#alex light headers

[maddiesflame]

The Upside of Falling headers

like/reblog if saved © maddiesflame

[miloformula123fan]

Could you do fic for Fernando Alonso with wife reader where he's got into crash and she's worried because she thinks he'll never got the chance to know that she's pregnant? Add something you'd like. Thanks :))

ahahah, i know i just said that i was gonna halt updates, but then i churned this out kinda quick haha :)

it is kind of short though so apologies :)

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(hint hint: this closes on Thursday 1st March 0:00 GMT, so if you want to make a request do so soon because this is in a little more than a week when publishing this :))

Please keep requesting - y'all have awesome ideas we agree on a lot of stuff :) - my guidelines are here, and if you want some prompts, they are here.

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fernando alonso x wife!reader

“Be safe, please, mi amor.” he held Fernando in her arms as he paused getting ready to turn around and look at her.

“I am always Carina… Podium on the cards for today haha” He smiled

“Ha, got a surprise for you after the race…if you get a podium today of course.” She looked down, smiling, thinking of the surprise she had planned.

“A nice surprise I hope carina…” He winked and Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at the implications of his flirty statement, and the blushes of the mechanics who had heard their conversation.

“Not that kind of surprise, but I think you’ll be happy nonetheless…” She smiled knowingly as he looked slightly puzzled before the activity seemed to pick up and was aware he needed to start getting ready.

“As long as you are feeling better than you were this morning I will always be happy.” He smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

She gave him his traditional pre race good luck kiss and then his helmet was on his head and he was in the car.

Y/N snuck into Nando’s room, being let in by his trainer Alex. She placed the box on his massage table. It was a pretty simple box, all that was inside was a sonogram, a baby onesie and the positive pregnancy test that was gonna change their lives. 

She’d been feeling sick for a couple of weeks now, and when she’d missed her period she’s had a hunch as to what it could be, but it wasn’t until she had bailed on a triple header because she hadn’t been feeling well, that she’d had time to take the test, freak out about how positive it was.

(she’d called Mark in a panic, and then he’d added Jenson to the call in his panic and then they’d just had Mark, Seb and Jenson on a call freaking out, not helping her to calm down in the slightest, but making her laugh. Eventually Hanna had tried to work out what the fuck was going on with her husband, and had provided some actually useful advice)

Following Hanna’s advice, she’d gone to the doctors and gotten the ultrasound photo. She’d sent Hanna and Lance a photo of the ultrasound, to thank Hanna for her help in the boys panic call, and to let Lance know that he would be the godfather (she thought Nando would like that) but not to tell Nando, as she hadn’t told him yet, but she needed to tell someone. The doctor had confirmed that everything was going okay and that she was about 10 weeks along. Y/N had immediately spotted the onesie online and ordered it, preparing to tell Nando whenever she saw him. The onesie arrived fairly quickly, however, trying to keep the onesie, the test and the sonogram hidden from him for the week that he was home before the Spanish grand prix. She wanted him to know immediately because they’d been trying for so long and so many fails that it was a fucking miracle right now.

Their miracle. Their miracle baby.

Finally the week had arrived and she’d hidden the box with Nando’s personal trainer, who handed it to her after she’d given her good luck wishes to him and he’d sat in the car. She made sure to make it back for the start of the race, so as to not raise any suspicion. And then it was lights out and away they went.

The race had been going well for Fernando. Actually better than well. He was in P2, not even a second behind Perez. It had been helpful that Max had had his first mechanical failure in like 5 years, taking him out of the lead, and promoting everyone up a place. And now Fernando was contending for the lead. Y/N was so excited for him, she couldn’t wait to see him on the top step of the podium and then tell him the awesome news.

Of course then it all went horribly wrong.

Crofty’s voice filled her ears, “AND THAT’S FERNANDO ALONSO GOING FOR THE LEAD OF THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX GOING FOR HIS 33RD WIN GOING AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF SERGIO PEREZ AND THEY TOUCH AND THAT’S BOTH OF THEM GOING INTO THE BARRIERS AND OUT OF THE RACE WHICH PROMOTES LANDO NORRIS INTO THE LEAD OF THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX AND THAT’S A BIG CRASH. FERNANDO IS WEDGED BETWEEN PEREZ AND THE BARRIERS, AND HIS CHASSIS LOOKS CRUSHED and we are really hoping that he is okay there.”

“Fernando, Fernando do you copy?”

No response.

“Fernando, Fernando do you copy?”

Y/N could feel her legs getting weak, and could tell that the people around her were holding her up. She remembers being introduced to Shakira at the start of grand prix, and she complimented her nails. She could feel the nails digging into her left arm, which meant that Shakira was holding her up right now, and if Fernando's life wasn’t at threat, she might be fangirling right now. Still no response.

“Fernando, Fernando do you copy?”

No response. Their miracle wasn’t going to meet their dad

“Fernando, Fernando do you copy?”

fuck.

“And while i’m not entirely sure why Fernando wasn’t responding on the radio just then, but I can now tell you that he is walking out of the crash and he seems all okay.”

Y/N breathed a sigh of relief and tried standing up while letting out wet sobs. She knew she was probably on TV right now, looking a mess, being held up by Shakira and crying when her husband was all okay, but that didn’t matter.

Because Fernando was okay.

She followed his progress on the TV as the team moved the focus to Lance and potentially getting him a win. But she tracked him until he was back in the garage and back safe in her arms. Whispering his reassurances to her.

This was also being broadcast, but she didn’t care. 

He was safe and he was in her arms.

Y/N followed Fernando into his driver's room, entirely forgetting about the surprise that she had left in his room until they came in and she saw the box sitting on the massage table. 

Fernando turned around to her in confusion, “Did you leave this here Carina?”

“Uhh, yeah but it’s nothing, it was supposed to be a surprise for when you got your podium, so look at it later maybe…”

Within 2 strides Fernando was at the box and lifting off the lid. There goes the plan of telling him when he was in a good mood.

Fernando pulled out the onesie, black with a message of ‘daddy’s little race engineer’. Maybe Y/N’s hormones were hitting hard today because the sight of Nando holding a baby onesie was enough to bring her to tears, imagining Nando holding their baby.

“What is this carina?”

“It’s ummm, the surprise I mentioned before…I wanted you to see it when you got your podium, so you can ignore it I guess…”

“No, no, I mean, why is there a sonogram, baby onesie and pregnancy test in here? Is Lance having a baby and wanting to let me know I was the godfather?”

“No, no, mi sol, it’s ours.”

“Ours?”

“Our baby.”

Y/N watched as Fernando processed the words. And then all of a sudden she was being picked up and spun around in a hug as Fernando cried at her.

“Our baby…oh Carina…our baby! I’m so happy right now.”

He was practically yelling, so a few team members came to see what was going on. And then walked in on a happy couple, sobbing to each other as they curled up on the floor. A baby onesie in one’s hands, and the sonogram in the other.

And all of a sudden the media could wait.

---

taglist: @leosxrealm, @pear-1206, @tallrock35, @janeholt3

[bluejayblueskies]

Red, White & Royal Blue Rebind

[ID: Eight pictures of a hand-bound rebind of the book "Red, White & Royal Blue." The first shows the cover, which has been bound in light gray bookcloth and is decorated to look like a suit with a union jack tie. There are two cardstock buttons, one that says "Vote Claremont" and the other that says "History, huh?" On the right side, the title "Red, White and Royal Blue" is painted on in red, white, and blue paint respectively. On the left side, the author name "Casey McQuiston" is painted on in white paint. The second shows the spine, covered also in gray bookcloth. It has the title "Red, White and Royal Blue" painted on in red, white, and blue paint respectively and the author name "Casey McQuiston" painted on in white paint. The third shows the book from the top so the headbands, sewn with red, white, and blue thread, can be seen. The fourth shows the title page of the book, which has the title "Red, White and Royal Blue" in red, white, and blue ink respectively, as well as the author name "Casey McQuiston" beneath it. The fifth shows the colophon page (left) and dedication page (right). The colophon has details about the book, as well as the binder logo for Blue Skies Books (a bluejay) and the logo for Renegade Publishing (a bookpress). The dedication page says, "For the weirdos and the dreamers" in a sans serif font above a black and white drawing of a reflective lake with pine trees around it. The sixth shows a chapter header page, which has a gray skyline that merges the skylines of DC and London across the top of it. The word "One" is in all caps in white on the lefthand side of the skyline, and body text is beneath it in a serif font. The seventh shows the inside of the book, drawing attention to the formatting of the emails throughout the book. The emails include icons for both Henry and Alex, email addresses, timestamps, and subjects. The eighth shows the inside of the book, drawing attention to the red, white, and blue heart page divider and the handwriting fonts used within the regular body text for certain words. /End ID]

When the Red, White and Royal Blue movie came out last year, I rediscovered my love for this book and these characters and just had to do a rebind of it! This is a full rebind, so I've done the typeset myself as well as the cover. I had a delightful time coming up with the cover design (I imagine this is modeled after a theoretical Alex suit, though it could be Henry's as well!), and I had an especially fun time doing the typeset. There are so many fun formatting elements in this story, and it was great getting to put my own spin on them.

Logistics-wise, this bind uses Lumeiere fabric paint and a Silhouette-cut stencil for the words, Silhouette-cut cardstock for the decorative elements, handmade cotton bookcloth for the cover, cotton embroidery thread for the endbands, and regular Hammermill cream paper for the textblock. (Once I've saved up for it, I'm looking forward to getting some short-grain textblock paper! This is still long grain.) The body font is Cochin and the title font is Montserrat.

And finally: my bind versus my trade paperback copy!

[ID: A picture of the hand-bound version of "Red, White and Royal Blue" from above held next to the mass-produced paperback version of the same book. They are made in different styles with different color schemes, but both have a fun and slightly whimsical appearance to them. /End ID]

[piratefalls]

new list, new year, (trying out a) new header, new post day. i'm back after a nice little vacation where i got almost zero reading done, so no one is more surprised by the amount of holiday fic here than me.

list one. list two. list three. list four. list five. list six. list seven. list eight. list nine.

No Consequences by AnchoredArchangel

"I sort of came out as bisexual to both Nora and myself when we were watching that fucking snoozefest of a Royal Wedding years ago, and I told her with no hesitation that you were on my list.” Suddenly, Henry looks very present in this previously one-sided conversation, eyes boring into him even if he sounds a little choked as he clarifies, “I was on-” “My No Consequences sex list,” Alex confirms brazenly, “Yeah." Or: During an inadvisable spot of dating years back, Alex and Nora made a game out of making extensive lists of celebrities they could hook up with without it being cheating. One breakup and several years later, Alex meets someone on his list for the very first time at a charity gala and decides it's appropriate to tell him all about it.

Wash a Bad Day Away by stellarmeadow

Alex has a bad day and needs to drown it in a tub.

this year I will fall by railmedaddy

Henry has many regrets in his life, but leaving the ice rink after a literal run in with the potential love of his life without even obtaining his name may be his biggest. With his family visiting for the holidays for the first time and ever-present work deadlines looming, he's too busy to think about how to engineer his own happy ending worthy of the novels he edits. But what if fate has other ideas?

the mountchristen pharma job by coffeecatsme

The alarm blares. Still, the man slides the key again and enters the room. He closes the door behind him, flips the flash drive in his palm. Walks to the room that’s supposed to be empty, the room they made sure was clear before they made their move. Except it’s not. And the man recognizes that head of blonde hair all too well. Henry fucking Fox-Mountchristen. Six years ago, Mountchristen Pharma's reckless actions caused Rafael Luna's death. Alex and June want to make it right, but they're not the only ones.

