#along with a host of other awards split between the two of them

[theinfinitedivides]

Filmfare 2023 said gay/sex worker rights in this year of our Lord we do nothing but stay winning

[nyazhis-jsablr]

Battle of the Blixers - Finale Results

“Welcome to the final post of the Battle of the Blixers! I’m your host Step, and it was a very fun and intense competition thus far!”

“It was very fun seeing every submission, as well as how the contest played out! I will definitely miss doing this.

“But that aside, the end is now upon us, and with that, let’s see who won this entire thing!”

PLACEMENT POINTS

“So first off, we have the placement points! These points will be awarded to the competitors based on their placement on the podium at the end of C5!”

“And here they are!”

“Welp, it’s how it always was! Blixter & Eclipses in the top two, with everyone else fighting for 3rd, in this case, the other Blixter!” “In any case, let’s head to Category 2!”

ABSTRUSE DECIPHER POINTS

“This is the prize for guessing the song correctly!”

“Blixer Eclipses got the song correctly, so he’s getting 3 extra points!”

AUDIENCE VOTE

“Now, we have the audience vote! We already saw the outcome, with Blixter winning over the audience yet again! Let’s award everyone’s points now!”

JURY VOTE

“Now for the jury vote! The way this works is that the jury lists the entries from 1-3, their least favorite being 1 and most favorite being 3. Afterwards, I tally up the results and get the final number!”

“Before I reveal the points though, here’s a statement from the one and only Blixer Kunzite! literally hes the only one that voted during the voting period”

JSABAddict’s submission:

“What a very interesting fight! Didn’t expect such a…brute, to have skillful moves like that. I’d say this one caught my eye, sad that they weren’t able to kill their opponent but, oh well! As for the ‘begging’, as you put it, poor reasons. I believe them when they said they joined for fun and thrill but, c’mon! What about the glory and respect you would get from winning!? Ah, apologies for the yelling. Now then, I’d say they’re in between, not the worst nor the best.”

Zim-card’s submission:

“Quite an interesting yet odd ending, in my own opinion..but nonetheless, I think they did well! But..a bit disappointed AGAIN by the fact that another square wasn’t at least damaged, MORE disappointed it ended off in good terms. The reasons for winning are well put, I have been watching from afar how they had been handling every challenge well— expect for the cooking one. I’d say this is also in between! I’ll..have to think how I’ll rank these..”

Starwlf’s submission:

“As for this one..I LOVE IT! The fact that you managed to actually defeat the player while also giving good reasons! The first time being apart of this to gain some sort of ego boost through this and showing your strength! Wonderful! Very solid reasons, along with skillful moves— other than the fact they did managed to get hurt in the face, but they proved themselves worthy, to me.”

“Well that’s that! Can’t believe nobody else was available during voting… anyways… Here’s the results!”

COMPETITOR VOTE

“And now, here’s the competitor vote, where each of the competitors voted on each other!”

“Here’s what they each have to say!”

starwlf Blixter (told thru starwlf’s perspective):

My point goes to zim’s submission. Blixter enjoys watching a good fight. And man was it delivered. And seeing such a shift to a kinder tone gave him a reminder of his own loved one. A fight against a narrative is all too familiar for him.

Blixer Eclipses:

Probably starwlf (cause in the end zim's gonna win regardless so I figured to like. barely even it out, I dunno)

zim-card Blixter:

“I gotta send a vote to starwlf. I like his determination and confidence, I can understand his stance within this whole challenge as someone new to the ring. I also find it sweet that he's willing to split the prize when he wins... I'd do the same too, honestly. Sure, I'm off put at the successful murder so hm... ah, I can't exactly be the judge of morals when the challenge did ask for a duel. My vote still stands for the fella!”

“So we got 2 votes for starwlf’s Blixter, and a vote for zim’s Blixter! Let’s convert them to points!”

STEP’S EXTRA CREDIT

“Now it’s MY turn to judge!”

“For starwlf’s Blixter, I love the intensity! And actually succeeding in defeating, good job!”

“For Blixer Eclipses, although not much hits were dealt, you put up a good fight with that amazing dodging skills! I also find it pretty funny that he kept dodging the blasts when it’s usually the other way around… heh.”

“For zim-card’s Blixter, the fight was pretty cool! But at the same time you somehow made up with your Cyan and uhhhhhhhh”

“sorry youre going below the others”

“Anyways, let’s get to the points I’m giving out!”

“And the winner of the Battle of the Blixers is……”

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

!!!BLIXTER!!!

Total Points:

@zim-card : 30

@jsabaddict : 29

@starwlf : 27

“Congratulations for winning, now here are your prizes!”

“Yeah, I figured that the runner-ups should receive consolation prizes, so me and Pulse just scrambled around the ‘tower’ and found these.”

“Anyways, that’s it!”

“Like I said, it was amazing holding this competition, and I hope me and everyone else had a fun time with it! Now we’re done, so so long! For the last time…

My name is Step, and this has been the Battle of the Blixers! Until then, see you!”

.

.

.

.

“So what now?”

“To be honest I have no clue. Probably gonna sleep and also watch these other universes I found. Speaking of, there’s this one cool universe I found, their Barracuda is a snake man who is extreme evil, and last I checked the you and me in it were working together!”

“Okay.”

“Oh, and their Lycanthropy was my brother? I think? Was it blood or found? I don’t remember.”

“Speaking of, I gazed into the Black Room again. I think I saw someone, but it might’ve just been me. Looked a lot like your descriptions of th……..

The two continued their talk, which if I will fill this ending segment with, Tumblr might actually crash lmfao

Anyways, sorry the ending post took so long, i suddenly got a small internship somewhere so it was a bit busy

Other than that, fun contest, yeah? It was really fun hosting it for me!! But if it wasnt fun for any of the competitors, i am genuinely really sorry and i wanna make it up to you if i can

Idk if ill do another contest, but if i will then idk when lol

I have an idea for this tho, maybe a talk-show like thing where step interviews jsab fancharacters?

BotB is gonna be my main au now cuz i gotten extremely attached to the botb gang (which is canonically only step & pulse, but the others are gonna join in if i introduce them in botb lore lol)

Sorry H*I & main au, i dont wanna play with you anymore /ref

Anyways have a good day!!!! Nyazhi out!!!!

[accio-victuuri]

2017 BJYX Timeline : At First Sight.

Everything starts with a blank canvass. Oh we painted each others lives inch by inch. from black, gray and blue to colors we never thought existed. Two photos from different places, longing to be one. 

Let’s start from the beginning of this whirlwind timeline. There will be very minimal interaction between our boys, but this will also be a good time to see how they were before working together. I wanted to paint a picture of  XNINE’s Xiao Zhan and Idol Wang Yibo. Before their names got tied to the Untamed and each other.

They were doing their own thing, working hard with their careers, no clue that one chance meeting will be so important. Warning, this post is video links, image and information heavy. I am missing some stuff because this hell site refuses to save things and continues to glitch.

🡆 MARCH 2017

03242017 : The story starts when XNINE was a guest in Day Day Up. When asked, they always say that this is the first time they met. However, they did not interact at all.

But there are definitely times on this episode where they pay attention to each other and it’s so cute. You can find different videos that will highlight these moments better than any screencaps can.

1. Web Stealing a glance at GG

2. First meeting

3. Gun heart - This is the gesture GG used when he introduced himself. The hosts all imitated him and teased, that included Web who smiled too. The same love gesture will be seen in the following years as “their thing”.

4. Doing the same steps for the dance.

5. Web allowing GG to pass and did not lift up the bamboo to trap him when it’s his turn.

6. Red string of Fate

7. Love at first sight-ology

When asked about this shooting, especially the segment when they were in the fields— GG said it was too cold. There is also CPN that the bag Web was using was GG’s.

03252017:  Yin Yue V-Chart Interview with XNINE. GG talking about being scolded for not updating his video diaries and updating his fans. 😂   On the same day that this interview came out, he posted a selfie. 

🡆 APRIL 2017

04022017 : XNINE shanghai concert - BE A MAN.  blessing us with this dance from GG. The next one is the one that the Untamed Cast were watching. He also posted a selfie for this night. 

Full video of the concert 

04082017 : The Wolf starts filming. According to GG, this is the drama that made him decide to really be an actor.

04092017 : Web attends the 17th Top Chinese Music Awards and wins Best New Idol. This also blessed us with the blindfold dance. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW9gM7tfyFM

04132017: Southern Metropolis Entertainment Interview - XNINE. GG sings Jay Chou’s Love confession on this one ( I died ). We also see his very shy side when people say that he is the Visual of the group. Also, LOL at Peng Chuyue’s face when GG says this.

 https://youtu.be/X8Xoax8dIHM

04162017: Posts a selfie on set of The Wolf in the blistering cold.

04242017: XNINE “Say No” BTS is released.

https://youtu.be/wU_tKzK64Ns

04252017: GG posts a selfie. 

04282017 : Release of Single “Say No” - XNINE 

04292017 :  Wang Yibo X Guan Xiaoton release of the song Once Again for the Once Again OST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0TT8y7VXNk

🡆 MAY 2017

05072017: GG posts himself with that stubble. 

05292017: Another selfie in specs. 

🡆 JUNE 2017

060172017 : Both GG and Web posted selfies for Children’s Day. 

06082017: Zhelife

06222017: Another selfie. I’m side eyeing the date this was posted wtf. 622. 

06232017 : Posted alot of selfies this time. This is one of those. 

🡆 JULY 2017

072017 - Filming for GG’s “Battle through the Heavens” has ended where played the role of Lin Xiuya.

07032017 : GG posted a bare face selfie, wearing Stussy! 

07032017: Adidas NEO CF for Web

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNYqVa58mgg

07102017 : Web CF for Estee Lauder. Our boi in shorts and white shorts, using estee lauder in the morning. 

https://youtu.be/xeTT0QR_iKs

07192017: Idol Interview - XNINE @ Asian Music Gala. They won the Most Popular Group award. This is Where you can see a very quiet GG who does not speak at all. https://youtu.be/7dwA6WwD-5c

07202017: Cute selfie. 

07272017: Posted a selfie photoset which includes the photo he sent to Web, apparently, in 2018. I’m a love at first sight believer, so I don’t buy the story that this was only sent in 2018. hahahah! don’t believe me. 

🡆 AUGUST 2017

08042017: GG posted a Happy Birthday message to DDU for their anniversary. DDU weibo account responded with :

“Thank you handsome and attractive little zhan zhan! ( btw little Day Day won’t tell you that a colleague of us already became your fan. )”

08082017 : XNINE Metersbonwe photoshoot.

https://youtu.be/jM9lla6aF08

08152017: Episode 1 of Love Actually Drama aired with Web acting alongside Joe Chen. He played the role of Zhai Zhiwei who is an IT genius.

08162017 : First episode of the TV program "When we were young" airing. Web guest starred on this, for episodes 16-17 and played the role of Lin Jiayi.

08242017 : Web shoot for Once Again MV the making released.

https://youtu.be/-yn_st5vOO0

08252017: XNINE “be strong girl” campaign message. Have some encouraging words from GG.

08272017 : XNINE performs at Fresh Asia Awards.

https://youtu.be/PzGlTQ3Fga0

08302017 : “Unsurpassed Conference” ; Where we got this absolute gem of him not wanting to talk but ended up being a host on DDU.

Web : I don’t really like talking 

Host : so you went to DDU 

Web : I don’t know why I went too.. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjO5vIfD_PQ

🡆 SEPTEMBER 2017.

09052017 : Wang Yibo and Joe Chen video in an Amusement Park shooting the drama “Love Actually”. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__gIWih39Is

09162017 :  Wang Yibo attended the “2017 Asian Influence Awards Ceremony.” and won Best New actor.

09222017: Web interview and photo shoot for Hey idol. This shoot is responsible for that photo where Web eats an orange like an Apple. 

https://youtu.be/wCqVxog9i18

09232017: Selfie time again 

09262017: Web and Wenhan represent UNIQ as they perform in TV Online Video Influence Ceremony

https://youtu.be/lc_cvlLtSaA

09272017: Web AD for KFC. Please watch this. He looks good in Yellow- dancing and eating chicken. I STAN THIS BOI! 

https://youtu.be/ABH3BfZf4dg

🡆 OCTOBER 2017

10102017: Posted cute selfies with him as a cat and a Pig. hmmm. pig? 

🡆 NOVEMBER 2017

11072017: Web’s Just Dance single is announced. This is the Theme song of 4th Xuan Wu Festival

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvsyOxC6cs4

11092017 : Filming of Oh My Emperor has finished. GG plays the role of Bei Tang Moran in this drama that will be broadcast in 2018.

11092017 : Web attends the Ifeng Fashion show event where he won   Most Popular New Actor. 

11162017 : Web recording the song “just Dance”. does the clothes he’s wearing remind you of another recording session? 

11212017 : Web x Fashionable Photoshoot

11262017 : Attending and performing in Star Night of Mister Inke. His style in this one is really Joker-like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75wtl-JAjis

🡆 DECEMBER 2017

2020 : Web is cast in the science fiction drama Super Talent/ My strange friend.

12032027: XNINE performs “ We want what we want”.

https://youtu.be/IJNIgPl8ImI

12032017: Web performs JUST DANCE in Tencent Games Carnival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbIzvMut2CY

12092017: Photoshoot with Rayli 

12122017: Photoshoot with Cheese Fashion 

12132017:  Photoshoot with NTSnap 

12142017 : BEST TASTE releases one of it’s short films that include Wang Yibo. We see two personas in this feature and it’s really interesting.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP83-bEOEv0

This one called “耳” Ear; about sounds. [What we heard can’t take away by time 🕙 ]all the good memories when we were a child, some one them we might not be able to remember what happened, but when you hear the sound/voice of them, they trigger our memories

12152017: Volunteer Union photoshoot / campaign 

12172017 :  Attending Tencent Star Charity Night 

12202017 : Photoshoot feature with our street style AKA everyone's favorite Web flower boi spread. 

12222017: "Just Dance" single MV release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asb8I3oqG00

12222017 : Winter solstice post from both of them. Talking about eating tangyuan. It’s of those mirroring posts, but again, could just be coincidence that they posted something similar.

12312017 : Web Participates in Hunan TV’s new year countdown as a Host. 

*** Note 01 : In 2017, XNINE was transferred from EE media to Long Danni’s Wajijiwa Ent. Company. Some initial problems that they had was that their company was more interested in promoting them as actors and not as an idol group. They were also not kept safe in public venues which will be a recurring issue to GG as we go along other timelines.

*** Note 02 : I wanted to add Web’s Rossi posts and more pictures but it won’t save (will try again at a later date, but I think Web’s awards and projects are more important to highlight here). LOL. Thankfully, GG’s selfies worked. I mainly added stuff that they did in 2017 to give a sense of where they were career-wise. 

*** Note 03 : Looking at how this timeline turned into a monster, I will probably split the 2018 timeline into two parts. Forever Summer Part I & Forever Summer Part 2. Seeing the amount of Activity these two did in 2018 alone is STAGGERING. Plus, this site is glitching with all the content when I save it so splitting it might be better. if you have suggestions, let me know. 

[tabloidtoc]

Star, March 1

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Humiliated Jennifer Lopez used for money and fame by Alex Rodriguez

Page 1: Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, who is a UK ambassador for George Clooney and Rande Gerber's tequila brand, welcomed a son on February 9 at London's Portland Hospital

Page 2: Contents, Robin Thicke in front of a piano at Gold Diggers studio in L.A.

Page 3: Star Shots -- Serena Williams honored late Olympic gold medalist Florence Griffith Joyner by rocking a one-legged Nike catsuit at the first day of the Australian open, Chrissy Metz brought some vibrancy to the virtual SCAD aTVFest where she discussed This Is Us and was honored with the Vanguard Award, Olivia Culpo checked out the view before heading to the Shaq Bowl in Tampa

Page 4: Inside Britney Spears' nightmare -- a shocking new documentary exposes how Britney was used and abused by people she trusted -- Britney's unable to communicate with fans directly without permission -- fans flooded Justin Timberlake's Instagram to demand an apology for what one called profiting from trashing a woman

Page 5: Facing a lawsuit from her estranged older sister has rattled Mariah Carey -- Alison Carey alleged to a NYC court that Mariah had intentionally inflicted emotional distress by writing about her in the 2020 tell-all The Meaning of Mariah Carey and Alison is seeking $1.25 million after the singer accused her of, among other things, throwing boiling hot tea on her and trying to sell a 12-year-old Mariah to a pimp -- now Mariah has become wary of even those in her inner circle and is making longtime employees re-interview for their jobs -- Mariah's always been on the paranoid side but everyone is a suspect now and she's grilling everyone from bodyguards to chefs to stylists and household staff who have been with her for years and if anyone pushes back they are shown the door -- her great fear is that people could cross over and spill secrets to the enemy because she's been caught off guard before by those she trusted

* Catching ZZZs has become a real problem for Kelly Clarkson -- between her gig as a daytime host, trying to sell homes in Nashville and Encino, and battling her ex Brandon Blackstock over custody of their two kids, she is beyond stressed and she can't sleep and nothing works; the most shut-eye she gets is two to three hours -- it's gotten so bad she's even tried hypnotherapy but her workaholic brain outwits it -- meanwhile her legal woes including a lawsuit with her husband and ex father-in-law's talent agency are getting nastier and Brandon has told her in no uncertain terms that he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants which is a ton of money and time with the kids

* She was the most loathed mother in America and now Casey Anthony wants her say -- 10 years after she was acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee, Casey is making a documentary about the trial and she thinks she can clear her name -- she's not looking for sympathy but she believes she's a victim too and was unfairly convicted in the public eye -- she is planning on dropping bombshells in the doc including her take on the theory that the toddler accidentally drowned in the family pool as well as shocking secrets about her own abusive upbringing but don't expect much remorse

Page 6: Just over a year after her father Kobe Bryant and sister Gianna Bryant perished in a tragic helicopter crash, Natalia Bryant who is Kobe's oldest daughter, has signed a modeling contract with IMG Models who also represent Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid and the just signed Inauguration standout poet Amanda Gorman

* Rumer Willis was heartbroken when her months-long relationship with Armie Hammer fizzled out in December but after harrowing reports of Armie's alleged abuse of women including asking to barbecue their ribs and carry their severed toes in his pocket, Rumer is telling friends she feels lucky -- she wanted to defend him when the cannibalism stories first came out because she thought they were outrageous and now she feels badly for all of the victims and she's really grateful she didn't get caught up in the Armie nightmare

* Star Spots the Stars -- Eva Longoria, Mandy Moore, Demi Lovato, Dan Levy, Dorinda Medley

Page 8: Star Shots -- Meg Ryan wore some wide-legged trousers and a cute cap on a nature walk in Santa Barbara, Gavin Rossdale wore pink socks while playing tennis in L.A., Ciara holding six-month-old son Win during a family getaway to Hawaii

Page 9: Delilah Belle Hamlin and Love Island's Eyal Booker removed their masks for a quick street smooch during a coffee date in L.A., Sofia Richie enjoyed some PDA with shipping heir Gil Ofer in Miami

Page 12: Kate Upton doing yoga, Tia Mowry-Hardrict and her husband Cory Hardrict shared dishwashing duty after cooking at home, Robin Roberts tasted a treat on Good Morning America in New York City

Page 13: Pregnant Brittany Cartwright brought her dog along to retrieve the mail in L.A., Victoria Justice showed off her toned tummy post-workout in L.A.

