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absolutepx · 4 years

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So I've been playing Death Stranding lately. Wait, that's not what this post is about. Well, it kind of is. Hang on. What is Death Stranding about?

A: Norman Reedus getting bare ass naked B. Sneaking around ghosts with the help of your sidekick, an actual baby C: Carrying 50 Amazon packages up a hill while trying to not topple over D: Waking up in the morning and drinking 5 Monster Energy™ for breakfast

For those following along at home, the answer is actually none of the above. Despite the set dressing being bizarre to the point of near absurdity, what the game is actually about, like thematically, is actually really simple.

See, the development of Death Stranding was actually quite a trip. Hideo Kojima is the video game world's equivalent of an auteur director. He has a very recognizable personal style. It's thoroughly horny – he caught a bunch of shit for the design of Quiet in MGSV, but like, a lot of Kojima characters are just -like that-, including the dudes. Also, this is going to possibly be important later.

Anyway, so Kojima was going to do a rebootmakequel of Silent Hill, and the demo actually made it to the PS store and I could actually write a whole side essay about why P.T. (it was called P.T. for some reason btw) was brilliant game design for how it used the same hallway over and over and it was somehow beneficial to the overall feeling of horror. So Konami it turns out kinda sucks nowadays and they like, fired Kojima (they were huge dicks about it behind closed doors, too) and scrapped the project and kicked him out on the street and kept the Metal Gear series which was his baby (literally the baby in the sink in P.T., he snuck a bunch of messaging about the Konami situation into the demo like a breakup album) and Kojima would go on to form his own studio and poach some of the people who worked with him to boot. So the thing about Kojima is this: he's got a reputation for already putting some wild shit in his games, like a ladder that takes like 10 real time minutes to climb in MGS3 for dramatic effect, and a boss in MGS3 that summons the ghosts of all the people you were too lazy to stealth past and killed, or a sniper battle with a really old guy that he wanted to have last two weeks or some shit until he died of old age but he was "told that "this was impossible and not recommended." That is a real quote I just looked up. So he's coming off the heels of making this hugely successful game with MGSV and the hype of the P.T. Demo and he fucking, he like took all the people that were going to be working on P.T. Along like Guillermo Del Toro was going to co-write it and Norman Reedus was going to star in it, and he's like, I'm going to make this game called Death Stranding. And the first trailer comes out for it and it's completely nuts. Norman Reedus wakes up naked on a beach crying with a baby and there are floating people in the sky? So we're all like hooooooly shit, there's no one to tell him "this is impossible and not recommended" anymore. What's he going to make now!?

So the whole time the game is in development I keep seeing these tweets where it'll be like, Kojima and one of his homies smiling with some saccharine message about being spiritual warriors and changing the world. And not just Del Toro and Reedus, there was Mads Mikkelsen (another guy Kojima puts in the game just because he apparently loves him), and the band Chvches, and also like, Keanu Reeves at one point? You know how everyone has just kind of accepted that Keanu is a being of light? Here he was endorsing Kojima. The hype was pretty confused and frantic.

The game eventually comes out. A lot of game journos hate it because I think there was this expectation it was going to be, you know, less weird and have more of the conventional structure of a video game. That's not to say the average gamer wasn't also dismissive of it, but I think on the ground level there was more of an understanding that like, yeah, Kojima just be like that sometimes.

Because the game was a timed console exclusive and your homie don't play like that, I spent the first year or so cautiously viewing Death Stranding from a distance. I wasn't sure I was going to like it – except for being really impressed with P.T., I wasn't actually a big fan of Kojima's games as games – but I -was- sure that I was going to buy it, because of the way Konami fucked him over, just out of support. And the shit I was hearing was really out there. The primary mode of gameplay is just delivery packages. You collect Norman Reedus' bathwater and pee and use it as grenades. You get a motorcycle that looks like the one from AMC's The Ride with Norman Reedus, and when you sit on it, his character in the game says "Wow, this thing is like the one from AMC's The Ride with Norman Reedus!"

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But I didn't really want to know that much about it. Something has that much fucking crazy person energy, you want to go in mostly blind, right? So maybe people just weren't talking about this, or maybe I wasn't seeing it, but then I watched Girlfriend Reviews' video about it and they came right out and said it (link provided if you want to hear Shelby say it more articulately than me):

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Death Stranding is basically about the exact opposite of Twitter. It's about remembering how to be kind to each other, how to reconnect in a world where people are so often hostile to each other by default. Prophetically, it's about a world where people are afraid to go outside or touch other people and how damaging that is. It's not a game about carrying packages, it's a game about helping people by being brave enough to walk through a wasteland carrying their burdens because they can't. It's about rebuilding the lost connections between people, about restoring roads and giving people hope. I bet, for Kojima and the people close to him, it's about how to answer hostility with compassion. You can't kill people in Death Stranding. You can and are absolutely encouraged to fucking throw hands with people sometimes, but all the tools and weapons are nonlethal. So I think Kojima took all the Twitter heat he got over the Quiet nontroversy, and all the feelings of isolation he had from Konami separating him from his team during the end of the development of MGSV, and all the support and encouragement he got from his bros Del Toro and Mads and the rest, and decided to channel that into making a game that was a statement about all of it. And sure, it's a little heavy handed, and sure, it's a little saccharine, and sure, the gameplay sometimes borders on miserable in service of creating emotional payoffs. For me, especially in 2020, this message is a huge success. Social media should be an opportunity for all of us to feel more connected to each other, yet primarily it feels like one of the main forces driving people apart. Why is that? Why is the internet of today such a hostile place? I'm old enough to remember web 1.0: I can haz cheezburger memes; YTMND; the early wild west days of Youtube... What happened to us? I've thrown the blame at Twitter in the past, and I think the architecture of the user experience on Twitter is absolutely a big piece of the puzzle, because it fosters negative interactions. But in terms of the behavior, people have observed that 2018 Twitter was actually almost exactly like 2014 Tumblr. (For the record, Tumblr is now one of the chillest places left on the internet, because so few fucks are left to give.)

I think part of it is the anonymity. The dehumanizing disconnection of the separation of screens and miles. Louis CK, before he was cancelled, had a great point about cyberbullying, and why it's so much more savage than kids are IRL. When you pick on someone in person and you are confronted with seeing the pain you caused them, for most sane people it causes negative feedback and you become disgusted with your actions and eventually learn to stop being a shithead. Online, at best you can "break the wrist, walk away".

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At worst, you can become addicted to "clout chasing" and the psychological thrill of being cheered on by your social ingroup. It's even worse if you feel like it's not bullying and your actions are justified because whoever you've targeted is a bad person so you don't have to feel bad about what you do to them. This is where reductive, unhelpful catchphrases like "punch a nazi" come in. For every argument, one or both sides have convinced themselves that the other side is subhuman because their beliefs are so disgusting. And sometimes it's even true! A lot of times, especially these days, people really are acting like animals or worse online. Entire disinformation engines are roaring day and night, churning out garbage and cluttering the social consciousness. (Kojima talked about this bit, too, way back in MGS2. As if I wasn't already in danger of losing my thread through this.)

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The human brain was not built to live like this. You can't wake up every morning, roll over and open your phone, and be immediately faced with a tidal wave of anger and indignity. It wasn't built to be aware of fully how horrible the world is at any moment ALL AT ONCE, ALL THE TIME. And you will be. Because of another way that our brain works – the way we are more likely to share negative opinions. And because of the cottage industry built on farming outrage clicks, and because of constant performative activism.

It's not that I don't agree that being informed is important.

It's not that I don't agree that the causes people get riled up about are important.

They are. They absolutely are.

But we can't keep living like this. The constant, unending flood of tragedy, arguments, and hot takes. How much of the negativity we associate with online culture is the product of this feedback loop? What if the rise of doomer culture has been, if not entirely created by, has been nourished and exacerbated by our hostile attitudes toward each other? Incels and TERFs, white supremacists, radfems, tankies and Trumpers – it seems like on every side of every issue, there are people simultaneously getting it wrong in multiple directions at once and there are more being radicalized every day. They are the toxic waste left behind by the state of discourse. And any hill is a hill worth dying on.

So what am I actually advocating? I don't know. There are a lot of fights going on right now that are important and we can't just climb into bunkers and ignore our problems hoping that Norman Reedus and his fine ass are going to leave the shit we need on our doorsteps. We need to find the strength to carry those hypothetical packages for ourselves sometimes - and hopefully, for others as well. Humans are social creatures. We need interaction and enrichment.

We need love.

So just try to remember the connections between humanity. Try to put more good stuff into the world when you can. Share more shitposts and memes. Tell your friends and family that you love them. Share good news when you hear it. Go on a weird fucking tangent about Death Stranding. Find a way to "be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes."

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#death stranding #hideo kojima #video games #cancel culture #essay #oc

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amyelliotsdiary · 4 years

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my harry styles fic rec

over 40k words

The Things I Don’t Ask (zarry - 224k words currently) A boarding school AU that features two boys who can never say how they really feel. This is the only incomplete fic I’m including. It has one chapter to go and is absolutely incredible. I highly recommend it.

Drowning Shadows (zarry - 99k) AU: Harry Styles, executive recruiter, finally meets his match in Zayn Malik. Or, Harry builds walls and Zayn breaks everything.

With Every Heartbeat (zarry - 92k) It's 2025, and Zayn has decided to reunite with the rest of the band for one special show. As he tries to mend old friendships, he gets more than he bargained for when he sees Harry for the first time in ten years.

Baby Be Mine (zarry - 45k) In which Zayn is an English major who hates frats, Harry is a frat bro with great arms, and these things cause Zayn problems.

Paper Lips (zarry - 41k) Harry’s world is so huge, so bright and sparkling, and Zayn is just a small blot of ink in the corner of an ocean, fighting to be worth something. For the prompt - 'Harry is Zayn's sugardaddy, but something makes it complicated.'

If This Is Love (gryles - 85k) He's not fucking thirty yet, but he is way too old for Harry fucking Styles. Or: Nick Grimshaw has done some stupid, ridiculous, mad things in his life, but falling for Harry Styles might be the stupidest thing yet.

Call Answered (larry - 250k) The day after his 27th birthday, Harry Styles attempts suicide. Louis is flown to his bedside to unravel the mystery of why he did it after a flash drive is found with a note attached, addressed to Louis. On it are a collection of 78 songs, all written for different dates from their past.

Love is a Rebellious Bird (larry - 134k) AU in which the boys still make music. Louis is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, Harry is the New! and Exciting! interim conductor/ex-cello prodigy who "has made Mozart cool again" according to Esquire Magazine (Louis hates him immediately, which is definitely why he internet stalked him in his dark bedroom late at night that one time), and Niall is the best. Zayn and Liam are around too.

The Finish Line (Is A Good Place For Us To Start) (larry - 120k) The Formula 1 AU everyone needs to read. Seriously.

One for Luck (larry - 96k) AU: Louis and Harry are professional riders on the British Olympic team.

Who Painted the Moon Black (larry - 95k) Hunger Games AU where Louis Tomlinson is district six's victor from the 69th Hunger Games and Harry Styles is district seven's victor from the 72nd Hunger Games.

Here in the Afterglow (larry - 88k) 1970’s AU. In a tiny town in Idaho, Louis’ life is changed forever by the arrival of a curious stranger.

i forget where we were (narry - 70k) Harry wakes up to find he has retrograde amnesia and a perfect life - seemingly. Side note: This fic is incredible. The description does not do it justice. I don’t usually read narry but this one blew me away.

under 40k words

Need The Sun To Break (zarry - 38k) A “You’ve Got Mail” AU

Toothbrush (zarry - 32k) AU: Harry doesn’t believe in matrimony and Zayn thinks the promise of forever is a lie; a wedding is a good place to meet.

All Your Reasons (zarry - 24k) There's no heat or warmth in the loft, not anymore. It's just a decorated place they both keep their things, a place they never should've inhabited. It's open and spacious, but they're not. They're soggy and sinking. Brooklyn AU where Harry and Zayn look back and look ahead.

Nine Lives (zarry - 21k) Liam asked him last week, when he was drunk and feeling brave, how he knew about Harry, and Zayn was drunk and feeling brave, too, so he told him he didn’t know, that’s the point. There was no crash, no bang, no chase through an airport. It was more quiet than that. Zayn didn’t even feel it, how, from the moment he and Harry met, the space between them got smaller and smaller until there wasn’t any at all.

Even After (zarry - 15k) It’s perfect, really. Harry has Zayn, and through everything, from boarding school to Harry’s first girlfriend to Harry’s first boyfriend to college to everything, Zayn’s never left. There's also the small fact of Zayn being in love with him, but they don’t talk about that. It’s the one thing they never talk about.

B-side (zarry - 14k) Everyone loves Harry—but, to Zayn, Harry is six foot of infuriating, who spends his time pottering around Craze Records and stealing Zayn's flying saucers. (Or, the record store AU where Zayn's too proud to realise that the only reason he finds Harry so annoying is because he fancies the pants off him.)

all tied up in pretty young things (zarry - 11k) "we argued so much during a class discussion that we both got kicked out of class and we're still arguing outside of class" au

Once Upon a Dream (larry - 33k) Louis is psychic and gets caught in the middle of a murder investigation led by FBI Special Agent Harry Styles.

Wine Not? (larry - 20k) Louis’ Wine Dive is a bar run by the people for the people. Wine Styles is a boutique tasting room that caters to a more highbrow clientele. When their worlds clash on a beautiful Charleston street, one of these owners may find that an ounce of pretension doesn’t stand a chance against a pound of perseverance.

keep holding me this way (larry - 13k) An English grad student, a frat jock, and an unimpressed rich boy walk into a bar. No one walks out.

This was compiled from ones I had bookmarked on ao3 and will be expanded upon when I go through my computer bookmarks:)

#Harry Styles #harry styles fic #zarry #zarry fic #larry #larry fic #gryles #gryles fic #narry #one direction #one direction fic rec #fanfiction rec #fic rec

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all-the-kpop-imagines · 4 years

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WayV Reaction: Their Significant Other Is Older Than Them and Is Insecure About It

GOOD MORNING/AFTERNOON/EVENING! It’s Admin Jihyeon here! This is not a request from one of you but rather a request from Admin Jia. Considering both of us are older than five of the members........hope you enjoy!

A fan made comments on a recent Instagram post about y/n’s age and you are now feeling insecure and anxious for being older than your boyfriend. (you are only like 3 years older than them.) Your boyfriend and you are hanging out and he sees you upset and asks you why.

Kun

As Kun walked into your apartment he immediately noticed the quiet. Normally there was some sort of sound playing. He narrowed his eyes and set the take out on the counter before he decided to go find you. “y/n? You here? I brought your favorite take out, extra sauce this time. I didn’t forget.” He waited a moment as he walked to the living room. When you didn’t answer he sighed and made his way up the stairs to your loft. “I know you’re here y/n, you texted me 20 minutes ago that you were here.” He said as he climbed. When he reached the loft he frowned upon seeing your curled up figure laying on your bed, the occasional sniffle sounding. “y/n, is everything okay? Why are you crying?” He asked as he climbed onto your bed behind you. You refused to turn around, feeling anxious. You had been scrolling on Instagram and saw the comments on the photo Kun had posted to his profile of the two of you. “It’s nothing.” You mumbled and wiped your eye. “I don’t believe you.” He commented and you sighed before turning around on your back. “The fans are just at it again.” You told him and he frowned again. “Really? I’ve told them to be nicer about us being together and that you make me happy.” He told you and you looked at your hands. “Does it bother you that I’m 3 years older than you?” You asked him after a few moments, not looking up from your hands. “Why would it?” He asked you as he reached out to grab your hands. “I don’t know. You’re 24, I’m 27.” You muttered. “And? It doesn’t matter to me that you’re older than me, I still love you. You make me laugh and are there when I vent about things that stress me out. Age is just a number y/n.” He smiled at you. “The fans seem to have an issue with it.” “Well the fans are not the ones in our relationship.” He told you with a smile. “You’re right.” You smiled back. “Okay, let’s go eat before the food gets cold.” He said as he stood up and held a hand out to you.

