I was really disappointed that we didn’t get to see Priscilla’s and Elvis’ relationship after the divorce. This film ends with Priscilla leaving Graceland, starting her “new life”, which didn’t make much sense to me considering this movie was adapted from her book, which very much explores that part of her life, especially with Elvis
I would have really love to seen moments like this from Priscilla’s perspective ⬇️
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excerpt from “Priscilla, Elvis and me” (avoid this book)
5. NO CIRCLE G RANCH!!! It is borderline criminal to make a film about Priscilla and Elvis and to not include their time spent at Circle G ranch ** which Priscilla has always said were their happiest times together **. I assume that this was likely an issue because of the budget and the fact that they only had 30 days to film but god… I would have really appreciated some of the domestic bliss that Priscilla and Elvis shared while living in the trailer on the ranch. There were many happy moments/sequences (y’all are going to die when you see the rollerblading/go cart scenes) in this movie, but I think their gradual separation/withdrawal from one another (post marriage) would have hit harder if we saw how happy they were together during their ranch phase
6. For those who have read “Elvis and Me”, we all know about the famed LSD scene that takes place and unfortunately, Coppola heavily missed the mark on it. We don’t see Lamar Fike making out with a tree, we don’t see Jerry Schilling in a closet- instead we see Priscilla and Elvis just kind of rolling around, laughing amongst themselves while the room around them turns different colors
There were definitely many key moments/stories like that missing from the film, and I honestly wish that the movie was an hour longer so that we could have seen the book more fully fleshed out
Lastly, here’s just a general synopsis of the scenes in Germany… I was going to do the whole movie but I don’t have the stamina to type it all out 😭. If y’all want to know something specific please feel free to comment below and I will let you know <3!!
After the beginning credits are shown, the film starts with Currie Grant (who was renamed as Terry West) approaching Priscilla in a diner, inviting her to a party at Elvis’ house. After talking with her parents and assuring them that Priscilla will be looked after by him and his wife, it cuts to her in the back of a car, on her way to meet Elvis. The scene is exactly like how it is in the book, Elvis asks her how old she is, he remarks that she is “just a baby” and so on- Elvis then plays “a Whole lotta shakin” at the piano and that is one of three musical performances we see from him
Priscilla is then re-invited by Currie aka Terry via Elvis to comeback to the house again. Elvis invites Priscilla up to his room, she looks around and sees letters from Anita Wood, and a poster of Bridgette Bardot just like in the book. After Elvis talks about Gladys and how he is still reeling over her death, and how lonely he has felt since then, they share their first kiss to the song “Crimson and Clovers”
There are some scenes of Priscilla at school and some scenes of her sort of convincing her parents to let her continue to see Elvis. And they do agree, but just like in the book, they want to meet him first. Elvis is questioned by Priscilla’s father on why he wants to be with her to which Elvis replies that she is very mature for her age and that he likes talking to her since she is from home aka the United States. He then assures Priscilla’s father that she will be taken care of. After that we see them going to the movies where Elvis expresses how much he wants to be a serious actor, and then they share another kiss on the car ride home. It then cuts to Christmas time where we see Elvis giving Priscilla a watch and then BOOM- Elvis and her are on the way to the airport where they say their final goodbyes as he leaves for the United States
The film really does follow closely to the book (at least from 59’ when they meet to 69’- again the 70s were really rushed) and so I really recommended to read that prior to watching the movie
As for the more sensitive scenes-
There is no explicit sex, no graphic nudity, and no scene where Elvis forces himself upon Priscilla. He does say “this is how a real man makes love to his woman” but all he does is kiss her before she pushes him off. There is a rather long “polaroid-taking” sequence where it shows all the outfits that Elvis would Priscilla dress up in but other than that, we only see Elvis and Priscilla make out
And it did show when Elvis accidentally hit Priscilla in the eye during the pillow fight scene in her book, along with the scene of him throwing a chair in her general direction after she expressed she didn’t like a demo of one his songs, and the scene where he grabs all her clothes from the closet and tells her that she should go visit her parents. I don’t think that the scenes made Elvis look abusive: Coppola was surprisingly nuanced in showing that he had reasons for his sometimes bad temperament i.e the pills he took along with the fact that he was frustrated with his film career
It also shows Elvis’ infidelities but really only through movie magazines that Priscilla sees. So it’s never explicitly shown, I would say it’s more hinted at than anything
And there are two scenes of Priscilla with Mike Stone but again, nothing that is explicitly shown, it’s just hinted at
Finally, to finish this up, this is what I wrote on my Instagram account which I very much stand by ⬇️
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Just please give this movie a chance y’all, it was so beautiful and so sensitively done… I cannot wait to watch it again <3
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junggunz · 1 year
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♡⸝⸝ nsfw alphabet: jake kim
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cw: fem bodied reader + established relationship. an: i really wanted to post something so i decided to do a headcanon type thing for the first time ever. ପ(๑•ᴗ•๑)ଓ ♡
A - Aftercare  (what they’re like after sex)
Assuming that you’re dating, Jake is not against going the full nine yards and doing things like giving you a massage, drawing you a bath then changing the sheets so you can sleep comfortably after doing the deed. At the very minimum, he’ll always clean you up with a towel and give you water.
B - Body Part (their favorite body part on themselves and their favorite body part on their partner)
At first, Jake thought his height and muscles were his best features since those are the things most people would compliment but after Vivi pointed it out, he started to appreciate his butt more. 
I imagine Jake being really handsy. During sex and outside of it, he just really likes skinship. Any bit of your body that he can get his hands on, he just loves the feeling of you. But at the end of the day, he’s a very healthy young man and probably has a thing for boobs or thighs. 
C - Cum (anything related to 💦💦💦)
Jake likes the intimacy of being inside of you when he cums; whether that involves a condom or not. He’s not totally against the idea of cumming on your body, it just means more clean up. 
I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, since Big Deal doesn’t always bring in a whole lot of money and he’s willing to only eat instant noodles for the sake of his crew’s finances, his cum probably doesn’t taste the best. He knows that, so he wouldn’t make you swallow his cum if you didn’t want to…but he does appreciate it when you do swallow his seed without complaint. 
D - Dirty Secret 
Jake can be a bit shy when it comes to expressing his kinks so all of them feel like dirty secrets to him. His biggest fantasy is recording the two of you having sex. He cherishes these moments with you, so why wouldn’t he want to document them so he can fondly look back at it? 
E - Experience (how experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)
Jake is attractive, charming and has a healthy amount of confidence in himself. He also wanted to know just how effective Sinu’s teachings are so of course, he’s had a couple casual flings here and there. Those flings probably still think about him and his immaculate stroke game- I also don’t doubt that he watches more of the sensual genres of porn and romance movies to gain more insight on how to be a better lover.
F - Favorite Position
Good ol’ missionary or cowgirl are Jake’s favorites; they’re classics for a reason. Close contact positions that allow him to see your facial expressions as he wrecks you are the best in his book.
G - Goofy (are they more serious or playful in the moment?)
I think Jake has the capacity to be playful or serious during sex. It just depends on your relationship with him. Obviously, the closer you are, he’s not gonna care about any little awkward moments that happen during sex. His serious side usually comes out when he’s super focused on trying to make you cum. 
H - Hair (how well groomed they are)
1000% convinced that Jake is the type who will only completely shave when he’s expecting to have sex. But on the regular, he tries to keep himself trimmed. If he’s going through a dry spell with no sex, he’s not gonna care too much about manscaping down there because his face is way more important lol. 
I - Intimacy (how romantic are they in the moment?)
…c’mon now. Jake is THE romantic boy. Do I gotta say anymore? Jake doesn’t have a natural instinct to fuck; his natural instinct is to make love. Sex without intimacy isn’t that good to him. He wants the intense eye contact and the sweet nothings exchanged while he’s inside of you. Don’t get me wrong though, he does have a rough side but you’re gonna have to do some serious begging to get it to come out.    