Take a Trip Into My Garden by @sparklepocalypse

Alex groans. From the sound of things, he’s in no better state than Henry. “Why in the absolute fuck does your family have a fucking Viagra orchid?” (A sex pollen fic that takes place on the grounds of Kensington Palace between the Cornetto scene and the interview blitz.)

you could call me babe for the weekend by weather_stained

It's been three years since Ellen Claremont lost the 2016 Presidential Election, and Alex hasn't seen Prince Henry since the Rio Olympics. When Alex, June, and Nora take a post-finals trip to a Vermont ski resort, Henry and his best friend Pez are the last people they expect to see waiting in line for the chairlift.  To Alex's great displeasure, Nora and June end up quite takenwith Pez, and Alex is forced to spend time with Henry. In one weekend, they become closer than he could have ever imagined.

come away with me by rizcriz

Alex closes the door behind himself and turns into his tiny apartment with an exhausted sigh. As he turns to flip the lightswitch, the subtle sound of fabric rustling hits his ears; carefully, he unclips his gun at his waist band, flips the light switch, and turns around, pulling the gun on the intruder. He nearly drops it at the sight of a familiar head of shining blond hair. “What the fuck?” Alex asks, taking a step in, and reaching with his free hand into his holster for the pair of cuffs he knows he clipped in this morning. “Intel said you were in London.” Henry Fox, international thief and conman, tilts his head where he’s sitting in Alex’s favorite armchair. “Honestly, Alex,” he says, waving a hand. “Put the gun away. We both know you’re not going to shoot me.” “Fuck you,” Alex hisses on impulse. “Put your hands up.” -- or Con Man Henry and Interpol Agent Alex

(Dil)Do It Yourself by happinessofthepursuit

“Listen,” Nora starts, turning her body once more so that she’s sitting sideways in the chair with her legs thrown across the armrest. “I did the math. There’s a 79% chance you’re gonna become a slut to the power of the prostate, and while we’re not dating anymore, it’s my duty as your fellow slutty bisexual to get this party started.” Or, when Nora drags Alex to a holiday dildo workshop, he doesn’t expect to find someone to use it with.

Gonna Give You Something (So You Know What's on My Mind) by affectionatelyrs

Alex hums, turning around to pull open the freezer drawer. “You want anything?” But Henry barely registers his question. Not when Alex is slightly bent over, allowing Henry a perfect view of his perfect ass. Each individual ridge of his spine is visible due to his lack of shirt. All of these things combined would normally be a large enough issue in itself to render Henry dumbstruck, except— Except, that’s not the only thing that Henry’s faced with. Right there, clear as day: blue lace, delicately peeking out from the waistband of his joggers. Henry’s hand immediately flies up to his cheek. The skin is hot to the touch, and he feels the imprint of where the material once lay like a brand. - Or, With the help of a white elephant gift, Henry learns that maybe the whole being-in-love-with-his-roommate thing isn’t as one-sided as he thought

i've forgotten if they're green or they're blue by metacrisis

When the worst snowstorm New York city has had since the Great Blizzard of 1947 snows Alex and Henry into their Brownstone, Alex falls into a bizarre dream and awakens in a world much like his own. Only it seems like he's suddenly five inches shorter, five years younger and why is Henry the only person who can tell? AKA, Movie Alex falls into Bookverse before he and Henry get together.

Ho for the Holidays by @whimsymanaged

“Listen, don’t worry about this,” Henry says quickly, already mentally crafting the passive-aggressive text he’s going to send Pez. “Better luck next year. I’ll just be off—“ “Hold your damn horses.” Alex stops Henry with a fast, surprisingly gentle hand to his wrist. His eyebrows furrow. “What did you put on your questionnaire?” Henry’s ears go hot. “That’s none of your business.” Alex scoffs and leans in closer. “Baby, we matched. It’s safe to say we have at least some interests in common. Be honest—was it because you confessed to having a secret desire to slap me?” Or, Pez organizes an event called Ho for the Holidays, and these two idiots get paired up.

Waiting in the Wings by DracoWillHearAboutThis

Henry had always known he would end up in an arranged marriage.  He had not expected, though, to end up in an arranged marriage with Prince Alex Claremont-Diaz, who he'd secretly been in love with for the past fifteen years.

Fill My Stocking by songliili

Alex has spent the past fifteen minutes talking with David about his favourite treats. Not that the dog answered, but Alex was undeterred and kept going, uncaring that Henry had asked him to give him an hour and then he’d join him in hanging up fairy lights and mistletoe everywhere. Very well. If Alex wants Henry’s attention, he'll have it. It's probably not what Alex thought he’d accomplish with his little scheme, but it's a compromise between Henry's needs and Alex's wants, and that's all that can be done. OR: Alex wants some attention and Henry has to get creative.

Here With Me by SatinBirds

When Zahra asks, “Would it make any difference at all if I told you not to see him again?”, it’s the easiest thing for Alex to categorically answer, “No.”

because it's Tuesday by headabovethewater

Right, so, here’s the thing; Alex hasn’t shaved in a while. He’s been so consumed by stress for his exams, his thesis, the post-election work he’s been doing for Ellen… It’s been a bit much for Alex, and while Henry is impressed by the fact that he’s able to keep himself standing and functioning, he has noticed that the scruff on his face has increased. A lot. Oh, Henry has noticed, alright.

i want to mark my skin (it is paper thin) by violetbaudelairequagmire

To: alex@biconicink.com From: hjfox@rocketmail.co.uk Subj: Tattoo Reference Attached: 1 file (orionsketch.jpg) Hello, Attached you’ll find a line art drawing of the constellation Orion. The shoulder blade is the intended location. Best, H.J. Fox OR: It's a Tattoo Shop AU!

Can't Buy Me Love by everwitch

Alex is a high end escort. Henry is his wealthiest client. He's also a total asshole, which Alex has zero patience for. He'd never let a client walk all over him like that, not even one with striking features and an air of firm authority that Alex has to keep reminding himself he’s not attracted to. But over time, Alex learns there's more to Henry than fiery insults and cruel dismissal. So much more. Alex is in so much fucking trouble. He should end things with Henry before he gets burned. (He couldn't end things with Henry if he got paid for it.)

He Was Here With Me by absoluteaudacity

Arthur lives: a wishlist

(Door)Dash to the Heart by bleedingballroomfloor

The man looks up when Henry opens the door. "Henry?" Henry clears his throat. "That's me," he manages. "Cool," the man says. "You're making me hungry for breakfast with this order, man. Which is bad for me, because my breakfast is usually just coffee, and there's no way I can drink that this late." "Uh," Henry says. He's pretty sure dashers don't talk this much during orders. "Anyway," the man says, handing the bag of food to Henry, "enjoy your night." Five times Henry gets late-night food from his insanely hot DoorDasher Alex, and one time they get food together at a normal time.

(here's my number) so call me, maybe by villageidiot

"I could go a few days without contact, you know." Henry looks over at Alex, who's splayed across the couch, and places a finger on the page he's reading to keep his place. "I'm…sorry?" "While you're gone, I mean. I could handle a few days of not talking to you." Henry still looks a little baffled. "Is this something you want to do? I'm still unclear on the 'why' here." And so is Alex, honestly. or: five times Alex fails at the whole "go a whole weekend with no contact" thing (and one time Henry does)

the beagle, the ghost and the wardrobe by stutteringpeach

Henry’s new flat comes with one unexpected feature: it’s already inhabited. But not by a human. By a ghost.

Night Class by OrchidScript

Alex how found the simplest solution for all the facts he had been presented. There were plenty of them to make sense of. Alex was taking the path of least resistance, accepting that whatever remained after all was stripped away must be the truth. June could laugh at him for the rest of time if she wanted. He was right. He knew he was right. He had to be right because nothing else on earth or in the universe made sense. Henry Fox — his smarmy, entitled, wealthy, bland, irritating neighbor — was a vampire. Alex knew it. He could prove it.

Piss-up in a brewery by clottedcreamfudge

"I hate this," Alex says, not for the first time, and Henry covers his face with his hands. "Yes," he says, a little muffled, "that's coming across." "It's not, like, personal," Alex clarifies, even though it fucking is. "I just don't really like sleeping with other people. I mean, sleeping in beds with other people. I like having sex-" "Yes, alright," Henry says peevishly, not moving his hands at all. "You needn't extol further on your love of intercourse." "Who the fuck talks like that?"

Sleepless Nights by stripyjumpers

Henry's insomnia has been getting worse. He thinks it's fine, until it all finally catches up to him.

move fast (and keep quiet) by HypnosTherapy

Henry’s smile goes slightly strained at the edges. In his ear, Nora hisses at Alex to walk away. He firmly ignores her. “What brings you here tonight, Foxy?” Henry brushes Alex’s hand off him. “The same thing that brings us all here,” he answers. “Not only a girl’s best friend, after all.” -- Alex is a spy tasked with securing a case of diamonds being auctioned off by black market smugglers. Henry is a rival spy who happens to be tasked with receiving the same case of stones. When Henry wins the auction, Alex has to retrieve his target, no matter the cost.

Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured by myheartalive

“Fox,” he hisses through his teeth. “How about you take the tube tonight? Or go for a nice long walk?” Henry’s stunned. “Excuse me?” “Yep, I will excuse you. Now do us both a favour and find another way to get home.” — OR enemy co-workers Henry and Alex get unwillingly shoved into a cab together (and finally sort their issues out)

the best intentions by smc_27

He sees the flyer when he’s in town picking up the fabric and books June wanted from the market. Once a year. On the prince’s birthday. The chance for his one true love to rescue him from the tower. A cash prize to go along with the prince’s hand in marriage. The title of Prince Consort and a palace of their own. Alex knows himself. He knows how people are with him. He’s made people fall in love with him without even trying for it. He’s had to break hearts since he was 15 and Charlotte Marks told her father she was going to marry Alex. He can get some cloistered prince on board.

A Life, in Names by th0ughts

Macsomething continues to flounder. “I arrived just as someone came out, you see. A woman, with the hot pink jacket? I told her that I’m Roy Maclanahan—” (bingo. Henry knew it was Maclanahan.) “—here for Mr. Claremont-Diaz, I work with him you see. He invited me over, to look through some documents? And she told me that I was in luck, that he was home.  “Either way I am so sorry to have disturbed you your hi—Henry. She must’ve been mistaken. I’ll take my leave and return when your husband’s arrived.” Maclanahan is wringing his hands and looks just about a second away from nervously combusting but the entire ordeal has Henry’s face blooming in a smile.  _____ Musings of a life, in four surnames.

In my dreams (In your dreams) by lizzie_bennetdarcy

He opens his mouth to tell Alex it's fine, they can stay, when Alex shakes his head. "The room is spinning. That's not fun. Alright, sweetheart, let's go home." He jumps up from the stool, and immediately lists sideways into Henry. "What will it take to get you to carry me home?" "More than you're prepared to give, I'm afraid." Kiss me, marry me, have my children, please. Alex is very drunk, and very affectionate, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for Henry to pretend like he isn't completely in love with him.

when he breaks so beautifully by viciouslyqueer

Henry thinks it’s just been a rough day – it certainly wouldn’t be the first time – but he only realizes just how wrong he is when his boyfriend actually gets home. Slumped shoulders. Twitching fingers. Red-rimmed eyes glistening with tears. Henry’s heart breaks on sight. — Alex has a rough day at work and asks Henry to be mean to him. Henry praises him instead.

Twenty Seven Batters by politics_and_prose

A ballplayer will refuse to stop playing because they want one more hit, steal, strikeout. One more homerun. One more win. So they get old and they lose their skill and embarrass themselves long after they should have hung up their spikes. If that’s the rule, then Alexander Claremont-Diaz is the exception. Because today, at age 38, Alexander Claremont-Diaz is six outs away from a perfect game.

forever yrs, for evermore by indomitablelove

‘Wake up,’ Henry whispers. Alex turns and squints his eyes open. He looks at the clock. ‘Baby, why the fuck are you waking me up at six am? I’m on vacation.’ ‘I’ve got a surprise, come outside. You can go back to bed after, I promise,’ Henry tells him with a smile. ‘I’ve made you coffee.’ Alex sits up with a squint and a stern, unimpressed look on his face. ‘You better have a fucking good reason for getting me up at sunrise.’ --- or, a lake house proposal fic

Aged Like a Fine Wine by allmylovesatonce

At a gala for the Okonjo Foundation, Senator Alex Claremont-Diaz runs into Prince Henry of Wales for the first time in two years. Something is different about him, and it's not just the revelations that came out the last time the two saw each other. When they're encouraged to spend more time together, it lights a spark that could send both of their lives into a tailspin. Will Alex resist the temptation or will he find the courage to pursue what he's wanted far longer than he's let himself acknowledge?