Ten

Music played over the speakers as you sat on the floor against the wall. Ten was practicing a routine and you sitting in the practice room with him was the only time you had to be together because of your schedules. A sigh left your chest as you shifted in your seat, pulling your phone out and going to Instagram. You smiled when you saw the notification that Ten had posted a picture of the two of you and Louis. But the smile soon fell as you glanced at the comments. More than one of them were about how much older than Ten you looked and how he should be with someone closer to his age. It got worse the further you scrolled and soon enough you felt a tear fall down your cheek. You were so caught up in the comments that you hadn’t heard the music stop nor had you heard your boyfriend calling your name. It was only when he was knelt in front of you with his hand on your arm did you look up. “Why are you crying?” He asked and you sighed. “Remind me to never go to the comment section of anything ever.” You handed your phone to him. He looked at the screen and sighed before sitting down. “In your defense, I took the picture at like 11pm after we both had long days at work. You also had taken off your makeup AND were in pajamas.” He chuckled and looked up at you. “Does it bother you? That I’m older?” You asked and he scoffed with a chuckle. “No. I like it. We can have more intellectual conversations that I would if I were with someone younger than me.” He smiled and reached forward to pull you into his lap. “To be honest, I forget you’re older than me most of the time.” He chuckled again and rubbed your arms.

WinWin

You walked into your apartment, laughing with WinWin as the two of you took off your shoes and made your way further into the apartment. “I’ll be right back.” He told you before he disappeared down the hallway. You smiled and leaned against the counter. It had been a long day at work for the two of you and all you wanted was to watch a movie and relax with your boyfriend. You made your way over to your couch and sat down, pulling your phone out and going to Instagram like you do every day. As you scrolled, you saw a recent post that WinWin had posted. A smile formed on your face at the candid picture he had taken without your knowledge. You went to scroll away but your attention was caught by the top comment, one attacking you and how you are older than him. A sigh left your chest as you clicked on the comments and continued to read, each comment agreeing with the first and some getting worse.After a few minutes you wiped your eye and set your phone down, pulling your knees to your chest. Winwin walked back out into the living area and smiled at you. “What movie do we wanna watch tonight?” He asked as he sat down beside you and wrapped his arm around you. “Am I too old for you?” You asked and he raised an eyebrow at you. “No...why?” He asked and you sighed. “Because your fans seem to think I am.” Another sigh left you and you looked at your hands. “Where did you see this? Wayzenni’s don’t know how old you are.” He said and you shrugged. “Check your insta.” You said and he immediately pulled out his phone. As he looked through the comments his face fell. “Look, I know you’re older than me but I don’t care. You make me happy and that’s all that matters okay?” He asked as he pulled you into his side. “Now, pick a movie y/n. Comedy perhaps?”

Lucas

You sat on Lucas’ bed at the WayV dorm, blanket pulled up to your nose with one hand as your other held your phone, scrolling through the comment section of Lucas’ newest Instagram post. A lot of the comments were about how you were older than Lucas. When you two first started dating, that was something that you were nervous about. Now, months into your relationship you had come to love it. But seeing the comments brought back all the fears you once had, leading to tears falling down your cheeks. The door to the room opened and you jumped slightly, tossing your phone down and curling up in the bed. “I tried my best, but all I could get my hands on was toast and jelly. I hope that-” Lucas paused as he set the plate down and looked at you. “You okay?” He asked and when you didn’t answer, he glanced at your phone next to you, screen still on and showing the comments. He carefully picked up the phone and sat down as he read the comments. He sighed before glancing at you. “Hey, what internet trolls say doesn’t matter okay? I don’t care about the age difference.” He told you as he rubbed your arm. “But your fans do.” You spoke quietly. “And your fans are important.” “They are, yes, but to me the only ones that i consider real fans are the ones who support all of us in whatever we do.” He told you and smiled. “How did they even find out my age? I’m not a celebrity and my social media is all private.” You mumbled and rolled onto your side. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” He said as he laid beside you.

Xiaojun

Worry was etched onto Xiaojun’s face as he walked up the stairs to your apartment. He hadn’t heard from you over the last few days. He would have come sooner but his schedule didn’t allow him. But now he has time and he was going to see what was going on. As he entered your apartment, he raised an eyebrow. It was dark and there was a movie playing on the TV but he didn’t see you. He slipped off his shoes and closed the door quietly as he looked around. Then he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and he walked over to you. “Hey.” He started and you blinked at him before looking at the floor. “Why are you here Xiao?” You asked as you pushed past him to sit on the couch. “You haven’t been answering my texts or phone calls. I was worried. Is everything okay?” He asked and you swallowed. “Everything is fine.” You mumbled. “I don’t believe you.” He told you as he sat down and grabbed your hand. “It doesn’t matter.” You said and he scoffed. “Whatever it is, it’s upsetting you. Did I do something?” He asked and you sighed. “Yeah, you posted that picture of us on your Instagram.” You blurted and he furrowed his eyebrows. “I posted a picture? That’s why you’re upset? I can take it down if you want.” He said, trying to make you feel better. “Deleting the post isn’t going to erase the comments I’ve read from my mind.” You finally admitted and he blinked. “What are the comments saying?” “That I am too old for you. Do you think I’m too old for you?” You asked and he chuckled. “You’re like 3 years older than me. I like to forget that fact because I know you struggle with it so I just want to make it seem like we don’t care about age.” He shrugged and you stared at him before a smile cracked on your face. “I guess 24 isn’t a bad age.” You shrugged.

Hendery

Walking hand in hand, Hendery smiled behind his mask. Finally the two of you were going on a date and he was more than excited for it. You’d only been dating for a few months now but he was sure you were the one. As you walked into a cafe, he led you to a table before going to get the coffee. When he reached the table, he took one glance at you and he furrowed his eyebrows. “What’s going on?” He asked before sitting down and staring at your now tear stained face. “Does me being older than you bother you at all?” You asked him quietly and he stared at you. “Why would it?” He asked. “I don’t know. It kind of makes sense that it would. You’re only 21, I’m 24. You are young and have your whole career ahead of you.” You pouted and set your phone down. “And you do too? 3 years is basically nothing y/n. Where is this coming from?” He asked you and you sighed. “Just comments on a post on Instagram.” You shrugged and he pushed your coffee over by you. “Well, the way I see it is that I am happy, you are happy, we enjoy one another’s company, and we support each other. Age shouldn’t be a factor, unless you were underage, then we’d have a problem.” He smiled at you and you let your face relax. He always knew what to say to make you feel better.

YangYang

You sat on his bed, quietly scrolling through Instagram as he and Xiaojun played yet another video game. The two had been at it for hours now. Not that you minded all that much, just being able to be near YangYang was enough for you. With your schedules being so demanding, any second you could be with him was plenty. But that content feeling quickly dissipated as you glanced at the comments on a recent post of his. A lot of the comments were targeted toward you and how you are so much older than him, some even trying to guess your age and being incredibly wrong. After a few minutes of scrolling, you set your phone down and pulled your knees to your chest to hide your face. But it didn’t work because YangYang turned around to ask you a question and the second he saw your position, he set the controller down and walked over by you, Xiaojun taking a glance before leaving to get a snack. “y/n? What’s wrong?” He asked and you sighed. “Do I really look that much older than you?” You asked and he sat down in front of you. “What do you mean? You look like y/n.” He smiled and you rolled your eyes. “Your fans seem to think I’m in my 30s.” You sighed and he let out a laugh. “You’re not though. You’re 23. Barely older than me.” He shrugged. “Does it bother you though?” You asked and he shook his head. “Nope. Does it bother you?” He asked back and you smiled. “No, I can use the elder card on you.” You said and he nodded. “Exactly. Now come on old lady, let’s go get a snack.” He held his hand out to you.

#WayV #NCT #kun #ten #chittaphon leechaiyapornkul #winwin #lucas #xiaojun #hendery #yang #sm entertainment #sm ent #kpop #wayv reactions #wayv scenarios #all-the-kpop-imagines

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patriotsnet · 4 years

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Did Republicans Riot After Obama Was Elected

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/did-republicans-riot-after-obama-was-elected/

Did Republicans Riot After Obama Was Elected

Undocumented Kids Are Saved By Obamas Executive Order Daca Which Would Put A Halt To Deportation For Those Whod Entered The Country Before Age 16 And Yet In A Bid To Get The Gop To Come Over To His Side On Immigration Reform The President Has Also Deported A Record 15 Million People In His First Term

A Family Caught in Immigration Limbo

When Belsy Garcia saw her mother’s number appear on her iPhone on the afternoon of June 15, she felt what she calls the “uncomfortable fluttering” sensation in her chest. She knew that daytime calls signaled an emergency. The worst one had come the previous year, when her sister told her ICE agents had placed their father in federal custody.

Garcia was attending Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, when her father was marched out of her childhood home. As an undocumented immigrant — like both of her parents, who are from Guatemala — she couldn’t qualify for loans. She financed her education through scholarships and a stipend she earned as a residential assistant. Now she wondered if her mother was calling to say her father had been deported, which might force her to leave school to become the family’s breadwinner.

But this call was different. “Go turn on the television,” Garcia’s mother said. “You’re going to be able to work, get a driver’s license.”

Onscreen, President Obama was announcing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Undocumented immigrants who had arrived in the United States as children could apply for Social Security numbers and work permits. Garcia qualified: Her parents had brought her to this country when she was 7 years old. DACA transformed her into a premed student who could actually become a doctor. “It was like this weight was lifted,” she says. “All of that hard work was going to pay off.”

In The Next Hundred Days Our Bipartisan Outreach Will Be So Successful That Even John Boehner Will Consider Becoming A Democrat After All We Have A Lot In Common He Is A Person Of Color Although Not A Color That Appears In The Natural World Whats Up John Barack Obama White House Correspondents Dinner

And Then There Were Three

The first woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court did so in 1880. It would take another 101 years for a woman to sit on that bench rather than stand before it. Even then, progress was fitful. Over the 12 years that Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg served together, their identities evidently merged; lawyers regularly addressed Ginsburg as “Justice O’Connor.” When O’Connor retired in 2006, she left the faux Justice O’Connor feeling lonely. Ruth Bader Ginsburg warned of something far more alarming: What the public saw on entering the court were “eight men of a certain size, and then this little woman sitting to the side.” They might well represent the most eminent legal minds in America. But there was something antiquated, practically mutton-choppy, about that portrait.

How many female justices would be sufficient? Nine, says Justice Ginsburg, noting that no one ever raised an eyebrow at the idea of nine men.

Seal Team Six Kills Osama Bin Ladenraiding His Secret Compound In Abbottabad Pakistan While Obama And His Top Advisers Watch A Live Feed Of The Mission From The White House Situation Room The Picture Of The Assembled Becomes The Last Supper Of The Obama Era

Poop Feminism

For me, it’s one moment. All the bridesmaids have come to the fancy bridal shop to see Maya Rudolph try on wedding dresses. This should be a familiar scene: The bride emerges from the changing room and … This is the dress! The friends clap. The mother cries. Everyone is a princess. Go ahead and twirl!

But when the bride emerges in Bridesmaids, almost all of her friends have started to feel sick. Sweat coats their skin. Red splotches creep over their faces. They try to “ooh” and “aah,” but it’s already too late. It starts with a gag from Melissa McCarthy, followed by another gag. Then a gag that comes simultaneously with a tiny wet fart. It’s the smallness of the fart that’s important here. It’s the kind of fart that slips out — a fart that could be excused away, a brief, incongruous accident. Women don’t fart in wedding movies, and women certainly don’t fart at the exact moment that the bride comes out in her dress. This can’t be happening. Melissa McCarthy blames the fart on the tightness of her dress. We breathe a sigh of relief.

Then sweet Ellie Kemper gags, and the sound effect is surprisingly nasty. Ellie’s face is gray. Melissa’s face is red. They look bad. They are embarrassed. How far is this going to go?

The camera cuts. We are above now. We look down from a safe perch as the release we have been anticipating and dreading begins. It is horribly, earth-shatteringly gross. A woman has just pooped in a sink. The revolution has begun.

The Government Acquires A 61 Percent Stake In Gm And Loans The Company $50 Billion The Auto Bailout Will Eventually Be Heralded As A Great Success Adding More Than 250000 Manufacturing Jobs To The Economy

The Auto Industry Gets Rerouted

“The president was very clear with us that he only wanted to do stuff that would fundamentally change the way they did business. And that’s what we did. There were enormous changes. For example, General Motors had something like 300 different job classifications that the union had. If you were assigned to put the windshield wipers on, you couldn’t put tires on. And we wiped all that stuff out. We basically gave back management the freedom to manage, to hire, to fire. People stopped getting paid even when they were on layoff. We reduced the number of car plants so that there wasn’t so much overcapacity. So now, when you have 16 million cars sold , they’re making a fortune.”

Black Lives Matter Activists Are Arrested In Baton Rouge Louisianaprotesting The Murder Of Alton Sterling; More Than 100 People Are Detained In St Paul Minnesota Protesting The Murder Of Philando Castile

What Is the Point of a Quantified Self?

Melissa Dahl: The Fitbit was introduced at a tech conference eight years ago. It’s kind of incredible to realize that, before then, this idea of the “quantified self” didn’t really exist in the mainstream.

Jesse Singal: I feel like it’s the intersection of all these different trends: Everyone plays video games these days. You got smartphones everywhere. And people are realizing that solutions to the big problems that lead to sleeplessness and anxiety and bad eating — unemployment and income inequality and yada yada yada — aren’t gonna get solved anytime soon.

MD: That’s interesting, because all of this self-tracking is also, according to some physicians, giving people more anxiety! A Fitbit-induced stress vortex.

Cari Romm: It feels like productive stress, though. I’m talking as a recovered Fitbit obsessive, but it does make you look at Fitbit-less people like, “You mean you don’t care how many steps you took today?”

MD: Oh, God. I don’t care. Should I care? Sleep is the one thing I obsessed over for a while. Which does not really help one get to sleep.

JS: Do you think an actually good and not obsession-inducing sleep app could help, though?

MD: There’s some aspect to the tracking idea that really does work. I mean, it’s just a higher-tech version of a food journal or sleep journal, right? Ben Franklin 300 years ago was tracking his 13 “personal virtues” in his diary.

JS: Would Ben Franklin have been an insufferable tech-bro?

Officer Darren Wilson Fatally Shoots Michael Brownin The St Louis Suburb Of Ferguson Sparking A National Protest Movement And Setting Off Unrest That Will Remain Unresolved Two Years Later

On the Triumph of Black Culture in the Age of Police Shootings

In the two years since Mike Brown was fatally shot by the police in Ferguson, and the video footage of his dead body in the street went viral, we have seen the emergence of a perverse dichotomy on our screens and in our public discourse: irrefutable evidence of grotesquely persistent racism, and irrefutable evidence of increasing black cultural and political power. This paradox is not entirely new, of course — America was built on a narrative of white supremacy, and black Americans have simultaneously continued to make vast and essential contributions to the country’s prominence—but it has become especially pronounced. And it’s not just because of the internet and social media, or the leftward shift of the culture, or black America’s being sick and tired of being sick and tired. In fact, it is all of these things, not least two terms with a black president. In the same way that black skin signals danger to the police , his black skin, to black people, signaled black cultural preservation. African-Americans didn’t see a black man as the most powerful leader in the free world; we saw the most powerful leader in the free world as black. This is what comedian Larry Wilmore was expressing at the 2016 White House Correspondents’ Dinner when he said, “Yo, Barry, you did it, my nigga.” It was a moment of unadulterated black pride.

Militants Attack American Compounds In Benghazi Libya Killing Us Ambassador Chris Stevens And Three Other Americans There Will Eventually Be Eight Congressional Probes Into The Incident

“I Know I Let Everybody Down”

“Before the debate, David Plouffe and I went in to talk to him and give him a pep talk and he said, ‘Let’s just get this over with and get out of here,’ which is not what you want to hear from your candidate right before the debate. We knew within ten minutes that it was going to be a debacle. We had armed him with a joke — it was his 20th anniversary, and he addressed Michelle — and it turns out Romney was expecting just such a line and had a really great comeback. And Romney was excellent — just free and easy and clearly well prepared and showed personality that people hadn’t seen before. Obama looked like he was at a press conference.

We had a meeting at the White House and he said, ‘I know I let everybody down and that’s on me, and I’m not going to let that happen again,’ and that was his attitude. We always had debate camps before, where we’d re-create in hotel ballrooms what the set would look like, and all of the conditions of the real debate. When we went down to Williamsburg, Virginia, for the next debate camp, he seemed really eager to engage in the prep. We had a decent first night. That was on Saturday. On Sunday night, Kerry, playing Romney, got a little more aggressive and Obama a little less so; it looked very much like what we had seen in Denver. It was like he’d taken a step back.