J - Jack Off (how frequently do they masturbate?)
I don’t imagine Jake being someone who masturbates often. Not because he has a low sex drive, he’s just a busy man with a lot on his plate. Once in a while, he might jack off if he wakes up with really bad morning wood but he’d rather relieve his frustrations with actual sex. HOWEVER, he’d probably drop what he was doing and get to a private location asap if you called him up wanting to have phone sex or something like that. 
K - Kink
When you have sex with Jake, it becomes pretty obvious what his main kinks are.
Body worship - whether it be him worshiping you or the other way around. He’s into it, no doubt.
Praise - he loves telling you how good you make him feel and how pretty you look taking his dick. And of course, he’s more than happy to hear you tell him how amazing he is.  
Strength Kink - his muscles aren’t just for show. The easiest way to do that is to display it in the bedroom so you never forget that he’s capable of protecting you. And rearranging your guts in any position you want- lol whut
L - Location (favorite places to do the deed)
Jake prefers the privacy of having sex at home. Whether it be the bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen—it’s all equal playing field for him. Maybe if you got him horny in public he would divulge an interest in car sex.  
M - Motivation (what turns them on and gets them going)
Jake has no problem initiating sex but it excites him even more when you make the first move. Whether you’re more coy with your approach or if you outright tell him you want his dick when he thinks he’s not in the mood, he will definitely want to fuck you on the spot if you tell him that you want him.  
N - NO (what turns them off or something they’re strongly against)
I can’t imagine Jake being into any of the pain kinks. If you happen to fancy the extra rough, degrading sex you’re gonna have to have a long conversation with him about it first because this sweetheart would freak out if you randomly asked him to slap you in the face during sex. 
O - Oral (preference for giving or receiving, skill level)
Jake is an attentive lover so it won’t take him long to figure out how to drive you crazy with his tongue. Especially when he prefers to be on the giving end of oral sex. When he’s on the receiving end he gets really vocal telling you how good your mouth is and how pretty you look gagging on his cock. 
P - Pace
Now..Jake might not be into degradation or pain play. But don’t get it twisted. He’s more than capable of switching between soft and sensual thrusts to pummeling into you hard and deep. He’s going to start off slow and sweet just to get you worked up. Then once he’s got you to the point of begging for more, his pace becomes faster and a little more aggressive.
Q - Quickie (opinions on them/how often)
If you want a quickie, he’s down. But for the most part, he’s not really into them because he likes taking his time with you. 
R - Risk (do they like to experiment or take risks?)
I see Jake being a very traditional lover but if he’s at a comfortable point in your relationship where the two of you can openly discuss your kinks, he’ll try whatever you want if it means you’ll be happy. 
S - Stamina (how long do they last? How many rounds would they like to go for?)
I think most of the Lookism men have crazy amounts of stamina. Jake is no exception. He probably would want to go for 2-3 rounds max but each one is like an hour long. He just wants to spend the entire time feeling you up.
T - Toy (how do they feel about using them?)
Jake probably wouldn’t consider using toys unless you wanted to. 
U - Unfair (how much they like to tease)
This smug fucker omg. Once Jake finds out what makes you tick, he’s going to take advantage of those weaknesses just to see you squirm. His teasing is borderline mean sometimes. You have a thing for his voice? He’ll come up to you while you’re doing something and lay on the charm thick, whispering in your ear and telling you how cute you look today. Your nipples are a really sensitive erogenous zone? He’s gonna hug you from behind and casually tug on the little buds until they’re standing on edge, only to walk away. The teasing only gets worse when the two of you are in the bedroom. From making you wait as he does everything painfully slow to edging you until you feel like you’re about to burst.  
V - Volume (how loud they are and what sounds do they make?)
Jake is the creator of that one meme where it’s like “y’all be afraid to moan? I be in my girl’s ear like…” He’s not shy when it comes to making noises if he’s feeling good. He’d also probably talk you through your orgasms. 
W - Wild Card (random headcanon for the character)
I will not be elaborating or explaining. It’s just a vibe.
Jake has beef with your plushies because he’s jealous that they get to sleep with you every night. He purposely knocks them off the bed when you two are having sex; especially if they’re ones that he didn’t give you. 
X - X-Ray (what’s in those pants?)
He has big dick energy. A lot of the Lookism men do and I know that’s on purpose. I think his girth to length ratio is perfect. He’s literally built to make you cum idc. 
Y - Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)
While single, I don’t think sex occupies much space in his mind. But when you first start dating him, that libido is out the roof because he’s just so excited to be able to regularly have sex with one person he’s committed to. His sex drive eventually balances out after you complain a few times about how exhausted you are from fucking like rabbits.
Z - ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 (how quickly they fall asleep after.)  
If you have sex in the middle of the day or in the morning, it’s probably gonna give him more energy. When it’s closer to bedtime, he’ll probably just want to cuddle and watch an episode or two of a kdrama before he goes to sleep. 
summary: Watching his mom be treated like shit by his dad and having Sinu drill into his head the importance of romance/passion has molded Jake into the pleaser he is. 
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bonus! 
“F-fuck, Jake!” your voice carries throughout the bathroom, mingling with the sound of the shower stream pattering against the tiles. Body pressed up against the glass of the shower stall, you’re struggling to stay standing upright as Jake’s cock slowly drags in and out of your sensitive walls. Every inch fills you up so good, it makes your head hazy and the steam of the shower only further fogs up your thoughts. Breathing heavily behind you, Jake pushes his hips against your ass; feeding you his entire length and filling your pussy to the hilt. 
“You’re gonna cum again, aren’t you, princess?” He coos in a gentle tone, continuing to deliver languid thrusts deep inside of you and letting the tip of his manhood press against that spongy spot within your walls. “Soak my cock one more time for me.”
When his lewd words come from his lips in such a honeyed tone, how could you oppose his request? Your thighs tremble as you orgasm for the third time this morning, a shrill exclamation of his name pouring from your lungs while you orgasm. The feeling of his fingertips digging into the meat of your hips keeps you grounded in reality as stars dance behind your eyelids, threatening to sweep you away to cloud nine.
“You did so good for me, love.” He murmurs in a soft voice as he feels your walls squeezing around him, desperate to feel his release. 
You had no idea how long you and Jake had been at it but enough time had passed for the shower water to go from steaming hot to lukewarm bordering on cool.  
“Jake, the water is getting cold.” You whine as the change in temperature shocks your senses. “Hurry up and cum already.” You impatiently roll your hips against his, small moans rumbling in the back of your throat when you feel his dick twitching inside of you. 
“Alright, alright.” Jake chuckles softly, grabbing your hips and holding you in place. “I just wanted to enjoy my time with you.” He adds in a teasing voice. 
Not too long after that, he’s rutting into you like an animal in heat. Selfishly chasing after his own climax since you had been thoroughly satisfied, Jake loses himself in the warm wet heat between your legs. His full balls smack against your clit with every rough snap of his hips, causing a medley of moans and whimpers to leave you that serve as encouragement for Jake to keep pounding away at you. His eyes are trained on to your point of connection, watching the way your ass recoils and how your juices covered his length in a shiny gloss of your arousal. Groaning at the erotic sight, he starts to slam into you faster; his noises coming more frequently and mixing in with your sounds of pleasure. 
“I’m gonna cum, baby.”  Jake moans out, leaning over your back and pressing a light kiss on your temple while he pulls your hips back against him in tandem with his thrusts. “You want it inside you, yeah?” 
“Oh yes! Please-” you gasp, your eyes rolling back into your head as you feel his cock spearing your insides in all the right places. His actions cause the little coil of tension in the pit of your tummy start to come undone. With a few more sharp thrusts, your pussy squeezes around him, leaving a thick white ring of cream around the base of his cock. The feeling of you cumming around his length once again triggers Jake’s explosive finish; hot, velvety ropes of his seed painting your twitching walls.    