All our Sweetest Hours Fly Fastest by AHistoricDistraction

It has been three years since they were outted and Henry and Alex have finally settled into a groove that works well for them, except for the fact that it feels like they're always having to steal time together. Queen Mary constantly coming up with excuses to get Henry out of public events with Alex isn't helping, and Alex is done with it. After a long conference in Tokyo that Henry couldn't attend, Alex's flight home being delayed is the last straw and he calls Henry to say they need to figure out a better way to do this, to which Henry agrees. But fate has other ideas. Alex's flight goes missing somewhere over the Pacific, no trace of it to be found, leaving Henry and Alex's family struggling to not lose hope while unable to do anything.

as always, let me know if you want to be tagged, either for author purposes or just to know when these go up! see you next tuesday!

tagging: @starkfridays @stilesgivesmefeels

[hgejfmw-hgejhsf]

Six Sentence Sunday!

Y'ALL, LOOK AT MY NEW HEADER. LOOK AT IT. I CRY EVERY SINGLE TIME I DO. The lovely and incredible and amazing @roseapothecary aka @indestructibleheart made this for me, as an early present for my birthday coming up in a couple weeks, and I actually cried, it's so beautiful and perfect. Which is precisely why I feel the need to really bring it with these sentences today, to honor the debut of such a lovely header.

I need to say thanks to @stellarm @kiwiana-writes and @junebugclaremontdiaz for the tags already this morning!

Without further ado, have more than six sentences from an upcoming one shot that I'm still not entirely certain how to finish and currently have Alex/Henry left in two very interesting positions because I was writing at work, as one does, and work ended, and then I definitely didn't do any writing when I got home. Oops?

Alex opens and closes his mouth several more times, the gears in his brilliant mind sufficiently lubricated by whiskey but moving far too quickly for him to grasp the proper words in the proper order. “Can you lift me again?” he finally asks, a sigh escaping his lips once the words have been set free. Henry quirks an eyebrow, curiosity clearly piqued. “Any higher and we’re on the roof, love,” he teases, glancing up at the ceiling above their heads. “And as romantic as that might be, I’m not entirely certain I can climb the ladder for both of us.” Alex shakes his head immediately, his curls tickling Henry’s cheek with the movement. “I need–” he starts, pursing his lips to cut himself off. Henry presses a light kiss against his closed mouth in silent reassurance. “I need you to fuck me against the wall.”

Tags behind the cut for lots of lovelies (Tumblr keeps trying to tell me I have too many friends and I tell it to fuck off), and an always open tag for anyone who wants me to see what they're sharing this week!

@adreamareads @affectionatelyrs @agame-writes @anincompletelist @barbiediaz @bigassbowlingballhead @cha-melodius @cricketnationrise @duchessdepolignaca03 @firenati0n @gayrootvegetable @getmehighonmagic @guillermosfamiliar @happiness-of-the-pursuit @heybuddy-drabbles @inexplicablymine @itsmaybitheway @leaves-of-laurelin @leojfitz @littlemisskittentoes @lizzie-bennetdarcy @magicandarchery @msmarvelouswinchester @ninzied @nocoastposts @notspecialbabe @onthewaytosomewhere @priincebutt @rockyroadkylers @ships-to-sail @songliili @sophie1973 @sparklepocalypse @ssmtskw @stereopticons @suseagull04 @theprinceandagcd @thinkof-england @tintagel-or-cockleshells @typicalopposite @user-anakin @vanillahigh00 @violetbaudelaire-quagmire @whimsymanaged @wordsofhoneydew @zwiazdziarka

[tyxoxo]

Ylang Ylang - teaser.

teaser, find full fic here.

| pairing: fairyhunter!jeno x fairy!reader (afab) au w/ fairy!xiaojun x fairy!reader (if you squint)

| genre: suspense, angst, fantasy, multiple nct/wayv + aespa character inserts, jeno and hendery are brothers

| summary: while being close to you and your family’s extinction, a promise needs to be broken to save the lives of your people

| words: loading…

| (future) warnings: murder, blood, torture, cnc smut + suggestive scenes, blackmail, kidnapping, exhibitionism, caging/imprisonment, degrading, spitting, unprotected sex

(this is purely fiction, warnings in bold mean potentially triggering content)

a/n: @jenomov and i came up with this concept out of nowhere and we decided to start writing our own versions. BUT i did make a header for us to share while she typed up the summary (which is awesome cuz i suck at them). just thought i’d clarify so no one would think we’re stealing/plagiarizing each other's work. just think of this as a collab! :’)) also, jeno’s look in the header is essentially how i envisioned him to look for this story but imagine him however you want (can’t help that haechan takes great pictures ㅠㅠ) 

playlist: 

livv? - ylang ylang

weatherby - fleeting frozen heart 

alex sloane - mine

datfootdive - stars

“C’mon Xiaojun, spit it out already!!” 

You teased at your loving best friend, shoving him playfully with a single finger as you watched him struggle to speak lucid sentences.

The two of you were in your favorite and most “private” hang out spot—in the trees on the outskirts of your shared village. Far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the community, but close enough for comfort. Though you tried your best not to drift into the terminology of “safety”, “danger”, or “warnings.” 

It was a sure way to initiate ill omens.

Both of your parents were aware of your shared infinity for exploring; venturing past the municipality limits. But as long as the two of you shrunk to “the size of a quail” outside of the village, they allowed you to bask in the wonders of blaring curiosity, to your heart’s content. Your species could never truly bring your guard down…

“Sorry…I just can’t form my words today.” He scratched the back of his head as peered down at his lap, rustling the Crane's-bill flower crown perched atop his mauve hair in the process. 

“Since when do you ever really form your words?” 

This time you gave a subtle laugh to pair with your smile, hoping to ease his obvious discombobulation. 

“You’re right. I don’t.” 

His eyes met yours, his wings even twitching, which always signified when your kind was flustered.

He continued again, pulling at his own thumb as he drifted his eyes up to the newly blossomed tree leaves; an obvious attempt to avoid eye contact.

You could try to deny it for as long as you lived, but there was something within you that adored him more than he probably ever knew.

It was his tenderness, his soothing voice, his patience, whether it was those nights you stormed out of your house in search of him, as a form of solace from the constant nightmares of your genocide, or the days that you wanted to rant about your parent’s overprotectiveness (though they’ve eased up in recent years).

Anything you needed, he was there. And you always tried your best to do the same, despite having the feeling that he bottled up some of his troubles to keep from feeling like a burden himself.

“Well…I w-wanted to tell you, that I really appreciate you.” 

He gave up on his own finger trap, to tug at the bottom of his white flounce shirt, finally meeting your eyes again with another twitch of his translucent wings.  

“I appreciate you too Xiaojun, always.” 

You leaned forward, so light that you barely caused the branch underneath you to stir. He froze upon witnessing your close contact, only his brown irises lowering to watch as you took both of his hands into your own.

“Is everything okay?” 

You didn’t mean for your voice to come out in a whisper, but his stuttering had become more frequent, and this only made your thoughts whirl just as loudly as his.

If only you knew that he was on his way to confess his true feelings to you, if only he could get his mouth to work as fast as his brain, maybe then he could finally pull the weight off his shoulders.

But you made all of this difficult without even trying. His love for everything that was you, was infinite. 

Even your constant teasing.

And the glimmer in your eyes was no match for his composure, let alone the way you held his hands. 

You scanned his face in search of an answer, that definitely took too long for him to spill.

“Yeah don’t worry, everything's fine.” 

You tilted your head in confusion, wondering where this could possibly be going, knowing he was aware of your ever-so-obvious “what’s the deal” persona. 

He cleared his throat, and geared himself up for the revelation of a lifetime,

“I’ve been m-meaning to tell you that I really like you…that I’ve always dreamed of what it would be like to have this moment with you.”

You felt your wings twitch, more noticeable than his own. And the warmth that flooded your entire body could’ve lit the entire forest in a swarming blaze. 

“W-would it be crazy if I asked you to be mine—”

His lips seemed to come at a rest in slow motion, eyelashes fluttering in stark contrast as he heard your breath hitch in your throat.

Not even the sun’s rays that flashed through the white pine tree could’ve taken you out of your shock. 

You used what seconds you had left, to replay his confession in your head,

“…I’ve always dreamed of what it would be like to have this moment with you”

Xiaojun, your best friend since childhood, had always dreamed of this.

But the thoughts of responding were ripped away, as blood-curdling screams roared from the direction of your home. They weren’t light hearted nor playful by any means, and with the ability to hear great distances, the agony that bestowed upon your ears caused you both to wince in fear. 

Xiaojun turned his head to look through the leaves, skin turning pale upon hearing further destruction. 

Most of the branches obscured your vision, but it didn’t take much longer for the despair to continue. 

“They found us!” 

That voice, sounded like Karina.

And her frenzied words gave the answer—after 10 years of hiding, the hunters were back. 

You felt your heart drop to your stomach, the ability to breathe becoming a distant memory.  

You squeezed Xiaojun’s hand as you crawled through the thick pine, your best friend eventually grabbing your waist to stop you from venturing out too far.

“Stay back!” His hushed tone was never this turbulent, bringing all the more truth to the chaos brewing just a mile away. 

“This can’t be! We have to go help!”

“It’s too dangerous, I can’t risk you getting hurt!” 

Your adrenaline was too much for Xiaojun, as you managed to fight through his tight embrace or rather his hold on your longing to see your family and friends for what could be the last time. 

“Let me go! We can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

You attempted to gear your wings for flight as you broke through his hold, hands raking through the leaves to get a clear view through the sea of green.

As you hovered past the pine tree, a familiar being appeared to be flying this way, the telltale sign being the blush colored wings that matched the embroidered dress swaying through the win at high speeds.

It was Giselle. And upon her getting a closer distance, you saw the blood spatter that painted her arms in fresh crimson. 

She was her natural size, like what your kind all chose to be while in the comfort of your home, and the only guess as to why she didn’t choose to shrink was the amount of energy it took to do so. She seemed to grip at her side as the blood continued to stain her silk dress, not once looking up at which direction to fly. Her Dahlia flower crown was nowhere to be found, something that she cherished more than anything in the world.

You had to help her, get her to safety within the trees, whatever you could to secure a better fate. But the constant screams kept you too terrified to react, and being out in the open like this was indeed risky. 

Before you could muster the strength to call her name, Xiaojun was behind you, the vibration of his wings filling your senses. He leaped at you once again, this time pulling you back towards the trees with labored breaths.

He couldn’t just do this to you…prevent you from saving a life, from saving not only your friend, but his friend too.

You managed a measly call of her name, knowing her advanced hearing would be enough. And successfully, she glanced up for the first time since her escape, to watch as you motioned for her to join together in the same tree.

Her face, lit up with hope, was the last sanguine expression to ever grace her face, as the all too familiar sound of a crossbow arrow being loosed from its quarrel sped towards her injured frame.

Your scream, one just as gut-wrenching as those that continued from your home, was muffled against Xiaojun’s palm as he pulled you back within the tree. You were forced away from any further intervention, forced away from burying your guilt.  

Giselle flung forward from the sheer impact of the arrow as it shot through her heart, her umber strands flying through the air in the same intensity; entire body falling face forward onto the red speckled Bermuda grass.

You couldn’t look away, not while you witnessed her final moments—eyes drifting up to meet yours within her last breath, wings falling lifeless against her spine, and a faint smile from knowing you would be the last person she would ever see, instead of the hunters that were walking towards her. 

Your entire body shook against Xiaojun, trembling in fear that her killers would surely discover the two of you here.

“Fuck! Hendery I had her!” 

An unfamiliar voice, but one you would never forget, roared through the clearing that led to your dead friend. 

You never felt so much anger from a person before, someone that you could only imagine was seething at the teeth.

Xiaojun finally took his hands away from your mouth, allowing you to inhale as much as you could before they got too close. But he still kept his arms wrapped around you, fighting through his own sobs that hit against the back of your neck.

“No Jeno! I’m not letting you fuck this up anymore! Remember what Johnny said?”