Scott Brown Is Elected Massachusetts Senatorturning Ted Kennedys Seat Republican For The First Time Since 1952 And Suddenly Throwing The Prospect Of Passing Obamacare Into Jeopardy

Plan B

“I’m talking to Rahm and Jim Messina and saying, ‘Okay, explain to me how this happened.’ It was at that point that I learned that our candidate, Martha Coakley, had asked rhetorically, ‘What should I do, stand in front of Fenway and shake hands with voters?’ And we figured that wasn’t a good bellwether of how things might go.

This might have been a day or two before the election, but the point is: There is no doubt that we did not stay on top of that the way we needed to. This underscored a failing in my first year, which was the sort of perverse faith in good policy leading to good politics. I’ll cut myself some slack — we had a lot to do, and every day we were thinking, Are the banks going to collapse? Is the auto industry going to collapse? Will layoffs accelerate? We just didn’t pay a lot of attention to politics that first year, and the loss in Massachusetts reminded me of what any good president or elected official needs to understand: You’ve got to pay attention to public opinion, and you have to be able to communicate your ideas. But it happened, and the question then was, ‘What’s next?’

Sheryl Sandbergs Lean In Hits Bookstores Making The Feminist Case That Women Should Be More Aggressive And Ambitious In Their Careers And Making Feminists Themselves Very Angry

The “Mommy Wars” Finally Flame Out

After decades of chilly backlash, we find ourselves, these past eight years, in an age of feminist resurgence, with feminist websites and publications and filmmakers and T-shirts and pop singers and male celebrities and best-selling authors and women’s soccer teams. Of course, as in every feminist golden age, there has also been dissent: furious clashes over the direction and quality of the discourse, especially as the movement has become increasingly trendy, shiny, and celebrity-backed.

Perhaps the most public feminist conflagration of the Obama years came at the nexus of policy and celebrity, of politics and pop power. It was the furor over Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, who gave a viral 2010 TED Talk about women in the workplace who “leave before they leave” — who alter their professional strategy to accommodate a future they assume will be compromised by parenthood — which led to the publication of her 2013 feminist business manifesto, Lean In.

It’s a lesson of the Obama era: One approach to redressing inequality does not have to blot out the others. Sometimes, attacking from all angles is the most effective strategy.

Texas State Senator Wendy Davis Laces Up Her Pink Running Shoes And Spends Ten Long Hours Attempting To Filibuster A Billthat Wouldve Imposed Statewide Abortion Restrictions

“The Concept of Dignity Really Matters”

“I was given an enormous degree of latitude. I did communicate with the White House counsel on occasion about high-profile cases, but it was much more in the nature of just giving them a heads-up, to calm any nervous feelings they might have. There’s only one exception to that, and it was on marriage equality, in the Hollingsworth v. Perry case in 2013. We were contemplating coming in and arguing that it was unconstitutional for California to refuse to recognize the legal validity of same-sex marriages. But we didn’t have to do it . And because it was a discretionary judgment, and it was such a consequential step, that was the one matter where I really sought out the president’s personal guidance. I wanted to make sure the president had a chance to thoroughly consider what we should do before we did it. It was really one of the high points of my tenure. It was a wide-ranging conversation about doctrinal analysis, about where society was now, about social change and whether it should go through the courts or through the majoritarian process, about the pace of social change, about the significance of the right at stake. He was incredibly impressive.

A Golf Summit Between John Boehner And Barack Obama Stirs Hopethat Perhaps The Two Parties Will Come To A Budget Agreement And Forestall A True Crisis Secret And Semi

A Grand Bargain That Wasn’t, Remembered Three Ways

“The president of the United States and the Speaker of the House, the two most powerful elected officials in Washington, decided in a conversation that they both had to try to make something happen. Maybe it would be the way it worked in a West Wing episode in a world that doesn’t work like a West Wing episode. That’s how it started — two individuals saying we’re going to try. I think they both shared a belief in the art of the possible, and they both did not think compromise was a dirty word.

When our cover was blown — a Wall Street Journal editorial came out saying that Boehner and Obama were working on this and attacking the whole premise — that was devastating. It resulted in Cantor being a part of the talks. Cantor and Boehner came in, and I think it was a weekend private session with the president in the Oval Office, and they were talking about the numbers. At one point Cantor said, ‘Listen, it’s not just the numbers. There’s concern that this will help you politically. Paul Ryan said if we do this deal, it will guarantee your reelection. If we agree with Barack Obama on spending and taxes, that takes away one of our big weapons.’ There were so many obstacles, some of them substantive — how much revenue, and what about the entitlements? — but there was also this overlay of ‘This is going to help Obama.’

Illustrations by Lauren Tamaki

The Obama Administration Unveils Its Plan For Regulating Wall Streetwhich Is Then Introduced In Congress By Senator Chris Dodd And Representative Barney Frank

MJ=JC?

Lane Brown: Michael Jackson’s death was a big deal for lots of obvious reasons, including the surprising way it happened and the fact that he was arguably the most famous person on the planet.

Nate Jones: He was an A-lister with an indisputable body of work; he was 50 years old, his hits were the right age — old enough that every generation knew them, but not too old that they weren’t relevant anymore.

LB: But it was also the first huge celebrity death to happen in the age of social media, or at least the age of Twitter.

NJ: MJ’s death came alongside the protests in Iran, which was when Twitter went mainstream.

LB: It also meant that so much of the instant reaction was to make it all about us.

Frank Guan: In a lot of ways, the culture prefers the death of artists to their continuing to live. Once an artist gets launched into the stratosphere, there’s no way to come down, and that permanence becomes monotonous. They run out of timely or groundbreaking material and the audience starts tuning out. At some point, their fame eclipses their art, and then the only way to get the general audience to appreciate them anew is for them to die.

LB: People seem to like the grieving process so much that even lesser celebrities get the same treatment.

Congresswoman Gabby Giffords Returns To The House Floor For The First Time Since Being Shot In A Massacre In January Casting A Vote In Favor Of The Debt

A Rare Moment of Unity

“I was doing intensive rehabilitation in Houston at the time but was following the debate closely, and I was pretty disappointed at what was happening in Washington. I’d seen the debate grow so bitter and divisive and so full of partisan rancor. And I was worried our country was hurtling toward a disastrous, self-inflicted economic crisis. That morning, when it became clear the vote was going to be close, my husband, Mark, and I knew we needed to get to Washington quickly. I went straight from my rehabilitation appointment to the airport, and Mark was at our house in Houston packing our bags so he could meet us at the plane.

That night, I remember seeing the Capitol for the first time since I was injured and feeling so grateful to be at work. I will never forget the reception I received on the floor of the House from my colleagues, both Republicans and Democrats. And then, like I had so many times before, I voted.

I worked so hard to get my speech back, and honestly, talking to people who share my determination helped me find my words again. I’ve been to Alaska, Maine, and everywhere in between. Best of all, I got back on my bike. Riding my bike once seemed like such a huge challenge. It seemed impossible.”

Miley Cyrus Twerks At The Mtv Vmassetting Off A Controversy About Cultural Appropriation That Soon Ensnares Seemingly Every White Pop Star On The Planet

• Karlie Kloss wears a Native American headdress and fringed bra at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show.

• Justin Timberlake is accused of appropriating black music when he tells a black critic “We are the same” after praising Jesse Williams’s BET Humanitarian Award speech about race and police brutality.

• DJ Khaled gets lost on Jet Ski, snaps the whole time.

• Two UW-Madison students snap their meet-cute as the entire student body cheers them on.

• Playboy Playmate Dani Mathers films and mocks an anonymous woman in the gym shower.

• A Massachusetts teen records the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl. The video is later seen by a friend of the victim.

Prior To Going To War In Iraq Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Optimistically Predicted The Iraq War Might Last Six Days Six Weeks I Doubt Six Months

What’s more, Vice-President Dick Cheney said we would be greeted as liberators by the Iraqi people after we overthrow Saddam.

They were both horribly wrong. Instead of six weeks or six months, the Iraq war lasted eight long and bloody years costing thousands of American lives. It led to an Iraqi civil war between the Sunnis and the Shiites that took hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives. Many Iraqi militia groups were formed to fight against the U.S. forces that occupied Iraq. What’s more, Al Qaeda, which did not exist in Iraq before the war, used the turmoil in Iraq to establish a new foothold in that country.

The Iraq war was arguably the most tragic foreign policy blunder in US history.

In 2012 Republicans Predicted That Failure To Approve The Keystone Pipeline Would Send The Price Of Gasoline Sky High And Kill Large Numbers Of Jobs

Despite the fact that the Keystone Pipeline was not approved, the price of gasoline continued to drop below $1.80 per gallon, millions of new jobs were created and unemployment dropped from 8% to 4.9% by early 2016. The most optimistic predictions say that the Keystone Pipeline would only create a few dozen long-term jobs and would do nothing to lower the price of gasoline.

Eric Cantors Stunning Primary Loss Suggests No Politician Is Safe From The Rage Of The Tea Party Not Even The Tea Partys Canniest Political Leader

From Party’s Future to Also-Ran in a Single Day

On the day his political career died, Eric Cantor was busy tending to what he still believed was its bright future. While his GOP-primary opponent, David Brat, visited polling places in and around Richmond, Virginia, Cantor spent his morning 90 miles away at a Capitol Hill Starbucks. He was there to host a fund-raiser for three of his congressional colleagues — something he did every month, just another part of the long game he was playing, which, he believed, would eventually culminate in his becoming Speaker of the House.

The preceding five years had brought Cantor tantalizingly closer to that goal. In the immediate aftermath of Obama’s election, he’d rallied waffling House Republicans to stand in lockstep opposition to the new president’s agenda. In 2010, he’d helped elect 87 new Republican members, giving the GOP a House majority and making Cantor the House majority leader. He became the champion of these freshmen members, stoking their radicalism during the debt-ceiling fight and working to undermine Obama and John Boehner’s attempt to strike a “grand bargain.” His alliance with the ascendant tea party was strategic — it gave him leverage not only over Obama but over other Republicans who might also have had aspirations of becoming Speaker. It never occurred to him that the wave he was trying to ride might crash on him instead.

In 1993 When Bill Clinton Raised Taxes On The Wealthiest 15% Republicans Predicted A Recession Increased Unemployment And A Growing Budget Deficit

They weren’t just wrong: The exact opposite of everything they predicted happened. The country experienced the seven best years of economic growth in history.

Twenty-two million new jobs were added.

Unemployment dropped below 4%.

The poverty rate dropped for seven straight years.

The budget deficit was eliminated.

There was a growing budget surplus that economists projected could pay off our national debt in 20 years.

Republicans Predicted That We Would Find Iraqs Weapons Of Mass Destruction Even Though Un Weapons Inspectors Said That Those Weapons Didn’t Exist

The Bush administration continued to insist that WMDs would be found, even when the CIA said some of the evidence was questionable. As we all know, the WMDs predicted by the Bush administration did not exist, and Saddam Hussein had not resumed his nuclear weapons program as they claimed. Ultimately, both President Bush and Vice President Cheney had to admit that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Republicans Predicted That President Obamas Tax Increase For The Top 1% In 2013 Would Kill Jobs Increase The Deficit And Cause Another Recession

You guessed it; just the opposite happened. In the four years following January 1, 2013, when that tax increase went into effect, through January 2017, unemployment dropped from 7.9% to 4.8%, an average of more than 200,000 new jobs were created per month, Wall Street set new record highs, and the budget deficit was cut in half.

Over 5.7 million new jobs were created in the first two years after that tax increase. That’s more jobs created in two years than were created during the combined 12 years of both Bush presidencies.

In 2001 When George W Bush Cut Taxes For The Wealthy Republicans Predicted Record Job Growth Increased Budget Surplus And Nationwide Prosperity

Once again, the exact opposite occurred. After the Bush tax cuts were enacted:

The budget surplus immediately disappeared.

The budget deficit eventually grew to $1.4 trillion by the time Bush left office.

Less than 3 million net jobs were added during Bush’s eight years.

The poverty rate began climbing again.

We experienced two recessions along with the greatest collapse of our financial system since the Great Depression.

In 1993, President Clinton signed the Brady Law mandating nationwide background checks and a waiting period to buy a gun.

Apple Announces That It Has Sold 100 Million Iphoneswithin A Few Months It Will Overtake Exxonmobil As The Most Valuable Company In The World

Earthlings Gain a New Appendage

What if we had the singularity and nobody noticed? In 2007, Barack Obama had been on the trail for weeks, using a BlackBerry like all the cool campaigners, when the new thing went on sale and throngs lined up for it. The new thing had a silly name: iPhone. The iPhone was a phone the way the Trojan horse was a horse.

Now it’s the gizmo without which a person feels incomplete. It’s a light in the darkness, a camera, geolocator, hidden mic, complete Shakespeare, stopwatch, sleep aid, heart monitor, podcaster, aircraft spotter, traffic tracker, all-around reality augmenter, and increasingly a pal. At the Rio Olympics you could see people, having flown thousands of miles to be in the arena with the athletes, watching the action through their smartphones. As though they needed the mediating lens to make it real.

This device, this gadget — a billion have been made and we scarcely know what to call it. For his 2010 novel of the near future, , Gary Shteyngart made up a word, “äppärät.” “My äppärät buzzing with contacts, data, pictures, projections, maps, incomes, sound, fury.” Future then, present now. His äppäräti were worn around the neck on pendants. Ours are in our pockets when they aren’t in our hands, but they also sprout earbuds, morph into wristwatches and eyeglasses. Contact lenses have been rumored; implants are only a matter of time.

Let’s face it, we’ve grown a new organ.

Republicans Said Waterboarding And Other Forms Of Enhanced Interrogation Are Not Torture And Are Necessary In Fighting Islamic Extremism

In reality, waterboarding and other forms of enhanced interrogation that inflict pain, suffering, or fear of death are outlawed by US law, the US Constitution, and international treaties. Japanese soldiers after World War II were prosecuted by the United States for war crimes because of their use of waterboarding on American POWs.

Professional interrogators have known for decades that torture is the most ineffective and unreliable method of getting accurate information. People being tortured say anything to get the torture to end but will not likely tell the truth.

An FBI interrogator named Ali Soufan was able to get al Qaeda terrorist Abu Zubaydah to reveal crucial information without the use of torture. When CIA interrogators started using waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation methods, Zubaydah stopped cooperating and gave his interrogators false information.

Far from being necessary in the fight against terrorism, torture is completely unreliable and counter-productive in obtaining useful information.

In 2008 Republicans Said That If We Elect A Democratic President We Would Be Hit By Al Qaeda Again Perhaps Worse Than The Attack On 9/11

Former Vice-President Dick Cheney stated that electing a Democrat as president would all but guarantee that there would be another major attack on America by Al Qaeda. Cheney and other Republicans were, thankfully, completely wrong. During Obama’s presidency, we had zero deaths on U.S. soil from Al Qaeda attacks and we succeeded in killing Bin Laden along with dozens of other high ranking Al Qaeda leaders.

Game Of Thrones Arrives On Televisionwith An Assemblage Of Dragons Torture Nudity Incest And Despair A Show The Whole Family Can Enjoy

Explaining Kale

ADAM PLATT: Many things in Foodlandia, these days, have a political element to them, and if you want to emblazon a flag to be carried into battle, you could do worse than a bristly, semi-digestible bunch of locally grown kale.

ALAN SYTSMA: To eat kale is to announce you’re a person who cares about the matters of the day.

AP: The idea of kale is much more powerful than kale itself. In short order it went from being discovered, to appreciated, to being something that was parodied. Frankly, I’m all for the parody.

AS: The same thing happened to pork. Remember bacon peanut brittle? Bacon-fat cocktails? There’s bacon dental floss.

AP: Ahhh, bacon versus kale. The two great, competing forces of our time.

AS: Do you think one gave way to the other?

AP: What we’re really talking about is artisanal bacon, and the more sophisticated-sounding pork belly, made from pigs that were lovingly reared at upstate farms and fed diets of pristine little acorns. Bacon is the great symbol in the comfort-food, farm-fresh-dining movement, a kind of merry, unbridled pulchritude. Kale is the righteous yin to pork’s fatty, non-vegan yang.

AS: But pork has an advantage: People like the way it tastes.

AP: That’s a huge advantage, one that will hopefully see it through to victory.

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gulfportofficial · 4 years

Text

Anyway, here’s some more WIP GP (I think some of you may have seen bits of this before? I told you it was taking me forever).