As he remains inside of you, riding out his intense climax, Jake presses a series of light kisses along the side of your face and neck. All of the sweet praises he whispers against your skin don’t process in your mind—your brain too fucked out to think about anything else besides the throbbing sensation between your legs.
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a-dinosaur-a-day · 1 year
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Round Three: Ambopteryx vs Caihong
Ambopteryx longibrachium
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Artwork by Gabriel Ugueto, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs
Name meaning: Both wings with long arms
Time: 163 million years ago (Callovian stage of the Middle Jurassic)
Location: Haifanggou Formation, China
Look, evolution has done a lot of weird stuff to dinosaurs. It put penguins underwater, and did whatever the hall mamenchisaurid necks are, and game lambeosaurs a built-in face trumpet. But I would argue there is one group that represents dinosaur evolution at its most unhinged, and that is scansoropterygidae.
Scansoriopterygids were generally considered “weird little tree dinosaurs” in the 2000s, with long fingers to pick grubs out of bark or something. Then Yi qi swept along in 2015 and revealed that those long fingers were actually supporting membranous bat wings. With an extra bony rod (the “styliform element”) sticking out of the wrist to help support it, because well if you’re a dinosaur evolving bat wings why bother being normal about it after that? Although really, the dinosaurs did it first so bats actually have dinosaur wings.
Yi was sensational, but it was also extremely weird and completely unique. Even other scansoriopterygids didn’t have wing membranes, so the whole bat thing was a bit up in the air. Or not up in the air, as the case may be. But then along comes Ambopteryx, published in 2019, packing another set of skin wings, and the vindication of Yi is complete! 
Ambopteryx preserves a styliform element and wing membrane, as well as a thick coat of feathers, and honestly out of a whole selection of dinosaurs I think these might be some of the most huggable in the lot. Obviously this whole wing membrane thing didn’t end up working out for them long term, but Ambopteryx is part of an incredible lineage that challenged what we thought was possible for dinosaurs!
Caihong juji
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Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs
Name meaning: Rainbow with big crest
Time: 161 million years old (Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic)
Location: Tiaojishan Formation, China
It’s always a special treat to hear the announcement of a dinosaur with known colours, because it gives the most direct impression of how truly stunning these animals would have been to witness in real life. And Caihong might just be the most spectacular of them all so far, described in 2018 from an immaculate full-body fossil that preserves detailed feathers! Caihong’s feathers are longer than some other floofy dinosaurs, and would have had the appearance of a luxurious mane along its neck. Not only that, the fossil preserves feather microstructures that in life would have made this dinosaur gloriously iridescent!
Now iridescent dinosaurs aren’t new, Microraptor has been decked out in fabulous starling-esque plumage for a while now, but Caihong absolutely takes it to the next level. Its whole body was covered in iridescent black, including the enormous tail, but the real star of the show are the platelet-like melanosomes found on the head, neck, and the base of the tail. Different from the usual iridescent melanosomes, the structure of these tiny organelles reflects brilliantly iridescent colours, like those on the heads of hummingbirds and particularly the bright purple feathers on the necks of the trumpeter family. Caihong would have put on an absolutely dazzling jewel-toned display in the treetops or on the forest floor of prehistoric China!
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hangmans-girl · 2 years
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Lover (Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader)
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Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Wife!Reader
Summary: The one where you found the most perfect love in the shape of a man named Bradley Bradshaw.
Warnings: None, just pure fluff.
Words: 2,273
Author's Note: I've noticed I have been writing a lot for Bradley these days. I think I should begin with my Hangman fic as soon as I can.
The immaculate smell of cookies emanated through the walls of the house as you and your son, Nick were mixing another batch of cookies. "Am I doing it right, mommy?" Nick asks as his little arms struggled to pull the spatula around the thick cookie batter.
"Yeah, you are. Do you need mommy's help?" You asked. Little Nick shook his head as he tried harder to mix the batter.
"I think I'm good, mommy." He replies.
You nodded as you smiled, ruffling his hair in the process. You then continued to mold the batter into the cookie pan so you could put it in the oven when you suddenly heard a cute giggle from the living room
You craned your neck to get a better view of the living room from the kitchen. Bradley was sitting on the floor with his eyes closed as your 4-year-old daughter smudged some makeup on his eyelids.
"Daddy, you need to sit still."
"Oh okay," Bradley says as he tried his best not to move. His hand wandered around the floor as if he was looking for something. "You think you could give daddy some more of this red one? I feel like the other cheek's a bit lighter than the other, baby girl." He adds as he raises a round blush palette in front of your daughter.
"One second, daddy. I'm almost done with your eyeshadow."
You smiled at the very wholesome scene in front of you. You sat on the kitchen stool as you turned to look at Nick who was currently munching on some cookies while he held a cold glass of milk in his other hand.
In the middle of your trance, some flashbacks from where it all started came flooding in.
Growing up with Bradley meant three things: endless singing, clothes trying-on montage, and running around by the shore the whole day. This continued until both of you grew up and needless to say, this also meant growing feelings for him.
You've always had the hunch that he knew about what you felt about him and that he just chose to ignore it for the sake of your friendship. By the time he graduated from the academy and was subjected to being part of the TOP GUN Programme, he finally cracked.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked, crossing his arms on his chest.
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't this the part where you're supposed to tell me that you love me and you don't want me to leave? I mean, I'll be gone for 3 months."
Your mouth gaped in awe as you avoided his gaze. "W-What are you talking about, you idiot--"
He placed both of his hands on your shoulders as he leaned down to level his gaze upon you. "You're like an open book, sweets. You don't even try to close it."
He tapped your cheek gently as he grinned mischievously, making you scoff in embarrassment. "You knew? All this time?!"
"Yeah, since 10th grade." You couldn't believe it.
"Then why didn't you say anything?!"
He shrugged, "I didn't want to impose. I just thought maybe I was so attractive that you always looked at me in a certain way. But since you just admitted it, turns out I was wrong. You actually like me."
You gasped when you realized what he had just done, "You little-- Ugh! Damn you, Bradshaw!" You marched away from him as he ran to catch up with you.
"Come on now, you can't send me away like this," He whined, still laughing at your adorable reaction.
"Bradley, I swear to God I will punch you--"
"No thanks, but I'll take a kiss. It will last me three months, I think. But I'll let you know if I need more." He winked, making you frown in confusion.
"Bradley, just what are you on about?"
He rolled his eyes as he sighed dramatically. "Jesus, (Y/N). And here I thought I was the idiot one."
"Okay, Genius. You like me back. I get it."
He looked at you in confusion. "Do I?" You groaned as you punched his arm playfully. He chucked lightly before holding your wrists as he pulled you into a warm hug.
"I'm gonna miss you," He whispers on your neck.
You tightened your grip on his body as a response, earning you a soft kiss on your crown. "Now, where's my kiss?"
You giggled at the question. "Come back home in one piece, then maybe we'll talk."
He whined dramatically as he sighed. "Fine, I guess," He started to pick up his things as he looked over to the side where the airstair just opened. "Oh, there goes my ride." He pointed at the plane swiftly to catch your attention before he stole a quick peck on the lips as he ran towards the plane before you could even recover.
You were in complete awe as you stared at his grinning figure from afar, waving at you like a child before he went inside the plane.
After that, you came home smiling like an idiot.
3 months after, when you heard that he was graduating from TOP GUN, you immediately packed your things and flew to San Diego. As soon as he spotted you from a sea of pilots in white uniforms, he pushed his way out of the cramped space and gave you the tightest hug you have ever received from him.
"So, where's my kiss?"
"I believe you stole one 3 months ago."
"Aw, that's not fair. Can I have one as a graduation gift?"
You sighed in defeat. "Fine, just one. Then we'll talk, okay?" You tiptoed as you gave him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled lovingly at you as he nods, "Yes, ma'am."