Yet another unfamiliar voice, but you were able to put the faces with the names right as the two humans approached just meters away, barely appearing disheveled despite the chaos they just unleashed. Thankfully their lack of enhanced senses worked in your favor, as you and Xiaojun remained undetected during their inspection of the area.

The one holding the crossbow was Hendery: he had to have been the one to take the kill. And the one to speak first was Jeno. 

These had to have been the hunters your family warned about. For years since relocating to this new area, all of the last surviving elders made it their mission to describe these two, for if the day came that they scoured the land again, you would instantly know it was them. 

—

lmk if you want to be added to the taglist!!

[dreamings-free]

‘A dirty nightclub in an arena’ – behind Louis Tomlinson’s Faith In The Future World Tour

Louis Tomlinson and his tight-knit touring crew traverse the world in close to 80 shows, fulfilling a ‘dirty nightclub in an arena’ brief with a dynamic live campaign.

Production Profiles 5 January 2024

Following the success of his record-breaking Live From London livestream, which reportedly raised over £1m for touring and live events personnel and charitable organisations, Louis Tomlinson and his tight-knit crew have toured the world twice over. This time, visiting sold-out arenas in Europe and the UK with a cleverly networked live production with abstract video and lighting and a ‘no frills’ approach to sound, which guaranteed that every ticket holder experienced the same show, regardless of where they stood, sat, or screamed (more on that later). With close to 80 shows under their belt, TPi visited London’s O2 arena ahead of the production’s penultimate date of 2023.

Words: Jacob Waite Photos: Justin De Souza and Oli Crump

------

Following the success of his record-breaking Live From London livestream, which reportedly raised over £1m for touring and live events personnel and charitable organisations, Louis Tomlinson and his tight-knit crew have toured the world twice over. This time, visiting sold-out arenas in Europe and the UK with a cleverly networked live production with abstract video and lighting and a ‘no frills’ approach to sound, which guaranteed that every ticket holder experienced the same show, regardless of where they stood, sat, or screamed (more on that later). With close to 80 shows under their belt, TPi visited London’s O2 arena ahead of the production’s penultimate date of 2023.

“A team effort is required to get this show off the ground,” explained Technical Manager, Sam ‘Kenny’ Kenyon, who has been a fixture of Louis Tomlinson’s live output since joining as Lighting Crew Chief in 2019. “This has been a complete redesign, and the production has expanded and gotten more complex, which requires different solutions to make it happen.”

Kenny and the team oversaw the deployment of an A and B rig. “We’ve been fortunate for the European stint that the venues we’ve toured have, mostly, been arenas. The main difference between the A and B rig is the addition of IMAG and further lighting header trusses. Aside from that, the A rig fits everywhere. If anything, we’ve run into weight issues, which we can overcome swiftly by removing overhead trusses.”

For the first few shows, Riggers, Ian Bracewell, and Alex Walker incorporated load cells on trusses to get an accurate rate and account of the weight of the load of each truss. In the UK, The Brighton Centre had a particularly low-rate roof with weight limitations. Production Manager, Craig Sherwood and Tour Manager, Tom Allen’s vendors of choice included: Altour (travel), Beat the Street, BPM SFX, CSE Crosscom, Colour Sound Experiment (lighting, rigging, and video), Hangman UK, Boxcat Studio and Two Suns Creative (video content), LED Creative, Ox Event House (custom light housings), Sarah’s Kitchen, Seven 7 Management (artist management), Solotech (audio), Stardes Trucking, and TANCK (production design and video content).

There was no video director, as the show’s visuals were programmed and interspersed with live footage and triggered by a lighting console at FOH, thanks in part to an intricate network setup. “There’s a lot going on in racks that people never see, but it has been stable thanks to the quality of kit supplied by our vendors, who have invested heavily, and the team taking the time to programme the show,” Kenny noted.

Key to the success of the operation was the incorporation of Central Control software, which takes a signal from a lighting console, be it ACN or Art-Net, and translates it to talk to various products – in this case, video. “There is a giant brain that nobody knows exists other than those that have programmed it,” he added.

Additional crew members joined the tour in Europe to aid the video deployment and lead to far more efficient load-in an -outs. “We are close to 80 shows in and on days where we have access to multiple trucks, it comes out very quickly, which for a show of this scale is impressive and credit goes to the team,” enthused Kenny. “The biggest hurdle is when you’ve only got a two-truck dock.”

Prior to the tour, the team had five days of production rehearsals spent in Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun. “When we came to Europe a week later, we had a week of re-prepping with a day of rehearsals at Hamburg’s Barclays Arena, the day before a show,” he described. “It’s been a fun and long run,” added Stage Manager, Torin Arnold. “We’ve visited a good range of venues and countries – especially the Eastern European legs, visiting places you wouldn’t ordinarily tour and experiencing how they operate. This show is designed so it can be accomplished in any part of the world.” Carpenter, Harry Reeves was also on hand to support the build.

The routing, however, was sometimes challenging with some late arrivals and difficult border crossings. “There were a few times in Eastern Europe where we were doing a ferry back-to-back to arrive at 11am, sitting at a difficult border crossing. We usually start with a 7am mark out, so knocking hours off your load-in is tough but everyone pulled together to overcome it,” Arnold explained, noting that touring without staging, and instead, using venue stages (particularly rolling stages), was a blessing during those late arrivals. “As with any tour, as dates progress you build a rhythm while maintaining the safety of the build,” he noted.

Arnold also highlighted the benefit of Lead Truck Driver, Neil Thornton and Truck Drivers, Matt Marlow, Ben Woods, Sarah Goldsmith, Bob Miles, Alam Minshall, Franco DeRosa, and Ollie Thornton who “speed up the process” and maintained a level of consistency.

The transitions between support acts before Louis hit the stage was equally seamless, with ample downstage space for the singer-songwriter to traverse during his performance. “Having a clean frontline means we have space to get the bands on and off,” he added. “Our vendors have also provided everything from an audio package standpoint for support acts, which also speeds up the load-in and -out.”

Highlighting a ‘bucket list’ show at Hollywood Bowl, working closely with US union officials as a “fun” and “interesting” experience, Arnold reflected on the entire tour with crewmembers he now considers close friends. “This is a close team and I’ve made some great memories and stories. It’s been a fun year!”

A DIRTY NIGHTCLUB IN AN ARENA Production Designer, Programmer and Director, Tom Taylor, and Francis Clegg of TANCK have worked with Louis Tomlinson ever since he made the leap to solo artist. “The production design has evolved into an angular, grungy, asymmetrical setup, borne out of the ‘dirty nightclub in an arena setting’ creative brief I was given,” Taylor said, citing the creative influence of Matt Vines and Seven 7 Management. “Louis is a phenomenal performer, and the crowd is captivated the entire time. We started knocking ideas around, speaking to Louis about his inspirations and influences, which we then developed into a creative deck, which I sketched in Blender, and imported into WYSIWYG for visuals, to create stills and pre-visualise.”

Taylor spent 10 days programming the visuals at Colour Sound Experiment, a firm he shares a “longstanding” relationship with. “They are always a call away regardless of the day or time. Their team is easy to get along with and I like their whole ‘production sphere’ – sometimes it’s nice to split lighting and video, but for a show like this, aligning those departments with one line of communication is ideal,” he said, underlining the support of Colour Sound Experiment Account Handler, Haydn Cruickshank.

With production rehearsals under their belt and recordings from Louis Tomlinson World Tour (2020–22), where TANCK piloted Central Control software, the creatives understood how the singer and his band moved on stage, developing a rhythm and consistency of when to implement visual cues and which camera angle fit best. This allowed the team to pre-programme the visual content to timecode.

Video content was made by a combination of TANCK, Two Suns Creative, and Boxcat Studio, with the latter creating 3D models and rendered content, all of which was broadcast across a unique set of video surfaces. “Having the abstract video columns on stage makes it much more interesting than your standard slab of LED at the back of the stage,” Taylor noted.

On stage boxes created by Ox Event House housed GLP JDC Line 1000 strobes with reflective panelling and fabric that were printed to look like heavy concrete slabs, ladened with custom LED Creative solutions. These boxes then moved up and down using Wahlberg Motion Design winches to provide a “low-level, clubby feel” to the set.

“The winches can only carry 50kg and the lights alone are 35kg, so we had to be careful not to overload them, but the result was cool. We also have one single lightbulb on a winch which comes up and down above Louis to create a classic lighting moment,” Taylor said, further highlighting Ayrton Huracán’s prismatic colour wheel as a ‘fan favourite’.

The lighting design saw a wall of GLP impression X4 Bar 20s at the rear of the stage in 12 columns. Further lighting trusses over the stage carried the Wahlberg winches for several automated looks. The DMX winches were utilised for three or four songs, either statically or moving up and down, while JDC Line 1000s provided colour and strobe effects, to achieve varied looks, with a relatively minimal overhead lighting package.

Taylor elaborated: “There are some shutters for one specific track which go directly in-front of some of the GLP X4 Bars to get the aura of the lights, instead of the lenses, which I really like the look of. Lighting and video complement each other during this show – there’s also a section with flickering fluorescent tubes on the video content with the X4 Bar 20s behind the LED screens flickering in a similar way.

Taylor was delighted with the performance of the crew. “Overall, it has been a great run, executed flawlessly,” he commented, citing the support of Lighting Crew Chief, James Box; Dimmer Technician, Rick Carr, and Lighting Technicians, Amy Barnett, and Kieran Hancox.

The wider lighting rig comprised Ayrton Eurus, CHAUVET Professional Strike Array 4, Claypaky Mini-B eLumen8 Endura 1Q120, and Robe BMFL fixtures with robo cameras, all fixed on various HOF MLT3, Litec QH40 and Thomas James Thomas Engineering Superstruss. The lighting riser featured Ayrton Huracan LT and GLP JDC1 fixtures.

Robe Spiider fixtures were situated on the up and downstage video trusses, with the floor package boasting the deployment of further Ayrton Eurus, LEDJ Spectra Flood Q15 and Chroma-Q Color Force 72 units, the latter chosen for key light. Atmospherics came in the shape of Smoke Factory Tour Hazer 2, Martin Professional JEM ZR45 and MDG Atmosphere ATMe hazers with TMB ProFans. “We had some challenging shows, implementing an arena-scale design into sheds in the US, but it’s been good to return to Europe and witness the fans enjoying the show,” added Lighting Crew Chief, James Box, who pinpointed the use of the multicoloured glass gobo in Hurricanes as among his favourite looks.

“There is a lot of effort put in by TANCK to ensure we get the utmost from every fixture on the rig, which is great to see, when the team has gone to the effort of assembling the show each morning. Seeing the looks they achieve from the rig and the extra details, with each advanced cue within the show, is a pleasure.

Almost every pixel on the JDC Line 1000 and X4 impression Bars are being used.”

Video Crew Chief, Dave Mallandain, formerly of Colour Sound Experiment, supervised the video build and the team of Video Technicians, Ed Driver, Frank Wlliams and Tim Curwen.

“Working with Colour Sound Experiment again, in a freelance capacity, certainly has its benefits,” he stated. “You get to know the workflows and personalities of the company. There is an element of trust there and our relationship is stronger because of that.” The 2.5m by 2.5m video screen, made up of Leyard CLM6 LED panels with Colorlight Z6 processing on the back end, was built in an abstract configuration – hung from varying size steel structures fixed on to lighting truss, spanning the entire stage, as opposed to a traditional backwall. “This setup requires us to build it quicker, so the backline can start building their world, but it’s very lightweight and easy to use, so once the local crew are up to speed, it flies up in no time,” he reported.

During the show, there was a lot of camera angles fed into a Blackmagic ATEM switcher, with content then fed into Resolume media servers which was processed and treated with video effects and filters to manipulate the content, monitored by the video team, and pre-programmed by Taylor via an MA Lighting grandMA3 console, operating in MA2 mode.

“The fan camera, which was one of Tom’s ideas, has evolved to the point where Frank and I are on stage during Out Of My System, pointing these cameras fabricated in an old VHS-style shell at Louis’ face in reference to the fisheye-lens inspired music video.”