Page 14: Goldie Hawn turned quality time with granddaughter Rani into a workout toting her in a backpack, Madonna and Guy Ritchie's son Rocco Ritchie waded in during a vacation in Tulum in Mexico, Lucy Hale on a stroll with her dog Elvis in L.A.

Page 16: Chris Noth put in a day's work on The Equalizer in Paterson in New Jersey, Flavor Flav and Flo Rida at The Super Glow Super Bowl kick-off party in Tampa, Bradley Cooper kept daughter Lea close as the two ran errands in NYC

Page 17: More than a week after celebrating 18 months of sobriety Lily Allen enjoyed a snack on-the-go in London, Jessica Alba lifted her son Hayes while riding scooters with husband Cash Warren in Beverly Hills

Page 18: Normal or Not? Cody Simpson got physical with new girlfriend Marloes Stevens during a romantic getaway in St. Barts -- normal, Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn picking up a portrait of herself in L.A. -- normal, Jack Black raised Thor's hammer in a parody posted on Instagram prompting Chris Hemsworth to call it the greatest thing he's ever seen -- not normal

Page 19: The Crown's Emma Corrin looked intrigued by a leafy object she stumbled upon during a stroll in London -- not normal, Sarah Jessica Parker kicked back in heels during a break from assisting shoppers at her flagship store in NYC -- not normal

Page 20: Fashion -- stars look sweet in tiered dresses -- Maude Apatow, Logan Browning, Margot Robbie

Page 21: Julianne Moore, Camila Morrone, Saoirse Ronan

Page 24: After months of quietly dating, Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley are ready to marry and they announced it in the most low-key way possible and the couple are madly in love and feel unequivocally that this is the real deal -- Aaron and Shailene were friends long before sparks flew in August last year and having to endure a long-distance romance during football season actually made their bond stronger -- Aaron and Shailene are already planning to start a family and they're at that stage when they feel ready to be parents and are keen to have a baby

Page 25: Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles have found another dynamic duo to spend their downtime with which is Florence Pugh and Zach Braff -- the foursome hit it off on the set of Don't Worry, Darling which Olivia is directing and in which Florence and Harry star -- they have the best time together and know how to forget the world outside -- as it turns out bearing witness to Florence and Zach's happy relationship despite their 20-year age difference played a part in Olivia taking a chance on dating Harry who is nine years her junior following her split from Jason Sudeikis and seeing them together inspired Olivia to go for it with Harry and she's so glad she did

* While some couples are overwhelmed being with their kids 24/7 in lockdown, Prince William and Duchess Kate have enjoyed the extended family time with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis -- having the kids at home during the pandemic has given Kate baby fever and she loves being around them and wants to have one more and she and William are trying for another, with Kate saying she's hoping for a girl -- as for raising four young kids, the pair are up to the challenge because Kate's a pro at multitasking and William is a devoted dad and they'll split parenting duties

* Matt Damon is hoping a change of scenery will save his rocky 17-year relationship with wife Luciana Barroso as the couple and their three girls have set up house in a lavish $7000-a-night rental in Australia's tony Byron Bay while the actor films Thor: Love and Thunder -- the beachy new surroundings are just what the couple needs after hitting a rough patch and Matt is working overtime to make sure Luciana enjoys herself Down Under by arranging date nights and buying gifts for her to open every day and even when he's working he's got time set aside for just them and the gestures seem to be working and it's the shot in the arm they both needed

Page 26: Cover Story -- Jennifer Lopez humiliated and used -- shocking cheating allegations rock J.Lo's world as fiance Alex Rodriguez's mistress Madison LeCroy tells all -- while Jennifer is putting on a brave face the affair rumors are devastating to her whether she admits it or not -- after revealing she and Alex exchanged DMs Madison said she doesn't want anything bad for his family or for hers -- Alex says it was innocent and that nothing happened but Jennifer is not fully buying it -- Jennifer and Alex's relationship is personal but it's also business; together, their fortunes have doubled

Page 30: Chip and Joanna Gaines -- inside our farmhouse reno -- Chip and Jo are expanding and renovating their Waco home and it may be their toughest job yet

Page 32: Celeb Parenting Fails -- these celebrity moms and dads share their hilarious hapless moments -- Anne Hathaway, Brad Pitt

Page 33: Willie Geist, Mila Kunis, Pink

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Despite it being her first concert in over a year, Miley Cyrus was ready to rock while headlining the TikTok Tailgate Super Bowl pre-show event in Tampa -- the show treated 7500 Florida-based healthcare workers to a set that included guest appearances by Joan Jett and Billy Idol, who both collaborated on Miley's latest album

[trashcanreddiefan]

Richie Tozier Does the Wired Autocomplete Interview

Summary: Richie does the Wired Autocomplete Interview. Little does he know, there’s a surprise waiting for him at the end.

Word Count: 1150-ish

Warnings: None whatsoever. This is pure fluff.

Author’s Note: Post-Chapter 2. All of the Losers are alive in this fic, including Stan, because I promised.

CROSS-POSTED AT AO3.

Richie took a sip of his coffee before setting his take-out cup down next to his chair. "Okay, let's do this."

He waited for his cue then looked at the camera. "Hi, I'm Richie Tozier and I'm here to do the Wired Autocomplete Interview."

He paused and picked up the first poster board. "Is Richie Tozier…" he read out loud, then pulled off the first strip covering the rest of the question. "Gay?

"Yep," he answered, popping the 'p' with a grin. "I'm strictly dickly, and only interested in one guy's dick in particular these days. Next question!"

He pulled off the next strip. "Is Richie Tozier an actor?" He shrugged. "Well sure, if you count all those years I acted like I was straight. Otherwise, no, I've never been in a movie or on a TV show, unless you count hosting duties on SNL or talk show appearances. Moving on!"

Richie laughed at the next question. "Is Richie Tozier on drugs? One would think, huh, especially after my public breakdown on stage a few years ago. No, contrary to popular belief the only drugs I've ever been on are the ones that have been legally prescribed to keep me as a mostly-functional human being.

"Ok, next. Is Richie Tozier friends with William Denbrough?" He smiled. "Ahh, Billy Boy. Big Bill. Billiam. Yes, Bill and I were friends when we were growing up together in a little backwards-as-fuck town in Maine. We lost touch for a long time but reconnected a few years ago along with the rest of our group of friends and all hang out as much as we can.

"Last question on this card. Is Richie Tozier funny? Depends on who you ask. My friends would probably say no but the Emmy award sitting on my mantel would disagree with them."

Richie tossed the poster to the side. "NEXT!"

He picked up the next poster. "Does Richie Tozier…" He pulled off the first strip. "...Live in California? Yes, my home base is in L.A., but I currently split my time between L.A. and New York.

"Next question… Does Richie Tozier have any pets? Sadly, no, not at the moment. It's too difficult with my travel schedule to have a pet right now.

"Does Richie Tozier write his own jokes?" Richie winced. "I didn't for a long time, as made obvious by all the past jokes about the fake girlfriend that I most definitely did not have, but I have been for a few years now and they mostly seem to be going over well.

"Does Richie Tozier have a wife? Again, gay as fuck, so no.

"And the last question for this one… Does Richie Tozier wear contacts? I have them, but I never wear them. Contacts make my eyes itchy. Besides, my glasses have been part of my signature look for so long that they're basically part of my brand."

Richie tossed that poster aside and picked up the next one. "Moving right along! How did Richie Tozier get the nickname 'Trashmouth'?" Richie chuckled.  "It was a childhood nickname that stuck. I was always making jokes and talking trash as a kid, so one day my friend Stan apparently had had enough and told me to shut my trash mouth, and it stuck. Actually the other day Stan called me 'dumpster fire', so the old nickname might be changing.

"How old is Richie Tozier? Let's just say I'm a Gen X'er and leave it at that.

"How did Richie Tozier become a comedian?" Richie looked directly at the camera. "Through a little luck and a lot of hard work.

"How did Richie Tozier win an Emmy? Honestly I have no idea. See above answer, I guess."

He set the poster down. "Is that it? Oh no, wait, there's one more set of questions."

Unlike the previous posters that had the beginning of the question revealed, the last poster had the entirety of each question hidden.

Richie pulled off the first strip before reading the question. "Is Richie Tozier in a relationship?" Richie put a hand over his heart. "The answer to this, and I honestly cannot be more happy to say this, is yes. My boyfriend Eddie and I have been together for two glorious years.

"How did Richie Tozier meet his boyfriend?" Richie grinned. "I'm sensing a pattern here. He was part of the friend group that I mentioned earlier, but my feelings for Eds were always different than my feelings for the rest of my friends, as in I loved to piss him off extra just to get him to touch me. While we were all back together in our hometown a few years ago Eddie was in a serious accident and almost died, and I was so relieved when he woke up in the hospital that I cried like a little bitch and confessed my love for him. Luckily for me, he reciprocated, and the rest, as they say, is history.

"Does Richie Tozier love his boyfriend?" Richie snorted. "People must see our Twitter exchanges. Don't worry, we don't actually hate each other -- roasting each other is basically foreplay for us. Eds gives as good as he gets -- in more ways than one, if you know what I mean. So to answer the question, yes, I love my boyfriend more and more every single fucking day. He's a tiny little ball of rage and I wouldn't trade him for anything."

Richie adjusted his glasses. "Okay, last question." He pulled off the final strip. "Will you marry me?" He blinked. "Wait, what the fuck?"

He looked at the question again just to make sure he read it correctly, then looked around in confusion until he saw Eddie joining him. He turned to face Eddie instead of the camera. "Eds, what the fuck ? What are you doing here? I thought you were in Bumfuck, Ohio on a business trip."

"You didn't answer the last question, Rich," Eddie replied.

"What the fuck do you mean, I didn't answer the last-- HOLY FUCKING SHIT."

Eddie had gotten down on one knee, pulling a platinum band out of his pocket and holding it up. "Marry me, Richie."

Richie blinked, willing his brain to form a coherent thought. "Yes." That sounds right.

Eddie grinned. "Yes?"

"Yes, yes, fucking yes ." Richie started to tear up.

Eddie stood and slid the ring onto Richie's finger before pulling him into a kiss. "I love you."

Richie sniffled and wrapped his arms around Eddie, realizing that Eddie had planned this out. "Oh my God, you clever, clever asshole. I love you so much," he murmured into Eddie's neck.

"Wanna wrap this up and go celebrate back at the hotel?"

Richie nodded and turned back towards the camera. "Once again, I'm Richie Tozier and this gorgeous specimen is my fiancé. Look for my new special, My Boyfriend is Hotter than Yours, premiering April 12th only on Netflix."

[hhgossip]

HIDDEN HILLS WEEKLY ISSUE #1

IN THIS ISSUE OF HIDDEN HILLS WEEKLY, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE OUTRAGEOUS LIFE’S OF OUR VERY OWN RESIDENTS IN OUR GROWING GATED COMMUNITY! FROM LOVERS REUNITING TO A MESSY PUBLIC BLOWOUT BETWEEN TWO FORMER LOVERS! LET’S GET STARTED HIDDEN HILLS !

BREAKING NEWS: ANNIKA BADIE AND JAYDEN HANSEN CAUGHT ARGUING OUTSIDE OF NASHVILLE’S FAMOUS GAYLORD OPRYLAND RESORT !

a night that started out like any other award show: full of glitz and glamor, some good music and laughs, rewards and praise for a years worth of hard work. who knew ( or could predict ) it would end with tears and a public screaming match ? the 54th annual country music awards were nothing short of spectacular, and a proud moment for some of our very own hidden hills residents. margarita trejo, performing her award winning song the bones winning awards for female vocalist of the year, song and single of the year. cameron nelson, performing his newest hit cold as you, winning awards for male vocalist of the year and album of the year. as well as annika badie performing her newest single hole in the bottle winning the award for musical event of the year. cameron nelson and annika badie ended up honoring country music sensations brad paisley and carrie underwood with a spark-filled tribute performance of the duos song “remind me”. the set was the first time the two artists had collabed since nelson’s last tour where badie starred as his opening act. it was a memorable night with huge names all coming together for a night to celebrate country music with stars like: morgan wallen, eric church, miranda lambert, carrie underwood, brad pasiley, hosted by reba mcentire and darius rucker. the evening ended with hansen and badie caught on camera linked hand in hand singing along trejo’s closing performance of the bones, their son lorenzo ( age 5 ) seated happily between the two. after parties were roaring throughout the night in the streets of nashville, though it seemed that two of the award winners opted out of the festivities. fans and hotel staff say that badie was seen in the hotel bar hours later alone, chatting with some fans as she ordered the house a round of drinks and shortly after nelson showed up. the two had a few drinks, talked, and eventually ended up leaving together. 

 neither were seen until the next morning, nelson photographed leaving the hotel on his own, everything seeminly returning to normal or so opryland resort staff and guests thought it safe to assume. roughly an hour later, sources say there was a noise complaint to about the suite belonging to badie and before security had the opportunity to address the situation and ask the occupants to tone it down, staff say jayden hansen ( father of annika’s only child ) was overheard yelling in the hallway something along the lines of,  “enjoy your flight back to wherever it is you decide to go. either back to hidden hills or cameron’s room.” the "peter pan” songstress was seen shortly after running after hansen barefoot in nothing but a t-shirt asking him to come back to her room and talk. neither jayden’s team or annika’s team chose to comment at this time, both teams saying badie and hansen asked for privacy and thanked fans for respecting their wishes at this time. though it was hard to ignore that only a day after her arrival back in hidden hills, badie was photographed outside fellow songstress isabelle amor’s home neither nelson or hansen in sight. so does this mean the end of jayden and annika ? is there a budding romance between country’s newest and most sought after bachelor cameron nelson and country vixen annika badie ? or is this the beginning of a new messy southern love triangle ? we’ll keep you updated, but we hope for the sakes of all involved that fans get some good music out of the dramatic events of this past weekend !

BACK TOGETHER: ZEKE KING AND ISABELLE AMOR CAUGHT OUT AND ABOUT SHOPPING FOR JEWLERY!

the heart wants what it wants, doesn't it ? well hidden hills residents, ever since we got the word that isabelle amor, 28, moved into our lovely gated community, we all have wondered when she and former beau, zeke king, 27, ( also know as isaac king ) were going to bump into each other ! it looks like it’s finally happened, maybe it just had to happen beyond our closed gates ?!  here’s what we do know that the former lovers were spotted in a jewelry shop together. king was reportedly there for about ten minutes before amor arrived to the shop. employees stated that both celebrities were well mannered and very kind to them. the big question on everyone everyone’s mind ? why they were both at a jewelry store in the middle of the day ? 

well our sources tell us that king was checking out the engagement ring section and while amor came in not long after initially asking for a birthday present for a certain someone in her life before king had caught her eye ( or so they were trying to make it seem ). the singer was the one who reportedly greeted the talk show host and actor. according the the employees, the two stood there talked for about an hour, and they were said to be nothing but smiles and laughs. king even asked her what type of ring that she liked the best. belle pointed at one and according to employees and said, “i think this one is the most beautiful one they have, it’s the one i’ve always wanted.” with a smile on her lips. now there were no signs of king’s current girlfriend, nicole hampton who he’d recently rekindled with after her mid-august almost vegas wedding to actor theo dean or either heartthrob’s children. is there trouble in paradise for hampton and king ? are our favorite problematic off again on again duo working towards making things take a turn towards on again ? 

WEDDING ON PAUSE... : JORDYN GELLER AND CALEB WALSH PUT THEIR WEDDING ON HOLD A G A I N!

just a few short weeks ago, NFL linebacker for the LA chargers caleb walsh took to twitter to announce that he and long time lover model and singer jordyn geller were in fact weeks away from the wedding we’ve all been waiting for. in late 2018, only a week before their orgininal wedding date, the power couple confirmed their split for the first time. sources close to both families say the “i hate u i love u” singer caught cold feet and the couple spent a year apart. though both had some very public flings in that time, eventually geller and walsh reunited. they’ve both said their reunion was almost inevitable when walsh’s football season came to an end and he found his way back in hidden hills. 

though many were excited to see our favorite lovers confirm they were in fact back together, not everyone was happy about it. zeke king, close friend of geller, has countless times on twitter poked jabs at the idea of his disapproval - as well as caleb’s ex-girlfriend annika badie. that didn’t seem to stop the love birds from deciding to head back to the idea of heading to the altar. after months of speculation from the public and fans on twitter, caleb walsh comfirmed the question on many people’s mind: he and jordyn were in fact engaged. the wedding was set for novemeber 10th at the montage hotel in laguna beach, the couple was said to have spared no expense and it was set to be the wedding event of the year but to everyone’s surprise ? the wedding was put on hold. and no, this time it wasn’t per jordyn geller’s request. it was because of scheduling conflicts on the hotel’s end and walsh’s games. will these two ever really say i do ? i guess time will only tell !

CHEATING SCANDAL: SPENCER STONE AND LANIE SINCLAIR FIRST A BABY NOW THIS ... !

lanie sinclair was spotted early friday morning leaving the home of her ex fling, 5 second of summer band member spencer stone. neighbors tell us the young actress was seen leaving the house with her two young children, wearing a shirt that appeared to have belonged to stone. we can only imagine what happened between spencer and lanie that night. the two are currently expecting their second child together, even though they both are in a relationship with other people. fans of sinclaire and stone seem to “ship” the pair together more than they do with their actual partners ! could the two be rekindling their romance ? only time will tell. we have reached out to representatives of both parties and lanie’s boyfriend and girlfriend ( scout kessler and paige ricci ) and spencer’s girlfriend ( frankie hart ). we have not received any comments from those involved, but we cannot wait to see how this unfolds.

[nialledfromfics]

just one more night

a niall oneshot

wc: 6343

pov: niall + 1st p. reader

warnings: contains smut. 