When both of you finally had the time to talk, you tried to figure out what to do with your relationship. As per Bradley, both of you didn't need to figure it out since he had already absorbed the thought that you were his, and he was yours.
Bradley was the greatest boyfriend you could ever ask for. He'd bring you souvenirs that he claimed 'reminded him of you' while he was still away, give you massages out of nowhere, and braid or brush your hair for fun while listening to you rant about how the supermarket never restocked your favorite potato chip anymore.
When Bradley was young, he could clearly remember seeing his parents dancing around the living room as he sat there while clapping with joy. He could also remember his parents singing a song while he sat on top of the piano, trying his hardest to sing along to what they were singing.
His parents were the happiest with each other. As he grew up, he reflected on that thought and decided that he wanted that kind of relationship. A pure, happy, and passionate one.
A year after he graduated from TOP GUN, he decided to pop the question. He figured that he couldn't wait any longer and wanted to just take you home with him and be with you forever. Of course, you said yes.
Your marriage was pure bliss. Bradley was very consistent, and he proved himself to be better as the days went by. After a year of marriage, you found out you were pregnant.
Bradley found out about it through a little game you set up when he came home from a mission. You placed a bun inside of the oven and lead him to it as he stared at the oven for a good 10 minutes. "Babe, I think the bun's burning. Don't you think you should take it out already?"
You suppressed a smile as you shook your head. "Nah, it's not due to come out 'till September."
He frowned in confusion. "What? The bun will be spoiled by then---"
You rolled your eyes at his cluelessness. "Jesus, Bradley. I'm pregnant."
He blinked at you for a while, taking all the information in. "Oh." He breathes out. His eyes widened as he suddenly pointed at the oven. "A bun in the oven--Oh my god! You're pregnant! I'm gonna be a dad!"
He lifted you up carefully as you laughed at his reaction. "And here I thought you were so smart, you couldn't even figure that out."
"I'm sorry, babe. I think it's the post-flight brain fog." He grinned before hugging you lovingly as both of you ended up cuddling on the couch for the whole day.
All throughout your pregnancy, Bradley was very hands-on and protective. In your fifth month, he already bought some things to use for babyproofing around the house. When he found out that both of you were having a boy, he passed out.
When Bradley found out that your water broke, he immediately filed for an emergency leave for a week just to be there for you during your labor. But the moment he got to the hospital, you were already holding your baby boy in your arms.
You could tell that he was mesmerized by his newborn with the way he looked at him. He cried for 2 minutes while he hugged the little boy close to his chest as he carried him away from you to get some alone time with him.
When Maverick and Penny came to visit, Bradley refused to let his newborn go. Bradley wanted to hold him for as long as he could, even if his arms went sore. He sat by the corner of the room as he cooed at the little boy in his arms
"Let me hold him, Brad." Maverick says as he earns a groan from Bradley.
"Not today, Mav. I'm having my moment here."
Needless to say, he remained like that for hours.
When Bradley was a good husband, he was also a good father. Unlike any other dad, he loved doing the dirty work. You never knew why he was always so excited about changing the diapers, bathing the baby, and feeding them even if it was messy to deal with. When you saw how happy he was with it, you figured it was just him being a doting father to his firstborn.
When Nick was about 2 years old, there came baby number 2. You cried yourself to sleep after you found out that you were pregnant again and Bradley couldn't be there for you because he was stationed for a year in a different country.
You called him and told him everything. He assured you that everything was going to be fine as he promised to be home as soon as he possibly could.
After a year of being away, Bradley finally came home to a reading little boy and a crawling baby girl.
That night, he cuddled both children to sleep after reading them a bedtime story. You were left to sleep alone in your shared bedroom, but it didn't matter. You just didn't want any of this happiness to end.
In the middle of the night, you felt an arm wrap around your waist as Bradley buries his face on your neck from behind. "I'm sorry for not being able to be there for you when you were carrying our little girl. I promise to do the best I can to make up for the lost time." He whispered.
You used to think that perfect love didn't exist. Little did you know that that kind of love took a human form in a man such as your husband.
"Hey, hun. You okay?" You heard Bradley ask you as you snapped out of your thoughts.
"Yeah," You replied as you turned to look at him and laughed. "Wow, honey. You look...good."
"Yeah, I know, right? I feel like a walking butterfly clip," He says as he poses in front of the mirror, combing the wig with his hand to straighten it up. "Man, I look hot. Our daughter should be a makeup artist when she grows up."
You laughed as you took a minute to absorb his little ensemble. His blonde wig was out of place, he had colorful hair clips around it, and he was wearing a pink, frilly apron from the little tea party your daughter set up a while ago before she decided to mess with her dad's face.
You made your way towards him as you hugged his waist. "I love you so much, Brad."
He hugs you back as he places a gentle kiss on your forehead. "I just hope you didn't do something bad, but I love you more." You slapped his chest gently as you chuckled.
"Daddy, you forgot your earrings!" You and Bradley looked down to see your adorable daughter handing her dad some plastic clip-on earrings. Bradley gladly takes them from her little hands as he clips them on his ears.
"I think this calls for a family picture," Bradley says as he reaches for the camera, pulling the children towards the living room. Nick sat with his plane next to Penelope with her doll as Bradley set up the camera. You sat next to the kids as Bradley ran to sit beside you before the camera flashed. As soon as it ended, Bradley and the kids looked at the photos.
"Mommy's got a third eye."Nick laughs as he looks at the photo before pointing at your forehead. You frowned in confusion as you immediately looked for a mirror, and there you saw a lipstick mark on your forehead. Bradley.
You looked at him as he grinned. "I love you." He mouths at you before looking at more pictures with the kids.
Life couldn't get any better than this.
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absentia-if · 1 year
Note
I'm looking for more interactive fiction games to play and I was wondering if you have any particular favourites?
I’m a hermit when it comes to the community as a whole— mainly staying in my own little corner, but I have been able to meet some amazing Author’s during my stay.
Citadel by @bouncyballcitadel is an absolutely amazing medical drama IF. An amazing cast of characters, both romance and non-romance, and real life experiences, and knowledge, fueling the writing in such a way that makes you feel extremely connected to the plot and the MC. I highly recommend it.
An Affair of the Heart by @doriana-gray-games is another amazing IF that I strongly recommend. Not only because I absolutely adore Dori, the sweetest of sweethearts, but she makes the world of Sherlock Holmes come to life in such a way that I can’t even truly describe— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would be proud of her, I can tell you that much.
Novaturient by @kalorphic is an amazing spy IF that has a lovely cast of characters. It’s not as serious, or it’s not supposed to be as serious, as some of the other titles that I’ve mentioned, but it’s such a fun time all the same— it doesn’t have too much in the form of a demo, as of yet, but I think you’ll enjoy getting to know the cast on Ella’s blog all the same. (She also has another blog @ellawrites-if that I think you should check out too.)
Next in Line by @nextinline-if has been a fun read since I’ve started it. Not to mention Vi is an absolute delight to speak with. You have a little bit of everything when it comes to the romances, and who doesn’t love being royalty too? I think you’ll have a grand time with the story, and getting to know everything you’d wish to know about it, as I can’t recommend it enough.
Abyssal by @theabyssal is a great game with an amazing premise— playing Death itself ticking a lot of boxes for a variety of people. It’s quite angsty, as I feel like I should warn you, but the writing is immaculate and you’ll be pulled into the inner workings of a world that you have to find a place in once more. Plus, the ROs are absolutely amazing too.
A World Without You by @jaunefleurwrites has been an amazing read. It deals with the realities of death while still being alive, an ever growing entity that always looms over us all, but it’s still an enjoyable read even if it does have a sadder undertone. I highly recommend it (plus Damin is a sweetheart).