A mixture of Marshall Electronics and Panasonic PTZ cameras ensured the wider on-stage action was captured. “While the visual content is the same, the shots differ based on the energy of the crowd from night to night,” he explained. “We have an overhead shot for the drums, and another behind Louis, which shoots over his shoulder to the crowd. We also have a PTZ camera on the ground in front of Louis which can rotate to capture crowd scans along with a little ‘bullet camera’ for each musician. It’s been a fantastic tour; everyone on this team has been phenomenal.”

The special effects and pyrotechnics package supplied by BPM SFX included Galaxis PFC 10-way receivers running Galaxis, with a main and a backup controller, which ran through an MA Lighting grandMA2 console, to trigger MagicFX Stadium Shot IIs and a single shot of red streamers. The latter, a “signature of Louis Tomlinson live shows”, according to BPM SFX Technician, Jack Webber – who toured with a new custom control rack, with much of the hardware integrated in one rack.

BPM SFX Account Handler, Matt Heap and SFX Technicians, Blake Harward and Phillip Mathew also provided Webber with support. “The one major change on this tour was putting the Stadium Shot IIs at the downstage edge, and adding lasers for the O2 arena show,” said Webber, who has been involved in past touring campaigns with the camp. “This is the first touring camp to take me to the US, so I feel incredibly privileged.”

Safety was paramount for the BPM SFX team, who implemented the safeguard of warning notices on-stage to ensure the band knew exactly when an effect was triggered. In closing, Webber referenced the ‘rainbow-inspired’ track, She Is Beauty We Are World Class, which demonstrated the strength of the special effects package. “There are about 22 rapid fire chase Comets all going off at the same time with a big lift, which differs in comparison to the other looks with eight units.”

MIXING IN A SEA OF SCREAMS FOH Engineer, John Delf mixed on an Avid S6L 32D console with onboard plug-ins. “I use the onboard plug-ins as much as possible because I want to keep it as simple as possible and know I’ve got a show out of the box without any added extras, which is particularly useful during fly-in gigs, where I have to use a house console or have limited time to set up,” he noted. Delf also toured with some choice pieces of outboard gear including a Rupert Neve Designs 5045 primary source enhancer for vocals, an Empirical Labs Fatso two-channel compressor for drums, and further Distressors for the bass guitar group and vocals.

“The bulk of my mixing is riding the DCA control groups and the vocals, balancing between them, and when there is a lead guitar solo, I’ll jump to that. Most of the mix should stay where it is, and I shouldn’t have to think about it, but every day you make major tweaks and refinements based on how the musicians are performing. Most of the gig is turning the band up and down without affecting the vocals because I have DCAs for drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, main vocal, backing vocals, and an ‘all’ DCA that includes everything but vocals,” he said, explaining his mixing wizardry modestly. “I also run snapshots in which I am changing the sub send amount for different songs, as well as reverb and delay times. If the band changes the set last minute, I have the desk synced to the timecode and that will trigger the snapshots.”

At the beginning of the set, the noise of the crowd can be between 112 to 116dB. “We have a little bit of headroom. When they are loud, I can push the mix, and when they are quieter, I can pull it back for the more introspective moments of the show,” he explained.

“My favourite section to mix is the transition from a cover of Arctic Monkeys’ 505 into Back to You. When that kicks in, I push the “All” DCA up to +10. We’ve built the set up to that point, where I’m able to throw it to the top before the end of the set. The three songs in the encore are also fun songs to mix,” he enthused, accenting the support of Solotech Account Handler, David Shepherd.

“I’ve worked with Dave for years, while he was at BCS Audio (now part of Solotech). He’s been my go-to account handler for a very long time, and Solotech has inherited this gig from them, so there was a natural transition.”

System Engineer and Head of Audio, Oli Crump walked TPi through the PA system: “We’ve been using L-Acoustics, which is our preference, since the start of last year’s tour. The main hang has been K1 with K2 downfill for both tours, however, we are touring with a much larger system this year with K2 on the sides instead of KARA-II. We’re flying subwoofers and carrying delays with us, which is also our preference in big arenas, like the O2 – it provides an even level of coverage across the audience,” the TPi Breakthrough Talent Award alumni said, explaining the thought process behind a larger sound system.

“The PA system is naturally bigger this year because we’re touring larger venues. The crowd is very loud, and we need to be able to compete with that at points of the show. The window of dynamic range we have without it being too loud is compressed because the background level from the crowd is so high, so we need to be able to get our level as consistent as possible from front to back. This setup really helps overcome that.”

Out of ear shot from Crump, Delf extolled the virtues of his partner at FOH: “Oli and I work well together. Every day, regardless of the venue, I know the system is going to sound consistent. We deal with different venue acoustics each day but as soon as I run up my virtual soundcheck, I’ve got the mix back to where I want it because the PA is at the same level every day. I used to walk the room a lot during sound check, but it always sounded consistent, so I’ve stopped doing that because I trust him explicitly.”

The PA generally sat in a standard location for an arena PA, 10.5m off centre and no wider than that, using the same basic system design as Louis Tomlinson’s past touring campaign, which Crump worked on with Kenny to ensure it didn’t impede the production design. “The number of boxes we deploy varies from show to show, based on the venue. The worst-case scenario [visually] is that the PA needs to be a little lower than usual and gets in the way of the IMAG screens slightly,” Crump detailed.

He designed the system using Soundvision, then imported his file into Network Manager, with a DirectOut Technologies PRODIGY.MP chosen for system processing. “I have visited many of the European arenas before so I’ve got fairly accurate plots, however, sometimes you will stumble across an error someone has made in building the models,” he continued. “Madrid’s WiZink Center had different CAD drawings for each layer of the venue and one of the layers was accidentally scaled wrong, so the bottom floors were fine but as you went up everything was out. You get curveballs like that occasionally but that’s why it’s important to verify drawings.”

An audience also changes the acoustics of a room, generally for the better, but sometimes not, so Crump was on hand at FOH to make tweaks when required. “As rooms get larger, they generally get more difficult, reverb time will go up purely as a factor of the room size, regardless of how you treat it. The O2 is quite tall seating-wise, so you end up having to angle the PA up into the roof a lot,” Crump noted.

Over by the stage, Monitor Engineer, Barrie Pitt mixed the five-piece band and frontman using a DiGiCo Quantum 338 console. “Louis and the band are good at verbalising what they want. They’ve been playing a long time, so it’s my job to translate those desires into the mix,” he explained. “DiGiCo has been my ‘go-to’ brand of console for the past 15 years. The 338 is an incredibly powerful console, which can do as much as any other on the market and more in a much less convoluted way. I know it like the back of my hand and how to get the best out of it and do the most complicated things at the push of a button. The Capture features are ridiculously powerful.”

Pitt oversaw 85 channels, 64 directly from stage, with additional channels for shouts, sends, returns, communications, and routing, among others. His outboard rack included a classic Lexicon PCM 91 digital reverberator for vocals. “The way I set up the communications and shout systems are the same across the board. For the layout, a lot of people have instruments on one side and vocal and effects on the other, however, I tend to adjust my banks of faders visually, how you would see it on stage, left to right, as a nod to my analogue mixing days. My second layer is usually tracks and any track content with reverbs next to the vocals, so they’re changed in unison. Sometimes, I’ll do a custom layer of [drum or spill group, two lead guitar channels and vocal] the things I use most, particularly if it’s a busy show input-wise.”

Pitt referred to the basis of his mix as ‘static’ with minor changes. “Louis changes a fair bit between songs I’m running upwards of 60 scenes with a lot of songs having multiple scenes for verse and chorus or specific sections,” he explained. The Monitor Engineer is a big believer in unifying the in-ear monitors, so what he hears is the same as those on stage. “We use Shure PSM1000s, JH Audio Roxanne in-ear monitors for Louis and JH16s for everyone else, except for the drummer, who is using Ultimate Ears IEMs. Louis and the band are solid, and they keep their ears in from start to finish. Louis wants the rock star mix; he likes to feel the weight of the mix. It’s not an overpowering mix but it’s a full mix with his vocal on top with Neve 5045 primary source enhancers on all vocals. Everyone else has a standard band mix at moderate level with their instrument and vocals high. The drummer has the most straightforward mix with his drums and shouts layered on top.”

A further pair of subwoofers stage left, and right were situated under the stage risers, providing the weight of side fills without the top end. “It’s a big rock show with drums and guitars, so the less noise I can have flying about the stage, the better,” he said.

The microphone package included a Shure Axient Digital AD4D two-channel digital wireless receiver, a AD2 vocal microphone with a KSM9 capsule for vocals. Sennheiser MKH 60 and AKG C414 XLS microphones captured the ambient noise of the room. “We track everything, including the two sets of ambient microphones for recording and virtual soundcheck, in case the band decides to do anything with the live content,” he noted.

Having collaborated with Solotech and previously BCS Audio multiple times, Pitt was pleased to see the company on the tour sheet. “They are a solid choice and I know Dave Shepherd well. They fix any problems swiftly, and all their gear is well packaged and maintained,” he said. “The band and crew are lovely. It’s rare to come across a camp so friendly on a show of this size.” Pitt thanked Solotech Monitor and Stage Technician, Matt Coton. “He is fantastic. He takes all the second guessing out of my day and is so meticulous and thorough that I know everything will be as it should be from the get-go. When there are issues, he knows exactly what to do to remedy it. He’s been a joy to work and hang out with.”

Audio Technicians, Matt Coton, Tim Miller, Kim Watson, Elliott Clarke, James Coghlan, Matt Benton; Bassist and Keyboard Technician, Chris Freeman; Guitar Technician, Dan Ely and Playback Technician, Scotty Anderson made up the sound team.

CURATING A HOME AWAY FROM HOME Sarah Nicholas of Sarah’s Kitchen and Caterers, Rebecca Henderson, Helena Robertson, Chris Carter, Matty Pople and Tamsin Manvell provided band and crew catering, ensuring morale stayed high and stomachs were full on the road. Making a name for themselves as One Direction’s caterers, the outfit now cater for each of the band members’ individual tours and private functions, amassing a dedicated online following. “I started catering for Louis and the rest of One Direction during their first theatre gig in Watford and I feel very privileged to have that connection. At dinner time, we perform a plate service, which I think is important – our reputation is not only built on really good food but the entire hospitality package, creating a nourishing environment away from home,” Nicholas said.

Sarah’s Kitchen provided a range of vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options. “We also provide disposable products and water coolers, and our runner regularly collects fresh, local produce from markets based on where we are in the world,” she explained.

The wider European crew featured Security, Kristian ‘Ches’, Ross Foster, Ben Major, and Gav Kerr; Merchandisers, Jon Ellis and Maddy Stephens; Bus Drivers, Aivaras Arminas, Frederico Antunes, Scott Pickering, Chris Grover; Entourage Bus Driver, Paul Roberts; Merchandise Truck Driver, Warren Dowey; BTS UK Account Handler, Garry Lewis; Stardes Account Handlers, Tyrone Reynolds, and Alam Minshall; CSE Crosscom Account Handler, Hannah Evans and Altour Travel Account Handler, Alexandra Gati.

Having wrapped up the best-selling livestream of 2020 – a lofty achievement given the proliferation of remote productions amid the grounding of live events with in-person crowds – Tomlinson shows no signs of slowing down post-pandemic, making the leap from sold-out theatres to arenas across the globe with his trusty crew in tow. “Live From London was great because the crew and I really needed it,” Delf said. “It gave us some much-needed work amid the lockdown, and all the proceeds went directly to the crew, which was an incredibly honourable thing to do. To come back out on the other side of lockdown was great. It was a dark time back then for everyone, but to be back out on tour surrounded by friends, who feel more like family, it’s special.”

-> read here on Issuu

[halcyone-of-the-sea]

Updated Request Information Guideline as of 3/5/2023 to Present

I've decided to update my request guidelines to better reflect my needs for submissions, what I’m comfortable with, etc. Please read this before you request anything.