It felt like it had been forever since I had stood at his front door. Four weeks, five days and seventeen hours to be exact, but it certainly felt like a lifetime ago. I was juggling a cardboard box in my hands, one that was generously filled with a few of his things–some clothes, his grey paddy cap, a dark blue bomber jacket, a few records and a toothbrush–that had been left at my apartment as I tried my best to work up the courage to walk through that door. He was expecting me; we had briefly texted back and forth the previous night about finally exchanging our things, and he had told me to stop by after work the next day. And even though I had prepared myself for the exact moment as best I could, tossing and turning in my bed and going over a thousand scenarios in my head all night long, as I stood there, I became vastly aware that maybe I wasn’t so sure that I was ready to see him again. Maybe I wasn’t so sure that I would ever be ready to see him again. 

We had dated for nearly three years, going steady and strong and making it through situations that a normal couple wouldn’t even be able to fathom. The publicity of a successful debut album, endless promo, appearances and award shows, and an eight month long tour that had him traveling the world, day and night. So I was more than positive that if we could get through all of that, we could get through anything. I had never loved a man the way that I loved Niall, I had never before experienced the kind of love, passion and connection that we shared and it was never a question to me that we would end up spending the rest of our lives together. But just being together wasn’t enough for me, I wanted all of him. I wanted that commitment. We were both in our mid-twenties with good stable jobs and a love that I had thought was unbreakable, and all I wanted was to cement that bond that I knew we had. I wanted to settle in together, get married and start a family. Niall had told me that he wanted those things too, eventually, and that he would love to have kids, someday, but he just wasn’t ready for that yet. He told me that there were so many things he wanted to do first, dreams he wanted to accomplish and while I was happy to give him the time to do that, he wouldn’t give me a promise that he would be able make any of my dreams come true. And really that was all that I had wanted from him, just a promise that one day it would happen and that in the end, that was what we were working towards. 

So the decision to take some time apart was one met with a million tears and undeniable heartbreak, but it was amicable and understandable from both of us. He said that he loved me and he wanted me to have everything my heart desired and that I shouldn’t have to wait on him for it. I told him that I loved him and I wanted the best for him, even if that didn’t include marriage and kids, or me. Walking away from him was the hardest thing I had ever done. Up until the moment I was standing at his front door with a cardboard box of his things in my hands.  

My teeth clamped down onto my bottom lip and the sweat had started to pool on my palms, making my skin feel irritatingly clammy. Nerves shouldn’t have been something that I was riddled by, I knew this man, probably better than anyone else in the world, but maybe that was why I was so nervous. I knew him inside and out. I knew the way his voice went softer every time he said my name, I knew how his eyes lit up every time an Eagles song came on the radio. I knew the smell of his freshly washed skin and the scent of his favorite shampoo and how he loved to just cuddle up on the couch and watch TV after a long day in the studio. I knew the difference in his laughs when he thought something was truly funny or when he was just trying to be nice to someone he’d just met. I knew the way he held my hand just a fraction tighter when we walked out in public, or how he liked to steal kisses after I had taken the first few sips of my morning coffee. I knew how it felt to have him. To have his naked body hovered over mine, his heavy breaths panting in my ear and his fingers tangled in my hair. I knew how it felt to have his heart. I knew him better than I knew myself, yet I was more nervous than I had ever been. 

I swallowed hard at my realizations, struggling to balance the box on my forearm as I reached into the front pocket of my jeans and pulled out a little silver key. Peeking down at the cold metal in my hand, my eyes fluttered as I remembered the very night that he had given it to me, almost two years prior. A bittersweet memory. One that had sparked that bit of hope in my heart.

Shaking myself out of my silly daydream, I inserted the key into the lock and pushed the handle, letting his large front door swing open. I had barely poked my head in when the soothing sound of a piano being played from his living room gently wafted over my ears. A warmth coursed through me as I paused for a second to listen and not being able to see him from the front entrance, I carefully closed the door behind me and slipped the key back into my pocket. My heart was pounding in my chest as I took each step, as if it were fighting to drown out the sinfully melodic notes that were echoing out from the other room. His house had felt like my own house for years with the amount of time I had spent over there; helping to host parties, cozy date nights and lazy weekends in, the countless nights I had shared his bed, but as I walked through the open foyer, past the large alley kitchen towards his living room, I felt as if I didn’t know the place at all. As if it was all uncharted territory. 

I slowly crept around the corner, stopping right at the entrance of the expansive dimly lit room and my eyes danced along the decorated walls until they had fallen on exactly what I had been searching for. Niall. He was sitting at his grand piano, a pencil pinched between his lips and his brows wrinkled as he tapped away on the black and white keys before pausing to make notes on the papers propped up in front of him. He hadn’t noticed me, not for what seemed like hours as my stare drifted from the hunch of his broad shoulders under his white t-shirt down to the movement of his socked foot on the tiny brass pedal. I felt like I was floating on air as I quietly watched him, my nerves practically washing away with each note he played like the gentle tide of the morning’s sunrise. 

It wasn’t until he had stopped to take a long, and much needed, sip of his bottled water that I cleared my throat and spoke up. “Niall?” 

His clear blue eyes shot over to where I was leaning against the doorframe to the living room and he just stared at me for a moment, almost as if he was surprised to see me, before a tiny smile emerged over his lips. “Hiya, darlin’,” he softly remarked. 

A sigh escaped me at his tender greeting and I slowly walked over to him, setting the box down on the top of the piano. Keeping my gaze settled on the array of contents in front of me, I chewed the corner of my mouth and geared myself up for the awkwardness that would surely ensue. But it seemed like Niall was determined to rally against it. He had begun to play the notes on the piano again and I glanced over at him, noticing the deep concentration that was on his face as a few words started to flow past his lips and for that split second...it was like nothing had changed. It was as if we were back at the beginning, Niall working on new music and me intently listening to every note and lyric he had written while being his objectively, unbiased test audience. It felt good, familiar and, dare I think, perfect. At least for that single moment anyway.

“That’s beautiful,” I said as he stopped playing, “did you write that?” 

Niall nodded. “Yeah,” he replied, his eyes flicking down to the piano keys as he randomly ran his fingers across them, “kinda just came to me in a dream last night. Been workin’ on it all day.”

“I like it.” 

He looked back up at me. “Thanks. So, how’ve you been?” 

It was a question that I knew he would ask, yet one that I wasn’t sure how I would answer. Do I tell him that I laid awake almost every night thinking about him, missing him? That I sometimes wondered if I had made a mistake by leaving? Or do I pretend that everything was fine? I pulled in a deep breath and slid my gaze in front of me, staring out of the large curtained window that faced his back yard. I couldn’t pretend, not with him. “I mean, I’d say okay but…” my words softly drifted off as I peered back over at him. 

“But you’d be lyin’?” 

He knew me just as well as I knew him. Tucking my lips into my mouth, I quirked my brow in response. “Yeah.” 

Niall sighed lightly, tipping his head down to run his fingers through his messy brown hair. “I was nervous coming over here,” I went on, Niall meeting my gaze as I spoke, “bringing you your stuff, seeing you and everything.” 

“And now?” 

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully with a slight lift of my shoulder. “I feel like I’m questioning everything all over again. Which...is probably why I was nervous about coming over here in the first place.” 

His eyes, still that breathtaking ocean blue that drew me in that very first night we met, lingered over mine. “C’mere,” he said with a cock of his head, “I wanna show ya somethin’.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I raised my brows at him and he gave me a sweet little chuckle. “I ain’t gonna try nothin’, just...c’mere.” 

I faintly rolled my eyes and shuffled closer to him, standing next to where he sat on the piano bench. “This,” he started, waving his finger at the music paper in front of him, “is about you.”

“I hope it’s nothing shitty,” I scoffed under my breath.

A laugh burst past his lips. It had been so long since I had heard that sound. “The content’s not shitty, not so sure ‘bout the execution just yet.” 

“What is it about exactly?” I asked, curiosity taking hold as I looked over at him. 

His head tilted back slightly to gaze up at me and I watched as his chest swelled with a deep, readying breath. “It’s about how much I miss you,” he said, “and about how at times we make choices that we think are right, and maybe they are at the moment but...they just don’t feel right later on.” 

Turning myself around to face him with my bottom towards the piano keys, Niall dropped his chin and peered down at his lap, but I didn’t dare move my stare as I carefully listened. “Every time I hear your voice or see a picture of you on me phone or...even just think about you, I just...I can’t take it. I get really angry with meself.” 

“Why?” 

“ ‘Cause I let you go,” he said, glancing up at me. 

My head tipped to the side in a light sigh as I let my arms fall to my sides. “Niall, we both made that decision, it wasn’t just you.” 

“It was me, love,” he counteracted, “ ‘cause all I had to do was give you what you wanted.” 

“Yeah, at the expense of yourself!” I said with a furrowed brow. “Ni, I’m not gonna force you to do something you’re not ready for, just like you wouldn’t ever force me to do anything I wasn’t ready for. Besides, that’s not a reason to get married and have kids anyway. You have to want those things as much as me, and it’s okay that you don’t right now. I just want you to be happy.” 

“I was my happiest when I was with you.” 

My eyes ease closed as his words floated over my ears and I turned my head to the side, instinctually biting at my lower lip as I tried to settle all the emotions I could feel creeping up inside me. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. “I’m sorry,” he whispered and I slowly drifted my stare back to his. His chin was trembling slightly, his blue eyes heavy and glassy as they darted over mine. I faintly nodded. “I love you, I hope you know that,” he went on, lowering his head again. I glanced down to see him fiddling with his fingers in his lap. “I wish we could go back, I wish it was all different. I just want...I just want one more night with ya, love. If I could have one more night–”

My lips were on his in that second, kissing away the remnants of his lost sentence. I had no idea what had come over me, it was like a wildfire inside me that spark after spark had finally ignited and was nearly burning unstoppable. I had to kiss him, I needed to kiss him. With my small hands cradling around his bearded jaw, I bent over and pressed my lips to his, our mouths moving in conversant harmony as if we had never stopped kissing in the first place. He was warm, excruciatingly warm, and his sweet taste filled my mouth as my tongue greedily swept over his. 

Pulling back slightly, I softly brushed my lips along his. “I love you, too,” I breathed out, “and I miss you, Ni, every second I miss you.” 

My mouth was back on his, kissing him, before he could utter another sound, my fingers curling around the sides of his face as I held him right where I wanted him. His heart was racing as my lips kissed over his chin to his neck, his pulse thrashing against my palm as I slid my hand down the front of his chest. I sucked along his throat, nipping the sweet sticky skin and Niall slowly tipped his head back. 

“Babe…” I heard him whisper, his fingers twisting into the back of my hair, “babe…” I giggled slightly, licking over his jaw and he lowered his chin so our lips could meet once more.

“Baby…”

“Shut up,” I gently scolded between kisses.

Niall huffed out an amused chuckle. “What?”

Inching back, I darted my eyes with his. “Just shut up and kiss me.” 

With a half grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, Niall narrowed his stare slightly before pushing himself up from the piano bench. My eyes followed his; the black of our pupils drowning in each other, holding captive and quiet as Niall wrapped his big hands around my waist and yanked my body towards him. My bottom slid across the piano keys, a roughened crescendo ringing out into the stark silence of the large room and he leaned in to kiss me again, but was stopped by the press of my fingertip to his lips. 

“Wait…” I said, swallowing hard, “who’s here?” 

Niall shook his head. “No one,” he replied with a boyish smirk, “just us.” Nibbling at my bottom lip, my stare swam over his face for a moment before I grabbed around the back of his neck and roughly pushed my mouth to his. His large hands squeezed around my middle, the pads of his fingers digging deep into my waist before his touch traveled up my sides, pausing to cradled around my face. He kissed me harder, deliciously sweeping his tongue over mine as my eyes pinched shut and low eager hums pulsed from my throat. My chest felt tight as I struggled to catch my breath, my heart racing like a prized horse coming up on his last lap and I tipped my head back as his hot mouth dropped to my neck. 

He was ravenous, his lips curling around my tender skin and sucking across every inch that he could reach. A few groans emerged from his parted mouth, his heated breaths panting over my dampened flesh and before I knew it, I was yanking at the sides of his t-shirt, pulling it right over his head. My eyes flew open, fluttering as they tried to focus on him. His brown hair was a mess, disheveled and soft, and my stare slowly slid downwards to watch the heavy rise of his bare chest as he flung his t-shirt to the floor. His skin was flushed pink, and I licked across my lips as my trembling hands just barely ghosted down the front of his body. 

I swallowed hard as I glanced back up to his face, noticing the cheeky smirk that was once again pulling on the corner of his mouth. It made an unmistakable heat start to waver between my legs; one that I had felt so many times, one that I had missed so badly. Niall slowly reached out and hooked his fingertips under the hem of my top and without saying a word, yanked the thin material over my head. His mouth was back on mine, sucking at my tongue and nipping at my lips as my bra was clumsily removed and thrown across the room. We both started to fumble with pulling off each other’s pants, his cotton shorts falling to a heap around his ankles as I wiggled out of my jeans and kicked them onto the floor. A shaky giggle spilled out of me against his lips as Niall grabbed at my panties and expertly slid them down my legs.

He cupped his big palms around my jaw and kissed me even harder, my hands dragging over the soft sides of his waist. Tucking my thumbs into the waistband of his boxers, I began to shimmy them down his thighs and Niall pulled back slightly. “You sure?” he asked. 

My brows furrowed a bit, only because I was already full naked and it was only then that he had stopped me to ask if this was something I wanted, but I just smiled. “I want you inside me,” I whispered with a nod of my head. 

“God, I fuckin’ missed you.” 

His lips pressed to mine and he gripped tight around my waist, lifting me up to set my bottom down on the keys of the piano. I chuckled lightly, amused by his eagerness as he quickly pushed his boxers all the way off, but was stunned quiet by the sight of him. He was so swollen for me, so swollen that the skin was a fiery bright red and his tip throbbing, and all I could do was choke back a breath and ready myself for what was about to happen. I slowly met his gaze again and he brought two of his fingers up to his mouth, licking across the pads before he slipped his hand down between my legs. My lips fell to a part as he gently rubbed over my entrance, spreading my wetness across my aching center. 

An audible moan slid past my lips and Niall smiled at my candor and lightly twisted his fist into the ends of my hair. Taking the time to line his tip at my opening, he captured my waiting mouth with his and slowly pushed himself all the way inside me. My eyes rolled back as he filled me, the heated skin of his hips burning my inner thighs as my swollen walls pulsated around his thickness. I missed feeling him inside me. I missed feeling the weight of him, feeling his warmth against me, his touch on my skin and I moved my hands to cup around his neck, holding his sweaty body flush to mine. I kissed him harder, his slim hips rocking as he thrust into me and he slid a hand down, hooking his fingers under my knee to lift my leg up higher against the side of his body.

Slipping his mouth from mine, my arms wrapped fully over his broad shoulders as he buried his face down into my neck. His hips rocked even faster, Niall working me with everything he had and I pinched my eyes shut, whimpering at the intense feeling. 

He nuzzled his nose below my ear, his stubble tickling me and the heat from his breath dampening my skin. “Fuck, love,” he panted, his big palm tracing down my spine, “you feel so good…” 

I lightly gasped at his words and my arms squeezed tighter around him, desperate to keep him close, to keep that feeling of being with him, of him being inside me, for as long as I could. I didn’t want it to end, I didn’t want to lose it again. I didn’t want to lose him again. 

Tucking my face down against the crook his shoulder, I inhaled deeply. His familiar scent swarmed my senses just as he slowed his hips to bury his length as far into me as he could. My head tossed back in an echoing moan of his name at the body-numbing sensation, as Niall caught the front of my exposed neck between his lips. “Need t’ fuckin’ taste ya,” he mumbled as his hot tongue slinked over my throat, “missed your sweet little cunt...” 

“Oh God, yes,” I spit out, splashes of how fucking good that man was with his mouth ran rampant over my naked body and I shivered in his arms as he slowly withdrew from between my legs. 

Niall carefully helped me off of the piano, our hearts beating a thousand times a second as he tangled his fingers in mine and lead us towards the other side of his living room. Yanking me forward to stand in front of him, he raked his fingers through my messy hair and kissed me again, slowly lowering me onto the massive couch. I let a faint giggle escape when my naked body hit the soft cushions, and it stifled just past my parted lips before my eyes squeezed shut and my back involuntarily arched from the slight burn of his bearded jaw rubbing down my inner thighs. He wasted no time burying his face between my spread legs, his mouth, hot and eager, lapping and sucking at my folds. 

I choked on my breath and reached down with both hands to tangle my fingers into the soft strands of his dark hair as low, satisfying moans gushed from my bared throat. Tipping my head back further into the couch, I could barely wrap my mind around everything that was happening, all that he was making he feel, all that it meant, as Niall continued to ravaged me; sucking over my sensitive clit and flicking his tongue along my dripping center. His big palms pressed hard into the tops of my thighs, holding me as still as he could and I knew his darkened eyes were glued up at my face. I could feel the heat of his stare blistering into my flesh but I couldn’t do anything but pinch my eyes tighter and try to stave off my already impending orgasm. 

Tiny, rapacious whines were coming from Niall as his tongue explored, the kind I remembered every time he had his mouth on me. The kind that let me know just how much he loved tasting me, how ravenous he was for me, how much he wanted it. The kind that set my insides ablaze and made me want to explode with each pass of his skilled wet tongue. By then my trembling body had taken over; rocking against his mouth as he sucked, my thighs shaking around the warm sides of his face and my toes curling into the material of the cushions. But Niall didn’t let up. His insatiable mouth went harder, moving up and down my quivering center and his tongue playing greedy at my entrance. With a frenzied spark shooting in my lower tummy at the feeling, I had barely let out another long winded moan before I felt his mouth slip from my heat and his body slowly start to slide up the length of mine. 

Niall pressed tender kisses all the way up my bare frame, pausing to show special attention to a few of his favorite spots and my eyes finally shot open just as his face came flush to my own. He nestled his thick body back between my legs and within a second his lips were pressed to mine and his cock was once again buried inside me. I cried out into his mouth, his slim hips lazily rolling against mine as he began to fuck into me once more. Wrapping my hands around his sticky neck, I kissed him harder as he worked above me, our sweat-coated bodies melding together as we nearly drowned in each other’s ragged breaths. My warm center pulsed around him as he very slowly pushed himself in and out, our lips barely losing contact as Niall gently rested his forehead to mine. I felt his hands cradle around my head, and my eyelids eased open, catching his stare. 

With my breaths stumbling in my lungs, my eyes drifted over his, and I twisted my fingers up into his dark hair as his trembling body came to a lull on top of me. A shiver flowed down my drenched frame as the stark quiet of the room, apart from our frantic gasps of air, pierced over my ears and all I could do was dreamily gaze up at him and try not to get lost all over again. 