I loved how he looked when he woke up. Cranky and rumpled and soft all at the same time, his black hair messy and his skin warm from the bedclothes. It seemed to take him a minute or two to hear me well enough to respond to me. How human he was, still, that even now with his impossible strength, he woke up groggy. I climbed onto the bed, and then onto him, and kissed him on the mouth.

He smiled against it. He put his arms around me. “Has the paper come?”

Typical, I thought of saying, but did not. I wasn’t really annoyed by it. That clever little occupation of his, that too, was part of his sweetness too. “Yes,” I said, “and I’ve got the Picayune.”

Louis shuffled up and arranged his pillows fussily, so he could lean back onto them. “You’re very good to me,” he said. “Was it a nice walk?”

“Entirely uneventful,” I said. “Kiss me again and I’ll let you read your papers.”

He did. “Will you tell me the shape of the evening so that I know how long I have to read them?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, did your mother mention what time she was arriving? Do we need to go out before she comes?” he asked. “I don’t mind doing that.”

It would be entirely wrong to say that I had forgotten she was coming. I had thought about nothing else since her call. I had thought about it in my sleep and upon waking and during my walk and while he was kissing me. But I thought about it so hard it didn’t seem to be present in my real life. I swallowed, and Louis looked at me strangely.

“I don’t know,” I said. “She might want to go out together.” “It’s a shame you just can’t call her to check,” Louis said.

I didn’t bother to answer that. Such a pointless dig. Was that the shape of the evening then, something structured by Louis’ painful and barbed asides catching at my flesh? I rolled off him and fished out my laptop computer. I took my notebook and glasses from the bedside table. He didn’t comment.

There wasn’t much for me to attend to on the internet. A few emails. Facebook nonsense. I had been tagged in some photographs and proceeded to vet them. I do like candid photographs, but there are limits.

Louis had picked up the Press-Register. “Why don’t we go out just in case,” he said. “If she wants to, we can go again.”

I don’t think he was thinking this through. As a general rule, we do not hunt so close to where we live, unless we can truly be sure it is a little drink only and nothing more. We didn’t have time to go far enough afield. At least I felt we didn’t have time. He was right that I couldn’t call to check.

“You go,” I said. “I’ll wait.”

“That’s alright. If you want to wait, we’ll wait. I’ll survive.”

“Won’t it drive you mad?” I said. I’d opened up my Notes document and begin to transcribe.

“You forget to whom it is you’re speaking,” Louis said, and I was about to tell him off, but he was right. Anyone who could live on rats for as long as he had could skip a night. Just one though, allowing for the precedent of the consequences of his doing that.

“How’s the Gulf?” I asked, deliberately.

Louis gave me a look, but it worked, as I knew it would. “Thad Allen’s leaving,” he said.

“I don’t know who that is.”

“The Coastguard National Incident Commander. He actually stepped down moths ago but…”

I sighed. “Unlike you, Louis, I have better things to do than read everything about the fucking oil spill, so obviously I don’t know what that is either. When you tell a story like this you must structure in a referent or two so I am able to orient myself.”

I regretted saying that. I regretted saying anything that could stop him from focusing on the spill instead of my mother. “It’s called glossing,” I said, hastily. “One should gloss.”

I wonder if he took pity on me then, because he went on with only the slightest air of annoyance. “Admiral Allen,” Louis said, “is a Coast Guard official and the man appointed by President Obama to oversee responses to the disaster. He has a most distinguished career, actually, and…”

“What did he do?”

“Many things, but…”

“No, I mean, why is he stepping down? What did he do? Did he get caught taking a bribe or something else scandalous?”

“I think he’s just retiring.”

“Oh,” I said. “That’s dull.”

“He’s responsible for most of the online mapping.”

“The what?”

“I showed you,” Louis said. “The computer map of the spill and how it was spreading. On the internet. That was his idea, to make that map public.”

“Oh yes, I remember,” I said. I didn’t. I was bored with the internet now anyway. I hopped out of bed, and started to flick through my wardrobe. I’d shower and dress, I felt better equipped to face the evening showered and dressed. I felt the need to cement things with a lot of ritual. Prayer. I thought I might do something to my face and slipped into the bathroom.

“What’s that on your face?” Louis asked when I slipped out. “Supernatural late stage leprosy?”

“Shut up,” I said, then I read off the jar for him, “it’s a Green Clay Masque with Rice Enzyme.”

Louis opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it. I supposed I knew what it was – you don’t need that, it will have absolutely no effect on you – but I wondered why he decided not to lecture me. Perhaps he couldn’t be bothered.

He could think what he liked anyway. I felt the stuff drying on my face and I liked the sensation of it, it felt redeeming in some manner. I set the jar down and sat back on the bed and pulled out my laptop again. Nothing on Facebook had changed and it was all still boring. I trawled through it anyway. One feels obligated, or else compulsion. That,too, is like a naturalized little prayer against disaster.

Louis ran a gentle, distracted-seeming hand up and down on my back as I did. “My mother…” he said. I looked up.

I wasn’t sure if he’d trailed off out of discomfort, or simply because he didn’t intend to keep speaking. “What, Louis?”

“When my brother died…” Louis said, and that was surprising enough that I had to actually turn around to look at him. He never spoke about this. Never. And it didn’t precisely seem buried, not on his face now, nor in the fact that he’d stuttered himself out of speaking. Once turned around I held perfectly still.

He began again. “When my brother died,” Louis said, “well, you probably remember my telling you this, but we’d argued. Almost immediately before. Moments before. And my mother blamed me.”

“That’s not kind,” I said. “And it’s not true. Brothers exchange harsh words sometimes.”

“No, you’ve misunderstood,” Louis said. “I mean that she believed I’d committed the act. She asked the police to question me.”

Oh, Louis, I wanted to say. How horrible. How cruel. “Is that why you can’t understand a mother caring for you, or being your friend or being intimate?”

“Perhaps it is,” Louis said. “My mother and I were never particularly at odds before then, but we weren’t close either. I don’t know. I don’t know what she thought.”

“Why didn’t you ask her?”

“You’re correct that we didn’t have that sort of intimacy. I don’t recall ever asking her much of anything.”

How quickly I regretted this Green Clay Masque with Rice Enzyme. It had already started to itch and I wanted it off me, but I could not move to interrupt what Louis was saying. My heart wouldn’t let me do that.

“I don’t think my family in general liked me very much,” Louis said, his solemn white face still and his eyes far away. “Furthermore, I’m not sure I deserved being liked, since I don’t recall I was very kind to them. My father died and I focused on management, and I don’t wonder if that’s all I did. My sister said as much, after… well, after you and I… after I sent her to the city.”

“Did she really just announce that to you,” I said. “That she didn’t like you? That’s an awfully rude thing to say to the person funding your lifestyle.”

Louis raised an eyebrow at me. I took the point. However, there was strangely little malice in his expression considering how much room in it for malice there was. That was curious and I waited for him to continue.

“Yes she did,” he said. “She and I did become close then. When I visited her, we did talk, and with a great deal of frankness and intimacy, and she said very directly that I had become kinder and that she had begun to understand and to like me. So perhaps my mother simply knew an unkind person.”

But the real you must have shone through, I wanted to say. It seemed impossible to me that anyone could have met Louis and not instantly fallen as fatally in love as I, even, if not especially, his mother. Someone so beautiful, so passionate, so gentle and particular and odd, you’d need a heart of stone not to love him. But perhaps all of his reservations with me had come from this. Perhaps like all of us, Louis had been irreparably shaped by the first person ever to hold his vulnerable mortal body as it came into this world, forever formed by whatever definition of love was taught to him.

“Your mother was crazed with grief, chéri,” I said. “That’s all it was. You didn’t deserve that.”

“Well,” he said. He opened the paper again. His face was flat now. He’d finished. Any grief of his own that lingered, he wouldn’t show me.

I tried, subtly, to scratch my face, but I stopped before he looked at me. If he noticed he’d say something pointedly right about the masque and I didn’t want him to do that. “Whatever happened to that man your sister married,” I said. “She married that… I forget, but there was something about him…”

It was desperate. But I hoped it at least sounded conversational.

“There was nothing about him,” Louis said. “Unless you mean the fact that he was profoundly inbred, which yes, I suppose, is notable from a certain point of view.”

I snorted. “You’re a snob, chaton.”

“I’m nothing of the sort. It’s your kind who inbreed. The middle classes marry out.”

“You are…” I said, but I didn’t know what he was. Terrible, at least, I wanted to say. Absolutely appalling. I felt myself smiling, preparing to tease.

“Listen, Monsieur,” Louis said, and I stopped. He said it firmly, a stately little command, and it worked on me instantly. I listened, I waited.

“Listen, Monsieur,” he said, again. “I intend to be an asset to you in this, not a obstacle.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“That’s all,” he said. “Go on. Go on about your strange ablutions. I’m going to finish these papers.”

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motherlifesucher-archives · 5 years

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somebody else l Shawn Mendes imagine.

(a/n): this might become into a series, but I'm not sure. I hope you like it. AND I finished watching Big Little Lies season 2 and I was thinking about doing an AU where Shawn and his wife are like, part of the series’ dynamic? like a rich couple with young kids and stuff? let me know!

summary: Shawn is a newly divorced father, but his ex-wife, Camila, is still haunting him, even if he loves you.

You remember taking powerful and decided strides when you first saw him, holding a glass of white wine on his right hand as he laughed with three other men.

You didn’t actually mean to see him or be amazed by the way his tall frame stood in the crowd. No, you were just attending your company’s annual Christmas event.

You were one of the non-visible faces on the music industry, but were incredibly okay with it; staying away from the spotlight while making a lot of money wasn’t that bad. Musicians didn’t usually go to the Business Strategy & Operations department of their label, just as you usually didn’t go to the floors where songs were being created.

You were lucky enough to never be around New York City by the time these events were held, always making up excuses to not be around the busy city and paparazzi stalking the hottest names in the business. But, somehow, you ended up in the wrong place at the right time, when he caught your eye.

You knew he was fresh out of a divorce, the news being the headline of every magazine and newspaper for a good month, with people wondering what had happened between Hollywood’s sweethearts. Still, one night after going out with mutual friends you agreed on a date.

He ended up being exactly what you didn’t want him to be, because from that moment on, it was impossible to not fall for him.

He explained everything that happened between him and his now ex-wife, from the fights to the hard realization that they had fallen out of love and only desire, plus their three-year-old daughter was keeping their marriage alive and forcing them to star together. So, Camila, the ex-wife, found somebody new and Shawn was doing the same, with you.

The first few months were quiet, keeping the romance under wraps like it was the most precious thing. People that knew what was going on could be counted with a few fingers and they didn’t want anything to change, until that Friday afternoon they decided to pick up their food instead of ordering in, and a sneaky person took a picture, creating chaos.

From that moment on, there was no doubt that Shawn was dating someone, but the question was who was the mystery woman holding his hand and laughing in the, apparently, empty street at one in morning? It didn’t take long for media outlets to realize that it was you, some research analyst for Universal Music, that most artists and people around the music business knew your name, but didn’t necessarily recognize your face.

That day, when the news got out, people around the globe recognized you as Shawn Mendes’ new girlfriend.

Suddenly, the followers count started rising. Photos that you didn’t even remember taking, from university or even high school, started roaming the internet.

Shawn reassured you, said that there was nothing to worry about, that he wouldn’t talk about it in public and that he’d try for his management team to keep the paparazzi following you at the minimum.

You were advised by Universal Music to keep your accounts private. You were even called by Human Resources to sign a “love contract” since Shawn was a Universal client and there could be legal trouble, which was incredibly weird and on the verge of humiliating.

Still, Shawn and you kept going strong. Four months, to be exact, until Shawn decided it was time for you to meet his daughter, Luana Mendes-Cabello, but like any decent mother, Camila wanted get to meet you first before introducing a new figure on her daughter’s life, just like Shawn had done with Camila’s new boyfriend.

It wasn’t the gorgeous, pop princess status that scared you at all. You knew you were just as beautiful and talented, you just were a rockstar in silence and without the entire world knowing.

On the other hand, the ex-wife status was pretty terrifying.

You didn’t have a hard time accepting and realizing that Shawn was the real deal; his smile and way of seeing life was fulfilling and made you feel loved and safe, which was something you had been looking for you entire life. but, no matter how confident you were in yourself, their history was intimidating to your short and relatively new relationship.

That seemed to go away when you saw her walk inside the casual brunch spot Shawn had chosen. She wasn’t wearing any make-up, but still looked good in jeans, a hoodie and a Louis Vuitton bag decorating her forearm.

She greeted Shawn first with a small hug, before giving you a smile and repeating the short hug, even if it was kind of awkward, something that Shawn picked up and subtly placed his hand on the small of your back before sitting again.

“It’s so nice to meet you, (Y/N). A friend told me your strategies for promoting new artists’ are the best in the business!” Camila placed her Prada sunglasses on the table before smiling at you.

“Oh, that’s very nice. I mean, I try to do the best I can, you know the business... Sometimes artists get a shitty business strategy and get dropped by the label.” You said before quickly scolding yourself, maybe saying bad words wasn’t the best choice for a woman that was testing you to be around her daughter.

“I completely understand that, there should be more people like you around the block, I think I'll take your business card just in case.” She said before ordering a vanilla latte.

“You saw that new merch tactic I've been using on my instagram? All her idea.” Shawn added, making you blush.

“Wow, maybe I'll be making a move on you and take you to Epic Records.”

You smiled nervously, “He’s giving me way more credit than I deserve.”

“Trust me, he’s not.” Camila smiled before thanking the waiter for her coffee. “Well, I think you know that I asked Shawn to do this and I completely understand if it is a bit awkward, but I hope you also can see where I'm coming from, because letting a stranger on my daughter’s life is pretty nerve-wracking.”

“Well, she’s not a stranger, she’s my girlfriend.” Shawn said lifting his eyebrows at her.

Camila narrowed her eyes at him, “You know what I mean.”

You coughed to cut the tense moment, “Don’t worry, I completely understand. I think I'd do the same.”

Camila gave you a tight lipped smile, “Thanks for understanding.”

“Where’s your boyfriend? I thought he would be joining us.” Shawn asked taking a sip of his tea, trying to seem nonchalant, but it didn’t exactly work as you noticed his eyes eyeing her.

“He had to catch an early flight to Tokyo, some business went wrong,” Camila took a deep breath. “So, about Luana... Have you met her, like, when Shawn picks her up or something?”

Shawn chuckled, “Isn’t the point of this meeting because (Y/N) hasn’t met Lu?”

“Right...” Camila laughed. “Lu’s a very sweet girl and can get very attached, but she can also be a pain and kind of overprotective with this one over here,” she pointed at Shawn with her head, making Shawn smile and look down. “Maybe you should be especially warned that she may not take an instant liking towards you, but don’t worry! She’ll warm up to you eventually.”

“I hope eventually doesn’t take too long.” You chuckled nervously.

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

Shawn was bouncing his leg up and down as he waited for Camila to open the door of their previously shared home.

Camila opened the door wearing silk pajamas with a messy bun, she kissed his cheek and he could help but linger a little bit longer than he should’ve. Camila was going to say something, because even if they weren’t together anymore she knew him too well. But, their moment was interrupted by a mop of brown curls and pale skin, the perfect mix between Camila and Shawn.

“Daddy!” The child ran towards Shawn’s arms, who lifted her in the air causing her to giggle.

“Hello, princess! You read to spend the weekend with me?” Shawn asked and the little girl just kept giggling. “Okay, say goodbye to mama and we can get going.”

Camila gave her a big kiss and hug before giving her back to Shawn, who placed Luana back on the ground and signaled his car and told her to wait for him.

Camila sighed, “Shawn, don’t.”

“What? I’m not doing anything.”

“I know you. We tried, we fought and it didn’t work, we just have to let it go. plus, (Y/N) is really great. We are moving on and that’s okay.”

Shawn took a deep breath before giving his ex-wife a quick kiss goodbye and walking to his black Jeep that he loved so much.

He constantly checked on his daughter through the rearview mirror. He turned down the volume of an old Frozen song before talking to her.

“So, there’s someone waiting for us back in my place.”

Luana funnily scrunched her face.

Shawn melted at her cuteness before explaining. “You know how mommy now spends a lot of time with Joe?” Luana nodded. “Well, I also have someone new in my life that I want you to meet.”

Luana still didn’t say anything, making Shawn nervous.