WHO I’LL WRITE FOR:

Modern Warfare II - 

John Price

Kyle ‘Gaz’ Garrick

Simon ‘Ghost' Riley

Johnny ‘Soap’ MacTavish

Phillip Graves

Alejandro Vargas

Rodolfo ‘Rudy’ Parra

Modern Warfare (2019) -

Alex Keller

CoD: Ghosts -

Keegan P. Russ 

David ‘Hesh’ Walker

Logan Walker

Thomas A. Merrick

Alex V. ‘Ajax’ Johnson

Kick

Modern Warfare: Multiplayer - 

Arthur

Nikto

König

Krueger

Misc. -

Gary ‘Roach’ Sanderson (MWII (2009))

James Ramirez (MWII (2009))

Derek ‘Frost’ Westbrook (MWIII (2011))

Sandman (MWIII (2011))

Original timeline character ver., e.g., '09 Soap, Ghost, etc.

If you would want someone to be added to this list - please ask and I'll look into it!

WHAT CONTENT I’M NOT COMFORTABLE WRITING/GENERAL REFUSALS:

Anything involving - 

Dubcon/Noncon

"Dark" content

In-game characters being asked to be portrayed as toxic/abusive/obsessive/etc.

Daddy kink

Pedophilia

Racism/hatred of a certain group of people, etc.

Petplay & anything in that area

Intense descriptions of SA*

Intense descriptions of Self-harm*

*I’m alright with writing very light references/insinuations after the fact - but no way in-depth.

WHAT I AM COMFORTABLE WRITING:

Involving - 

NSFW/smut

SFW

Angst

Intense gore/violence

Character death (major or minor)

Character pregnancy/having children/being parents, etc.

Pretty much anything not mentioned in the above category, always within reason, is fair game. If you’re unsure about your idea, please ask.

IMPORTANT INFO:

I only write F!Reader x M!Character fics

I do not write ship content

I ask that physical descriptions be left out of requests so I can write as vaguely as possible 

I also ask that any smut/NSFW requests be vague, not incredibly vulgar. A little idea of what you want is perfect, but I would rather you don’t send in multiple paragraphs of just....y’know. I put my ‘read-more’ bars and warnings to separate the contents from the main header, if you get what I’m saying.

It may help me more if you include a few sentences of what you’re thinking for your request - like a basic outline or literally just a prompt

You may send in a request and I may not be able to write it for a while, so, please be patient. I’ll get there eventually!

Just a reminder that every request may not turn into a fic - it’s all up to the time I’m able to put into writing and if I get that spark of imagination. I mean no harm/have no malicious intent if I’m unable to post/work on your request. There are a multitude of amazing authors on this website that may be able to write for you instead!

And, remember, if you’re confused/want further clarification it’s perfectly fine to ask me! I have no problem with answering questions.

Finally, thanks to everyone who sends in requests, general asks, etc. It’s incredibly uplifting to receive such support! Love you all!

[murderkittyz]

The Party - Chapter 1

Content Warnings: Alcohol, Cigarette, and Weed mention - Mild spoilers for Alex’s route if you look close enough - Something is up with the ASS trio - Grandpa isn’t doing well - Your parents are morally ambiguous

Important notes! In this fic Stardew is set in 1996, the Scream movies exist, at this point in time the main characters are in Highschool. ALL CHARACTERS OF ROMANTIC INTEREST ARE 18+! MINORS DNI

The valley is nice, calm. The forests, full of chirping crickets and critters, and all was silent. Except for one house, with all the bright lights and blaring rock music: the Aitken household. Well, household and general store.

 

With her parents out of the house, Abigail decided what better way to celebrate not just the new weekend but the new member of the group than to party? And guess what? You’re that lucky member! That’s awesome, getting to hang out with the cool kids!

 

You were nervous in this new town, after all. Your parents have sent you off to help take care of your sick grandfather; make sure he doesn’t collapse and have a heart attack. Having a new classmate caught the attention of the others, though, and soon you were recruited into their little group.

 

That brings you here. The combination mom and pop convenience store/Aitken household turned club by their gothic daughter. The stench of alcohol, cigarettes, and... weed? - Wasn’t that only recently legalized for medical purposes? - Fill the house. You have two main worries about the overwhelming party and how Abby was gonna clean this up. Her parents are going to kill her if they find out. You can see you’re not the only one worried, looking over at the local jock’s face.

 

“Are you alright, Alex? You seem kind of, uhm.. torn up.”

 

“Huh? - Oh. Oh yeah, I’m fine. Just... you don’t mind if I head out early, do you? I felt like I at least had to come, seemed like the polite thing to do, but I uh, I have something to do. Homework and stuff.”

You gave a shrug, not really expecting him to care that much about it, and let Alex go off on his way, not really noticing the relief in his eyes.

 

And then someone grabs you.

"Well, well, well! There’s the star of the show! We’ve been looking all over for you! C’mon, we have all sorts of stuff to do!”

Sam chuckled, dragging you by the arm towards his trio of pals. The council of darkness, if you will.

 

“We got a bunch of scary movies and board games, and guess what? We even got our hands on some video games!”

Of the options, you decided Scream was the best choice. Just came out, seems cool.. And clearly they agree, the trio's eyes lighting up. It felt nice to be seen. For some reason, though, you almost felt too seen. Oh well, you’re probably just being paranoid! Now you have a movie to watch.

Credits: tata on Pinterest for the header, @beamer-boy for the footer, beta read by @sashiavi

Tags: @phebbsl @warpedbands

[womanwithahotdogstand]

Jordan’s (probably very dumb) Ideal Lineup For The Impending USA/Sweden Game. ✨

Formation: The 4-3-3 lineup only works when you have enough offensive sparks on your team to get the ball that far up the field in order (we are desperately missing Tobin, Cat, Mal and Christen in this moment.) So, what do you do when your team is clearly struggling to get more people up the field?! You make a formation change that will literally put more people up the field for you. I think a 3-4-2-1 is a perfect formation for this group.

The Forwards: Listen, I love Alex, but she has not been anywhere close to the level we need her to be at right now. She doesn’t deserve to start over these three. The only way we are going to beat Sweden is by coming out FAST, like goal in the first 15 fast. And these three (and Alyssa) are the only three I trust to truly make that happen.

The Midfield: I have previously mentioned how building the team around 1 person is harmful 99.9% of the time. It is abundantly clear that Vlatko has slowly been building this team around Lindsey for the last year and change and I think one of the best courses of action, and a very sneaky one, would be to bench her for at least the first half of the game. At that point everything Sweden has studied about the United States is rendered pretty useless, especially since when Lindsey hasn’t played this past year+ Rose is usually the one to slip into the 7 which cannot happen. Kristie is a great starter because of her connection to Lynn AND her raging intensity. We need that on the field as much as possible to start the game as strong as we can. Missing Rose could be the thing that does us in completely. We could crumble or we could start 2 of the best attacking midfielders in the entire NWSL. Crystal has been lights out for Portland this season and with Rose out I think it’s a perfect time to move her into the midfield and let her offensively EAT. And I know a lot of skeptical people will say “we don’t know if her midfield prowess will translate to the national team!” And to that I say — the last time we saw her in the midfield for the national team during their 2 game series against Russia in 2017 she scored 4 goals. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Savannah get her time to shine but in a potential elimination game i’m going Ashley Sanchez all the way. She is technically the closest player we have to Rose Lavelle and her incredible on field relationship with her Spirit teammate up top makes her my obvious pick for this match. Her creativity. Her speed. Her genuinely impressive soccer brain. We’re going to need all of that on the pitch as soon as that ref blows the whistle to start the game.

The Backline: A lot of people are not enthused about Alana and some of the opinions i’ve seen are valid but I also think that a big part of her problem is having a shaky 6. I think putting her in behind Julie Ertz is going to do WONDERS. Sweden is a very aerial team (literally every goal they scored against Italy were headers) and having a 5’9” center-back is something we need to use to our advantage. I think her, Kristie and JJ could be a phenomenal clean up crew for any set pieces Sweden will definitely be trying to score on.

Giving Kelley the armband: I don’t want to slight Lindsey or Alex, both of whom were probably exhausted after that Portugal game both mentally and physically, but the fact that Kelley O’Hara was the first one over to comfort an (apparently) crying Rose Lavelle and let her know how much this team loves and needs her speaks VOLUMES to me about Kelley. The fact that she was the first one to speak and bring the team together after that match, while only playing 3 or 4 minutes tops, speaks volumes to me about Kelley. I also simply just think seeing Kelley in that armband is an extra boost of morale that this team so desperately needs.

[yuujispinkhair]

Kabukicho Love (Chapter 01)

I don't wanna check into the Tokyo Love Hotel. I just want your love all to myself

Successful but lonely businessman Sukuna gave up on love. Why put his heart on the line when he can just as easily buy "love" from the prettiest escorts of Tokyo? But why does this supposedly fake love feel so real when he's with the new boy he booked?

Pairing: Sukuna x Escort!Yuuji Genre: Escort AU, smut, fluff Word Count: 2.3k Playlist: Sukuita Escort AU Warnings: 18+, smut, sex work, age gap (Yuuji is 21 and Sukuna 30), in later chapters: oral, fingering, rimming, anal, cum eating, alcohol, light angst, mention of a side character's death, mutual pining. All characters are of age. This story is 18+. Minors don't interact.

The picture I used in the header is from the Manhwa BJ Alex. There is art now for this series! Thank you so much to @/silverink58 for drawing this beautiful picture of Sukuna and Yuuji for me! I'm so happy that you let me commission you!

Thank you so much to Liz @lizarts01 for drawing this super hot and super cute picture of Yuuji + Nobara as sexy bunnies!! I am losing my mind!!

And thank you so much to @/cometcoffee103 for making this beautiful moodboard for the AU!

"So, what can I do for you today? Need a little sweetness in your busy life again?"

Gojo's icy blue eyes fix Sukuna amusedly over the rim of his cocktail glass. His arrogance and blatant mockery are something Sukuna hates about his former classmate. Gojo Satoru is one of the only people who don't treat Sukuna respectfully. The problem is probably that Sukuna and Gojo are too similar. And arrogance isn't the only thing they have in common. Gojo is also the best in his field of business, just like Sukuna is in his.

They went to college together, both majoring in economics. Sukuna graduated to take over the family business empire, becoming the CEO of the S.H.R.I.N.E. Group, while Gojo built his own empire in Tokyo's glittering red light district. And his most lucrative business is the Infinity Escort Service. First class company for the rich and influential people of Tokyo.

A busy man like Sukuna gets lonely sometimes. Maybe that's his biggest regret. He always puts all his time into his work, and his little free time is spent at the gym or networking in bars or restaurants. So he doesn't have time to actually meet someone. By now he is 30, and while most people his age are already married, he has no one to come home to.

At this point, Sukuna doesn't believe in love anymore. Not after his former fiancee left him after three years for a man twice his age but also twice as rich.

There isn't love for a man like Sukuna. Only sex and money.

And that's where his old dormmate Gojo comes into the picture.

Gojo takes pride in acquiring the most exclusive escorts. They are all gorgeous. Pretty face, smooth skin, well-groomed with fit bodies and immaculate style. A feast for the eyes.

And they have to undergo a training to blend in with the rich and famous, meaning you can take them to the most exclusive restaurants without making a fool of yourself. They have the proper manners. They know which wine goes with what and can hold conversations about current events.

They are excellent in the bedroom too, of course. That's the unofficial part, though. But everyone knows you don't just book an escort for a nice dinner.

So long story short, Sukuna always calls up Gojo when he feels a bit lonely. He knows he can always count on his old friend to understand what he wants.

And tonight Sukuna has a special inquiry.

He tilts his head back to swallow the vodka shot before putting the glass back down on the table and looking at his former classmate with a slight smirk on his handsome face.

"I'm going on a little vacation, actually. A weekend at the beach. And I'm looking for some nice company."

"Ooooh, I understand. You want to unwind after all the hard work. It's what you deserve! And I have the perfect cutie to keep you company. I have a new boy! You haven't met him yet. Absolutely gorgeous and eager to please. And he has the perfect beach body! Look here! Isn't he cute?"

Gojo shoves his iPad across the table, internet browser opened to the Infinity profile of an escort going by the name Yuuji. Sukuna draws in a breath.

His friend wasn't lying. The boy is really stunning. Bright sunshine smile, light brown eyes that almost glow golden in some of the pictures, smooth tan skin, athletic figure with well-defined buff muscles, a cute firm round ass, and to Sukuna's amusement, pastel pink hair like himself.