His racing heart was knocking against my chest, so much so that it scared me, and my eyes fluttered as Niall softly brushed his thumb along my temple. “I love you,” he whispered, the tip of his nose drifting along the side of mine, “I love you so fuckin’ much.” 

I swallowed hard, the well of tears begging to fill the brims of my eyes as his words tumbled around in my head. My watery stare darted silently over his, yearning to make that moment last forever before a soft smile adorned my lips. “I love you, too,” I breathed out, pulling him down to meet my mouth in a kiss, “so much.” 

Our gaze met yet again as he leaned up on his elbows, his body starting to move a bit more fervently against mine. “Sit up,” I abruptly spit out, reaching up to softly comb away a wisp of fallen hair from his forehead, “please...I wanna fuck you.” 

Niall paused his thrusts, his eyes darting over mine for a moment before he hung his head down in an amused chuckle. But he knew I meant business when he felt me reach down with both hands to grope at his fleshy little backside. A smirk edged over his mouth and I pushed my hips up into his as hard as I could, just to coax him a bit more. I knew what I wanted and Niall was in no position to argue and as he caught my stare, he licked at his lips and slipped an arm under the arch of my lower back. Twisting us both over with ease, Niall sat up and plopped his bare bottom on the cushion with his feet planted flat on the floor as I straddled him. Pushing his hardened length back inside me as he had accidentally slipped out, he let his head fall to rest on the back of the couch in a low groan as I began to grind against him. 

With my hands planted on his chest, my fingers roughly curled into the damp dark hairs that splattered across as he gripped tight around my waist, helping to guide my body along his. I bit my bottom lip as I rode him, watching with avid satisfaction as his eyes rolled back and his pink flushed face scrunched up from the feeling, my hips rocking faster and letting him bury as far into me as he would go. He was throbbing inside me, the overly-swollen tip of his cock pushing right against my special little spot with every tiny trust he was providing as our bodies worked beautifully together. Harder, faster. Deeper. Our frantic gasps and heavy moans edged past our slackend lips as we moved, fucking our way to that mind-numbingly intense high that only we knew together, that we had both missed so much. I was shaking, quivering, aching to come; my toes vehemently curling aside his legs and a fevered flush spreading wickedly over my exposed body and I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around Niall as I tucked my face down into his neck. 

My eyes fluttered closed in a breathless whimper as I felt myself start to give way to him, his warm touch traveling up the span of my rounded back and holding me against him as he took complete control and fucked up into me. I could tell by his breaths, by the way his body jerked, and how his fingertips bled into my flesh that he was close and I wanted nothing more than to come with him. Attaching my lips to the side of his throat, I sucked ever so gently, but enough to entice that perfect little whine from him that I loved so much before I felt Niall tuck his face right against mine. He held me tight, so tight that I almost couldn’t breathe. 

“Come for me, love,” he choked out, my body nearly on the verge of collapse as I struggled to keep fucking him as deep as I could, “...baby…please...” 

A cry belted out from my lips and plastered to the sticky mottled skin of his neck and I tangled my fingers into his hair, the heat of my release swarming from my core as it started to recklessly consume my entire body. His name slipped sweetly off my tongue as I finally let go, trembling uncontrollably within the hold of his strong arms. My thighs clamped around his hips, and it was in that moment that I felt Niall go rigid inside me, pushing up into me only a few more times before the tightening pulse of my swollen center quickly brought him over that needed edge. 

I had never heard him come so loud before. Guttural, deep breathy moans, ones that stick heavy in the back of your throat and leave a sweet taste on your tongue, slid deliciously over my ear as he filled me and nuzzled the side of his face into my hair. His hips slowed to a stop, and we just stayed frozen in our blissful intoxication of each other for what seemed like forever. I didn’t want to move, for fear of what would happen, that it would all be over, almost forgotten, if I did. But Niall held me as tight as he had before, his fidgety fingers twirling in the ends of my hair as his mouth kissed sweetly along my jaw. 

Finally forcing myself to pull away from him, a long sigh slipped past my parted lips as I tossed myself over onto my back next to him, my legs still dangling over his thighs. Niall laughed under his breath and wiped away the sweat of his brow with the back of his hand as I eased my eyes closed in a more than contented smile. Not a word was exchanged–just quiet acknowledgment over what had just happened–as we both took the time to catch our breaths and sort our thoughts. At some point, Niall had turned his head to look over at me, his gorgeous baby blues swimming over the slopes and valleys of my glistening naked body, but I was none the wiser to this fact. 

I shakily reached up to brush through the front of my hair, wiping the strands from my sweaty face when I felt the delicate touch of Niall’s fingertip swirl around my belly button. It tickled and I giggled lightly under my breath as he continued to play, tracing a line up my stomach to my chest. Pressing his hand flat against my flushed skin, he slowly pushed his palm between the slopes of my breasts. It was the soft warmth of his mouth around my nipple that made me gasp and peel my eyes open, catching Niall just as he had leaned down to tenderly kiss over the peak of my breast. 

He had a dopey, pleased grin on his face as he picked his head back up, my eyes locked in on his. “You’re beautiful, ya know that? And I’m not just sayin’ that just ‘cause you’re layin’ here naked on the couch with me,” he chuckled, “you’re just...beautiful.” 

I gave him a sheepish smile. “And you’re beyond sweet to me,” I mumbled, reaching over to gently run the back of my finger down his still flushed cheek. 

“I wasn’t lyin’ ‘bout what I said to you,” he admitted, grabbing my hand in his as my touch left the dip of his chin. He peeked down to watch as he started to play with my fingertips. “I meant it. Every word. I love you...I never stopped lovin’ you. We never should’ve been apart.” 

My heart was nearly bursting in my chest and it felt in that moment as if we had never been apart at all. It felt like it was all supposed to feel. But it also felt different, as if something had changed. Something for the better. “I never stopped loving you either, Ni. Not one second did I stop loving you. And through everything we’ve gone through...I know you’re the only person I’m ever gonna love.” 

A stillness filled the space between us and Niall leaned himself down to cuddle into me, planting his cheek against my chest. I lightly ran my hand through the side of his thick brown hair, wrapping the ends around my fingertips and his heavy lidded eyes fluttered softly with my touch. It was definitely times like those that I had missed so much. 

“Stay the night with me.”

My brows furrowed. “You...still want me to stay?” 

Niall lifted his head to look at me. “ ‘course, darlin’, but...only if ya want to.” 

I bit off the smile that pulled at my lips before pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. Happy with that response from me, Niall pushed himself up from the couch, taking the time to ease my legs back down on the cushions. He grabbed a nearby chenille blanket that was folded up on the other side of the sofa and tossed it over my exposed frame, and sauntered back towards the piano. My stare was glued to him as I slumped down into the couch and quietly chewed at the edge of my fingernail, diligently following every movement his naked body made. I had only dreamed that I would ever see him like that again, and it made a warmth knot up in my stomach. He stopped just by the piano bench to snatch his shorts from the floor, tugging them back on and earning a low whine of displeasure from me as the material flipped over to cover the round of his gorgeous ass. 

Niall chuckled upon hearing my grumble of annoyance and he turned to glance over at me, running his hand up through his slightly dampened hair. Just as he went to look up, his bright blue eyes caught the glint of something on his hardwood floor and my brows wrinkled in curiosity as he bent over to pick it up. It was his house key. The one that I had stuffed back in my jeans pocket. 

Flicking his brow, he held it up to me. My bottom lip tucked into my mouth and I hugged the blanket closer to my chest. “I was gonna give it back to you...” I tried to explain. 

“Well, don’t,” he said, chucking the key over to me. I watched it bounce across my thigh before peeking back up at him. “I want ya to keep it.” 

My expression softened at his words and I giggled, picking up the tiny piece of metal to twirl between my fingers. “So...just one more night, huh, Niall?” 

Rolling his head to the side in a snort, Niall walked over to me and leaned down, both his big hands planted on either side of my upper body. He was so close, I could still smell the sex on him. It made me ache for him all over again. “It’s never just one more night with you and me, baby,” he confidently said, planting a small kiss on my lips. “It’s forever. And we’re gonna make it work this time, I promise.” 

[oudenoida]

✥ - Popping a button on their shirt, showing their chest / a bit of cleavage (Hawke & Jake)

Life had a funny way of bringing this back full circle in a way nobody could anticipate. The first time they’d tried to date it had been a game of secrets. The Minister of Magic could never be seen with a member of the Department, let alone a former member of the Department who now waited tables at an Indian restaurant. Hawke’s job had been everything to him, his legacy, his reputation, his mission more important than any level of emotional honesty that he could gift to Jake. Which is why Jake had left him. Submitted a formal letter of resignation as Hawke’s boyfriend and walked out of the Ministry with his head held high. A lot had changed in the years in between leaving Hawke and the night the now-former Minister of Magic had walked into his restaurant and asked for a word with the chef. Jake had been perfectly comfortable making him wait several hours in a booth until dinner service was done and waiters were putting chairs on top of tables in preparation for the end of the night. 

“You waited.” 

It wasn’t a question when he asked it, but there had been a question behind it, about why Hawke had shown up, ate, and then waited until the restaurant closed down to finally talk to him. 

“The food was exquisite. You used to be a great chef… I think you’re something beyond that now.” 

“My Michelin Star and James Beard Award agree with you.” He’d sat down on the other side of the table as one of his staff brought him something to eat. “Doesn’t explain why you waited though.” 

He’d always been the one who’d been honest between the two of them. It was time for Hawke to shoulder that burden now. 

They’d talked late. He’d sent the staff home and they’d sat in that booth, and then in the kitchen as Jake made them a well-past-midnight snack, and just talked. It was the most open he’d ever heard Hawke be and in the moment it was a very sharp reminder of why he’d been so in love with the man in the first place. Hawke seemed to be heading in the direction of them getting back together and so Jake felt it the appropriate time to drop the bomb he’d been sitting on all evening. 

“I’ve got a kid, Hawke. I adopted. Elimelech Alistair Conrad. Eli Jr.. If you want back in my life… you’ve gotta be ready to be a dad. Because I’m not doing this if you’re not.” 

“You… adopted?” 

“I asked everyone not to tell you. I honestly assumed you’d know just because you’ve got your fingers in seventeen different intelligence agency pies, but, yes. Last year. He’s three now. Eli’s mom watches him while I work, because that woman is a bloody saint.”

In Hawke’s defense he hadn’t immediately run out the door, hadn’t bolted the moment he’d heard the word “kid” like some of the other men Jake had tried to date since he’d initially left Hawke, but he didn’t look immediately at ease with the whole concept of being a father. “Well. Congratulations. I think I owe you a baby shower gift then.” 

He hadn’t laughed like that in a long time, and just like that they were back on the slow road to whatever it was they were going to become. 

A lot had changed in two years. Minister Ashby had become Mr. Conrad, one restaurant had turned into two, to three, and then a cooking show, and despite what reservations he’d had, Hawke had become a truly amazing father. An apartment in muggle London had turned into a penthouse in Diagon, and it was through this penthouse door Jake was walking to be immediately tackled by a slightly more than knee-high cannonball, “Daddy’s home!!” 

Hawke rounded a corner shortly after their speedster of a son did, trademark wry smile on his face, “Maybe we let him get more than six inches in the door before we tackle him.” 

“Papa took me to see Auntie Emma at work today! Mr. Foster had a puppy!” Leaning down Jake swept Eli Jr. off his feet, kissing him on the forehead and hugging him tightly. 

“Oh Papa did, did he?” 

He threw a questioning eyebrow in Hawke’s direction as he set Eli Jr. back down again and his husband gave him a gentle smile, “Weymouth had some automaton breakthrough. Wanted to drop one off, show us how it worked. He’s getting closer and closer to figuring it out… which is honestly a little terrifying. Have you ever seen a nine foot tall magitech robot take a spell to the chest and bounce it back? And before you chide me… Samuel had Eli well in another room distracted with what might honestly be the cutest pitbull puppy in all of Christendom.” 

“Nana ‘nique said she’s going to take me to the museum tonight!” 

Another questioning eyebrow, and another smile, a language they were slowly and methodically rebuilding, “Gramma Monique offered to babysit tonight. She said something about couples needing quality time, how she and Manu had always loved their family but cherished the moments that they had privately. Then she gave me what can only be described as the most scandalous eyebrows I have ever seen on a woman and said she’d be by, well,” he looked at the watch on his wrist that had probably cost more than Jake’s first apartment, “Any minute.” 

A gentle knock on the doorframe behind him made Jake’s face split into a lopsided grin as he turned to see the willowy figure of Monique Whetu silhouetted in the light from the hall, “And here she is, as promised Misters Conrad.”

There was very little in his heart that Jacob Conrad loved as dearly and preciously as Monique Whetu. She had seen Jake at his most abject; when veins were still black as night and some days he couldn’t hold a mug for the shaking, and she had loved him ferociously anyway. It was one of Jake’s greatest sorrows that he would never have the chance to meet Manu Whetu, but from the way Monique lived her life, it was evident where Eli got his big heart from. “You didn’t have to do this mom.” 

He couldn’t pinpoint exactly when he’d started calling Monique mom. There had been a very long time when she had been Lady Whetu, and then Monique, and then somewhere along the line mom. Maybe it had been before he’d knelt before the Manu-possessed Lich body of Aiden and received the blessing of the Lord of Manawa, maybe after, but somewhere along the line she’d joined Madhur and his own mother as one of the army of women he called mom, and it just felt right.

“That’s what makes it fun, Jacob. I know I didn’t have to do this.” With an effortless redirection of momentum she scooped Eli Jr up and propped him up on her hip, “You both work hard, and you deserve these moments.” Leaning in she planted a kiss on Jake’s kiss and he breathed in the smell of flowers and home, “Besides. This handsome man and I have a date with his Uncle Eli and Aunt Millie. You can’t deprive Millie of her Eli Jr time. You know how she gets.” 

With another blinding smile and a wave from their son she was gone, and there was silence in the penthouse. “Well, Mr. Conrad.” Jake set his bag down and leaned against the wall, “I guess we have a free evening.” 

“For the first time in what… months?” Hawke began loosening his tie, draping it over the back of a nearby chair as he unbuttoned his cuffs and popped the top buttons on the bespoke Thad oxford he was wearing, revealing a sliver of tan skin and carefully groomed chest hair. 

“Mmmmm.” Pushing off the wall Jake careened gently into his partner, bringing a hand slowly up and over Hawke’s chest and cupping his cheek, “If you’re going to start a strip tease like that in our front hall you and I are never going to make it to the kitchen to start dinner.” 

Hawke’s low chuckle sent shivers down Jake’s spine as he slowly unbuttoned another button, “Oh this is what does it today? Well, Mr. Conrad. You’re the one with a restaurant empire. I am fairly certain with one phone call we can have a four course meal delivered and left outside so we don’t have to put pants on for the rest of the night….” 

There was an end to the sentence that Jake refused to give Hawke time to finish; lips crushing the rest of the words in their shells. “You know my love language, that’s for sure.” 

Another button and Hawke smoothed a hand under Jake’s shirt and up his stomach, “There’s no rush, my darling. We have all night, Millie and Eli are hosting a sleepover… and I intend to take my time. I think we’ve earned it.” 

Jake had to admit as Hawke began removing his clothing with agonizing slowness that his husband was right. They had earned it, and he intended to take full advantage of every remaining minute they had together.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Jacques Jaujard: the man who saved France’s art

Hitler and the inner circle of his Nazi regime had a wish list of works they planned to plunder from the countries they invaded once World War Two got underway, and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world then and now, was at the top of the list.

It was Jacques Jaujard, director of France's National Museums, who thwarted Hitler's scheme, pulled the wool over the eyes of the collaborationist tools of the Vichy government, and kept the Louvre's contents, including the Mona Lisa, safe for the duration of the war.

After Germany annexed Austria in March of 1938, Jaujard, then deputy director of the National Museums, lost whatever small hope he had that war might be avoided. He knew Britain's policy of appeasement wasn't going to keep the Nazi wolf from the door, and an invasion of France was sure to bring destruction of cultural treasures via bombings, looting, and wholesale theft. So, together with the Louvre's curator of paintings René Huyghe, Jaujard crafted a secret plan to evacuate almost all of the Louvre's art, which included 3600 paintings alone.

Aside from modestly sized works like the Mona Lisa, the pieces they were rescuing included delicate artifacts such as the 4000-year-old Seated Scribe, monumental paintings such as Théodore Géricault's 16-by-24-foot The Raft of the Medusa, and massive statues such as the Winged Victory of Samothrace - which weighs 3 metric tons.

On August 25, 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union announced their Non-Aggression Pact and Jaujard made his move. That day, he closed the Louvre for three days (ostensibly "for repairs") and his meticulous plan went into action. The Louvre staff, students from the École du Louvre, and workers from the Grands Magasins du Louvre department store took paintings out of their frames (when possible) and moved statues and other objects from their displays into wooden crates. All works were labeled with marks indicating their evacuation priority—yellow dots for most of the collection, green dots for the works of major significance, and red dots for the greatest treasures of global patrimony. The Mona Lisa was placed in a custom poplar case cushioned with red velvet. The box was crated up and the crate marked with three red dots, the only work in the entire collection with that rating.

On August 28, 1939, hundreds of trucks organized into convoys carried 1000 crates of ancient artifacts and 268 crates of paintings and more to the Loire Valley, where the splendid châteaux had room to host the art far from likely bombing targets. In just three days, 200 people packed 3600 paintings—plus many more drawings, sculptures, objets d'art, and antiquities—into crates. Giant paintings like The Raft of the Medusa that were too fragile to be removed from their frames and rolled up had to be transported vertically, for which Jaujard secured scenery trailers from the Comédie-Française. The Mona Lisa was transported in an ambulance, on a stretcher with elastic suspension to keep it as safe as possible from jostling.

To keep the Mona Lisa safe from interception, Jaujard made sure there was no indication on the crate of its contents. He gave the painting a code instead, writing the letters "MN" in black, without the department letters or the red number that was the standard packing notation on other crates. Later, he wrote to the curator newly in charge of the piece to let him know which crate the masterpiece was in, and to add "L.P.0" in red to the code on the crate ("LP" stood for "Louvre Paintings"). The Mona Lisa arrived safely at the Château de Chambord, the largest château in the Loire Valley, along with the rest of the Louvre's collection. There, the works would be triaged and split up for transport to other rural châteaux, museums, and abbeys.

Four days later, on September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. On September 3, France declared war on Germany, triggering the evacuation of the final work: the Winged Victory of Samothrace, which by the grace of some higher power and the dedication of the Louvre curators and staff, made it down the steps and into a truck to safety.