“Her name is (Y/N), she’s very excited to meet you and I was hoping that you’d be nice to her.”

The little girl accommodated on her car seat before mumbling an “okay”.

Shawn smiled and knew they would be just fine.

Though, on the other side, you were nervously waiting on Shawn’s luxury apartment for him and his daughter to go inside.

When the knob twisted, your heart stopped for a second as you noticed a little girl hiding behind Shawn’s legs.

“Lu, honey. You won’t be able to meet this nice lady we’ve been talking about...” He carefully placed his hand on the top of her head, when she didn’t budge, he carefully knelt in front of her and cleared her messy hair out of her almond shaped eyes.

You did the same thing, kneeling to meet her height before her sweet eyes met yours. “Hi, I’m (Y/N).” You stretched your arm and placed your hand in front of her.

Luana carefully eyes you before taking your hand in her tiny one. “I’m Luana, but call me Lu.”

“Okay, Lu...” You released a deep breath you didn’t realize were holding. “Are you hungry? We have waffles waiting for you.”

The little girl softly giggled before taking her dad’s hand. “Can I have cream?”

Shawn chuckled, “I think we can work that out.”

Her eyes widened, “And sprinkles?”

“Now you’re just taking advantage of your mother not being here, so I'm saying no.”

Luana carefully turned to you, giving you the most precious puppy eyes, something she had most definitely picked up from her father. You winked at her, making her giggle, knowing she was getting the sprinkles she wanted.

The day went by quickly, Luana quickly getting tired, but trying to hide it so that she could stay in the couch watching Disney’s Brave.

“If you want to, we can make some popcorn and finish watching it tomorrow. Does that sound good?” You offered and Luana sleepily nodded.

“It’s my birthday in two weeks.”

“It is? That’s great!” You said getting up from the couch and pausing Netflix as Shawn picked her up.

“You can come.” Sha said yawning before resting her head on Shawn’s shoulder.

Shawn winked at you before walking to his daughter’s bedroom. You let yourself collapse on the couch, a smile decorating your face as you faintly heard footsteps approaching you.

“I thing that went great.” Shawn said carefully sitting next to you.

You smiled as you scooted closer to your boyfriend’s warm and firm body. He slowly made his way up and down your back. You opened your eyes and gave him a sweet, slow kiss.

Shawn smiled, slowly separating your lips as you run your hand through his soft curls.

“Do you wanna take it to the bedroom?” He offered in a low, sensual voice.

You laughed, carefully nipping his neck and relishing on his low moan. “We are not having sex with your daughter on the next room.”

Shawn pouted, “I didn’t know that was a condition.”

“It’s not a condition, it’s common sense!” You laughed, but still placed sweet kisses on his jaw.

He groaned, “Should we catch up with Money Heist, then?”

You quickly separated your lips from his face. “Now you’re talking!”

Shawn grew silent for a second as you roamed through the TV to find the show. He knew letting go of Camila was hard, he still hadn’t detached himself completely from the situation, but at the same time he knew that in this exact moment, he didn’t love her as much as he was getting to love you, and it was a mix of emotions he hated, but at the same time happily embraced as you curled on his side.

But, two months went by. He was dropping Luana back to Camila’s when he noticed the redness in her eyes; he knew she had been crying, even if she tried to hide it.

She kissed Luana and told her to go to her room because it was late and she had school the next morning.

Shawn stepped inside the house, instantly memories hit him like a ton of bricks; from early mornings having breakfast when Camila was pregnant, to the late fights and rainy mornings spent talking about the future when they had just learned that they were having a little girl.

“What happened?” Shawn asked quietly.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” Camila dismissed him quickly.

“Don’t lie to me, Cami. I know you, remember?”

Camila couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, letting them flow freely as Shawn hugged her; her body fitting his like a glove, but it wasn’t quite the same as when his (Y/N) curled up next to him in the middle of the night.

“Joe and I had a fight, he just stormed off and I just feel like a teenager. We’re adults, I shouldn’t be crying because of a fight with my boyfriend.”

He didn’t know how it happened, but somehow his forehead found hers and their breathing was getting mixed.

Shawn knew he shouldn’t; because he had an incredible girl waiting for him and because there was a reason why he and Camila got divorced, it wasn't an easy decision, but they still took it because it was the mature and sane thing to do.

So he reminded himself of that as he closed his eyes and softly pushed Camila away from him.

“I’m sorry, that shouldn’t have happened,” Camila wiped her eyes. “I don’t feel anything for you, Shawn. I don’t want to risk what I have.”

Shawn sighed, “That makes us two of us. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again.”

And with that he crossed the door and got inside his car. While he was driving back to his apartment, where you were waiting for him, he was just thinking about how much he loved you and didn’t want to lose you.

He could easily keep silent because, technically, nothing happened. But he also realized that he loved you too much to keep you in the dark.

So he came home and told you.

And you left.

#shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes #shawn mendes blurb #shawn mendes blurb #Shawn Mendes Imagine #shawn x reader #shawn mendes x reader #shawn mendes au meme #shawn mendes smut

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jaerie · 5 years

Text

Alpha Seeking Alpha (E, 4k, abo) Maybe it’s taboo, but Louis can’t stop thinking about a strong alpha holding him down and filling him with a knot. Louis may be alpha himself yet there’s a corner of the internet where he can get what he wants. He finally has the courage to do it.

And the Truth Shall Set You Free (Maybe…) (E, 18k, abo) Betism: A religion based on the belief that the beta gender has been chosen by God to protect and defend the purity and dignity of the human race by resisting and condemning the lustful ways and flawed biology of the alpha and omega

Harry is a Betist and Louis is an alpha who runs with a bad crowd. This is what happens when two worlds collide.

Captain Jack (E, 32k, abo) Louis has been searching for something and Harry is there to give it to him. Drugs, sex, disappointment, and the tangled web they’ve woven that keeps them trapped in the same cycle.

Everything Comes Back To You (10k, abo) Louis was only seven when he found himself in a hospital bed alone and scared, confused about what was happening. When another little boy climbed into his bed to comfort him, Louis never thought that they would be meeting again later in life. He also never imagined that their roles would be reversed the second time around.

Everything I need I get from you (M, 10k, abo) In a world where music and sound are just as vital to health as food, Harry is stuck in a town that thinks professional music is a scam and a relationship he never wanted. One chance event changes his life.

Going Live (E, 15k) Harry has only done this cam thing a handful of times when another camboy pops in to view his stream and unintentionally stirs things up a bit.

Or Louis and Harry are both camboys for some extra cash and meet each other in an unconventional way

I’m Sure It Happens To All Alphas (E, 4k, abo) “It’s okay. I’m sure it happens to all alphas at some point,” the omega beside him said which only embarrassed him even more.

The thing was that this was not how Louis expected their first time together to play out. Especially after he’d been fantasizing about it for so long.

But let’s jump back to the beginning.

or Louis has trouble popping a knot

Just Jump (E, 10k, abo) Finally, after years of suffering alone, the insurance plan at Harry’s new job covered omega heat services. As a grown omega adult, it finally felt like the right time to try it out. And, since taking an entire week of heat leave would really put him behind at work, using a service to shorten it seemed like a responsible decision. At least that’s how he rationalized it. He was nervous about his decision but it was too late. The doorbell rang.

“Hi!” The alpha said again and Harry took the hand he offered and shook it firmly. “I’m Louis from Omega Services. It’s nice to meet you.”

20 more fics below...

Knot Safe For Work (E, 6k, abo) The world is magical, Louis is a wizard, Harry is a Were, there are spells for lube and supernatural kinks are definitely a thing.

Merry Birthday (10k, abo) Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson have unfortunate soulmarks branded onto their skin. The first words their soulmate will ever speak to them are two of the most common greetings, so common that they don’t even notice when it finally happens for real.

A Christmas soulmate AU.

OmegaVision (E, 24k, abo) Tomlin Networks Presents: OmegaVision starring Louis Tomlinson! The world’s first 24/7 reality channel available in over 150 countries worldwide following the life of the first male omega born in over a century. Follow Louis through his daily routine, the ups and downs of growing up or just leave him on for comfort. There are many reasons to tune in but, no matter what yours may be, there’s always a part of Louis that is just like you!

Or a Truman Show au that nobody asked for where Louis is Truman and Harry just wants to be his mate

Out of the Wild (E, 21.5k, abo) Louis has spent most of his life as a wolf in the wild, Harry has spent most of his life as a human in the city. Their worlds collide during the audition process for the hottest new singing competition. What happens next should have expected.

Out With The Old, In With The New (E, 7k, abo) Harry becomes the pack’s new alpha and Louis can’t wait to be bred

The Post-War BP (E, 18k, abo) The eight year war has left the country’s birthrate severely stunted with a lack of virile alphas left to bring it back up. To ensure the survival of the country, the government opens The Breeding Program where young omegas can apply to carry an alpha’s child in exchange for benefits. Louis’ family is struggling and the BP is one of the only ways to secure a roof over their heads. Harry was drafted at the age of eighteen and spent six years of his life defending a country he doesn’t recognize when he returns home. The government made the bed but it’s Harry that has to lie in it.

Restless Lane (E, 15k, abo) Louis had grown used to his boring life back in Mississippi as a stand-in father figure to his siblings. He never expected his childhood friend to show up on his lawn with the heat of summer or that he would remind Louis how much of himself he'd tucked away and neglected. He also never expected to find himself caught up in a tangled web of feelings or secrets that just might break him. Maybe he had never known Harry at all.

Save Some Luck For Me (E, 10.5k, abo) Louis arrives at the 2018 Winter Olympics to make history as the first omega to win a gold medal at the games. Harry, his oiled up crush from the Summer Olympics, just happens to show up to sabotage him, but maybe helps him win in the end.

Sisterwives (E, 33k, abo) This was it, the moment Louis had been waiting for his entire life. Giddy excitement bubbled up as he held hands and stared up at his soon-to-be alpha and husband and grinned. The ceremony was small and simple, but Louis didn’t mind. Fresh flowers pinned into his hair and a brand new outfit was all he needed to feel special in front of their few witnesses. It was just some members of his family and a few of the church elders in attendance as was customary for any marriage beyond the first wife within the faith.

First wives were the ones to have elaborate weddings with the whole community involved. An alpha’s first wedding was a celebration of an their coming of age, his first steps into fulfilling God’s prophecy. There were many glories for an omega that came with being a first wife but also many responsibilities. Louis had never aspired to be a first wife or even a second. He wasn’t experienced enough to be the leader of an alpha’s many wives and children and he didn’t think he’d be up to the task.

Louis was just fine in the position he was stepping into as the seventh.

Or Louis thinks he's getting everything he's ever dreamed of. Harry helps him find what makes him truly happy.

Stay Close, Hold Steady (E, 27k, abo) Found on the banks of the Mississippi as an toddler, Harry goes on a quest to find his biological family. Louis tries to be supportive, but maybe he just doesn’t want to be left behind.

Take What’s Mine (E, 15k, abo) Years after he is kidnapped, his life altered forever, Louis goes through the motions in a way that barely feels like living. Harry is a wild card, a forbidden fruit that Louis swore off of before he even had a chance to experience it. Maybe, in the end, Harry holds the key to being reborn. Louis just has to be open to the idea first.

Tell Me That You Want It Cause I Already Know (E, 3.8k, abo) Who knew all it would take was some good ole porn for Louis to discover his friend, Harry, is a wolf and for it to awaken an urge that would bring them together in a way he hadn’t anticipated.

Tiny Exaggeration (E, 4k, abo) Louis is frustrated that they've been dating for months and still haven't taken their relationship to the next level. Sometimes the foolishness of the past lingers in the present. Louis wants that to change.

Was It All Fake? (E, 4k, abo) Unmated omegas are second class citizens. Expected to provide for themselves yet paid so little that they often are overworked or forced to sell their bodies just to keep from starving. Louis’ luck turns around when he meets Harry, the rich heir to a fortune. After their bonding ceremony, things aren’t exactly what Louis expected.

Where Do We Go Now (E, 10k, abo) Louis goes off to college ready to start a fresh life away from the oppressive alphas of his pack. The odds aren’t in his favour when his new dorm mate turns out to be an alpha. Louis hates alphas.

The Wilds (E, 13k, abo) The creatures that Louis observed every day weren’t exactly human, but yet they were. Researchers had plucked some of them from their secluded island and transplanted them into an enclosure against their will like a bunch of zoo animals. Louis didn’t think they were. But he was only paid to do the yardwork, he didn’t have any say about the wilds that lived there. That was until an unfortunate accident changed his life forever and made one wild in particular his top priority.

Woke Up Feeling Knotty (E, 8k, abo) Beta Louis has a kink for knotting and the secret aesthetic porn blog he runs about it is more than proof. When he accidentally finds out his alpha best friend Harry is one of his biggest fans, he knows he has to come clean after everything that has already happened between them. Harry just might be willing to help him out anyway.

You Gotta Swim, Swim For Your Life

Swim When It Hurts - Part One (M, 12k, abo) Harry never thought he would find himself battling cancer. Louis never thought he would find himself so attached to one of his patients.

Swim When It Hurts - Part Two (E, 6k, abo) Harry never thought he would find himself battling cancer. Louis never thought he would find himself so attached to one of his patients. Neither one of them thought they would find love in such an unlikely place.

Swim When It Hurts - Part Three (E, 7k, abo) Harry never thought he would find himself battling cancer. Louis never thought he would find himself so attached to one of his patients. Neither one of them thought they would find love in such an unlikely place. Maybe things weren’t ideal, but finding strength in a new kind of normal together may be just what they need.

#my fics #masterpost #self rec

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francesderwent · 4 years

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part two: August Rush and spirituality versus religion

/ part one here /

Our protagonist, Evan, is strongly, almost mystically convicted of the truth and beauty of his origin. He believes he has a family to whom he belongs, that their love communicates with him through the music that he hears, and that it will be through the music that they’ll find each other again. But they’re taking a little longer than he wants, and there’s a whole world of wind chimes out there, so he sets out to look for them – following the music, because the moon told him to. Providence guides and protects him.

He hitches a ride to New York City, and, mesmerized by what seems to be the first musical instrument he’s ever seen, follows a young guitarist named Arthur home. Home is an abandoned, condemned theater, with young, homeless musicians scattered all over it, and lording over it all is a man named Wizard, who steals instruments for the kids, determines who gets which busking spots all over the city, and takes half of their tips. He is initially dismissive of Evan – “you’ve never played a note before in your life” – but Evan experiments with Arthur’s guitar overnight and then blows them all away. The music does speak to him, and he can understand it. Wizard takes him in, gives him Arthur’s guitar, Arthur’s spot in the park, and a new name, “August Rush”, which has a better ring for performing. Evan is enraptured – he’s making music for the first time, a part of the mystery he’s been listening to his whole life, but also, someone has given him a name, someone who means something to him. Wizard is the first and only father figure he has ever known.

But can Wizard truly be a father to him? Wizard believes that music is a harmonic connection between all living beings, echoing back and forth between the spheres, heard only by those who are listening. It’s reminiscent of a vague pantheism, a spirituality with “music” as the divine unity of the universe that you have to make yourself open to and one with. The trouble is, “harmonic connection” is a very tenuous connection, and at the same time, a very jealous connection. Evan tells Wizard that he hopes his parents are listening to the music of the universe, that what he most wants to be in the world is “found” – but Wizard repeatedly says in negotiation, “of course he doesn’t have parents, I’m his representation, I’m his guardian”. Real, interpersonal, permanent connections, like connections of family, have no place in his world of harmonic connection. And especially, Evan’s gift for music cannot be something that his parents gave to him, cannot be something that ties him to them and them alone. That kind of relationship is too concrete; it has a strength of its own that puts it in tension with the universal connectedness of everything else.

And more to the point, that kind of relationship cannot be manipulated. Music connects Wizard and all his strays, but in a business, not a real family. If music speaks something, communicates something, Wizard isn’t listening to the kids to see what they have to say. He listens enough to know whether he can profit off of them – Evan, especially, he sees as a payoff. He doesn’t want Evan to have parents, he doesn’t want Evan to be found, because then he can’t use him – he doesn’t want Evan’s insight that his music comes from his parents to be true, because then maybe it might be true that it will really lead him to them.