"He looks cute."

Gojo's grin is far too conceited when he leans across the table and nods enthusiastically.

"I know! See, I told you I have what you need. I'll let sweet Yuuji know that he has plans for next weekend. Oh, he will be so excited when he hears he'll go to the beach! He's so cute! You'll absolutely love him!"

Sukuna is glad for the dark sunglasses he is wearing when the boy is walking towards his Porsche. At least this way, he can check him out unashamedly. And oh yes, he is definitely someone who's a feast for Sukuna's hungry gaze.

Yuuji is even more gorgeous in real life. He shines as bright as the sun with that pretty broad smile and the sparkle in his honey-colored eyes.

He's walking confidently, with big fast strides. Strong body and strong boy. He doesn't look like the typical bottom, but that makes him even more perfect in Sukuna's eyes. He will have a lot of fun playfully wrestling with this strong cutie, pressing him down onto the bed, making him whimper and moan. Fuck, it has been too long! His pants are already feeling too tight just from one look at his little pet for the weekend.

The boy slips into the passenger seat with the same big sunshine smile and movie star glow he had in all of the pictures Gojo showed to Sukuna.

He's so pretty. And sweet like honey too, apparently, because he turns to look at Sukuna and bows his head respectfully before addressing him with a cute and sexy voice that sounds too excited to be fake:

"Heyy, I am Yuuji! It's so nice to meet you, sir! Thank you so much for inviting me on this trip. I am so excited! I wanted to go to the beach for years!"

Sukuna is watching him with a lazy smirk, slowly taking off his sunglasses to get an even better look. The boy's eyes widen, and he blushes the slightest bit. He's getting cuter by the second.

Yuuji scratches his neck a bit sheepishly,

"Um, sorry... I... I am just really excited. But I forgot to ask you, what should I call you? Is sir ok? Or do you prefer something else? Master? Your name? Or maybe Daddy?"

Sukuna smirks in amusement. Such a sweetheart, so eager to please. He likes that in a boy.

"Thank you for accompanying me, Yuuji. It's nice to meet you too. Call me Sukuna. And Master in the bedroom. But we'll get to that later."

Yuuji smiles and bites his lip at Sukuna's words. He looks cute enough to eat.

Sukuna laughs softly, reaching out to gently cup the boy's cheek and caress it with his thumb.

"Let's drive, so you can enjoy the beach all afternoon, hm?"

Yuuji's honey eyes sparkle at him in excitement, and he nods eagerly. Sukuna already feels some of the tension that all the long stressful weeks of work caused leave him. The beach and this sweetheart will be good for him!

It's a three-hour-long drive, and Yuuji seems to be a talkative thing. He is cute at it, though, a charming boy that seems genuinely happy to ride shotgun in a Porsche and head towards a five-star beach resort. It's endearing. He comments on the car and the landscape around them and asks Sukuna all kinds of questions, polite and sweet. Gojo taught him very well.

"Do you do that often, Sukuna? Take trips to the beach?"

"No, usually I don't have time for that. It's been probably a whole year since I last had a little downtime like that. Usually, my work comes first. But I need some time to recharge. And if I take a timeout, I want to enjoy it to the fullest. That's why you are here."

"In that case, I will do my best to make it an enjoyable weekend for you and make sure you can forget your stressy work."

There's a smile on Yuuji's pretty face when Sukuna turns his head to look at him. The corners of Sukuna's lips lift in a grin too, and he reaches out to put a hand on Yuuji's muscular thigh, giving it a squeeze, enjoying the feel of the firm muscles.

"Oh, I am sure you will, honey."

A few hours later, Sukuna is lounging comfortably on a beach chair at the private beach of the holiday resort while letting his gaze travel slowly over Yuuji's naked skin.

Gojo was right. The boy really is perfect. Especially now when he's only wearing a pair of snug beach trunks, bright red and accentuating his cute round ass enticingly.

The tan skin, broad shoulders, and narrow hips add to his sexy appearance. A body full of toned muscles, just as fit as Sukuna himself, but slightly leaner and not quite as tall as him.

Sukuna grins slightly. This has got to be the best one so far. Sukuna likes them submissive and eager to please but with a strong body. Makes it sweeter somehow when a guy like that gets on his knees for him and wants to be dominated.

His fingers twitch, feeling the urge to reach out and touch that smooth skin and the firm muscles. But Sukuna can hold back. He doesn't want to rush things. Better keep the tension a while longer. The anticipation, the hunger. He likes to prove to himself that he can control himself. And it will be even better to reward himself tonight after dinner with this beautiful boy as a dessert.

Yuuji plops down on the beach chair next to him with a happy sigh. His honey gaze meets Sukuna's, and he smiles.

"It's so beautiful here!"

"Hmm, yes. And you are beautiful too, sweetheart."

Sukuna likes to do that. Flirt and watch the reaction. See how flustered the recipient of his compliments becomes. He watches the boy with an amused smirk.

Yuuji laughs and beams happily at him.

"Aww, thank you! But you are too. I'm really lucky this weekend."

The last part is said in a slightly lower voice, and he cocks his head cutely and looks deeply into Sukuna's eyes. There's a light blush on his cheeks, making them glow prettily.

Sukuna's grin grows wider. Oh, he loves that!

Of course, he knows that Yuuji is an escort and gets paid for being sweet to his customers. It's part of his job to flatter them and charm them. But when the boy says he is lucky that Sukuna booked him, it is probably true since other customers aren't as hot as him.

Sukuna is confident about his own looks. He knows how attractive he is. A handsome face, pretty eyes, and a tall and muscular body, which he takes good care of. He knows the effect he has on people. And he can see the glances the boy is stealing at him. He can see the desire in those honey eyes.

So when you think about it, they are both winners this weekend. Sukuna gets cute company and lots of good sex with no strings attached. And Yuuji gets a generous amount of money for spending a weekend at a five-star beach resort with a man who is not only attractive but also intends to fuck his cute little brains out.

The sunshine smile is back on the boy's face. He looks like an angel. A sexy angel.

Sukuna wants to ruin him and at the same time, spoil and pamper him like the cutest little pet.

Sukuna's smirk turns devilish as he spreads his legs and pats the space between them.

"Come here, darling. Let me apply some sunscreen for you. Don't want my pretty boy to get a sunburn."

He doesn't miss the way Yuuji bites his bottom lip at his words. He is sitting between Sukuna's thighs just seconds later. Almost purring like a little kitten when the older man rubs some sunscreen between his large hands before applying it carefully to Yuuji's back and arms.

Sukuna takes his time spreading it slowly over Yuuji's broad shoulders and massaging them gently before trailing his hands all over those toned biceps and down his muscular back.

"You're so good to me, Master. Taking such good care of me."

"Of course. A sweet boy like you deserves it, don't you, honey? You'll be so good to Master too, won't you?"

Yuuji's hands land on Sukuna's thighs, slowly caressing his firm muscles, and he nods,

"Yes, I will."

Sukuna chuckles softly, loving how putty the boy gets under his caresses. He leans closer to press a gentle kiss to the back of Yuuji's neck. His lips hover over Yuuji's skin afterwards, breathing in his sweet scent, cherry hairspray, and the same expensive perfume Gojo uses, combined with the unique smell of Yuuji's sun-kissed skin and the sunscreen Sukuna just massaged into his skin.

"Good boy."

Yuuji's fingers dig into Sukuna's thighs. Ah, a praise kink, huh? That's cute.

Sukuna smiles against Yuuji's neck and trails some more soft kisses over the hot skin. Until the boy lets himself fall against Sukuna's broad chest, resting his back against him and tilting his head to look up at him.

One of his hands finds its way into Sukuna's hair, fingernails scratching gently over the short hair of Sukuna's undercut, so similar to Yuuji's hairstyle.

"Master... can I kiss you, please?"

Sukuna feels heat pool in his stomach. This cute boy is really anything he wished for on this little weekend getaway! So perfect for him!

He puts a finger under Yuuji's chin to tilt his head back further and leans down with a grin and a husky whispered:

"Kiss me, sweetheart."

The moment his lips touch Yuuji's, he feels his eyes close involuntarily, lips opening against the sweet sensation of the boy's soft mouth. Yuuji is an eager kisser, sweet and oh so good at it.

His lips are soft and his tongue silky and hot, flicking sensually against Sukuna's, caressing it with so much abandon and tenderness. Kisses as sweet as the boy himself.

Sukuna groans softly into Yuuji's mouth. God, he can already tell that the boy is amazing at giving head. Someone who kisses like that will also excel at worshipping a cock with that cute little mouth.

But that's for later. Something to look forward to for tonight. Right now, Sukuna is going to kiss his pretty pet a bit more and then go for a swim with him and watch the beads of water run down his tan skin. Get drunk on those kisses and that smile and that gorgeous body.

He already knows that this weekend at the beach with this cute boy is the best decision he has made all year. Sukuna hasn't felt this relaxed in months.

Thank you so much for reading the first chapter! I am so happy to finally share a Sukuita story with you again! They have a special place in my heart, and this Escort AU is so much fun to write! Let's see how long it will take until they fall in love :) I'm not sure how many chapters this AU will have, but I am currently at 19k words and haven't finished writing all scenes yet.

I hope you enjoyed the story! Please let me know what you think. Comments and reblogs make me very happy!

Chapter 2

[seth-shitposts]

My stars. Sebastián made a side blog to just throw SW info reference posts into, right?

I haven't looked too much at his sideblogs, this one has a pfp of meilooruns, not surprising.

I just saw the header.

It's a photo of a fucking Check Engine Light and I dont know why that's making me loose my mind a little. I think it's because it's so random it's funny. I'm pretty sure that's what this feeling is.

-Alex

[sweetpiccolo-blog]

Hi love! Here for the mash up!

Well, I’m a light skinned Black Latina with a big dark Afro and brown eyes. I’m about 163cm (minus the hair) and I wear glasses.

I speak Portuguese, English and French which makes learning languages a hobbie for me. I love studying, especially if it involves history or philosophy. I also love reading, watching movies and talking about them, and I’m a huge Disney fan. I also love some good homemade food, traveling and music is my oxygen - I’m into a little bit of everything.

I’m a Sagittarius with a Gemini rising — don’t ask me what that means, I don’t get much about astrology. I’m a INFJ-T and a very introverted person until I get to know someone better! Very grumpy in the morning, talkative to the extreme and sometimes funny and silly. I’m very determined and creative in my life.

My love language is quality time with a hint of physical touch. I love to spend time with the people I love no matter if it is staying in, going out or crossing an ocean to explore a new country. I love good communication and vulnerability, makes me feel safe!

I dislike petty, annoying people, repeating noises, not being heard, disorganization and lack of compromise - just to name a few!

Just please don’t match me with Max or Checo! Not my favorites hihihi

Thank you already 🤍 lots of love!

Hi love! Sorry for the wait. I absolutely love your ask because I can see some similarities we have and I tried really to work on it. Hope you like it! <3💙

This is only my opinion, so be sure to let me know what you think about it later : )

LET US GET STARTED!

Header by @dvluc

Your match is...

☆George Russell☆

You are a language girl? He loves that about you. George would start learning new languages with you. He was never really into studying, but with you it´s much more fun plus you are his motivation. You get to test each other randomly if you didn´t forget some new words. You both would encourage each other when needed to use that certain language instead of English like usually.

He would have incredible respect for your culture. He would ask you to tell him something from your history or about your traditions. He wants to learn because he is naturally curious and interested. Plus he cherishes you a lot.

Your enthusiasm with history and philosophy is great for museum dates. When he travels for a race and you are with him you totally go on dates. If the weather is bad, then you visit a gallery or museum where you spend hours. There you tell him everything you know and he listens while smiling at you. He looks at you absolutely smitten. If he wants you to talk more, he asks a question and he just lets you talk. Even if it´s something he already knows. You talk, he listens.

Disney-world trip is happening for sure - because you love Disney ofc. He takes you and Alex with Lily and all 4 of you run around the whole day. And this trip wouldn´t be a one time thing for sure. 