The King’s Hound by @the-kingshound is an Arthurian IF that I think you’ll find yourself drawn to. It has found family written all over it, with tinges of angst and drama strewn within, that I think you’ll enjoy. It’s an amazing story, with an amazing cast, and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Past Imperfect by @past-imperfect-if is an IF with only a singular RO, that’s semi-customizable, and only has prologue released so far, but I strongly implore you to check it out as I think you’ll enjoy the premise of it. (Plus, my friend is the main creator for it and I know she’ll absolutely love to have someone as wonderful as you check out her story.)
Kingdoms and Empires by @kingdoms-and-empires is an amazing high fantasy game that I think you’ll enjoy. It has a wonderful world, that seems dynamic around the MC, with an amazing cast of characters that I think you’ll find yourself growing attached to. If you enjoy fantasy, being a royal, and wish to be along for a long ride? This story is definitely for you.
The Scars I Live With by @thescarsilivewith-if is also an amazing premise that I absolutely adore. It doesn’t have a demo yet, but I think the cast of characters that have been introduced as well as the world building will be able to be just enough until one is released.
If you want more of my stories? I have three other main stories that I’m working on— even if they’re on a semi-hiatus as of now.
Heart of Flames is a dragon rider story where you take on the role of one of the newest dragon riders within Haven, and it expands across the world of Gallinia as a whole. @unforeseenflame
Scandal is based off the show of the very same name— Scandal (by Shonda Rhimes). It’s genderlocked female though, just want to warn you. @nightingale-interactive
Path of Fire is a dragon-shifter IF wherein the MC is the last of the Dracaryean and their journey in discovering what that truly means— not only for them but for Ioria as a whole. @eleanawrites
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mykoreanlove · 5 months
Note
Hey i was the one who asked for Taemin😅☺️
So my request is one where taemin and the reader (also famous one) where a couple and they casually meet at a restaurant in Paris after mnet concert so they spend the night talking (and confessing they miss each other)and the next day there are photos and videos of them and the fans start shipping them…
I appreciate very much🧡
Here we go - I hope u like it :)
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“I am starving! Can we go now?”
Your manager grabbed your coat and ushered you out of the venue. “You are unbearable when you’re hungry. You know that?”
A small smirk left your lips as you remembered who used to say the same thing to you, too.
Taemin.
He even carried snacks with him in case you got hangry. Your boyfriend was such an attentive man, always making sure that you were taken care off. Well, he used to, as he was not your boyfriend anymore.
Taemin, the love of your life, turned into Taemin, public figure you tried your best to avoid.
“Get in”, he opened the cab door for you. Luckily, there were only a few fans waiting for you outside, making this exit fast and effortless. You waved your goodbyes and got into the cab, exhausted and starving.
“What did you think of the concert, y/n?”
You turned around to face him – your manager was a handsome man. He was righteous, smart and dependable; a valuable asset you couldn’t miss in your life. And yet, that asset caused a lot of trouble for you.
You shrugged your shoulders. “It was okay, nothing I haven’t seen before.”
He chuckled. “Are you still in a bad mood?”
His comment stung. Still.
You were in a very bad mood weeks ago when you had to call it quits with Taemin because he couldn’t handle his jealousy. You wanted to slap the shit out of him for breaking your heart like that. He wasn’t jealous because of fans or exes, no, he was jealous of your manager. The one you spent most of your time with, the one that was way too good looking to be around you all the time like that.
Feelings of anger and heartbreak turned into sadness and apathy, but still, your manager’s comment was uncalled for.
“I know you didn’t like him, but I did. And loosing him like that was very painful to me, so yes, I am in a bad mood. Still.”
You shut down this conversation and watched the moving scenery out of the window. You had always been fond of Paris, no matter the season nor time but something about Paris by night filled your heart with the most joy. The cab passed the Eiffel tower, which was illuminated beautifully.
“We’re here”, your manager explained. You didn’t understand, though. “At Eiffel tower? What do you mean?” He chuckled and opened the door for you. “There is a very famous restaurant up on the tower. Not a lot of people get the chance to dine there. However, you do, y/n.”
You couldn’t stop gasping as you went up on the elevator. You had been in this business for a while, but you were not used to extravagant and lavish things like this.
“Let’s take a photo for your fans”, your manager nudged you. Both of you looked into the massive mirror that was attached to the wall of the elevator and smiled warmly. After that you took a good look at the reflection – you were wearing a beautiful dress, going up to an exclusive restaurant with a handsome man. This whole situation was oozing romance and you almost felt like a princess as long as you ignored the wrong prince by your side.
As you entered the restaurant you were greeted by polite waiters, ushering you to your place. The place was immaculate – a modern and stylish interior with giant windows which made it possible to overview all of Paris.
“Fuck me”, you mumbled under your breath. This was breathtaking, marvelous even. Gratitude was flooding your body, paired with a bit of sadness as you would have loved to experience this with the right prince by your side.
The waiter rambled happily, explaining each and every landmark of France’s capital. “It is amusing that you’re coming here today, mademoiselle.”
“And why is that?” You loved talking to the old waiter, he was full of joy and appreciation for life.
“Because tonight we also have another popstar from Korea with us. Perhaps you know each other?”
Quickly, you glanced at your manager who simply shrugged his shoulders. You had no idea that one of your colleagues might be here as well. Who could it be?
“Do you want to go meet him?”
You nodded and followed him, eagerly anticipating who it could be. Your waiter led you to a separé where a bunch of people were enjoying their dinner joyously.
“Here, mademoiselle y/n, our other guest from South Korea is-“
Your heart sank instantly as you recognized him.
“Taemin.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck – the only thing that was going through your brain. On the outside, however, you appeared calm and collected. All those years of training definitely paid off, as you were able to mask any emotion.
Taemin however was caught off guard. He was dressed in all black, looking too good to be real. His hair black with some light accents, his eyes hooded from the alcohol and his lips slightly apart from the shock of seeing you.
“Hey everybody, funny seeing you here. Enjoy your meal, it looks delicious.”
You turned around and rushed out of the restaurant, brushing off your manager as you needed time alone to collect yourself.
Luckily, the elevator was still on your floor, so you got in and did your best to breathe. You didn’t want to cry, not here, not now. As the door was about to close a man jumped into the elevator, making it in in the last second before it shut for good.
“What the-“, you mumbled under your breath as you realized who it was.
“Y/N”, his voice still held the same amount of love for you as it did back then.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m here for a shoot. And then I went to a concert earlier and my crew wanted to come here, so I-“
“Not in Paris, Taemin. What are you doing here?”, you interrupted him.
He looked at you sweetly, making your insides churn.
“I couldn’t let you get away like that. I was in shock when you turned up at my table, honestly, I thought I was hallucinating you.”
You noticed a smile forming on your lips which you shut down immediately.
Stop getting your hopes up, you idiot.
“I wouldn’t have come if I had known that it was you. Sorry.”
Taemin grabbed your hand. “No, don’t be. Don’t be sorry, y/n. I am so grateful that you came over. What are the odds of us running into each other? Here? In Paris?”
His hand was warm, feelings of familiarity flooded you. The sound of the opening elevator doors ended this nostalgic moment for you as you pushed his hand off yours and went out.
Taemin ran after you and stopped you in your tracks.
“Y/N, please. Stay. I need to talk to you.” He was pleading, his eyes were sincere. “What is there to talk about?”
He sighed deeply. “I let you walk away once and that was the biggest mistake of my life. I’m not doing it again, y/n. I still feel the same way about you. Don’t you?”
There was this feeling again. In the pits of your stomach, you felt something vibrant, like a butterfly that survived the horrors of your heartbreak and still clung unto hope. Taemin took your hand into his, drawing small circles on it, knowing that this would calm you down. “Why don’t we go for a walk?”
You gave in and walked with him, your hand still in his, your heart already fluttering. Both of you remained silent, just casually walking side by side. You passed a garden and ended up at the river, appreciating the view from there, as well. “God, this city is the essence of beauty”, you admired out loud. Taemin’s eyes lit up as you were finally opening up to him.
“It is”, he agreed, “that’s why I always wanted to come here with you.” You mustered him suspiciously. “You did?”