To be fair to Wizard, it’s hinted that he has his own, personal reasons for turning away from the societal structures that are meant to care for orphaned children. He gives an impassioned speech to Evan’s social worker when he turns up looking for him, saying that kids get lost in the system and they shut themselves off to the world, so that they don’t hear anything. Human relationships cause hurt, and hurt causes people to choose instead to make themselves totally deaf and invulnerable – like Lyla and Louis. But in rejecting imperfect relationships, Wizard has also rejected all real relationships – there’s only use, which holds its object at a distance.

Evan can see that Wizard isn’t perfect – but what brings him to tears is watching all the other children in the park with their mothers. Wizard is the only father he has ever known, and so he assumes fathers are meant to be distant and pragmatic, but he wishes he had a mother who would listen to him, would fill the need in his heart, still so unfulfilled, for closeness and unconditional love. He still wants to play music, still wants to be heard so that maybe his parents will listen – but Wizard is starting to warp his understanding of what it all means. It reaches its height when there’s a raid of the theater, and Wizard warns Evan that if he gets caught not to tell anyone his real name, because they’ll send him back where he came from. His deepest desire – to be found – has been turned into a fear instead.

But when Evan runs from the raid, he follows the music and he ends up at a church, where he meets a little girl named Hope, who lets him sleep under her bed at the church’s shelter where she’s staying with her grandmother. The next morning, before she goes off to school, she teaches Evan his scales and basic music notation. “You’re like an angel,” he tells her, sincerely. “Oh-kay,” she says, “I gotta go.” But it’s true – not only does she sing beautifully, but she’s given him new words to speak. She’s taken the thing that he felt and intuited and given him a way to make it concrete – and when the Reverend meets him, they bring him to Juilliard. The rules he learns don’t inhibit his natural gift, he’s still listening – but he says when he writes it all down, it’s like speaking back. Basically, he gets religion – someone to explain to him that all his deepest hopes and impulses are true, they can be explained, and a response is possible. He enters a community of people who are listening together, and speaking back together. He learns, he helps his much-older classmates with their homework, and he plays with music in a way that he’s never had the freedom to do before. The Dean of Juilliard asks Evan where the music he hears comes from – he says the ones who gave it to him, and she doesn’t dismiss him. His new worldview, his new community, includes the possibility of belonging to a family, of being tied together by giving and receiving love.

While Evan, or rather August, is at Juilliard, his parents have been orbiting ever and ever closer to him. Louis runs into an old bandmate, reconnects with his brother, and realizes that his life is suffocating him. He finds Lyla on the internet, discovers where she lives, and flies out to Chicago to wait around outside her apartment building. Finally he manages to speak to a neighbor, who tells him, “oh, the musician? she’s out of town, on her honeymoon.” Louis is hurt, but then, on an impulse, he flies to New York instead of back home, gets his old band back together, and starts writing music again. He couldn’t move on from Lyla, couldn’t get her off his mind, until he made peace with the fact that she was never his to begin with. Their love was a single, contingent moment, it wasn’t everything – but it wasn’t nothing either. He doesn’t need to turn his back on music and love altogether. It is love that requires that he let her go.

Lyla isn’t on her honeymoon – that’s her musician roommate – she’s in New York. Her father had a health scare and confessed to her the truth of what he’d done, and Lyla set off to look for her son. This is the confirmation of everything that she felt – everyone told her her son was dead, but she knew that wasn’t true, she has felt him in her heart and she never stopped wanting him. She says it feels like she just woke up; the darkness and loss was a terrible dream, this is reality. She gets in touch with Evan’s social worker, who figures out which child is hers – but she already knows. She saw his face on a bulletin board and recognized him immediately. He’s missing and at risk, all she can do to find him is print flyers, but she picks up her cello again, and agrees to play with the Philharmonic. Maybe he’ll hear her.

/ part three /

#meta whine and rant #august rush #I thought it was going to be two parts #I was wrooooong

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jlf23tumble · 5 years

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Fic rec anon here, and I'm blanking in the moment! I know you have a lot of recs and I love them all. Maybe your favourite AUs? Broadly speaking? Seeing some of them might help jog me into more specific categories ! xx

Gotcha, sort of like my prison rec list, only I like to think of it more in terms of what would I have on my phone to read when I’m bored and traveling, lol. Obvs, this sort of list is super hard, but having it focused on AUs kinda helps? At any rate, this isn’t a deep dive, it’s just my top level, so hopefully it’ll spark you. These are in no particular order, so come back if you want more!

Tuxedo Dress-Up, by Blake (honestly, ANYTHING in this fandom by Blake, I file this one under hot and hilarious, but every line is just swooooon). Louis is an aspiring song writer by day, a makeup artist for drag queens by night, and masquerading as a full-time real estate agent for his third most famous (and first most handsome) client Harry Styles.Or, five times they fail to fuck in a closet, and one time they get it right.

Once Upon a Dream, by objectlesson (again, ANYTHING by Phoenix, and most of it is canon, but where to even start with her AUs, jesus god, I struggled to rec just one, so I went with the AU she gifted me, ilu!!!!). “M’not gonna half-ass our fake relationship,” Louis almost snaps, voice sharp with a defensive edge, like Harry wandered too close to a bruise with needy fingers. “Now kiss me again. We’re gonna make every shitty tourist here wish they had stayed in the Midwest. We’re gonna burn Disneyland down with our gay.” Or, a fake dating AU where everyone is lying and they happen to be at the Happiest Place on Earth.

knock knock, i love you, by @thelovejandles aka beautlouis (another one of my fave authors in this fandom, proof that wips DO finish, and they’re absolutely worth it). Harry and Louis get kicked out of a statistics exam for passing a knock knock joke note, and subsequently fall in love. Harry's a virgin, there's a cat, a hot cocoa date, a lot of sex, even more knock knock jokes, and everything is lovely and happy.

Tied Down, by @ham-palpert (the twists and turns here, my goddd, just masterful) The most interesting case in Liam and Niall's careers falls directly into their laps, courtesy of an epic fuck-up of one Harry Styles, partner to the almost-infamous drug dealer Louis Tomlinson. The investigation yields an unexpected yet satisfactory outcome for Liam and Niall. For Harry and Louis, however, things are far more complicated.

Alien Roadtrip! by @helloamhere (needs ao3 account; I love desert roadtrips, and this captures that vibe perfectly, plus it’s hilarious). For the first time in his life, Louis doesn’t know where he’s going. Harry doesn’t mind. Or, a roadtrip with desert feelings, too much snack food, and empty motels. Harry is definitely absolutely not an alien. That would be ridiculous.

Harry Styles Cooks..., by @magicalrocketships aka sunsetsmog (aka the very best wip on earth, I weep with joy whenever I get the notif). In which Louis Tomlinson can’t cook, there’s a very special shower curtain, and Harry Styles used to be a baker. Or Louis owns all of Harry Styles’ cookbooks, and he never intends to cook a single thing out of any of them.

just call me inspiration, by @hereforlou (in which I *am* Liam Payne, porn editor!) The truth is Louis knows he’s going to hell, if there is such a thing, but it isn’t because he writes erotic fiction for a living. If anything, it’s because his muse, the reason he’s inspired to write about people shagging in increasingly creative ways everyday, is the sweetest, loveliest, most genuine (and completely oblivious) future children-book illustrator in the world.

Buried Like Treasure, by @becomeawendybird aka quickedween (marcel marcel marcel!!!). Prince Harry Styles is very private. He chooses to keep himself out of the public eye but feels lonely and isolated while surrounded by people in his hectic royal life. When he finishes his dissertation, he decides to take a solo holiday to one of the royal family's properties in the Swiss Alps. Semi-retired thief Louis Tomlinson has been pulled in for one last job: steal a painting from an uninhabited mansion. Neither one of them expects a natural disaster.

into another serotonin overflow, by @mercutionotromeo (this story packs a LOT into a little, it helped inspire my sideblog with smaller fic recs, actually). Harry's the yearbook photographer who's been assigned to take pictures of Louis, the new captain of the football team. Harry's got a massive, obvious crush on Louis and somehow, Louis feels the same way.

Turning Page, by @daisyharry aka purpledaisy (pretty much every on-set picture I see of Harry these days just makes me tag it for this fic). “You wanna buy Harry a drink?” Louis lets his eyes drip back to Harry, to his wide eyes and the way his shoulders curve down. He really is pretty – Louis will be the first one to admit it and the last one to ever say it out loud. Louis almost smirks and his lips twitch as he tilts his head, “Not particularly, no.” An AU where Harry Styles tries to get lost in a place he’s never been. Louis Tomlinson has been perfecting the art of being lost for years. What they don’t expect to find is each other.

hush. by wankerville (this story is achingly evocative of just about every shitty small American town, but my god is it beautiful, the sweetness of how it ends). “I don't like you like that, Harry.” “See,” Harry starts, Louis can hear the smile in his voice, “that's where I think you're lying.” Or an AU where small towns suck, louis is losing it, and harry’s just too perfect.

Three French Hems, by @gloriaandrews and @100percentsassy (I wish I could pick just ONE of my top three from these two, but alas...do persimmons smell like come? discuss). In which Louis is a designer at Burberry and Harry spends December wearing Lanvin… and Lanvin… and Lanvin.

Thought the Song Was Sung, by @gloriaandrews and @100percentsassy (see above, pretty much, and how happy I am that the tweets still show up! with Dame Julie Andrews even!!). Louis never auditioned for the X-Factor. Years later, Harry's just another gay ex-boybander who lives alone with his cat... until Niall decides to take matters into his own hands and set up a profile for Harry on a dating website.

Wild and Unruly, by @gloriaandrews and @100percentsassy (Iconic, even the abstract is iconic, everything still holds up. oh for cute, etc. etc.). Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

Are You Gonna Be My Girl? by loadedgunn (another one that inspired my sideblog dedicated to short fics! So much greatness packed in, Jesus, it’s in my top five for sure). Louis reenacts his first time, and Harry wants to be his good girl.

“burn this flame” by @rainbowninja aka rainbowninja167 (anytime I reread this, I smile...filed under hot and hilarious). When Harry gets invited to play in a celebrity charity match with Louis Tomlinson, Manchester United's star player, he's determined to impress him with brilliant football skills. The only flaw in Harry's otherwise foolproof plan? He has absolutely no football skills, brilliant or otherwise.

Challenging Nature: A Look into Male Lactation, by @jaerie (hands down, one of my fave kinks, handled fantastically well...and this isn’t the author’s only one!). Even taking into account all the bizarre things Harry has subjected himself to in the past for the sake of an article, Harry has received his strangest assignment yet. It comes up as a random misunderstanding in a meeting and builds into a conversation — can men breastfeed? Internet searches reveal documented cases of male lactation popping up at different times throughout history, but are any of them true? Can a man will himself into lactating? Harry has two months to make it happen.

like how your hands feel me up and down, by ballsdeepinjesus (this author wrote a lot of my faves back in the day, I have so many ~thoughts about the amazing writers in this particular era). “It’s -- you’re tight,” Louis chokes. “It’s tight, I mean. It’s. Yes.” His hand is curved around his hip now, squeezing lightly. “Tight’s good, right?” Harry murmurs, batting his eyelashes. He almost can’t believe himself. “Very good,” Louis grunts. Or louis works in a halloween shop and harry needs a costume.

baby look what you've done to me, by ballsdeepinjesus (see above; even the username kills me). The next day kind of turns everything upside down, though. Louis gets another lingerie catalogue addressed to Harry. He’s about to toss it when he sees a personalized note stuck to the front; it thanks Harry for his previous purchases and offers him a complimentary six-month subscription to their magazine free of charge. Or louis moves into harry's old flat. harry gets a lot of mail.

Take Our Bodies Higher, by @littlelouishiccups (I’m something of a connoisseur of the phone sex trope, so the way this author flips it and makes *Harry* the operator plus what ensues? chef’s kiss!). Harry wasn’t often caught off guard at his job anymore. He called different men Sir, Master, or Daddy for work almost every week, but he’d never been told he was a good boy in a voice quite like that. In which Harry is a phone sex operator and Louis dials a wrong number.

Make a Dime Go One Hundred, by @screwstyles (I’d rec this for their jobs alone, but everything in it, just wow). “Do you think you could trust anyone enough to have full control over you?” he asks into the night, hoping his sentence won’t break their bubble. It doesn’t, if the way Harry’s eyes meet his is any indication.“What do you mean?” Harry’s voice is barely above a whisper, rough from the singing they had done earlier. Louis wants to keep this memory forever.“You know, if someone wanted to, uhm,” he coughs, “to tie you up, or blindfold you.” Or a friends to lovers AU where Harry volunteers to help Louis experiment with bondage. Things don’t go exactly to plan.

it ain't trickin' if ya got it, by sarcasticfluentry (needs ao3 account; I often stare at the wall and wonder what another installment in this universe would be, fuckkkkk, it’s so good, I only wish the social media was still in it). 28-year-old blockbuster actor Louis Tomlinson rushes home to give his 20-year-old model boyfriend Harry a good seeing-to after a particularly provocative Instagram post and, in his excitement, alerts the entire world. Featuring daddy kink, anal beads, and feelings.

If You Asked Me if I Love Him (I'd Lie), by allyasavedtheday (needs an ao3 account; it’s a sequel, but I reread it over and over vs. the first piece). Or the one where Harry and Louis eloped but neglected to mention it to anyone. Meanwhile Lottie is getting married and the only way for them to not steal her thunder is by pretending they're just friends for the weekend. Featuring Harry and Louis as terrible liars who don't know the meaning of the word platonic and some Tomlinsons and Styleses who definitely don't believe them.

Damn, I could go on, but I’ll stop! My sideblog dedicated to short fics is @marathonficbreak, and it has some smaller ones, if this is too intimidating, lmao...hope some of them are new for you, enjoy!

#fic rec #long post #i do have deeper dives but this is a nice representation of my fave AUs #one direction

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archadianskies · 5 years

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Of all the days to forget to bring an umbrella, it had to be this one. The heavens seemed to have waited right until he stepped off the bus to open up and drown him in a deluge and now Simon’s trying to make a mad dash to the end of the street. Just as the lights turn green, of course, so he now has to wait for another set of lights to change before he can cross.

“-gallery at four, ready for the opening at seven.” The rain stops overhead, and the most beautiful man he’s ever seen stands beside him, sharing his umbrella over Simon.

He flashes him a brief smile before continuing with his phone conversation. “No no, no, Chloe you really don’t need to do that you’ve been wonderful and you’ve already done so much.” A bright laugh. “Listen, you’ve already managed to convince Elijah to attend that’s a modern day miracle right there.”

Simon can only gawp at him, can only take in his light brown skin with its cinnamon dusting of freckles, right there over the bridge of his nose, and his stylish trenchcoat with the collar popped and a scarf wrapped casually around his neck. Dressed properly for the weather, and prepared for the rain unlike the poor sod currently sharing his Louis Vuitton umbrella.

“I’m on my way to the gallery right now, just caught up in some heavy rain.” He continues, and for once Simon actually wishes the lights wouldn’t change, that he could stay right here under an umbrella that could pay his rent with a man that’s probably a runway model. “I’ll grab us coffees, is North there too? And Josh? Oh, what, dad’s already there?” Another bright laugh. “Of course he won’t miss an opportunity to meddle with the setup. Alright, I’ll see you guys soon, thanks Chloe.”

He hangs up and pockets his phone, glancing at Simon to offer a grin. “Man these lights take forever to change or what?”

“Oh, uh, yeah- they do I guess?” Simon stammers, feeling and certainly looking like an idiot. “Thanks for um, for sharing your umbrella.”

“No problem.” He smiles and that’s when Simon really gets a good look at his face, discovering the perfect man does in fact have mismatched blue and green eyes. “Where are you headed?”

“Just trying to get to the post office to pick up a package.” Simon points across the street. “Thought I’d make it without an umbrella today but Detroit had other plans I guess.”

“Cafe I’m headed to is just down that way, how about we keep going together?” He wonders how someone wins the genetic lottery like this, how two humans make someone so handsome and then let him loose in the world with those mismatched eyes and those freckles and that smile.

“Sure.”

“Oh you-” He reaches over, and for a brief moment Simon gets a whiff of expensive cologne. “- didn’t press the button.”

Ah. That’s why the lights hadn’t changed in forever. “Of course I didn’t.” Simon sighs, equal parts frustrated and embarrassed. It takes only a few seconds for the pedestrian light to turn green, and he takes care to keep his stride at the same speed as his good Samaritan. They continue down the street, the rain pelting down so noisily Simon can barely hear himself think.