In November of 1939, the Mona Lisa was transported from Chambord to the château of Louvigny, the northernmost art depot where the large-format paintings were stored, to keep it out of reach of the advancing German army. The crate was on an ambulance stretcher again, this time in an armored van that was sealed shut to keep the humidity constant. A curator sat next to it in a state of cat-like readiness for the entire trip, and later reported the lack of air circulation almost suffocated him.

Safety was a tenuous concept in wartime France. Jaujard and other officials would juggle logistics and arrange additional moves at great personal risk for the duration of the war to keep France's cultural treasures out of Nazi hands, out of Vichy hands and, working directly with the French Resistance, out of range of Allied bombs. The Mona Lisa would be moved five more times to stay ahead of the maelstrom.

In June of 1940, with the surrender of France imminent and floods of refugees from Belgium, Holland, and northern France clogging the roads south, many of the Louvre's works were moved out of the German-occupied north into what would soon become the southern "free zone" of the puppet Vichy government. The Mona Lisa was sent to the former Cistercian Abbey of Loc-Dieu. It had burned down in 1409 during the Hundred Years' War, and when it was rebuilt in 1470, it was fortified against any such future eventualities.

A fortified abbey in the south of France seemed like a solid choice to protect the Mona Lisa and other masterpieces, but within months, conservators became concerned that the humid environment would damage the paintings. Mona Lisa and friends were moved again, this time even further south to the Musée Ingres in Montauban, 35 miles north of Toulouse. There the Mona Lisa arrived on October 3, 1940, and stayed for just over two years in the former residence of the bishops of Montauban. Calamity almost struck twice: once in December of 1941, when a ceiling beam came loose in the room where the Louvre's works were being stored, and once in August of 1942, when a violent thunderstorm caused massive flooding that penetrated the museum and dampened 69 paintings. The Mona Lisa was not one of them.

But by early 1943, Jaujard feared that the Musée Ingres was no longer safe. Germany had invaded the free zone in November of 1942, and the museum was close to a bridge over the Tarn River that Jaujard knew might make an attractive bombing target. In February 1943, the Mona Lisa was moved again to its final wartime hiding space, the Château de Montal in southwestern France.

Paris was liberated by the Allies on August 25, 1944. On May 8, 1945, Germany unconditionally surrendered and the war in Europe was over. Finally, the Louvre's works began to come back home. The museum had seen some rough treatment during the war: The Germans had kept it open, its galleries mainly empty except for some lesser pieces fished out of storage and boxes of looted artworks from Jewish private collections that were stashed in the museum before transport to Germany. The Louvre was extensively renovated between 1945 and 1946, its galleries opened piecemeal as they were completed. The Mona Lisa returned on June 16, 1945.

Or did it? Between the chaos of war and Jaujard's probable use of period copies of the Mona Lisa as decoys, there remain to this day conflicting reports about where exactly she went and how she made it back. One Austrian museum near the Altaussee salt mine claimed that "the Mona Lisa from Paris" was among "80 wagons of art and cultural objects from across Europe" the Nazis stored in the mine. But the one that returned to the Louvre is far more likely to be real thing, and the one in Altaussee a high-quality copy.

Many people worked very hard for six years to keep the painting in France, and today there's little doubt that the Mona Lisa hanging in the Louvre, encased by bullet-proof glass, is the one painted by Leonardo da Vinci 500 years ago.

As for Jacques Jaujard he was awarded France’s highest civilian honour, the Légion d'honneur and Médaille de la Résistance for his actions during World War II. He carried on his role as a senior government civil servant and died in June 1967. To this day the main entrance of the École du Louvre is also named after him.

[not-close-to-straight]

Love Me Like You Do (Two)(RhodeyTony)

Welcome back to the story! This starts out angsty but ends well and I swear to God idk how this keeps getting longer but also, I’m apologizing for absolutely nothing. There’s like four parts now. Sorry not sorry. 

Also, you can ask to be on the TAG LIST if you want!

MASTERLIST HERE

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

(December 1991)

“Hello?” James stared at his phone screen for a good fifteen seconds before finally answering it. It had been a long day on base and a stressful evening and he’d been asleep for all of two hours and now his damn phone was ringing at one am? Who the hell calls someone at one am? “Hello?” 

“Will you accept the charges for a collect call from--” 

“Wait wait, what?” He sat up in bed and scrubbed at his eyes. “A collect call? Who the hell is calling me collect?” 

“...will you accept the charges for a collect call from--” 

“...um, it’s Tony.” The voice that came through the line was deeper than James remembered, hoarse and raspy and choking through the words. “Rhodey, it’s me.” 

“Tony?” James took a deep breath in, blew it out through his nose. “It’s one am, man. Why are you calling me?” 

“Rhodey.” The phone fuzzed out as if Tony had dropped it, and James caught a muttered curse before Tony came back on. “It’s my-- it’s my parents. Can you-- there was an accident--”

“Shit.” 

“I know it’s been a long time--” Tony was crying now, and James was already up and out of bed, fumbling around for socks and his pants, digging through his laundry for a mostly clean shirt. “-- The police called me-- Rhodey can you come? I don’t-- I don’t have anyone else to call.” 

“Where are you, Tony?” James snatched his keys and ran out the door, barely taking time to lock it as he went. “Are you at the California house?” 

“New York.” 

“It’s going to take me a few hours, alright? Stay put and don’t--” James tried to gentle his tone. “Tony, don’t take anything alright?” 

“Don’t hang up.” 

“I won’t hang up.” 

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

It had been a year and a half since James had been to the New York house, and he thought about knocking on the door or at least ringing the doorbell, but a steady parade of police officers were walking in and out so he just slipped in as well, ducking around anyone in his way and trying to get up the stairs. 

“Tones?” They’d been on the phone for the entire drive and Tony hadn’t said anything for most of it, but every few minutes he’d asked, “Rhodey?” and James had reminded him that he was there, that he was coming, that Tony just needed to hold on for another minute. 

“...Tony.” James stopped when he found Tony upstairs in Howard’s office, slumped in the oversized desk chair, staring down at what James had to assume was cocaine lined out on the beautiful surface. “Hey man, I-- I made it.” 

“Hey.” Tony looked up and offered up a painful smile. “I thought you weren’t coming.” 

“I told you I would.” 

“Yeah, but if I were you, I wouldn’t have come.” Tony shrugged and went back to staring at the desk. “I wouldn’t have showed up to help my old room mate.” 

“You know damn well you’re more than just my old room mate.” James didn’t really know what to do with the drugs, so he avoided them all together and turned the chair so Tony was facing him, kneeling down on the floor and holding Tony’s limp hands tightly. “There’s no way in hell I wouldn’t be here if you needed me.” 

“God.” Tony swayed forward, pushed their foreheads together. “Rhodey. No one has ever loved me like you do.” 

“Tony--” 

“Stay with me.” Tony’s arms went around James’s neck, tears dripping off his cheeks and wetting his shirt. “Please stay with me. I can’t-- I don’t want to--” he shook his head and held on tighter. “I don’t know what to do or--or how to deal with this. Stay with me.”  

Tony’s frame was too slight in James’s arms, his collarbone too pronounced and skin too pale as James carried him to bed and when Tony reached for him, James kicked off his shoes and slid under the blankets as well. 

“I can’t believe you actually came after I treated you so bad.” Tony mumbled, curling in James’s chest and starting to shiver. “You’re all I have left now. I’m sorry I pushed you away. Sorry I ruined it. We were so good and I ruined it. I’m sorry I--” 

“Hey, don’t do that.” James swallowed back a wash of grief, of regret. “You don’t have anything to be sorry, just hush now. In the morning things will seem-- I don’t know how they’ll seem, but it can wait. We’ll talk in the morning.” 

“No listen. Rhodey, I’m sorry. I don’t have anyone now and I pushed you away and that was so stupid and--”

“Stop that.” James held him tighter. “None of that matters, Tones. You’re not just my old room mate, you’re my best friend. Not going to let a fight from years ago ruin it, alright? Stop it.” 

“No one’s ever loved me like you do, Rhodey. I need this sort of love.” 

“Shhh.” Rhodey lay a careful kiss on Tony’s forehead, knowing better than to put too much stock into Tony’s words, knowing it was coming from soul deep grief and loneliness and loss. “I’m here, Tony. We’ll talk in the morning when things are clearer, okay?” 

“You’ll stay?” 

“I’ll stay.”   

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

“I want you here more.” Tony said days later, over his first real meal in a long time, eating the noodles off his plate and starting on the rice on James’s plate as well. “I want you here all the time. I miss you.” 

“I can’t be here all the time.” James said patiently, too relieved to see Tony eating to fuss about the kid stealing all his food. “But I’ll be here when I can. When you need me. And I miss you too. But Tony?” 

He waited until Tony looked up, his heart squeezing over the uncertainty in Tony’s expression. “No more drugs.” 

“But--” 

“No more drugs.” he repeated. “You have terrible coping skills and they’ve only gotten worse since college. I’d never tell you how to grieve but I’m also not going to sit here and watch you kill yourself.” 

“No drugs.” Tony repeated after a minute. “You know I’ll have to find other terrible coping skills? Ill start gambling, serial dating, spending money recklessly. I will buy the biggest building in New York and put my name on it just to be obnoxious. I swear I will.” 

“Those are all fine.” James reached for Tony’s hand and Tony slumped in relief over the physical contact, his eyes falling shut and shoulders dropping. “No drugs.” 

“You’ll stay?” 

“I’ll stay.” 

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

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

(1997)

Tony Stark had the worst coping skills in the history of ever, but he hadn’t touched anything other than alcohol in six years and it was a point of personal pride that he could text Rhodey every December and announce another year clean. 

That personal victory aside, Tony spent every spare minute becoming the ultimate personification of billionaire playboy and the tabloids loved it. Talk show hosts had plenty to gossip about and entertainment programs always had a spot about whatever the hell the Stark boy was doing now, and the public ate it up so Tony kept the antics coming. 

He dated shockingly beautiful women--  super models and princesses from far off countries, up and coming movie stars and pop stars-- and every time he was asked if he liked men as well, Tony only waggled his eyebrows and made a comment about having a type and set the rumours ablaze for another few weeks. 

The genius part took a little bit longer to come around, with Tony needing a few years before he felt ready to step into Howard’s shoes, but with the guiding help of Obadiah Stane, now Stark Industries was changing the world with their weapons, with their state of the art tech, with their genetically modified crops that were turning the tide against hunger and Tony had a wall full of awards for his achievements. 

Not that he cared of course. Awards were just trinkets and groupies were just entertainment and all the money was handed over to the board to handle as long as Tony had enough to spend as recklessly as he’d threatened all those years ago. 

He wasn’t fine, but he was coping and James was proud of him. 

“You made the headlines again.” James held up the newspaper as he sauntered into Tony’s garage, and the brunette popped up from beneath one of his cars with a big smile. 

“Honeybear!” 

“It’s been liked twelve years, Tones, let’s retire the nickname.” James groused, but he opened his arms when Tony wrapped him in a hug, holding his friend closer for longer than was strictly necessary, tighter than was strictly necessary and it was fine because Tony held him just as tight for just as long. 

They parted and Tony kissed his cheek, just like he did every time they saw each other and James squashed the urge to pull him back for a real one. 

They didn’t do that sort of thing very much anymore, not in years. Not since James had spent two weeks in New York after Maria and Howard had passed and on the last night Tony had gotten too drunk to even stand, pressing sloppy kisses to James’s mouth and clinging to him in bed because he needed-- he needed-- and James had kissed him back, over and over and over. 

But he had been careful not to let his hands wander, and he hadn’t let Tony’s hands wander and when the kisses had slowed, James had spooned Tony up tight to his chest and held him all night long and that had been that. 

Now it had been several years and only a few kisses since then, and they were best friends. 

Tony dragged him along to more parties and beaches than he could count, and James dragged him to church and baseball games and made sure he showed up at awards ceremonies. James was well on his way to being a Colonel and Stark Industries had already put in the request for him to be their official liason to the Air Force. 

James had given up keeping track of whichever beauty Tony was out with that week and Tony refused to give up on trying to get James dating. Birthdays involved trips back to Ma Rhodey’s house for comfort food and cheesy presents and holidays were split between the New York house and the monstrosity in Malibu Tony was so proud of. 

It wasn’t cramming for finals in college or scarfing down cold pizza in the middle of the night but it was fun and it was them and Tony was a disaster but he was James’s disaster and that’s all that mattered. 

“You’re coming to my birthday, right?” Tony tossed a greasy rag at James, and he batted it out of the air before it could stain his uniform. “I’m thinking Dubai this year.” 

“Dubai.” James repeated incredulously. “Tony, I can’t go to Dubai.” 

“And why the hell not?” 

“Because I have a job and a life and an intense fear of being with you in super tall buildings.” He said dryly and Tony cracked up laughing. “Yeah, remember Chicago? I’m not doing that again, and definitely not in a foreign country. Absolutely not.” 

“I’ll miss you, Rhodey.” Tony frowned a little. “But we’ll go home for pork chops when I get back, right?”

“As soon as I get a weekend free.” James promised, then stripped out of his jacket and lay it over the closest generally clean surface he could find. “Do you need some help with that engine?” 

“No, but you can watch a genius at work.” Tony snarked and James just grinned and joined him beneath the car. 

That night they shared a few beers and Tony finished his fourth and leaned over to kiss James as sweetly as he could, licking the taste of beer from his best friends lips and James kissed him right back, fitting his hand to the back of Tony’s neck for a long minute before starting to lean away. 

“Not yet, don’t let go yet.” Tony whispered, and then his tongue slid into James’s mouth and they both groaned, and James sifted his fingers through Tony’s hair to tug him closer, dragging the kiss out until they were both panting and it was time to stop.  

“You’ll stay?” Tony asked, brown eyes melting warm and mouth swollen. “You know where the guest bedroom is... unless you want to stay with me.” 

“I’ll see you in the morning, Tones.” James said and Tony nodded, because they never slept in the same bed after drinking and kissing and he hadn’t expected Rhodey to say yes. 

But he pressed close again before they went to bed, sighing when Rhodey’s hands landed at his waist and slid just an inch lower. 

“Rhodey--” 

“I expect you to have coffee waiting for me.” Was all James said and the kiss Tony gave him was soft and sweet and good night and he went to bed with a smile on his face. 

The tabloids and talk show hosts and bloggers all wondered if Tony Stark dated men and if he had a type but James never wondered.

He never wondered at all.

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

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

(2000)

“You haven’t spent a birthday with me in three years.” Tony was upset, his jaw clenched and arms folded and his new assistant Ms. Potts looked distinctly uncomfortable with the entire exchange. “Three years, Rhodey. You worked through yours and we barely got a phone call and we missed Christmas--” 

“Your fault.” James interrupted. “Miss Switzerland--” 

“--Austria--” 

“--wanted to celebrate with her family.” Tony finished, and then grimaced. “Yeah, my bad on that one. But this is my thirtieth birthday.” 

“I’m a colonel now, Tones.” James tapped his uniform. “Full bird. I can’t fuck off to Vegas for an entire week because you’re turning thirty. Why don’t we do something together when you get back? I have some leave coming up in a few months we could go to--” 

“What if we go tonight?” Tony cut in, and James raised an eyebrow at the note of desperation in his friends voice. “I can take off a day early. The party doesn’t officially start until tomorrow night and you and I could fly in and get a suite tonight and just-- just hang out. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. I just want-- can’t we just hang out?” 

He pointed to his new assistant. “Um, um um, it’s Potts, right? Ms. Potts? Can you make that happen? I need the jet and a suite for tonight on the strip.” 

“Absolutely Mr. Stark, I’ll get right on that.” the red head sent James a smile. “Colonel Rhodes?” 

James hesitated, but when Tony’s expression shuttered and fell away, he nodded. “I have paperwork to do on the jet, okay? Tony? I have to do some paperwork on the flight. But other than that, I’m good. You’re right, its been a long time since we hung out and I shouldn’t be missing your birthday.” 

“Okay.” Tony didn’t bother tempering his smile and James felt a flash of guilt over being so busy lately. Between his promotion and new responsibilities and Tony developing more patents than his research and development team could handle, they’d only managed dinner together twice in the last year, and only a handful of times in the year before that. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d crashed in the guestroom or the last time they had gotten drunk and kissed or--

“I’ll let you do paperwork.” Tony’s eyes were shining now and James felt that familiar twist in his stomach, the nervousness and anticipation for a night with Tony that he’d felt since-- well since that first time he’d let himself kiss Tony, when Tony had tasted like blackberry schnapps and James had laughed off how badly the kiss had affected him. 

He’d been laughing that sort of thing off for fifteen years now and it hadn’t gotten any easier. 

“I’m serious, though.” was all he said, unable to stop his grin when Tony scrunched his nose in excitement. “Paperwork and then one night, Tones. Some of us have to work for a living.” 

“Boring.” Tony scoffed. “Just retire, Honeybear. I’ll be your sugardaddy. 

“My god there are some terrible things wrong with that sentence.” James said flatly and Tony laughed all over again. 

“Ms. Potts.” he inclined his head to the pretty assistant and she smiled back with a, “Honeybear.” and in the background Tony cackled loud enough to be heard even over the music. 

“Oh good.” James muttered. “I’m so glad that’s catching on.”

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

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

(Vegas)

James got his paperwork done and no more than a split second later Tony was pushing a drink into his hand and it was just the first of more than James could count as the night went on. 

Vegas had a hundred places to be and a thousand places to go and a hundred thousand people packed into all the spaces and Tony dragged James everywhere-- strip clubs and bars and pool parties and into a movie theater for just a minute before he was bored and wanted to leave. They won and lost a stupid amount of money at a poker table and Tony bought a round of shots for an entire night club and at one point, picture evidence proved James had gotten up on a table and dance but he would deny it for the rest of his life. 

It was four am by the time James got them steered back towards the hotel and the elevator ride to the top floor was spent looking at pictures on the phone and already contemplating if room service would deliver to a penthouse and when the doors opened and they spilled out into the suite, Tony went right to the balcony to stare out at the city. 

“Here.” James passed him a candy bar and Tony tore into it with a moan that bordered on indecent, so James recorded it just to have something awkward to send Tony during his next board meeting. 

“Look at this.” Tony threw his arms out wide and accidentally flung the rest of the candy bar over the railing and James laughed until he cried. “Look at all of this! All these lights! There’s got to be a billion lights out here!” 

Then Tony tipped his head back to stare at the sky and the stars straining to compete with the Vegas spotlights and added, “Look at all the stars. I’ve always wanted to know all the stars, Rhodey. One day I’m going to fly into space and count them all and I want you to go with me.” 