George would watch whatever you like and then talk about it with you for the next few days. Sharing opinions, complaining about the storyline, appreciating characters, anything and everything. 

I feel like you two would kinda have a different taste in music but that´s no problem. Listening to the songs the other person likes is your love language. Just being able to learn about each other through music is very special.

You both are a little introverted. You spend time together the most. You don´t mind being around others but neither alone, just you two together. Meeting people is not really an issue but you like being with your comfort group of homies more.

You would be silly and funny together. You make jokes with him and about him. Its the same way around. Having a laugh is the main goal. And you absolutely don´t mind. He would have you grinning like silly even making you laugh so much you are on the floor holding your tummy.

George would be the first one to speak in the morning, slowly pulling you out of your tiredness and charging you with good energy from the moment you open your eyes. He charges your social battery.

Physical touch? No problem. You want it, he gives it to you and doesn´t let you go until you say you had enough. He doesn´t mind either way. He is there for you however you want. Even sitting next to each other and watching anything in silence is fine by him.

You share determination for things you are passionate about. And that´s what always reminds you how in love you two are. Just seeing the other person not give up and try harder is so admirable.

He knows he can be himself with you so sometimes, when the racing and everything gets to him and vents a bit, he knows you are there for him. Even if there are tears, he is not afraid to show it. He sees no point in hiding how he feels. 

When someone speaks over you, George stands up for you. He makes sure you are not ignored. He also remembers everything you like or are telling him and makes mental notes not to ignore it. If there are some annoying people and he sees you in discomfort, he tries to to take you away from them. He wants you to be comfortable.

His mom loves cooking for you! Or she invites you over and cooks something with you. George can´t help himself in those moment and just fall in love with you more. 

ENJOY! 💙💙💙

[reaperkiller]

what form of love do you embody?

got tagged by @arklay @morvaris @nuclearstorms and @aartyom to do this quiz for some of my ocs,, i dont have any fancy headers bc i'm remaking them all. it's fine. i'm normal about it

ALEX

love as violence | [ love as bloodshed, crimson as a knife slipped between your ribs ] when ocean vuong said "to arrive at love, then, is to arrive through obliteration" and when franz kafka said "you are the knife i turn inside myself; that is love" and when ada limon said "how do you love? like a fist. like a knife" and when richard siken said "sorry about the blood in your mouth. i wish it was mine"

MARCUS

love as a choice | [ love is beautiful because it's built deliberately ] when casey mcquinston wrote "that's the choice. i love him, with all that, because of all that, on purpose. i love him on purpose" and when jenny slate tweeted "i just want someone to grab my little face and scream on purpose, on purpose i am going to care about you" and when jodi picoult wrote "after fifteen years, love isn't just a feeling. it's a choice" and when the good place said "if soulmates do exist, they're not found they're made"

MORGAN

love as light | [ love as a luminous force—warm, radiant, and golden ] when mary oliver wrote "light of the world hold me” and when charles bukowski said “I look at her and light goes all through me” and when david viscott said “to love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides”and when e. e. cummings said “lovers alone wear sunlight”

LOU

love as being known | [ love is knowing all of someone and loving them anyway ] when tim kreider said "if we want the rewards of being loved we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known" and when joe wright said "The idea that these two people know each other, knew each other when they first saw each other. That they recognized each other from their future" and when micah nemerever said "it was a relief and a horror to be known so perfectly"

[bongaboi]

Eintracht Frankfurt: 2021-22 UEFA Europa League Champions

Frankfurt have won their first European trophy for 42 years after overcoming Rangers 5-4 on penalties following a pulsating 1-1 draw in the UEFA Europa League final in Seville.

The first period was a half of two halves with both sides eager to seize the upper hand. The 40-year-old Allan McGregor repelled an early effort from Daichi Kamada and made a fine fingertip save to deny Ansgar Knauff as the Eagles had the better of the opening 20 minutes, before Joe Aribo curled just wide and John Lundstram's header was tipped over by Kevin Trapp as Rangers rallied.

Frankfurt started the second half on the offensive but were rocked when Tuta lost his footing trying to react to Djibril Sow's header and Aribo raced away to calmly slide Rangers in front. Oliver Glasner's men refused to panic – a sign of confidence from a team yet to taste defeat in the competition this season – and duly equalised when Filip Kostić's low cross was prodded past McGregor by Rafael Borré.

Trapp's brilliant extra-time save Both sides continued to press for a winner in normal then extra time, but neither summoned the necessary guile or composure to break through and spare their fervent supporters the spectacle of a penalty shoot-out, Ryan Kent coming closest in the dying moments only for Trapp to produce the save of the match via an outstretched leg.

The Frankfurt goalkeeper would have the final say in the shoot-out too, saving from Aaron Ramsey to allow Borré the chance to seal the trophy for the German club and book them a first ever berth in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Hankook Player of the Match: Kevin Trapp (Frankfurt) Player of the Match: Kevin Trapp A good performance over the 90 minutes, a great save at the end of extra time to keep Frankfurt in the game and a decisive penalty save in the shoot-out. UEFA Technical Observer Panel

James Thorogood, Frankfurt reporter A historic night for Frankfurt as they pick up their first major European trophy in 42 years to become the first German side to win this competition in the Europa League era. In an emotionally charged encounter that had all the hallmarks of a nervy final between two relatively inexperienced sides, it ultimately came down to who could hold their nerve in the shoot-out.

And what better way for Frankfurt to redeem themselves for their painful semi-final loss in 2018/19 as they triumphed on spot kicks to join Chelsea and Villarreal in winning the tournament with an unbeaten record. It is a night that will live long in the memories of both fans and players.

Alex O'Henley, Rangers reporter The final brought heartbreak for Aaron Ramsey and Rangers The final brought heartbreak for Aaron Ramsey and Rangers Getty Images The cruelty and joy of penalty kicks. It wasn't to be for Rangers and ended in particular disappointment for Ramsey, whose miss proved decisive in the shoot-out. It's a case of so near, so far for the Light Blues, but they can be proud of a remarkable rollercoaster ride in which they beat two Bundesliga sides on the road to Seville.

Unfortunately, they couldn't do it a third time in the final and must now regroup for a Scottish Cup showpiece and the Champions League qualifiers next season.

Reaction Oliver Glasner, Frankfurt coach: "Unbelievable! It was the 13th game in Europe and we didn't lose one. What the guys have done today and this season, I don't have the words and I am not often lost for words."

'Proud' Glasner on Frankfurt glory Kevin Trapp, Frankfurt goalkeeper: "We believed that we could do it, but you saw we had to dig deep for this win. We never gave up, we always believed. It was the most intense experience of our lives. This is not my night. It's everyone's night. It doesn't come down to one player; it comes down to a whole team."

Djibril Sow, Frankfurt midfielder: "We beat some of the biggest teams in the world on the way to this success. We knew today was going to come down to passion and commitment. We never gave up and now we're over the moon."

Van Bronckhorst reflects on final defeat Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Rangers coach: "The players gave everything, but in the end it was a very tight game. It's a big disappointment; we were really so close to winning a trophy. When you win, you have memories that last forever – when you lose, it hurts."

James Tavernier, Rangers captain: "It's never nice to lose a game like that. I am proud of every single one of those lads in the dressing room and the journey we've been on. We just couldn't finish it off and we are all devastated."

Kenny Miller, BT Sport

"McGregor couldn't get near any of the penalties. It was an incredible standard, under severe pressure, for them to step up and execute as they did. The Rangers players have been excellent throughout their journey; they just fell short at the end. Trapp's had a big say in this game."

South American Europa League final goalscorers Key stats Frankfurt and Rangers became the 17th and 18th clubs to take part in the Europa League final. They were also the first finalists from Germany and Scotland respectively. This is the first time the Europa League has been won by a team outside of Spain or England since 2010/11, when Porto defeated Braga. Frankfurt are the first Bundesliga team to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League since 1997, when Schalke beat Inter on penalties. Aribo is the only player to have appeared on all 15 Europa League matchdays this season (13 starts, two substitute appearances). Frankfurt have scored at least one goal in each of their 13 Europa League matches this season. This was the ninth UEFA Cup/Europa League final to go to extra time since the final was changed to a one-off fixture in 1998. Five of them have now gone to penalties. Frankfurt will play in the Champions League for the first time next season – their only season in UEFA's premier club competition previous was in 1959/60, when they made it to the European Cup final. The Eagles finished unbeaten in this season's competition (W7 D6) and became only the third team to go through the campaign without a defeat – after Chelsea in 2018/19 and Villarreal last season. Line-ups Frankfurt: Trapp; Tuta (Hasebe 58), Touré, N'Dicka (Lenz 100); Knauff, Sow (Hrustic 106), Rode (Jakić 90), Kostić; Lindstrøm (Hauge 70), Kamada; Borré

Rangers: McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barišić (Roofe 117); Jack (Davis 74), Lundstram; Kent, Wright (Sakala 74, Ramsey 117), Kamara (Arfield 90); Aribo (Sands 101)

[laresearchette]

Friday, April 05, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: GIRLS STATE (Apple TV+) SUGAR (Apple TV+) CAUGHT IN THE ACT (Season 2) (Paramount+ Canada) BAGHEAD (Shudder) MARY & GEORGE (HBO Canada) 10:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? MONSTERS AT WORK (Premiering on April 06 on Disney Channel Canada at 10:00am)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA ALEX RIDER (Season 3) AMBIVALENT BOYCOTT CHECKLIST HEADER BILLS HOW TO DATE BILLY WALSH KALI THE ZONE OF INTEREST

CBC GEM ALINE THE BORGIAS (Season 1)

CRAVE TV 13 GOING ON 30 EMPIRE OF LIGHT GODZILLA (2014) HANDS THAT BIND KONG: SKULL ISLAND MARY & GEORGE (Season 1, Episode 1) THE MENU ONE RANGER RIO SHARKNADO SHARKNADO 2: THE SECOND ONE SHARKNADO 3: OH HELL NO SHARKNADO 4: THE 4TH AWAKENS SHARKNADO 5: GLOBAL SWARMING THE LAST SHARKNADO: IT’S ABOUT TIME SIGHT UNSEEN (Season 1) SPENCER TITANE YEAR OF THE EVERLASTING STORM

NETFLIX CANADA THE ANTISOCIAL NETWORK: MEMES TO MAYHEM PARASYTE: THE GREY (KR) SCOOP (GB)

CURLING (TSN/TSN5) 8:00am: LGT World Men's Curling Championship: Canada vs. Japan (TSN/TSN5) 1:00pm: LGT World Men's Curling Championship: Canada vs. Switzerland

2024 IIHF WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (TSN2) 8:30am: Canada vs. Finland (TSN3/TSN4) 11:00am: Sweden vs. China (TSN3/TSN4) 3:00pm: Switzerland vs. Canada (TSN3) 7:00pm: Czechia vs. United States

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 1:00pm: Jays vs. Yankees (SN Now) 4:00pm: Orioles vs. Pirates (TSN2) 7:00pm: Diamondbacks vs. Atlanta

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 7:00pm: Rangers vs. Red Wings (SNWest) 9:00pm: Avalanche vs. Oilers (SN) 10:00pm: Knights vs. Coyotes

NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 8:00pm: Raptors vs. Bucks (SN Now) 8:30pm: Warriors vs. Mavericks

RACE TO SURVIVE: ALASKA (MTV Canada) 8:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Just hours into the race, Alaska takes her first victim when a contestant is evacuated.

NLL LACROSSE (TSN) 9:00pm: Rush vs. Roughnecks

EMPIRE OF LIGHT (Crave) 9:00pm: A romance develops in a beautiful old cinema on the south coast of England in the 1980s.

CRIME BEAT (Global) 10:00pm: A Trail of Blood

HAUNTED HOSPITALS (T&E) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Spirits seek to feed off of the energy and emotions of unsuspecting patients and medical workers. Featuring: Deborah Lantz, Tabitha Moore, Barb Dexter.

SHADOWTOWN (Super Channel Fuse) 10:00pm: Maya inherits an old house in Iceland from a schizophrenic grandmother she didn't know, then starts receiving messages from a mysterious source raising questions about her grandmother's death.