He flashed you his brightest smile. “Of course, I did. I had it all planned out. We would stay in one of those beautiful hotels that has a direct view on the tower. And we would walk on the Champs Elysée, and I would buy you anything you want. We would eat all day, like crepes and macarons and we would be up all night, paying the city of love its proper homage. We’d fly back to Korea wearing those stupid I love Paris shirts and tell everybody about our trip and how amazing it was, because we’d been there together.”
His words were the sweetest, yet all you could feel was sadness. This trip was nothing but a fantasy that died in the moment you two broke up.
“I am sorry about what happened, y/n. I acted like a complete moron. I was just…. overpowered by my emotions and I couldn’t think clearly. Truth is, I miss you. I think about you every single day and I want you back. I want us back.”
You noticed a small tear running down his cheek and couldn’t help yourself, your own tears started flowing, as well.
Taemin grabbed you and pressed his forehead against yours. “Please don’t cry, my star. Let me make it up to you. I can fix this. I can fix this… if you let me.”
You slung your arms around him and hugged him tight. All the burden you had felt these last months finally fell off you and you were able to embrace whatever this thing between you was.
Taemin placed sweet kisses on the crown of your head, tightening his grip on you. “You know, my life has been so dark ever since we parted ways but now, I finally feel like the light is coming back.” He whispered into your ear: “My star is finally coming back.”
You looked up at him, touched by his words and vulnerability. Taemin understood you without words, he always did, and kissed you tenderly. This kiss felt like an explosion, a mixture of love, longing, and relief.
It was him who broke the kiss, chuckling happily as he repeated his endearing nickname for you over and over again.
“My star. My star. My star. I can’t believe it. I have you back. I finally have you back with me, y/n, my star, my love. I-“
You crushed your lips on his again, not wanting to terminate this moment just yet. “Easy tiger, we’re still in public.”
Ah, fuck.
You let go of him, slightly ashamed but still content. “Thank you for running after me, Tae.” He placed another kiss on your knuckles. “My pleasure, y/nnie.”
Your rumbling stomach interrupted this wholesome moment, reminding you that you were still starving. “It’s a shame I haven’t eaten before we left though”, you laughed out loud. Taemin’s hand searched for something in his pocket. You watched him pull out one of your favorite snacks, handing it to you. “I know this isn’t French cuisine but it’s better than nothing.”
Your eyes teared up again. “Did you carry this with you? Even after we broke up?” He nodded in agreement.
Fuck, I really love you. And you love me.
Taemin grabbed your hand. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
He smirked at you. “My hotel is right around the corner. Let’s go there and I’ll let you gaze at the Eiffel tower while I gaze at you.” You erupted in laughter. “Ewww, since when are you so cheesy?”
You woke up entangled in one another. Panicked, you recalled last night but calmness settled in as you realized that it was all true. You were back together and this time it would be different. Taemin was still asleep, looking like an angel to you. You noticed your phone lightning up and checked your messages, it was flooded with texts from your manager.
“Don’t even lie to me about last night, y/n. The internet is full of pictures of Taemin and you smooching it up. CALL ME!”
Panic flooded your body, you instantly shot up.
“My star”, Taemin mumbled half-asleep, “come back into my arms and sleep some more. Please.”
God, he was adorable but now was not the time.
You opened your socials and searched for the pictures. There they were – him and you kissing, him and you talking, him and you eating snacks.
Shit, this can’t be good.
“My staaaaar”, Taemin’s hands grabbed you and pulled him to him. You scanned the comments hastily.
OMG, I love them!!
They are so cute together.
In Paris? This is like a kDrama lol.
He is so hot! If I can’t be dating him, he should date someone as cool as y/n
My girl got lucky!!!
“Y/N.”
Taemin, his voice all hot and bothered in your ear, was ready to throw your phone out. “Is there anything you need to attend to right this instant, my star?”
Luckily, there wasn’t.
You placed your phone on the nightstand next to the bed and turned around, vanishing under the covers with your hot and heavy boyfriend.
“Nope, I’m all yours.”
** the end **
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nikethestatue · 3 months
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Greetings,
I’m a baby elriel. I’ve like never really “shipped” any characters before in my life — and after the last few weeks of looking at the historical/ongoing ship war clusterfuck that is the ACOTAR fandom I don’t think I’m ever going to set sail again anywhere. You and all the other elriels who have been in the trenches from the get go have my respect 🫡 Anyways, your blog is super swaggy and you’re like the chillest elriel I’ve seen, so it is to your inbox that I shall share my testimony, my come to Mother moment if you will.
I didn’t really start giving any serious thought to the two them being a legit thing until I was already done with ACOSF. And it’s wild because it was the “‘I don’t see you spouting poetry, brother.’ ‘I don’t need to resort to it.’” bit in ACOWAR between Cassian and Azriel that triggered me to reevaluate.
When I first read that part I was like damn okay I see you Rizzriel, and I just kept on thinking about it and coming back to it cause it was so funny and entertaining but one day I was like yo hold up, don’t need to resort to it?? Okay, Mr. “Born Hearing the Song of the Wind.” Okay, Mr. waxing poetic about “The Naphelle Philosophy.” Like don’t get me wrong, it is definitely, first and foremost, a subtle flex for his third unspoken title; he is Azriel — shadowsinger, spymaster, and rizz master of the Night Court. However, I am a firm believer that he doesn’t need to resort to poetic words as some sort of attempt at flattery or being charming because the right situation/person naturally draws out that part of him.
✨Walk with me✨
When Elain and Azriel first meet in ACOMAF, even though there’s not a whole lot of interaction between them, it’s definitely a case of two people having a connection simply off vibes alone (yay for those of us who don’t have loud personalities). He puts her at ease with a smile and by acknowledging her fears and apprehension about their presence, about how much of a mindfuck it was for her to be dining in her home with those she was raised to believe were horrific creatures that would kill her if given the chance.
So like because of this, I think Elain is driven by a deeper curiosity that came from her unexpected comfort when she asks “Can you truly fly?” cause ngl asking the dude with massive wings if he can fly is certainly a choice 🧍🏽‍♀️ Like, there’s more to it than that, more than just attempting to transition from a tense situation into conversational small talk which could’ve been done just as easily with the likes of “Tell me about yourself” or a more confrontational “So what are you?” — which is essentially what Nesta asked immediately after 💀
Elain doesn’t know anything about these guys, but she sees Feyre trusts them, and Azriel’s small expressions of gentleness towards her amidst the escalating interactions made her willing to attempt connecting with him further. So I think her asking a ridiculously simple question with an obvious answer was her way of softly inviting him to share something about himself — not necessarily through what he responds with but rather how he responds — because something, if anything, unique to his answer beyond a simple yes or no would offer her a glimpse at him. And what does he do? Stone-faced, cold ass — doesn’t open his mouth except to give the shortest answers possible or to make some sharp sassy retort — Azriel spouts poetry for her about his and Cassian’s heritage.
So after my revelation slapped me in the face and then bonked me over the head for good measure, I went back and sought out all their interactions and was like dang bro became horrendously down bad for her in the most quietly romantic way possible and she’s feelin something too I can’t believe I didn’t pay attention to this before. I love love love that they just seem to be at ease in each other’s presence, that the vibes between them are so immaculate they don’t even need to bother with many words. Existing in comfortable silence with someone is like my favorite way to spend time in relationships whether it’s familial, platonic, or romantic so it makes me feel all fuzzy that we see them like that quite often.
So now I’m here and am looking forward to eventually reading about them and discovering more about Elain’s gifts because the whole creation story with the Mother + the Cauldron always gave me Gaia-type vibes and with Elain being invested in gardening and then being made a Seer by the cauldron because it thought she was so lovely I’m like Elain Archeron — the absolute goddess that you are, light and life flowing through your Made veins — we haven’t even seen all you can do yet and you’ve got this angelic fae male of death and darkness ready to worship you on his knees and I’ma be right there with him yes ma’am 🛐
WOW baby Elriel. You smote me with this beautiful post.