James should have said something quippy just then about how it was adorable that Tony got all wishful when he was drunk, or at least said something half way intelligent about how the stars couldn’t be counted, or even something snarky about how he wouldn’t trust Tony not to tinker with the space shuttle and doom them all -- he should have said something. 

Instead he thought that Tony’s eyes were bright enough to outshine the lights and outshine the stars and that he’d be content to count Tony’s lashes and the dusting of freckles he always pretended weren’t there. 

But James didn’t say that either. 

He reached for Tony though, hooked their fingers together and drew him in and Tony’s breath hitched just a little bit before their mouths met, his hands already coming up to grip at James’s biceps, their chests brushing as they moved closer and then closer again. 

“Well hey, happy birthday to me.” Tony grinned when they parted. “Thirty is looking great.” 

James smiled too, but he didn’t pull away and Tony was already moving in for another and this time James turned so he was leaning against the rail and Tony was leaning against him. 

“No, not yet, don’t let go yet.” he whispered when Tony started to back away and James had never said that, not in fifteen years of friendship, not in fifteen years of occasional kisses so Tony didn’t hesitate to come again for more and James gave it to him. 

They’d never done this, not like this, not together, not with James backing Tony towards the suite, towards the bedroom and Tony tearing at James’s shirt to get to skin. They’d never fallen into bed together when James hit the pillows first and Tony scrambled to straddle his thighs, their kisses full of teeth and tongue and moans and curses and fingers gripping tight enough to leave bruises. 

James had never thrown Tony’s belt across the room and Tony had never been so breathless at a first touch and when James ran his hands over Tony’s side and around to his rear and down the back of his legs, Tony arched his back and whispered please and he’d said that a lot in their fifteen years but he’d never said it like that. 

They were woefully unprepared-- neither had planned even if both had always wanted but after waiting so long it was more than enough to use hands and mouths, for Tony to slick the inside of his thighs and cross his ankles and for James to lift Tony’s legs to his shoulder and fit his cock into the tight space. That way he could thrust into slick and warm and stroke Tony at the same time and it would have been easier and smoother if Tony hadn’t kept dragging him down for kiss after kiss after mind blanking, heart skipping, kiss but they didn’t care. 

They didn’t care. 

“Why did it take us this long to do this sort of thing?” Tony’s smile was lazy and loopy when James came back with a wash cloth to clean him up. “I need this sort of love, Rhodey. Fifteen years and no one has ever loved me like you.”

“Yeah well there’s a reason for that.” James gave himself only a cursory wipe down before snagging Tony right back into his arms and covering his mouth in a satisfied if not hesitant kiss. “Do we-- do we need to talk about this, Tones? This was a big step, do we need to talk through some things?” 

“In the morning.” Tony had no shame, no shyness, pressing his naked body tight against his Rhodey and not caring that they were sticky and sweaty and had drank way too much. “We can talk in the morning.” 

“Suns gonna be up in a few hours.” James pointed out and Tony muttered a sleepy yet threatening, “If you wake me up to talk in a few hours I will kill you. Don’t you test me, Colonel.”

“Yeah, yeah.” James closed his eyes to try and get at least a little sleep, but just as he was drifting off, Tony whispered--

“What’s the reason no one loves me like you, Rhodey? You said there’s a reason, what’s the reason?” 

“Go to sleep or I will put you to sleep.” James wrestled them over in bed so Tony’s back was tucked to his chest. “We’ll talk in the morning.” 

“Sun’s gonna be up in a--” 

“Don’t test me, Tones. I’m a Colonel now.” 

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

They slept until two in the afternoon and Tony woke up first, sprinting out of bed naked to get to the shower first, shouting about taking all the hot water while James lay in bed and laughed about it. 

There had been many a morning in college that Tony had in fact used all the hot water and had to deal with a petulant room mate for a full day, but those days were long over. James didn’t think high roller penthouse suites had a limit of hot water, so Tony could take as long a shower as he wanted. 

James was tempted to join him, so tempted to join him, but the sun was shining and the world was awake and the things done under the stars didn’t need to be pursued in the day, so he dragged on a pair of shorts and just waited. 

Tony’s eyes flickered maybe in disappointment, maybe in understanding when he finally got out of the shower, but he didn’t say anything and neither did James. 

And closer to dinner time when James absolutely had to go, Tony rode down in the elevator with him, reaching for his hand in about the shyest gesture James had ever seen, and it was so sweet and new it nearly made his heart ache. 

“Have a good birthday, Tones.” He murmured, brushing a kiss over Tony’s knuckles and watching a surprised blush spread over his friends face. “Sorry I can’t be here for more of it.” 

“I’m just glad you were here for this part.” Tony whispered. “Really glad.” 

Their hands fell apart and Tony took a step away when the elevator started to slow. 

They could already hear the murmur of voices outside in the lobby, no doubt piles of paparazzi and groupies and the hundred or so people Tony had invited to his nearly week long birthday party in Vegas and James knew it would be a long time before he heard from Tony at all, and even longer before he had a chance to have even a fraction of a moment like this again. 

So right before the elevator doors dinged and slid open, right before Tony reached for his sunglasses and pasted that signature smile on, James bent down and kissed him one last time, one soft press of lips and softer sigh and Tony blurted--

“Will you call me tomorrow?” 

“Will you be sober tomorrow?” 

“...yes?” 

“No you won’t.” James shook his head and grinned. “But I’ll call you anyway, alright? We’ll talk in the morning.” 

“I love you.” Tony said then, but the doors were opening and reporters were swarming and cameras were clicking and James’s reply was lost in the noise. 

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

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

SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE FIC!

[aceandaroacts]

On Being a Happy Family of One

[This month, I'm hosting the Carnival of Aces, a blogging festival where participants respond to a topic. The topic I've chosen for this month is "Conscious and Unconscious Differences". You can see the other submissions and join in here!]

Considering the experiences you’ve had that are tied to your asexuality, how have they made you stronger?

Hi! I'm aceandaroacts. If you met me in real life, I'd introduce myself as a coder of custom software and grandma-at-heart. But this is the internet!

The most important thing to know about me is not the things I've built, places I've gone, or the experiences I've overcome. It's my attitude: "I can do this!"

When I first started thinking about topics to write about for this month's Carnival of Aces, I was torn between several ideas. I love fashion. I understand none of it, and never know what I'm doing, but I have fun with it and am trying to figure out how to be more... visible? as one of the few agender people at my company. I also have a cool history with being forced to dress like a Gothic nun half my life and building cosplays and cool Halloween costumes in the present half. But that felt a little too intersectional, and might not be as useful from an academic lens.

I thought about cryptography, clandestine communication, and the obsession with language and selective secrecy I had as a kid, and how that connects to a lot of ace symbols - the black ring on the middle finger, ace cards, cake, dragons... and how I wound up spending two months and hundreds of hours consuming all the ace content I could find, because words and language and symbols are so important!

And I thought about my life; how it compares to the default narrative, and how I'm going about building my own.

This month's theme is conscious and unconscious differences. Unconscious, as in automatic, or as in: before I knew I was asexual. Conscious, as in: intentional. It's broad enough to wrap around all the above, but specific enough in the "how does this make you stronger" bit that I think we'll still see some cool patterns and strengths arise that help to establish our own narrative tropes.

I bought "unsexy" conservative outfits before I know I was asexual. I avoided people that showed too much interest in me automatically. I unconsciously avoided conversations about dating, sex, attraction, and masturbation with friends by walking away or changing the topic. My favorite colors have always been purple, silver, black, and white. Strategy games were my favorite. I'd obsess over characters that were mysterious, building all kinds of different backstories and futures for them in my head. I never had sleepovers, and didn't understand why people would want them. I was the "lone wolf" in my friend groups - a drifter that got along pretty well with all kinds of people, but ultimately did whatever they wanted with or without company. Around 60% of my friends were adults; I had great relationships with the teachers and staff members at my school, and I knew all the local librarians by name. The gender split of my friend group was always pretty close to 50-50, and populated with extremely different perspectives - punk anarchists, exchange students, female football players, native american sci-fi enthusiasts, anorexic wrestlers, etc. I loved words, loved codes and ciphers, loved fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and music with lyrics. I avoided drama like the plague. I had a very unstable home life, and moved locations almost every year. Home only extended as far as to the skin on my body. I never dreamed about weddings or fancy houses or kids (or even pets!). P.E. (Physical Education) was the worst - I felt uncomfortable in the dressing rooms, so I would arrive early before people started undressing and would change in the restrooms so I would have privacy and avoid seeing naked people as much as possible. I never obsessed over my body - I could go for months at a time without looking in a mirror. My reputation was based on my academics and random hobbies, not my looks or relationships. People sought me out as a mentor and constantly told me I was "mature" and "an old soul". When fights broke out, people looked to me as a fair and impartial judge of the situation, and respected whatever verdict I reached. It felt a lot like being a Buddha!

Realizing I was asexual didn't change much of that, but it did cause me to face choices head-on: would I try to find a partner, or not? Would I try to live with other roommates, or not? Would I try to be attractive, or not? Would I go to bars to make friends, or not? Would I worry about having a weak social network, or not? Would I want to live in a retirement community, or not? Would I want kids around, or not? What would my milestones in life be? How would I fulfill my human need to be social? Who would I trust to take care of me in an emergency?

I'm estranged from my birth family. I'm asexual, aromantic, agender, touch-averse, romance-repulsed, sex-repulsed, and introverted as can be. I tried dating and was so miserable that I wound up finding asexuality because of it in the first place. I don't trust myself to be a parent since my own parents screwed up so badly that it left me with three mental illnesses and a decade's worth of unwinding bad life lessons. So I'm in a fun position!

The "normal" life journey story goes like this: You grow up with two loving biological parents, get your education, graduate, get further training or education via school or a first job, find your partner in life, get into a steady career, get married and live together, have kids, raise those kids, watch them get their education and jobs and move away, then retire and die at an old age. My life only has the education and job bits (retirement? in this economy? die old? on this polluted planet?). I'm not going to look for a lifelong partner. I'm not having kids or adopting. There's a whole lot of white space where everyone else has milestones, and I've consciously accepted that as okay. I'm a family of one, and it's great!

The first milestones I set for myself were to find good roommates, help out fellow child abuse survivors, and own a home. I've achieved them! My next milestone is to do something big and artsy that makes a decent amount of people happy. I have no idea what it will be, yet - right now I've been doing lots of little things: teaching workshops, building costumes, painting, home renovation projects. I'm gonna try being in a music band this year. The milestone after that will be to have a big impact via a community-service type initiative. There's a woman in my city that created an LGBTQ homeless shelter that's an actual home-like environment (seasonal housing with free counseling, job training, stocked pantry, etc. aimed at guiding people to independence and self-sufficiency) which I thought was really cool, and I'd like to do something that's on a similar scale. After that, who knows? Maybe publish a book instead of writing 12 of them and letting them collect dust? Maybe run a small rainbow-themed cafe that makes fancy desserts? So many possibilities!

It's exactly these differences that bleed into my strengths. I'm super independent/self-motivated/self-directed, because I've had to be to survive. I excel at navigating uncertainty, ambiguity, assessing risks, and forecasting outcomes and trends, because my life has a lot of uncertainty and risk compared to the average population. I'm quick to pick up on communication styles and tailor my messages accordingly, because I've had to be mindful about it when navigating my parents and people that developed crushes on me and/or became stalkers. My superpower at work is my ability to dodge all of the politics at play and get everyone on board with factually beneficial solutions (so I still come across as an objective party vs someone playing favorites or only looking out for themselves). People have faith that I'm an expert in all things IT, even when I mess up, because I ask good questions and make fewer assumptions. (I assumed I was cis for 22 years and surprise! I was wrong. Anyone can be wrong. Especially if they are never forced to think about the thing!) I'm great at organizing live events - I plan multiple award shows and get-togethers. I also run an ace & aro meetup in my city! (The experience of being isolated will make an organizer out of you real quick!) People seek me out as a mentor and coach at work because I'm already satisfied with my life and who I am, and I genuinely want to help others without expecting anything in return. I intentionally stay in touch with and work to expand my friend group, which means I have a great professional network of actual friends that I find interesting and fun to be around, and not just LinkedIn faces. If I weren't ace, I wouldn't be doing that. And if I still didn't know I was ace, I wouldn't be doing it half as much as I do now - when you really focus on it, it's so worth it!

So, yeah. Asexuality is a part of me, and it's great. How does your identit(y/ies) make you great?

[goldstarnation]

AUGUST 2019 GOLD STAR MEDIA SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn 3 points each (up to 6 points) for writing, by the end of August 31 KST September 7 KST:

A solo para of 400+ words based on their monthly schedule (does not count toward your monthly total).

A thread of six posts (three per participant, including the starter) based on their monthly schedule.

Threads do not have to take place directly during an important date listed on the schedule, but must be related to what the muse is mentioned to be doing in the paragraph explaining their schedule/the company’s schedule for the month and/or their thoughts on the mentioned activities or lack thereof.

These schedules may be updated throughout the month if new information needs to be added.

Overall Company

Their company concerts have finally come up at the end of the month after lots of rehearsal. They concerts are a big deal since they’re being held at the biggest venue in the country, one only Origin out of the entire company’s roster have ever held a concert at. Other than a ploy to lift third quarter profits, they’re a clear showcase of Gold Star’s status within the industry, so it’s expected that all idols will be perfectly prepared and the show will go off without a hitch.

Important dates

August 30 & 31: Gold Star Nation 10th Anniversary concerts at Seoul Olympic Stadium. (more details to be announced through an event!)

Gold Star Soloist 1

Album preparations take a back seat this month in order to use her wide appeal to bring in people who aren’t dedicated fans of any particular Gold Star artist to the company concert. She’ll take the lead as a host of behind the scenes videos for the concert again by being tasked with checking in with each act backstage during the concerts on video, once again taking on the role of a “caring senior”. She’ll also be doing fan outreach this month to reassure her restless fans that new work from her is coming soon with a specifically scheduled Q&A on her fancafe (reference of general tone, although the questions and answers don’t need to be assumed to be the same!).

Important dates:

August 13: Fancafe Q&A session.

Gold Star Soloist 2

She’s busy at work this month with concert rehearsals for next month and studio recording for her album. She’s been given permission to announce that she’s been confirmed for a full album comeback, which she’ll be doing on a radio guesting on August 24. She’ll do a radio guesting again a few days later on Arirang radio with Gold Star Soloist 3 where they’ll discuss his recent comeback and her approaching one and she’ll get the chance to make sure her English-speaking fans have also heard the news of her return.

Important dates:

August 24: Guesting on SBS Power FM

August 29: Guesting on Arirang Radio (with Gold Star Soloist 3).

Gold Star Soloist 3

His comeback is in the second half of the month, so for the first half, he films the music video and makes sure he’s got the choreography down. As Gold Star likes to do when they’re pushing for general public reception or when they’re promoting an artist that relies more on public streaming than fandom like Gold Star Soloist 3, he’ll get a radio push alongside music show promotions to reach out to both his domestic and international fans. Of note, he’ll be guesting alongside Gold Star Soloist 2 for one of his Arirang Radio appearances to promote his recent comeback and her recently announced one.

Important dates:

August 6: Runaway MV filming day one.

August 7: Runaway MV filming day two.

August 21: Release of “Runaway” single, promotions continue until September 21.

August 22: Guesting on Arirang Radio.

August 25: Guesting on SBS Power FM.

August 27: Guesting on MBC FM4U.

August 29: Guesting on Arirang Radio (with Gold Star Soloist 2).

Silhouette

Members begin recording for their upcoming mini-album this month, which is what most of their schedules consist of this month other than company concert rehearsals while the company brings in profits from their Japanese album coming out this month. Silhouette has also been selected to perform their singles “I Love You”, “DDD”, “Up & Down”, and “Hush” in a special show for the nation’s armed forces alongside some of the other popular senior girl groups in the industry.

Important dates:

August 14: Release of Japanese album Trouble.

August 18: Performance at K-Force Special Show (also performing: Lipstick, BEE, and Aria)

Aria

Aria will finish filming their Aria’s Parallel Universe series this month and it will begin to be released online for fans after they finish their music show promotions of Wag-Zak to keep fan attention. They have a number of performance and filming schedules for the rest of the month, and they’ve been internally confirmed to hold Seoul concerts in the fourth quarter of the year, so the members will have some early conceptual meetings about that and be expected to brush up on choreography that may make the set list. Aria has also been selected to perform some of their singles, “Wag-Zak”, “Ah-Choo”, “Mr. Chu”, and “I’m So Sick”, in a special show for the nation’s armed forces alongside some of the other popular senior girl groups in the industry.

Important dates:

August 7: End of music show promotions.

August 12: Idol Star Athletics Championships filming (also attending: Lucid, 7ROPHY, WISH, Fuse, Unity, and Knight, to air in September).

August 16: Performance at 2019 K-World Festa at Olympic Park KSPO Dome (also performing: Fuse, Alien, 7ROPHY, and Element). 

August 18: Performance at K-Force Special Show (also performing: Lipstick, BEE, and Silhouette).

August 22: Soribada Best K-Music Awards at Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul (also attending: 7ROPHY, Unity, MARS, and Fuse).

Origin

Origin takes off again at the beginning of the month for their Osaka concerts, then return to Seoul to continue Origin World filming. Not all members will be filming every day, but the filming schedule is jam-packed and there’s very little time allotted for filming taking longer than expected. After they finish the second pair of Japanese concerts of the month, it’s just more filming of a different kind for the members as they take a “vacation” in Malta to film a VLive series of the members bonding and “resting”. Once they come back, the members go into final Gold Star Nation concert rehearsals along with comeback prep for their new album.

Important dates:

August 3: Speak Yourself Stadium Tour concert at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, Japan.

August 4: Speak Yourself Stadium Tour concert at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, Japan.

August 6-15: Origin World and “Heartbeat” MV filming.

August 11: Performance at Lotte Duty Free Family Concert (also performing: WISH).

August 17: Speak Yourself Stadium Tour concert at Shizuoka Stadium in Shizuoka, Japan.

August 18: Speak Yourself Stadium Tour concert at Shizuoka Stadium in Shizuoka, Japan.

August 19-26: Bon Voyage VLive series filming in Malta.

Impulse

Release of a new album and comeback means music show promotions as well as constant fan signs and an appearance on Idol Room. Despite the pressure that’s been put on Impulse, Gold Star isn’t packing promotion schedules too densely this comeback in order to prioritize tour preparation, since that will be the group’s real moneymaking endeavor this year. The members will be rehearsing songs, particularly ones that will be given remix versions for the tour, and doing promotional photo shoots for the tour in between Eclipse’s promotions.