“This is the cafe.” The stranger gestures ahead at a trendy little place called 'Jericho' tucked in a nook. He presses the umbrella into Simon’s hand, their fingers tangling briefly as Simon maneuvres to get a better grip. “I’m getting coffee for a few friends so you go on ahead. Come back here after you’ve got your package from the post office.”

“Are you sure?” Simon stands there dumbly, wondering if Mr Perfect understands he’s just handed Simon something he could literally run off with and sell.

“I’m sure.” He waves his hand dismissively. “Take your time, there’s a queue here anyway.”

“O-ok?” He does as he’s told, he holds onto the Louis Vuitton umbrella and makes his way just a little further down to the post office. He signs for the box and he thanks his twin brother for shopping online and helping fate to line up this little meeting with Mr Perfect that he may sort of possibly probably will gush about on Twitter.

When he returns to Jericho the handsome owner of the umbrella is standing at the counter waiting for the coffees. He smiles at Simon and waves him over.

“Mission accomplished?”

“Mission accomplished.” Simon can’t help his dopey little grin as he stands beside him and points at the box tucked under one arm.

“Order for Markus?” The barista holds out a tray of coffees. “Two more coming, hold tight.”

Markus, his name is Markus, Simon tucks the information away almost giddily.

“I’ll walk you back to the bus stop.” Markus offers with a soft smile. “Wouldn’t want you almost drowning in this weather.”

“You really don’t have to.”

“But I want to.” Markus grins. “Besides, I’m in no rush.”

“Your coffees will go cold.”

“My friends are getting them for free, they have no say in this matter.” He says it so deadpan Simon fails to snort back a laugh. “I didn’t know what you liked, but this place does a mean hazelnut soy latte.” Right on cue, because the universe writes fanfic apparently as Simon discovers, the barista places the last two coffee orders on the bench and Markus hands one to him. “Thought you might want something to warm you up.”

“Is this your first day here on earth as a mortal, do you know humans aren’t this nice to each other so randomly?” Simon teases, and Markus laughs brightly.

“Man, you saw through me so quickly! My leaders won’t be too happy I’ve blown my cover.”

“First you rescue a human from the rain and then you lend him adequate cover against the elements and then you buy him a hot beverage- humans don’t really do that, ‘Markus’ or whatever your real name is.” He continues, his cheeks aching from continuing to grin like an idiot.

“I just thought I better help that cute boy out.” His expression changes, turns into something playful and smouldering and Simon wonders if he just has GAY written on his forehead for the world to see. He must have stayed in stunned silence a moment too long, because Markus takes a step back and his entire demeanour changes.

“Hey man, listen, I’m sorry, I must have read the situation wrong-”

“You’re cute.” Simon blurts, his cheeks rosy red. “You’re really cute, you’re so cute you really can’t call me cute because of how cute you are. You’re totally using that word wrong.”

“Yeah?” Markus challenges, cocking a brow, confidence back in his body language.

“Absolutely.” He manages to share in Markus’ laughter, trying to shove down the feeling of utter mortification at his own behaviour.

“You doin’ anything tonight?” He asks him so casually Simon’s head spins trying to catch up. “I’ve got an exhibit opening at the Abraham Kamski memorial gallery in town.”

“You’re an artist.” Not a question, because of course Mr Perfect with the Louis Vuitton umbrella and the Burberry scarf is an artist.

“I am.” He offers him his hand. “Markus Manfred.”

“Markus Manfred ?” Simon echoes in disbelief even as his hand encloses his and gives it a firm shake.

“The one and only.” Markus rubs his thumb slowly over Simon’s. “And you are?”

“Simon.”

“So Simon, can I have your number so I can send you the event details?” He asks so smoothly Simon figures if the man wanted to start a revolution, if the man asked him to follow him to the ends of the earth he’d say yes right then and there.

“Where did you download how to be so suave?” Simon huffs, pretending to be indignant as he hands Markus his phone. “What secret corner of the internet taught you to be so smooth?”

“I’m an android, all of it was just programmed into me.” Markus shrugs casually as he sends a message to his phone using Simon’s. “More human than human.”

“Oh great, a robot uprising -just what we need.”

“Uprising? No, we’re just trying to live our lives and integrate as best as possible.” He takes a sip from one of the coffees, but keeps his mismatched eyes on Simon the whole time. “Including flirting with cute boys and saving them from the rain.”

“You’re utterly ridiculous.”

“I try my best.”

They walk back to the bus stop, coffees in a sturdy bag hanging off the crook of Markus’ arm and umbrella securely held over them. Simon sips at his hazelnut latte and yes Markus is right, it tastes amazing; nutty and sweet and creamy. He wonders why the universe is in such a good mood today, that it arranged all this so that their paths crossed. When they reach the stop, they barely wait a minute or two before the bus pulls up. Much to Simon's dismay, since he honestly could've spent many more hours standing beside Markus Manfred, huddled under an umbrella together.

“I’ll see you at seven, Simon?” Markus grins, something hopeful and playful all at once. Simon feels his heart skip a beat, his cheeks flushing as he smiles in return.

“I'll be there at seven, Markus.”

#dbh markus #dbh simon #detroit: become human #simkus #simarkus #meet cute #annie writes: dbh #it's on ao3 but hey let's put it here too because i enjoyed writing CUTE THINGS #annie makes stuff

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og-danny-dorito · 5 years

Text

Louis de Pointe du Lac Headcanons But They're ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

i already KNOW what you came here for so u better go under the cut for it ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) it's SPICYYY ok caution if you want to continue

N S F W:

- since he's a vampire you'd think that he'd be a kinky little shit, BUT I am here to disprove that theory

- in all honesty he's pretty vanilla, and doesn't have much that he's really into, or at least openly into. most of the things he does like are generally about trust like blindfolding and bondage

- to start, Louis was pretty innocent before he learned about the internet. he generally doesn't have a high sex drive so he doesn't sleep with people a lot unless it's his partner, and just isn't sexually adventurous or a man thot (unlike lestat’s dumb ass)

- the first time he did find out about kinks though was when he was browsing the internet to gain information on your favorite show so he could understand what the fuck you were talking about. eventually he clicked something that caught his eye, mainly out of curiosity. one thing came to another and he managed to be VERY invested until you walked in and he slammed the computer shut with an embarrassed expression on his face

- to try and get him to open up on his kinks is obviously going to be a challenge, so if you reassure him that you're open to new things in the bedroom he'll most likely spill what he's been thinking about for the past few weeks

- honestly he's a little shy and concerned that he'll end up hurting you, but if you're INTO getting hurt he's not only totally into it but like a few fibers of his being are concerned. he's familiar with masochism, but he doesn't WANT to hurt you or cause you pain. but if it'll make you happy he's ok to try it

- bloodplay is something he's more hesitant about since, yknow, he's a fucking vampire n stuff, but don't worry, he'll definitely agree under CERTAIN CONDITIONS. he needs to be well fed, and can't be feeling to desperate. it's most likely that your safe word would be something like “lilac” or “rose” since he likes both of those flowers and they're easy to say

- while he doesn't like hurting you he is very dominant. there are times when he's more submissive than anything, but he likes to be in control more than not. that's partially why he likes blindfolding, mostly because he has to be in control and you need to trust him to do it

- trust is very, very important to him, so the first time you two show each other your bodies he sees that as validation that your relationship is official. he likes to trust you, or just to be able to trust someone in general, so he'll let you blindfold him

- while he does like the extra things, what really matters to him is the contact. honestly, just the feeling of your fingers over his thighs or your breath on his neck makes him get immediately riled up and restless

- as most would expect, this becomes a huge problem when you two are away from each other for long periods of time. he's not one to normally touch himself when he smiles feeling desperate, but honestly sometimes he just can't help himself

- most of the time he ends up sitting somewhere comfortably like your bed, moaning your name between ragged breaths and thinking of you taking him between your lips, speaking to him, desperately clinging to him as he rams into you from the front, or anything else. in no time he's spilling over his own knuckles, huffing and trying to catch his breath

- his favorite position is either missionary or doggy no I don't take constructive criticism

- generally he also likes to watch you, mostly without your knowing. it's the one thing he doesn't feel a bit of shame about, and he ends up blending into the he shadows pretty well as he watches you change, undress, etc. he soon ends up not being able to watch anymore, hungry for you to touch him where he needs it most

- honest to god he doesn't really care what you look like, he loves you for your personality. body types or specific attributes don't matter to him either, although he will admit that's he does like a nice pair of eyes on someone. it's fascinating how they can reflect someone's mood when the rest of them refuses to express, or how their look can speak so much louder than anything a normal human would be able to say with just words alone. eyes reflect feeling, and he loves you so much to always have love and admiration glistening in his own

- to be honest he's a bit self conscious about his own body, just because of the lack of pigment and how prominent his veins are. you'd think he'd have gotten used to it, but more often that not you can find him tracing the icy blue and purple tendrils under nearly transparent skin with a look of slight displeasure on his face

- this counts for anything below the belt

- he's very pale and his skin is thin, and so you can typically see where the blood rushes as he arches his back and lets out a loud groan as soon as you stroke him

- due to vampire senses and being more acutely aware and shit, he reacts to almost any touch if he's overstimulated and too focused on trying to organize himself. seriously, if you so much as trace shapes on his back while he's trying to create friction between his legs or something along those lines he'll let out a shallow sigh and bite on his bottom lip tightly

- if he's particularly desperate he won't say much of anything, and ends up just fucking you against a wall or on a table to fulfill his own carnal desire. pull his hair a little and he MIGHT just nut right then and there, no fucking lie

- his stamina is basically endless, he can go on for like, HOURS dude seriously it's crazy

- he prefers to come either inside or on you, since it's almost like marking his territory in a way

- WEAR HIS CLOTHES

- D O I T

- generally he's actually very good at aftercare, and he's very considerate as to what you may be feeling in the moment. he's a hopeless romantic, so he'll want to take a long bath with you after fucking you senseless on the sheets of your own bed. he does respect if you're tired though and will be content with just curling up with you and sharing your body heat in a heap of limbs

- all in all he likes to share intimate moments with you, and makes his best effort to make you feel good whether it's at his own expense or not

#interview with a vampire #iwav #iwav headcanons #interview with a vampire headcanons #louis de pointe du lac #louis de pointe du lac headcanons #louis headcanons #vampire #vampyre #sfw #headcanons #louis imagines #louis de pointe du lac imagines #I saw that people likes my other ones so ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)#idk which ones to do next #probably like #I may do venom headcanons

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suddeninklings · 5 years

Text

Summary. Louis Bloom needed a change. Alone in a new city, he is ready to make his mark as he had in Los Angeles. Sadie Sims is alone, too. But she knows San Francisco in ways he doesn’t.

Introduction l Chapter One

Chapter Two.

Rain pounded against the windows of Lou’s car. Small waves of water slunk from the roof, morphing the neon lights outside until they looks more like strokes of paint. Inside, it was close to deafening. Sadie say in the passenger’s seat, a paper bag in her lap with her phone balanced on her left knee. Lou was lounging in the driver’s seat, gnawing on his thumbnail as she answered in detail the questions he posed.

Most were about the various districts that made up the city. The demographics. Which areas she felt safe in. Which were home to families. To loners. It seemed to her, all basic stuff, but perhaps he was more interested in a first hand opinion opposed to what he could look up on the internet. After the first hour, she had excused herself to the nearest sandwich shop, her rumbling stomach having caused one too many interruptions. She had offered to get him something too, but he had politely declined. She was certain she could feel his eyes on her as she raced up the block, her jacket pulled up to keep her head covered from the downpour. When she returned, he was gazing at his phone and didn’t look up. She unwrapped her dinner, a half of a meatball sandwich, and waited for the next question.

“What about Bayview?” He said, after a moment of silence, right when she had dared to take her first bite. She wondered if he would object to her eating. His car was immaculately clean and still held traces of that familiar new car smell. But he hadn’t told her to stop or tuck it away.

He was a strange man. To say the least. His eyes, as blue as the oceans in the north, seemed to be watching always. Never straying from their current focus. They reminded her of a hawk or some other bird of prey. Sharp and fixated. His face was sallow, no doubt from working mostly at night. The mixture of shadows and the dim glare of neon only heightened the deep bags under his eyes and the definite lines of his cheek bones.

He could stand to gain a little weight. Sadie thought, swallowing. It was something people used to say to her, but she hadn’t heard it since moving to California.

“You’ll probably spend a lot of time there,” She said, taking another large bite. “Or across the bay, in Oakland? Lots of people want to know what’s going on there. And visa-versa. Everyone who lives there really wants to live here.”

He didn’t take notes as she spoke, but seemed to be cataloging everything away in the folds of his mind. She guessed he would remember every word. He pulled at sections of his hair, drawing them into place. It was wet from the rain and looked better slicked back.

“Do you ever think of cutting it?” She asked between bites, fingering the napkin in her lap.

“What?” He asked.

“Your hair,” She clarified, gesturing with her free hand. “Just a trim maybe. It would look much better.”

“I’m not concerned with such things.” He said simply, his eyes on the road ahead.

“Oh,” She said. She lifted her foot up but paused, looking to him. “Do you mind if I-?”

He met her eyes, not understanding at first. “Not at all.”

She smiled and hitched her feet up onto the dash. Curling inwards and settling into a more comfortable position. She was like a cat in that way, always wanting to be smaller than she already was. Yet still poised. When he sat at Whitney’s he could see her watching people. Observing them. She seemed fascinated by even the most mundane patrons. Sometimes she would be listening in on conversations, scribbling into her pad before tearing the page out and pocketing it so as not to tip off her bosses. It was amusing. Made even more so because in practically every case, people had no clue she was doing it.

In all actuality, he did mind, but he was quickly discovering that things Sadie did didn’t bother him in ways that they would with most other people. At first he wasn’t sure why this was. But he had his theories. The topmost being that, she wasn’t averse to his mannerisms in the way that most people were. He wasn’t stupid or immune to it. He knew he was different. He just didn’t particularly care. He let his work speak for him. People like Nina and Robert, they cared more about his output and that was all that mattered to him. Still, it was strange to meet someone that didn’t seem to mind his idiosyncrasies. Richard had. The other interns had. They put up with it. But he could sense the side long glances and the whispers. She was nervous around him at first. Especially when he asked her to get in the car. But this was their third night together and she had begun to relax. Whatever her misgivings, he was starting to think they had more to do with him being a man that with him principally.

“Did you get that picture?” He asked, suddenly remembering what he’d meant to ask her that first night.

“Hmm?”

“Of the statue.”

“Oh! Yeah, you wanna see?” She asked, excitedly. She reached for her backpack, not waiting for an answer. She pulled a slim folder from it’s depths and handed it over. “I just got it developed yesterday, actually. It’s going to be perfect for my portfolio.”

He opened it. There were at least a dozen shots slipped into the right side pocket. On the left, a sealed, plastic envelope of negatives was pinned down. Feeling her eyes on him, he began to slip through the shots. They were all taken at night and aside from the statue, each was taken of a person. None of the subjects faced the camera, but Louis could sense the emotions in each shot.

“These are…”

She leaned in, fist tucked under her chin in an attempt to seem cavalier. It wasn’t often that she sought outside opinion, but she felt as if she owed him something for his assisting in her trespassing attempt. Even so, her heart was hammering in her throat. Criticism wasn’t something she had yet learned to handle. She was certain that, even if there was only a single negative reaction in a sea of positives, she would be awake the whole night through obsessing over whatever he said next.

“Really good.” He finished, slipping another page free to inspect it.

“You think so?” She said, breathless.

“I do.” He nodded.

“I like to play with light,” She explained, watching him carefully as he inspected each piece. “Man-made light mostly. It’s really fascinating you know, how the angles can change your face. You can look like a totally different person depending on-Oh, geez, I forgot that one was in there.”

Her face turned scarlet as he pulled out the second to last one. It was a picture of him.

“Sorry,” She said, though she sounded more apologetic that he had caught her rather than for the act itself. “It was the first night you came in. I didn’t think- I mean -you didn’t seem like the “regular” type. So…”

He was sitting at the corner booth. It had been the first and only time he’d managed to acquire it. He was leaning back against the chair, looking much like a disinterested teenager with his headphones crammed into his ears. The waitress, whether it was Sadie or one of the others he couldn’t remember, must have just brought him his coffee for slivers of steam were still wafting from the surface. Spread out before him were several papers and a notebook. He had been learning the San Francisco codes that night. Although at the time it had been unwelcome, it was a flattering shot. He looked...concentrated. Like an artist in his element. There was something almost maniac but engaging about the way his eyes were trained on the page. A direct contradiction to his lackadaisical form. He held the photo closer to his face, unable to look away.