(first of all, you should write fanfiction. You reminded me of the greatest Elriel (or otherwise) writer that ever graced this hot mess of a fandom with their presence)
But I can't agree more. I think SJM actually pays attention to them, as a couple. Not something she does with many others. That relationship just flows so beautifully in the background, calm and poetic, even with the language she uses around them. There is so much imagery of death and life and decay and rebirth and beauty and flowers and blades and warmth and baking and loneliness and despair and searching for love and for home.
I don't know what she'll do with them, but it could be her Magnum Opus if she is careful, thoughtful and steady in crafting their story. What she already put down deserves special treatment when the story actually comes to pass.
Also, welcome to the fandom.
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Many people have pointed out that in The Locked Tomb books Gideon's conception parallels that of Jesus. However, I've noticed that many people also conflate "The Virgin Birth" with "The Immaculate Conception" when these actually refer to two different biblical events/concepts that have different implications for TLT. The Virgin Birth refers to the conception/incarnation and subsequent birth of Jesus without intercourse. The Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Mary without original sin, making her an appropriate "vessel" to later become pregnant with Jesus.
Following the parallels in The Locked Tomb universe, The Virgin Birth still tracks with the conception and birth of Gideon (despite Wake being most def not a virgin, the conception didn't involve intercourse). We would then expect The Immaculate Conception to parallel Wake's conception.
Given the lack of information around Wake's origin, this distinction is super interesting to me. Was Wake somehow born without the BOE original sin of the billionaires who abandoned the rest of the earth? What could that mean for her origin? How would that fit with what bits we do know about her? Did that somehow enable her to conceive and carry Gideon when the dolls failed?
Personally, I think it would be interesting if Wake were descended from someone that was on the ships as a crew member or other non-billionaire. Maybe she was even on a ship herself, given the potential time-weirdness of FTL travel. Alternatively, maybe she was actually house-born, or descended from a house making her exempt from BOE's original sin (but the product of a whole host of others...). It seems like there might be a few things hinting at that option (eye color, hair color), but if so, how'd she end up leading BOE?
Lots of interesting questions! No answers of course, but I'm sure that Tamsyn is familiar with these two concepts, and I'm so curious to see if she weaves in aspects of the immaculate conception if we learn more about Wake's backstory in Alecto.
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hentyehottie · 11 months
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Y’all I know I said I wasn’t posting anything else until I revised some older fics buttttt I just couldn’t get this series out of my head 🥲 let’s call it the Tokyo Rev. Occupation Series where I’ll be writing a series of nsfw blurbs about these sleazy professionals & their favorite clients 🫶🏾
First up we have :
Dentist!Smiley
 Lmaoooo this one is so obvious but Smiley is one of the best dentists there is. His office is a serene environment, even with the rap music playing, mainly Youngboy cus that’s who he claims he resonates with and it reminds him of his adolescence 😭 Souya thinks it’s unprofessional but regardless, it’s what he likes and his clients never complain, except you.
Smiley’s known for enhancements. Says a person’s smile is their best asset and has dedicated his life to helping people achieve their perfect smile. Porcelain veneers are his specialty—he focuses on aesthetic and functionality. His prices are a bit steep but his work speaks for itself. 
At only 27 years old he owns his own private practice and has made a name for himself in such little time. A lot of people are skeptics, claiming he’s far too young to know what the hell he’s doing, and that he’s overrated. He used to get so many comments about him being a scammer, ripping off clients, and a whole bunch of other bullshit on the daily.
It was infuriating but he’s not the person he used to be. Plus he can’t fight thousands of strangers on the internet. So he addressed it one time and one time only on ig live. 
“I don’t do promo like y’all’s favorite dentists, and I don’t fancy putting big white cinderblocks in people’s mouths for a couple thousand dollars like y’all’s favorite dentists.”
“If you don’t wanna work with me, that’s cool, but don’t disrespect me or my craft. My work is immaculate so pay my fucking price, or don’t, but somebody will and you’ll know the difference.” 
Of course it went viral, probably cus he said the whole thing with a smile on his face. Had the internet in an uproar—he was cool, calm and a little stern with just the right amount of sassy and of course you ate it up. Booked your consultation at Kawata Dentistry a few weeks later, paid almost 23 bands for your perfect smile, and you couldn’t be happier. He was much cuter in person, and yes, his teeth are just as straight and white in person. What intrigued you the most was the way the smile on his face never wavered, even when he was a bit annoyed at his receptionist for double booking his appointments.
That was nearly a year ago and he’s been your dentist since, and in the span of that year he’s come to like you a lot—enough to say you’re his favorite client. It makes him so fucking happy that you’ve started to smile for him more, no longer self-conscious about your imperfect smile, now you give him real smiles showing damn near all thirty two of your teeth.
He thinks you’re pretty as fuck too, never wearing any makeup, just your mink lashes and that Dior lip stuff you like. Smiley loves the way you keep yourself up—hair and nails always done and you always smell good as fuck, it’s obvious you’re a high maintenance, luxury bitch. But when you walk through his threshold, when you enter his domain, you’re nothing more than a slut for him to play with and he loves it.
He’s sitting on his stool, wheels locked while you’re on your knees between his legs with his fat cock stuffed in your mouth. The stretch makes your jaw ache but neither of you regard that. You swallow around his cock and it sends shivers up his spine. “Oh fuck, you’re so good at that.”
He calls it a ‘stress test’ and how he got you to agree to this the first time, you’ll never know, it must’ve been his way with words, since that’s what drew you to him in the first place.
Brent Faiyaz is playing, cus you hate that ‘rah-rah rap shit’ and you made it your business to tell him every time you enter his office, once you got comfortable enough.
He’s got your hair fisted into a makeshift ponytail, loves the raw Indian tape-ins you have in this time.
Smiley’s yanking at your hair, bobbing your head up and down, occasionally pushing you down far enough for his peachy pubes to tickle your nose. He’s spewing praise after praise as you please him. Going on and on about how you’re so pretty, especially when you’re on your knees letting him use your mouth like this. Thank goodness for the music, the gyuck sounds are so loud, so obscene as his thrusts get faster and sloppier.
The shaft of his cock is jutting against your teeth every single time the tip of him kisses the back of your throat, makes him shudder every time. He lets out a deep sigh, holding your head still and jerking his hips up.
“Holy shit, you’re so perfect.”
This lasts until he cums, which is never long, you are the client with the perfect mouth after all. He pops his cock out of your mouth, pressing kisses to your lips again and again until he’s satisfied.
You’re still on your knees and he’s still gripping your jaw, you already know what he wants so you crack a wide smile for him. You’re sure you look crazy—spit and cum (you’re dentist’s cum) running down your chin, just smiling like an idiot. He turns your head side to side, using his other hand to run his finger over the tips of your teeth. 
“No loosies or chipping.” He smiles at his own handiwork. “Lemme clean you up and get a picture.” It’s sweet, the way he wipes your face so gently and helps you up. He walks away for a second, washes his hands and returns with a tiny paper cup full of mouthwash, remembers alcohol free is your preference.
The goal is a minute but he lets you slide with the forty-five second swish. He hugs you tight, and he doesn’t let go. Neither do you, your arms perched against his shoulders as you stare up at him.
“When imma see you again? Every four months ain’t cutting it nomore.”
“You can see me whenever, you know where I be, what time I take lunch. Unless you trying to take me on a date outside of work hours.”
You nod, and when you do he’s pulling out his phone, handing it to you with a light chuckle. “Alright, gimme your number. We’ll set something up.”
Later that day, you see he posted you on his personal page. Your teeth looks amazing but you hope the hearts in your eyes and the way you press yourself against him isn’t too obvious.