Important dates:

August 5: Release of “Eclipse” & Spinning Top album showcase, promotions continue until September 5.

August 7: Idol Room filming (to air August 13).

August 10: Fan sign in Mokdong, Seoul.

August 16: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

August 17: Fan sign in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul.

August 18: Fan sign in Jongno, Seoul.

August 24: Fan sign in Seocho, Seoul.

August 25: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

Fuse

Music show promotions continue and the reception seems to be better than it was for “RBB (Really Bad Boy)”, if going off of music show wins, at least. Fan and public opinion still seems to be split and it doesn’t look like “Zimzalabim” will be in the running for song of the summer, but since Femme Fatale’s song did better than anticipated, Gold Star doesn’t seem to be laying into Fuse for it. They’ve been booked for a Weekly idol episode with the theme of female idols across different companies and generations. The day they end music show promotions, Fuse will also be hosting their fifth anniversary fan meeting, a one day event they’ll be preparing for throughout the rest of the month.

*Reminder: All members must be moved out of their dorm by the end of the month.

Important dates:

August 6: Milkshake MV filming.

August 7: Performance at the 17th Girl Scout International Camp at World Jamboree Center in Goseong.

August 8: Filming of Weekly Idol episode (also appearing: BC Soloist 1 and Gal.actic, to air August 14). 

August 12: Idol Star Athletics Championships filming (also attending: Lucid, 7ROPHY, Aria, WISH, Unity, and Knight, to air in September).

August 16: Performance at 2019 K-World Festa at Olympic Park KSPO Dome (also performing: Aria, Alien, 7ROPHY, and Element).

August 22: Soribada Best K-Music Awards at Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul (also attending: 7ROPHY, Aria, MARS, and Unity).

August 24: End of music show promotions.

August 24: Inter-Fuse Vol. 5 5th anniversary fanmeeting at Olympic Hall.

Element

Management has been at work concocting new marketing for Element to help get them out of the shadow of Femme Fatale, their same year debut juniors. In addition to their Seoul concert and a festival performance, Element has been pushed toward a focus of continued online outreach, though it expands beyond their faithful VLives this month. First, they’ll be doing an Ask Me Anything on a Kpop-dedicated Reddit board, which will be filmed and uploaded online afterward. There will be a translator present to translate their answers to English when necessary and all answers will need to be approved by management first. The following week, they’ll film two videos reaching out to their Spanish-speaking fans, a demographic that Gold Star knows is one of their strengths, by filming a video where they try to perform their latest single “Bomb Bomb” in Spanish and a video where they compete at a Spanish vocabulary guessing game (Admin note: Ignore the teams in the video. The teams for Element will be main dancer/lead rapper and main vocal vs. main rapper/lead dancer and maknae/lead vocal/lead dancer. Main dancer/lead rapper and main vocal will win).

Important dates:

August 10: 4lement In Seoul concert at Sogang University in Seoul.

August 16: Performance at 2019 K-World Festa at Olympic Park KSPO Dome (also performing: Aria, Alien, 7ROPHY, and Fuse).

August 23: r/kpop AMA filming.

August 25: Performance at 2019 K-Asia Festival in Incheon (also performing: Decipher and 7ROPHY).

August 28: “Element Masters Spanish” filming and “Try-lingual Live” filming.

Femme Fatale

Now that music show promotions have ended, Femme Fatale turns their sights on preparations for their first ever tour, an arena tour in Japan beginning next month, to really prove that their moneymaking capabilities for the company extend beyond the CFs they’ve been raking in (like the Adidas Originals one they’re booked for this month). Amidst company concert rehearsals, they’ll also be deep in rehearsals and stage costume fittings for their own concerts, the setlist of which will include a solo stage for each member and two group covers to bulk out their current discography. The members will be asked for input on desired concepts, genres, and songs for their solo stages, but ultimately Gold Star will have the final word on what stages they do in order to keep Femme Fatale’s conceptual direction in check for their first major concerts. (Admin note: This means it’s up to the mun whether they had enough say to have chosen their own song(s) or whether management ultimately decided the muse’s songs against their input.) The solo stages are as follows:

Main rapper/lead vocal - Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You - (pt. 2)

Main vocal/lead dancer - Eyes Closed / Eyes, Nose, Lips

Maknae/main dancer/lead rapper - Lemon / Faded / Attention

Lead vocal - Sakurairomaukoro 

Members will also be in more intensive Japanese lessons this month in preparation for the tour.

Important dates:

August 10: Adidas Original CF filming.

August 17: Performance at A-Nation 2019 in Osaka, Japan.

[pjnknim]

Best friend!Mark

Genre: fluff? i think so lol

Word count: 2k

Warnings: none

Authors note: Hi! This is my first story i’ve written on here so it may be a little messy or bad. I hope you enjoy anyways though. Don’t be afraid to write back to me and give me constructive criticism, I only want to get better. Thank you!

At the hotel you’re staying at, you help your bestfriend Mark get prepared for the Grammys that he’s attending along with the rest of the members from nct 127. 

“y/n we gotta leave soon, we can’t be late” Mark says. 

Being so focused in on getting a part of his hair right you don’t say anything in response until seconds later. 

“Im FINALLY finished. Stand up and look, I think you’ll like it.”

Mark gets up to look in the mirror, “yes! this is the exact look I was going for” he says. 

You smile a beautiful smile and say “i'm glad-” you’re then cut off by Mark squishing your cheeks.

“What was that for?” you say chuckling.

“I don’t know, your cheeks are just super squishy and cute” he says smiling.

For the longest time you’ve had a huge crush on Mark and whenever he does or says things like this it makes you wonder if he has any interest in being more than a friend with you.

“Ok ok weirdo, let's head downstairs and meet with the others.” You both head downstairs to the lobby where the rest of the members are waiting patiently.

You see Haechan and Taeil over to the side singing quietly, Yuta resting on Winwin’s shoulder, Johnny and Jaehyun goofing around, making lame jokes with each other, Taeyong, Doyoung, and Jungwoo practicing their choreography. Everyone seems to be doing something. They see you and Mark come down the hallway and their faces light up knowing that they’ll be heading to the Grammy’s now. 

“Oh my god! Mark you look so different, you look really good” Yuta says. “Mark hyung you finally look decent for once!” Haechan says jokingly. 

Mark runs to Haechan putting him in a headlock and messing up his hair. They play fight for a few more seconds before Taeyong interrupts them and pulls them over to their van outside. You look back at the rest of the members who are slightly embarrassed by what just happened in the middle of the lobby. 

“Alright, I guess we should get going now”. 

You start your way to the van and the rest of the members follow you. Since there's 11 of you guys you all are split. 5 of you go into one van while the rest go into another. You step into the van with Mark inside and take a seat next to him. 

“Of course” you say to yourself chuckling. “He’s asleep again”. 

While he’s sleeping you take a look at him and realize how gorgeous he looks in the sunlight. You take in the sight of your best friend, his glimmering dark eyeshadow that you put on his face, his sparkling skin that drives you crazy, his pink lips that you dream of kissing, his black hair blowing in the wind from the car window being slightly rolled down. You can’t help but continue to admire him. 

“y/n, you’ve been staring at him for the past 10 minutes” Doyoung says. 

“hUH?!” “Doyoung, I was just making sure that I did his makeup correctly duh.”  

“yeah yeah, I know you like him y/n, it's so obvious” he says. 

You look down feeling a bit embarrassed. 

“It’s alright though, I won’t tell anybody. Plus he might like you back” Doyoung says smirking.

“C’mon now we gotta get out the car, we’re here.” 

You look up from staring at your hands and realize that you’re finally at the stadium where the Grammys is being held at. Time had passed so quickly after getting lost in your thoughts of Mark. 

“Hey, wake up now Mark. We’re here.” You say while rubbing his back. Mark wakes up almost instantly and a smile forms onto his face. 

You can tell he’s so happy to finally be at the Grammys. As you’re getting out the van you see the second van pull up behind you guys, the rest of the members jump out the van looking like excited children arriving at their favorite candy shop. 

“Are you guys ready to perform and possibly win an award here at the Grammy’s?!” Johnny says excitedly. 

Everyone else responds with loud “yeahs!” while throwing their hands up in the air and jumping. It’s heartwarming to see them so happy and excited. They get done with their tiny celebration and continue on to the red carpet. 

“y/n, i'm gonna need you to go into the Grammy’s from another entrance and go backstage ok?” Mark says. 

“Ok, i’ll see you when you’re finished, have fun answering questions!” 

You watch Mark leave with his members and soon you leave too, heading to the entrance. Once you go inside and find backstage you go to a room with a small tv that's broadcasting what's happening on the red carpet. You see so many of your favorite celebrities there, and then the screen flips to nct being interviewed. You almost scream just from seeing them. You lean in a bit closer to the tv to hear what’s being said. 

“We’re here yall! The Grammy’s! Are you guys loving it so far? How’s it feel to be here?” the host then moves her mic closer to nct. 

“Yeah, it's our first time here but I think we’re having a good time here so far” Johnny says nodding his head, other members doing the same. 

“That’s great to hear! I heard about your most recent album ‘Regular-Irregular’. People seem to be lovin it! It's been everywhere.” 

“Yup”, Jaehyun says. “We put a lot of effort into it and we’re so happy that it's getting much love and attention.”

“If you haven’t seen the music video yet or have listened to the album, please do so!” Mark adds on. 

“Alrighty then! Keep killin it and doin what you’re doin. You have so much more success coming your way. Thank you guys so much for being here, it was a pleasure meeting you!” 

“No thank you” Johnny says with a smile

The camera pans to two other hosts who are announcing that the Grammy’s are going to begin shortly. You turn around to see Mark and everyone else behind him entering the room you’re in. You run to them trying to grab as many member as you can between your arms hugging them tightly.

“Ugh you guys did so well, you didn’t look nervous at all!”  you say to everyone. 

“I- I mean we really wish you could’ve been with us y/n” Mark says. “I know me too” you say pouting. 

“Nct 127?!” a man from across the room yells. “We need you to be ready to go out on stage soon” 

“ok!” Mark says giving a thumbs up to the man. 

You all form into a huddle, getting a bit emotional Taeyong starts to tear up. “I can’t believe it, how did we make here guys? How did we make it to the Grammys?” he says. 

“You’re right, how did we? I remember earlier on, training with you guys and doing little smrookie performances with you. And look now, im performing at the Grammy’s with you” Haechan says. 

Even you start to tear up a bit. You say goodbye to the members as they leave the huddle. Mark is left staring at you. 

“What is it?” you ask wiping your tears. 

Mark walks up to you quickly and gives you a small peck on your cheek before running off to catch up with the members. You’re left feeling almost dizzy-like. Magical tingling feelings run through your body as you walk to your seat to watch their performance....

---------------------

Time comes for their performance and you’re sitting front row to watch them. You promised them years ago that once they made it big and they were performing you’d be there, front row, and here you are. Doing exactly that. The stage lights up and ‘Regular’ the english version starts playing. The members are already on stage posing. Right after Mark says “yeah yeah” as part of the lyrics, they all begin to move with such energy and sing with voices like angels. You’re completely flattered by it. 

They really put on a good performance you thought to yourself, all those years of training truly paid off. They finish off their show with Taeyong in the middle holding up the nct sign, while everyone else is doing different poses.

You see Mark looking sweaty and breathing hard from all the dancing and moving. Hair sticking to his forehead. You’ve seen him like this many times before but this time looking at him its seems different. He makes eye contact with you and blush so hard. 

He gives you a smile making you melt. They head off stage and you follow them back. As you head backstage you hear the host coming back on stage to announce nominees for best song of the year. You come back to them with a big smile and open arms, you all join together in a big group hug. All you feel, see, and hear in that moment is joy. 

Your body is filled with tingling feelings of euphoria. You’re beyond happy that you could be here with them, especially Mark. 

“YALL WERE SO GOOD I-” you say

“It felt so nice to be up there, I can’t even explain it” Yuta says jumping up and down. 

 A loud voice is then heard saying “NCT 127!” You all look around to see what's happening when suddenly a fairly large bearded white man with a cap on comes up to them and says “hurry up and get on up there! You’ve won!” 

Without even finishing your conversation you push the boys towards the entrance on the stage and blow them kisses. Taeyong runs up on the stage crying because of how happy he is, other members come on too crying. Grabbing the award he moves towards the mic to give his speech. 

“Guys I can’t-”

He steps back from the mic a bit to gather himself before speaking again. 

“I'm beyond grateful right now and I wish you all could feel just how we feel right now. This is such a huge moment for us, coming from a different country and winning a Grammy, I mean that's something we never even thought of before. Thank you thank you so much” 

Taeyong steps to the side to give other members a chance to say something. Taeil steps up to thank specific people. 

“I want to give a huge thanks to our team, my parents, and our fans. I swear this never would’ve happened without you guys. I love you so much and please never forget that.” 

And with that the rest of the members walk off stage waving with smiles. They come back to you but this time you see them differently, they’re not just the guys you grew up, they’re Grammy award winning artists. 

You begin to cry just as much as them with tears of pure happiness streaming down your face. Mark comes up to you and brings you into his arms, you bury your face into his arms and cling onto him, bringing him as close as you can to his body. 

“I love you so much, thank you” he says quietly 

you look up from his chest from what he just said.

“Mark stop joking.” 

Without him saying anything back he pulls you into a deep kiss. You don’t even begin to kiss him back til 5 seconds later because of how shocked you are. The rest of the members don’t know what to be surprised by anymore, the fact that you and Mark shared your first kiss, or that they just won a Grammy. 

“Aw! You guys are so cute!!” Haechan exclaims. You pull him and other members into another group hug as a way to express your gratitude to them....

--------------

The night is over now. its 3:19 am and you’re now back at the hotel, sitting up in your bed next to a small lamp typing in your laptop about how today was your most happiest day. 

“y/n, lay down now. We have another long day tomorrow” “I will Mark, soon, just wait” you say back

You get a message on your from Doyoung saying 

“I knew you liked him :) i'm NEVER wrong” 

You ignore it for now feeling too tired to respond. After all those hours of screaming in the audience, crying, and just being simply happy, you’re worn out and decide to turn the lamp off and lay down next to Mark. Falling asleep peacefully…

[nextgenclothingvn]

VIETNAMESE CUISINE – A BASIC INTRODUCTION

Culinary culture is naturally formed from the process of living. To Vietnamese, not only does it bring flavors like others, but also conveys traditions and cultural values. No travelers have succeeded in their attempts to resist the temptation of Vietnamese dishes, including famous figures in the culinary industry such as Gordon Ramsay, Anthony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver, … Flavors of it have traveled the world, from bánh mì places in Japan to phở restaurants in the US. So what makes the cuisine of this small country so popular, yet so captivating and fascinating? Is it the depth of flavors? Or is it the rich history of its origin? Perhaps the best way to get a taste of it is through means of words. Let’s have a brief preview of the Vietnamese cuisine before you get the chance to experience it yourself, shall we?

I. Distinctive features of Vietnam’s culinary culture

The cuisine is an integral part of a culture. It is passed from one generation to the next. We grow up eating it, and it became a part of who we are. The act of cooking and eating traditional food is a method of preserve our culture. And because no two cultures, though may bear similarities, are the same, diversity in different cuisines from around the world is created.  Now, let's have a look at what special characteristics of Vietnamese's culinary culture that make it one of a kind.

1. The diversity of variations

Vietnam is an agricultural country with a typical monsoon climate and split into three particular regions: North, Central, South. It is that geographical differences that have form culinary variations between each one, creating diversity in Vietnamese cuisine. Each respected region has its own appetite expressed in different names, ingredients, cooking technique, color, … to how to present and eat. A bowl of pho in the south usually have bean sprouts, but not in the north. Yet no matter how different the variation is, you can still taste the quintessential elements within it: light, sweet broth, soft beef and the seducing scent of aromas.

Vietnamese are curious and would value the knowledge they have yet to grasp. They are also fast and flexible learners as well. With the process of globalization, they can easily adapt the unique trait of other cuisines from Korea, Japan, China, and European countries, … combining with theirs to create new dishes, various methods of cooking that are purely Vietnamese. Take, for example, a famous Indian dish: the curry. When imported to Vietnam, they were able to make the dish less spicy yet still savory. This is an element that contributes greatly to the diversity and harmony of Vietnamese culinary culture.

2. The low quantity of fat within dishes

Vietnamese greatly respect the harmony within their dishes. A dish must have met two requirements equally: tasty and healthy. In order to do this, they use what Mother Nature has offered. Nutritious, healthy ingredients such as vegetables and fruit are utilized extensively, to compensate the hero of the dish, and sometimes become the main ingredient. This is quite different from western cuisine, where meat is usually used as the center of the dish. Because of that, Vietnamese food has a surprisingly low amount of fat, grease, and oil, unlike western dishes which usually use too much meat or Chinese dishes with a bit excessive use of oil. You can enjoy Vietnamese cuisine to your heart’s, or stomach’s, content without being satiated and feel even better knowing that it’s one of the healthiest cuisine out there.

3. Hospitality during a meal

Before eating, Vietnamese usually “invite” others in the same table to eating, somewhat similar to the Japanese “itadakimasu”, but rather to invite others to start eating. This is one of much Vietnamese cultural beauty.

Vietnamese also love to invite guests to have a meal with them, or even invite them to join during a meal. More guests mean more bowls, chopsticks, … and everyone eats a bit less to spare some food for the guests. The host of the meal usually pick up food and put them in the guests' bowl as a polite and generous manner. And keep in mind that the host never finishes before their guests. As a conclusion, a Vietnamese meal not only fun but also represent their hospitality.

II. Most renowned dishes of Vietnamese cuisine

Possibly the trinity of Vietnamese cuisine, the jewels on the crown, pho, banh mi, and spring rolls are the most famous dish of this country. So well known, that pho has entered the Oxford dictionary on September 20th, 2007 and later, banh mi, on March 24th, 2011, becoming relevant among 600,000 existing English words. You can find these in every corner of Vietnam, from high-end restaurants to simple sidewalk with some plastic stools and tables. Even in other countries, around the globe from east to west, they are loved by everyone from common tourist to the most fastidious food critics. So what kind of magic did the Vietnamese put on their plate, or bowl, that just mesmerizes all taste buds? Let’s find out.

1. Pho

Ah yes, just a rustic, simple, rustic bowl of sweet, savory broth, some rice noodle, a few slices of beef and some herbs to go along. Yet without a single doubt, it has become the heart and soul, the symbol of Vietnamese cuisine.