“I like it.” He said. It was the truth.

“You do?” She breathed, sounding relieved.

“Can I keep it?” He asked, turning to her.

“Keep it?” She considered. “Well, I guess. If you don’t mind me using the negatives. There’s this gallery in the Mission that takes amateur submissions every other month...I’m hoping to get in this year.”

“It’s a deal.” He said.

He held his hand out to her. Surprised, Sadie pushed her feet off the dash and twisted around to face him. She took his hand with a grin. It was cold like ice, but he held firm. He held it for a moment longer than she expected, his thumb running along the curves of her knuckles. He didn’t even seem aware he was doing it.

Sadie slipped her hand away. “You’re, uh, welcome” She said, drawing her hand into her others. It felt hot all of a sudden. Her traced her own thumb over where his had ghosted and felt sparks. She looked up, watching him smile as he took in the photo and felt herself beginning to smile too. She purposely tried to photograph people when they didn’t realize it. And, aside from a spare photo of a friend here or there, had never received feedback directly from a subject. Usually out of fear of critic or backlash.

But...that wasn’t bad. She thought to herself. Not at all.

The police scanner shoved in between them whirred to life, causing them both to start.

“All available officers please converge on-”

Louis didn’t need to hear the rest to know it was a call worth responding to.

“Get out.” He said, not unkindly but with a jarring firmness.

“O-Okay-” Sadie stuttered, grabbing for her pack and shoving her stuff inside. As she zipped up her bag, she felt his hand on her shoulder pushing her towards the door.

“Alright, alright, I-” She stumbled out of the car and into the rain. He was gone before she could even right herself. She watched his car speed off into the night, showers of water spraying on either side of the car.

“B-bye…” She said, lamely raising her hand has rain began to soak through the hood of her jacket.

He was glad she had been so quick to exit the car. A minute later and he would have lost his place as first to the scene. And what a scene it was. The building looked to be abandoned. From the front, it was windowless and covered in a forest green paint that was chipped and peeling off in long, loose curls. Four police cars were parked out front. They had only just begun to cordon off the area. Sensing his window was closing, Louis held tight to his camera, and snaked past an officer talking to a local and into the building. It was low lit inside, but he could feel that the ceiling stretched high above. Despite the coolness of the evening, there was a stale, heavy warmth permeating the room. The first thing he registered was the smell. It was one he had come to recognize. Blood. Not fresh blood. But rot and sweat and salt.

“Hey! You can’t be in here.” An officer said, stepping towards Louis in the hopes that his sizable form would be enough to chase him away.

“What happened here?” Louis said, ignoring him. He kept the camera steady, trying to at least get a good sweep around the room.

“Sir,” The office said, “Get out. Now.”

Louis began to back towards the door slowly. “Is-that…”

“It is was it is.” The officer said, “Now stand back please, behind the line.

Certain he had gotten at least enough for a tease, he stumbled out and began to search for a proper interviewee.

Thank you for reading! Things are going to pick up next chapter, I promise. ;0)

#nightcrawler #louis bloom #fanfiction #jake gyllenhaal

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Best All-Time Celebrity Met Gala Fashion Outfits

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For serious fans of fashion, there’s no bigger red-carpet affair than the annual Costume Institute Benefit—a.k.a. the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala, or Met Gala for short—where celebrities and high fashion collide in a bonanza of couture gowns that more than rivals the Oscars in unabashed glamour. Part of the evening’s fun—even for us spectators—is seeing what attendees choose to wear on the red carpet at the Gala, which will be held Monday night. Considering attendees’ high-design attire is typically loosely inspired by the exhibition’s theme, we have a feeling this particular red carpet will be one for the record books, and we’ll see some of the best Met Gala dresses yet.

However, before we can look ahead to this year’s extravaganza, we decided to look back at some past memorable Met Gala gowns that we’re still talking about.

From supermodels (Karolina Kurkova in a head-to-toe custom Rachel Zoe creation that resembled liquid gold, Gisele Bündchen’s red-hot Valentino, Anja Rubik’s skin-baring Anthony Vaccarello) and starlets (Beyoncé in showstopping Givenchy, Diane Kruger in Jason Wu) to the fash pack (Alexa Chung in Marc Jacobs, Ashley Olsen in vintage Dior, Zoe Kravitz in Alexander Wang), there’s no denying that everyone who shows up to the year’s most major red carpet does so with a serious fashion moment in mind.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images.

Rihanna, Met Gala 2017

As an annual Met Gala favorite, Rihanna didn’t disappoint when she wore a Comme des Garçons structured flower-like dress by Rei Kawakubo, a Japanese designer who was honored with that year’s theme. The look, which was straight from Comme des Garçons’s Fall 2016 runway, used floral fabrics, which were layered and pulled apart to look like petals.

Jackson Lee/FilmMagic.

Zendaya, Met Gala 2017

Though Zendaya strayed from 2017’s avant-garde theme, she still shut down the red carpet when she showed up in a colorful Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda ball gown decorated with vibrant orange and blue parrots. Z complemented her look, which boasted a floor-length train, with a voluminous Afro.

Andrew H Walker/REX/Shutterstock.

Cardi B, Met Gala 2018

Cardi B’s 2018 MOSCHINO Met Gala look (with the theme Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination) was beyond iconic.

Larry Busacca/Getty Images.

Taylor Swift, Met Gala 2016

As 2016’s Met Gala chair, Taylor Swift created chatter on the internet for the metallic minidress she wore in honor of that year’s theme, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. The look consisted of a robot-like Louis Vuitton dress with cutouts and a ruffled skirt with knee-high lace-up heels and black lipstick complementing Swift’s electric-blonde hair.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for People.com.

Solange, Met Gala 2016

Solange didn’t exactly fit 2016’s technology-inspired theme, but many fans considered her lemonade-yellow David Laport dress, which featured accordion-like pleats, to be a nod to her sister Beyoncé’s album Lemonade, which came out a month earlier. Solange completed her look with matching latex leg warmers and clear sandals.

Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock.

Lena Waithe, Met Gala 2018

When Master of None’s Lena Waithe showed up to the 2018 Met Gala in a literal rainbow cape, we knew it was going to be a good night.

Karwai Tang/WireImage.

Lupita Nyong’o, Met Gala 2016

Lupita Nyong’o stunned on the Met Gala red carpet in 2016 when she wore a jade sequined Calvin Klein shift dress with a near-translucent train. But it was her hair that caught the attention of the internet. Shortly after Nyong’o walked the red carpet, Vogue published an article comparing her sky-high bun to Audrey Hepburn’s in a 1963 Vogue photo shoot. The actress later called out the magazine on Instagram, explaining that her hair wasn’t inspired by Hepburn, but by traditional African hairstyles and Nina Simone.

J. Kempin/Getty Images.

Kendall Jenner, Met Gala 2017

Kendall Jenner definitely turned heads in 2017 when she showed up at the Met Gala in a near-naked La Perla dress. The sheer look, which featured a large diagonal cutout on Jenner’s torso, was flecked with glitter and featured a low-scooped open back, revealing Jenner’s derriere.

J. Kempin/Getty Images.

Katy Perry, Met Gala 2017

As one of 2017’s Met Gala chairs, Katy Perry raised the bar when she wore an avant-garde red-tulle dress by John Galliano. The look, which featured a floor-length veil and sleeves embellished with large jewels, also included a crown-like headpiece with the word “Witness,” which would later become the title of Perry’s 2017 album.

Jamie McCarthy/FilmMagic.

Claire Danes, Met Gala 2016

From a first look, Claire Danes’s 2016 sky-blue Cinderella-like Zac Posen ball gown looked like another pretty dress and far from that year’s technology-inspired theme. But in the dark, fans learned that the one-of-a-kind dress was sewn with dozens of fiber optics, allowing it to twinkle with lights when it was pitch-black. Posen revealed the high-tech effect on his Instagram.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images.

Cara Delevingne, Met Gala 2017

Cara Delevingne took advantage of her freshly shaven head at the 2017 Met Gala by glazing it with slick silver paint. She paired her metallic buzzcut with a sci-fi-inspired pantsuit by Chanel with bold shoulders and a futuristic, star-like pattern.

David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock.

Rihanna, Met Gala 2018

Rihanna really stuck to the 2018 “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” Met Gala theme when she game dressed as the literal Pope. We’re still screaming about it.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage.

Madonna, Met Gala 2016

Madonna earned mixed reviews when she wore a sheer and skin-baring Givenchy dress to the 2016 Met Gala. The look, which exposed Madonna’s butt and breasts, was criticized by some for being too revealing. Of course, Madonna had the last word. After the controversy, the singer took to her Instagram to explain that her dress was a “political statement” against “an ageist and sexist society.”

Andres Otero/WENN.com.

Kim Kardashian, Met Gala 2013

A pregnant Kim Kardashian didn’t exactly stick to the PUNK: Chaos to Couture theme of 2013’s gala, but her Givenchy dress spawned 10,000 memes—and was of particular significance, given it was the first time Anna Wintour allowed her to attend.

Getty Images.

Diana Ross, Met Gala 1981

Diana Ross’s 1981 Met Gala gown would look right at home on the 2018 red carpet, given fashion’s recent obsession with ruffles and off-the-shoulder cuts.

WENN.com.

Solange, Met Gala 2015

When every other star was tripping over themselves to prove their dresses were the most naked, Solange rolled up to the 2015 Met Gala in this round Giles dress—and killed it.

Mari Sarai/Wireimage.

Amber Valletta, Met Gala 1999

Amber Valletta looked every inch the supermodel in shiny gold at 1999’s “Rock Style” gala.

Andres Otero/WENN.com.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Met Gala 2013

Sarah Jessica Parker, patron saint of the Met Gala, can always be counted on to show up in something fabulously OTT, like this Giles Deacon gown and Philip Treacy Mohawk headpiece in 2013, proving that she truly gets the spirit of the event every year.

Tom Gates/Getty Images.

Diana Vreeland, Met Gala 1981

Legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland and Bill Blass at the 1981 gala, whose theme was “‘Eighteenth Century Woman.”

Flashpoint / WENN.

Lauren Santo Domingo, Met Gala 2008

In 2008, socialite and fashion It-girl Lauren Santo Domingo wore a silver glittering Nina Ricci gown—created by then-designer Olivier Theyskens—end of story. But it wasn’t, because the dress caused a bit of a scandal when the house dressed SJP in the same exact dress months later for the premiere of the “Sex and the City” movie. The brand responded to the controversy by saying LSD isn’t technically a celebrity, so they didn’t recycle.

Andres Otero/WENN.com.

Lupito Nyong’o, Met Gala 2014

Fresh off her fame-making red-caped-dress moment, Lupita Nyong’o made a dramatic grand entrance at the 2014 gala in flapper-inspired Prada.

Getty Images.

Zoë Kravitz and MIA, Met Gala 2010

The cool crowd—also known as MIA and Zoë Kravitz—arrived on the arm of Alexander Wang at 2010’s “American Women”-themed gala.

WENN.

Florence Welch, Met Gala 2012

Florence Welch brought it to the 2012 gala honoring Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli, although she opted to wear a stunning multitiered McQueen dress. She showed up on several “worst-dressed” lists, proving again that the masses just don’t get it.

Toby/WENN.com.

Anja Rubik, Met Gala 2013

Supermodel Anja Rubik rolled up to the 2013 punk-themed gala in a mini red leather Anthony Vaccarello number—and it promptly went down in the annals as one of the coolest, most memorable looks ever.

WENN.com.

Karen Elson, Met Gala 2015

In 2015, supermodel-turned-rocker Karen Elson debuted a jaw-dropping Dolce & Gabbana look on the red carpet. Whether it played into the night’s theme—”China: Through the Looking Glass”—is debatable, but the glamour is not.

Andres Otero/WENN.com.

Anne Hathaway, Met Gala 2013

Anne Hathaway shed her goody-goody image at the 2013 punk-themed gala, replacing her long brown hair with a cropped platinum cut and debuting an on-theme Valentino gown.

Lia Toby/WENN.com.

Miley Cyrus, Met Gala 2013

A logical step in Miley Cyrus’s 2013 emancipation from Hannah Montana? Attending the punk-themed Met Gala on Marc Jacobs’s arm in a totally sheer dress and with blonde spiky hair.

Evan Agostini/Getty Images.

Diane Kruger, Met Gala 2004

A lot of the looks at 2004’s “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century” gala look wildly outdated now, but Diane Kruger—in Nicolas Ghesquiere—still looks chic and sexy.

Lia Toby/WENN.com.

Nicole Richie, Met Gala 2013

Nicole Richie stunned due to the simple fact that she made both a Topshop gown and silver hair look ridiculously chic in 2013.

WENN.com.

Kim Kardashian, Met Gala 2015

In 2015, Kim Kardashian caught major flak for wearing a dress nearly identical to the one Beyoncé wore in 2012. Granted, they’re by different designers and were different colors—Beyoncé’s black and purple gown was Givenchy, while Kim’s white dress was part of Peter Dundas’s first collection since returning to Roberto Cavalli, but the similarities were shocking, down to the sheer nakedness, the curve-hugging fit, and—of course—the feathered train that Bey worked like a pro on the Met’s red stairs when she made her dramatic entrance three years ago.

(And let it be known, Kim—who was on the event’s host committee that year—also showed up toward the end of the carpet, just like Ms. Knowles did.)

WENN.com.

Rihanna, Met Gala 2015

Perhaps the most memorable gala gown—and the most memorable example of a star sticking to the theme—was at 2015’s “China: Through the Looking Glass”: Rihanna showed up in an imperial-yellow fur-trimmed caped number with a multifoot-long train created by Chinese couturier Guo Pei. “I was researching Chinese couture on the Internet, and I found it,” she told Vanity Fair.

Getty Images.

Ashley Olsen, Met Gala 2011

Ashley Olsen didn’t wear McQueen to the 2011 gala, whose theme was in his honor, but looked absolutely perfect in a vintage Dior with puffy sleeves.

WENN.com.

Beyoncé, Met Gala 2015

Beyoncé turned heads in revealing Givenchy Couture at 2015’s gala, though some critics slammed the look for being too shameless in its approach to grab headlines. In the year of the “naked dress” on the gala’s carpet—J.Lo and—predictably—Kim K. also showed up in similar styles—we kind of hoped Beyoncé would have risen above the fray and had fun with her look, much like Rihanna did that year.

WENN.

Gisele Bündchen, Met Gala 2011

Part of one of the best-dressed couples of all time, supermodel Gisele Bündchen made jaws drop in 2011 with her dramatic red Alexander McQueen.

Getty Images.

Bianca Brandolini D’Adda, Met Gala 2012

Italian It-girl Bianca Brandolini D’Adda stunned in a serious gold Dolce & Gabbana ensemble in 2012.

Rose Hartman/Archive Photos/Getty Images.

Elizabeth Hurley, Met Gala 1995

Quintessential ’90s couple Elizabeth Hurley—in her signature curve-hugging gown style—and Hugh Grant at 1995’s gala.

Evan Agostini/Getty Images.

Amber Valletta, Met Gala 2004

It’s hard not to applaud Amber Valletta for fully embracing the 2004 “Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century” gala theme.

WENN.

Diane Kruger, Met Gala 2011

In 2011, Diane Kruger was the picture of modernity—instead of an OTT gown, she opted for a sleek black slit-skirt and embellished top by Jason Wu.

Billy Farrell/BFAnyc/Sipa Press.

Rihanna, Met Gala 2011

Been there, done that: Rihanna was doing the naked-dress thing long before Kim, Bey, and J.Lo. Here she is in Stella McCartney in 2011.

Getty Images.

Karolina Kurkova, Met Gala 2012

Karolina Kurkova brought some serious Studio 54 vibes in 2012 with her gold beaded Rachel Zoe number.

Getty Images.

Kirsten Dunst, Met Gala 2012

Kirsten Dunst might have worn prim Rodarte to 2012’s gala, but the look did its part to play into the Prada and Schiappareli theme.

Getty Images.

Alexa Chung, Met Gala 2013

It-girl and style-setter Alexa Chung took the “real fashion” route in a buttoned-up Marc Jacobs look in 2013.

Getty Images.

Nina Dobrev, Met Gala 2012

Actress Nina Dobrev looked glamorous in a serious Donna Karan Atelier gown in 2012.

A version of this story originally appeared in May 2016.

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