@/smiley_ortho - Another satisfied client back for routine maintenance! I love making pretty girls prettier 🥺🫶🏻
I guess it’s safe to say you really like your dentist & he really likes you too!
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utilitycaster · 7 days
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I'm the abridgement anon from before. Thanks for thinking so much about it! Here's my status with respect to C3: I watched every episode up to 24, then fell off. I tried to rejoin several times thereafter (basically, whenever the grapevine said something important had happened - Laudna's death, Ashton eating the shard, FCG's death) and every time I bounced off again. I do want to give this my best shot, but I fear that it just might not be for me.
Ok so that's actually helpful specifically because I was like "hmmm...people should probably watch up to 24, and then the skipping happens."
I went for a very "here's what you REALLY shouldn't skip; anything else you can (and should) pick up on recaps" but after around episode 37 there's only like 2 episodes I'd actively recommend you skip (64 and 82 btw), and after the solstice I don't think it ever really drags other than during Endless Convos About Whether The Gods Are Good Or The Vanguard Has A Point. Speaking of, watch the full conversation in episode 49 but after that whenever they start on theology and "are the gods worth it" feel free to skip until it stops, regardless of whatever else I said about the episode, except for the one this most recent episode (92).
Bassuras: You can skip 25 entirely unless you want to experience Taste of Tal'Dorei. for 26-30, basically jump around whenever you get bored and flip to recaps. I recommend the All-Minds-Burn scenes, maybe some Imahara Joe but you'll see him in a bit. Episode 28 is basically entirely a no-holds-barred drag race which I found fun but is not necessary. You should watch 31, but if you get bored with the first half, skip to recaps and jump to the second half. First half of 32 is good and important. Second half you can get in recap but there are some good conversations. First half of 33 is similar watch if you want but recap if you don't. Otohan fight is the second half of 33; it is relevant but also. you could recap it. You should watch all of 34 though, which is good, and it and 32's first half are plenty of Imahara Joe content.
Laudna's death arc: Back half of 35 if you like Ashton, otherwise skip. I'm gonna be real honest: if you like Percy, Vex, or Pike there's some good stuff in 36-37 and if Laudna's your favorite character watch it but if not just read a recap and take this time to rewatch your favorite C1 Briarwoods Arc episode. Watch 38-39 but if you get really bored you can probably go to a recap for 39 though I do think Weva Vudol and Chetney's werewolf time are great.
Chetney and Yios: 40-41 are a Chetney-centric side quest. I think they are really fun episodes with a lot of great moments but they can be skipped if you're in a crunch. 42 is a good party rp episode and a lot of fun but not super plot heavy. The second half of 43 is a load-bearing infodump; you cannot skip the content thereof (and Planerider Ryn is fun) if you find yourself glazing over find a plot/lore heavy recap. Skip first half of 44 (fun but silly combat) but watch the second half. 45 is quite important and pretty good.
Feywild and Solstice leadup: Feywild arc (46, 47, first half of 48) are fun but basically watch 46 until you feel you've had enough (it's pretty good imo, you may watch it through) to get Morri's immaculate vibe. 47 is important. You can skip all of 48 except the trip to Gelvaan in the end, which you should watch. 49 is long and talky but it does have a lot of good conversations; I would watch that all though feel free to throw it on 2x if you don't already do that. 50-51 also pretty vital, 51 being especially unmissable. Beau and Caleb are in 50!
Solstice Split (Team Wildemount): I honestly think these and Team Issylra's are some of the strongest and most interesting episodes in the campaign but again, if you are pressed for time: you can skip 54 and 56 (fun chetney backstory standalone and travel to molaesmyr respectively). You can also skip the first half of 57.
Solstice split (Team Issylra): I'd watch the whole thing but if you feel like fast-forwarding through the combat in 61 and throwing 62 on in the background or on 2x you can.
Reunion and Air Ashari Sidequest: you can, ngl, flat-out skip 64; there's a zillion people at the table and anything important gets rehashed in 65. Watch 65. I like 66-68 a lot but you probably could skip them if you read recaps (68 is also rather important infodumping). 69 is a good downtime episode which is to say there are good character interactions but if you're on a plot speedrun you can skip to the part of the back half where they go to Yios. Basically: no clunkers in this arc other than 64 - I found it really watchable - but also ultimately a sidequest so if you get bored don't be afraid to go to recaps.
Errands and the Shattered Teeth: Again, no clunkers, but a lot of stuff you can safely skip, so here's what you shouldn't miss: the All Minds Burn scene at the end of 70. Everything after Jirana and Toriz show up in 71. Make sure to know what happens in 72 and it's fun but you can skip it and catch the pirate crew in 73 instead, which I'd watch until they disembark as a weird downtime ep but especially Fearne's scenes if nothing else. Watch the second half of 74 and the second half of 75 (first halves of both are fine, just, again, you can fill in with a recap).
Whitestone and the Feywild aka SHARD TIME: For 76 watch FCG's scenes with Dancer and at the Horizon temple; and Ashton, Orym, and Chetney's scenes at the Altar of the Raven. Lots of important lore that you should read in a recap. 77 you can skip to when Delilah manifests in the first half and then watch the rest of the episode. 78 is worth it the whole way through (post shard). Watch the first half of 79. The second half of 79 and the first half of 80 are team-building exercises and you can read a recap of this if you don't feel like watching. Do watch the second half of 80.
Ruidus: Watch all of 81. You can safely skip 82 and the first half of 83; it is all fighting to get to the moon and fighting while on the moon. Watch the second half of 83. From there, I think it's worth probably watching to where we are (well. at least to the break of 92 anyway) but if you MUST skip stuff: first half of 87 pretty skippable; combat in 88 skippable but the rest you should watch. Definitely watch 89; 90 is like...I would not skip it and it's fun but it's basically an action movie so you can like, put it on in the background if you want. Finally, the Otohan combat in the second half of 91 is a complicated thing in that I (D&D combat mechanics enjoyer) liked it and I think FCG's death has more weight for me because I knew what it meant, but if you are not up on D&D mechanics watch it on 2x until the last half hour because Otohan has no personality.
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singitagain · 25 days
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Lauren Lopez did the choreography for both Spies Are Forever and Nerdy Prudes Must Die and nobody is talking about it enough!! She’s clearly on an uphill track with it too: SAF has a lot of good moments and then eight years later, Nerdy Prudes is loaded with so much awesome choreo. I want to shout out some of my favorite choreo moments from both shows, feel free to add on in tags or replies!!
Spies Are Forever:
-Owen and Curt dancing together in the opening scene. Do I even have to elaborate. The hug?? Immaculate
-Somebody’s Gotta Do It, and specifically the little tango(?) step that Sergio and the DMA do. I always giggle near the end when they do it together
-Not so Bad’s dance break is so much fun, and the kick line bit and the henchmen autobahn/smoking etc bits are endlessly funny to me
-Eyes on the Prize II - the whole opening sequence about the casino (especially the line “the thrill of winning intoxicates” and the little hand of cards movement they do), the borderline macarena arms on “keep your eyes on the prize,” the spin around to point at Curt at the end, it’s all SO GOOD
-literal all of One Step Ahead (not sure if this falls to choreo or directing though)
Nerdy Prudes Must Die:
-the whole Dirty Girl sequence?? hello?? it’s so fun and fits the song perfectly.
-Bully the Bully has the most delightful choreography to me! The single ladies arms (sorry if that’s not at all what it is, it’s the only thing I associate it with haha) and Grace’s continual spinning around are so fun, and the moves for “we’re gonna make a dirty movie where the losers win and the joke is on him” are so goofy and my favorite thing ever
-the Go Go Nighthawks cheer section brings me so much joy, I actually taught myself to do it the other day because I like it so much
-Best of You is really endearing and I think the choreography really gets at the vibe of getting really into a school dance, a beautiful mix of still kind of dorky but also completely infused with joy
Long story short we stan Lauren Lopez and her choreography skills (and her acting, singing, dancing, etc. of course!!)
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