Business Insider has published a list of 40 most delicious dish in the world that everyone should try at least once. And the first name of the list comes as no surprise: our beloved pho. And it’s not there for no reason. Behind a seemingly plain bowl of pho are the compositions of a number of meticulously selected spices and ingredients, along with time taking a process of preparation and cooking.

Pho has a place in every Vietnamese heart. It basically represents the Vietnamese culinary culture. You can find a pho restaurant everywhere you look in Vietnam, from the rural countryside to busy metropolis. You can enjoy this dish at any meal, whether it's breakfast, lunch or breakfast, and even multiple times a day without feeling satiated.

Not only does pho satisfy the taste buds of Vietnamese, but also to foreigners, as if it a dish that they grew up with. There is something about pho that easily makes the first try an experience of a lifetime. The light broth infused by the essence of its ingredients. The soft, pearly white rice noodle. A slice of a perfectly, sometimes precooked, beef. The aromas of the herbs. All elements come together, compensate and perfect one another, creating a magical flavor that words can’t describe.

Vietnamese take great pride in this rice noodle dish. And when they travel to other countries, they bring it with them. Pho restaurant is now a common thing around the globe, yet still attracts quite a number of gourmets.

2. Banh mi

Nothing reflects the nature of a cuisine better than its street food. If not, then why would Gordon Ramsay – a world-renowned chef awarded with 16 Michelin stars, willing to travel all the way to the far south of this small Southeast Asia country to get a taste and how to make a bowl of noodle on a tiny boat? Because street food is directly related to common people, who play a major role in the formation of a culture. And with pho as a symbol of Vietnamese cuisine in general, there is also banh mi which is the most outstanding representative of Vietnamese street food. It’s simple, uncomplicated, with little preparation required, and effortlessly fast to make. But don’t be fooled by how humble it is, as its influence is something comparable to that of pho.

Proving this is as easy as pie. Just look up on Google with the keyword: "banh mi", you can find from hundreds to thousands of articles dedicated to its history and recipe. The strange thing is that most of them aren't actually written by a native Vietnamese. The author can be a famous connoisseur or just a traveler. All they have in common is their recognition of banh mi as Vietnamese number 1 street food.

Banh mi is a phenomenon everywhere it reaches. And in Vietnam, all it takes is a minute walk from your hotel to the nearest alley to get a bite of this global food trend. Perhaps banh mi has become such an ordinary item within Vietnamese’s daily life that they have forgotten to make a standard recipe for it. Right in its birthplace, there are already so many different kinds, from pork skin banh mi in the south, to fish stick banh mi in the middle region, … Every banh mi maker has their own recipe, making a list of hundreds of variations that can only be found in Vietnam. Banh mi has followed Vietnamese footsteps to travel the globe, building famous brand such as Banh Mi Saigon in New York, Banh Mi Boys in Toronto, Banh Mi Ba in Prague, … Though you can even make your own banh mi at home, it will get nowhere near to taste as good as one from its home country.

If you want to try some Vietnamese Cuisine and have a unique experience in Vietnam, contact me on the website: https://luxurytravelvietnam.com/destinations/vietnam-cambodia-laos-tour

[idolizenews]

AIRING OPPORTUNITIES

The following opportunity shows should be considered to now be filming or airing depending on the status listed below. Prompts given will be specific to each show. Any thread prompts will require 4/4 replies and 350+ words. Any solo prompts will require 500+ words. Completion of prompts awards 5 exp and 5 sp unless otherwise stated. They must be started before the next opportunity post goes up in order to gain points, though can be finished after.

WE GOT MARRIED. now filming. 1st filming session.

These two are expected to uphold a very traditional and sugary sweet romantic idea of what it means to be a married couple. Their first meeting will involve a dual scavenger hunt, which will lead them to a meeting place in the studio. They will solve clues throughout the broadcast station, all pointing towards different locations to find the subsequent clue, each with casual notations or references to their respective personalities or groups. When they solves the clues, they’ll be led to an unused studio, where there will be a picnic set up with snacks and music. This will be their icebreaker first date part one. After that they’ll have a stroll through a traditional market, leading to a nearby cafe and will then separate to film their interview portions regarding the first meeting. This prompt can be filled either via a thread referencing these events or a solo that integrates the following interview questions: What is your ideal type? Does your WGM partner match that type? what was your initial reaction? what do you think so far, after your first date?

ROMANTIC AND IDOL. now airing. 4th filming session.

This filming session is an extension of the previous filming on Jeju Island. Having now been split into pairs for the duration of their stay, they will be spending the next two days on various planned outings with their partner, depending on questionnaires filled out during the plane ride. THere are a few courses the dates may take, from hiking, bike riding along the coast, horseback riding, cafe and food tours, visiting waterfalls, and visiting the green tea museum or folk village! At the end of the 2 days of dates, they will prepare for the grand finale, the filming of which will also take place on the island. Essentially, consider the 3rd, 4th, and 5th filming session to have taken place concurrently on Jeju Island, much as the original show did IRL, in late April-early May, but divided up for the purposes of the rp.

DREAM HIGH. now filming. 2nd filming session.

With the pilot set to air early in June, the idols are expected to begin working their way towards the filming of the second and third episodes. Episode 2 gives the characters a glimpse into their pasts on the show, which provides the idols a chance to work with the child actors representing their younger selves. As the school is introduced and focus is narrowed in, we’ll move through introducing the majority of the cast in these filming blocks, which means everyone should be on the top of their game. Episodes will begin airing imminently and the pressure is on for everyone to deliver passable performances that can bring attention to their up and coming groups and careers. It is, also, an ideal time to begin networking with others!

UNPRETTY RAPSTAR. now airing. final filming session.

After a significant run, UPRS is coming to a close. This episode filming will cover the final three members of the show competing to perform a joint song, with each taking a verse, and a notable second generation female vocalist taking on the chorus and vocal parts. They’re all given the same amount of time to work on their verse and are not allowed to adjust the instrumental. Then, the final two will face off with their own performance over a beat given by a guest producer. This time they are allowed to make minor modifications. Live voting at the 200 person performance as well as via the televised audience through text votes determines the final winner. The finale will air in mid June.

SHOW ME THE MONEY. now airing. final filming session.

With an impressive run, SMTM will be finishing up the season with this opportunity prompt. Similar to its sister show, the final three contestants will be battling it out. However, each is given the opportunity to perform with their mentor from the show on a shortened track. The same stipulations of not making adjustments to the beat are provided, and it will be performed in a similar venue, in front of 200 people, as well as televised live. The initial round of voting will eliminate one contestant, and the final two will go on to perform a rap done to a beat given by a guest producer (to which minor modifications may be made).  The final voting will determine the winner, with 50% from the audience present and 50% from the sms voting. 

SIBLINGS DAY OUT. now filming: boys. 1st filming session.

To break the ice and celebrate the early days of summer, the boys will be heading out to a pension in the countryside! They’ll take a nice hike, enjoy nature, and finally return to their lodgings,  where they will have the chance to cook a meal together (including grilling some delicious meat!) with each required to make a special dish for the other. After that, they’ll have the chance to sit around the fire pit on the patio and discuss the ups and downs of idol life, giving and getting advice in turn, from one another, and hopefully opening their hearts to one another more and more! This will of course be paired with the usual studio interview interspersed thereafter, which will be filmed once the boys return to Seoul. Filming will last for 1 night and 2 days. 

IDOL DRAMA OPERATION TEAM. now airing. 4th filming session (boy team and girl team).

As we approach the penultimate filming sessions, the teams will take on the hardest part of the process- recording and promoting their webseries! It will be a project that takes a good bit of time to complete, and thus the filming will be split over this and the next, final, opportunity prompt for the show. Interspersed with acting coaching moments and content from behind the scenes of the show, the teams will be spending time promoting via a fansign and filming the promotional spots for the webseries. These promotional spots will be between 10 and 30 seconds long and will be aired on the network to advertise the webshow, hosted on the network’s website. Get ready to act and promote your pants off, kids, we’re heading towards the grand finale!

ROOMMATES. now airing. 4th filming session.

As the show winds down, we find more and more of the episodes feature the interactions between the castmates. Playing games together, domestic activities, and volunteering opportunities are the name of the game. Today it is announced that they will be joint fostering three kittens until the end of the show. They’re tasked with preparing the house for the little kittens, purchasing the necessary items, naming them, and helping them get used to their environment in this episode block. They’ll also briefly volunteer at the shelter from which the animals came, as well as do a promotional photoshoot for adoption awareness.

DANCING9. now airing. 4th filming session.

With the two groups thus far tied, we face an enthusiastic response from the audience, who have submitted songs from current years for our newest challenge. The two teams have been assigned the most voted on submissions from the website, with the results as follows. The Blue Team will be working with their mentor’s choreography to perform Far East Movement’s Bang it to the Curb while the Red Team was voted to perform their mentor’s choreography for Imagine Dragon’s Radioactive. With the finale fast approaching, the result was left on a cliffhanger, with the members themselves still unsure of the outcome pending the final episode.

[drunkfrogg]

disconnected | shawn mendes x reader

Note: gimme some shawn pls

It hit you hard. Since he left, you hadn’t been the same. You knew it, your friends knew it, hell everyone in the industry knew it. Even the press was all over it. Then again, how could they not be - two celebrities as famous as you and your ex boyfriend splitting up? Of course they would be all over you like vultures.

For the last three weeks, you hadn’t seen Shawn. Not on Twitter, not in the press, definitely not in person. He was completely off the radar. Then again, so were you. You’d not left your apartment unless you had an interview to promote your new movie, but other than that you had been completely out of sight.

Shawn hadn’t left a single text or call for the whole time, you didn’t know if he’d got on a flight to his hometown or what. He just seemed to vanish.

Today, you had another interview. By now, everyone had caught on that something wasn’t right between you both. There were stories by the press and online speculating if you’d both broken up, but no one knew for sure.

Jimmy Fallon had asked you to be a guest on his show for tonight, which you agreed to. After all, the late night show host was the easiest to get along with and was the one you always chose over the other late night shows.

“Tonight, we have the talented, fantastic actress here with us tonight,” he announced to his guests as you waited behind the curtain. “Give it up, for (Y/N) (Y/L/N)!”

Stepping out onto the stage, the whole audience roared with applause as you came out. For a moment or two, you grinned and waved at them, before soon striding towards Jimmy. He offered you his hand as he helped you up the few stairs, your heels clinking against the floor as you arrived at your seat.

He pulled you in for a hug, wrapping his arms around you gently. After pulling away, he allowed you to sit in the chair opposite his desk as he took a seat in his chair. A smile was pulling at his lips.

“(Y/N), it’s great to see you again,” he was sincere in his words. “How have you been since the last time you came on here?” He asked.

The question was an easy one to brush over. “I’ve been alright Jimmy, busy as always,” miserably missing the man you let walk away.

He nods along, either not wanting to push you for the truth or just not wanting to make you uncomfortable after the news coverage of your possible split from Shawn.

“I bet you are, when’s the movie out?” He followed, leaning forward intently.

You replied immediately. “Tomorrow!”

He grinned. “I’m so excited!” He exclaimed, tapping his desk. “As soon as I saw this trailer, I lost my mind, here take a look,” he was clearly excited, gesturing to a screen for the audience to look at.

The trailer for you new movie was playing through the studio, the audience and Jimmy laughing at certain parts. It was a hilarious movie, in all fairness. This was your third big-time movie, which was expected to be the best of the last few years.

“Doesn’t it look amazing?” Jimmy was fully laughing, collecting himself as he kept spluttering out chuckles. “Alright, alright, ah,” he threw his hands up. “Excuse me as I laugh my butt off,” he joked. “Ryan Reynolds is starring alongside you too,” he pointed out.

You nodded. “He is,” you confirmed with a chuckle as he was still collecting himself. “He was the best person to work with too, a really genuinely funny guy,” you added on as he wiped his eyes.

He jumped straight back in. “Isn’t he great?”

“He totally is, right?”

Jimmy and you chuckled as the audience laughed along.

“Have you met his wife, Blake Lively?” He asked.

Nodding, you glanced at the audience for a moment as you formed your words. “Oh yeah, she’s like the nicest person ever,” you gushed over your friend. “We were at the Grammy’s and we were on a table together,” you started a story, flipping your hair over your shoulder.

Jimmy leaned forward in his desk, pointing a finger at you. “Oh, is this where he and Andy Garfield kissed when you won your award?” He questioned with a wide grin.

The audience let out gasps and laughed. “Yeah they were on my table too so I thought the camera guy was recording me but he was actually recording them behind me making out,” you were trying to hold in your giggles.

“I remember that!” He was laughing loudly. “Man, that was like the most talked about thing for months.”

“Before they announced the award I was telling them like how nervous I was and stuff, then Ryan said picture everyone’s making out and too distracted so you don’t get scared,” you added.

Jimmy frowned. “What?” He was confused. “So he told you to imagine everyone in the crowd making out so you don’t get freaked out by everyone watching you?”

“Yeah, what happened to imaging everyone naked?” You giggled.

He let out “I know right?” You both shared a look together. “But did it work?”

“Oh God no, all I could think of was Leonardo DiCaprio and Hugh Jackman together,” you grinned as everyone else was cracking up. “I was looking down at Leo’s table almost the whole time,” you bit you lip. “Probably thought I was obsessed with him.”

Jimmy shrugged. “Who isn’t?”

“Amirite,” you shake your head, both of you high-fiving. “But yeah, Leo if you’re watching, everything in my speech was about you,” as soon as you said it, you knew you’d messed up.

In your speech, you thanked Shawn. You listed how much you appreciated him and how much you loved him and couldn’t wait for the rest of your lives together. This was a mistake, because now Jimmy had a way of asking about the both of you now.

You watched him hesitate. He had an obligation to ask questions that had to be asked, but at the same time he could see from the way you hadn’t mentioned Shawn at all - despite him being in the stories you were telling - that it wasn’t appropriate.

But he had to.

He reached his hand up to the back of his neck, leaning back slowly. “I know that... well, that you haven’t spoke about this publicly yet,” he was speaking slowly, almost cautiously. “But what is the situation with, uh, with Shawn?”

As soon as he said his name, you felt your body freeze. No doubt this would be picked apart by every single person who sees this interview. They’d insinuate on anything. But at the same time, how could you answer if you didn’t know yourself?

After an argument between the both of you, he said he needed to go. He left your apartment, you didn’t stop him. He didn’t come back, you didn’t go after him. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Who really cares? What mattered was that neither of you had spoken in weeks, and you did’t know if he still cared or not.

“We,” your voice cracked. Coughing a few times, you focused on keeping your gaze high to not let the tears fill up in your eyes. “We’re just, uh, we’re just taking some time away from the cameras and all that for a while.”

Figuring that was the best way to not give anything away, all you could do was wait for Jimmy’s words. He’d either leave it or press further. You were dreading he’d do the latter.

Fixed on his conflicted expression, your heat dropped when he didn’t meet your eye. “Neither of you have been seen together since you both went out a few weeks back,” he looked like he didn’t want to be rude, but that he needed to ask anyways.

Nodding your head, you took a deep breath. “We’re both just, erm,” you cleared your throat, sitting up in your chair as you crossed your legs. “We’re just taking a break from social media and all that,” you tried to keep your answer as loose as possible.

“Is there anything you’d like to say about the rumours that you’ve split?” He asked.

By now, the audience was silent. Not a single noise in the studio besides your heart pounding in your chest. It was either going to explode from the nerves, or break from the pain of not having Shawn by your side anymore.

“Not really,” you shook your head. “It’s all just speculation, really, we’re just taking some time to ourselves,” you shrugged, before realising that you’d just implied that you both were on a break.

Jimmy jumped in too quickly. “Time to yourselves? Are you not together anymore?”

If you looked tense before, you couldn’t imagine how you looked now. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you painted a collected and charming smile on your face. “Everyone just needs to calm down, we’re fine we just want time for ourselves - he’s just finished his tour and I’ve just wrapped the movie up, y’know?”

Jimmy let it slide after then. He was back to his chirpy self and his casual questions and games. It ran smoothly after that for the next half hour, before you had finished the show and left the stage.

Once you arrived at you dressing room, you shut the door. Leaning your forehead against the door, you kept your eyes closed as you took deep breaths. Talking about Shawn hurt, everything in your body was aching from your head to your heart, just wanting the man you loved back in your arms.

“I missed you.”

Jumping in shock, you spun around, eyes wide in panic. In front of you on the couch, he was slumped in the chair, an unreadable expression you’d never seen on him before. His eyes were already locked on yours, but they looked drained and tired.

Frozen in shock, you couldn’t move. Stuck in your place, a million and one things were flooding your mind. He noticed, too.

Slowly, he stood up, his mouth opening and closing. He looked desperate to say so many things, but said nothing at all.

Exchanging longing glances at each other, weeks of unnecessary pain and stress clearly taking it’s toll on you both. He had dark circles under his eyes, as did you but yours were covered by the makeup artists.

“I missed you,” he repeated, his words barely audible. “I came as soon as I seen the show,” he now took a few slow, hesitant steps forward.

You couldn’t say anything. Instead, you wrapped your arms around him in a hug you’d been longing for. His arms held you close to him straight away, holding you as close as he could.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled into his chest. “I wish we never argued, I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m sorry,” he apologised. “I shouldn’t have left I should’ve stayed.”

You pulled back. “I should’ve stopped you.”

“I should have came back.”

After staring at each other for a few moments, you both chuckle.

Shawn’s eyes met yours again. His hand slowly trailed up your side, fingers brushing along your jawline. They press gently against the skin, leaning closer to you. Tilting your head up, you meet him halfway, pressing your lips against his.

Lasting a few long moments, he pulls back slowly, his forehead resting against yours. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” you pressed your lips against his again.

He took your hand, picking up your phone from the counter where you’d left it before you went on the show. Fingers laced with yours, he guided you out of the studio, towards the car waiting for you outside.

Flashes of cameras caught you both by surprise once you’d left the building. Each one snapping pictures of you both manoeuvring through the crowd to get to the car that Shawn had drove in. He led you past them before helping you into the car, before climbing into his side.

“You okay?” He checked, taking your hand in his, resting it on his leg.

You nodded, smiling at him. “I’m all good, are you?”

Shawn nodded. “I’m always good when you’re here,” he winked.

You scoffed lightly as you both glanced back at the paparazzi who were still trying to get pictures of you both. He sighed. “Guess we’re still going to be all over Twitter tomorrow,” he joked.

“Shawn and (Y/N) back together, I can see it on the trending page,” you chuckled.

He let out a laugh, leaning over to plant a kiss on your cheek. “We never weren’t a thing,” he mumbled as he pressed his lips to yours. “Love you.”

 “Let’s get out of here.”